Feminism
I was recently asked about my perspective on feminism. As someone who was raised by a mother who struggled with men in her life (nothing physically abusive but verbal abuse can be a 'challenge') I am, I think a equality minded person. My earliest memories of fixing things are with my mother and I doing the work and my stepfather, ( a Harvard Medical School Doctor ) unable to wrap his brain around simple mechanical systems.



I happened across this blog post on another blog. It's about a feminist review of Firefly and more or less excoriates it. What strikes me is this is an example of the feminism that I cannot understand. I approached feminism from an innocent view of people do what they're able to do, it's not about skin color or chromosomes which allows or do not allow a lot of basic skills or abilities. It's a lot more complex, related to learned skills, education and perhaps, some knacks that are genetic but are by no means absolutes (there's a whole discussion of nature vs nurture and how I strongly believe that its' more complex than black and white, but that's another discussion).

Ultimately though, my views are based on allowing people to prove themselves by their own acts and abilities and not on preconceived notions. This applies across the board based on race/gender/culture/etc. I suppose, that to a certain point, I am culturally biased. There are however established norms that are SOLIDLY based on repeated observation that one can find in cultures. Japanese have very established differences from Americans and from Germans. If you ignore those kinds of differences you best not go into anything related to international relations.

Anyhow, back on track, gender. Women are different than men. That's a provable fact. Women tend, to have less muscle mass and horsepower as it were than men do. I am however a rather light weight man, I've stayed bookish over my life and erred on the side of reading and leverage with tools rather than brute force. There are women, who, I'm certain could take me, easily and not work up a sweat doing so. I have never thought that women were lesser creatures, just that some were less or more than other men are less or more in different areas of capability (this can be academic areas, physical strength and dexterity based skills). Ultimately, I can establish that there is one universal truth. People are different. That is to say, individuals are different, one woman or man is stronger or weaker than another woman or man. It can be race, culture, gender, location of birth (take a look at a Gurkha and their barrel chests) and genetics which are either positive or negative factors towards a given set of skills or abilities. Any one is Not necessarily a boon or a curse for a given skill set. They just adjust certain parameters. Again people are different.

What I find, utterly wrong with the feminism that is described and illustrated in _allecto_'s blog, is the application of reverse discrimination, or an illustration of misandry. She ignores that Mal was historically Zoe's commander through a very difficult period of a war which his sense for danger allowed her to survive. Her skills with weapons in turn assisted Mal in his survival. It's a two way street. Moreover, they have no sexual tension as woman/man and that is shown, solidly in one episode. They are as best as one could ever see, a pair of people working together. That Allecto claims this is misogyny because Mal tells Zoe to shut up or because he is her commander is a prime example. She ignores that Mal utterly trusts Zoe with his life, more so because she COULD kill him were she to wish to. She is the physically more capable of the pair. This ignores that Zoe very much threatens violence against Jayne on more than one occasion, in one case very vehemently in the Serenity movie over a point of Mal being the captain. Zoe is the one who bristles, not Mal. Is that an example of misandry? A woman defending a man who is perfectly capable of doing so? No, it is not. It's a loyal crewman maintaining the chain of command. Zoe is the 1st officer, that is her job.

In another case, Zoe's own husband is half she is where it comes to physical prowess and strength. He goes on a mission with Mal, in a sense out of jealousy of the time and bond Mal has with his wife. The episode, firmly establishes that Wash cannot do what his wife does. Is that also misandry or just an example of people are different? I say it's the simple, people are different. What would be scary would be if Allecto says that its not misandry BUT that it is misogyny if the gender roles are reversed. I shall have to ask her, though I expect I'll not get an honest reply.

The thing is, I firmly believe that most people are prejudiced in some way or another. The question is whether they let honor rule their behavior or whether they let their preconceptions rule their behavior. Very few people are not prejudiced in some way or another. Firefly shows the honor AND the problems that people have, but also shows how people, with fewer rules on how they SHOULD act based on their race or gender or gender role should judge people on actions and principles not on preconceptions. The characters are not perfect, they show that, but they struggle to be the best they want to be. Not what other people say they should be but who they want to be. How can that sort of ideal be in opposition to general principles of equality?