My regular entry for today is here
The We Have Brains topic this week is about consumerism and feminism, specifically the push for women to enter the workplace. Here's the last part:
"What happened to people being happy with just being a cashier at the local grocery store? There's this push for MORE, BETTER, MORE MONEY. It seems we live in a materialistic, insatiable society. And I see women falling for it, thinking they are being better women, better feminists even, if they become that ideal career woman."
First of all, I think trinity is exactly right. Capitalism can't survive without constant growth, and so women are now not only allowed to enter the workplace, they are encouraged to do so (as long as they don't expect to make as much money as men). There is no such thing as "enough" in a capitalist culture, and so capitalism creates and sustains its own hierarchies, in which everyone tries to get to the top, but those who succeed are mostly white males. I guess as a radical feminist, my answer to this is: this system is crap, let's have a revolution. But on a more practical level, I think it's important to try to maintain some perspective, and not internalize the values of a culture which very often does not have our best interests at heart.
When I first read the topic I thought of a news story I heard this morning on NPR about Allen Iverson, the basketball player. Basically, he continuously threatened his wife's life, once with a gun. Now his Reebok shoes are selling better than ever, because Reebok is pitching the shoes as a way for the boys who buy them to show solidarity with Iverson. (This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy, where two oppressed groups (women and black people) are told that their interests collide--that we can either support the safety of women, or we can support black people, but not both.)
I do try to watch what I buy, and to support women-owned (and minority-owned, and locally owned, etc.) businesses, and avoid evil empires, but it's not easy. I like that part in Cunt where Inga asks you to look around your house and put a gold star on everything that you know was produced by women. Not a lot of stuff, probably, but I think it's important (since we are stuck with capitalism for the time being, at least) to try to use your money in the most powerful way possible. It may take a little research, but it can be done.
Finally, this topic also touches on the work-vs.-home w/ kids question. My knee-jerk reaction to this question is always: Why are we still framing it in terms of women? Why aren't we asking why so few men are staying at home with the kids, in this supposedly liberated age? The only answer I can see to this is because women still make less money for the same work, and therefore it makes economic sense for the man to work and the woman to be at home, whether it's what both parents want or not. But really, I think it's unacceptable to justify one instance of oppression with another. If you want to stay home, good and well--you shouldn't have to go to work if you don't want or need to just because Uncle Sam wants you to buy more stuff. But if you DO want to work, tell your man to tie on an apron, kick off those shoes, and get to cookin'. (Or at least talk about it.)
Please see also the addendum, next page.
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