It's definitely after WWI. After WWII, too. Think about the 50s—that shit happened (to rich folk) until the feminist movement of the 60s and 70s.

Mr. Rochester would be an example of a miserable man because of marriage.

The thing about consequences is still true, though—"having sex" is a behavior, "having a baby" is a consequence of that behavior, and it's true that only women can get pregnant from having sex. Having a baby, in your body, is a "graver consequence" than having a kid with a crazy person—which is something that happens…

Because the British government has worked really hard at making the British Isles seem like one nation-state with one national history and culture for the past seven-hundred years? Especially since the 19th century?

Well, my point is that just because something doesn't pass the Bechdel test, doesn't mean it's antifeminist. Nobody's going to convince me that The Duchess of Malfi is anything but a feminist text. It's like an expose of patriarchy and fucked up men. Even if it doesn't pass the test, it's still feminist.

Are there, really, plenty of works that pass the test but feature horrifying stereotypes of women? Plenty? Because I don't think so. Films (and books) that feature horrifying stereotypes of women don't have the women talking to each other about things other than men.

It isn't meant to be the only way to consider fiction. But like I said above, the fact that so few of our literary classics and contemporary movies pass it, is telling about how our culture constructs the idea of "Woman."

Romeo talks to Mercutio and Benvolio and a bunch of his friends about going to a party, about fairies, about cupid, about fucking (generically, not specifically), about killing each other, about proper sword fighting techniques, and about how both the Montagues and the Capulets are gonna be a-plague'd. And that's just…

It definitely passes. While she's at school she has several long and tedious conversations with her friend Helen about how it's totally cool that they're poor and abused because Jesus. And Helen and PrettyLadyTeacher have a bunch of conversations about French philosophy and religion and history and shit. Plus Jane…

But..but...

SInce I'm in graduate school working on a PhD in Shakespeare and Feminist Criticism, this is very interesting to me.

Pointing out that history is grossly biased in favor of men isn't pointless. It's important to point that shit out. You don't have to change the past—or Homer. But you do have to change the way you read.

You have a much higher opinion of his powers of self-awareness and, um, I think it's called something like "ethics" (?) than I do.

But a person being—legitimately—sad after an abortion, even being depressed after an abortion, isn't a disease. Post Abortion Trauma, what with the capital letters, implies that it's a Thing that Lots of people have instead of something that some women experience. Just like there's not Post-C-Section When You Were…

It happens everywhere. On the bus, at bars, at the library, on the street. Anywhere where there are women, and there are men, this happens. I'm sure it happens in places where you frequent, you probably just don't notice it. I mean, it happens in restaurants all the time—kitchens are notoriously miserable places for…

A direct quote from you: "It IS your job to teach men not to be douchebags." That was in response to the comment, "It's not our job to teach men not to be douchebags." So you said that she was wrong, we are responsible for teaching men not to be douchebags.

My feminist opinion is that once men and women are entirely socially and economically equal, then this point is valid. Until women no longer make less money for more work—inside and outside the home— and once women no longer need to worry about economic issues affecting their health or their kids' health, the kind of…

This is amazing and has replaced my old lottery-winning-fantasy (which was "Assassination Squad" to delete people who really suck).

No I think Mr. Alex is right. Expecting most men to treat women like humans is a pretty fantastical goal. See also: Alex1868.

Heyyy Go fuck yourself!