This is What a Feminist Thinks Like.

My Women and Gender Studies degree taught me the art of critical thinking. So now when I watch a tv show, or a movie, or read an article/book/essay etc. I can examine it for it's benefits while also deconstructing it through a feminist/post-modern lens for it's faults.

This is all well and good... i guess. But I've realized recently that I've started deconstructing people. I critically evaluate their level of social awareness and decide from there whether or not I like them or not. Often times, I end up leaving a party-like situation with a list of things other people need to work on.

Which made me realize that I'm being a complete asshole.

Though some of the people I've met could potentially be passive misogynists I shouldn't judge them just because they haven't taken a gender theory class.

At the same time, one would think that when I meet someone and I say what I got my degree in they would at least attempt to be a little more careful about their word choices...but what can a lonely feminist do? Correct them? Constantly?

Even though I can take apart of movie or an article I wonder if that necessarily helps me at all in my social life? At what rare opportunity am I going to be given the chance to talk queer theory or post-modernism without it turning into pretentious drunk babbling? Or maybe that's all that is left of my degree, the ability to have heated discussions with people in the hopes that they are in an enlightened feminist state (i.e. under the influence of too many martinis) and will transform their lives to the cause of ending oppression for all.

Also...it's been awhile since I've been around men. And it's kind of freaking me out. Like stranger men. Like straighter men. I am out of my theory bubble back in the world of starers, hit-oners, grabbers, breeders, haters. It's a bit frightening as I've been out of practice in the game of telling guys to beat it. Though I think they can sense the difference--or at least they see my cold hard stare and no better than to approach me. RARHAR!

I don't know about any of this except that I need to get better about accepting people for who and where they are in life. And if they're interesting enough (because, please, I still don't want to give boring people a chance), then all I can do is tell them what I know and hope it all works out for the better.

Until then, I will keep my deconstructing to myself.