Thought for Food

Yet to imply that feminism was all about dungarees, do-it-yourself sapphism, collectivism and alternative herstory is to miss the full quilt. Feminism changed my generation’s world more than any other movement or political impulse. Far more than any political party, feminism retooled the West, as it were, for the better. Unquestionably, the best thing that ever happened to the lives of men was the women’s movement. Living in a country of misogynistic paternalism wasn’t that much fun for us, either, unless we wanted to be marines or run ironmonger’s stores and marry silent, neurotic, unhappy girls. Gaining equal partners and colleagues was the greatest plus for my generation, and however much I enjoyed parts of Engle’s programme, fundamentally it did a disservice to feminism and to women. That said, it left me with the best quote of the week. Someone said, with an earnest emphasis: “You can fake an orgasm, you can’t fake a movement.” How very, very true, on so many levels.

AA Gill (via gauntlet)