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INTHISISSUE:

THEMYTHOFWOMAN
GENERICAUTHOR

SUFFERNOMORE

QUEENDIE

NOWINNING
WAYWAY

HERMENEUTICDONUTS
SUGARPILL

thissense,clothesdefinewoman,notviceversa.
Womanbecomeswomanbecauseoftheclothes
NoteablevictorWinstonChurchillis
clothesarearbitraryflagswhichrepresenteach
quotedassayinghistoryiswrittenbythevictors.
gender,asiftosay:Imawoman,nowdotomeas
Thisquotegenerallyworkstodescribehistorical
youmustdotoawoman.
revisionyet,italsoworkstodescribegender
Yetthepresentationofthebodyprogresses
power.Menarethevictors,andthustheauthors.
inShadmisstory,toamomentwhenidentification
WinstonChurchillwasavictor.Whywasnt
ClementChurchill,hiswife,leadingBritain?Evenif ofmanversuswomanisgrantedthroughraw,
shewouldhave,WinstonChurchillwouldhavestill nakedbodies.Alltheflagsofgenderaretorn
won.Hisnamewouldstillbetackedontheendof awayandidentificationcomesdowntocultural
identificationThesecondframeonpagefortyone
thatquote:Churchill.EvenifClementwasa
showsthetwocharactersinbed,abouttohave
revolutionaryfeminist,shedstillbecollaredatthe
sex.Sheisliftinguphershirt,revealingthesocial
feetofpatrilinealvictory.Manwouldstillbeinside
signoftheidealwoman:breasts.Herface,likehis,
her:woman.Historyiswrittenbythephallus.
Manisthewriterofwoman.SigmundFreud isobscuredinthebag,butthebreastsareenough,
asked,indesperation:Whatdoesawomanwant? theyidentifyherasawoman.Atthisrevelationof
thebreasts,thenarrativebecomesfloodedwith
ForFreudandothers,womenarestrangeenough
culturalsubtext.Thepresentationofthebreastsis
torequirethousandsuponthousandsofpagesof
thepresentationofanentireculturearound
writing,study,anddeconstructiontounderstand.
womensbodies.Representationsofbreastsare
YetitdoesnttakeFreudandChurchillto
packedwithmassesofculturalinformation:female
understandwhatawomanisittakesasimple
bodiesinart,literature,motherhoodorfertility
glanceatculture.Ittakesasimplesystem,a
(lactation),porn,etc.Thefemalebodyisasign
formularather,tomakeawomaninWestern
packedwithdata.Thus,identificationextendsfar
society.Itsasimpleconstruction:Identifythe
belowthestrataofclothesithappensatthe
woman,alienateherfrommankind,createa
revelationofthesignsofwoman.
subordinatefemaleculture,forceherintoa
Materialidentificationislikewisean
doublebindbetweenfurtheralienationand
establishmentofdifferencefromdifferencecomes
meaninglessservitude,andteachitoverandover,
thealienationofwomenfromthecultureofmen.In
toyoungergenerations.Fromthissystema
definitionofwomanemerges:womanisfulfillment Shadmisstory,contextualizationhappensinthe
inthefulfillmentofherrolesheisimpregnatedwith definitionoffemalecultureaslesserthanorbelow
meaning.Womanisasituationcreatedbymanfor maleculture.Thedialoguebetweenthecharacters
beginswithagenderingofClineswriting.The
man,lostinemptinessuntilshebecomesthe
malecharacterstates:SoyouvereadCline?Im
fulfilledwoman.Sheisallcreation.Womanisa
impressed,itsnotusuallygirlmaterial.(38).This
myth.
argumenttowardsagirlmaterialimpliesthat
Theactofvisuallyidentifyingwomanisthe
firstactofcreatingwoman.Atthemostbasiclevel literature,specificallycertainliterature,contains
gendermaterial.Hesstatingthatthereisntany
ofgenderdefinitionisidentificationand
girlinesstoClinerather,Clineproduces
classification,specificallyofthebodyandthe
masculine,maletexts.Thescalesaretipped
clotheswhichculturallyalignwithit.Koren
towardsmasculinelogicwherethefemale
Shadmisshort,graphictextADatefromhis
experienceisalienatedfrommeaning.Aswell,the
largercollectionInTheFleshexploresthe
classificationofClineasamaletextalienatesthe
constitutionofwomanintheformofahetrosexual
girlfromanyintellectualdefintionorpowerinthe
date.Thefemalecharacterinthetopframeon
pagethirtyeightiswearingclothesthataretypically relationship.Shecantengageinanyconversation
definedasfeminineorassignedtogirlsinWestern ordialogueabouttheauthorbecausesheis
predeterminedasgirlandthetextdoesnot
culture.Theseclothesaresimplyidentifiersof
accommodatewomen. Inthiscase,intellectual
womanrather,theclothesshowthatsheisa
powerisinaccessibletoherbecauseofher
woman.Withthiscomestheimplicationthat
categorization(female)andfurther,thedefinitionof
clothesshowthebody,orwomensbodiesare
thatcategory.Thus,alienationisinescapablein
referencedbytheirclothing.Thispresentationof
thisstage,andthefemaleexperienceis
thebodythroughclothesisasimple,visual
classificationthatdefineswomenagainstmen.In

