feminism is in.
in Commission May 2011 Issue 2
$FREE
The Men Issue
Men? And Feminism? What’s this about? How feminism helps men Contrary to popular belief, feminism has a lot to offer men by way of freeing men from the same patriarchy women are oppressed by. •
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A local feminist zine Contact incommission@gmail.com Editor: Bird Commission Co-Editor: Pepper
How men help feminism As men are stakeholders in ending patriarchy, men have a lot to offer feminism •
Submissions: We excitedly accept: articles, rants, personal narratives, short fiction, poems, prose, photographs, events to advertise, artwork, comics, cartoons, comments, anything really. If you’re interested in being a contributing member of the In Commission project, just ask.
Similar to girls having Barbie has an unattainable expectation, expectations on boys (and men) to be hypermasculine is equally unattainable. Feminism has also made it more acceptable for fathers to be active and involved in their children’s lives. Healthy relationships require more emotions than just anger, and feminism makes it more acceptable for men to express a wider range of emotions without having their masculinity questioned. Feminism’s goal is to smash patriarchy, which includes racism, ableism, classism, homophobia, and all oppressions, which men can benefit from too.
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The general population of men often misses feminism’s goals due to misconceptions and myths about feminists. If more men were feminists, other men might be open to the movement. Female feminists can’t stop the actions of men, namely violence done by men against women. It will take men to help stop the cycle of violence. Educating people on feminism and being a feminist activist. Contributing the effort to stop sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, and classism.
true, but this myth perpetuates that belief. The thought that all feminist men are gay, is brought to you by the same people who believe all gay men are effeminate and not masculine. Drawing from that, it’s wrong to assume there is something anti-masculine about viewing women as equals. As if viewing women as equals would rob men of their masculinity. And, while there is camaraderie between the queer and feminist communities, it’s troubling to still hear the two are being lumpsummed together. But, feminist men also explicitly reject traditional masculinity and are then further perceived to be gay. 2. They’re just using the feminist card to get into women’s pants. --Or, it’s impossible for a man honestly view women as equals Why is it so hard to believe men could be sincere about viewing women as equals?! Men as advocates for gender equality is so incomprehensible to the public that it’s believed feminist men must have ulterior motives.
There are many myths about feminist men, and many of them are just incorrect. Society seems to be so uncomfortable with feminist men, that society creates alternative and incorrect reasons to deal with it. These myths only create more hostility, and discourage men from identifying as feminist. 1. They’re Gay -- Or, it’s a threat to masculinity to view women as equals. Unlike other myths, there is nothing wrong with this myth being true. It’s not horrible, or even incorrect to question any feminist’s sexuality. And if a straight man identifies as a feminist, he shouldn’t feel deeply pained over someone questioning his sexuality or believing him to be gay. If he is deeply bothered by that, he should check his straight privilege at the door. Despite all of that, it is wrong to peg all feminist men as gay. There is something problematic by inferring no man that has sex with women could ever view women as equals. As if a man who has sex with women, must view her as his subordinate. This obviously isn’t
Not just feminist men, but all men should find this myth offensive: people who believe and perpetuate this myth sell men short. This myth is saying men only think with their dick, and if I was a man, I’d be pissed if I was defined by my dick. I don’t believe men are only interested in sex; I don’t believe men are that simple or primitive. Why don’t we, as a culture, have more faith in men? Why do people believe men can only be pigs and can’t do anything without ulterior motives or expecting something in return? Do people really think so poorly of men? Besides, I’ve never known of any man who identified as a feminist who was insincere or facetious about his feminist beliefs. Not to mention, women come with all sorts of belief systems, feminism being one of many. And women are everywhere! Not just in Women’s Studies classes. 3. They’re so self-loathing about their gender. -- Or, it’s unhealthy to view women as equals. This myth is essentially saying, “it’s not healthy for men to view women as equals.” Like other myths, this one is incorrect. And this myth is very similar to the second one; it only shows our culture’s resistance to accept women and men as equals. No way a man could view a woman as an equal -- he must be so self-loathing and unhealthy.
