It's bad enough that Jon Stewart continues to use the word "balls" to mean courage, but when an alleged feminist uses it, it's completely insane.
That's like a Zionist complimenting another Jew for her good Christian values.
VIDA: Women in Literary Arts posted a link on Facebook to this blog post, entitled "When You Are Silent, You Are Worthless. She writes:
In short, the books are being marketed as women’s literature (or better known as “chick lit,” a term that has always driven me up the wall). So, like the ballsy woman she is, Belica took pen to paper and wrote an article about her experience and her personal opinions of the books...That's right, that is NOT a typo. She complains about the term "chick lit" and in THE VERY NEXT SENTENCE she compliments a woman by calling her "ballsy."
FOLLOW UP: here is her response:
Yes, I did and I will continue to call anyone I deem “ballsy” that regardless of gender. Just as I will call anyone “bitchy” when they are being that as well.So clearly if the culture codifies sexism in the language we are all utterly HELPLESS - if it's in the dictionary then we are compelled to continue to use the sexist-based term!
I do not define “ballsy” by gender and if you have a problem with that, take it up with Merriam-Webster.
I mean, there is no more obvious bed-rock proof of millenia of misogyny than the fact that male genitalia is considered the appropriate word for courage, and female genitalia ("pussy") is considered the appropriate word for cowardace. What would it take to get through to her the fundamental, unavoidable sexism of the term "ballsy"? Do Noah Webster and George and Charles Merriam have to come back from the dead to explain it?
Obviously she would have no problem using the phrase "Jew down" to mean drive a hard bargain, either, because hey it's in the dictionary! Of course we have to continue to spread anti-Semitism if it's in the dictionary!
But that still begs the question - if you can justify the use of the word "ballsy" to praise a woman for her courage, on what grounds do you dare to complain about the use of the term "chick lit"? The logical dissonance is utterly mind-blowing.
And I did not choose the title of this blog post randomly - this is the exact meaning of what she is saying. Here's how it works: she says "when you are silent, you are worthless" - and so the woman she's writing about is not silent. Why does she have the power to speak up? She's ballsy. She has balls. Because having balls makes you courageous - LIKE A MAN.