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!
Oh gosh, I’m missing a basic part of my life! WHERE’S MUH HUSBAND?
Awww, that little dolphin even said thanks, in dolphin happy dance language.
Does having a husband in Spirit count? I guess it can’t, cos I haven’t bred with him (hurk) and I have to go out and earn those dollars despite the evil unnaturalness of it all.
I have tons of frivolous things. And I get to have them because I keep my other expenses low. Guess purses, Calvin Klein coats, 6 ipods, 4 laptops, and am currently planning to buy myself a ps3.
And my closet is ridiculous. I have so many clothes. But it makes me happy so whatever.
I’d love to see a picture of the pink christmas tree.
Oh, and a gorgeous mcqueen dress:
http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/us/alexandermcqueen/pencil-dress_cod37483680lc.html
That sounds like an awesome way to live.
“Anecdote time: A lady I used to babysit for when I was in high school told me about a friend of hers whose husband ran the household: he controlled the money, paid the bills, made all the decisions. She kept house, took care of the kids, and cooked and grocery shopped. When she needed clothes, they went shopping together so he could have the final say on the clothes she bought. And then he got very, very sick (I’m thinking a stroke, but I don’t remember for sure) and he was pretty much helpless for a couple of years. She had to learn to do everything. As he recovered, he wanted the control back, but she was liking her sense of accomplishment and independence.”
It sounds like they had good medical insurance, or she would’ve been stuffed. What infuriates me about this rosy tinted idea that women are happiest when reduced to perpetual dependency is that this basically consigns women to be buffeted about by fate. How can anyone think it healthy that for a marriage to work the wife must live as a child? They should make ‘A Doll’s House’ compulsory reading in schools.
Btw, how do you get italics on here? Pressing ‘Ctrl I’ doesn’t work.
I’m also happy that I don’t need a bra everytime people talk about their bra problems. 🙂 It’s a little project of mine to remake my body into something more masculine-looking, and I’d say it’s going okay… There really are no women’s shirts that fit me, but men’s shirts size small fit me just fine. Maybe one day I’ll be a men’s size medium…
Snork Maiden — <em>like this</em>
Thank you
Only men can do this, only women can do that. Holy shit, the world of these people is so BORING.
“Only men can do this, only women can do that. Holy shit, the world of these people is so BORING.”
Yes. Who wants to live in a world in which everyone is alike?
Also, I think Kittehserf mentioned that the whole “a husband” thing is problematic even for heterosexual women who want to get married.
The best relationships I know of (friends, family, etc) are those between people who want to be in relationships with the specific person/people in that relationship
I am married, not because I wanted/needed “a husband, ” but because I wanted to marry the particular person I married
Entirely off topic, but with the wind chill it’s 9°F here. Nine. Degrees.
That’s -13°C~.
Also known as HOLY FUCK IT’S COLD.
Shrews are actually pretty cute:
Argh. Bras. I have stupidly large boobs (I can wear one cup as a hat on my stupidly large head), but my mum doesn’t, so I didn’t learn what a properly fitted bra feels like until I was 25. For the last two years I have capitulated, and now I order all my bras from brastop.com due to their size range, prices and return policy (sorry ’bout the sales pitch…). The UK and Poland seem to be the best countries for big bust/small back bras for some reason.
Generally, clothing seems to be made for 170cm/34B-C/no arm muscles women. Only, I know women who look like that, and they still have problems finding clothes that fit.
I think “not you” is the default women’s size (certainly not me)
About the need for the vote, with the far right in the US doing it’s level best to reduce the uterus owners to baby incubators, the right to vote seems like a matter of health at the least
RE: bbeaty
I spend a shocking amount of time basically playing music loud and running pantless through my childless house going “Woo!”
I hope to be you in a couple decades!
RE: Unimaginative
Pro-tip for all you young-uns: with very few exceptions, your employer will never care about you enough to make it worth working yourself into the ground for them. Look after yourself and your health, and don’t trade them for your job.
I really wish someone had told us that back when we were younger.
The most expensive thing I’ve ever bought? Top surgery, by a long shot! That fucker cost me $8K, no insurance coverage, all out of pocket, not counting lost wages from recovery time. At the time, that was, like, ten months of survival, right there. I clung to money for YEARS to make that happen, and I consider myself extremely lucky that I was able to do it at all. Even if the anaesthesiologist did threaten to slap me for fainting on the IV. It was a horrible, miserable experience, but now I never, ever have to do it again.
My chest is the most expensive thing I own! *laughs* And it was worth every damn penny. I never have to buy a bra again, my chest doesn’t hurt anymore, and I look FANTASTIC! Plus I got dino-bite scars.
” Even if the anaesthesiologist did threaten to slap me for fainting on the IV.” What a jerk
Sorry the experience was miserable. Glad the results were good
Shrews!
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f1/27/aa/f127aaea7ed0dbc9c7770e75f52ca232.jpg
http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/f4/f2/23/f4f22315feea48b8835b7d8231c86796.jpg
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a4/a7/1f/a4a71f8b80a1dd53c4a51f4f2484339f.jpg
THIS
More wisdom on women’s right to vote, courtesy of Reddit:
I just think it’s hilarious that anyone is trying to pass off “certain people shouldn’t be allowed to vote” as a serious political position in 2013. Do they not realize that they’re going to come off as Rip Van Bigot, newly awoken from an era in which people could say stuff like that in public without being side-eyed by pretty much everyone?
It’s like he can’t see that MEN are people, with their own ideas and opinions, but merely convenient puppets for women to use.
First time commenter…
Sorry, I know this is not relevant to this post/discussion, but I read this article in the paper today and thought of manboobz (of course).
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-men-only-law-firms-20131113,0,1923317.story
Why do FeMRAs assume that all women will be happy if they’re forced back into stereotypical gender roles? I’m sorry that my raison d’être revolves around something other than being a wife. I guess that’s just one of those superfluous things that modern women want.