# Dear Woman video - pretty amazing
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [April 8, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620 "2011-04-08T02:34:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/1 "2011-04-08T02:34:37Z")
I just watched this video, called [“Dear Woman”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_uRIMUBnvw&feature=share) - and I am surprised by how much I am moved by it, by how much I feel it, accept it, and appreciate it.
I think it’s wonderful. And I’m sure lots of people (especially men) will mock it, I’m sure that’s why they shut off comments. But I don’t care, of course, I think it’s just amazing and I hope the consciousness behind it expands enough to help the women who need it most.
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### Author:  [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/2 "2011-04-08T05:30:55Z")
Sounds like one of those apologies men make when they aren’t really sure what is wrong, only more elaborate.
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### Author:  [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/3 "2011-04-08T05:44:49Z")
There’s one man in there that I’d like to “raise \*his \*consciousness” ifyouknowwhatImean.
If we are being seen as equals, we’re going to be able to express these feelings, right?
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/4 "2011-04-08T06:51:58Z")
I dunno if this is mocking it, but that was really boring. (Yes, I’m a man.) Gender equality’s great; gender obsession… not so much.
There were 653 comments before they were closed, fwiw.
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### Author:  [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/5 "2011-04-08T08:50:10Z")
> [@Reply](#):
>
> I dunno if this is mocking it, but that was really boring. (Yes, I’m a man.) Gender equality’s great; gender obsession… not so much.
Boring, overwrought, and pretty cheesy (and I’m a woman). Sorry, I get the idea behind it, but the execution lacks rather a lot. I also tend to agree that gender equality is a meaningful goal - this doesn’t seem to be promoting equality, just self-flagellation over past sins and self-congratulatory talk without real action.
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### Author:  [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/6 "2011-04-08T10:52:10Z")
Utter balls from start to finish
I got 8 seconds into it before I was annoyed by the preachy tone and quasi-cultish appearance of the two freaky front men. The minute they start babbling on about energy any remaining potential goodwill jumped out of the window.
I take gender equality as a given, I feel insulted and patronised that anyone tries to apologise on my behalf. I have done nothing wrong.
If those two have something to sorry for then fine, don’t drag me into it. The immense ego it takes to apologise on behalf of a whole gender group is mind-blowing.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/7 "2011-04-08T11:01:42Z")
Na na na na na na na na, Batman…I mean, WOMAN!
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/8 "2011-04-08T12:31:38Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> Utter balls from start to finish
> I got 8 seconds into it before I was annoyed by the preachy tone and quasi-cultish appearance of the two freaky front men. The minute they start babbling on about energy any remaining potential goodwill jumped out of the window.
>
> I take gender equality as a given, I feel insulted and patronised that anyone tries to apologise on my behalf. I have done nothing wrong.
> If those two have something to sorry for then fine, don’t drag me into it. The immense ego it takes to apologise on behalf of a whole gender group is mind-blowing.
Holy crap. I couldn’t stomach more than the first 15 seconds of this manipulative tripe. So I skipped around to random segments and found just more of the same.
I’d like to shoot my own version, in which the end would be a group shot of all the guys who participated making a similarly solemn statement in unison…until one of them snickers and they all start laughing hysterically.
mmm
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### Author:  [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/9 "2011-04-08T12:55:43Z")
Hey baby… I’m not like all those other guys. Can I get yo number? No no no, it ain’t like that. I’m into your consciousness, baby. That’s all. You’ve got a real nice set of consciousnesses on you, girl.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/10 "2011-04-08T13:38:00Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> quasi-cultish appearance of the two freaky front men. The minute they start babbling on about energy…
Plus one.
I didn’t know what to expect when I clicked the link. Five seconds in I thought “This is going to be a bunch of New Age baloney. They’ll probably talk about energies and stuff.” I was right; it’s full of blather about spirits and energies and such nonsense.
It goes further into insulting women - around 4:00 they seem to be saying women are bad at math, for fuck’s sake.
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/11 "2011-04-08T13:45:17Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> Utter balls from start to finish
> I got 8 seconds into it before I was annoyed by the preachy tone and quasi-cultish appearance of the two freaky front men. The minute they start babbling on about energy any remaining potential goodwill jumped out of the window.
Yeah, the masculine and feminine energies twaddle made me turn it off.
