Feminism Type Thing  

Paulie: “Victoria [Rafaeli] never opened her mouth. She knew what her role was, and she just sat there.” 

Nicole: “Yeah, Victoria did good.” 

I’m so bored and depressed with this bro down baloney, and I’m tired of watching women stand idly by and blithely bear witness to it. I’m tired of women who ignore the plight of other women so that men will give them a pat on the head. I’m tired of girls who’s wildest dream is to be the last girl standing.  

I am a fucking feminist, damnit. I didn’t think this was such a radical thing to say anymore. In fact, it sounds like an applause line to me. I almost feel cheap for saying it. Seriously, isn’t everyone a feminist? 

Apparently not. In the Big Brother house, most of the women themselves don’t even identify as feminists. Nicole tells Corey that the girl that sticks with the guys is the girl that goes the furthest. She says it’s frustrating, but, eh, what can you do? It’s not as if women have actually won Big Brother by sticking to a mixed or predominately female alliance, except of course they have. Come on, Nicole. Paul’s says it constantly: Friendship. 

Our girl Bridgette Dunning is different."I'm a feminist at heart," she proudly tells Paulie. She explains that she will always give voice to other women who are being laughed at, yelled at, and talked over. Furthermore, she thinks the things Paulie said about Natalie were objectively wrong.

When Paulie relates this to his bud, Corey, Paulie says that Bridgette just told him that she is a feminist and that she will never agree with him because he is a man. “Bridgette admitted to being a feminist?” Corey says gobsmacked. “Really?” 

Feminism, as a label, has been smeared by a propaganda offensive led by privileged men trying to quell the insurrection. It’s primarily concerned with maintaining power. That is where those asinine cartoon depictions of man hating, anti-family, anti-capitalist harpies come from. Can you find the odd feminist that hates men? Sure, but their numbers have been wildly exagerated, and they are in no way representative of the feminist platform.

The feminism platform is one of equality. Equality for all. It’s really that simple. How many feminists do we have in the room now? I bet everyone in the Big Brother house would agree equality is da bomb. But what does their behavior say?  

A few days ago, I wrote about how Natalie misrepresented the nature of Paulie’s flirting in order to turn James against him. I will stand by that assessment. I’m reasonably certain this was gameplay on her part.

Paulie has a right to be a indignant about this. I get it. But the way he retaliates creates a new problem and exposes a pretty ugly side of his personality: As Natalie wishes him a good night, Paulie fires back, “You’re about as fake as the things on your chest.”[1]

Paulie later tries to downplay this barb, saying that it was merely “a metaphor for her personality” that had nothing to do with her boobs. But, if it had nothing to do with her boobs, why are you bringing them up, dude? Why do you call her FT (Fake Tits) behind her back?   

“You don’t wanna get made fun of for having fake titties? Don’t get fake titties.”—Corey 

I’ll tell you why: because you knew it would cut. You knew it would hurt. Women are put through the self-image wringer in our society; you knew what you were doing, Paulie. Do you really expect us to believe that the way you talk to Natalie has nothing to do with her sex? You call her Blowj. 

And what’s up with your complex with Jersey girls? Shall I jog your memory:  

“Jersey girls are the worst girls to date.” 

“. . . Cody and I don’t have fuckin’ girlfriends from New Jersey.” 

“In Jersey, when girls pull this shit, me and Cody fuckin’ don’t even give them the fuckin’ time of day. We don’t even talk to them.” 

“You fuckin’ north Jersey fuckin’ piece of shit.” 

“I fuckin’ hate Jersey girls. That’s why I gotta move outta that fuckin’ state. I ain’t gonna find my wife there.” 

“. . . I don’t like Jersey girls, and that is a classic move that she pulled with James.” 

“She’s a typical fuckin’ Jersey girl.” 

“I know how Jersey girls operate.” 

“I mean, I know fuckin’ Jersey girls like the back of my hand.” 

“I know how to deal with Jersey girls. See, y’all don’t know; I do.” 

“I’ve seen too many Jersey girls to see what the fuck is goin’ down.” 

“. . . Jersey girls can eat up southern boys for breakfast lunch and dinner and they won’t even know what’s happening.” 

“Bro, I’m tellin’ you, that’s a fuckin’ Jersey girl for you. That’s a Jersey girl. She’s a fuckin’ north Jersey girl that only cares about power.” 

“Jersey girls know what they are.” 

In defense of Paulie, he has a hard time relating to anyone (male or female) with an opposing opinion. His manner is very demeaning and condescending, always elevating himself as the calm, logical party (even as he raises his voice) and dismissing others as emotional and frivolous. I’ve seen him do this with Natalie, Victor, Michelle, Paul, Bridgette, Tiffany, and Zakiyah. 

Yet still, for someone who so frequently touts his careful and precise use of words, he ought to be more cognizant of the sexist rhetoric coming out of his mouth. He and Corey actually have the gall to grumble about the double standards society imposes upon men: Us poor men are never given the benefit of doubt when the word sexist is uttered. Ugh, girls get away with everything!

Paulie and Corey loathe double standards, which is funny because they are quite adroit at employing them. They complain about women reflexively sticking up for other women[2], and then they themselves trumpet the virtues of the bro alliance. I don't know that that is in and of itself sexist, but it's at least hypocritical. On the other hand, when they brag about banging girls and then demonize Bridgette for simply sharing a bed with another man, that's totally sexist. 

How they don’t see this is beyond me.

 


[1] It is Nicole who relays this to James. She thinks it's amusing up until the point when James tells her it is not.

[2] Keep in mind that most societies are designed to oppress women. Men help other men at the expense of women. You see it in the business world, you see it written on paychecks, etc. So why shouldn't women stick up for their oppressed sisters?