Althouse: "Clearly, Boston University has been a bedrock for feminism and ideologies of equality more generally."

February 24, 2014

"Clearly, Boston University has been a bedrock for feminism and ideologies of equality more generally."

"It is a dishonor to our feminist history to symbolically idolize Robin Thicke by allowing him to perform his misogynist music at our university."

Language from a student petition demanding the cancellation of a pop concert.

44 comments:

Saint Croix said...: The lyrics to Blurred Lines have been labeled 'rapey' and the controversial video featured scantily-clad models

kind of rapey

kind of rapey

kind of rapey

It's not rapey

8 songs that are kind of rapey

I think we need a new tag!; 2/24/14, 5:57 AM
Tarrou said...: While I hate Thicke on purely subjective terms, I have to say this sort of thing gives me hope for the future. When the feminists, the ecomentalists and the do-gooder nanny-staters sound more and more like a cartoon of some hyper-religious parents, I know the next generation will have to rebel against the strictures. I'm not sure they'll swing my way, but watching the left lose the youth is worth it on its own merits.; 2/24/14, 5:58 AM
rhhardin said...: They should all withhold sex until men behave better.; 2/24/14, 6:01 AM
Saint Croix said...: The term itself, "kinda rapey," is itself a blurred line. It's a blurred line response to the Blurred Lines song.

The singer is wishing for a world where human sexuality is simple and black and white, where we don't play these games.

It would be nice if we had a black and white world in regard to rape, when we knew exactly which behavior is rape and which is not. It would be nice if we had no doubt whatsoever.

Some feminists have sought to expand the definitions of rape, to define more and more activities as rape. Feminism sees this as empowering for women. "Use the rape word and shut those men up!" One might also respond that it minimizes rape and actual rape victims.

See also Whoopi Goldberg and "rape rape." She created the "rape rape" word to describe actual rape, as opposed to date rape or marital rape or these rapes where we wonder if there is a rape or the woman is lying.

Feminists attempted to describe Thicke's song as a "rape song." This strikes many people as a dishonest use of the word "rape." See also "ultrasound is rape."

"Kind of rapey" is brilliant because it accurately describes the discomfort that feminists feel when they hear the song, a song about male lust for women and suspecting that they secretly want to have sex.

But "kind of rapey" is doing the exact same thing to feminist rhetoric. It subverts and undercuts the black and white term "rape" with a joke of a word, "kind of rapey." A woman who says a man is "kind of rapey" is not a woman who is serious about rape.

This term captures the discomfort many men feel when they hear feminists describe innocent behavior as rape, or when feminists don't seem to care about factual truth anymore.; 2/24/14, 6:20 AM
Saint Croix said...: Note too that there is little punishment for women who make false claims of rape. These men are innocent.

Yet Crystal Mangum was not punished for her lies. She was not even prosecuted. She later went on to commit murder and was finally removed from the streets.

How would the feminists of Boston University feel if they were denounced as rape liars, as a threat to men?

Of course, some of the women who signed the petition might very well have been raped.

And yet the reality of rape does not justify accusing an innocent man of rape. Indeed, the use of the word "rape" in this case is every bit as dishonest as the use of the word in regard to ultrasounds.; 2/24/14, 6:45 AM
Renee said...: It's rapey.

I had to change the station every five minutes this summer, due to the songs heavy rotation on several stations.

I have a daughter and three sons. I refuse to give into Kidzbop orDisne-fication songs.

Can't cancel, but by all means protest!; 2/24/14, 6:52 AM
Saint Croix said...: See also innocent man in his tightie-whities.; 2/24/14, 6:54 AM
Renee said...: I defend Miley Cyrus, because she is transparent.
I'm not a fan, but she doesn't hide. Thicke is a smug douche bag, hiding behind "I'm married with kids."; 2/24/14, 6:58 AM
EdwdLny said...: They are liars, liars in that feminism and feminists have never been about equality. They have been and continue to be about special rights and entitlements. None of these folks have ever addressed or confronted those whom are falsely accused of rape or the unequal , and decidedly less stringent treatment, of female teachers whom rape their students.; 2/24/14, 7:03 AM
Saint Croix said...: It's rapey.

I had to change the station every five minutes this summer, due to the songs heavy rotation on several stations.

I think the word "rapey" is very helpful. It distinguishes a dislikable song from the horrible crime of rape. It makes clear that women are not accusing the singer of being a rapist or advocating rape.

The word minimizes the accusation, takes the heated rhetoric down several notches.

But I also like the word because it's not as serious, and undercuts the feminist use of "rape" to do everything from outlaw pornography to obtaining abortion rights. (Jane Roe pretended to be a rape victim to get our sympathy).

I think a lot of feminists feel very real concern for rape victims. But their desire to censor art, and their willingness to attack innocent people with the "rape" word, does not help at all.; 2/24/14, 7:07 AM
Saint Croix said...: "Rapey" also identifies what feminism is attempting to do. They are attempting to correct our souls so that we do not have bad thoughts, bad ideas, bad songs, bad works of art.

"You are rapey" = an indictment of your soul.

"You are a rapist" = an actual crime charge.

Rapey identifies the user of the word as somebody who is willing to judge another person's soul. You are rapey, your song is rapey, your book is rapey. Those pants are rapey.

Rapey is a silly word. But it's a useful word, too. It showcases how feminism is minimizing the actual crime of rape, and how they have gone beyond any useful function and they are now attempting to censor art, books, plays, songs.; 2/24/14, 7:18 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: All I know about Robin Thicke is he was upstaged by Miley Cyrus.

I figure anybody who can let that happen can't be much of a performer,...; 2/24/14, 7:39 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: People continue to like sexy stuff that feminists would like to prevent them from seeing and hearing.

This is certainly the tradition of feminism that I remember from way back in my college days in the 60s.

It's not a bug. It's a prominent feature.

Althouse remembers that good feminism of her youth as being somehow different, but it wasn't.

Same bullshit back then, too. Feminist women simultaneously want something they call "equality," while they hate "competition," particularly sexual competition from prettier women.; 2/24/14, 7:48 AM
gerry said...: See also innocent man in his tightie-whities.

They should erect a statue or something.; 2/24/14, 8:00 AM
Scott said...: Women are like that. I'm so glad to be gay.; 2/24/14, 8:30 AM
jr565 said...: Feminists are such prudes.; 2/24/14, 8:43 AM
Saint Croix said...: "Kind of rapey" is such a McCarthy tactic.

Bill Clinton is kind of rapey.; 2/24/14, 8:47 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest vegetable oils, but historically was used in limited quantities due to high levels of erucic acid, which is damaging to cardiac muscle, and glucosinolates, which made it less nutritious in animal feed. Rapeseed oil can contain up to 54% erucic acid.; 2/24/14, 9:11 AM
Unknown said...: Rambling a bit: I'm always a bit confused about terms like "rapey" because I'm pretty sure rape is about power (not sex per se) which may be a spoon feed myth for all I know, but feminism seems to be about power (not femininity per se) and most of the trappings of overtly sexual singers seems to be about power (not music per se). Cher's "If I could turn back time" in no way shape or form matches the video. See also "Wrecking ball" unless reference to male genitalia (possible I suppose).

How about "trashy"? I use it to describe stuff I won't listen to or watch because it promotes oversexualization. As I define it. Eye of the beholder stuff.; 2/24/14, 9:17 AM
Wince said...: And I thought this "one hit wonder" show would be boring.; 2/24/14, 9:28 AM
Drago said...: Saint Croix: "Bill Clinton is kind of rapey."

And hillary is his biggest enabler.

And hillary will be the dems nominee.

And she will run in part on "The War on Women"; 2/24/14, 9:54 AM
Saint Croix said...: I was just listening to the Katy Perry song "Perfect Storm" (which I love). And that song is all about female power.

But now listen to that song while thinking about Mia Farrow. Imagine Mia Farrow singing that song to Woody Allen.

All of a sudden "Perfect Storm" is about female anger, retribution, and destruction.

Indeed, in the music video Katy Perry imagines herself as a queen. She obliterates men. She kills them, destroys them, turns them into ash.

Is "Perfect Storm" a false rape claim song? And should we now keep Katy Perry from singing at B.U.?; 2/24/14, 9:57 AM
Saint Croix said...: oops, name of song is Dark Horse; 2/24/14, 9:59 AM
MadisonMan said...: BU was on the daughter's short list, but was deemed too expensive (She's at the UW instead for a quality education that doesn't break the bank).

Reading news like this does not make me second-guess her choice.; 2/24/14, 10:04 AM
Peter said...: I don't care for the performer; nonetheless, who are they to tell others what they may listen to?

"Clearly, Boston University has been a bedrock for feminism and ideologies of equality more generally." --> "We wish to enforce ideological purity here."

Colleges need a new Free Speech movement.; 2/24/14, 10:10 AM
Anonymous said...: Clearly, feminism and "ideologies for equality more generally" are nothing but excuses for totalitarian thugs to abuse those they don't like.

