paging memorable Inigo Montoya lines

[veronica_rich]

From Merriam-Webster, Webster's, American Heritage, et. al.:

misogyny: 1656, from Gk. misogynia, from misogynes "woman-hater," from miso-, comb. form of misos "hatred" (from misein "to hate") + gyne "woman" (see queen). Misogynist is first recorded 1620. (Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper)

misogyny mi·sog·y·ny (mĭ-sŏj'ə-nē): n., Hatred of women.

Read it. Learn it. Memorize it. Know it. Use it correctly.

Nowhere in that definition is it defined as "questioning a woman." Or "disliking a woman for character traits other than being female." Or "questioning a woman's actions and motives."

I'm tired of seeing people - mostly other women and girls - slurred as "misogynistic" because they question Anything That Happens To Be Female. (And I'm getting really tired of it in Fandom - none in particular, just across the board - since I used to be told many, many times to cool my jets when I didn't like something I read about a character I liked. Eventually I saw that those people were correct and adjusted my attitude accordingly. It's been a long, long, long time since you saw me whining about treatment of the character I like.) I'm not simplistic enough to say a woman is incapable of misogyny. Nor am I saying discussion of it isn't valid or should never happen. I'm just asking for some thought to go into a response before whipping out the M word. I've always asked for that - maybe I haven't always phrased it nicely enough, but that's because I'm weary of seeing it so much.

Seriously, this should be the word of the day on the LJ comm "Dictionary.com" for about a month straight.

Comments

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

It's been a long, long, long time since you saw me whining about treatment of the character I like.)
And when the character you like is Will Turner, that can't be easy ;)

Seriously, good point.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Probably not much worse than if the character I liked most was Elizabeth, I expect. I simply can't fall back on crying "misogynist!" to quiet those who give me a hard time. ;-)

Seriously, this is an epidemic across squillions of fandoms, I think. It's one thing to recognize real sexism or worse, but IMO it's inappropriate to trot out those words against someone who is civilly questioning your opinion about something female-related, and who hasn't resorted to name-calling or taking on a superior tone.

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel better, you're welcome to call me a STICKIST, capslock and all, in comments on stories where I've been mean to Will.
Go on, get it out of our system!

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

No, you're a WEIRDY.

(Have you seen "Night at the Museum?" If not, it's a line Andy Rooney's character says when he meets Ben Stiller's. Of course, it's sort of like the pot calling the kettle black, which is the point. LOL. It's a funny movie.)



Okay, maybe just this once: "Stickist!"