What is the opposite of feminism?

The BBQ Pit
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Initial disclaimer:

This post is in no way meant as a slam or opposing veiw point to andygirls post, it was simply inspired by it. I agree with many things in that post, and mean no disrespect to women in this one. I mean no disrespect to anyone.

Now, I think that it’s wonderful that women are uniting against negative stereotypes and oppression, I also think that it is wonderful that people are fighting against ignorance and hate. My question is, where does this leave the poor white male?
I make very little money, I am caucasian, and I am male. I have no idea where society’s perception of doors being opened for me because of this fact came from but I am here to tell you that it is completely untrue. I have had more doors slammed in my face because of this fact if anything. A couple years back I was attempting to get a book published, and everywhere I would turn people would either state flat out that they wouldn’t even consider my novel, because I was not : black, hispanic, a woman, a lesbian, a midget, handicapped, a vet, or any other minority. Those that would look at my work would call me with accolades and apologies. We loved it, it’s been a big hit at the office, but I’m sorry YOU aren’t exactly what we are looking for right now.
College. RIGHT! try to get a grant or scholorship (other than academic) as a POOR WHITE MALE. There are programs for African Americans, African American Women, African American Men, Latino Women, Latino Men, Lesbians, Gay men, Farmers, Midget Lacross Players, Bi-sexual Martini Drinkers. Everyone has a program, except the POOR WHITE HETROSEXUAL MALE!
I understand that these programs are a positive thing, I understand that they are needed and opened a lot of doors for very gifted individuals, and the world will be a better place for these people getting the opprotunity that they rightly deserve, but the POOR WHITE HETRO MALE is depicted as the enemy, and doors are being slammed in the faces of some equally talented individuals because of it, and contrary to what it seems that some folks believe, I can not just walk into the White Man Opportunity Center and request a loan. There is no conspiracy that is giving me an unfair advantage, it is in fact just the opposite.
Many of you may be saying, “Now you know the feeling Jackass!” or thinking that at least, well here’s a scoop for you, I am 25 years old, my adult life began in an equal opprotunity world, I have never gotten anything for free, hell I have gotten very little even after paying my dues, I am not my father or grandfather, I am being persecuted for their sins. I will here and now official apologize for my people.(whoever in the hell my people are.) Equal opportunity should mean exactly that; the most qualified or the most talented, or the most affluent, are those that get the opportunities, white, black, gay, crippled or ugly, the best person wins. Hallelujah, Amen, The End, Fin.

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one more addition, this in reference to my initial subject line, it seems to me that the closest male equivalent to feminism would be misogyny. That is wrong, we need a mens solidarity group that does not have a prefix that means Hatred. Help me find a term.

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:rolleyes:
Oh yes, you POOR baby!

Please. I don’t believe in affirmative action, because I think it’s an insult and too much of a bandaid act, but please. I can’t believe you’re repressed simply because you’re white, male, and straight.

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That’s what I figured the reaction would be. Listen I’m not crying about it by any means, so save your patronizing and sarcastic poor baby, I am simply showing the other side of a coin that everyone seems to think they know, being white and male is not a cupcake world where people walk up and hand you c-notes, it is just as hard as anyone elses life, and apparently talking about being white and male is as unwelcomed as being it.

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But you ARE lucky: unlike the minorites you cite, you have no social apparatuses in place to aid in your self-pity. That’s the good news, so knock off the self pity. The bad news: you’re not done paying your dues at 25. You and I and every sentinent being is never done paying our dues.

You don’t need a loan or a grant or a minority resource center to succeed. You need talent and energy and the willingness to keep paying our dues until the day you die.
You may have those qualities, or you may not - only you would know at this point. I do know that the world has enough complainers, so any artist seeking fame and fortune should restrict his complaining to the appropriate forum of a reliable message board, and then get back to his real work.

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Maybe you should count your blessings. Do you know how lucky you are to have been born a healthy white male in America? What if fate had decided you she be a Guatamalan street child? A little Asian girl destined to be sold into sexual slavery at age 12? A Mexican kid that has to survive by picking through trash?
Get over your self already. You live in the land of opportunity, go do something with your life.

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ok, I guess that I should have expected this, having a different take on a particular subject than the majority. I was not whining about my lack of opportunity, I realize that by posting something contradictory to popular opinion I am now fodder for the masses. Please don’t just take pot shots at me for brooding because it was certainly not what I was trying to do. I was simply trying to start a discussion. The descendants said it best, You can only be a victim if you admit defeat.

