I Comment Therefore I Am: Vaginas, Mama Grizzlies and War on Stupidity

33 Replies

Hello? *Tapping the microphone* Is this thing on? *Sorry for the screeeeching feedback*

Hi. My name is Lin. And I run my mouth here. I sometimes do a set called “I Comment Therefore I Am” because comments more often than not are the best part. In the interest of full disclosure: Today I am going to lure you in with VAGINA in the title of my post so I can later feed you liberal/DEM propaganda.

The set about vaginae is quite funny. I think. At least they are not “political”. However, if you think about it:  The personal is political has been the rallying cry for the feminist movement in the 60s and 70s, and we owe it to our foremothers/sisters for our freedom to say VAGINA! as loud as we wish without being stoned to death…

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Scene 1: Unknown Mami and Her Vagina Started an One-up(wo)manship

This was going to be a story within a story. Long story short: Unknown Mami commented on Nancy’s post at Away We Go in which a game of bluffing about what your vagina can do is suggested. Thus began an epic One-up(wo)manship, and hilarity ensued. Some of the choice bits (No pun intended. *whistling*):

Unknown Mami commented,

Puh-leaze, my vagina can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan.

My vagina was once cast as Richard the III. Sure people were confused, but I’m sure Shakespeare was proud.

Nancy retorted,

My vagina, thankfully, has never been compared to Falstaff.

My vagina once split the atom. Just sayin.

And it goes on and on. It is epic! Like The Lord(ess) of the Ring. You have to be there to fully appreciate the epicness. I spent the whole day trying to come up with a followup comment, a sequel that does not suck (Yeah, good luck! I know…) Here is what I would have commented if my vagina were not too busy surfing porn:

My vagina is having performance anxiety the whole day, wondering how she can beat your vaginas. In the mean time she finished reading all 15,637 posts on her Google Reader and left intelligent, perceptive, thought-provoking (and heartfelt, if the situations called for it) comments on all. She also tweeted this and immediately got more followers than @aplusk!

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Scene 2: What’s VAGINA! got to do with it?

Pardon me while I get my soapbox out. *Dusting it. Getting onto the soap box*

All this fun with our VAGINA!, perhaps paradoxically, brings up another point I wish to make: Having a vagina can only unite us this far. Aside from our bodies, there lies a risk of assuming some sort of solidarity amongst women across ALL issues. Do not assume that just because we all have vaginas, we are necessarily fighting all the same battles, from the same side.

Arianna Huffington‘s post Sarah Palin, “Mama Grizzlies,” Carl Jung, and the Power of Archetypes provides an interesting way of reading Sarah Palin’s Mama Grizzlies video, or rather, its resonance amongst certain segments in the nation.

Here are some of Palin’s memorable quotes from the now (in)famous video:

“It seems like it’s kind of a mom awakening… women are rising up.”
“I always think of the mama grizzly bears that rise up on their hind legs when somebody is coming to attack their cubs.”
“You thought pit bulls were tough? Well, you don’t wanna mess with the mama grizzlies!”

Ms. Huffinton’s point is that if we interpret the Sarah Palin brand and its effect on its audience from the perspective of Carl Jung’s “collective unconscious”, it is easy to understand and even appreciate how and why she is able to gain such a loyal following even when the more mainstream Republicans have tried to distance themselves from her. “Mama grizzlies” are archetypes, the unconscious, shared human instinct that Palin has invoked in her recent public appearances, touching upon the White middle-class fear of losing the established ground they have become so accustomed to, have taken for granted, inciting the basic human nature to fight for the survival* of the species, whipping her followers into a frenzy.

* You say “Survival”, I say “Compared to what?”

Here is what Carl Jung has to say on the power that archetypes wield over the unconscious:

[During troubled conditions experienced by large numbers of people] … explosive and dangerous forces hidden in the archetype come into action, frequently with unpredictable consequences.  There is no lunacy people under the domination of an archetype will not fall prey to.

Not to be outdone by Herr Jung, I decided to throw in my own missive:

Thank you for this enlightening analysis on the power and danger of the paradox that is Sarah Palin. I just want to add that I am pissed as hell. There are Mama Grizzlies on this side as well, no? I for one am wanting to rise up on my hind legs because I do NOT want my kids to grow up in a society where

ignorance is “appreciated” as genuineness,

inability to carry a logical and rational discussion is explained away as down-home-ness,

anti-intellectualism is at an all-time high and considered to be a heroic folk rebellion,

and intolerance is equated with maternal instincts.

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Scene 3. Stupid is as Stupid Does

From VAGINA! to a tirade against Sarah Palin… WTF? You are probably thinking. I know. I am amazed at my talent for random free association too. Those of you that have stayed with me so far are in this very very tiny sliver of a Venn Diagram intersection.

This is you —>  A ∩ B

I <3 you. All of you. Except Elly. For Elly, I *heart* you since she hates <3

But of course, I digress…

I came upon this online essay America Needs a War on Stupid by Japhy Grant, and I have been trying to internalize the wisdom imparted by Mr. Grant so I can whip out the choice quotes in times of need. I am quoting them here since I suspect that quite a few of you would appreciate a good comeback as much as I do:

The right to hold an opinion carries with it the responsibility to defend it.

