Trump And Misogyny Out-Loud
Our culture cannot be subsumed by this
Trump says of his nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, that “he should have been more forthcoming.” Trump is clueless. Men in his circle would not willing to admit to bad things. They want power and can taste it if he shines his orange light on them. Hegseth is probably on his was out as the nominee for defense secretary, from the tone of news reports, although he is vowing to fight. According to the NY Times, “support for him has flagged amid allegations that he committed sexual assault, engaged in public drinking to excess, sexually pursued female subordinates and mismanaged two nonprofits.” Trump is talking about picking Ron DeSantis instead, as he waits for Hegseth to withdraw. DeSantis?
In a rather dramatic story, today we learned that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared Martial law, basically because his opponents in government were making his life difficult (my simplification from my reading). I find this alarming yet, strangely encouraging to me. When he declared Martial law, almost immediately South Koreans rose up and protested in large numbers, and the government turned on the president. They ended the Martial law he called for within hours. A vote to impeach Yeol could come as early as Friday. What I find encouraging is that it makes me think we could do that too if Trump tries to go to far.
I’ve never traveled to South Korea, but I have heard from a family member who has been there that it is a very sexist culture. Several years ago, perhaps in response to this sexism, a movement sprung up called the 4B Movement. Here is the Wikipedia entry, in part:
4B or "Four Nos" is a radical feminist movement that originated in South Korea. The name refers to its defining four tenets which all start with the Korean-language term bi (Korean: 비; Hanja: 非), roughly meaning "no". Its proponents do not date men, get married to men, have sex with men, or have children with men. The movement is considered fringe in South Korea, with an estimated membership of around 4,000 in 2019. The term 4B emerged from Korean feminist circles on Twitter around 2017 to 2018, after a highly publicized 2016 murder of a woman by a man. The murderer, who said he did it because women had ignored him, was not charged with a hate crime.
I have not written much since the election about the misogynistic trend in our own country. How we chose for president a known sex abuser and misogynist over two highly qualified women. There is a movement called “Tradwives,” women who want to return to traditional gender roles, stay at home and not work outside the home. I don’t judge— if someone wants to do that it’s not my business, feminism is about choice. But the fact that it is a fad or trend, a “social media- based subculture” is alarming to me and makes it feel artificial and not about individual choice. There is a very good article in the Atlantic today about this trend, titled “Misogyny Roars Back,” by Sophie Gilbert. I highly recommend it. The author inspired me to write a little about this today. She suggests that the gender divide will only get worse. Young men raised (by their families and the internet) on misogynistic attitudes are loud right now, embolded by Trump, and she suggest they have been “ruined.” I don’t know about that, but independent women are not going away any time soon. Yes, a large swath of women voted for Trump, but I agree with Gilbert’s implication that we are not in the 1950’s anymore (although it might seem like it, with the end of Roe v Wade); women are not going back. Apparently, Google searches of the 4B Feminist Movment have risen sharply.
This drawing was done in 2013, following a series of campus assaults.
And I did this one not too long ago, don’t recall the date. But it was during a time when we thought things were changing…..then Trump decided to run again. This cartoon certainly isn’t true right now. But I am not without hope because there are a lot of good men out there.
Finally, below is a drawing that was published in The New Yorker in 1996, a time period when feminism was a “bad” word with some.
Some of Trump’s nominees appear to be men who just think they can have it all, loudly and offensively, and women are there to serve them. To them, feminism is a joke, misogyny is a way of life. That Trump has women in his circle means little—the patriarchy has always been supported by some women, we know that.
It boggles my mind that we are here now.
I should write more about this, and will soon. Thanks for being here, see you tomorrow.
ps: sorry for all the typos. I just flew to LA and am jet lagged! Fixed them!
Strong women often get no praise until they’re gone. Then, oh my, the work they did 24/7 no vacation & certainly no holidays! My mother didn’t earn much but taught children to sing 4 part harmony w 4 y/olds to voice changing in adolescent boys. Girls & boys choirs, often put together for great music on ‘big’ holidays.
And when we four were well into grade school she went to college to become an English teacher in three high schools over 25 years, moving w my father as his work posts changed. And when he died suddenly in his early 60’s she went back & got an MA in English Lit & taught college courses at Northeastern night school for working men & women.
At her funeral service many of her students both from high schools & Northeastern Univ came to raise their voices in praise of her commitment to their efforts to become ‘professional’ like her. Refined and well prepared and always w a witty upbeat tone when humor would cure all distress.
It was a marvelous memorial !
Thanks for reading all this !
I agree with what you say about feminism. But the most misogynistic movement now is the trans activist movement. It is also very homophobic. This movement is literally erasing women in language and law. If one cannot define what a woman is one cannot protect sex based rights. Sex matters and gender is not sex. A woman is not a feeling or a dress. Woman’s rights are human rights.