Should we draw the line between feminists and neo-feminists?

Question

Feminists = Equal rights for women.

I am all for equal RIGHTS, I think it was super what the feminists did for other women and now we mainly have equal rights in the UK apart from a few things going BOTH ways. Feminists were great - no denying.

However, some 'feminists' (as they call themselves) feel the need to 'argue' pointless things, degrade men as much as possible and degrade mothers who look after their kids with no carrer. There are plenty of these about on Y/A and you know who you are.

Do you think we should refer to them as, "Neo-feminists"? I don't like to call myself an anti-feminist because feminism was a positive thing back in the day and makes all feminists sound bad. When really I support what they have done, I just hate the wrath of these 'feminists' who still think they are hard done by and as I said feel the need to make everyone feel rubbish about themselves.

What do you think? Honest opinions please :)

Answer 1

Yes there is a fat line between those groups... filling out membership applications...

Answer 2

Haven't they already coined the phrase, Feminazi?

A feminist couldn't draw anything straight if her wife depended on it.

Actually I enjoy the degradation and welcome it.  

Nothing like a good challenge at throwing their agenda right back in their faces.

God bless the Feminists........Er, Goddess bless the Feminists.

Free makeup for all of them......Plus Lasik so they can see clearly.....Becuase right now, they can't see anything clear.

New slogan:   We're here......We're clear, get used to it.

Plus dinner and a movie on me.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Answer 3

ok, you win..

i love feminists...

Answer 4

Don't associate those that degrade men or mothers with the feminist movement-- feminists (in theory at least) fight for an end to gender discrimination and support women's rights to become what they'd like, be it a career woman or a mother.

Answer 5

YES! This is a brilliant solution. We need to do the same with neoconservatives who feel like they need a movement (the whole point of paleoconservatism is to oppose social movements).

Answer 6

Don't draw a line between them - go back to your schooldays, and sketch out a crudely-drawn phallus.

Won't change anything, but it'll really irk the less-sensible ones...

Answer 7

Yes,can be  drawn

Answer 8

You may not want to call yourself an anti-feminist but it's pretty clear from your questions and answers that you are. You've tried pretty hard to put the feminists here down and you haven't succeeded. So now you're trying a new tactic to win us over?

"Feminists = equal rights for women."

Huh?

Last question it was:

"Normal women = not feminist"

So you're saying that women who want equal rights are not normal women?

Either that or you're very confused.

Edit

OK, and what is your criteria for 'man-hating'? I suspect it's somewhat different from mine. Perhaps suggesting that men should be entitled to more parental leave? Or saying that I don't like being cat called at? Is that 'degrading' men? Hm. What about daring to suggest that the reason Mexico has introduced new laws re harassing women is because Mexican women routinely turn up beaten, tortured and murdered? Or that the reason for women-only compartments has anything to do with the fact that some men can't keep their hands to themselves and need to grope any female in sight?

And 'neo' means new anyway. Militant feminists are hardly a new thing.

Answer 9

Why not just call the man haters... man haters?  

I know plenty of women who put down men who aren't remotely feminist.  Lots of women with zero feminist credentials are very resentful of men and think they're all lazy and worthless. But they still expect men to pick up the check after a date, and they still expect men to work to support them, and they still expect men to do all the DIY jobs around the house, while complaining that he never lifts a finger to help with the housework.

Meanwhile some women who call themselves feminists are also man haters, although they express it differently.

Why not decide that feminists are people who want to improve things for women rather than making life worse for men?  Then if someone says things that are degrading to men, we could simply say, "Well, that's not very feminist of you."

Answer 10

The kind of women you're talking about are not feminists, they are bitter and twisted individuals,who are unhappy with the way their lives have turned out, in my opinion.  Women fought for equality and the right to choose,  that includes the right to choose a career or to be a full-time mother.

I like the fact that I'm financially independent, we split the bills 50/50 and what's left is our own, he needn't feel guilty about the electronic gadgets, I don't feel (too) guilty about the Gucci shoes. He supported me while I stayed at home when the kids were small,  I supported him when he wanted a career change and went back to university.  As far as I'm concerned, that's how it should be, I think true equality means giving each other the space to be ourselves. Like you, I take exception to women who attempt to degrade men, to me that is just doing exactly what we accused men of for generations. The reproductive issue aside, I think it would be a very boring life without the challenge of learning to understand the opposite s*x, for both genders.

Answer 11

Other than 30-40 years ago-I don't hear feminists degrading mothers-as many feminists are mothers themselves. I see many feminists fighting for family leave in the US for both men and women-so I'm glad you don't paint all feminists with the same brush-but who are the present mother-degraders?

As I hear non-feminists today complain about their husbands and boyfriends a lot more than feminists-who are the feminist male-haters today as well? Sure there are a few radicals from the past who didn't think of men-but who is it now?

  

As for 'arguing' pointless things-I see plenty of stupid things asked of feminists that people assume we care about:  Frankly I never cared much about beauty pageants (40 year old argument) and saw the pornography debate as hopeless long ago (20-30 year old argument) and this same old tired argument that feminists hate mothers and men is boring as well. Do people really think feminists hate their own mothers and fathers and hate themselves and their spouses-as many feminists are wives and mothers?  

Just how many feminists do you know that are saying they hate men and despise mothers? I can't find any and I"m looking for these people that are suppose to exist world wide.

Answer 12

I have never heard of any so-called feminist that was not in favor of biased anti-male policies and legislation.  Some are extreme man-haters, others just go along for the ride and support the extremists.  If they were truly for equality, they would fight for it, not against men.

Answer 13

Please do it. That woukd make my life easier.

Answer 14

This is a good idea, but would someone like Harriet Harman ('Equality' Minister) call herself a feminist or a neo-feminist? Too many man-haters hide behind the terms 'feminism' and 'equality' and would not willingly come out as supporting anything else.