Girl, yes!! So many good lines here but maybe this most of all:
“What if they could keep power from women for so long in so many areas that even centuries later women completely forget they are the creators of life- the logical lineage through which to pass property and power?”
I have a story about how when I was pregnant and realized they tried to make up a story that a man somehow created life from another man I just laughed and laughed. I CACKLED.
Completely bananas how we just accept that story that a male god created life from the rib of a man's body--like, yeah, sounds good. When every person born EVER was created by a woman. A woman has made Every. Single. One!
Such an insecure try-hard move to be like--no, it was men who started it all, though...a man is the creator! It's embarrassing and telling when you think about what a pathetic move that is on the part of patriarchy. Womb envy much?
If you haven't read the book "The Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler, it is excellent. It lays out old matrifocal societies and contrasts them with patriarchal (dominator) societies. I find info like that (and what you've shared here) so fascinating and it provides vital context for society today. I wrote a review of "The Chalice and the Blade" here on substack since I enjoy the topic so much.
"The Chalice and the Blade" is LIFE CHANGING!!! It would be like my #1 suggestion for a book everyone needs to read. Something about reading how women rule in partnerships and there has never been a matriarchy because when women are in power, they share it - fundamentally shifted the way I think about the world.
Jerry Seinfeld dated a 17 year old girl when he was 38. That’s next level gross behavior. What I wonder about is whether Julia Louise Dreyfus likes him. I love her new podcast Wiser Than Me. She seems genuine and evolved, so different from him.
Thanks as always for waking us up and pointing out the bullshit.
I would love Julia's unfiltered take on Jerry. I imagine she would feel the need to keep things cheery between them given the continued public love of their show. But I also ADORE her podcast! I love hearing the advice of older women- its crazy there aren't more platforms out there mining the wisdom of older women!! Thank you Julia.
Celeste, this was so fantastic. What an infuriating, blood-boiling list, but my goodness such an important call to action. Thank you for writing this. ❤️
Thank you for shouting out the Women Aging in Patriarchy piece, I'm so grateful. What an honor to be included here.
I initially started this with “oh man”, but then realized there it is!!! 😓
Okay starting over…
Wow! thanks for putting in that breather, I needed it! And now I understand why I never liked Jerry Seinfeld!! 😏😆 I am a 60-year-old (therapist), and grew up in a different time where all that was so normal and now I’m really angry about it…😡 Thank you again for lighting the fire Celeste!! 🙏🏼💕 (can you see where my emojis—I mean emotions— are all over the place?!) 🥴 🫠
Oh man! 🤪 Thanks for the sharing your emojis/emotions with us! Mine were all over the place writing this!!! It’s so crazy how I never saw any of this until relatively recently - bananas.
Wow! So good, Celeste. I love all the great questions. Conjures a scene of men in a smoky room discussing these questions and saying, “let’s create a thing called religion…”
Except now inflation is so bad, we need partners just to afford the basics in life. Ugh.
What a thoughtful piece. It always struck me that the only portion of the population who have been treated as individuals, rather than as a group, are white men. And because they've always been treated as individuals, at least to the greatest extent of anyone, they struggle to imagine going through life being treated as a group. Look at how uncomfortable they are when anyone even assigns them to a group in theory! Just the *thought* of being part of a group that suffers the slightest advantage arouses such anger.
But that's exactly how the law has treated women and minorities...as part of a group subject to group treatment (whether legal discrimination or simply police brutality, etc.). We all aspire to be identified and treated as individuals, not by our group characteristics. We all aspire to be the baseline.
Given that, it really does seem as though the system we live in were a deliberately plotted creation.
Such a thoughtful take Leah! Yes, I couldn't agree more. Also so much that is wrong with the world comes from our individualistic society that keeps us from community at every turn (no social support structure, nuclear family most important over extended family, romantic love is the ultimate goal instead of forging communities)- and now I can't help but think your points how about how uncomfortable white men are to be put into a group have led us into this mess!
This! It was an emotional roller coaster to read--in the best way.
I would add to your marriage section how women were married off to grown men while still being children themselves, thus reinforcing the idea of wives being helpless and needing the protection of men.
Thank you for putting it ALL out there in such a clear way and giving me readon to keep up the fight against institutionalized and cultural patriarchy. Sometimes it gets exhausting, but this gave me clear reasons to struggle on!
In shock these last few months: I had no idea that Jerry Seinfeld was such a JERK.
Since the early-mid 90’s I have been a giant fan of the Seinfeld show: so giant a fan that I have been happy to re-watch each episode 3-5 times year after year. Now I have to think whether knowing what I know about him now I can keep watching. Should what I know matter v. my great enjoyment & laughing?
So beautiful. Thank you for this comment. I just wrote a poem called "I wish Game of Thrones made no sense" - like I wish any time a blood-thirsty horrible human tried to claim the throne we would all be like, "uhhhhh, get outta here." Instead we nod our heads and think this is just the way that makes sense.
Girl, yes!! So many good lines here but maybe this most of all:
“What if they could keep power from women for so long in so many areas that even centuries later women completely forget they are the creators of life- the logical lineage through which to pass property and power?”
Ugh right?
I have a story about how when I was pregnant and realized they tried to make up a story that a man somehow created life from another man I just laughed and laughed. I CACKLED.
It’s horribly embarrassing how recent this revelation was for me.
