Feminist @Clementine_Ford: ‘I Admit It. Really, I Hate Men. Now Give Me Money.’

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The headline is scarcely an exaggeration of her plea:

My name is Clementine Ford and I’m a writer, speaker and professionally angry person living in Melbourne. I write about feminism, violence against women, misogyny and pop culture. In my writing, I try to challenge the habits of complacency and apology that have formed part of the ever replicating backlash over the last decade. I’m not interested in placating men about their intentions or feminist credentials. I won’t hand out cookies and rewards, and I advise other women to adopt a similar stance. . . .
Like most feminists, I have often been told that I hate men. I’m no longer interested in denying that claim. People will convince themselves of whatever they like in order to avoid making changes to their own lives, and it’s beneath all of us to waste precious time and energy trying to convince naysayers that feminism is a nice, non threatening movement that won’t impact their lives in any way. It will. That’s the point — to substantially alter the structures of power and privilege that favour certain groups over others and perpetuate inequality and oppression. I’m not afraid of acknowledging that, and summarily ignoring the taunts of people who find this threatening.
I don’t speak or write about feminism in order to convince men or sway them to my point of view. I do it because I want to let other women know that it’s okay to speak up and to be angry and to tell the truth about their lives. Also, women are fucking funny and rad and I want to hear more from them and less from men.

So she’s running an online fundraising drive. Whereas I’m just a blogger who wrote the book that explains what this is about — Sex Trouble: Radical Feminism and the War Against Human Nature.

Also, can also hit the freaking tip jar.

(Hat-tip: Claire Lehmann on Twitter.)





 

62 comments

  3. “I don’t speak or write about feminism in order to convince men or sway them to my point of view. I do it because I want to let other women know that it’s okay to speak up and to be angry and to tell the truth about their lives. Also, women are fucking funny and rad and I want to hear more from them and less from men.”

    And they say feminists are angry, humorless man-haters…

    I can’t for the life of me see why.

  5. N.B. this comment from her page:

    To clear up any confusion, I will also be paying myself for my time too – women’s work is chronically undervalued and financial equality and independence is one of the cornerstones of women’s empowerment. Emphasis supplied.

    “Undervalued” by whom? The value of a good or service is precisely equal to what someone else will voluntarily trade for it–not one penny more or less. There is no such thing as “overvalue” or “undervalue” in a system of voluntary exchanges.

    And by the way, you sods severely undervalue my commentary on these pages. What’s up with that?

  7. There is no such thing as “overvalue” or “undervalue” in a system of voluntary exchanges.

    It’s the old Labor Theory of Value nonsense.

    No matter how many times you explain this, there are still BILLIONS of people on the planet who didn’t read your explanation. Sigh.

  8. You find these sorts of complaints primarily among those who seek public, taxpayer funding for their efforts. Of course, they demand that the public pay them for their produce because private individuals refuse to voluntarily part with their own things of value in exchange. Thus is the coercion of the state required. (See, e.g. David Thompson’s recent discussion, plus others at his place in a similar vein.)

  9. Shit, this is just another part of the #GiveYourMoneyToWomen hash tag. I’m surprised you’ve never reported on that one. It features the most loathsome examples of feminism I’ve ever encountered on twitter, but also a peek at what it’s really spawned, and trust me, it isn’t good.

  10. There are feminists on twitter who literally believe they should be financially compensated by men for tweeting because they believe they are “teaching us something”. The sense of entitlement, and the level of rage is nauseating to say the least. Some want money just for being, and there are some suckers willing to hand it over, too.

  12. I think it’s much better than the original, but then, I’m an ’80’s guy, not a soixante-huitard.

  13. Not that it matters but there is a Community Guidelines page for Patreon.
    https://www.patreon.com/guidelines
    “Bullying, Harassment, Threats and Hate Speech:

    Patreon should feel like a safe place for normal people. We don’t allow bullying or harassment on Patreon. At the same time, we want people to be able to express themselves, be critical, and discuss controversial issues. We recognize that discussing celebrities, media or other public figures can sometimes involve harsh criticism, and we believe that is an appropriate part of free debate. That said, there is no room on Patreon for hate speech or serious threats of violence. For us, hate speech includes serious attacks on people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or serious medical condition.”
    Just like how Kickstarter and a few other crowd funding sites have hated on the old morals or concepts. So trying to complain about this is like trying to complain about the color of the sky. You can rant but no one is going to listen.

