Fellow Penis-Havers and those that identify as having one I’ve called you here to discuss a recent topic on this blog that’s been bothering me. Anyone else is free to join in the discussion but be aware I’m kind of stuck viewing this situation from the penis-haver side of things so I might step on some toes or kick some shins. Apologies in advance.
The story about BoBo the Clown and her antics in a theater has brought out the worst in some of us. And it’s actually kind of a trap set by the clown herself. Yes, she does dress and act like a.. “fill in the blank” slur but that’s her choice. Hell, after this latest stunt she’ll probably get some of her donors to fork over huge sums for a possible date night. But why she does it is her choice and not ours to criticize. Furthermore how we react to it says a lot more about us than it does about her.
Because when you use that kind of language you’re not just attacking her. You’re attacking every woman who has to fight the patriarchy’s rules for how they look and act in public every minute of every day. That they have to be some weird hybrid of a nun, hooker, housewife, and whatever their actual job is be it lawyer, doctor, mechanic, whatever. The “perfect” woman for their delusions and fantasies — exactly the level of provocative, submissive, and chaste they want her to be to satisfy their “male gaze”.
And if any woman fails in even the tiniest way then they’re “mid”, “sluts”, “bitches”, etc. Take MLK’s “judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” then change it to “judged not by the hemline of their skirt but the content of their character” and you, hopefully, see the problem women — all women, including Boebert — face every day. Asked another way, “How is attacking Boebert for her clothing choice any different from Rash Limpballs attacking Hillary for wearing pantsuits?” Do you see the problem with these kind of attacks yet?
Yes, Boebert is playing the game the patriarchy created. But don’t fall into the trap of attacking her for it. Instead attack her policies. Attack her GOP colleagues for those policies. And most importantly attack the patriarchy that makes the rules that lead to those policies. The rules that sets those conditions on a woman — any woman — and all but guarantees they’ll never be fully and equally accepted in this country.