7 Times 7 Times 7 Times 7 - Part of the "Me-Gender" Series
What would feminist hyperbole look like on us?
By Pat Faute
Editor's Note: In a January 10, 1995, article, Seattle Times staff reporter Jolayne Houtz quoted extensively from the following article to demonstrate our misogyny. Take a gander, then check out the Seattle Times link at the end of the article for a look at how Houtz took Faute's comments out of context to misrepresent our position, and Times' Executive Editor, Michael R. Fancher's snide reply when Pat Faute complained.
Feminist lies and distortions
1994 Seattle, Wash. - Many men in the men's movement have long complained about the distortions and outright lies propagated by many feminists. But because it was men complaining, and because men have no credibility in gender issues, they were ignored. But now, Christina Hoff Sommers, a woman, is saying some of the same things, and surprise! She is believed. Or at least she is getting attention. She has credibility. (If you have not checked out her book yet, Who Stole Feminism? , please make haste.)
Sommers exposes many of the bogus studies, distortions, and fictions made popular by some in the women's movement -- which they have used to get increased sympathy as well as increased government spending for women. She also throws the penalty flag on the news media for spreading such msinformation without checking or questioning. Apparently, if a feminist says it, it must be true. So much for journalistic integrity.
Lies, damned lies and statistics
Here are a few examples from Sommers' book:
- Domestic violence against pregnant women is the leading cause of birth defects. This was reported by the Boston Globe, TIME magazine, and the Chicago Tribune.
- The New York Times, Good Morning America, and theBoston Globe were all instrumental in spreading the fallacy of increased wife-abuse during the Super Bowl.
- Suspicious and one-sided pronouncements from an AAUW study on educational discrimination against girls were reported widely.
- A follow-up study sponsored by the AAUW resulted in over 1400 stories in the media. Respected papers and magazines including TIME, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times all reported the distortions of this advocacy study as fact.
The example I found most interesting were claims by Gloria Steinem and Naomi Wolf that about 150,000 girls and women die each year from anorexia. This figure has been repeated as fact by Ann Landers as well as a college textbook, titled ironically enough, The Knowledge Explosion.
The actual number of annual deaths from anorexia is a bit lower. Taking the numbers from 3 years and averaging them yields a figure of 74. Now, of course, 74 deaths is significant, especially if you happen to be one of them. But it ain't no "holocaust." And it ain't about 150,000. Ms. Steinem was off by a factor of 2,027.
If we were to lie
Let me see if I can put that into context for you. Here are some statistics that are off by a factor of 2,027. Let's see if the media unquestioningly repeats them as fact. After all, my first name may lead some to mistake me for a female.
- There are approximately 2.6 billion more women than men attending college in the U.S. Where's the AAUM with a study of boys low self-worth? For that matter, where's the AAUM? If it existed, maybe it could research the fact that boys suffer from dyslexia 12,000 times more often than girls.
- Even though women are getting inferior health care, they still outlive men by 13,986 years. On average. So maybe now the government could sponsor an Office of Research on Men's Health, and throw big bucks into a Men's Health Initiative.
- Female eligible voters outnumber male eligible voters in the U.S. by about 18.4 billion. We know why all those politicians are falling all over themselves to pass legislation that is beneficial to women. Funny, I must have missed the Chicago Tribune article detailing this.
- Women are 4,054 times as likely as men to be judged insane or incompetent to stand trial. Now let's see any of the Gender Bias Task Forces study this bias by the courts? Let's also see the media do 1400 stories on this aspect of the Lorena Bobbitt case?
- The Viet Nam War Memorial contains the names of 8 women and over 100,000,000 men. The Memorial honors all who died. But apparently we value women more than men, because women get a special Viet Nam Monument. Obviously, one woman is worth at least as much as 12.5 million men. When will Ellen Goodman do a column? Here's a possible title: "The Monument to Paternalism and the Undervaluing of men."
- In the U.S. about 1.8 million women are abused by significant others. But 4.3 billion men are battered by wives or girlfriends. Where are the headlines and special reports?
- Of every 100 children victimized by domestic violence, 125,674 are victimized by mothers. Also 125,674 of every 100 of the victims are boys. The facts are indisputable, and unquestionable. Just print them.
- Male homicide victims outnumber female murder victims by 22,594,969 each year in the U.S. Where is the public outcry? Where is Joe Biden with a Violence Against Men Act.
- It looks like men are giving more than 110% when it comes to work-related deaths, because 188,511% of these deaths are men. This would make a good report on "Good Morning America." Why haven't I seen it yet?
- The average man's brain weighs 557 pounds more than the average woman's brain. Come on New York Times. Don't question it, just print it. It's a fact.
- The average woman has 14,189 more pounds of subcutaneous fat than the average man. Certainly some men's advocacy group could do some research and conclude that much of this fat is in women's heads where obviously they have some spare room.
And finally, I would like to state for the record, that even right after I jump out of an ice-cold lake, my penis is still over 506 feet long. I said it, it must be true. Perhaps TIME could do a cover story.
Truth was the first casualty of the feminists' war on men
How can feminists put forth distortions of such magnitude? I think Hiram Johnson had the answer: "Truth is the first casualty of war." Perhaps I am being guilty of a little exaggeration myself, but I believe many feminists are at war with men. Christina Hoff Sommers seems to agree.
Here is her response to distortions by NOW president, Patricia Ireland: "But Ireland knows what she is doing. By so construing male/female relations, she is doing what any political leader does in time of war: get potential allies angry and unified behind the effort to defeat the enemy."
Louise Chernin, former co-president of the Seattle NOW, once referred to men as the enemy. (We have it on tape, Louise, so don't try to deny it.)
I just wonder when men will realize they are in a war and start fighting back.
The Seattle Times adds to the mainstream media's reputation for misrepresenting the facts.
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