I played this while I was reading through the comments on my CiF piece last week about the campaign to change the way lap-dancing clubs are licensed. I know, I know, I probably shouldn’t have, but when you have to read through 500+ comments, a large proportion of which are accusing you of being a “lesbian man-hating sex-hating femnazi Taliban castrator” as I so eloquently put it when I finally lost patience with it all, you’ve got to find some way to keep yourself entertained.
Anyway, I think I got a full house.
From the comments:
“Why all this fear of other women’s sexuality?”
Strike 1: yes of course, I’m opposed to prostitution and the sexual exploitation of women because I’m scared/envious/whatever of other women’s sexuality. That’s probably because I’m a sexless old hairy-legged harridan who can’t get a man.
“Well you’re a bit bitter aren’t you”
Strike 2: Probably because I’m a sexless old hairy-legged blah blah blah.
“Po-faced feminist fears men’s sexuality and wants to break the laws of nature by artificuially [sic] restricting mens access to sexual enjoyment”
Strike 3: So not only do I fear other women’s sexuality, I now fear men’s as well. Blimey, I really must be sexless.
“Another brilliantly inchoate and incoherent article from the high priestess of spinsterish sentiment”
Strike 4: And a spinster to boot!
“Tolstoy said that only happy families are alike. To that we can add miserabilist anti-porn feminists and chiliastic fundamentalist Christians – a marriage made in heaven.”
Strike 5: But it’s ok, rescue is at hand: I’m now in bed with right-wing Christians fundamentalists (although it’s making me very very miserable).
“Cath Elliot is just another female Taliban fanatic on a sexual Jihad, spouting the same old stupid 1970s cliches.”
“What a fascist. Move to Saudi Arabia”
Strike 5: And with Muslim extremists. It’s obviously a big bed.
“Ayatollah Elliot”
Hahaha
“Feminist sticks her nose in other people’s business, pronounces it immoral, and starts screaming hysterically.”
Strike 6: Hys-fuckin-sterical
“For God’s sake, stop being so po-faced!”
Strike 7: Did I mention feminists are humourless?
“It’s interesting to me that the Misses Bidisha and Elliot both seem to have a problem with sexuality, in that (I believe) they both identify as lesbian.”
Strike 8: And we’re all lesbians.
“Your argument is based on emotion, not reason”
Strike 9: Illogical emotional wimmin.
“Their agenda is very simple and straightforward. If they can get their daft laws passed, they can criminalize men, and thus hurt and punish them.”
Strike 10: And don’t forget castrate them. Mwahahaha.
“This politically primitive campaign is motivated by hysteria and emotional immaturity, and by women, who have unresolved issues in their relationship to men.”
Strike 11: Lol!
“The underlying belief in everything you say is that sex is fundamentally shameful or uniquely degrading”
Strike 12: OMG it’s true! I am the new Mary Whitehouse.
And finally, three that I managed to save before they got deleted by the moderators:
“You are merely pandering to your own hypocritical man-hating agenda”
Strike 13: Yes, I’m a feminist, therefore I hate men. The logic is flawless.
“you are manufacturing and touting a lie to cater to your own intended fringe group’s infiltration of society and dishonestly promoting homosexuality as a mainstream lifestyle.”
Strike 14: Lesbians, of which I am one, ‘cos I’m a feminist and as we know, all feminists are lesbians, have infiltrated society and are set to take over. Run for the hills heteros, before it’s too late! You don’t want to catch it too!
“Why is it always ugly women that are the strongest feminists?”
Strike 15: Bingo!
So there we have it: step back and behold the straw feminist in all her glory. She’s an ugly, bitter, humourless, man-hating old puritan who wants to spread lesbianism across the globe. It’s amazing how much energy gets expended on building her up and knocking her down again, especially when you consider she doesn’t actually exist. And I AM NOT HER.
The joy of straw feminist bingo is that anyone can play it. Just let it be known that you’re a feminist, and it won’t be long before you start to hear at least some of these accusations being levelled against you.
Have fun.
Too Much To Say For Myself 
Cath – here from The F Word
Your articles are one of the reasons I bother visiting CiF. The place can be incredibly disheartening sometimes as the comments can make you realise how much work feminism still has to do. But even with all that, it makes me glad to know there are women like you out there speaking the truth. I love your CiF articles!