THEMYTHOFWOMANbyGenericAuthor

subordinated.Womanisdefinedaslower,and
lesser,bydefault.
Thisdeepculturalalienationofwomen
frommenandmalecultureisreductivewomen
dissolveindefinition,butreifyinanewlyborn
woman:atoolofmanandmaleculture.Inthis
definition,womenaredependantonmentogive
themmeaning.Thisextendsintomaleculture:
maleculturecreatesfemalecultureasa
serviceindustryofsorts,andthemalecentric
definitionofwomanjustifiesit:menaremore
logical,menarelessemotionalorbetter
leaders.Femaleculturethusexiststonotonly
servemaleculture,butalsojustifyit.Inthis
system,meaningisderivedfromuse.Mary
GaitskillscharacterDebbieinSecretaryisalost
personwhoseeminglyfindsmeaninginfeeling
usefultoherboss,amalelawyer.Shewrites,he
wouldsay,Typethisletter,andmysensibility
wouldcontractuntiltheabstractionsof
achievementandproductionfoundexpressionin
thetypingoftheletter.Iwasuseful.(137).Debbie
findsmeaninginhersituationassecretary.Herjob
isculturalproductionsherestatesmaleculture.
Sheisaproduceroftexts,textswhichinturndefine
herGaitskillisimplyingthatwomenarethevehicle
andsubjectofpatriarchy.Theirperformancesof
womanreinforcetheconceptofwomanopposed
toman:womantypestheletter,mandictatesthe
lawyerpunishesDebbiesexually,andshesubmits.
Inthisrelationship,shefeelsusefultobeusefulis
tofitaprescribedfunction.Debbiesfunctionas
Secretaryistotype,orghostwrite,thecommands
ofthemaleemployer,thelawyer.Thelawyer
createsthespaceofdefinitionbycreatingajoband
auseforwomenthustoworkistobeawoman,to
befiredistobedenounced.Women'ssocially
assignedcultureisrelatedtothisjobwomanisthe
scribeofmaleculture,aswellasthesexualtoy.
Sheserves,andisusedbymaleculture.
AnoteableimageinGaitskillsstoryisthe
Barbiedollspiledinacontainerlikeamassof
individuallimbs.Debbiedescribestheimage:I
restedmychinonmykneeandstaredattheboxes
ofmyfathersoldpaperbacksandthejumbleof
plasticBarbiedollcasesfullofBarbieequipment
thatDonnaandIusedtoplaywithonthefront
porch.Astiffwhitefootandcalfstuckoutofa
skybluecase,helplessandpitifullyrigid.(147).A
Barbiedollissimultaneouslyadefinitionofan
idealisticwomanandatooltoenforcethe
definition.

