Academic

Feminist Priorities

By Ann Bartow

Okay, so I got bashed here at Slate’s XX Factor for having my “knickers in a twist” over the current Ms. magazine cover (see this, this and this). Choice quote: “Feminism lies like a beached octopus, tentacles thrashing in all directions, looking for anything upon which it may find purchase, desperately seeking to be relevant again.” Jeepers. I thought the Ms. cover was ill advised, I said so on this blog, and by doing so I single-handly ruined feminism. And that was before breakfast! The author of the post is Susannah Breslin. Let’s look at a couple of her other recent posts at XX Factor to see what TRULY IMPORTANT FEMINIST ISSUES AS IDENTIFIED BY SUSANNAH BRESLIN look like:

1. The brand and model of the shoes that were hurled at Bush.

2.  A “22-year-old women’s studies major, is selling her virginity to the highest bidder.”

3.  A post entitled “All Writers Are Whores” in which Susannah Breslin writes: “… oh, what I wouldn’t do for a sugar daddy. Freelancing is a tough, lonely business. The idea of a man lining my pockets with enough cash to not have to worry about the rest and focus on the writing sounds like a small slice of writerly heaven to me.” The post closes with these words: “I’d venture if the stigma was lesser, there’d be more male writers out there riding the sugar-mommy train. Too bad feminist rhetoric doesn’t pay my bills.” [Emphasis added.]

Welp, I’m glad she clued readers to the fact that her posts were “feminist rhetoric” because otherwise I doubt anyone would have realized that is what she has been writing.

–Ann Bartow

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on January 16, 2009 (boomark / email).