What do women want? According to one of our favorite female feminism-haters, Laura Grace Robins, it’s sort of a a tossup between the vote and designer purses. But that’s not what women really need — which is a husband. Oh, and milk. Can you remember to get milk?
At least that’s what I think she’s saying. See if you can figure it out from this quote from her post “Remove the Needs.” I have taken the liberty of bolding my favorite bits. Anyway, here’s Ms. Robins’ vision of the modern postfeminist woman:
She may have everything she wants, but not everything she needs. She wants independence, the vote, her own income, etc., but she wants all these things like she wants a designer purse. Underneath it all, it is just for show and what she really needs are the basics; like food, shelter, and a husband. She may have fancy clothes and independence, but it is the needs that nourish. She can deny the needs and focus on wants, but a life purely filled of wants is typically shallow and empty. Feminists have been the advertisers that make us buy into wants instead of our needs. If we know what our needs are then we can walk down the aisle of feminism and not be allured by the glossy packaging of independence and income. I’m not here for the “Starbuck Frappuccino”, but for a gallon of milk.
But what if the woman in question is lactose intolerant? IN YOUR FACE, LAURA GRACE!
Also, I’m wondering what exactly a “Starbuck Frappuccino” is. I would love to have a Frappuccino with Starbuck. Either one, actually.
Ms. Robins concludes:
Now most women live hollow lives filled with closets full of shoes and purses, while homes are empty of husbands and children.
I think that, like a lot of the people I write about on this blog, Laura Grace Robins has confused reality with Sex and the City.
The show ended nearly a decade ago! At least get a current TV show to confuse reality with!
And PhDs, don’t forget! They’re all 20-year-old PhDs! Who could possibly be manipulating such geniuses?
I’ll see if I can get you one.
If anyone needs a troglodyte I’m sure there will be some trolls along soon, since it’s done-with-work time now on the East Coast of the US.
I feel like a troglodyte.
I’ll see if I can get you one.
Well it is the must have for the woman who has everything. Seriously though, is there a page here for how to quote, italicize etc? Every site seems different.
I dunno about a page, though Argenti’s got info, I’d reckon. But to do quotes, use the angle brackets and blockquote /blockquote. It’s all angle brackets here, with the basic i for italics, b for bold, and strike for crossing out.
Then wait to get eaten by the blockquote monster!
Hi snork maiden, did you already get a welcome package? There are some formatting tips in the comments, from Argenti.
As far as I can tell, snork maiden, this site runs through HTML coding. I use em for italics, and never use blockquotes, just because it means I can say I’ve never been eaten by the BQ monster.
That’s cheating, LBT. 😛
Would it be too much trouble to get one for me too? I could really go for some troglodyte butter masala right about now.
Hey there snork maiden!
RE: Kittehs
Lies, Kitteh! I’m a MONOGAMOUS man!
Bwahahahahaha!
I’m willing to bet a million bucks that the OP is insecure. It’s terrifying to rely on her husband and that’s why she is desperately trying to pass off her choices as “natural”. Sucking up to men and their values is just part of the job when you have to rely on men for your paycheck. So why does she do it? Maybe it’s because of a mental illness, maybe it’s because of circumstances, maybe it’s because of family pressure, or maybe it’s just that she’s a deluded moron whom honestly thinks that other people could possibly permanently fulfill her needs. Who knows? 🙂
I’ve been a stay at home mom off and on for over the past 8 years and it sucks. I don’t make enough money to cover childcare and I honestly believe that my children do best when cared for away from 20 other children when they’re very young. My husband’s job is a beast and he tends to work all kinds of random hours. BUT, in a couple of months my youngest will turn one and once she is done breastfeeding I’m going to get a 3rd shift job and tell hubby to go eff his job if it interferes. 🙂 I’m sick of relying on him and his (poor) money management skills for a living.
On a related note, I’m going to figuratively punch the next woman that tells me that I’m “lucky” to be able to afford to stay-at-home. I’m not unusually lucky, I’m absolutely not financially well off, and I don’t have parents or in-laws that are well enough to watch my children for cheap like many families do. It was an enormous sacrifice to stay-at-home with my kids, and I don’t want to hear a sob-story about how you “have” to work, especially since almost all 2 income families are financially better off than we are. We all make sacrifices. Buck up and own your choices, just like I had to do with mine.
Jezebel has a decent article on stay-at-home moms; http://jezebel.com/moms-don-t-opt-out-of-work-because-they-re-super-weal-503306759
/rant
Oh, and for extra conspiracy-theory; wonder why all the conservatives always use Starbucks as an example of being financially wasteful but don’t attack, say, Dunkin Donuts? Turns out that Starbucks’ drinkers are mostly liberal and female and Dunkin Donuts’ drinkers are mostly male and conservative.
[a href=”http://www.civicscienceinc.com/_pdf/starbucks_vs_dunkin.pdf”]IT’S SCIENCE11111[/a].
@Mez, that’s interesting. I suspect the fact that Starbucks drinks often cost more than $4 a pop is also a major factor in the claims of wasteful spending.
What does she say about a husband that doesn’t really ‘feel ” the “love” over his wife laboring cooking meals ? More like just something that needs to be done ? What if the wife “needs” to work to help support the family or the couple decides they “want” the extra income to have more to the things they both “want.” (like designer purses and golf clubs or such as private schools for their kids/ or even to have a larger retirement income ?)
Does she not get out and talk to a lot of men ?Particularly husbands ? I think its something like 75% of all married couples are two income families .And the men (unless she’s a workaholic or something) are not griping they are happy to not have to shoulder the entire financial burden.And it especially helps if he gets laid off .
I’ve also encountered men that have full time sahm wives and they resent it .Especially if she is not earing her room and board with 24/7 sex on tap even after he buys her a designer purse.Yeh that’s really woman women “need.”
Hi Serrana 🙂
Thanks Cloudiah, thanks for the welcome package. I’ll have a proper look at it and maybe change my avatar to join the kitty collective.
“@Mez, that’s interesting. I suspect the fact that Starbucks drinks often cost more than $4 a pop is also a major factor in the claims of wasteful spending.”
Argh! Only if you order something fancy. Your standard coffee I worked out to being less than 50¢ more (and it’s far stronger, so measuring by caffeine instead of ounces it’s probably cheaper)
In any case, if you just want plain coffee, whichever is closest is cheapest because the difference is less than the cost of gas.
Sorry, that one really bugs me, because the cost isn’t substainally different unless you go and order something fancy (which D&D doesn’t carry for a cost comparison)
Sorry, I thought the use of the word “often” left room for the drinks that aren’t that expensive.
And I’m sorry I went all massive argh about it, it’s a pet peeve, not some horrible thing you did.