# Is this dirty? (female symbol with a fist in it) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334 "2010-01-09T23:17:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/1 "2010-01-09T23:17:26Z")
On an episode of Daria, the teachers are striking. They have signs. The feminist science teacher, Ms. Barsch, has a sign with a female symbol (you know, the circle on top of a cross) with a fist in it. I thought it was kind of a dirty joke–fisting…but the other youtube commenters didn’t seem to agree. Am I dirty or are they too clean? [Here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU34LEWVyJ8&feature=email). About 1:22 in you get a really good shot of it. And by dirty I don’t mean that vaginas are dirty–is this meant to be a sexual joke. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/2 "2010-01-09T23:19:55Z")
I think that fist is just kind of a protest symbol. Like this [![](https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3630812525_0b8fc7d7b4.jpg) ](https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3630812525_0b8fc7d7b4.jpg) [http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/e/a3/d82/ea3d82bf-a976-5727-abd3-23d56033c08c.preview-300.jpg](http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/e/a3/d82/ea3d82bf-a976-5727-abd3-23d56033c08c.preview-300.jpg) [![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/22/article-1222159-06ECF68E000005DC-363_306x423.jpg) ](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/22/article-1222159-06ECF68E000005DC-363_306x423.jpg) and of course [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v39/chloe38d/180px-Gonzo\_quote.png](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v39/chloe38d/180px-Gonzo_quote.png) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/3 "2010-01-09T23:20:02Z")
I’ve never associated it with that before. It’s just, you know, “Female power! Rahh!” It reminds me of the Black Power fist. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/4 "2010-01-09T23:23:30Z")
Sure, the fist is sort of a revolutionary symbol by itself. But putting it inside the female circle like that is definitely a clever innuendo. Good catch. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/5 "2010-01-09T23:29:07Z")
You’re reading too much into it. It’s the “[raised fist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_fist)” combined with the female symbol. This used to be a fairly common feminist/female power symbol. Maybe it’s fallen out of fashion now, I guess it originated in the '70s, but I remember seeing it on t-shirts and necklaces in the '90s. It’s the sort of thing a real feminist might have put on a protest sign at the time _Daria_ was on the air. ETA: [Image](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman-power_emblem.svg) of this symbol on Wikimedia Commons. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/6 "2010-01-09T23:39:09Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > You’re reading too much into it. It’s the “[raised fist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_fist)” combined with the female symbol. This used to be a fairly common feminist/female power symbol. Maybe it’s fallen out of fashion now, I guess it originated in the '70s, but I remember seeing it on t-shirts and necklaces in the '90s. It’s the sort of thing a real feminist might have put on a protest sign at the time _Daria_ was on the air. > > ETA: [Image](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman-power_emblem.svg) of this symbol on Wikimedia Commons. Yeah, it’s an obscure feminism symbol. But you can damn well bet that the writers and cartoonists selected it because of the silly double entendre it created. It’s a comedy not a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/7 "2010-01-09T23:39:11Z")
It is a _double entendre_, whether the artists intended it as such or not. Given the tenor of the show’s humor, it’s a pretty safe bet that they did. ETA: Were I **Omniscient** , I’d have known that was coming… ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/8 "2010-01-09T23:42:26Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > but the other youtube commenters didn’t seem to agree. Am I dirty or are they too clean? Youtubers disagreed with you? Consider that a good thing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/9 "2010-01-09T23:53:42Z")
> [@Jihi](#): > > Youtubers disagreed with you? Consider that a good thing. 😛 Yeah, but in this case (and I shudder to admit it) the Youtubers are correct. Heck, sometimes there is even a decent question & response on Yahoo! Answers! It’s not all “how is babby formed?”. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/10 "2010-01-10T00:16:17Z")
The possibility exists that the designer of the symbol intended the connection - a _single entendre_ if you will. There was a group of feminists claiming that it was impossible to be a feminist and also have sex with men. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/11 "2010-01-10T00:25:02Z")
Sheesh, I’ve got a forty year old book [with that on the cover](http://www.amazon.com/Sisterhood-Powerful-Anthology-Writings-Liberation/dp/0394705394). It’s on the hippie shelf, right between [_Be Here Now_](http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052) and [_Steal This Book_](http://www.amazon.com/Steal-This-Book-Abbie-Hoffman/dp/156858217X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263083007&sr=1-1). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/12 "2010-01-10T00:54:01Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Yeah, it’s an obscure feminism symbol. No, it isn’t. It’s a pretty well-known feminist symbol. I’m a bit surprised the OP had never seen it before. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/13 "2010-01-10T01:13:12Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > No, it isn’t. It’s a pretty well-known feminist symbol. I’m a bit surprised the OP had never seen it before. In the year 2010, I’m going to stick with obscure. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/14 "2010-01-10T01:55:50Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I’ve never associated it with that before. It’s just, you know, “Female power! Rahh!” It reminds me of the Black Power fist. My ultra rad-fem ex coworker and I went to get tattoos together. She got that symbol, and [I got this one](http://www.flickr.com/photos/12477794@N02/4223311571/). Of course her tattoo doesn’t symbolize anything dirty…it symbolizes the same thing mine does… resistance. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/15 "2010-01-10T02:00:24Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > In the year 2010, I’m going to stick with obscure. Actually, I just looked at the poster for the concert video I’m editing right at this moment for the Kansas City, MO location for the Paul Green School of Rock. If you’re not familier with the PGSOR, it’s an after-school program for kids 7 to 17 that teaches music with the goal of actually getting them on the stage of real rock venues, playing music. They did four concert programs just before Christmas, and one of them was called _Who Invited You? - A Celebration of Women Who Rock_, and [that bad boy is right there in the middle of the poster.](http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2599/womenwhorock.jpg) The kids themselves make the posters, so it can’t be that obscure if it’s right there in the middle of iconic images Rosie the Riveter. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/16 "2010-01-10T02:21:25Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > No, it isn’t. It’s a pretty well-known feminist symbol. I’m a bit surprised the OP had never seen it before. I think half my friends in college had posters with that symbol. I mean, OK, I went to Berkeley, but still it was pretty common. I don’t think it was originally meant to be a double-entendre. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/17 "2010-01-10T02:28:36Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > In the year 2010, I’m going to stick with obscure. Thereby disproving your username. 😛 Dated, perhaps, but far from obscure. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/18 "2010-01-10T02:45:11Z")
Well, I’d have laughed back then too. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/19 "2010-01-10T03:25:16Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Dated, perhaps, but far from obscure. What’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334/20 "2010-01-10T03:31:50Z")
I’ve seen that symbol for most of my adult life, and never once ever thought of it in a sexual way. Ever. Mainly because I’d never heard of fisting until that symbol had been around for 20 years. And even then, I never tried to put those two together in my mind…doesn’t actually make any sense in the context, anyhow. Why am I now imagining that Southpark character saying something like “you said fist…yuk,yuk, yuk”. It would help to know how old you are…lol [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-dirty-female-symbol-with-a-fist-in-it/524334.md?page=2)