Also, tied into this myth is the damning myths about feminist women: “they are man-hating hairy lezzies that want to take over the world!” I am not even going to address how that myth is wrong, because I’m assuming you don’t need to be told that’s so drastically incorrect. However, because many people believe that myth about feminist women (that feminist women are hateful of men), it’s easy to see why this myth about feminist men is so common. That if feminists’ politics are man-hating, then why would a man participate in man-hating → He must be self loathing about his gender.
This is what a feminist looks like
Barack Obama: Feminist in Chief.
Ryan Gosling: Acting Feminist.
Byron Hurt: Feminist Filmmaker
Guns, Hoes, and ‘No Homo’ Hip Hop and Masculinity [[by Pepper]] Hip hop grew out of a cultural movement that was centered around “fighting the power” and other pro-black messages. In many ways, Hip Hop was a response to the political dynamics and racist climate of 1970s New York City. However, after hip hop became commercialized, songs that once carried significant meanings such as “fight the power” quickly transformed to songs about “drinking on gin and juice.” After the mainstreaming and commercialization of hip hop, the whole industry changed. Now, mainstream hip hop is a hyper masculine industry where images of hegemonic men, scantily-clad and sexually available women, and lyrics of gun play dominate. With one glance at mainstream hip hop videos, it is clear that in order to be a real man in hip hop culture, one must be aggressive, violent, hyper sexual, tough, and invulnerable and one must feminize other men. In a patriarchal culture such as ours, young men and boys learn from an early age that the only acceptable and valid emotions they can express or feel are anger or rage, and this is reflected in hip hop culture. This hyper aggressive and violent culture (along with other traditionally masculine entertainment industries such as the movie industry, sport culture, and video games) show young men that the only acceptable way of expressing this very limited range of emotions is through violence and aggression. Men of color and working class white men do not have access to a lot of tangible power, but they do have access to their bodies through which they can exert power and control, thus allowing to represent themselves as powerful and as someone worthy of respect through physical strength. Violence and aggression has become so central to mainstream hip hop that artists often employ a very specific pose or posture meant to express dominance and control. It’s an industry that has normalized violence so much that it is acceptable and even ‘cool’ for 50 Cent to wear a bulletproof vest. I think it’s generally understood that women’s roles in mainstream hip hop are problematic at best and profoundly misogynist at worst. Representations of black women in mainstream hip hop videos are really not unlike the representations and views of black women by white slave owners in pre-abolition America. Women, and black women more specifically, are shown as always sexually available and willing. Black women’s bodies are shown as nothing more than objects to gawk at, take advantage and to be fucked, and this serves to
perpetuate the very narrow masculine ideal. In order for men to be seen as real men in hip hop, they must be seen as a pimp or a player and must be surrounded by sexually available women, and lots of them. Because of this, it is clear that there isn’t a lot of room in hip hop for gay or queer artists. And in an effort to assure that hegemonic men’s ‘manhood’ and, in turn their heterosexuality, is never called into question, they employ the phrase “no homo.” This term is used so frequently, it seems that practically any situation can be interpreted as gay. For example, Cam’ron speaks to his rivals in his song, “Get ‘Em Daddy” but is, clearly, worried that he might sound gay: “See the problem is I ain't goin nowhere You can shoot at me, you can stab at me Take your best shot (this is the remix) Suck a dick no homo DipSet, remix, let's go” It’s also interesting to think about the explicit homophobia within hip hop juxtaposed with homoerotic images. I mean, think of LL Cool J’s ‘Paradise’ video, all greased up, licking his lips, playing in a waterfall... It’s not just women looking at that, it’s men too. It seems a bit ironic to pair these images with ‘no homo,’ no? Hip hop music and culture is painting a very dangerous ideal for masculinity, an ideal that relies on violence and aggression, misogyny and objectifying women, homophobia and feminizing other men. As a dialogue on the problematic construction of masculinity is heard more loudly and more socially conscious hip hop artists gain popularity, hip hop fans who are disappointed by the narrow depictions of manhood within their beloved community, can hopefully look forward to a shift back towards hip hop’s humble and socially conscious beginnings.