Thanks for making that clear, BU.; 2/24/14, 10:31 AM
SGT Ted said...: Why should female notions and prejudices about male heterosexuality be privileged in an equality society?; 2/24/14, 10:31 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Conform, obey, suppress. Tolerance in the modern university.; 2/24/14, 10:42 AM
Saint Croix said...: I should clarify that the song Dark Horse is about female passion. Katy Perry is warning her suitor to be aware of her scary emotions. She is capable of anything.

Feminism is always talking about empowering women. (So does Katy Perry's music!) But power has a dark side, an ugly subtext.

Dark Horse is a great song because it's so passionate, and playful, and proud, but there's also a self-awareness in the song.; 2/24/14, 10:46 AM
Saint Croix said...: That British song where those girls sings about wrecking a car (I love it!) cracks me up. We need to keep those girls out of B.U., they are psychotic.; 2/24/14, 10:46 AM
RecChief said...: It's interesting to read this impulse for leftists toward control limiting the venue for things they don't like.

Teh statement of a swarthmore student: " I don't think we shoudl be tolerating conservative views"

Environmental activists sending a petition to a newspaper in the hopes of preventing publishing of a column because the views expressed are different than their own.

And the list goes on....; 2/24/14, 10:46 AM
RecChief said...: then place that type of thought suppression side by side with events in Ukraine, Venezuela, Thailand.; 2/24/14, 10:59 AM
Saint Croix said...: Icona Pop should do a cover of Helen Reddy.

"I am Woman, Hear Me Wreck Your Car and Throw All Your Shit Out On the Street."; 2/24/14, 11:05 AM
Sam L. said...: Yes! They should have Twerky Girl instead.; 2/24/14, 11:35 AM
Wince said...: I can understand the appeal of a single pop tune. But I never could understand how people pay top dollar and spend a whole night to see a one hit wonder.

The last time I thought this way about a collective audience was when the Escape Club came through in the late 1980s with...

Wild Wild West

In that video, all the naughty bits were conveniently removed.; 2/24/14, 11:47 AM
Anonymous said...: When I was in school I saw this kind of thing as a lot of bother that seemed to require that I put forth extra energy I didn't have on something I didn't care that much about.

In hindsight, I think it's kind of cute that hyper-vigilant students can do this. Very shortly, no one will give one shit if something that goes kaching messes with their value system or ideology.

IOW, they have the rest of their life to deal with the pressure to sacrifice their soul/beliefs on the altar of employment, so let them put it off another day and have playtime at the university.; 2/24/14, 12:02 PM
Alex said...: It seems modern feminists are in an all-out war over the twerking thing. Half want to celebrate any female dressing like a slut and behaving like one and the other half want to roll back the clock to 1890.; 2/24/14, 2:57 PM
test said...: SOJO said...
so let them put it off another day and have playtime at the university.

It isn't playtime though, it's training. The ones who are good at it go on to become Sandra Fluke or the Duke Gang of 88. We've provided a taxpayer funded radical activist training center. The fact that most wash out doesn't change how dangerous this is.; 2/24/14, 3:08 PM
Saint Croix said...: 867-5309 is kind of rapey.

Don't Stand So Close to Me is kind of rapey.

Hey, Bernini! Kind of rapey.; 2/24/14, 3:18 PM
Saint Croix said...: My last post upset me. I think this whole subject upsets me.

Rape is such an awful subject. I guess people can be glib about it in order to minimize it.

I don't think we should be glib about atrocities though.

And I think the feminist classes that focus on rape is itself a kind of trauma for those students. You go into the class a healthy person and come out of it with the mentality of a rape victim. Ugh.

I don't know how people deal with this trauma. But censoring art cannot be the answer.; 2/24/14, 4:15 PM
ken in tx said...: Rapeseed oil is the same as canola oil. The name was changed for obvious marketing reasons.; 2/24/14, 5:02 PM
Douglas B. Levene said...: Nice to see that the force of cultural marxism flows strong at BU. Not.; 2/24/14, 6:51 PM
DavidD said...: Wait; I'm confused. Which formerly socially-unacceptable things are socially acceptable now, which formerly socially-acceptable things are socially unacceptable now, and which formerly socially-unacceptable things are still socially unacceptable?

I need a scorecard.; 2/24/14, 8:36 PM
Unknown said...: From the article, the only specific name I could tie to the protest is Patrick Johnson, a male. What a f***ing pussy.

Blurred Lines is not exactly great art, but the girls in the video are hot, everyone seems to be having a good time, and the "misogyny" is so tame it's nonexistent. Thicke and his producers are laughing all the way to the bank, as are the nude models who got a good payday plus publicity out of the whole thing. Did I mention the girls are hot and pretty much nude?; 2/25/14, 5:19 PM