I found this while searching for websites addressing issues of misogyny and violence women are so often confronted with in public spaces, especially in the city. I came across an interesting entry about this problem and where it may stem from.
Suzannah B. Troy is an artist in New York City who creates a lot of work focusing on women’s issues and politics. She writes letters that have been published in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the NY Post and other newspapers. She creates REALLY interesting and funky art, like these “Activist Panties” from 2006:
Anyway, I agreed with what Suzannah had to say about all this and wanted to share her thoughts:
Have you ever noticed the men that tend to “weigh” women, judge them, rate them, pick on them tend to be the most unattractive, often grossly over weight men…even the men that come in pretty packages that tend to be very judgmental of women are like teapots filled to the brim under a hot fire but what is steaming out is their own self rejection that they artfully project on to women….
what a release of tension to dump on a woman when they feel so out of control of some very unpleasant feelings they happen t have….uh huh…about themselves and they don’t want to confront those feelings so it is easier to project them forward on an outside object usually a woman and “beat her up” try and control her put her down…it is a down right vacation from their own self hate.
Same with these kids and young men running around with guns shooting them and if they did not have guns, it is knives, razors — bottom line — they are tuned in to the “hate” channel and better to hate and blame anyone than get to the root of what is really their own discontent…and that is putting it mildly.
Women fall in to this category as well but guess what — they would rather dump on women or girls just like misogynist men go figure.
There is something wrong with the “men-tality” machismo you find in NYC these days and it’s male and females members and they can be found in offices as easily as in the streets….
the entire city needs conscious raising….
POSTED BY SUZANNAH B. TROY ARTIST AT 11:21
Suzannah is currently working on finding submissions pertaining to men and transgenders who are upset with violence towards women, which is a very interesting idea to explore. Any material on the topic? Email me at sharnabrzycki@gmail.com and I can pass it along. Or check out her website:
