Extended Comment
I just finished viewing Jessica's blog post and wanted to comment on some of the issues she brought up. She decided to do her blog about quotes. The 3 quotes she chose were, "Gurian argues that as feminists have changed the rules, they've made boys the problem. By minimizing the importance of basic biological differences, and establishing girls' standards as the ones all children must follow, feminists have wrecked boyhood." (157). The point she makes about this quote it that boys haven't been changed for the worst because of feminism making them act like girls. But it doesn't make it ok for them to be going around being violent all the time. I liked the last point she made about this quote which was I don't believe that we're trying to make them feminine, just well behaved. And what makes these standards girl standards? Is it because they aren't rough, or violent? The reason I liked this point was because I felt it was true. There's nothing wrong with society wanting to make people specifically boys less violent because if we start while their young teaching them that violence isn't the key then when they grow up hopefully there will be less fighting and getting into trouble. I also felt she was right to say what makes these standards girl standards because some girls can be outside the norm as to what people think girls should be like.
The next quote she brought up was, "If all the boys are white and middle class, at they're not all straight. Most therapists treat homosexuality casually, dropping in a brief reference, "explaining" it as biological, and urging compassion and understanding before returning to more "important" stuff." (158). For this quote Jessica mentions, Why do all these writers only briefly mention homosexuality? If they're so involved with talking about how boys should be boys, why not give this more say? These authors only talk about testosterone, and how boys are wild and crazy. Not all boys are like this either. It seems as though they are as restricting as they say feminism is on men. They're only talking about a certain type of boy, not all of them. This isn't fair. I 100% agree with this. If they are going to talk about boys and how they have been influenced by feminism then why not discuss that and focus some of your argument on them, instead of just boys and their testosterone making them wild and reckless.
The last quote Jessica brought up was, “The books that are written with an understanding of male privilege - and the need to challenge it - are the ones that offer the most useful tools to improve boys' lives.... Feminism encourages men - and their sons - to be more emotionally open and expressive, to develop empathic skills, and to channel emotional outbursts away from violence." (159). She states, The authors of these books Kimmel talks about need to recognize that male privilege needs to be changed, and that the people that will change it are the people who have it themselves. Feminism should encourage men to be more emotional. Many men (I know) don't show many emotions, and I think this is part of the reason that men can have outbursts. I like this point Jess made because I find it to be true. None of the guys I know ever show emotion and instead they hold it in till it gets to the point where they can’t take it and react by yelling.
Question for class:
Instead of guys holding everything in until they can't take it anymore and have a outburst is there a way they could possibly relieve steam/let somethings off there chest in a way they feel is ok for guys without being called a girl?
I just finished viewing Jessica's blog post and wanted to comment on some of the issues she brought up. She decided to do her blog about quotes. The 3 quotes she chose were, "Gurian argues that as feminists have changed the rules, they've made boys the problem. By minimizing the importance of basic biological differences, and establishing girls' standards as the ones all children must follow, feminists have wrecked boyhood." (157). The point she makes about this quote it that boys haven't been changed for the worst because of feminism making them act like girls. But it doesn't make it ok for them to be going around being violent all the time. I liked the last point she made about this quote which was I don't believe that we're trying to make them feminine, just well behaved. And what makes these standards girl standards? Is it because they aren't rough, or violent? The reason I liked this point was because I felt it was true. There's nothing wrong with society wanting to make people specifically boys less violent because if we start while their young teaching them that violence isn't the key then when they grow up hopefully there will be less fighting and getting into trouble. I also felt she was right to say what makes these standards girl standards because some girls can be outside the norm as to what people think girls should be like.
The next quote she brought up was, "If all the boys are white and middle class, at they're not all straight. Most therapists treat homosexuality casually, dropping in a brief reference, "explaining" it as biological, and urging compassion and understanding before returning to more "important" stuff." (158). For this quote Jessica mentions, Why do all these writers only briefly mention homosexuality? If they're so involved with talking about how boys should be boys, why not give this more say? These authors only talk about testosterone, and how boys are wild and crazy. Not all boys are like this either. It seems as though they are as restricting as they say feminism is on men. They're only talking about a certain type of boy, not all of them. This isn't fair. I 100% agree with this. If they are going to talk about boys and how they have been influenced by feminism then why not discuss that and focus some of your argument on them, instead of just boys and their testosterone making them wild and reckless.
The last quote Jessica brought up was, “The books that are written with an understanding of male privilege - and the need to challenge it - are the ones that offer the most useful tools to improve boys' lives.... Feminism encourages men - and their sons - to be more emotionally open and expressive, to develop empathic skills, and to channel emotional outbursts away from violence." (159). She states, The authors of these books Kimmel talks about need to recognize that male privilege needs to be changed, and that the people that will change it are the people who have it themselves. Feminism should encourage men to be more emotional. Many men (I know) don't show many emotions, and I think this is part of the reason that men can have outbursts. I like this point Jess made because I find it to be true. None of the guys I know ever show emotion and instead they hold it in till it gets to the point where they can’t take it and react by yelling.
Question for class:
Instead of guys holding everything in until they can't take it anymore and have a outburst is there a way they could possibly relieve steam/let somethings off there chest in a way they feel is ok for guys without being called a girl?
i agree with both you and jessica 110% on the first quote !
ReplyDeletethere should not be violence and anger in the world. and blaming the female race for "changing" people is not how points get put across. the main reason for any sort of change is because violence in disruptive and bad, and should not be around happy environments.
I think that the thing that's affecting boys the most in crying and being called a girl is that they have this notion that being called a girl is wrong. Why should it get to us that we're being called a girl, why is that a bad thing? I think parents (and the media obviously) are teaching boys that being a girl is bad and if you are a girl you are lesser, and you are weak and you are not...well, a /man/. That's the best way I could answer your question: teaching boys that girls are not weak and are not lesser than anyone else.
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