The Real Consequences of Limbaugh’s Misogyny
There is no woman who has escaped the “slut” and “whore” accusations when she has stood up for herself and lived her life by her own terms. It’s what a patriarchal culture does to keep its women “in their place.” Most adult women who have managed to live lives actualized as fully sexual human beings will largely shake off much of this message with the understanding of its real intent. We can avoid further internalizing it and instead of retreating into undeserved self-recrimination come out with fists raised.
As feminists what angers us beyond the hate and contempt that Limbaugh and his misogynist minions have been flinging like so much stinking poo on the fields, is not just the hatred directed at all women. We see that it is a reflection of the juvenile willful ignorance of the poo-flingers, much of it actually hilarious with its stupidity and unquestioning willingness to believe any nonsense as spewed by their chosen glorified DJ parade master. They can’t hurt us with those words.
Who they can hurt with their venal, noxious regurgitations of their leader’s bile is our daughters. This is a heartbreaking story of the reality of this message:
I’ve spent the past 2 days trying to convince my 16y/o she is not a “slut”
… You see, my 16 year old daughter came home from school on Friday in tears and has been in a state of utter despair since. She was told, in no uncertain terms, that she is a slut, a prostitute, a horny piece of trash that is out to sleep with every guy in school! The horrid little monsters who started harassing my daughter had the audacity to tell her their mothers were the ones who labeled her with these despicable opinions- they were just “telling it like it is, you know, like that guy on the radio! The one who isn’t afraid to tell the truth!” Who does this?! How does Rush Limbaugh or anyone else have the right to do this, to say these things about anyone?