It’s great if they are sincere and just want to make the world better. But just like I’m not going to apologize if some idiot woman does something obnoxious, men who haven’t done anything wrong shouldn’t try to apologize for those who do. Put the responsibility on the people who do wrong things, thereby holding their feet to the fire, not some random dude’s.
For the record, I don’t think we have gender equality in the US, but this isn’t the way to get it, either.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/12 "2011-04-08T15:22:44Z")
[You can read the Manifesto here.](http://www.facebook.com/consciousmen?sk=app_4949752878)
Some other writers on the subject [really don’t like it.](http://www.pellebilling.com/2010/10/more-on-a-manifesto-for-conscious-men/)
> [@](#):
>
> I take issue with three different aspects of the manifesto:
>
> 1. It has a very lopsided view of history and gender roles. It’s simply not true that only women have been oppressed throughout history. Men have been oppressed by sacrificing their lives and their health for women and children time and again. A historical analysis of gender needs to acknowledge the trauma of both genders, not only that of women.
> 2. The manifesto blames and shames men on a collective level, for gender roles that historically speaking were simply a functional fit. Men are no more historically responsible for their gender role than women.
> 3. Even if the historical account of men’s role had been true, why should men who are not oppressive be responsible for what other men have done?
and another [writer.](http://www.masculinity-movies.com/blog/my-take-on-a-manifesto-for-conscious-men)
> [@](#):
>
> Reading it made me feel queasy, disrespected, shamed and under attack. It is impossible for me to recommend this document as a path to consciousness for men. It has enormous problems and looks to me more like a path of ignorantly taking on a shame that isn’t ours to bear, just because it seems like a noble thing to do. But no man should ever pick up shame. Its energy eats men’s souls for breakfast.
Personally I feel this manifesto is damaging to men and women.
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### Author:  [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/13 "2011-04-08T15:33:06Z")
> [@Zebra](#):
>
> [You can read the Manifesto here.](http://www.facebook.com/consciousmen?sk=app_4949752878)
>
> Personally I feel this manifesto is damaging to men and women.
I agree, the “Manifesto” is utter crap. If I was a woman, I’d run a mile from any guy with such a bizzare “putting on a pedestal” view of women. As a man, I’d run a mile from any woman who thought this was a desireable attitude.
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### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/14 "2011-04-08T15:45:16Z")
I got about a minute into it before I was so bored I couldn’t take it anymore.
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### Author:  [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/15 "2011-04-08T15:53:17Z")
I couldn’t bear to watch it beyond the first few sentences, then I read what \*\*Alice the Goon \*\*wrote, and I just had to see who was HOT in the video, so I watched a bit more.
It made me feel uncomfortable. I sure wouldn’t want any of the men I know to espouse such an attitude. This has to be a joke, right?
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### Author:  [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/16 "2011-04-08T16:41:00Z")
I’m female and watched as much of it as I could stand last night, or about 20 seconds. It really, really creeped me out.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/17 "2011-04-08T16:44:20Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> I take gender equality as a given,
Except that it isn’t, unfortunately.
> [@Meyer6](#):
>
> self-congratulatory talk without real action.
???
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### Author:  [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/18 "2011-04-08T16:46:43Z")
That was aggressively uninteresting.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/19 "2011-04-08T16:59:15Z")
Ick.
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### Author:  [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-woman-video-pretty-amazing/577620/20 "2011-04-08T17:05:19Z")
> [@Lakai](#):
>
> Sounds like one of those apologies men make when they aren’t really sure what is wrong, only more elaborate.
And more exact, specific and clear. So maybe it’s not like those apologies at all.
> [@](#):
>
> Throughout history, men have raped and abused you, burned you at the stake, bought and sold your bodies for sexual pleasure, barred you from religious and political office, relegated you to subservient chores, forced you to hide your faces and even cut off your organs of sexual pleasure.
>
> ```
> I may not have done these things myself, but I am aware of the forces in the unconscious masculine psyche that feel threatened by and then seek to dominate the feminine. Many of the men who have oppressed or abused you are no longer alive. Among the living, many men may be unable to apologize because they remain shackled in a prison of anger, fear and shame. On behalf of my gender, I apologize to you for our unconscious actions when we were angry, scared and in the grip of destructive forces in our psyche. I choose no longer to contribute to those forces, nor to be run by them in my own life. I offer you this apology in hopes that we can make a fresh start in a spirit of co-creation.
>
> ```
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