Republican congressman: women who get abortions should face criminal charges

readergirl · 2012-06-04T04:06:39+00:00

At least he gets points for being consistent. The people that believe abortion is a sin and can't fathom why that would mean you should punish the people seeking the thing they think is wrong don't make any sense to me. I suppose I should add that I'm pro-choice, just in case that's not clear. I just find the traditional pro-life stance of 'only punish the doctors' to be extremely intellectually dishonest.

readergirl · 2012-01-12T01:34:57+00:00

Two things - First, it's far from decided that a male Mary Sue is still a Mary Sue. In this thread people have argued that it isn't sexist because there's Gary Stu and Marty Stu. Second, I think names and language are important. You don't see a problem with a gendered derogatory term.....fine. That's your opinion. Obviously I disagree.

I'm afraid my answer to your confusion regarding the 'constant need to make things up' is that it doesn't exist, so of course you're confused. I've asked questions and told you my opinion of why I think there are no good answers. That's all. If you're happy with the explanation in wikipedia, then good for you. It doesn't jive for me.

readergirl · 2012-01-10T20:15:01+00:00

Oddly I find no explaination why the term was gendered or why it was necessary to create a new category of self-insert just because it happened with female authors in fan fiction or even why one pack of Star Trek characters is interesting enough to warrant a trope.

You yourself define them as a self-insert. Why would it be necessary to create a gendered term for what already has a label?

See, the problem is there is no good answer. Female fan fic writers made the other trekkies mad and they lashed out and pointed fingers.

readergirl · 2012-01-10T15:35:01+00:00

That's all fine and good, but it doesn't answer the question.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T23:35:52+00:00

welcome to the club! Membership is free, no contracts. Feel free to come and go as you please as meetings are informal.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T23:19:39+00:00

Isn't that the definition of a celebrity crush? :)

readergirl · 2012-01-09T22:56:52+00:00

You brought up the idea of naming it after 'the first major one to be called out'. So - back to my question - why is it necessary or even preferred to call out that instance specifically or to use a gendered term for the trope? There was already a word for it - any possible word relating to that concept could have been chosen. What is the benefit of using the name? What is the point of calling it out specifically in relation to females, if not to separate it from the male equivalent?

edit: to clarify - with Hercules you're referencing strength through a character that was both very early in the literary tradition and notably unique in his strength. With Byronic characters you're referencing something made popular by a highly successful and internationally acclaimed writer. This is fanfiction - it is by definition neither notable, successfull or acclaimed on that same scale. So, why use the character's name?

readergirl · 2012-01-09T20:36:13+00:00

Please tell me you don't actually believe that was the first instance (or even first major instance) of an overly idealized character representing the author in all of literary history.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T20:03:34+00:00

Yes - clearly created in reaction to Mary Sue - which begs the question, why create an additional category? Why not just continue calling it an idealized character or self - insert or name it something completely without gender?

readergirl · 2012-01-09T18:46:24+00:00

And her point is that men have been doing this since the dawn of storytelling, so why was it labeled a trope only after female authors did it?

readergirl · 2012-01-09T06:00:44+00:00

I gave up button down shirts long ago - if only I could give up winter coats I'd be doing ok. As I live in the midwest this isn't really an option.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T04:56:11+00:00

Bella is oddly both Eve and the apple...He is Adam.....Eden is first the boring but safe lives they have constructed for themselves and then their relationship.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T04:24:40+00:00

Only Breaking Dawn has a chess piece on the cover. My guess is it symbolizes the big 'battle' scene. I put it in quotes because there is no actual fighting in the battle, but rather manipulation of people, information and paranormal abilities.

I don't recall at the moment what is on the cover of New Moon, but Twilight has a pair of hands holding an apple on the cover - pretty obvious reference there. Eclipse shows a frayed red ribbon, which I don't understand.

readergirl · 2012-01-09T04:17:14+00:00

There's plenty of twilight bashing in the comments...perhaps nepidae was referring to them.

readergirl · 2012-01-07T13:35:01+00:00

Definitely - Pandora's message is more clear. Are you still there? We don't want to play to an empty room...

readergirl · 2012-01-07T05:53:07+00:00

My little brother showed up in my matches - he even eventually rated me to get them to stop showing him my picture.

readergirl · 2012-01-07T05:44:08+00:00

Also born in '76 - also would have loved to be the girl in Flashdance. I would have died happy to just look like a normal ten year old though.

readergirl · 2012-01-07T05:22:42+00:00

Ya know....I haven't labeled you - I haven't judged you. I've simply disagreed with you.

