Oh, Okay Then

[Content Note: Silencing, rape fantasies, misogyny.]

Via Katie McDonough at Salon I've now learned that apparently Bernie Sanders has said and done some very good things on women's issues (true!). Also: his critics include professional butt berets Erick Erickson and Bill Kristol (also true!). Okay.

Then I learned that his 1972 piece recently reproduced in Mother Jones was "an attempted critique of heteronormativity — a clumsy and weird-as-hell attempted critique of heteronormativity," and apparently no big deal. Uh, okay?

Because, you know, if you're going to characterize it as such, maybe the best way to support your thesis is NOT to then directly quote three graphic passages referring to a man's fantasy of violently abusing a woman, of a woman's alleged fantasies about rape, and the rape of 12 year olds (both of the latter by multiple offenders).

That is not just some "clumsy" and "weird" shit. That's some horrific rape culture. Also: Sanders' critics are not made up solely of right wing concern trolls. (Ahem.) Nor does saying and doing good things for women magically erase the harm of those attitudes and that language.

But pretending these things are in fact true is certainly a great way to tell those hysterical, humorless feminists to just STFU! Because Sanders' campaign and, apparently, progressive media supporters don't have time for pesky shit like "male politicians seeking higher office who have loathsome ideas about women, gender roles, and sexual violence." Who does?

Okay then! Duly noted. Humorless feminists, over and out.