"Don't let idiots ruin your day" (Complete with Example of Why People Hate "Feminists")

Yesterday I bought a mug with this slogan ("Don't let idiots ruin your day") at De La Vega Gallery. I planned to give it to someone, but I think I may need to keep it and get another one. People challenge me, and generally not in a way that make me grow as a person.

For example, Des told me about a woman who she likes on myspace, Femblogger. Femblogger wrote about an ad campaign that is taking place in NYC by one of those storage companies. They have political tag lines like, "Your closet is narrower than Dick Cheney," which I find amusing. The newest one reads, "Your closet space is shrinking faster than her right to choose." Generally, I hate things that conflate and confuse self-determination with shopping options, but this ad sort of cracks me up, mostly in the context of the other ads.

Anyway, Des left a comment mentioning that she has not seen that ad, probably because they don't bother advertising to people on the subway line that she uses, aka as the ghetto train. Now for my favorite part. Der Gregor - FEMINISM UNMODIFIED decided to school Des. He more or less told her that because she is "lily white," she can't talk about her neighborhood that way because she is too entitled.* This was followed up with a semi-apology, "sorry i [sic] dont [sic] usually write this way to a Woman [sic]..."

Of course, this annoyed me. I called him out on his assumptions about Des, which are as biased as he accuses her of being, and for thinking that he needs to treat women differently, which strikes me as not feminist at all. His response is priceless:

the point of feminism is to change society fundamentaly because the oppression of Women is so deeply ingrained in that society that no deep change can take pleace untill patriarchy is eradicated. therefore a feminist movement must be a movement for the transformation of all of society. in the meanwhile the power differentials between males and women must be addressed by males who support feminist women by being careful to not use male power or male gender hierarchy to oppress groups or individuals.

Does this explain to you why we need to talk or write to women differently than men? It makes no sense to me. Thanks for the lecture, though. It reminded me of an excellent post that ViciousRumours wrote awhile back on why she thought feminists were horrid judgmental people with whom she didn't want to associate. I can't say that I blame her, and I wish people didn't think that egomanical pretentious douche bags like Der Gregor spoke for all of feminism. Some of us little ladies like calling people douche bags, even if that fits into the patriarchal society that keeps us oppressed.

*This dude judged Des based on pictures she had up on her site. If I use the same criteria he does to come to conclusions about him, I would think that he is a neo-Nazi, what with the bald head and picture of a big German Shepard baring its fangs in a snarl with the intimidating words, "Wie Gehts?" (How are you?) Somehow I doubt that those images accurately capture his radical feminist beliefs and he'd dislike my biased response, although he feel completely happy to dis my friend that way.