John: Hi Mary. What’s keeping you busy these days?
Mary: Hi John. I am reading the book We should all be feminists.
John: Feminism? I hate feminists. They are ‘snowflakes’.
Mary: What do you mean?
John: Snowflakes are people who think that they are unique and get easily offended. Feminists easily get offended and always blame and abuse men.
Mary: If that is the definition of ‘snowflake’, you also belong to the ‘snowflake generation’. Any young person who is more prone to taking offence belongs to the ‘snowflake generation’.
John: Now you have proved that you are a feminist.
Mary: Feminism is about equality between sexes. As long as we have MCPs in our society, feminists will be there.
John: MCPs? You mean ‘Male chauvinist …’?
Mary: Yes, Male Chauvinist Pigs. Any man who thinks that men are superior to women and behaves in such a way is a male chauvinist pig.
John: Not all men.
Mary: Do you know the story of #MenAreTrash?
John: Yes, the hashtag was trending two years ago, when a 19-year-old South African university student was raped and murdered by her boyfriend. I also raised my voice against it. Not all men are trash.
Mary: Agreed. Men who think that they are not trash should educate other men to stop being trash.
John: For heaven’s sake, please stop lecturing…
Mary: I can stop lecturing if you can stop being a sexist.
John: Sexist? I have never been a sexist in my life. Maybe you don’t know what ‘sexism’ means.
Mary: John, most men are sexists. Many are hostile sexists and some are benevolent sexists. You are a benevolent sexist, I think. You have internalised sexism in you. It is the male gaze that is the cause of male domination.
John: Sounds interesting. You can start your lecture now.
Mary: Many men see the world through a masculine lens and view women as objects. This is called ‘male gaze’.
John: I thought it was the ‘female gaze’ that ruled the 21st century.
