Feminism in Males

Since we are discussing feminism this week and I am a man, I thought I might discuss one part of feminism (and all forms of social activism really) that intrigues me. I like most people, would agree that when somebody says or does something that is sexist, racist, homophobic or discriminatory in nature that you should always speak up, even if you don't fit under the umbrella of people that the person is attacking. You don't have to be forceful or aggressive in your reproach,; I think that it is very possible to let someone know that what they are saying or doing is not okay in a relatively passive and non hostile manner. In some cases they may not even be aware that what they are saying is wrong and even if that isn't the case then you should still try to be polite so as to not stoop to their level. The question that intrigues me is: is a person obligated to feel offended when someone says something prejudicial, even when they are not part of the group being judged? If somebody says something misogynistic around me, the right thing to do is to say something, but am I obligated to feel offended even though I am male? If someone says something anti-semitic, do I have to feel deeply wounded even though I'm Catholic? Personally I feel offended when people say things offensive towards people of other genders' races, religions, etc, but only when what is said is blatant and harsh. On more subtle forms of prejudice I find that even when I notice what is done wrong I don't feel any sense of ire of the matter.

Animal Psycology

I'm doing my blog post this week on animal psychology because animals are better than people. If you're a person reading this, sorry. If you're an animal reading this, that's awesome. I read an article about an Indian monkey that attacked a man when the man flipped him off. Darwin claimed that the emotions of humans have been there in all stages of evolution, and intelligent species like monkeys, dogs, and cats share emotional characteristics with modern humans. For all species, not just humans there is a lot of common ground in body language and its emotional meaning. Baring your teeth sends a signal of anger. Quick movements indicate hostility. Intense eye contact (as seen in the video) indicates threat. This common ground shows that humans maybe aren't as far ahead in sophistication and emotion as we believe ourselves to be. This makes me wonder what other psychological attributes we share with our scaly, slimy and furry companions. Do animals use defense mechanisms or have anxiety? Can animals experience depression or motivation?

Why Wash Williams isn't that bad

Okay, hear me out on this one. In Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg Ohio one character in particular stands out as a grotesque and deplorable figure. Wash Williams is a filthy and extremely misogynistic man. It's hard to envision him as a relatable character who one can be sympathetic to. However, when the books main character, George Willard sits down with Wash to hear the story that explains the man's misogyny, I personally found myself feeling very sympathetic to the old man. Now don't get me wrong: I do not condone Wash's views or the despicable things that he says. you know that one ex friend or significant other that you don't actually hate but you force hatred of as a way of coping with their absence in your life? As anyone reading this who's been in our English class knows this mental defense mechanism is known as projection. Wash Williams's misogyny is a textbook example of projection. He treated his wife with respect and affection for years, but was still cuckolded by his spouse's lover. He even gives her a second chance afterward. This shows that he was at one time a man with compassion and respect for women, or at least one woman. I personally do not interpret his misogyny as sincere, rather I view it as Wash's way of coping with the pain that his wife and her mother wrought on him. His actions and views are wrong, but I hold a certain level of sympathy for the old man.