I need blood pressure medication

Sometimes, I would do better not to click on the links at feministe, they DID warn me that it would raise my blood pressure...

Author Angela Epstein, of the Daily Mail writes an article called, "I'm a FEMALE male chauvinist - and proud of it."

Okay, can I just stop right here and discuss something.... Would there ever be an article with the title, "A Black racist and proud of it?"

SERIOUSLY??? Unless it was on the Onion? I just don't understand acceptance of sexism-- least of all when the acceptance comes from a woman? Anyway...

Epstein writes the most absurd and insulting drivel I've read in awhile. And I've read some drivel recently. The article opens with Epstein lamenting because she's on an airplane and the Captain is speaking over the PA and *gasp* -- The Captain is a woman! HOLY CRAP!! GRAB YOUR SEAT CUSHION-- WE'RE GOING DOWN!

With a female pilot at the helm, my husband immediately made some comment about women drivers before returning to his crossword.

I, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable and found it hard to relax for the rest of the flight. All I could think about was this young woman - well, she sounded young - cradling 200 lives in the palm of her hand.

...

Though I applaud female ambition and advancement, when it comes to real power, I feel so much happier if a man holds the reins.

If men should be the only ones in positions of "real power," just where does that leave us exactly? I'm assuming we're out of courtrooms, hospitals and piloting planes... but what about media? Isn't it really powerful to write and have an impact on the public? Maybe you should hang up your hat and call it a day, Epstein? Just a thought.

PS: Also. Iv'e noticed that you're alive and writing this article (not dead from pilot-error), maybe you should stop and give that a thought as well.

At least she acknowledges that she's sexist. Although she fails to see the seriousness. Her husband's comment on 'women drivers' is written off as "macho good humor." No, no, honey, macho good humor is the guys on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy who can handle some jokes at the expense of their "masculinity" without freaking out. There is nothing "good humored" about putting women down simply because they're women.

So am I being treacherously disloyal to my own sex? Well, before the braburners start hurling the embers of their lingerie at me, you need only to take a long look at the world at large to realise my latent male chauvinism isn't operating in isolation.

Okay, now I just feel sorry for her, how many writers have tackled the bra-burning myth and she's still afraid of blazing lingerie? But she has a point, there's plenty of other sexist dolts who'll back up her opinions of "women shouldn't have real power." Only difference, most of the people saying such things ARE MEN. Because *duh* they have something to gain by perpetuating that myth.

Predictably for any sexist, Epstein goes after Hillary Clinton next:

She may have squeaked home in New Hampshire this week, but she had been humiliated in Iowa.

Wow, not even true. While Obama definitely took the primary in Iowa, Clinton trailed Edwards by only one percentage point. Proving her worth, she beat them a few days later in New Hampshire-- I wouldn't call that humiliating.

Could it be that Mrs Clinton's mannish trouser suits and selfaggrandising, policy-driven speeches smack of the masculine touch - and what heterosexual woman wants fake machismo in power?

You're right, who in their right mind would want fake machismo in power? .....


Fake machismo (above)

Epstein goes on to say that Clinton was "betrayed by her own biology when she was reduced to tears this week on the stump."

Also a huge lie. Clinton's voice briefly cracked. She wasn't "reduced to tears" -- her voice broke when she spoke of her great love for this country. Doesn't sound particularly weak to me.

Like many women, she understandably gave into the hormonal urge to blub when faced with a setback. But with this acknowledgement of our sex's innate weakness, would you really want her manicured hand on the nuclear button?

Oh shut up, seriously. Hormonal urge?? She's 60-- I think hormonal mood swings of PMS are behind her. And which way do you want to play it? Clinton't a bad leader because she wears pansuits (trying to be a man) or Clinton's a bad leader because she takes time to get manicures (trying too hard to be girly?) You can't have it both ways.

Power means convincing those you protect that everything's under control. For this reason, I have always had a male obstetrician oversee my four pregnancies.

Having a penis doesn't automatically equal power and superior OBGYN skills--- actually I think having a VAGINA might make you superior in that area.

My chauvinistic feelings may be sourced in the fact that every girl inherits the princess gene which dictates her desire for a strong male role model to cosset and comfort her.

In the words of one commenter at Feministe:

"No. You have a rescue fetish. Many women can save their own damn selves and appreciate men as friend and companions or just like living human beings rather than the knights in your own fantasy." (AMEN TO THAT!)

The fact is that when we women are tired, weak, compromised, in need of sympathy and vulnerable, nothing beats the strong arm of male capability and its implied protection.

And men never get tired, weak, compromised? Men never need sympathy? Men are never vulnerable? I sincerely pray this woman never has sons. It's just painful that ideas of this type of "manhood" still abound.

This is a classic example of why feminism is good for women AND MEN. A feminist woman understands that men are human, not superhero, not John Wayne put on this earth to "rescue" us damsel women. A real relationship means you have to rescue each other sometimes-- and it has very little to do with estrogen vs. testosterone.

To these highly skilled and talented women, I salute your success. But perhaps I'm even more grateful to those who don't get right to the top.

And I'm even more grateful that society at large sees through garbage like this nowadays.

It's positively painful to think there are still people in the world holding on to these antiquated, sexist ideals.