In which a feminist is asked, "What do you see in this picture?"

Me: "What do you see in the pic below?"



U.S. feminist: "Four girls.  I think the one on the left was one of my classmates."

Me: "Do they seem...oppressed to you?"

Feminist: "No more than every woman in the U.S. is oppressed by The Evil Patriarchy."

Me: "Do you think they'd be less oppressed--more free--if they were wearing identical uniforms?"

Feminist: "What kind of question is that?!   It's SO like you uptight, patriarchal American men to demand the power to dictate what women should and shouldn't wear!  You're all OPPRESSORS!"

Me: "How about if the eeevil patriarchy demanded that they cover their hair?  Do you think they should obey such an order?"

Feminist: "WHAT??  You're a dictatorial pig! A misogynist!  You must be a religious fanatic!  You're..."

Me:  "What if we just made 'em all wear a cover over both face AND hair?"

Feminist: "WHAT??  [calls to a passer-by:]  Can you call the police for me?  This pig is assaulting me with hate speech!  I feel triggered!"

Me: "So I guess you'd raise hell if someone proposed to change the law so it would take three women to counteract one man's testimony?"

Feminist:  "You're insane."

Me:  "So all those ideas anger you, eh?  Make you mad as hell?"

Feminist:  "What kind of dumb question is that?  Of course it angers me!  It's insane!  All those things you just proposed would hugely, outrageously oppress women!  I'll bet you're a religious extremist, a sexist, a..."

Me:  "What if I told you this pic was taken in Teheran before Islamic dictators took over?"

Feminist:  "...total pig.  Part of the oppressive patri-.... wait...what?

Me:  "This is a picture of Iranian women in Teheran in 1968.  It's how women dressed in Teheran before Islamic mullahs took over.  So do you think these women look more oppressed than Iranian women today? 

Feminist:  "Uh.... Actually women in Islamic countries say wearing a burka is, uh, liberating.  And that they feel safer wearing more-modest clothes.  But it's like, totally voluntary.  And liberating."

Me:  "Seems to me you've instantly reversed every position you were absolutely furious about just two minutes ago.  Care to tell us why you did such a quick, total reversal?

Feminist:  "You male chauvinist pigs just don't understand the dialetic flexibility of oppressor theory."