I see none of those misogynsts actually said precisely why they are in favour of women dancing totally naked for fully clothed men in pseudo ‘gentlemen’s clubs.’ Gentlemen’s clubs – no they are brothels where johns go to buy women’s bodies for the purpose of rape and sexual exploitation.
But as always, it is much easier to write sexually insulting comments than having to actually use ones brain to argue as to why women should be men’s sexualised commodities. Perhaps this is part of men’s belief in their right of sexual entitlement and access to women that they feel there is no need to justify their contempt and hatred for women.
Whilst I can’t entirely agree with the prohibition stance on the sex industry, I was appauled to see the comments left for after such a reasonable and well written article.
The sneering, hatefilled comments seem to have come largely from men with serious problems relating to women (which is actually fairly funny in the light of the accusations they made about you!). Please don’t take them to heart and keep writing on this issue!
Sorry you get so many nasty comments, I have a lot of respect for what you write and that you keep on doing it.
Making someone and their argument look unattractive is not the same as proving them wrong.
Found your blog via the F-word, I will definitely keep on coming.
I love it when they say “Why all this fear of other women’s sexuality?” as if it’s a supply driven industry staffed by women who just can’t wait to get their kit off for mostly degenerate and inadequate men.
*snigger*
It’s interesting to me that the Misses Bidisha and Elliot both seem to have a problem with sexuality, in that (I believe) they both identify as lesbian.”
Oh I luuurve this one. So being a lesbian isn’t a sexuality is it? No we have a problem with penises you dolt! Doh!
I read your CiF piece. Your remark that prostitution was rape was deranged, fascistsic, beyond the boundaries of civlised debate, a slur on women’s individuality, their rights and abilities to make decisions for themselves. You’re in a vanishingly small minority on this – ever paused to think it might be you who’s wrong?
I sincerely admire your strenght. I would have just crumbled under the pressure. So much misogyny in such a short time!
Keep up what you are doing. I know we aren’t many, but we support you 😀
Cath,
Just wanted to add to the others – I enjoy reading your pieces on CiF, and I too hope you don’t get discouraged by the misogynist morons.
I too don’t know where you get the strength.
I don’t bother commenting on CiF any more, can’t be bothered with the misogyny. it was just too depressing. i can’t believe they are representative of the general population, though.
Keep on truckin’.
I found this piece really funny. People who comment like that tend to forget that they are proving that there is a felt divide and they are influenced by it. I’m a beginner feminist and it’s really hard to be a feminist. It’s a compelling but difficult road that always brings me back to Naomi Wolf’s advice.
Just for the record. I agree that prostitution is rape, it’s economically coerced sex and it’s the men who should be prosecuted not the women. You’re not in the minority for believing this. It’s becoming a fact of international law- the UN Palermo Protocol etc. So Freddie Topcliff, I’m not sure you know what your on about. There’s too much international legal thought on this one that I think I can ‘rest my cake’.
What a sad bunch of tools these Cifers are. You keep fighting the good fight Cath you are one of the few voices of sanity that appear on Cif. I read the comments posted mostly for a laugh now, they caricature themselves so well. “Feminazis” indeed! What rubbish. These men wouldn’t know real feminism if it jumped up and bit them. Keep up the good work Cath, don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Hi everyone, and thank you so much for the comments (well, apart from Freddie, but hey, you can’t win ’em all).
“I read your CiF piece. Your remark that prostitution was rape was deranged, fascistsic, beyond the boundaries of civlised debate, a slur on women’s individuality, their rights and abilities to make decisions for themselves. You’re in a vanishingly small minority on this – ever paused to think it might be you who’s wrong?”
Wow. Freddie Topcliff waltzes away with the ‘unclear on the concept’ award
Even IF we feminists were a ‘vanishingly small minority’ who cares? as the great Henry David Thoreau put it “The only obligation I have the right to assume, is to do at any time what I think right.” Sod the majority and follow your conscience
You’re fab, keep on going Sister! As a feminist it’s routinely put about that I’m a man hating lesbian feminazi…and other such original names…
Ignore them, feminism ain’t vanishing anytime soon, not until patriarchy does anyway.
FORWARD SISTERS!
Yep, I’ve had many of these and worse over at my blog. So, so much hate-filled vomit. I sometimes think it is funny but then I remember that these boys and men have girlfriends or wives, mothers and sisters, daughters and sons, use women in prostitution, sexually harass and assault girls and women in public etc, etc… and then it isn’t very funny anymore. It is just really, really scary.
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