Deconstructing windbags

Earlier this week, Halifax's Chronicle Herald newspaper ran a story about Mount St. Vincent University deciding to scrap its undergraduate women's studies program. Reading the article, I thought about a few different ways I could discuss the matter here at Confabulous. There is the "ways to defend the importance of women's studies" angle. There is the "why is MSVU falling into the trap of building new buildings while axing programs?" angle (something familiar to me as an alumna of York University). And there is the whiny "other, far more stupid programs get funded all the time!" angle. But then I got a look at the comments section at the Chronicle Herald and discovered how little the discussion about women's studies has moved in the decade or so since I was enrolled as an undergrad. Herewith, the three-pronged anatomy of your standard "women's studies sucks" discussion: The top commenter writes, "What exactly does a BA in Womens studies qualify one to do? About as much as basket weaving 101 does!" Hyuk, hyuk! Good one! That covers the "women's studies is useless argument" in one slam dunk. Number two writes, "a BA in womens studies qualifies you to enter what has become a major industry in canada. that industry is making men the pigs they are pay and pay and pay and pay and pay and pay and pay,etc,etc,etc." That sums up the "men are unjustly persecuted by the women's movement/women's studies," position [note: it is important to conflate the two when making this argument]. To point out how unfair the women's movement is, he writes, "there are gyms in this and other cities that WILL NOT allow men to attend." Damn those women's only gyms, those bastions of female chauvinism! Then there is my all-time favourite: "Womens Studys.. what a joke of a program. Where is Mens Studys, or are we too simple?" Yes, the tidy "what about men's studies [er, sorry, studys]?" question. As my friend R. used to say back in the day, "If you're looking for men's studies, go to the campus radio station." Yes, the triptych of anti-women's studies sentiment remains the same. And yet, the blessing of this type of thinking is that it really answers its own question. In other words, as another commenter at the Chronicle Herald wrote, the three fellas who wrote these comments are precisely "the REAL reason why we need Women's Studies programs." Kinda sums it up, eh? What is your favourite way of responding to windbaggery? Let us know!

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Tagged as: windbags, women's studies