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Science FictionThe Fresco, by Sheri Tepper
Dear book-loving Ovarettes: I frequently haunt this section of Ovarit for book suggestions (my favorite genre is sci-fi) and found The Fresco by Sheri Tepper listed here. I really enjoyed this book and found it a hilarious feminist novel! It has some extremely pointed observations about relationships between men and women, government, God, and the need to solve for the root of a problem.
It was wickedly funny and in some parts, kind of terrifying? (what if aliens are not cuddly and noble humanoids, for example? )
Did you read it? What did you think?
Excellent visual. Also? Excellent rejoinder: since when do you have to be personally affected?
We don’t pass laws against murder only because we have been murdered.
Probably the best thing about this was how big a terf fil is.
My jaw literally dropped to the floor when he brought up sjsu. I couldn’t even pick it up before he mentioned Imane Khleif.
As much as legacy media tried to bury this, he knew all about it. The mystery is from where. He hates Fox News, isn’t on social media but still knew all about it.
I've been surprised by people who don't seem terminally online or very political who know a lot about trans issues (and are largely in opposition). Maybe they hear from people who are too much online? Either way, it's pretty heartening.
Dh says again that it’s not effecting him personally.
This is such a weird public admission that I never understand. It's true for most people but extrapolating from that, it seems many of those people would not have care for Jim Crow laws since they didn't directly affect them. Which I'm pretty sure there were tons of white people who didn't have strong feelings about black people but just didn't care to rock the boat or spend time and energy fighting for something that didn't affect them.
I guess things have always been this way and that's why change is so hard and often led by extremists. Still, pretty sad though.
Unfortunately a lot people will look you dead in the eye and say things like "well if you earned what I earn, you would be conservative too."
Ive been on government support, a high income earner, back to minimum wage, and back to a moderate income. My politics only ever got more left, because Im not a psychopath and I base my morality on more than my own personal temporary needs and gains.
Its considered by many people to be normal to think only about what benefits you and yours most, and they think its so bizzare to not do that that you must have alterior motives. So these supposed progressives will straight up say things like "Youve never been in prison, so why would you care about female inmates getting raped by men? No, you must just be getting some personal pleasure from hating on TIMs, because personal gain is the only motivator I can concieve of".
And then theres another group of people who will just say "it doesnt affect me so I dont care" as a way of saying "I dont want to be involved in this conversation, im uncomfortable and dont have strong convictions here" but really should figure out a way to distinguish themselves from the first group.
What’s interesting is that during the civil rights, non-violent protests a lot of Americans were pretty ignorant of what was actually happening. But television changed that. For the first time, people could see what was happening in the South. Images of peaceful black people being attacked by dogs and blown away by fire hoses shocked Americans. Obviously, not all white people cared—it doesn’t affect me, or just racism—but it did affect some white people. At least it did for my parents when they saw the images on the news. I keep thinking of men who say they don’t care about women being raped, because it doesn’t affect them. Until his wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, niece. . . .
Actually historically true. For example there were very few abolitionists who were truly trying to make changes. Most of us are too tired, too busy, have too much real life going on to have opinions AND do something. Probably more people have opinions today than in 1850 just because it’s easier to have and express them and we don’t have to work as hard anymore.
We had a passed around phone photo of a family friend's awkwardly transed son. It was really uncomfortable. No one was quite sure what to say, and I just drank my wine. It's still this very strange concept that the libs in my family are starting to wake up to, but the more conservative ones just politely sidestep. Last year it would have been a lot of fake pity and talking about how she looks like she's doing well, this year, it was just a lot of discomfort and more realistic pity. That kid is fucked.
Every single men I know (except the old and conservative ones) always use this excuse "it doesn't affect me personally" or "welp this has nothing to do with me, so it's not my problem". They don't wanna think about it, they don't give a shit, or even worse, it doesn't affect them and they're supportive of it because is trendy right now.
The funny thing about it is that dh at home THANKED me for pointing out to his mom that her son would not be a woman by taking hormones tho. So even he thinks it is bullshit that men think this…but I think he thinks such men are gay and therefore harmless.
Dh says again that it’s not effecting him personally.
LOL these are the same people who insist that Republican voters only care about themselves.
What? I don't understand the link between that statement and yours.
I believe she's saying that TRAs also only care about themselves.
Mil and sil said that once a male started hormones his body would become more like a woman’s.
Ask them how. Will his muscles start to shrivel away? Will his bones physically shrink like osteoporosis but somehow not dangerous at all? Will the d*ck just shrink until it *poof *dissappears? How exactly do bodies change from male to female?
Dh says again that it’s not effecting him personally.
Ask him if he prefers having a male of female urologist. Then if he would be ok if it was just a dude in a wig or a small woman with a frog voice doing his prostate exam. It affects everyone. (And even if it doesn’t, come tf on!) ugh I’m sorry you had to sit through that!
A couple years ago, dh had a female np diagnose him with a hernia that had descended into his scrotum. It turned out to be hydrocele, which is a different operation.
This is a great point "And since when do you have to be personally affected?"
Ugh. Brilliant visual with the hands, tho. Well done.
Spent TG with an old terfy friend as per usual. Happy to report tho that on a recent trip, mil and fil (a golf fan) have both become aware/come to the conclusion on their own that the sex category sports infringement is bullshit. Fil is a retired MD and mil went to nursing school, so they reached this conclusion through their own brain power. Quite proud of them.
It's interesting that the dh is taking the mil and sil side. I'm glad the subject didn't even come up at my TG.
Well-meaning people who play along because they think the dude will commit suicide otherwise: "Well, once they take estrogen, it makes them more like a woman, doesn't it?"
TIMs: "anyway im so clumsy now that im on e! it makes me such a bimbo, lol. i cant do advanced math anymore and all i can think about is makeup!"
Dh says again that it’s not effecting him personally
Time to teach him the 4 Bs
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May I suggest sports talk?
I used to hate it before I realized what a great neutral subject it is. Plus, the more stuff you know including trivia, the more likely you’ll be respected.
Only women’s rights are negotiable