[[For more, check out: Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a film by Bryon Hurt]]
Men Speak Out A book review
Men Speak Out edited by Shira Tarrant is a brilliant collection of personal essays written by men about what feminism means to them. What makes this book so powerful is the diversity in the essays, and the book would seem incomplete without all of them. The essays all revolve around masculinity, sexuality, and feminism. One profound essay was about a transman who now feels like “the enemy.” Before his transition, he was a feminist lesbian, but now feels his queerness isn’t visible. He also feels his feminist identity isn’t viewed as credible now he identifies as a straight man, and it pains him to know the places he has called home for his whole life, no longer accept him. He has astute insight into the different treatment he experienced as a woman, as compared to a man. He recognizes he has white straight male privilege, but he is also stresses h is oppressed as a trans man. Many of the essays highlight issues of unattainable hypermasculinity, and how those expectations impact every male from young boys to grown men. The essays are about anything from taking a woman out to dinner and the always awkward moment when the bill comes, or biphobia men face in a different way than bi women do. From queer men of color writing about the intersections of their identity, to the marginalization men feel who have been sexually assaulted. Another essay I was blown away by was Byron Hurt’s essay Daytona Beach: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. I was so awed and appreciative of his honesty. The essay was about Hurt and his film crew shooting footage of BET “Spring Bling” (similar to MTV’s Spring Break) for his film Beyond Beats and Rhymes. He writes about BET Spring Bling not being only black space, but being black male space, and the countless times he witnessed men street harassing women. Hurt’s essay and film are both worth watching/reading. They are profound, insightful, and astute.
“Smile,
Honey”
Telling a woman to smile, as if piece of advice, is the most insult. One pitiful fellow to flirt with me in group, and said, I won’t tell Excuse me, but fucking rude to someone how they appear to please looking at your just weren’t visually you were. So please, because that’s what asked nicely.” It’s such a being a sexist prick - and now I don’t believe the man who was intended to be sexist or rude. But telling a woman to smile is seen as means of flirting. But it’s not, it’s patronizing.
[[RANT]]
it’s some insightful condescending was attempting a large “If you smile, anyone.” it’s really tell should you: “I was face, but you appealing as smile for me, tickles me. I cruel joke: I’m smile about it! flirting with me that’s my point: insightful advice, or a demeaning and
This phenomenon (of telling a woman to smile) is a roundabout way of requiring women to always be happy. As if women don’t have more than one emotion. Women who express any other emotion (anger, desire, motivation, exhaustion, jealousy, etc) are met with stereotypes about what those emotions mean when women are wearing them: “She’s bitchy, selfish, letting herself go, vain, and/or slutty.” Most of those phrases are gendered, as in; it’s socially inappropriate to use them in reference to men – only women. I reserve the right to be Ms. Frowny face.
WOMEN ARE WOMEN! not girls. One day this really normal thing happened. I was out shopping with my mother, who is well into her fifties. I was asking an older male salesclerk a quick question, and as I was saying thank you for his help, he replied with “have a good day, girls.” This isn’t a remarkable story - and that’s the point. Grown women are called “girls” all the time and it’s seen as normal. My mother is in her fifties; far enough away from girlhood that there is no question she’s a woman. Is it likely that if my mother and I were two men of our same ages that the salesclerk would have said, “have a good day, boys”? Absolutely not! Beyond the age of 17, it’s no longer appropriate to call a female a “girl.” She isn’t a girl – that’s an 8 year old. Not someone who is almost a legal adult, able to conceive, is physically fully developed, and has developed mentally (that far surpasses an eight year old). Why is it bad to call grown women “girls”? Well, think of the word boy, and try using it in conversation in reference to a male older than 17. It sounds odd. It can even sound passive aggressive and dismissive. “I was driving and almost hit a boy who had his son in the backseat.” It sounds out of place, and you can literally feel all that awkwardness as you say it. Try addressing a grown male as “boy,” and you’re in for some serious social push-back. The older a male is, the more it becomes inappropriate and bizarre to call him a boy. But this is not true of females as they age; it’s always socially acceptable to call a grown woman a “girl.” It’s as if females are in a perpetual state of girlhood never letting their adult qualities be recognized. And it’s insulting. It’s infantilizing. And It’s just not correct to call any female older than 17 a “girl.” I remember when I first made the transition in my freshman year of college to call myself and my female peers “women” and not “girls.” At first, the word “woman” felt chunky and odd in my mouth when in reference to myself. I was half expecting someone to say, “who, you?” But as I became more comfortable and started to fill out the identity, it was empowering.
