It's Only a Joke

In the midst of the current right-wing attempt to roll back not just the 21st but the 20th century, we have one of the major Republican candidates for Minnesota's lieutenant governor, Matt Birk, who in the midst of a speech about how abortion makes women think they can have careers or careers make women think they need abortions, or some such, he also made a "joke" about how women shouldn't be allowed to drive:



This guy is likely to be the top vote-getter for his desired office in the Republican primary next month.

While I am, of course, outraged about this, I have also been ignoring his words to the best of my ability because really, who has time for all of the revanchist twaddle that comes out of these guys' mouths?

But today I saw a righteous post on Twitter about it and I have to endorse what @mollypeonies has to say:

It's crazy how many super sexist jokes are just common place. Misogynistic jokes aren't just "locker room" fodder. They are just part of the cultural norm. And how easily it is for women to internalize that misogyny--the ways we are only defined/exist by male standards.

"Oh, it's only a JOKE...that nearly half of the world's population think you are stupid, less than, small, silly, and disobedient to the rules they have laid out for you."

Thank you, Molly. I am generally ignoring Matt Birk's BS, and all of the crap that it fits in with, but it's a defense mechanism. There are 50+ years of rage burning in my brain that I'm afraid to let out.