MeerderWörter’s Comments (group member since Jan 08, 2016)

MeerderWörter’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

Stefanie wrote: "Wow. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry at this whole thread. Are we actually getting together here to discuss whether another woman's attempts are good enough??

In "Moranifesto", there was ..."

Stefanie, you nailed it.

In my opinion it has a huge impact. If we have diverse protagonists in books, if we have diverse characters in movies, a big part of the problem is solved. And of course we need books like Harry Potter, which tackle a lot of feminist issues. We need to represent the demographics better, because right now nearly everybody is utterly underrepresented.

We need a shift towards feminism being cool, because little kids like what's being cool, and they will listen to that a lot.

If we want a gender-equal world we first have to change the entertainment industry's impact on feminism, and then the people's approach towards feminism will change as a natural consequence. It will take time, but the sooner we start, the better.

I think she didn't say it because she doesn't distinguish between disabled women and not-disabled women, same with men. She just wanted all of them coming together.

S. K. wrote: "Bunny wrote: "I'm guessing what she meant to say was that the same legislators who want to get rid of abortion also want to get rid of birth control."
Oh good, I'm glad you and Elizabeth cleared ..."

I can ensure you that I'm against the death-penalty. The death-penalty isn't really pro-life, is it?

Alexis wrote: "Can you be a feminist and pro-life? I'm just wandering."
Rest assured, you can. I am one. Punch me if you like, but I think the two go perfectly well together. I am not a person who presumes to rule over another's life. I want to help people, not kill them.

Suzi wrote: "Simon wrote: "Tbh, I don't really have a problem with these religions, I do have a lot of respect for them actually: most members of my family are Christian so it's definetly not like I have someth..."
I don't know about the other Christian churches but the Roman Catholic church prohibited it, masturbation. I've never heard this explanation tho, with Messias and all.

Aglaea wrote: "Do you want stuff on abortion only? Or PP etc. as well?

I find it ironic that "pro life" people send death threats to clinic workers. I think that sums up my view of that lot."
Aglaea, rest assured. I'll never kill or send death threats to clinic workers. That's against pro-life, in itself.

Alia wrote: "But almost only men benefit from gender inequality.

And I wasn't saying women didn't have a seat at the table."

You're right about the benefits, but I wanted to point out that men also suffer from gender inequality.
And you implied that women didn't have a seat at the table. At least that's how I read it.

Matt wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "It's also worth remembering (and forgive me if someone else has already previously covered this point) that it's called "the norm" for a reason"Isn't the major function of activi..."

Valid point here. I think every generation has to ask themselves: Is this right what we do? Do we need to do it? Do we have to do it that way, or are we just doing it because we've learned it that way?
I've voluntarily worked in an old-people's home and I learned a lot there, one thing that we do the stuff we do a certain way simply because we are told so. That's a good part of dementia, it brings others to reevaluate their behaviour and thinking patterns.


Hannah wrote: "Normality is usually a denotation of the middle. A child exhibiting normal development is considered good because it isn't having serious issues that need to be addressed. Normal vs abnormal psycho..."

The problem is Hannah, who says what are serious issues. I may be a little bit damaged, but keep in mind that I've grown up in Austria and therefore am a bit cautious with the term serious issues in behaviour, development or psychology. I may be a bit more sensitive than others though, due to the history with the Nazi-regime.

I already fetched my copy and I'm kinda sad that in the future I will have to order my books somewhere else, since I move at the end of September. They've really known me and OSS now, always asking:" For the book club?", me answering:" Yes, of course."

I can't wait to read it and I think the cover is absolutely marvelous, and all the knowledge that is preserved between these pages.

Like Persepolis, it will teach me A LOT about a place on the earth of which I know little to nothing.

Alia wrote: "I reread the speech last night. She invites men "to the table", but you know who isn't invited to the table while men always were? Yeah, you know. "

You know that we can be glad that she extended the invitation to men. Why? Let me tell you:

Feminism was considered (and still is in many people's minds) to be a women's issue. Women fighting for their rights, so that they become equal to men. It wasn't that women weren't invited, they didn't need to be, they were already there! But men weren't. And both women and men suffer from gender inequality.

And a bird can only fly when both wings are healed!

And the book choice was/is intersectional, if you ask me.

Kressel wrote: "As a non-musician (I took piano lessons, but gave up long ago, much to my regret), one of the things that I related to was her statement that she came to music as a fan first. I've wanted to be a w..."

Just like Emma, I have to say this connection is great and on-the-point. J.K. Rowling herself said as an advice to a young child, who wanted to become an author: Read, read as much as you can. Oh, and many trees will have to die." And it's the same here, listen and practice.

