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Random Thoughts, SFWA Edition
Feb. 20th, 2014 10:42 am“Mom! They’re Picking On Me!”
In watching the latest brouhaha over SFWA, I have noticed various conservative folks arguing that they are being oppressed / victimized / censored by SFWA. (A nice round-up here, with added hilarity in comments.) Alas, this is nothing new. The American Right has been cultivating a sense of victimhood since at least the Reagan administration. At that time, the leading screamer was one Rush Limbaugh, although I remember the local College Republicans could put out a good whine too. What is amazing is that this whine continued despite conservatives gaining control of the US Government.
Heinlein Is Sexist, Or, Things Change
Via a tangent from the above brouhaha, I was directed to this essay arguing that Heinlein's writing is sexist. My thought is this: for his time, Heinlein was not sexist. For example, one of the complaints of the linked article is that Heinlein's women seemed awful eager to have sex.
But in the 1950s, "good girls" didn't enjoy sex. They closed their eyes and thought of England, or something. (Not that Queen Victoria ever did that). Having said that, things change.
Actually, "things change" is part of what started the original brouhaha. Two older guys said something that, in their youth, would not have been seen as problematic. Now it is.
In watching the latest brouhaha over SFWA, I have noticed various conservative folks arguing that they are being oppressed / victimized / censored by SFWA. (A nice round-up here, with added hilarity in comments.) Alas, this is nothing new. The American Right has been cultivating a sense of victimhood since at least the Reagan administration. At that time, the leading screamer was one Rush Limbaugh, although I remember the local College Republicans could put out a good whine too. What is amazing is that this whine continued despite conservatives gaining control of the US Government.
Heinlein Is Sexist, Or, Things Change
Via a tangent from the above brouhaha, I was directed to this essay arguing that Heinlein's writing is sexist. My thought is this: for his time, Heinlein was not sexist. For example, one of the complaints of the linked article is that Heinlein's women seemed awful eager to have sex.
But in the 1950s, "good girls" didn't enjoy sex. They closed their eyes and thought of England, or something. (Not that Queen Victoria ever did that). Having said that, things change.
Actually, "things change" is part of what started the original brouhaha. Two older guys said something that, in their youth, would not have been seen as problematic. Now it is.