“No Homo”
[[By Pepper]]
Because Hip Hop culture is so hyper sexualized and heteronormative, it is saturated with homophobic lyrics and it is clear through mainstream hip hop songs that to be a ‘real man’, one must never be anything feminine (i.e. female or gay). Many would argue that homophobia is an integral element of all hegemonic masculinities, but it is clear that hip hop culture and therefore, the construction of hip hop masculinity, capitalizes on denigration of the gay community. The unfortunate phenomenon of the phrase, ‘no homo’ best exemplifies this. Jay Smooth, a hip hop blogger at illdoctrine.com, who often blogs about the problematic construction of masculinity in hip hop culture, explains that ‘no homo’ is a slang term that “combines hip hop’s tremendous passion for word play with it’s tremendous insecurity about sexuality.” The slang term, ‘no homo’ is an older term that can be traced back to an earlier term, ‘pause.’ The New York hip hop crew, Dip Set fronted by Cam’ron, coined the phrase. Cam’ron was “known for being clever with words and also wearing a lot of pink and wanted to be absolutely certain that nobody inferred anything from that.” Today, ‘no homo’ is a “defense mechanism utilized by young men who are not only afraid of being gay or looking gay, they’re actually afraid that the words they speak may sound linguistically gay.”
“Li’l Wayne” and his use of “no homo” “Money money money get a dollar and a dick Weezy Baby that crack, motherfucker get a fix Got money out the ass, no homo but I'm rich” “I Love My Niggaz, No Homo I Swear I Hope They All Get Cheese Like D'journo” It's me, the rapper eater. Ha Feed me, feed me, feed me Ahaha no homo. Yeah.
Dear White Friends,
“I identify as a feminist ally”
Again, not saying that you shouldn't speak in fake ebonics 'with humorous intent', white friends, it's just that sometimes i'm not sure what the punchline is supposed to be and I wanna make sure you are. and obvs you'onn have to give no f word about how I or any other black people feel or about privilege but in case you do: :D. I mean the :D!
An interview with a pro-feminist man.
“well, I also do the white hick accent” response: I think the analogy comes off as implying that ebonics = the black American equivalent of hicks? hicks being uneducated, ignorant, etc.. I don't know if you're trying to imply that, but there are a lot of people who would. There are white people who believe that they can speak in ebonics and only offend one "kind" of black person (uneducated?+ obnoxious?+ignorant? or to get more incendiary and specific: "ghetto"/"hood"? not worthy of being taken seriously? and therefore worthy of having the parts of their culture that are different from your [dominant] culture mocked?), when in reality no part of ebonics is bound to any one portion of the African-American community.
How do you feel about feminist men identifying as feminist as opposed to pro-feminist or feminist ally? “For me, it’s inappropriate for men to consider themselves feminist because in any given situation he can opt back into his male supremacy. Or whether he decides to or not, he still gets benefits of patriarchy. No matter what, there is still going to be a power imbalance at this point in time, so to identify yourself as a feminist is disingenuous and misrepresentative of what your actual status as a member of society is.”