The reason for this is cowardice.  Our society has come to believe that any viewpoint is a legitimate viewpoint, so long as there’s someone out there to espouse it.  While this might make for good jokes on The Colbert Report, it’s actually a greater threat to America than terrorism or drugs or any of the other causes we have decided to ‘declare war’ on.  Which is why I am suggesting that America ought to collectively declare war on stupidity.  If we are to wage an ideological battle against a concept, let it be against Stupidity.

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Being the easily excitable kind, I jumped up and down when I read this, yes, while clapping my hands. I also played the theme song from Team America: World Police because I love a good co-opting like every other liberal conspirator.  I would have been wagging my tail if I had one. Never shy away from an opportunity to repeat myself, I decided to leave a comment amongst the other more astute, intelligent responses, because “I comment therefore I am”…

Republicans are once again playing on the level of emotions (fears mostly) and not brains. The whole mama grizzly thing taps into our most primitive instinct: it’s either me and my brood or you. There is no reasoning with people when their survival instinct has been turned on and whipped into a frenzy. The news coverage of the misc. protests/gatherings always reminds me of the story “The Lottery”.

We need this right now. I personally needed to read what you said here right now. Thank you.

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Unknown Mami

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33 thoughts on “I Comment Therefore I Am: Vaginas, Mama Grizzlies and War on Stupidity”

    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      Thank you for visiting and commenting. Thank you for the moral support!!!!!!

      Your vagina is awesome. Do you mind sending her (it’s a she right??) over to my house? I have 11 socks without their partners that need some consolation…

      Reply ↓
  5. Kate

    My mama grizzly vagina eats stupid for breakfast. (what?)

    Random late night thought. A few weeks ago, I found myself in a store with Jung action figures and a set of finger puppets including Freud, Jung and a couch.

    Reply ↓
    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      For real? That is awesome! What best way to administer self-therapy than role playing with finger puppets! (Where do you live?! That some random store carries such awesome stuff. Even a couch?!)

      Reply ↓
  6. Lorraine

    I just saw a brilliant and hilarious one-woman play by Lindsay Burns. It’s called “The Vajayjay Monologues” and if you want some snappy v-related politics, humor and philosophy, you should read or see this work. Amazing. Go here: http://www.potofjam.com/. There was a preview up the last time I checked.

    Reply ↓
  7. MrsBlogAlot

    You have to be the smartest person I know Lin!

    And trust me, I know alot of vaginas.

    Now look what you just made me say!

    I guess smart women have special powers …I’m weak against them(-:

    Reply ↓
  9. gaelikaa

    I suppose it makes a change from guys boasting about what their stuff can do!

    Having given birth to four children, I’d say mine is in pretty good shape considering.

    My dear woman I am a married lady living in India and have my reputation to consider so I won’t say the word out loud.

    I did ‘I Comment Therefore I Am’ this week. Please do feel free to check me out if you get the time!

    Reply ↓
  11. dufmanno

    Hey, today I looked at a search term that someone used to find me and it said “blowtorch vagina”
    There are so many ways I could go with this right now I feel I need to sit down and marinate in the possibilities.
    Perhaps this is the first hint that I can, in fact, shoot flames from my vagina?
    Anyhow, my opinions are like half baked ideas that burnt in the oven so I rarely share them for fear of public ridicule.

    Reply ↓
  14. gigi

    You are way too smart. Scary smart.

    I may not be smart enough to comment back, except to say that I won’t comment on Sarah Palin because, as far as fame whores go, I much prefer Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.

    Oh yesh, and my vagina can run a 4 minute mile.
    gigi recently posted…hear my voiceMy Profile

    Reply ↓
    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      M’lady, you are giving me too much credit. I just love being a “quote whore”, putting myself next to brilliance so as to look bright.

      Your vagina?… Is that how you want to play it? Bring it on, girl! My vagina is doing Ironman!

      Reply ↓
      1. Elly Lou

        I would pay good money for a chance for my vagina to do Tony Stark. Hard. In fact, I can’t remember my comment now and must *ahem* go play with some of the swag from BlogHer. It probably involved Palin and the dick emoticon but I’m not going to think about it. Right now it’s all about me and Tony and a battery operated sumtin sumtin.
        Elly Lou recently posted…SquatterMy Profile

        Reply ↓
  16. Justine

    Naturally, you had me at VAGINA. Because it takes balls, no, Vagina, to make that as part of your header. I devoured every ridiculously funny and intelligent bit. (Who knew you had this in you? I’m kidding. Your political rants are my favorite). I’ve said this before – I come to you as my news source (yes, that also means I’m pretty out of it. Last I heard there’s an oil spill on the Gulf or somethin) – and this Palin video just tainted my morning. I can’t believe people are calling her a feminist leader just because she’s a mom who has found a forum in a bunch of women who can’t look past her perfect hairdo to see the ignorance masquerading as down-homeyness. What is WRONG with these people? I am so with you and Mr Grant on your rallying cry against stupidity. Where do I sign up?
    Justine recently posted…Thank you for keeping my secretMy Profile

    Reply ↓

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