Guys offer thoughts on feminism
Feminism is gradually becoming a big topic in our society, whether you feel that’s good or bad, and there are even a few feminists in our school, but how do the guys feel about it?
“It’s women believing they need more equality and that they shouldn’t be objectified,” sophomore Jacob Alexander said.
Though, a majority of the guys asked didn’t know and some didn’t take it seriously, going as far as to crack jokes such as why do women make sandwiches with their left hands? Because they don’t have rights.
“I support feminism but I don’t really know for sure what it is,” junior Chantz Taliaferro said.
Online feminist’s sites all agree that feminism means you stand for equal rights between men and women. Today feminists feel like they don’t have equal pay, opportunities, and that society objectifies them.
“I believe that women should have the same rights as men,” junior James Libal said.
You don’t have to be a girl to support feminism, some males also feel that women don’t have equal rights and sometimes, they can also be called feminists.
“I don’t support it, the way it’s supposed to be is the way of the old days,” sophomore Jacob Hecker said.
Some students, both male and female, feel that feminism is unnecessary, and that it can sometimes be an attack towards men.
“Extremist feminists do nothing but hate men and complain about matters that in reality are not such a big deal,” senior Jacob Balzer said.
There is a subcategory to feminists called extremist feminists, who generally don’t fight for equality but point out all the injustices done to women, most of which are not a real problem.
“Though I never believe this equality will be reached due to different factors, I still support it,” Balzer said.
Other comments included:
“The want or need for women to have the equal rights that those around them have,” –senior Jonathan Hayes.
“Well if you look back in history it’s equality for everyone, but lately it’s the superiority of women, I feel it’s only needed in the Middle East where there are actual problems,” – sophomore Simon North.
“It’s someone who acts like a flamboyant girl,” – freshman Micheal Hernandez.
“I guess it’s a type of living, like someone’s life style,” – junior Logan Vanderwege
“I don’t support it but I’m not against it” – freshman Jayde Stramel
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Lexie Reinhardt • Mar 2, 2015 at 12:46 pm
“It’s someone who acts like a flamboyant girl,” – freshman Micheal Hernandez
– W U T ?
“Well if you look back in history it’s equality for everyone, but lately it’s the superiority of women, I feel it’s only needed in the Middle East where there are actual problems,” – sophomore Simon North.
– Yes because the fact women still don’t make as much as men, have to take men to court multiple times, spending their own time and money, when SOME men fail to pay child support, the fact a man can completely walk out of a child’s life without ever helping out emotionally or financially, the fact 1/4 of all women will be raped at some point of their lives is not an actual problem….
Plus men face some injustices too, and like stated above feminism is trying to help BOTH men and women reach an equal level
Conrad Hoffman • Feb 26, 2015 at 2:53 pm
:Continuation of Derrick’s thread:
(post replies here)
Craig Dreiling • Feb 24, 2015 at 10:05 am
I don’t agree or disagree that woman should have equal rights but you have to remember it means equality on all fronts, not just the positive ones. For instance that would mean if there were to be a military draft they would draft women and men not just men into the military. Any thoughts on this?
Darrick Doeschot • Feb 23, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I feel like feminism is almost unnecessary, I mean the equal pay idea has been pretty well disproven because the study that showed that was very flawed, and at least here in Kansas, there isn’t really anyone that looks down on women as less than men. I guess what I’m saying is that for the most part women today have equal opportunity to men. In fact in a way they have better opportunities, I mean I can’t get any good scholarships for being a male interested in higher education, but many women can get just that, well for females instead of males. The only thing is we will never hear that, because another part of radical feminism is complaining about EVERYTHING. If a woman applies to a job, but a man gets the position then it’s broadcasted like it’s because of “gender opportunity gaps” and has nothing to do with the possibilty that the man may have had better qualifications than a woman, because, as I said before, this is radical feminism, and men are inferior to women in every way. Or so they say
Conrad Hoffman • Feb 24, 2015 at 9:04 am
Oh boy, Let’s go down the list of things that are wrong with this statement.
1. Show me your source that says that the equal pay has been dis-proven, because I have seen every single major news outlet publish articles that speak to the contrary
2. Do you honestly think that people who are sexist *don’t* exist. Are you serious right now. There do exist people who think women are lesser than men (they are obviously wrong) and there does exist inequalities in the world. America and society within it, *is not* perfect. Not by a long shot.
3. Unless you have done a study on women in the job market, you can’t make a statement saying that women actually have better job opportunities.
4. Many of these scholarships are private grants and the people who are giving out that money are perfectly free to give that money to whichever demographic they want. your argument is invalid.
5. Sure radical feminism is wrong, but that doesn’t prove your point. Inequality is a problem in our country and people who are feminists do help that problem. Not every feminist is evil. Just because you cite one instance of radical feminism being harmful to men doesn’t mean that the entire idea of feminism is wrong.
Darrick Doeschot • Feb 26, 2015 at 11:48 am
Thank you Conrad for pointing some of that out. And I apologize for anything in my comment that was ill-informed. I also apologize for the sections of the comment that were confusing. I’ll start recanting now though.
1. I admit that I can find no major news source that has published any stories about issues in the gender wage gap. As such I will retract that statement and apologize for any negativity it has caused.
2. No, it’s not that I don’t believe such people exist, I’m saying that in my experience, I have not encountered any truly sexist men. However, I will go on to say this, while I have never encountered a truly sexist man, I have encountered numerous sexist females.
3. This is where I will say that the original comment was confusing, I did not mean that they have better job opportunities, that was bad division on my part, what I did mean is more educational opportunities, which is addressed in 4.
4. Yes, I understand they are grants, and I know that they are free to spend their money however they choose. That however is not what I’m saying. I’m saying that this is a truthful statement that men cannot get money simply for being a man interested in higher education, this is not true for women.
5. No. I do not believe feminism is evil, that is why in that last section
I very specifically specified “radical feminism” I was using it as an example of how some forms of feminism have gone far beyond equality for women.
Conrad Hoffman • Feb 26, 2015 at 2:52 pm
1. Alright
2. Understandable, that’s your personal experience and not representative of the whole of a society
3.Okay
4. Understandable, but I see nothing wrong with that. We could get into a discussion about the united states education system and how there should be a De-emphasis on scholarship need, but that lies beside the point. At the end of the day, their money is theirs to give regardless of having to worry about giving equally.
5. Alright, I get ya. I misread some parts and read over the radical part. More power to you for pointing out the faults in radical feminism, but my main point is that I see feminism as having it’s place as an equality movement.
The existence of radical feminism does not negate the viability of feminism itself. No more than the Tea Party negates the viability of the Republican party
Ivan Anderson • Feb 24, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Wow, this is so far the most ignorant and uninformed statement I’ve read all day.
Jasmine Lawson • Feb 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm
Also I think an article on girls thoughts on meninism would be interesting.
Jasmine Lawson • Feb 19, 2015 at 9:07 pm
In reply to Jacob Balzer’s statement, I do not believe “feminists” who hate men can really be classified as a feminist. Feminism is about equal rights for everyone. Not just women. Its about supporting and respecting everyone. You believe that women, people of all races, gays, EVERYONE deserves equal rights you can consider yourself a feminist. If a woman hates men and believes that they are superior to men that contradict the whole meaning of feminism. It is simply about equality for literally everyone.
Conrad Hoffman • Feb 24, 2015 at 8:53 am
But there do exist people who call themselves feminists who do act that way.
It would be nice If we could just not have all the labels and just want equal rights for everyone without having to call ourselves a specific fancy name. Especially a name like “feminist” that, by the very nature of it’s etymology, supports specifically women’s rights for equality.