I have had a fair amount of white people tell me or very strongly imply that they don't see me as "black" or "hood" which is then used as why they believe it's okay for them to dehumanize and otherize the "kinds" of black people they think are worthy of it around me. That shows how naive (or to get more incendiary and specific: racist) a lot of white people are because they view black people in such narrowly defined terms, even IF they view some "types" of black people or parts of black culture favorably and worthy of repute. because when has that not been the case? if you read james baldwin's critique of white people -> black culture from the early 20th century you could easily get goosebumps at how little has changed. And also, because no part of ebonics is bound to -any- portion of the White community to deride or mock the speech patterns of a frequently disenfranchised and mocked and misunderstood minority group when you're a member of the dominant privileged race is a situation that is very ripe for abuse and hurt. I’m still not saying that NO WHITE PEOPLE EVER SHOULD SAY SHIZZLE or anything I'm trying to articulate how much more complex and volatile these situations can be when compared to what I feel like a common white person's perception would believe it to be. And that's just a matter of circumstance. By nature, one's own privilege is hard as fuck to recognize, and impossible to wholly comprehend.
I interviewed Emanuel Vinson, a feminist ally, to get an accurate perspective from a man about how men and feminism fit together.
Why do you identify as a feminist ally? “It seems like it should be common sense… I don’t think there is a way to frame the feminism debate in a way that doesn’t affect all people at all times. For those who feel it is a fringe concern aren’t really informed about the facts.” He also noted the classic critique of feminism: “Those feminists believe blank.” Blank usually being: men are evil, are anti-family, etc. But those who say that can never cite their sources and say which feminist believes that. “It’s a result of the powers-that-be trying to discredit feminism over the past decades.” What sort of response to get from those who are non-feminist when they find out you identify as a feminist ally? “I get a lot of skepticism… a strangely hostile reaction to telling someone: ‘I care about how you feel, I don’t want you to feel shitty.’ Even friends of mine who are progressive, will pull away if they feel threatened - if someone says something sexist around me, and I say something about it, it eventually gets to a point where the person who was saying the offensive thing gets defensive and feels like they’re being attacked. But sometimes it’s positive, there’s a lot of positivity.” How do you think feminism helps men? “I think it helps men choose who they want to be. Men are still not supposed to cry, and those beer commercials with men being alpha males, and recently women being complicit in it… I feel like in every situation, men and women can stand up and say: ‘this is fucked up.’”
All right, All right.
Previous Issue
This whole feminism thing sounds okay. Where can I get some more? ANI DIFRANCO
Ani DiFranco is the little folk-singer that could, starting her record label, Righteous Babe, at the age of 19 by handing out her home recordings on cassette. She’s released over twenty records singin’ about her politics, sexuality, feminism, and other identities. DiFranco is a righteous babe.
20 albums can be a lot to sift through. So, here are some iconic tunes that are worth a listen: Letter to a John / If It Isn’t Her / Shy / Origami / Joyful Girl / Swan Dive.
FEMINIST HULK
Feminist Hulk is a hilarious twitter that writes witty, sarcastic, serious, and/or insightful phrases on feminism in 140 characters or less. And in hulk-speak! My personal favorite: “’AMERICA’ NOT NAME OF ANY COUNTRY. NOT EVEN NAME OF A CONTINENT, NAME OF TWO CONTINENTS. U.S.A. NOT HAVE MONOPOLY ON IT.”
To request the previous issue of IN COMMISSION, the WHAT’S THIS ISSUE, email incommission@gmail.com.
MEN AND FEMINISM
Men and Feminism is a great book written by Shirra Tarrant that lays out exactly how feminism benefits men and how men benefit feminism – it’s a win-win. Tarrant is extremely articulate in explaining how gender equality benefits us all. This is a true primer for someone who thinks men and feminism don’t mix. Unfortunately, Founder’s doesn’t own Men and Feminism, but it is available through interlibrary loan.
The next issue of IN COMMISSION will be the FEMINISM & POP CULTURE issue.
This zine was tethered together with love on: