the book club

This is where books with good intentions go wrong.
From Margaret McGuire's The Quotable Douchebag...
Keep in mind, though, that this book is condemning (and not endorsing) these quotes. Also keep in mind that I had to specify that (I'll bring it up later in Problem #3).

Problem #1: The "Ignore Him, He's Just Stupid" Take

I know, right? We can thank Clayton Williams, the Republican candidate for governor of Texas in 1990, for this gem. There's not much I can say about the quote itself, except for the fact that twenty years later, we still hear this kind of hopeless stupidity from people in positions of authority that really can't afford it (actually, we're the ones who can't afford it). The danger here is the Just Another argument: it's just another racist, it's just another misogynist, or it's just another crazy and misinformed person. That may be true on an individual scale, but these ideas are reflective of the cultural climate that we live in, and the widespread availability of misogyny. These attitudes towards rape weren't plucked out of thin air, but were readily available and purchased by Williams from the cues that we drop and the equations that we write about women. Williams is responsible for the articulation, but the rest of us are neck-deep in a society that produces and endorses the blueprints of his logic.

(Continued with problem #2 and #3...)


Problem #2: Visualizing Hypermasculinity
As mentioned earlier, the quote itself is from Margaret McGuire's book, "The Quotable Douchebag" (available at Urban Outfitters, trendy hipster mecca). Here is the what the cover of the book looks like:

The sales pitch reads: "Vanity. Arrogance. Cluelessness. Ego. These are the defining traits of douchebags everywhere—and now their most outlandish statements have been compiled into a single volume... Complete with photographs of these clowns in all of their chest-thumping glory, The Quotable Douchebag is the perfect gag gift for anyone fed up with the men in her life." So then... we are calling these men out for their hypermasculinity, right? Last time I checked, the man on the cover doesn't look anything like Eminem, Sean Hannity, Gene Simmons, Bret Michaels, or John Mayer (yep, they're all quoted too). In fact, he looks more like the stereotypical, sexualized gay man. Why is it that we can talk about hypermasculinity, we can quote hypermasculine douchebags, yet we still can't make that visual connection with what hypermasculinity looks like? I can start you off with some images:

(yes yes, I put Bart Stupak in there)

Is that a better representation of hypermasculinity? I don't know about you, but I don't see any resemblance to the man on the cover.

Problem #3: The (Neglected) Because Factor
Lately I've been having this huge problem with people posting things without explanation. It's easy to point to something and agree that it's f-ed up, sexist, or just generally-wrong-on-so-many-levels, but the real change happens when you understand why it's wrong. McGuire is preaching to the choir, at best... A choir that already knows how Williams' comment not only trivializes a heinous crime, but also fits snugly into age-old victim-blaming tactics and myths about female sexuality. While I appreciate the fact that McGuire can get something like this published at a trendy clothing store (because women's issues are notoriously out of fashion, unfortunately), all she's accomplishing is a little bit of nervous laughter and a whole lot of "guess what I read the other day." She's somehow neglected the because factor.

What is the because factor?
Think about how you learned, as a child, to steer clear of the stove top.
A) You were told that it is hot, and that it will burn you, or
B) You saw a family member burn himself/herself, or
C) You learned the hard way by burning yourself.
All three ways involve some sort of consequential aspect. "It is bad or it is dangerous, because _______." With the because factor, you learn to be cautious not only with the stove top in your home, but also around other stove tops and hot surfaces any where else that you may encounter them. You never run the risk of "forgetting," because you are well aware of what the consequences are. In other words, it becomes common sense.

In McGuire's case, she forgot the 'because' part. Publishing a quote like that, sans explanation, leaves it exposed for parody. Leaves it out there to be reproduced, to be mocked, and to be used as shock-factor one-liner (nervous laughter is still laughter, right?). If anything, you could argue that McGuire is glorifying douchebaggery (damn right, I'm taking it this far).

So yeah.

Let's start doing the dirty work and explaining the consequences.
Explain why Williams is not funny. Explain that he trivializes the trauma experienced by 683,000 women per year. Explain that because 98% of rape victims are indeed female, this is a trivialization of crime against women. Explain that rape is not as natural as a little rainfall. Explain that no, as groundbreaking as it may sound, women actually do not (and cannot) enjoy being brutalized. Explain that yes, this is yet another example of a conservative, white, male politician that feels some creepy, patriarchal entitlement over women's bodies.

Mhm.