France Going Feminist?

Maureen Dowd glows about the ferment of debate in France over male privilege in the aftermath of the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn for raping the hotel maid:

“Is this the end of the ordinary misogyny that weighs on French political life?” the paper asked, adding: “Tongues have become untied.”

In the wake of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal, as more Frenchwomen venture sexual harassment charges against elite men, the capital of seduction is reeling at the abrupt shift from can-can to can’t-can’t. Le Canard Enchaîné, a satirical weekly, still argues that “News always stops at the bedroom door,” but many French seem ready to bid adieu to the maxim.

As Libération editor Nicolas Demorand wrote in an editorial: “Now that voices have been freed, and the ceiling of glass and shame has been bashed in, other scandals may now arise.”

After long scorning American Puritanism and political correctness on gender issues, the French are shocked to find themselves in a very American debate about the male exploitation/seduction of women, and the nature of consent.

Since I've never really enjoyed such male privilege, I probably should be celebratory too, but I cannot help feeling a sense of loss as well.

France Going Feminist?

Maureen Dowd glows about the ferment of debate in France over male privilege in the aftermath of the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn for raping the hotel maid:

“Is this the end of the ordinary misogyny that weighs on French political life?” the paper asked, adding: “Tongues have become untied.”

In the wake of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal, as more Frenchwomen venture sexual harassment charges against elite men, the capital of seduction is reeling at the abrupt shift from can-can to can’t-can’t. Le Canard Enchaîné, a satirical weekly, still argues that “News always stops at the bedroom door,” but many French seem ready to bid adieu to the maxim.

As Libération editor Nicolas Demorand wrote in an editorial: “Now that voices have been freed, and the ceiling of glass and shame has been bashed in, other scandals may now arise.”

After long scorning American Puritanism and political correctness on gender issues, the French are shocked to find themselves in a very American debate about the male exploitation/seduction of women, and the nature of consent.

Since I've never really enjoyed such male privilege, I probably should be celebratory too, but I cannot help feeling a sense of loss as well.

Genesis 8

After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth was dry. Then he sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. But the dove found no place to land because the water was still too high. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. Seven days later, Noah released the dove again. This time, toward evening, the bird returned to him with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Now Noah knew that the water was almost gone. A week later, he released the dove again, and this time it did not come back.

-- Genesis 8: 6-12 (NLT)

Like I said, the Bible has its moments. I live for lines like that. I ache over such beauty in a life that knows too little of it, though I may be looking in the wrong places and in the wrong forms.

After Noah’s grateful sacrifice of the appropriate animals and birds, the Lord is also feeling pleased and He says to Himself:

I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people’s thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood on. As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.

The rainbow covenant actually does not come in until the next chapter, but I may skip over that in preference to more disturbing material found there.

Genesis 8

After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat and released a raven that flew back and forth until the earth was dry. Then he sent out a dove to see if it could find dry ground. But the dove found no place to land because the water was still too high. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. Seven days later, Noah released the dove again. This time, toward evening, the bird returned to him with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Now Noah knew that the water was almost gone. A week later, he released the dove again, and this time it did not come back.

-- Genesis 8: 6-12 (NLT)

Like I said, the Bible has its moments. I live for lines like that. I ache over such beauty in a life that knows too little of it, though I may be looking in the wrong places and in the wrong forms.

After Noah’s grateful sacrifice of the appropriate animals and birds, the Lord is also feeling pleased and He says to Himself:

I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people’s thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood on. As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.

The rainbow covenant actually does not come in until the next chapter, but I may skip over that in preference to more disturbing material found there.