Shart...
I appreciate another person holding a door for me, as opposed to letting it slam in my face, whether they be a man or a woman. Likewise, I will hold a door for whoever is behind me, man or woman. It's common courtesy.
I agree that some feminists go overboard, take offense too easily, etc...Can't this be said for any group or movement?
But I do take some offense when you imply that women are simply better at cooking, child-rearing, and "serving," while men are more "level-headed." It's culture and society that have bound women to such roles...not that there is any problem with a woman who decides to work part-time, or be a stay-at-home mom if they can afford it. My mom worked full-time when I was a kid, as did my dad, but I know they BOTH would have loved to spend more time with us, and they BOTH did an excellent job raising us.
As far as the "level-headed" comment, I know you've already taken some shit for that, BUT:
I believe there has actually been research done to suggest women have a better grasp of their emotions than men, in general. Anger, at least.
But then you get into the whole Nature vs. Nuture thing. Where I grew up, most of the girls did fit your typical girly-girl, cry a lot, not so smart stereotype. IT'S HOW THEY WERE RAISED. Their mothers taught them to be that way; their fathers taught them to be that way. The problem we face now is that, while society (theoretically) allows women to hold the same positions as men, our ingrained culture doesn't encourage it, in some cases, or provide the base for it. If you put a city slicker man and a guy raised on the farm in Wyoming or wherever in the middle of the wilderness, chances are the city slicker will have a harder time making it, and will be more likely to "break down" or cry. Now, say a child of two of your typical "city slickers" and a child of two farmers were switched at the hospital. Do you think the kid born to city slickers but raised "tough" in the country will be more adapted to the situation, despite his genes? Most likely.
I'm really sorry for the confusing metaphor, but it's the best thing I could think of to relate nature vs. nuture...The point remains that a woman raised to be "inferior" will act accordingly. A girl raised by parents who respect her and never try to force any roles or responsibilities on her because she is female will typically not fit those stereotypes.
Yeah, men are physically stronger than women. But we're past the Industrial Age and into the Information Age. Physical strength is increasingly less important, and will continue to decrease in relevance. If there are any women who are upset or in denial over this simple fact, that men have testosterone while women have estrogen, they are delusional and need to get a grip on reality.
I agree with whoever it was that wondered when "feminism" became a dirty word. I'm an independant woman, I'm an intelligent person, I would love to find a soulmate, but I'm currently single, and have no insecurity problems over it. I play guitar, I'm interested in politics, I love kids and can't wait to be a mother, I was a competitive and dedicated athlete as a teenager and continue to work out, I earned some of the highest grades in my school, and I like to cook. Not very good at it, but I have some fun with a from-scratch recipe every once and a while...even though I mostly resort to Break and Bake! As a kid, both my parents could and did cook, whenever the other one was busy (same with the groceries and laundry), but my dad was the big chef...he made the best chile!
If this makes me a "feminist," well, so be it.
