2008 Woodie Awards
Sex and The Cynic
Anne Tor
Issue date: 3/14/06 Section: Columns
Oh Eric, Eric. Your valiant attempt at a rebuttal is commendable, indeed. However, I am sorry to point out that your arguments simply confirm my point of view, in spite of your endearing effort to refute them. Let me begin by saying this: In my last article, I tried to articulate the fact that I am accused of being a feminist by people who don't actually read my weekly contribution. These are the people who see a female author, and run with their assumptions. Based on your article, I can come to one of two conclusions. One, you are one these readers, and you didn't read last weeks article, or the articles before. Or two, I was not clear in my arguments, and therefore it's my bad. Either way, let me try once more…
You brought up my article about one night stands, an article that aroused many opinions. According to your brilliant interpretation, I "challenged men's abilities to keep their cool after a one night stand." However, had you actually read the article, you might have rethought this assumption. I challenged ANYONE who could not "keep their cool," not just men. Skeptical? A passage, if you will:
"However, it is not the act of casual sex that I denounce, it is the petty behavior that follows. Why is it that after we have acted with the utmost self-assurance, we suddenly lose the assumption that we are the Man? We become cowards, and as a result, lose all sense of common decency. We duck into corners, hide behind friends, and sometimes go as far as to blatantly ignore the person. We lose any regard for a person that just last weekend we were jumping through hoops for."
Yes, there is a mention of "the Man." But, if you were dense enough to assume that this actually referred to just men, then I'm wasting my time, because you are a lost cause. Otherwise, please take notice of the constant use of the word "we." I lump myself, a girl, as well as everyone else into the same category. There is no mention of men as the culprit. I mean to address anyone who is guilty of this behavior, women included.
You brought up my article about one night stands, an article that aroused many opinions. According to your brilliant interpretation, I "challenged men's abilities to keep their cool after a one night stand." However, had you actually read the article, you might have rethought this assumption. I challenged ANYONE who could not "keep their cool," not just men. Skeptical? A passage, if you will:
"However, it is not the act of casual sex that I denounce, it is the petty behavior that follows. Why is it that after we have acted with the utmost self-assurance, we suddenly lose the assumption that we are the Man? We become cowards, and as a result, lose all sense of common decency. We duck into corners, hide behind friends, and sometimes go as far as to blatantly ignore the person. We lose any regard for a person that just last weekend we were jumping through hoops for."
Yes, there is a mention of "the Man." But, if you were dense enough to assume that this actually referred to just men, then I'm wasting my time, because you are a lost cause. Otherwise, please take notice of the constant use of the word "we." I lump myself, a girl, as well as everyone else into the same category. There is no mention of men as the culprit. I mean to address anyone who is guilty of this behavior, women included.