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Jessica Valenti Quotes

Writer

Jessica Valenti, born on November 1, 1978, is an American writer whose work primarily focuses on gender, politics, and social justice issues. Her notable works include 'The Purity Myth: Challenging the Sexual Orthodoxy of the American Right'.

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All Feminism Thinking Feminist People Kind Men Way Ifs Young Women Sexism Young Giving Online World Ideas Mean Virginity Hate Knows Misogyny

Famous Jessica Valenti Quotes

“The stereotypes of feminists as ugly, or man-haters, or hairy, or whatever it is - that's really strategic. That's a really smart way to keep young women away from feminism, is to kind of put out this idea that all feminists hate men, or all feminists are ugly; and that they really come from a place of fear.”

Men Way Kind Ideas Young Hate Feminism Smart Feminist Ugly Young Women Stereotype Strategic Hate Me Really Smart Man Hater

Author:Jessica Valenti

“The studies about differences between the sexes that you see kind of get propped up in the media are more often than not denigrating women in some way, saying that women really don't have any spatial understanding, and that's why they can't park.”

Way Kind Sex Understanding Differences Study Media Parks Spatial

Author:Jessica Valenti

“It used to be that if someone was to get involved in feminism, it was probably because they were already interested. They were already interested in feminism; they were already interested in being an activist, and they found their way to like a NOW meeting or to a consciousness-raising group or something like that.”

Ifs Way Used Found Consciousness Groups Feminism Involved Meetings Used To Be Activist Get Involved

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I don't think that there's a guy behind the desk at every newspaper saying "No, woman" and sending her on her way, but that's what's systemic about it, right, like that people don't quite realize that maybe they're attracted to a male op-ed more than a female op-ed, or because of networking they know this person from going out to a bar with them.”

People Thinking Knows Way Persons Guy Realizing Behinds Female Males Newspapers Bars Going Out Desks Networking Saying No

Author:Jessica Valenti

“Obviously Feministing is kind of a women's space in a certain way, even though we have a lot of male readership and people who don't identify as women.”

People Way Kind Certain Space Males Readership

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I think that online harassment has become so ubiquitous on the Internet that a lot of women do feel safer, whatever that means, in spaces where they know like people are not going to bother them in that kind of way.”

People Thinking Knows Way Feels Kind Mean Space Internet Bother Online Harassment

Author:Jessica Valenti

“The Internet is the new public space. And because women are out in public, people don't like that in much the same way that if you're walking down the street you get harassed. I think the same kind of thing happens online, and I think that's why a lot of women are hesitant to put their voice out there.”

People Ifs Thinking Way Kind Happens Voice Space Streets Internet Walking Things Happen Online Hesitant

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I think feminism is taking off. It's just not visible in the way that we would like it to be.”

Thinking Way Feminism Visible

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I do think that there is a real crisis of masculinity that's happening in America. I think the problem is - the way it's being framed is that there's a problem with masculinity because women are too powerful, or women are taking up too much space.”

Thinking Way Real Problem America Space Powerful Too Much Happenings Crisis Masculinity Framed

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I think it is effective when activists work from the margins, and I think that's the best way to go about it. And I do think that it's increasingly being more effective with the work that's being done online, that it is a bit more democratized, that whatever kind of activism is being done, it's not necessarily coming from one centralized place.”

Thinking Way Kind Done Bits Activism Best Way Online Activist Margins Being Done

Author:Jessica Valenti

“What bothers me the most about the way that people appropriate feminist language is that they are the same people who are - you know, anti-feminists - they're the same people who say that feminism is ruining the family, yet when it behooves them to, they'll say Sara Palin's a feminist - when all of a sudden it works in their favor.”

People Knows Way Language Feminism Feminist Favors Bother Appropriate Palin Anti Feminist

Author:Jessica Valenti

“People seem to think, because of the way that the media has appropriated third-wave feminism or young feminism, that all young feminists are about is like pole dancing and girls gone wild and how empowering it is. Like they'll start calling anything feminist.”

People Thinking Way Seems Young Girl Gone Feminism Media Calling Thirds Dancing Wave Feminist Empowering Pole Dancing

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I saw an article where the manager of the Pussycat Dolls, which is kind of this like striptease band, girl band, said, oh well, the girls are totally third-wave feminist. This is what third-wave feminism is about. Like you don't get to use that word. You don't get to say that something is feminist as a way to sell back sexism to women, as a way to further consumerist ideas.”

Way Wells Kind Said Ideas Use Girl Saws Feminism Like You Band Thirds Sells Wave Feminist Managers Sexism Articles Dolls Oh Well

Author:Jessica Valenti

“Because there's no accountability on line in the same way there is in real life, all of a sudden you can say like, yeah, I hate women; I want to kill women. And you can say that online, and not only will you find a place to say it, but you'll find a place to say it where people are like, yeah, me too.”

People Way Want Real Hate Lines I Hate Yeah Real Life Online Accountability

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I think that we're our own worst enemies in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to doing work where you're criticized a lot or doing work where there's a lot of hater directed at you; and to not constantly second-guess yourself.”

Thinking Way Enemy Worst Worst Enemy

Author:Jessica Valenti

“Sex for pleasure, for fun, or even for building relationships is completely absent from our national conversation. Yet taking the joy out of sexuality is a surefire way to ensure not that young women won't have sex, but rather that they'll have it without pleasure.”

Way Young Joy Fun Sex Pleasure Building Conversation Sexuality Young Women Absent Building Relationships

Book:The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women

Source: The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women

“The cultural insistence that parenting is the 'most important' job in the world is a smart way to satiate unappreciated women without doing a damn thing for them.”

World Way Important Jobs Smart Damn Insistence Damn Things Important Jobs

Book:Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and Happiness

Source: Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and Happiness

“Hearing the Beastie Boys speak out against sexism made me feel like if these men who had once sung about getting girls to 'do the laundry' and 'clean up my room' could understand, maybe the rest of the world would follow suit. It made me hopeful in the best way.”

Ifs Men World Way Feels Made Girl Speak Rooms Boys Clean Hearing Best Way Suits Hopeful Sexism Speaks Out Laundry

Author:Jessica Valenti

“I hope that by modeling feminism in my own life, work and relationships that it will haut become an organic part of my daughter's life. But I'm also fully prepared for her to become a Republican as a way to rebel as a teenager - that would be just my luck!”

Way Would Be My Own Feminism Republican Daughter Luck Prepared Teenager My Daughter Rebel Modeling My Own Life

Author:Jessica Valenti

“Social media is not just another way to connect feminist and activist voices - it amplifies our messages as well.”

Way Wells Social Voice Media Messages Feminist Social Media Activist Another Way Amplify

Author:Jessica Valenti

“The less obvious hurdle is that of preparing parents emotionally and putting forward realistic images of parenthood and motherhood. There also needs to be some sort of acknowledgement that not everyone should parent - when parenting is a given, it's not fully considered or thought out, and it gives way too easily to parental ambivalence and unhappiness.”

Way Needs Giving Should Given Parent Obvious Motherhood Unhappiness Parenthood Realistic Preparing Parental Acknowledgement Hurdle Ambivalence

Book:Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and Happiness

Source: Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and Happiness

About the Author

Born: November 1, 1978
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 161

Books & Sources

The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young WomenRelated source material

Sex Object: A MemoirRelated source material

Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism MattersRelated source material

Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth about Parenting and HappinessRelated source material

Full Frontal FeminismRelated source material

He's a Stud, She's a Slut, and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should KnowRelated source material

Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to WinRelated source material

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