I was taking a history class at my local junior college when the professor asked who in the class identified as a feminist. I'm an old white guy in a class full of kids (finally getting a degree) and was one of only 3 people to raise their hands. He explained that he doesn't since he's for equality for all or some such.

I was honestly shocked to see this 30 something guy who at least sounds fairly progressive, and who has been to some legitimately horrifying parts of the world doing conflict journalism, being blase about this fight.

[–] JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee 8 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

We can thank Rush Limbaugh for popularizing the concept of a feminazi and poisoning public perception of feminism by purposefully misrepresenting what it stands for.

It's one of the most obvious examples of people successfully using social engineering and manipulation of public opinion for terrible reasons and it still worked. They didnt even try to hide it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminazi

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 17 hours ago

Phylis Schlafly. She cosplayed as a frumpy housewife while turning the wheels behind the scenes to help wed the evangelical movement with the GOP. While basically advocating for women to be chained to the stove. She is one of the greatest political operatives of the 20th century, helping slow and undo SO much social progress.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 2 points 22 hours ago

TIL!! i knew it was a contrived term but i had no clue it was so centered around a single individual in its origins

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

one of the self defenses of patriarchy is definitely just to misinform people about whom feminism is for, and so oftentimes that’s one of the first hurdles to overcome when discussing feminism. that’s why conservative spheres are often so obsessed with the “man-hating feminazi” stereotype—even though they make up a incredibly marginal subset of “feminist” voices, giving them a platform creates a useful strawman for conservatives to argue for the need of anti-feminism.

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 17 hours ago

I was very lucky insofar as to be raised by a second wave feminist mother (1970s so I think that's the right cadre). She was active in NOW and basically an equal partner to my father in just about all things.

Had I not, I'd like to think I'd have stumbled upon it eventually.

I wish I believed in hell, so Limbaugh could burn for his two faced sophistry for eternity. Then again, he was basically the archetypal prosperity gospel flavor of Christian, so who knows.