2008 Woodie Awards
To the authors of the Nov. 24th article, "The Feminine Mistake"
Rebecca Kolberg
Issue date: 1/26/07 Section: Opinion
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I genuinely appreciate your disapproval of sexism against men, and I agree that it's necessary to think about the male perspective. I challenge, however, whether 'femi-nazis' exist as you characterize them in your opening. I further disagree with the assertion that they are pressuring society to view men as ignorant and women as superior. This is simply not true.
In the article, your tone borders on anti-feminist. Was it really necessary to allege that women cry "crocodile tears," or that they have to "hunt" for instances of sexism?
I'm glad you've gone a whole semester at Stevens without being offended, and I'd hope there are some who go a whole four or five years without it. However, examples of a negative attitude towards women do exist even here at Stevens. Some male students blame poor grades on having women professors who "hate men." (When male professors grade tough, they are tough professors, but when women grade tough, they hate men. Perhaps energy spent whining would be better spent with a writing tutor.) Also, males suggest to female peers that it is easier for girls to get scholarships because they fill quotas. This is entirely untrue, and there's no need to "hunt" for an insult when someone suggests that women students don't qualify by their accomplishments alone. A complaint on ratestevens.com reads, "She is a HUGE feminist…in the name of all that is holy, never take her class." I don't know what prompted this reaction, but it's easy to see the word "feminist" used as a dig and implicated as the source of the problem. Finally, when an article written by women appears making broad generalizations and "calling women out" for "crocodile tears," it's not something I can politely ignore.
I am a feminist. Feminism isn't one simplified idea- there are many schools of feminist thought. But feminism is not about hating men or putting men down. It IS about fairness, inclusion, and tolerance. It's about men and women working together to help girls overcome the barriers left by ingrained gender stereotypes and discrimination. And there is still a lot of work for feminists to do today.
In the article, your tone borders on anti-feminist. Was it really necessary to allege that women cry "crocodile tears," or that they have to "hunt" for instances of sexism?
I'm glad you've gone a whole semester at Stevens without being offended, and I'd hope there are some who go a whole four or five years without it. However, examples of a negative attitude towards women do exist even here at Stevens. Some male students blame poor grades on having women professors who "hate men." (When male professors grade tough, they are tough professors, but when women grade tough, they hate men. Perhaps energy spent whining would be better spent with a writing tutor.) Also, males suggest to female peers that it is easier for girls to get scholarships because they fill quotas. This is entirely untrue, and there's no need to "hunt" for an insult when someone suggests that women students don't qualify by their accomplishments alone. A complaint on ratestevens.com reads, "She is a HUGE feminist…in the name of all that is holy, never take her class." I don't know what prompted this reaction, but it's easy to see the word "feminist" used as a dig and implicated as the source of the problem. Finally, when an article written by women appears making broad generalizations and "calling women out" for "crocodile tears," it's not something I can politely ignore.
I am a feminist. Feminism isn't one simplified idea- there are many schools of feminist thought. But feminism is not about hating men or putting men down. It IS about fairness, inclusion, and tolerance. It's about men and women working together to help girls overcome the barriers left by ingrained gender stereotypes and discrimination. And there is still a lot of work for feminists to do today.
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