Completely bananas how we just accept that story that a male god created life from the rib of a man's body--like, yeah, sounds good. When every person born EVER was created by a woman. A woman has made Every. Single. One!
Such an insecure try-hard move to be like--no, it was men who started it all, though...a man is the creator! It's embarrassing and telling when you think about what a pathetic move that is on the part of patriarchy. Womb envy much?
If you haven't read the book "The Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler, it is excellent. It lays out old matrifocal societies and contrasts them with patriarchal (dominator) societies. I find info like that (and what you've shared here) so fascinating and it provides vital context for society today. I wrote a review of "The Chalice and the Blade" here on substack since I enjoy the topic so much.
"The Chalice and the Blade" is LIFE CHANGING!!! It would be like my #1 suggestion for a book everyone needs to read. Something about reading how women rule in partnerships and there has never been a matriarchy because when women are in power, they share it - fundamentally shifted the way I think about the world.
Jerry Seinfeld dated a 17 year old girl when he was 38. That’s next level gross behavior. What I wonder about is whether Julia Louise Dreyfus likes him. I love her new podcast Wiser Than Me. She seems genuine and evolved, so different from him.
Thanks as always for waking us up and pointing out the bullshit.
I would love Julia's unfiltered take on Jerry. I imagine she would feel the need to keep things cheery between them given the continued public love of their show. But I also ADORE her podcast! I love hearing the advice of older women- its crazy there aren't more platforms out there mining the wisdom of older women!! Thank you Julia.
LOVE Love love the ‘what ifs’! So much left to be UNdone!
Thanks DL!
Misogynists like Seinfeld don't want just any hierarchy. They want one where THEY are at the top.
True!
Celeste, this was so fantastic. What an infuriating, blood-boiling list, but my goodness such an important call to action. Thank you for writing this. ❤️
Thank you for shouting out the Women Aging in Patriarchy piece, I'm so grateful. What an honor to be included here.
I'm obsessed with your Substack and that post in particular was so good- thanks for all the work you do!!
My heart! Thank you! 💜💜💜
I echo what Kristin said: have never really been fond of Jerry Seinfeld. Now it seems clear why.
This whole list made my skin crawl. Thank you for compiling it all together where we can examine it in the light.
Thanks Sarah ❤️❤️ Got get the gunk out of the shadows!
Yikes @ Jerry Seinfeld 🥴 Thank you for acknowledging footnote #7. Loving the new publication name too.
Thanks Vashti!
I initially started this with “oh man”, but then realized there it is!!! 😓
Okay starting over…
Wow! thanks for putting in that breather, I needed it! And now I understand why I never liked Jerry Seinfeld!! 😏😆 I am a 60-year-old (therapist), and grew up in a different time where all that was so normal and now I’m really angry about it…😡 Thank you again for lighting the fire Celeste!! 🙏🏼💕 (can you see where my emojis—I mean emotions— are all over the place?!) 🥴 🫠
Oh man! 🤪 Thanks for the sharing your emojis/emotions with us! Mine were all over the place writing this!!! It’s so crazy how I never saw any of this until relatively recently - bananas.
Wow! So good, Celeste. I love all the great questions. Conjures a scene of men in a smoky room discussing these questions and saying, “let’s create a thing called religion…”
😂😂😂 quick! Blow up the smokey room and let’s save history 🙃
Also thank you for digging up these Seinfeld screen shots, they made my day 👏
My pleasure :)
Except now inflation is so bad, we need partners just to afford the basics in life. Ugh.
What a thoughtful piece. It always struck me that the only portion of the population who have been treated as individuals, rather than as a group, are white men. And because they've always been treated as individuals, at least to the greatest extent of anyone, they struggle to imagine going through life being treated as a group. Look at how uncomfortable they are when anyone even assigns them to a group in theory! Just the *thought* of being part of a group that suffers the slightest advantage arouses such anger.
But that's exactly how the law has treated women and minorities...as part of a group subject to group treatment (whether legal discrimination or simply police brutality, etc.). We all aspire to be identified and treated as individuals, not by our group characteristics. We all aspire to be the baseline.
Given that, it really does seem as though the system we live in were a deliberately plotted creation.
Such a thoughtful take Leah! Yes, I couldn't agree more. Also so much that is wrong with the world comes from our individualistic society that keeps us from community at every turn (no social support structure, nuclear family most important over extended family, romantic love is the ultimate goal instead of forging communities)- and now I can't help but think your points how about how uncomfortable white men are to be put into a group have led us into this mess!
This! It was an emotional roller coaster to read--in the best way.
I would add to your marriage section how women were married off to grown men while still being children themselves, thus reinforcing the idea of wives being helpless and needing the protection of men.
Thank you for putting it ALL out there in such a clear way and giving me readon to keep up the fight against institutionalized and cultural patriarchy. Sometimes it gets exhausting, but this gave me clear reasons to struggle on!
In shock these last few months: I had no idea that Jerry Seinfeld was such a JERK.
Since the early-mid 90’s I have been a giant fan of the Seinfeld show: so giant a fan that I have been happy to re-watch each episode 3-5 times year after year. Now I have to think whether knowing what I know about him now I can keep watching. Should what I know matter v. my great enjoyment & laughing?
So beautiful. Thank you for this comment. I just wrote a poem called "I wish Game of Thrones made no sense" - like I wish any time a blood-thirsty horrible human tried to claim the throne we would all be like, "uhhhhh, get outta here." Instead we nod our heads and think this is just the way that makes sense.