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!
cloudiah: If money were no object and I had 2k or more to blow on a bag, I’d get the Celine trapeze bag. I communed with the python version when I was in Vegas at Barneys (given recent events, fuck Barney’s sideways).
http://www.celine.com/en/collection/fall/leather-goods/
Argh, I am so sick unto death of people conflating “feminism” with “consumerism.” Puh-LeeZE.
I do like mocha frappuccinos, but ever since I found out a small one packs 400 calories (and I can suck it down in 30 seconds flat), I try to resist. .
As for handbags, I have become extremely picky. I only need one (I’m much to lazy to be bothered “changing” my bag to match an outfit or shoe color) — but it must be exactly right. Which means perfectly functional.
My criteria for a handbag is that it be compact, yet big enough to accommodate all my stuff; that it open easily so I can get in and out of it quickly; and that it can fasten itself up tightly when I’m through with it. (In other words, I evaluate a potential handbag the same way your typical misogynistic PUA evaluates a woman!)
After exhaustive research, I finally met the bag of my dreams: a “doctor’s satchel” from Oroton (which I believe is kind of a fancy Australian brand). If all goes well, me and my new bag will be together for a long, long time.
Dear antifeminist women:
If voting, working, and getting an education are so unimportant to you, by all means, don’t do them; all the freedoms our foremothers fought for are clearly wasted on you anyway. Also, don’t blog, don’t write letters to the editor, don’t call in to radio shows, and don’t make a cottage industry out of your viewpoints. The last thing we need is for your stoopid to catch on.
Love, me.
@KitKat
When you find out where they keep the free stuff for ladies, let me know!
Actually, that Celine #8 looks vaguely like my faux bowling bag. I don’t think I could justify spending $2K on a bag, but a girl can dream…
So clearly independence and votes must be just as much “wants” and luxuries for men. After all, men as much as women have survived without them for much of human existence. Does this mean she supports dictatorship and slavery as viable options?
cloudiah: I generally wouldn’t spend that either, but after manhandling a couple of them, they’re really well made. The leather is gorgeous up close.
I’m sure. I haven’t seen that bag, but I’ve seen some pretty high end ones and the leather usually is gorgeous.
Although sometimes, just for shits and giggles, I go onto sites like Zappos and search for shoes or purses and sort by highest price and then snortle at how butt-ugly some of them are.
I’d have a hard time spending $2k on anything it’s physically possible to accidentally leave somewhere.
I once left my favorite jacket on the bus with my MP3 player in the pocket. It was not a happy day but it would have been much less happy if those items had cost more than $20 each.
KitKat, I think you just need to sit down in the street and cry and then men will give you things.
serrana – So if I sat down on the meridian and cried, then ALL the men will give me free stuff? Why am I going to college again?
I have about that much in camera equipment, but the most expensive thing, a lens, is too heavy to accidentally leave somewhere, since I have to hold it to keep from whacking people with it. On the other hand, my purse cost $17.
Alice, you’re going to college so that the right kind of men will give you things when you sit in the street and cry. *winks*
serrana – XD I should go to the library tomorrow and just bawl my heart out. They’ll have to give me things then! *nod*
Woman buys man dinner = lazy, unsatisfying, BAD
Man buys woman dinner = I’m guessing not any of those things?
baileyrenee – Man buys woman dinner using money that he put LOVE into! And the money transfers his love into the food. Women don’t know how to put love into money, that’s why it doesn’t count!
How is it I managed to survive into my FORTIES with no husband if I need one like I need food and water? I don’t get it. This entire thing is a giant, dumbly written Non Sequitor.
Also, great shoes and designer bags have probably added years to my life (and to the lives of others) by never arguing with me, trying to boss me around or manipulate me, or annoying me with football watching.
I think chicks like Laura Grace are basically cowardly masochists. What they really want is to be tied up and whipped and made to do naughty sex things, but they’re too scared to admit it, so they go around inflicting their weird fantasies on others, using code because there’s not a shred of honesty in them. Well, that’s my best case scenario with people like this.
Just… ew.
I mean, seriously?
I think you’re right Alice. A woman’s money is filthy child support money at best, a man’s money is pure and good!
Cloudiah, those are the fanciest brass knuckles I’ve ever seen.
I showed that purse to Mr. S and he said, “WTF, jeweled brass knuckles?”
cloudiah – LOLWAT. Why does that exist? O_0
That purse is so fugly. Apart from anything else, who sees the Queen as a style icon? I could raid my own gran’s closet and find something similar looking, and it would a. be free and b. at least have sentimental value.
“I think chicks like Laura Grace are basically cowardly masochists.”
1) Can we not with the “chicks”? Unless referring to baby chickens of course!
2) No. Just no. They may be masochists, but that isn’t wtf is wrong with what they say. And frankly, this masochist gives zero fucks if that’s their problem, they’re still spouting horrible things.
2b) There’s no “made to do” about it.Good BDSM sexytimes involve lots of checking in with your partner(s) and doing things you both like. Basically the opposite of this shit.
Baby chicks
These people keep telling me I have expensive shoes and purses. I wish I did. I could sell them for a car.