Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl

http://www.ted.com In this passionate talk, Eve Ensler declares that there is a girl cell in us all -- a cell that we have all been taught to suppress. She tells heartfelt stories of girls around the world who have overcome shocking adversity and violence to reveal the astonishing strength of being a girl.

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[reversoreverso]

No no no that's the OPPOSITE of what she's saying! Yes men are expected to plumb,chop,build etc. and be the strong ones and women are pressured to be weaker so they don't immasculate the man. It's shit though because women can't advance and, if men struggle, then they are less of a man, or a "girl". But "Girl" shouldn't be a bad thing and, more importantly, these two traits (strong/weak) shouldn't be gendered. People should be strong when they're capable and weakness shouldn't be stigmatised!

[alieninthecaribbean]

She did not say these things are the preserve of women. She said both men and women have the 'Girl Cell' in them.

She called it the 'Girl Cell' was because that is exactly the expression used to denounce kindness, emotional expression and vulnerability, especially in men or boys. What do we call a boy who prefers to be non-violent or is kind-hearted and emotional- "A girly boy! A sissy!"

She did not make those rules. Society did. She is merely using the stereotype and putting a new spin on it.

[Marcara081]

Think you know feminism? Have you ever heard a woman dissect it and criticize it complete with hard facts, statistics, studies and sources?

I'll bet you didn't even know someone like that existed. She is GirlWritesWhat and she owns your shit. Feminism didn't stand a chance.

[Marcara081]

"Supporting this is equally as liberating for men as it is for women. "

Feminism isn't equality.

"Unleashing the feminine qualities for men is huge, b/c men have been taught for so long not to embody these "weak" qualities."

These qualities are unattractive to women who sexuality selected the traits we find in men today.

"Eve Ensler is a very balanced woman who certainly believes men and women are equal."

Balanced people don't refer to women at the NOW conference as 'vaginas' She is nuts.

[Marcara081]

"...women are pressured to be weaker so they don't immasculate the man."

No, women do not crumple under societal pressure to be weaker physically and emotionally.

It has everything to do with sexual dimorpshism in both body and mind. Hell, women evolved larger and more productive tear ducts in order to cry more!

If a man is called a girl it's insulting b/c the physical and psychological traits of women are incredibly unattractive when presented in males. It's gynocentrism thru and thru.

[Hereforthesnacktable]

No one's identical, but in a lot of cases it has little to do with gender. I hate character's that depict a certain gender with no backbone but that happens when we try to regulate everything not just when we deny gender. ei masculine is obedient, lazy, stupid and below feminine. We just need different believable role models all around.

I'm not saying reject biological research and It can be confusing if you don't subjectivity. Just saying it can be difficult or wrong to pinpoint as gender.

[Matt Hudson]

The combination of feminine and masculine energy is essential to any relationship. Maybe they do need to be more accurate, but too many people (i.e most feminists) want to ignore biological research and claim men and women are pretty much identical.

We then dilute instead of celebrate differences and relationship roles become beyond confusing. Now we have women complaining about 'feminised, wussy men with no back bone'.. thanks to a lack of any strong men in the media as good stereotypes.

[napalmbones]

Because the unfortunate reality is that women are still the objectified on a global scale, and hence many/most people are not of the automatic thinking that women and femininity are separate things entirely. Beauty, compassion, empathy, intuition, hatred, violence, vengeance, destruction, and love are innate to all human beings. If someone has been wearing purple-tinted glasses for their entire life, how are you to tell them that the sky is blue unless you help them take off the purple glasses?

[napalmbones]

Hit the nail on the head!

[lobster0right]

WOW! The bullshit coming from this woman can be smelt all the way up in heaven