Goff: The Weaponized Phallus

[noamnety]

Here is a thought exercise. Think of all the euphemisms used to describe the distinctly male external appendage, or eroticized acts from the male point of view, that call to mind conquest, war, or violence.

Examples: I'd like to hit that ("hit" as act of aggression, "that" as objectification). He shot his load (gun metaphor) ...

warning: contains some language that may not be worksafe. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stan-goff/the-weaponized-phallus-a_b_34616.html

In view of some of the recent discussions here regarding language and gender, I thought this might be of interest.

[ewoden]

1. This is my rifle and this is my gun . . .

this is for killing and this is for fun.

We made these distinctions back on Paris.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. "The Weaponized Phallus"

I'm dying to see how many hits this thread gets. That is a headline that newspapers dream about.

[noamnety]

3. It's been a common theme in his writing

He's the author of http://www.lulu.com/content/276367">Sex and War, for those unfamiliar with his work.

[Karenina]

31. Here's the visual

Maybe someone will be so kind to post it on this thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2627475#2627513

[leftchick]

32. Whoa! That Pretty Well Sums it up Doesn't it?

:puke:

[Cerridwen]

4. Hiya, lwfern, how the heck you doin'?

This article has a very familiar feel to it...a list of terms and the whys and wherefores of how they're sexist. Hmm, where have I seen *that* before? LOL

Here's another snip from the article for those just passing by...

These figures of speech are so common that we have the tendency to overlook, and even repeat them, never stopping to think how these figures of speech devalue women, or how they construct male sexuality as conquest and violence.

Anyone who has not seen the Media Education Foundation film Wrestling with Manhood is hereby strongly encouraged to see it, and to use it as a collective teaching tool about how masculinity is constructed as violence, and how immensely popular is its misogynistic core. It shows the frothing audiences as theatrical wrestling events cheer at macho posturing, which included the feminization of enemies, at the brutality of the "fights," but with the most disturbingly enthusiasm, at the staged and real abuse of women during these intensely popular public "entertainment" events.

Here is the problem I am having with the weaponized phallus, a problem of a more limited scale than men's deeply enculturated hatred of all things female, especially the female body (which they see as a thing to be conquered, defiled, humiliated... taken). It's that fact that so-called "progressive" men (people really should look up the sordid history of that modifier), those who claim to stand for justice and against domination and exploitation, engage in the self-same, woman-hating, weaponized-phallus trash-talk as right-wing men.

And here is a small step I am proposing to left-wing men. Stop that. Stop it right now, and never do it again.

[noamnety]

8. hey there!

I should have quoted that part you pasted here, now that I look at it. I'm a bad quote selector person, I think.

By the way, I've gotten a couple of films from the Media Education Foundation through the library, though not the one he's recommending here, and they've been consistently good stuff - very thought provoking.

(very oddly familiar feel to it, yep. LOL yourself.) :D

[Cerridwen]

10. Teamwork...you supply the article, I use my never-very-humble-opinion

to make a selection and post more of it. :D

I just wanted to kick this back up and bid you 'good night' before I head off the board.

Take care. 'See' you soon.

~Cerridwen

edit: typo

[LeftCoast]

5. Where can I get one?

Mine's just the plain ol' non-weaponized type. :(

[Greyhound]

6. K & R

[bloom]

7. It makes me cringe

when I hear war described in sexual language.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. I fucked up my thumb the other day.

...while putting a bookcase together. I don't think I'll lose the nail though.

Every language on Earth has two kinds of swear words. Bathroom swear words. And Bedroom swear words.

[jgraz]

12. We actually have another group of swear words: racist/hate words

I submit that these are currently much more taboo than either bedroom or bathroom words.

[noamnety]

13. I agree, and want to add

that I think Stan's point in the article is that the "bedroom" words, as we're calling them, I guess, are often sexist/hate words which link violence to sex, or degrade women in some way.

Don't know why racism is more taboo than sexism, but yes, you have a valid point there.

[Jcrowley]

11. Off to the greatest page with you

Helen Caldicott has some salient things to say on this matter.

K&R

[noamnety]

14. Hey, do you have a recommended link for that? (nt)

[Jcrowley]

15. Missile Envy

http://minsky.com/16.htm
Missile Envy
by Dr. Helen A. Caldicott. William Morrow & Co., 1984
Bound by Minsky 1988
9" x 6 3/8"
Calf spine, gold stamped. Oil and gold leaf over gessoed boards.
"Minsky 1988" inside back cover.

This is the 1988 installation at the Zabriskie Gallery in New York, with live rockets. The author wrote to Minsky that the binding accurately conveyed the meaning of her text. Subtitled "The Arms Race and Nuclear War," it exposes the male sexual rivalry underlaying military strategy, including a technical vocabulary with phrases like "deep penetration."



