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XENA
EUPHEMIA
Sometimes it seems as if the whole world is playing with our belief systems. As report after report about the state of the world is given, it is small wonder that people are turning off from the news and checking their pulse.
Are we all going nuts or is this just a normal year?
The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a report indicating "one out of five adolescent girls (14-18) become the victims of physical or sexual violence, or both, in a romantic relationship."
Often this violence is associated with drug abuse, weight control, risky sexual behavior, teen pregnancy and suicide attempts. These youngsters report being coerced into sexual behavior by boyfriends who "hit, slapped, shoved and forced" them to comply. These numbers closely track the violence administered by a "romantic partner" reported by adult women (25%.)
In the midst of these stats, are the actions
of our un-elected president, which are taking us backwards in time to isolation
and unconcern for other nations. In "Apetown - My Hometown" Maureen
Dowd writes of an eerie similarity between the new movie, Planet of
the Apes and current events:"As
Mark ran around the jungle chased by snarling simians, I began feeling
anxious. Apetown seemed strangely, disturbingly familiar: evolution hurtling
backward. Progress in reverse. An arrogant determination to trash the compacts
governing humans. "Do-gooders," one monkey sniffs. "Who
needs 'em?" [snip] "Was Apetown Washington? Was the Planet of
the Apes the Bush White House? Hmmmm, so W. is President Primate."
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/29/opinion/29DOWD.htmlWell there is no need to see the movie to answer that one. Just take a look at all the backing and filling being done by the "lifers" concerning stem cell research. For years they insisted that the very nano second that the always-godly sperm penetrated that insignificant egg, a human being existed. Only two cells here but hurry up and buy this baby a rattle.
Hell, the woman carrying that egg mattered about the same to them as any old test tube in any old lab. Now the more politically savvy of the "lifers" are belatedly deciding that there is a difference. Now they MUST separate their need for the political capital they would get by voting for stem cell research from what they consider is their God-given right to control women.
The leaderships of male-centric religions have a need to exert control and since they cannot really control their own urges, they control the object of those urges- - women.
And those who excitedly point to the plethora of kick-ass women coming to your living room via the tube this fall as beneficial, better check your facts. Xena has left the building. She started a whole new idea of what women were capable of without male direction. What a magnificent role model she still is!
In these new copycat shows such as Alias, Thieves and UC: Undercover, men do control the WOMEN. It's back to the past with these shows that resemble Charlie's Angels. These ersatz high-kicking crime busters will never fool women who have experienced XENA. Women who have not, may enjoy the dazzling action, devoid as it is of real woman role models.
You will hear these new shows defended by those who think it is a big advancement for women. This is because women will be performing the action, even if a man is telling them what to do, instead of just being the girl friend or wife of the man. Get real. Whether it's a high kicking babe or homebody, a doormat is still a doormat.
Rather
than empowering girls and women to think, act and take responsibility for
themselves, these shows will just intensify women's low self-respect. They
reinforce the cultural message that women must look to men for approval
and direction. They will surely reinforce the low self-esteem of nearly
a quarter of the women and adolescence girls: an attitude and behavior
that has gotten them a fist in the face and romance in the form of rape.
Ah, Xena, please come back and show them how it's done.
(Reruns of the Xena: Warrior Princess episodes are shown daily on Oxygen TV.)
2001-032
Copyright
2001 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished
for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that
this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@gendergappers.org.
G e n d e r G a p p e r s T M
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