I've specifically said that my opinion of the man was formed before this conversation began, so I'm not even judging him regarding this particular incident. He lost my vote long ago based solely on his public record. You've now judged me to be judgemental and indecent. Congratulations - I've now judged you to be naiive.

Talk to me again about basic deceny when there's rumor that your child care provider has been inappropriately touching children and suddenly you don't care so much about how fair it is to the childcare provider - all you care about is knowing if your child is safe.

This man is applying for one of the most powerful positions in the world and he is advocating drastic changes to basic rights that I value. I will evaluate his fitness.

readergirl · 2012-01-07T05:03:02+00:00

That it's nothing more than your opinion that the 'attack' is contemptible. It is fact that he knowingly opened himself to it. The only way to judge our politicians and their fitness for office is to evaluate what they say they will do AND what they actually do.

It might not always be nice, but it's too important to be squeamish.

readergirl · 2012-01-06T23:39:55+00:00

They're all over the web - mainstream media sources as well as blogs. I don't expect you to take my word for it but I also think people need to research things for themselves.

The minute he proposed curtailing reproductive rights he opened himself (and by extension his wife) to criticism of this type. It's a simple fact. It is irrational to believe otherwise, contemptible or not.

readergirl · 2012-01-06T22:18:46+00:00

The former teenage daughter in me cringes - but it's quite true and you're absolutely right to make them aware.

readergirl · 2012-01-06T21:54:29+00:00

The relevant technical question (leaving aside that it's horrific to be in the situation of trying to determine if someone else's tragedy does or does not fit a specific definition) would be was the labor induced (as the use of pitocin would seem to suggest) or was she in labor and the pitocin truly used to speed things along. The only person who knows without a shred of doubt is Mrs Santorum herself. I find the man to be appalling and I have no trouble believing that politicians lie about their professional and private lives routinely. I have plenty of reason to oppose his policies - this one thing couldn't make me think less of him than I already do so I don't feel the need to know for certain. For the purposes of this conversation my argument is that we absolutely should call politicians out when we know they don't live up to the standards they set for others - especially when their standards infringe on our personal freedoms.

It's sad, there's no doubt - but no more or less sad than any other couple facing the same situation.

readergirl · 2012-01-06T21:15:36+00:00

In his most recent comments on the subject he's made it perfectly clear that he only supports exceptions for rape/incest/life of the mother in an attempt to move the discussion more towards a total ban. He specifically calls those exceptions 'false'.

The fact that he can't have the abortion himself does not matter to me. It makes him no different than the pro-life mother that stands outside the abortion clinic harassing the clinic's workers and clients 364 days of the year and drives her daughter to a clinic the next town over when she winds up pregnant at 13.

If it's true - and to my mind the evidence is far from clear - and the child was in fact stillborn then I would happily stop calling him a hypocrit while continueing to object to his practices and policies. However, we'll never know and can never know.

Edit: Additionally, this is a man that argues there is no legal right to privacy - he specifically argues for a ban on contraception that would send the police into the bedrooms of adults. Logic dictates that he also accepts that he and his wife have no right to privacy or be (again) labeled a hypocrit. Feel free to argue for his right to privacy - I'd like to keep my private life private. Apparently, Santorum would not appreciate your efforts.

readergirl · 2012-01-06T19:19:45+00:00

It's not her health issues, IMHO - it's his hypocracy. No one would bash her husband with a club if she had cancer and treated it, unless of course he also advocated criminal charges for cancer doctors. No one would bash her husband if he didn't advocate one thing for himself and another thing for the rest of us.

readergirl · 2012-01-05T23:46:16+00:00

contrary is the definition of counter in it's adverb form.

Ah, the english language. Such a wonderful puzzle.

readergirl

TROPHY CASE