  14. I’m a woman. Give me your money, and everytime you comment, I’ll reply and tell everyone how smart, funny and good with your hands you are. 😀

  18. Oh and her FB page is full of rays of sunshine and happiness.
    https://www.facebook.com/clementineford
    I can’t even begin to quote it all because its like those Tumblr women who have go total crazy and then go even more total crazy when they are quoted. Yet there are a couple hundred comments of other FB fans attached which are life affirmative or snarky commentary to make fun of the patriarchy.
    She is even a paid writer for an Oz news paper:
    http://www.dailylife.com.au/about_us.html
    “Daily Life is the best online source of news and lifestyle content for
    busy Australian women. It offers its readers the perfect daily mix of
    news, opinion, food, celebrity, style, beauty, health and relationships.
    It is dedicated to providing the best advice from the most dynamic
    contributors and, most importantly, a place for women to engage with
    each other and discuss the hot topics of the day.”
    http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/by/Clementine-Ford
    Complete with your usual trifectia of editorials that say all the right things about privileges and the oppressors need to be broken down and that the minorities will rise up and that power to the people BS of the Reds.

  19. You do get this story is about feminists, hence the Flying Lizard’s version. While I agree with your selections for listening to that song, in connection with this post…not so much.

  21. …then go even more total crazy when they are quoted.

    This is why we are morally and ethically obliged to quote them. Copiously, too. That’s how we take a stand against stupid.

    Back in the 18th-century they could fight stupid with muskets and lengths of rope, and cries of “Shuteth up, ye most notable coward, infinite and endless liar, hourly promise breaker, and the owner of no one good quality”.

    If we do that these days, we’ll either be sent to jail or forcibly committed. So we have no choice but to bludgeon morons with their own words.

  22. And you know what else? Since this is the case:

    …most importantly, a place for women to engage with each other and discuss the hot topics of the day.

    I’m thinking of going out there to engage with the other women. I should say, “Speaking of ‘hot topics’, the guy in front of me at the grocery checkout had very impressive-looking glutes. I wanted to squeeze them like a pair of ripe cantalopes. And he looked like the marrying type, who might be interested in having several babies with the right girl. He probably had a good job, too, so I could be a stay-at-home mom. What is the best way for a nice girl to start a coversation with a man while waiting in a queue? Should I have asked him to go to church with me, or would that be too forward?”

    How long before I’m banned, would you think?

  23. Labor Theory of Value

    If you spend $1,000,000 in labor hours transforming feces into chewing gum or uranium into toilet paper, your product is… still essentially worthless; your labor, wasted.

    Supply is only one blade of the Marshallian Scissors :^)

  28. What a rat. She has no visible skills other than the usual feminist talent of gripe and hokum.

  31. The real key is her self-description:

    My name is Clementine Ford and I’m a writer, speaker and professionally angry person living in Melbourne.

    Her schtick is to be outraged, outraged! and that’s how she makes her money.

  32. Speaking as someone who lives in Melbourne I have to say the political culture is pretty toxic. This is extra true when it comes to anything gender/sexuality related.

    Abortion laws with no born alive protection and then you have violent counter-protests of pro-life marches.

    Clementine is quite a nasty feminist and The Daily Life (where she writes) is very much in the Salon/Jezebel mold.

  37. It’s funny to realize just how much more I know about Australia (and its politics) from having followed Tim Blair for the past 12 years or so…

  38. Congreve knew the source of this woman’s ire:
    Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d,
    Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn’d.

    She’s been turned down too often.

  40. Do not the Community Guidelines, by stating that “Patreon should feel like a safe place for normal people,” confirm that there are abnormal people? One would think that we might have different ideas about whom is abnormal. 🙂

  45. Well when “normal” is viewed as abnormal and shades of mental illness while abnormal behavior is considered normal and heroic, it truly is a mirror world we have stepped into Alice.

  47. It’s clear: Social Justice requires that if you spend $1,000,000 in labor transforming feces into chewing gum, the public must spend $1,000,000 to buy it, so your labor will not be wasted, and if the people won’t do it voluntarily, then They Must Be Compelled.

  50. The facts can be very disturbing things,
    Microaggressions against womanhood,
    Clearly cisheteronormative tools,
    They’re use means that men are up to no good!

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