ABarbiedollisonlyaBarbiedoll(awoman)when
itisbeingplayedwithifthissimplerequirementis
fulfilled,theBarbiedoll(woman)hasvalue.Barbie
dollsthrowninaboxhavenorequirementand
thereforenomeaningtheyarebodiesinpieces.
ThepitifullyrigidcalfrepresentsDebbiesagency,
orfreedomasagirltoyofsorts.Sheisnothing
butrigidbodyparts,thrown,inpiecesintoabox.
Shewaspluckedfromtheboxandusedbythe
boss.Whenshewasnolongerofuse,hethrewher
intotheboxofanonymouslimbs.Afterall,thatsall
thatwomenarecontractedtoinadominantmale
culture:toservemen(typing),tobetheirdolls,and
tobediscardable.Womanisasituationofmale
definition.
Inthisproductionbasedculminationof
woman,womenarecontractedtofulfilltheir
propheticgender.Thisdefinitionculminatesin
nothingness,instandardusevalue,andpure
culturalproduction.Womanbecomesanobjectof
aculturalprocesswhichinturndefinesher.James
Purdyillustratesthecreationoffemalecultureand
femaleworkersinhisstory,YouReachforYour
Hat.Inthisstory,protagonistJennieiswidowed
andalone,herhusbandLafekilledinwar.While
reminiscingonherchildhood,shebringsupher
socialization:WhenMissMatthiasannounceditin
homeeconomicsclassthatawfulJanuaryday,I
threwupmyarmsandmadeakindofwhistling
sound,andshemusthavethoughtIwassick
becauseshesaid,Jennieyoumaybeexcused.
(19).Homeecestablishesamodelforthe
domestic.Jennieislearningtoperformwomanin
homeec:howtocook,clean,sew,etc.Thisisa
classthatteachestheeconomicsofwomen
womenarecommoditiesinadomesticsituation:
theyareconceptualized(designed)byculture,sent
toproduction(homeec),andreleasedfor
consumption(marriage,domesticization).Jennies
classistheproductionofwomen,andthus,female
cultureanindirectactofdefiningwomen.The
classinterpretsasocialdefinitionofwomenand
translatesitintoacurriculumofskills,codification,
andculturalguidelines.WhenJenniecriesout,she
isseenassick(a.k.a.perverted,abnormal)andis
excusedfromtheclassshebreaksdecorumand
upsetsthefragilesystemofgenderfabrication,and
isthusexpelledfromtheprocess.Womanisa
situationofcommodity:thereisaperiodof
productionandaperiodofconsumption.This
situationislearned,ortaughttogirlsatayoung
age,inhopesthattheyfollowsuit.Thisentire
processofdefinitioncannotbecarriedoutwithout

workersofthedefinition,whichare,ironically,
women.Theycarrytheirowndefinitionbythe
simpleactofexistinginthesociallyconstructed
self.Thatishomeec.Itappearstobecommon
sense,whenitisreallybutatoolofcontracting
womenintogenderslavery.Womanisbut
fulfillment.
Thesituationofwomancomestobeall
myth.Womanisasituationalbadgepressed
deeplyintobreastsandvaginasanduteruses.
Whatwasatonetimeahumanbeingisnowa
woman.Awomanisawalkingmyth,more
terrifyinglyrealthananyothersenseoftheword.
Beingfemaleisequivalenttoinheritingthousands
ofyearsofmalecentricart,music,science,and
writingandtocarryitallononesshouldersthatis
tobeawomaninsociety.Sowhatistheretodo?
Mustonecarryitall,tothegrave,assomany
othershavedone?
Thissystemisonethatonlyendsindeath.
Thesituationofwomanisaterminallyillone:
overthrowthesystem,orcarryittothegrave?Both
endinalienation,bothendindeath.