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If you are trying to start a discussion, go to GD. This is the Pit, you can’t post something like this here without taking a few pot shots. Typing POOR WHITE HETERO MALE in caps all through your post and refering to “midget lacross players” and “bisexual martini drinkers” is not the way to start a discussion. It’s more like ‘How to get flamed 101.’

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then I apologize, I am still rather new. I’ll learn one way or another.

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In the interest of fairness, **LunaSea, ** (hey, I just got your name, maybe I should post to that IMHO thread), skarecrow was talking about himself compared to other Americans. If we’re going to bring the entire rest of the world into it, then I can just as easily say “oh (random oppressed minority), boo fucking hoo, at least you weren’t gang raped in a turkish prison on your tenth birthday. Get over it.” It doesn’t work like that.

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Hey, don’t worry - self PITty is allowed in the PIT. Just don’t be one of the losers who think a good flame is the end-all & be all of their existance.

Remember, though Picasso found inspiration in the whorehouse, (analogy - the Pit) he went back to the studio to paint Les *Desmoiselles D’Avginon (analogy - your word processor where you’re writing your novel). And word back at the whorehose was that Picasso was a lousy lay.

*to whom it may concern: Oh - did I spell this wrong? Are you going to look it up carefully and one-upmanship me therby? Well, I’m also going to take a bath later - maybe you’d care to outdo me at that too and go drown yourself.

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tough skin…noted, ok I’m ready.

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well I got a good image with the typo of ‘whorehose’ :wink:

BTW who are the ‘descendants’?

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As it happens, I posted evidence not too long ago in a thread in GD, provided by a friend of mine who was the former senior assistant director for admissions at a well-known private college, that poor white men increasingly are the beneficiaries of “affirmative action” programs in college admissions, because they tend to be underrepresented in student bodies. So, looks like your initial premise is somewhat incorrect anyway.

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This is only opinion, but I think it’s very true.

Until the last half of the last century, white hetro males were given every advantage and held almost all the privileges of living in the US. They have been watching as these privileges and advantages, which many believed were a birthright, slip slowly away as the US struggles to live up to “all men are created equal”(inserting “and women” in there also).

This has proven to be quite painful for many white hetro males. They do not view these changes as rights being shared by all, but as birthrights being taken away from them.

I can empathize a little. Just a little. Things were better (for white hetro males) before everyone else started demanding equal rights-- and getting them. In fact, they were the most qualifed, talented and affluent. But now, with opportunities opening up for everyone, the find these advantages slipping away.

The problem seems to stem from these hetro white males not realizing the difference between advantages and rights. Sure the colleges and universities used to be crammed to the rafters with white guys. This was an advantage, not a right. When women and minorites started filling some of these slots, your advantage was reduced, not your rights.

Cry for a lost era.

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Yeah, let’s not forget that while there is Lifetime- Television for Women, and BET, there is no White Male Television. If you tried to create something like that you would be labeled a sexist bigot.
I am a white male, and I am not in a “protected” class. I don’t have anything in my favor, because the perception is that I already got it good. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. The OP hit it right on the head. I’ve been there, done that. I am in the unusual position of being a white male during the only period in recorded human history when it does not pay to be a white male. I can’t sue for discrimination in ANY form, when I am now the one being discriminated against. That really chaps my ass. Why can’t I get the same breaks as everyone else? What a bunch of bullshit.

Sorry, but that topic really gets me wound up.
Yeah, I know, everyone have a pity party for me. Walk a mile in my shoes, buddy.
By the way, have a nice day, and for the record, no reparations for slavery :smiley: .

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Of course, it should. But look at your government, and look in the boardrooms of the major corporations, and who do you see? White men - overwhelmingly. As long as that’s the case - and I suspect it will be, for a long, long time - there’s no way the rest of us can take you seriously when you claim you’re disadvantaged because of your race and sex.

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And, be ready- yer gonna get slammed for that ‘no reparations for slavery’ thing, methinks…:wink:
But I do like you- you jsut go out on that line like a happy puppy, and I like that.

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He ain’t talking about those guys- he’s talking aabout lower class guys, and he’s right- we get nailed, often take the frustrtion people have against the people you mention- we’re here, we’re available- those guys aren’t. They don’t suffer for how it is, us low rent guys do. And we ain’t the ones keeping these other groups down.

And to say ‘o, for the good old days’ like that- well yeah, if I’ve never shared in the privileges spoken about, I am a completely different case than my father or grandfather- get it?

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I’m doin good, inor. And don’t I know it. I just had to say it to be a dick. I was pissed off and tired. I feel better now :smiley: . It’s all good.