for our old-timey feminists, questions (one bonehead?):

Forgive me. Having grown up a fundamentalist evangelical Christian, there is a whole lot that I never had the chance to learn.

* What's the objection to being called a "lady?" (that's the "bonehead?" question)

* Do you see anti-feminism in the "W stands for Women" campaign? Do you see it in Laura Bush? Could Laura Bush and these "W" women be called anti-feminist?

Thanks.

but I think the objection to be called a "lady" is about societal definitions and stereotypes over what is considered feminine and lady-like.

I'm not at all familiar with the "W stands for Women" campaign.

'A new project of the Bush-Cheney campaign, "W Stands for Women," aims to make Republican voters of the single and suburban women who are more concerned about safety than they were before Sept. 11, 2001.

'About 300 women packed a Washington ballroom yesterday for a kickoff featuring Elizabeth Cheney, a specialist in women's empowerment in the Middle East and a daughter of Vice President Cheney, and Doro Bush Koch, who founded a Maryland literacy group and is the president's sister.

'Koch pointed to the president's mother, his wife, their twins and various appointees, and drew laughter by saying: "Our candidate is strong on women's issues, and there can be only one reason why: He's surrounded by strong women."'

~snip~

"Our candidate is strong on women's issues?" WTF is this guy smoking?!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22399-2004May12.html?nav=rss_politics

of single and suburban men who are more concerned about safety issues than they were before 9/11......


probably "W" is for Wussies!


Jeez... even after 9/11, it's a huge improbability (statistically speaking) that one will be killed by a terrorist.

Maybe they think us women are too bad at math to figure that out.

But that’s just me.

http://www.georgewbush.com/Women/

"W Stands for Women is a national grassroots effort designed to harness women’s support for President Bush and to organize and mobilize other women to:

* Communicate the President’s optimistic vision for America and the world;

* Engage more women across the country in the political process by volunteering for the President’s campaign;

* Expand the community of women who support the President."

those at the top start a group and call it "grassroots" so that everyone thinks it was started by 'regular folks.' The group is not about women, it's about using women to help bush.

didn't your analyst tell you that you were right out of your head? :)

First of all, the word "lady" is often used to denote a woman who embodies the "traditional" characteristics of wife and mother. A "lady" is considered to be someone who is always gracious and welcoming, deferential to her husband (or any other man around), who doesn't work or works in a "traditional" field like teaching or being a secretary (to a man), whose main concerns are the children and keeping a lovely house for her deserving mate.

Granted, that's not neccessarily the origin of the word but words are often usurped to fit certain agendas. Women who fought for the vote or for equal rights were labeled as "unladylike". So I think that's a large part of it.

As for W, his entire administration, his policies, his declarations have all been very anti-woman. Certainly, Laura Bush does nothing to forward the cause of equality and equal treatment and respect. She is too much of a "lady." ;)

When I was at a wedding in Michigan's UP a few weeks back. I got a real little giggle out of it. I suppose since Chimp has surrounded himself with the most testosterone-laden buch of administrators I have ever seen, he must be talking about their wives. And, technically, Laura Bush is a woman, and he digs her. So, sure. The Chimp is for women. 'Specially when they hush up nice and play the role of the doting wife convincingly.

As for "lady," it doesn't bother me that much, but it sounds a bit.... old-fashioned. MUCH preferred over "girl."

I forget who said this, but here it is any way...

"The difference between Woman's Libbers and Feminists is that a Woman's Libber wishes she had a penis, while a Feminist collects them."

Ha Ha!

.

A lady never leaves her escort
It isn't fair, it isn't nice
A lady doesn't wander all over the room
And blow on some other guys dice


A lady never flirts with strangers
She'd have a heart, she'd be nice
A lady doesn't wander all over the room
And blow on some other guys dice

See?

:-)

Not that the replies so far haven't been serious. But I expected a much larger response. Are there really so few feminists on DU that could answer this question?

Maybe I should post this in General Discussion.

There was a great novel written at the height of the feminist movement in the late 70's called "The Women's Room" that distinguished WOMEN and the baggage, expectations and traps that go along with the word LADY. Each word creates a world...one is a gender, the other a set of expectations about how you should BE and respond to everything...

I really don't think Laura Bush is anti-feminist and the W stands for women campaign is simply a ploy to camoflauge all the things he has NOT done for single mothers....a HUGE voting block....I really don't think the campaign is really attempting to create an anti-feminist message with it...I simply think Bush is bombing with women as a voting block and is trying to appeal to women without alienating his fundamentalist Christian base.

I never knew lady implied anything other than gender... I mean I knew of the 'ladylike' thing but thought that was archaic, really.

Not familiar with the "W stands for Women" campaign... sounds pathetic.

I do consider Laura Bush and women who vote for Bush to be anti-feminist if the only issue they're voting on is against reproductive rights and sex education for women.