"I don't think that being a strong person is about ignoring your emotions and fighting your feelings. Putting on a brave face doesn't mean you're a brave person. That's why everybody in my life knows everything that I'm going through. I can't hide anything from them. People need to realise that being open isn't the same as being weak."

- Taylor Swift

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Thank Heaven for That.

Oh, goody, the masculist is off my blog.

I have nothing against masculists who, maturely and sensibly, argue their point, and either claim success modestly, accept defeat graciously and agree to compromises agreeably, just like all feminists do when arguing with a masculinist like that. I really have nothing against masculism, because everyone is entitled to their opinion - if they really think that men get it worst off, then it doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is when masculists - sexist, immature masculists - attack feminists who simply want to argue their point and make some progress in women's rights, accuse us for everything we should be accusing them of.

And yeah, then I do get a bit pissed. What the hell is their problem? I'm a feminist, and proud of it. But that's my problem. If you're a masculist, or whatever, that's not my problem, as long as you don't annoy me. If you annoy me then yeah, it is my problem. I have the right to say what I like and like what I say without criticism. That's the best thing about being Australian - if there's one Australian trait the entire world should pick up on, it's that.

There is this rule that I've been taught that you don't laugh at a gay man, unless he laughs at you for being straight. That's how I run, really - I'm me, you're you, and as long as it doesn't interfere with what we are then it doesn't really matter.

Anyway, enough of that. I'm tired of pointing out the obvious to someone who is convinced that I am sexist. If he thinks I'm sexist, and he convinces himself that I'm sexist, then I will be sexist in his eyes.

I've never pretended that I'm any good at taking criticism - especially uncalled for criticism, like Manifold's. I don't know whether that's my personality or my age, but that's just me. I consider it my strength and my flaw.

Why? Well, because, from experience, of you accept criticism or advice, you get all the shame and none of the fame, so to speak. If someone tells you to do something a different way and you listen to them, either they will get all the praise is it turns out good, or you will get all the blame if it turns out wrong. However, if you do it your own way, you take the credit for it all - good and bad.

Back to normal stuff now.

In other news, I am slowly getting through my homework - maths is a torture, but at least it's almost done. Maths is something I simply cannot get - especially advanced maths. Who needs to know anything beyond addition and subtraction and multiplication and division if you're like me, and not interested in doing anything remotely connected to maths? All I need maths for is shopping - to spot out the best bargains. You don't need pi and square roots and linear relationships for that.

But anyway. I need a grade ten diploma in maths before I can drop it. I'm looking forward to year eleven and twelve - because that's when I chose my own subjects - I don't have to do anything I don't want to do - all they force is English, which I gladly take, and Sport, which I'll endure because I have to sit out all the rough games anyway.

My English essay is a lot more fun to write - everyone thinks I'm mad, but it really is. It's a very long essay - it's a big project, with no word limit - and I've chosen the topic well, because feminist literary criticism is what I'm passionate about. Basically, in the essay, I connect the misogyny in literature to the anti-feminism found in society and religion. Lots of fun. My teacher is a feminist and all the girls in my class are feminist, so we all get along well. There's only one masculist guy but he has no proper argument - the Odyssey is so biased that it is impossible to get a good masculist argument out of it.

Another update - this time more blog related. Some time this year this tacky layout will be replaced by an awesome one by my friend nurul - that's noodlepop! in my followers if you want to know. She used to be a blogger but she's stopped now, and she's being a darling and helping me do a new blog layout, because I'm hopeless with that kind of thing. Don't worry. She's getting paid.

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