Men's Expectations And Feminists' Expectations

[Ilya Shambat]

We have many in feminism say that they want women to not have to follow men’s expectations.

Oh, not at all. They want them to follow the feminists’ expectations, which are just as oppressive as anything that was thought up by any man.

I was with a woman who told me that she preferred male authority over female authority because in case of men there is often erotic attraction, whereas with women it’s “what do you cow know about.” I was with another woman who worked for a female-run social work organization who experienced vicious bullying by her female colleagues. Both of these women were raised in matriarchal settings. I didn’t come up with these conclusions. Strong, intelligent, feminism-influenced women told me these things.

Eminem – whose message of actual misogyny and domestic violence I detest – had many female followers. These girls were tired of feminist abuse, and they chose violence by mean but sexy young men over emotional bullying by mean, unattractive older women. I did not make them do that. “Patriarchy” did not make them do that. They chose it themselves.

That you share a gender with another person, does not mean that you have any business speaking for that person. Women are as different from one another as are men. Michael Murphy or the Ayatollah do not speak for me just because they are men; and feminists do not speak for women just because they are women.

Whose expectations are more burdensome: Men’s or feminists’? I suppose that depends on the person. Some women are comfortable in matriarchy, and others are comfortable in patriarchy. Both deserve a right to their choice.