A Salute To Bravery

Okay, okay. You guys know how much I love Feministing. What's not to love about a group of cool young feminists telling it like it is with some of the most articulate and intelligent analysis on the web*? But I specifically want to give props to their resilience. As most bloggers know, people's comments are not always encouraging. And when you're a blog like Feministing, forget it--they get the most awful, ludicrous, threatening, poorly spelled emails you can imagine. This is particularly true because of their regular "Friday Feminist Fuck You" feature...on YouTube. It is awesome, check out their YouTube channel.

These women get a ton of nasty comments--and, every now and then, nasty, unfunny video responses**. They get attacked for their appearances (both on the "you're ugly" and "I want to fuck you" ends of the spectrum), for being "sluts" and baby killers (even when the posts have nothing to do with abortion), and in general how feminists are ruining America and these ladies need to get laid/back in the kitchen. And the Feministing ladies don't bat an eye.

They probably do in private. And there's a particularly great video saying Fuck You to internet misogynists. But they don't let it get them down. They post on and make no apologies for pissing anyone off. Because they shouldn't. Because they have this tendency to be right. And I admire that***.

I could go on and on about Feministing and how they embody the Third Wave (globalist, multicultural, pro-sex, responsible and intellectual, etc) but that is silly because they're a well-known established blog and it's not like I'm sharing some unique discovery of mine. But they still deserve crazy amounts of respect.

And just to leave you on a positive note, Here's a "Feminist Non-Fuck You" that includes a wonderful, inspiring letter from a 13-year-old girl. Just to show that feminism is not now, nor is it like to be, dead.





*I know, not exactly a heavyweight competition, but even if it were these women would win the belt.
**One of which actually started out seeming like it was in support, and I was tricked into rating it highly before it turned into a lame screed on how feminists and abuse victims need to shut their mouths. So, watch videos in their entirety before you rate them, is my advice.
***Especially as someone who blogs under a pseudonym. The reason for that, of course, is that I don't want perspective employers to google me and read about semen in my nose. Which is a paltry excuse, but there you have it.