Feminist thought of the day:

There's a whole list of reasons I'm hesitant to say that I agree with feminism, but a lot of them have to do with the fact that the internet and postmodernism (which I otherwise like) has given voice and legitimacy to the fact that all kinds of bullshit can be backed up by feminist literature and by postmodern woo-woo about the patriarchy. Possibly my least favorite thing is feminists who were on the losing side of the so-called "sex wars" i.e the ones who aren't Belle Knox and Sasha Grey. Maybe I'll talk about that another time.

Anyway, I've been arguing for the longest time now that the "madonna-whore duality" doesn't apply any more. The media's full of positive portrayals of female sexuality. Crucially, positive portrayals of femal sexuality aren't even edgy any more.

Fifty Shades challenges that opinion of mine. It's a clear return to the old "good girls don't say yes" trope, the female lead is a spineless worm that should make anyone cringe especially feminists, and the whole thing is disgustingly popular, presumably with women who have internalized negative ideas about female sexuality.

Then again, an old friend of mine put it like this: I've never known what it was like to be an insecure teenage girl with whom Bella strikes a chord, and even then I should be able to relate to what's basically a female monster-girl fantasy.