The other day, I heard a young woman say I’m not a feminist or any of that rubbish, but I hate it when older men patronise me. She went on to explain that for all of her career, she had worked for older men. What, she thinks that the rest of us have spent our careers working for teenage girls? Does she feel that it’s necessary to qualify her criticisms in this way so
as not to annoy older men or does she really believe that feminism is rubbish and it’s important to say so at every possible juncture? I found either interpretation very depressing. What did I say? Nothing. I am a feminist, but I’m a coward. Sigh.
It is supremely annoying, isn’t it? I wish I could pull myself together and say something. Perhaps next time I’ll say, “you know, it sounds to me like you might be just a teensy bit of a feminist, are you worried about that?” and watch for squirming. Or, more likely, I won’t. 
That does seem to be the all-purpose-loophole-to-offend . I’m not racist but, I’m not being mean but, I don’t think the earth should be run by aardvarks with telepathy but.
Regrettably I too can only vent my spleen behind the safety glass of blogging.
I’m not a blogger or any of that rubbish, but I happened to be passing and I have to agree that it is rather depressing.
You should have decked her… she doesn’t deserve to get away with that level of sloppy thinking.
But if she’s not a feminist doesn’t that mean she would believe in a more patriarchial (sp?) society and therefore deserves to get patronised by men – silly cow!!! (sorry about language but people like that annoy the hell out of me too!)
Good point JZ. Norah, beautifully put. JD, is this the academic in you coming out by any chance? StarCorner, you restore my faith in human nature!
Probably.
