The ever-elusive "feeling like a woman" - what the hell is it supposed to be? Rant incoming...

submitted by vitunrotta from self.GenderCritical

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]vitunrotta[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

Always appreciate your insights. :) Good lord, woman, are you a library that came alive!? I had never checked the writers of this song - until now. (Fact check: 100% correct.)

When that song first became a big hit (in our remote little country) it was FOR the women, at least from my perspective. I was very young at that time - on the 7th grade - so I never heard it played on the dancefloor, for example. But even so, I recall it was a song for women only and men could go suck it.

I used it in this rant as we all know the song (most of us do, anyway) and the majority of women & men of my age who listened to it didn't take it literally. It was a rallying song, an anthem for the uterus-havers (heh).

I've heard this song play many, many times since in numerous parties and weddings and women tend to go nuts. It was (perhaps still is) a song about "feeling like a woman" and the fact that there is nothing wrong about that - even if it's a split second of champagne craze where you wildly swing your pretty dress and throw your high-heels away and let loose.

As for "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" - I only ever knew the Celine Dion version from 1996, but by god I can still lip-synch the entire song (and album, no shame whatsoever, it is one of my favourite albums).

I think all art is a depiction of our times - the songs we used to listen to and love now sound weirdly misogynist and old-school. The art that was once so groundbreaking makes some of us yawn. I recall studying Guernica from Picasso and while I knew exactly what it depicted it bored me to death back in the day; I'm unsure if I like the piece still to this day. (I'm not an expert in arts, maybe that's why.)

In a similar sense the song "Man! I feel like a woman!" was a bit of a different thing for the society then than it would be now.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: women can be misogynists just as much as men. Your biology doesn't make you any better or worse in this matter - or any other.

But we are women still, ha! ;)

[–]MarkTwainiac 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

Good lord, woman, are you a library that came alive!?

I am so flattered by your characterization, but no. I'm just someone who prior to the internet age spent a lot of time in libraries researching stuff and working as a reporter, investigative journalist, fact-checker, independent historian and such. For some reason, I've always had a weird knack for inquiring into, picking up on and remembering a whole lot of info about all sorts of high and low culture topics that many people see as unrelated.

If I were to write my memoirs I'd want to call 'em "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" - but Richard Feynman beat me to it!

Glad the info I'm am sharing is appreciated, though. I am on in years and quite physically ill in ways that mean I no longer get out much. And my unacceptably TERFy views mean I can no longer get anything I write published in either article or book form. So I'm here trying to share some of the stuff I've learnt over many decades in hopes it will be of help to younger women (and men), and you in turn will pass it on to others.

Keep up the good work!

[–]BEB 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

There are publications publishing GC pieces that might take your work: UnHerd, UnCommon Ground, Quillette, FEMINIST CURRENT, maybe Graham Linehan's substack?

Also, maybe Jennifer Bilek at her excellent GC blog The11thHourBlog.com might want some guest writing?

https://www.the11thhourblog.com/blog

Julian Vigo has also started an excellent GC substack. She is also a very well-credentialed journalist. Maybe she would take some of your work?

https://savageminds.substack.com/

Here are their Twitter accounts - very informative

@bjportraits

@lubelluledotcom

Please everyone, support these wonderful women's ground-breaking investigative work!

[–]MarkTwainiac 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Thanks BEB. As it happens, I know all those sites, blogs and publications; support several financially; and am in contact with several of the individuals you mentioned too. Actually, I am writing some pieces for a couple of 'em - and for quite a while now I've been working with some other people who on the front lines, providing editing services, historical perspective, advice and support both emotional and $$.

But right now I prefer to remain behind the scenes coz I am ill. Also, I really like a forum like this coz it's allows for direct interaction with wide range of people, and sometimes very engaging - and illuminating - back-and-forth exchanges with others. Which is fun, and keeps me on my toes. Also, it's much more democratic and equal - publishing an article is much more top-down and one-way, especially in places where the chance for comments is limited or doesn't exist at all. Plus, I think a forum like this might end up having the biggest reach, so what we do here could be like throwing stones into a pond, creating ripples that go on and on. It's why I'm not on ovarit or spinster - seems like everyone in those places is already on board.

I'm hoping that as more people come here and see that intelligent, informed posters like you, vitunrotta and others including me are presenting well-reasoned and researched info and insights - and we are doing so civilly - more will start posting.

[–]BEB 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Great, I'm glad you're plugged in and using all your considerable knowledge to further this cause!

I haven't been on Spinster, and while I think Ovarit.com is just amazing - so witty and tremendous amounts of information- I do think that we need to keep at least some presence in non-GC spaces like SAIDIT so that our ideas get exposed to people outside of a GC echo chamber.

[–]tuesday 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

yes I too have noticed your most excellent contributions. To the point that I always get a little bit excited whenever I see your name in the comments, because it signifies: interesting stuff ahead!

Very glad you're here :-)

[–]vitunrotta[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Seconded!

[–]MarkTwainiac 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thank you! That means a lot.

[–]vitunrotta[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

investigative journalist

Ah! My dream job! Used to be at least... maybe it still is. That explains a lot, though. You write so well and are not afraid to question things - I personally would love to read a piece from you. It's amazing to have you here on this platform as well. Always thoughtful and informative, kindly nudging us all forward. We do our best to not let things turn into shit!

The fight is on :)

[–]MarkTwainiac 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I like being here in part because of the different posters, and because I imagine that for every person posting here there are many more who are simply reading in the shadows. Some might be hate reading, some might be trying to get screen shots to show how awful all the GCers, and some might be sitting on the fence ... But my sense - or maybe it's just my hope - is that

Always thoughtful and informative, kindly nudging us all forward.

You are so nice to say that. I try to be all those things - and always to be civil even when I'm vehemently disagreeing with someone and feeling fed up and enraged. Still, I know being a nudge - and a stickler for accuracy - means I probably sometimes come off as an annoying nitpicker and a real pain in the neck!