Tag: Anti-feminism

Men and feminism

One of the things anti-feminists find hard to swallow is the idea that patriarchy permeates the mechanics of our society. Okay, correction: far from existing as just an idea or theory as many would believe, the patriarchal problem is very real and it hurts men, too. Some would rather be persuaded to use another term… Continue reading Men and feminism

Cinema of sexism: Misogyny in Malay films

Because woman did not fight back, man quickly took over the advantage and made her the scapegoat for all his vices and fears. […] He was intimidated by woman’s sexual desire, and so he invented the mutually exclusive virgin and whore. […] He was ashamed of growing old and ugly, and even more ashamed of… Continue reading Cinema of sexism: Misogyny in Malay films

Malaysian mail-order brides: what fairy tale?

Excerpted from The New Straits Times: Once upon a time, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella had to battle witches and overcome spells to find Prince Charming. Now, young women are discovering that the road leading to “happily-ever-after” is wider, shorter and much less of an obstacle course. In recent years, a large number of… Continue reading Malaysian mail-order brides: what fairy tale?

Understanding anti-feminism in Malaysia and where it comes from

Okay. This is going to be a super-biased piece from the get-go. I feel the need to write about this because I am TIRED of trying to talk to people about what feminism really is about. There is just so much misunderstanding and lack of information out there in the real world. Feminism is, as… Continue reading Understanding anti-feminism in Malaysia and where it comes from

Reinforcing stereotypes through romance – Mills and Boon style

I have never read a Mills and Boon novel in my entire life, and am proud of it. I can go as far as to say that touching them might soil my hands. Even during my girls school days – a time to channel all that naughty hormones into sleazy paperbacks, I hardly knew about… Continue reading Reinforcing stereotypes through romance – Mills and Boon style

I know I'm not supermodel material, but please objectify me too! aka my feminist rage against naked calendars

A few nights ago I sat down in a brainstorming session with a group of very eager female Oxford undergrads where we talked about the next Ladyfest Oxford programme next May and about who was going to organise what. You might be pleased to know that yours truly has volunteered to organise a workshop on… Continue reading I know I'm not supermodel material, but please objectify me too! aka my feminist rage against naked calendars

Lipstick feminism is not feminism

There are a couple of reasons why feminism has a difficult time taking root in many places; first, it’s because there is widespread suspicion of its origins. Historically and currently (by the Bush Admin), it has been abused to spread imperialism. It has strong associations with the privileged and ironically, paternalistic women who like to… Continue reading Lipstick feminism is not feminism

Azly Rahman is an idiot

I’m surprised that I did not discover this earlier. I’m also shocked that an academic of his stature is completely ignorant about what Feminism is generally about. Azly Rahman really thinks that women of Malaysia needs “Kampong-ism” to combat problems like sexual discrimination and other gender-biased conundrums. In this piece in Malaysiakini he uses Islamic… Continue reading Azly Rahman is an idiot