Feminazi
Feminazi is a pejorative term used to negatively characterize feminists. Popularized by radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, it is used in North America by some social conservatives to refer to feminists whom they perceive as intolerant of conservative views.[1]
Usage
Feminazi is a portmanteau of the nouns feminist and Nazi. The on-line version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term as used in a "usually disparaging" manner, to describe "an extreme or militant feminist".[2]
Popularized by Rush Limbaugh
The term was popularized by conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, who credited his friend Tom Hazlett, a professor of law and economics at George Mason University, with coining the term.[1] Limbaugh originally stated that the word “feminazi” refers to unspecified women whose goal is to allow as many abortions as possible, saying at one point that there were fewer than twenty-five true feminazis in the U.S.[3]
In practice Limbaugh has used the term "feminazi" for much wider contexts. Limbaugh also used the term to refer to members of the National Center for Women and Policing, the Feminist Majority Foundation, and the National Organization for Women, which has over 500,000 members.[4][5][6]On April 26, 2004, commenting on the April 25 March for Women's Lives, Limbaugh said, “Some funny comments from the feminazis at the pro-abortion rally in Washington yesterday. Not many. It didn't take long for us to put together our montage, but we'll let you hear it when we come back.”[7] Limbaugh was accused of hypocrisy for excitedly endorsing, and showing strong support for, the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, a strong social conservative and a self-described feminist.[8]
Response
Some consider use of the term “feminazi” ironic because feminists and other political dissenters were among the victims of Nazi concentration camps and Nazi work camps.[9] Gloria Steinem said in an interview, "Hitler came to power against the strong feminist movement in Germany, padlocked the family planning clinics, and declared abortion a crime against the state--all views that more closely resemble Rush Limbaugh’s."[10] Many prominent German feminists like Helene Stöcker, Trude Weiss-Rosmarin and Clara Zetkin were forced to flee Nazi Germany.
Young feminists have observed that social conservatives, like Rush Limbaugh, frequently use the term feminazi to stereotype the entire feminist movement.”[11]
See also
References
- ^ a b Rush H. Limbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, Pocket Books, 1992 p.193 Cite error: The named reference "TheWayp193" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Online dictionary
- ^ Rush H. Limbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, Pocket Books, 1992 p.296
- “Feminazi: Widely misunderstood by most to simply mean ‘feminist’. Not so, boob ala. A Feminazi is a feminist to whom the most important thing in life is ensuring that as many abortions as possible occur. There are fewer than twenty-five known Feminazis in the United States…”
- ^ Media Matters "Meet the New Rush, Same as the Old Rush; A Media Matters for America Analysis of The Rush Limbaugh Show"
- ^ Media Matters "Repeating "feminazi" comment, Limbaugh reprises familiar theme"
- ^ Media Matters "Limbaugh lashed out at Media Matters and NBC, having declined invitation from Today to respond"
- ^ Media Matters "Meet the New Rush, Same as the Old Rush; A Media Matters for America Analysis of The Rush Limbaugh Show"
- ^ http://www.minnpost.com/christinacapecchi/2008/10/02/3754/palins_self-described_feminism_turns_off_some_conservative_women
- ^ When is calling a Jew a Nazi not anti-Semitic? When she’s a feminist Jew.
- ^ Ask Gloria (second question down)
- ^ what's a feminist?