Music is working translingual and through time. It influences our heart beat, as the heart beats in the tact of the composition, and if I am not mistaken our brain waves also correlate to the music. That's also when we meet other people and say: We have same wave length. It's true, scientists have verified that.

Music is so much for us - we only have to use it.

Jonathan wrote: ""What I really think is problematic is the fact that "normal" is considered good, and "unnormal" is considered bad."

That's the ENTIRE problem. I'd be deeply insulted if someone thought I was nor..."

Yes, sometimes it is useful, but in many cases not.

I would even consider "breaking in" behaving like a female, because that's the other part of mainstream, male dominating female dominating the rest.

We're all different, and normal is just a way of measuring the majority out of the whole. What I really think is problematic is the fact that "normal" is considered good, and "unnormal" is considered bad.

That's a huge problem to begin with.

I hope so too, Henriette, and hope that there are people who help you, apart from the doctor, because sometimes managing everything alone is too much of a burden. We're strong , but we can't be strong all the time.

It should arrive tomorrow, and I'll read it soon, after finishing two other books, One Hundred Names and Fangirl.

It's like I hear Emma's voice reading out loud when I read OSS' books. Love to do that!

I hope forever, or until its need is fulfilled, if one could say so(, although I highly doubt that the need will ever vanish).

A few moments ago I was watching how many posts I've written in here, it's 410, which are quite a few, aren't they? OurSharedShelf has become a part of my life, and I would highly miss it, if it were ever closed. I await the new book announciations with great interest, and can't wait to order them and wait for them to be read. Right now I'm waiting for the September/October book, and I am waiting with jumpiness for the book to be able to fetch it. (Should be the day after tomorrow.)

I tell many people I meet about OSS, and how cool and how teaching it is, because I think everybody should be a part of it. Due to my voluntary social year (10 months) I have changed my wish what I want to study. I've enrolled for Sociology and the discussions and book choices here only made it more clear for me, that I want to study Sociology.

So you see, I would be really sad if this isn't going on forever. I need it, we need it.

Matt wrote: "Hannah wrote: "What fields of study deal with this and can they teach us anything that we can use for practical actions?"

I think Social Anthropology or Sociology in general would provide the answ..."

So it was a very good decision to start studying sociology in October. I'm very curious about the subject and hope to serve with gained knowledge in the future.

It's feminist for simple reason that it's a book about a woman who fought for her place and didn't give up. Other issues may be feminist too in the book, but the aforementioned issue alone declares it a feminist book.

I rushed through the book and I must say I will read it again, with more attention, because I think it can still give me something.
One can clearly see how much the music influences her life, the chapters are sometimes named after albums.

Feminist books can look and be read very differently. There's not one form of feminist book, look at the books since January, they're very different, although they're all biographies, except two.

With this book it's like with The Color Purple: The feminism doesn't jump at you, you have to look for it:)

Harm wrote: "Ellen wrote: "mixed reviews" Fortunately we are being educated to judge for ourselves!"

Education is the solution for nearly everything, here it's the same. I always choose books because of the blurp, and not the rating/recommendation.

Katelyn wrote: If you'd like to learn more, I'd start with the Reichskulturkammer in Nazi Germany, but that is hardly the only example.

but blanket legislation against certain language or whatever else is something that has been used in the past by governments to scary effect.
That's why it is forbidden in Germany and Austria to make the Hitlergruß, or anything else that falls under "Wiederbetätigung/back activity."
So, yes, we do have free speech and I'm glad about that, but we have restrictions to it, about which I'm also glad.


Ross wrote: "Harm wrote: "challenge everyone to explain (from a feminist standpoint of course) what's wrong with..."

"If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" "

I don't understand why your answer differs, would you please elaborate on that.

And I will definitely work out all the song's lyrics that I listen too, before I listen to them again. That's much work, but worth it.

Wow, I thought I've finished reading and now I discover there's a second page.

Gerd, it's always funny reading German expressions translated into English.

So, continuing with German expressions: I'm going to punch the night around my ears and will further comment. Very interesting what you have to say in the topics, you all.

Aglaea wrote: "Katelyn wrote: "Not everyone has the same priorities or aesthetic values when it comes to music, though."

This is very true. I rarely hear the lyrics, but have to pay extreme attention to them if ..."

My friend once said I couldn't understand English properly because I didn't listen to the lyrics of a song. I must say I've been listening to Polish songs for three years before that and therefore I had a bit problems understanding the English lyrics. For me, the lyrics are the least important detail of a song, and I must say I can't sing one song by heart for that reason.

The rest goes with you.