We’ve all heard it before. The phrasing varies, but the overall message goes generally something like this (quoting Ryan): “Anything women have is because men allow them to have it. Women’s only power is their vagina. Women are hopelessly dependent on men for their very survival. Women can not take the power that men have, they must convince men to share it or give the benefits of male power and utility to females. Where as men, if we so choose can take what women have…in an instant if we want to.”
Now I’m tempted to launch into stating the initial obvious here, being that the commenter, attempting to invalidate Female power, in fact validates it, but I’m not going to waste letters (or your eyeball time) with the obvious rebuttal that the power of sex—and particularly the Female sex—has been around for a very long time, and its influence is plain to see by anyone sporting entry-level brain capacity.
So no…no waxing poetically about that I promise, even if a brief primer is appropriate. Instead, I’ll comment upon how I find the apologetics men use to justify defending the honor of their sex in this apparent Internet sex war simultaneously amusing and somewhat disturbing—amusing due to the sheer crudeness of their ripostes, and disturbing perhaps because I see little else they find worthy of merit in presenting for counter argument outside of brute force.
So, ok, fine. Women are the physically weaker sex (usually), and their power is in their sex.
To a certain degree, I will agree with that, so long as the discussion of power has only to do with the dynamics between Female and male. When taking into account the capabilities of both sexes, which history has proven to be fairly equal across both, one can only concede to the fact that Women can and do take on anything men do in our society, and just as well, with the general exclusion of labor-intensive work and tremendously taxing physical tasks. I’ll also throw in there the function of expendability in combat; we know men are better suited to that as well, by examining the logic of reproductive value alone.
But let’s reexamine the idea that the only power a Woman has is Her vagina. As it was said before, that power is substantial to any Woman who knows what power it truly contains, for Female influence is not based on a Woman’s actions and wiles alone; men themselves find pussy irresistible, and take part in chasing it all by themselves, mind you—but beyond the power of the obvious, does the Woman hold any other? Apparently to some men they do not, though I ask the reader if this is a valid statement of fact or more the province of self incrimination here? I assert the latter, naturally.
Saying the only power a Woman has is Her vagina is a simultaneous declaration of misogyny and disinformative ignorance, and surely that is fairly obvious. We know that neuronally and genetically Women are more complex and advanced than men—and always will be. This is fact; it cannot be refuted with anything other than wishful thinking. Even so, that alone doesn’t mean much, perhaps, to the average reader, but the gifts of Female intellect and maternal wisdom to society overall are nothing short of monumental; they are in fact critical to the health of humandkind. The power of the Feminine, contrary to popular belief, extends considerably into science and innovation as well, though one would never know that by listening to commonly touted pro-male propaganda, sometimes voiced by college deans themselves.1 We must remember that during the 19th century and backward, the idea that a woman’s place is in the home was the prevailing wisdom that severely dampened Women’s technical and educational advancement, particularly in careers.2 Women were, as a matter of common practice, disqualified from owning patents.
In not a single State of the Union is a married woman held to possess a right to her earnings within the family; and in not one-half of them has she a right to their control in business entered upon outside of the household. Should such a woman be successful in obtaining a patent, what then? Would she be free to do as she pleased with it? Not at all. She would hold no right, title, or power over this work of her own brain. She would possess no legal right to contract, or to license any one to use her invention. Neither, should her right be infringed, could she sue the offender. Her husband could take out the patent in his own name, sell her invention for his own sole benefit, give it away if he so chose, or refrain from using it, and for all this she would have no remedy.3
It’s not surprising, then, to see how Women overall have been handed the short end of the stick intellectually speaking throughout the history of intellectual pursuits and contributions to society. Men, proud of the technical achievements of their sex and who use them to assert a mystique of their natural power, do so out of ignorance to the fact that history had many Female inventors, writers, intellectuals, artists and so on, who often did not receive public attention without a male benefactor. In a bygone age when the brainchildren of Women were so easily usurped by males, is it any wonder that it appears Women have nothing to offer than the power of sex? Clearly, that’s not the case, with a cursory glance at the many Female inventors throughout history who did get the credit they deserved.4
Let’s examine now this next little pearl of wisdom: Women are hopelessly dependent on men for their very survival.
What the commenter fails to see is an obvious symbiosis shared between the sexes of our species; that we, Female and male, are necessary for its survival. Women do not depend upon men to survive only, nor do men depend upon Women to survive only; both sexes depend upon each other. Even so, if we had to choose which sex owes the other more for its survival, I’ll lean more toward the male owing its life to the Female, per the enormous reproductive costs she bears. Another dissertation for another time, perhaps.
I would hope that the commenter realizes Women are not hopelessly dependent upon men for anything in this day and age (look around). In fact, Women are doing quite well, by comparison, academically and financially. Women outnumber men in college degrees. Women’s hedge fund and investment portfolios also tend to outperform those of men.5 With that in mind, if the commenter were to continue with this assertion that Women are hopelessly dependent upon men, he’s free to do so in his imaginary world.
To put it another way: “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” — Irina Dunn
Last (but not least) some final thoughts about the “where as men, if we so choose can take what women have..in an instant if we want to.” comment. This is perhaps the most disappointing of all male arguments for supremacy over Women for the simple fact that it’s hopelessly primitive and simplistic, not to mention an irresponsible bastion to take arms in. While it’s true most men are physically stronger than Women, there are many men who are likewise weaker than other men. To put it more casually, I’ll re-quote my retort to Ryan:
Keep in mind that the power you celebrate also enslaved weaker men, too. I don’t know you personally, but I suspect your probably chubby butt would be made bitch soon enough in this pro-cock utopia you celebrate. At least in this place you idealize, Women of craft and guile would have sway over the largest man, whereas your options would be severely limited—and that’s putting it nicely.
Need I really say more?
Men: do your apologetics a service by finding better counterarguments to make. The age of “might makes right” is, blessedly, over. Evolve!
Sources
1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/harvard-president-atones-for-sexist-comments-with-50m-equality-pledge-491110.html
2. http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/ilives/womeninventors.html
3. Gage, Matilda Joslyn. “Woman as an Inventor.” North American Review 136, no. 318 (May 1883).
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pre-21st-century_female_scientists
5. http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2009/12/its_generally_k.html