Article:
http://www.geocities.com/kidhistory/ja/nucsex.htm

Hear it live:
http://www.workingtv.com/helencaldicott.html

[noamnety]

27. belated thanks

I looked at the installation yesterday - love the book cover! Watched the video today. Good stuff.

[Phrogman]

16. I've been shooting blanks

What someone says that has no kids.

[noamnety]

18. That's a disturbing one, isn't it?

the meaning, when you stop to think about it, is pretty vile. Especially in light of some of the other recent news stories we've seen where the clinics were trying to do reconstructive surgery on the women who'd been shot by rapists (weapon as phallus, exactly). :(

[Morgana LaFey]

17. Wow, that is some article

Even more than that: some man!!! Heroic, even. Former Special Forces Sergeant. Amazing, isn't it? That's the kind of talk we need from our so-called progressive or liberal men. That's the kind of understanding we need about sexism and homophobia -- even among women (straight and gay ) and gay men themselves.

I see very, very little action on the this thread on part of DU men. Wonder why? Cat must have their tongues.

[noamnety]

19. he's a good person, yep

Being a "man's man" with his background, he can write this stuff without everyone and their cousin coming out of the woodwork to throw the Oversensitive Delicate Flower label at him.

[Chulanowa]

20. Devolution.

Some dude will come by and offer his contrry opinion, and from that point it'll turn into nothing but a bunch of posters either trying to imply that all men are cowardly violent rapists, people arguiong that they're not, and other folks trying the "I'm sweet and gentle" route while getting ignored.

Sexual language is inherently sexist, no matter who it's being directed at. It turns men and women alike into nothing but a patch of flesh nestled betweren the legs. It's just the way that aspect of our language - most languages in fact - work. It's part of the reason it's considered taboo in polite society. Most people understand that such terms, despite hteir inherent sexism and devaluation of the person who's sexual aspects are being spoken of, are not actually meant in a demeaning way. Sexual speech is full of weird ironies, paradox, and subtleties. I'm sure even cavemen had something more complicated than "Lana Atook zug-zug?"

[Morgana LaFey]

24. Sorry, I don't buy that at all

AND, in fact, if you'd read the entire Goff article (I heartily recommend it), you'd see for yourself that in practice Goff also rejects the premise:

Sexual language is inherently sexist,/

Sexual language has been MADE inherently sexist, perhaps, but that's because we live in a patriarchal society and that's the way the patriarchy preferes it. But a sexist sexual language (or any language) is by NO means inherently, innately humanly necessary or unavoidable. If you doubt me, go read the Goff article. You need it anyway.

[Morgana LaFey]

25. Apologies

The excerpt I refer to in this post was actually made by him in the Comments section after his article. To be sure it's accessible to those who don't have the patience to go looking (esp. when it may not coincide with their pre-conceived notions about how things 'sposed to be), here it is, with the relevant portion in bold:




Wow, the masculine anxiety is so palpable here. Do you guys need medication? It's okay. The world will not spin off its axis because you discover that your penis is a mere pollinator.

More energy spent on lecturing me about reptilian complexes, and chimps, and PC (the wiki history of PC is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness),... than it would be to quit insulting women and propogandizing for their continued oppression.

Reminds me of the rationalizations that were routinely used by anti-abolitionists circa 1860. "It's human nature, dammit! Human nature, human nature, human nature!!!" "The slaves are happy where they are."

Like I said, there is a reason poltically conscious women don't listen to so many men who claim to support liberatory poltics. Many of those men are rank, patriarchal frauds.

"Penetration," by the way, since one poster hasn't thought this through, is a phallocentric standpoint. Why don't we call het-coitus "envelopment?" I'll tell you why. Because language reflects the ideology of social power.

By: StanGoff on November 21, 2006 at 05:49pm
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[Chulanowa]

30. While you're busy foaming about the patriarchy...

Perhaps you would like to take a break and read what I wrote. Sexual language is sexist, coming from both sexes, and no matter how it's framed, because it reduces a human's value to their genital functions.

I'm not sure how this is a difficult notion to grasp, that looking at a person and judging them by a sexual fantasy of your own making is in and of itself sexist.

[Morgana LaFey]

26. Boy, still not much discussion on the part of DU's

legion of patriarchal apologists and defenders.

Wonder why?

Let's kick this to make sure it's not simply the time of day causing it to sink into oblivion.

[noamnety]

28. I tried posting it on another forum

I was told to STFU and go make sandwiches or something.

It went downhill from there.

[crispini]

21. I keep reading this title as: Golf: The Weaponized Phallus

Which makes me wonder exactly WHAT kind of golf club that is. :rofl:

[noamnety]

22. Okay, you.

You're not allowed in my thread anymore. Go on! Git! :D

[babylonsister]

23. I get where he's coming from, but he's a bit intense. How many

people even know about the proclaimed day to have an orgasm to promote peace?
And dimson IS a dick.

[aikoaiko]

29. That essay reads like a women's studies 101 paper from someone...

...trying to hard to be progressive.