Friday, December 29, 2006

Blame games I like

A blog that I've been following with a great deal with relish, and which ought to be mandatory reading in my humble, starstruck opinion - I blame the Patriarchy.

From the FAQ section :

I Blame The Patriarchy exists to advance the radical feminist views of Twisty Faster. These views revolve around evidence that patriarchy is a violently tyrannical but nearly invisible social order based on an oppressive paradigm of class and status fetishizing dominance and submission. Patriarchy's benefits are accrued according to a rigid hierarchy at the top of which are rich honky males and at the bottom of which are poor women of color. The Twisty Revolution envisions a post-patriarchal order free of theocracy, gender, race, deity worship, marriage, prostitution, exploitation, reproduction, caste, pornography, rape, and government interference in private uteruses, domestic arrangements, drug habits, lives, and deaths.


I too, I too! Blame!

10 comments:

1conoclast said...

Ironical how while you were putting up this view, I was putting up the totaly opposite view on my blog. This blame game should get interesting, with modern man finally deciding to speak up.

Anonymous said...

Annie,
I do not know whether thisi s typical or whether it helps your investgationsin any way. In a few marriages that I observedover long periods ( starting from Andhra Pradesh to UK, USa and now Australia), women become dominant in marriages after 10-15 years of marriage. I think that in the beginning men take the decisions and women observe over period that men are not that smart and success is fairly arbitrary. After children, men's importance to women (emotionally )decreases. Moreover men become less attractive to other women. Slowly the power balance seems to change. Appearances may be important for some and they still pretend that men are the decision makers. Children seem to be closer to mothers. And all this perhaps balances the injustices to some extent. This is the sort of theory that I have. I hope that it will cheer you up for the new year.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the introduction; I find the blog very interesting.

Anonymous said...

Are u talking about patriarchy in its commonly held meaning or are you looking at another maybe a broader definition?

Anonymous said...

I'd assume patriarchy to mean one (okay, three): male-dominated, male-centered, and male-identified.

Is there another definition?

Annie Zaidi said...

opinionated: man has always spoken up. it is women who are beginning to talk now. but yes, the blame game is amusing.
gaddeawarup: observations too can be fairly interesting subjects of gender discourse. i have observed that after 10-15 years of marriage, many women lose all sense of self, if they had any to begin with. some try to make up for it by living through their spouses and kids - a process that is intensely painful for all parties involved.
vi: you're welcome.
pawan: the thing is, there is no longer any conventional idea about patriarchy. this is far beyond a system of inheritance. patriarchy is everything. everywhere. so in that sense, it is very very broad.

Anonymous said...

"i have observed that after 10-15 years of marriage, many women lose all sense of self". True, I have seen many cases of this too. I have been meaning to read Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's " Mother Nature" but have not read it yet. She is an eminent scientist and I have seen good reviews of the book. Do you have any opinions on the book?

Anonymous said...

I too! Its unbelievable the extent the roots of "patriarchy" has spread and holds on strong .. inspite of colours and races .. its so deeprooted, that one often wonders whether is this the way of life (genetic?)!

Anonymous said...

Dear Annie,
Buràn is online at last
http://www.buran.it
Thank you very much for your words here
http://www.buran.it/Materiale/5.html
We hope to host your and other indian stories. Best
Flaviano

Annie Zaidi said...

gaddeswarup: have not yet read the book
rushes: :) don't know if it is. ask twisty on the blaming blog.
effe: thanks. went through it and though i can't understand it, it looks good.

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