Patriarchy Isn’t Working for You

Once again, I am angered by the articles I read. Happy Friday!

Today, I read two articles that upset me greatly, each demonstrating the damaging effects of gender stereotypes. In the first one, How to Tell If a man’s penis is In the Right Place, the author draws a confusing analogy between people with penises in women’s bathrooms and  a “politician jizzing where he shouldn’t.”

Ok? This is the extent of his argument–don’t listen to people who don’t want penises in women’s bathrooms because…….they’re all conservative hypocrites? No. And please don’t conflate female solidarity with conservatism–there’s nothing conservative about it. I would argue it’s way more conservative to keep silencing women the way we have been for centuries.

The patriarchy machine needs you to silence dissenting opinions–it keeps the gears well-greased!

In the second article, Stop the “Women in Tech” Hysteria, the author laments ladies lamenting there aren’t enough ladies in tech. She goes on to state her views on what men and women are each “made for” and that we need to stick to what we’re good at. I believe I’ve already stated how I feel about the term “hysteria” but in case you missed it:

“Blow me to Bermuda!”

Sophia (the author), the patriarchy needs you to buy into bullshit gender stereotypes so you can be used as a human step-stool and believe me, you’re nothing more. You and women like you are brainwashed into getting down on all fours and letting your betters (men) ease on up the corporate ladder. Do they all succeed? No. Are all women who are “successful” by conventional standards happy? No. But neither are the brainwashed step-stools.

You two are being used and abused and you don’t even know it. People like you are tools of the patriarchy–you’re like hall-monitors that tell the rest of us to pipe-down and get in line. Well you know where that line leads to?

That’s right, the fucking meat grinder–where all the “yes” men and women are ground up and used as fertilizer for the next crop of human step-stools!

Luckily, if you’re brave, you can step out of line any time. Only catch is, once you’ve stepped out, you can’t get back in. You’ll be shunned, ridiculed and targeted for your disobedience. But you’ll be free.

Director, Guillermo del Toro said something very wise when he was asked about gender inequality. He said that the system wants us to buy into our differences so we hate each other. This type of distraction makes us easier to control. He uses a fitting analogy of a huge elephant being constrained by a rope tied to a very tiny stick.

His point is not lost on me and I believe both of these authors could benefit from reflecting on it. The system that’s in place benefits greatly from us hating each other; because while we’re busy bickering, we won’t notice the vampire that is the patriarchy feeding off of our very life force, sustaining itself upon our ignorance, our denial and our hate. Wake up. Step out of line. Fuck power.