Thesystemofpatriarchyissoembedded
inlanguagethattoevenspeakEnglish,orFrench,
oranyotherlanguageistoindebtoneselftoa
thousandyearsofmalerhetoric.Everyspeechact
ispredeterminedagainstwomen.Everystepisa
goosestepforthephallus.
Thepredeterminedwomanmayonlyfind
freedominthesubversionofbeingitself.Male
culturefindsitsclawsdeepintheproductivenature
ofwoman.Tobeawomanistobeproduction.
Thus,logically,tobeunproductiveistobe
unwoman.Perhapsitisinthebestinterestof
womantounwindtherecipeofcreation,and
unwindthenarrativeofwoman.Undoubtedly,
modernsocietyisamaleone.Itiscertainthatthe
endgoalofallmalecultureisanencounterwiththe
maleorgasm.Breakit.Neverletitcome.Unwind
thebuildup.Unwindthefabricationoftheselfand
themythwilldematerialize.

VISITOURETSYSHOP!SUPPORTCORPORATEHEGEMONY!
(www.etsy.com/shop/doxafactory/)

OFFWRITING

IfIlosethewords,
Idontcryorgetpissed
ortrembleatwhatcouldhavebeen
Idontstayupallnight
watchinginfomercialsinahaze
Idontcruisethecitylookingforafight
tosatiatethelackoffeeling
IdontresorttoreadingBaudrillard
for10hoursintheunisexbathroomatTarget
Idontsacrificemylastfewbucks
forcheapcigarettesorcoffee
Idontsitupallnightforweeksonend,unable
tounderstandthatImawake
Idonttakeupthetaskofrebuildinganengineat2am
orwashmyclothesinanorangebucket
IdontloiteraroundliquorstoresinL.A.
orquestionmygenderata24hourWalmart.
IdontdrivetoLasVegasonaWednesday
lookingforsomewordsthatwillfuckmeup
IdontreaddeSadetolittlekidsatchurch
ortakeoutapaydayloanforGreyGoose
IdontconsultOCweeklywhenImlonely
orsendaletterwithoutastamp
IdontgetdisgustedwhenIseefamilymembers
orforgetmysocialcontract
Idontgiveintosexualtemptation
orlustmyselfintoahotelroominPortland,Oregon
Idontforgetmyhumanityinthefaceofcrisis
orindulgemyselfintheemptiness
Idontfindlifesimplyunbearable
orslowlyselfdestruct
NoImjustlikeyou,
Ipickupadictionary.

NAUSEA

12:43am.
Themusicdies.
Wemournamongtheroachesoutsidethedoor,
andcrawlbackintothestreet.

Wewalkalongemptystorefronts,
andmirrorslacedwithcracks.
Overhead,aboveoldbulletholes
inasecondstorywindow:
amechanicalbillboardclicksincessantly.
Streetlampssubjectustothegaze
ofdark,concretetotemspenetratingthesky.

Itsthere
inthedarkgutters
alongdesolateroads
thatIfindsomeescapefromitall:
fromtheninehourdaysinthesun,
fromthebillsandthecataloguesandtheATMs.
Itstherethereinhopelessness,
prowlingemptystreets
thatIfeelwarmthinmybloodagain.

Nomatterthough,
thisisjustamoment.

Monday,thebloodwilldrainfrommychest
andmylimbswillbecomeheavylikesteel.
AndImwelding,sawing,drilling,fitting.
Whennauseakicksin.
Andthislonelybody,estranged,
faltersandcrumbles.

Andthemomentwillcomeasitalwaysdoes,
whenI'mbracingfortheimpactofdegreezero
andmysolefallsout
ofmyshoe.

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UNTITLED

Howdoyouidentify?
Whatmorecouldyouwantinlife?
Mrstakehisnameandwiththat
becomehisshadow.

Givemeallyourhonorifics,your
satiatesandyourformal
divisionsmakeitautomechanized.
ImhotforthiscasteplayyousayIve
gotitdrippingdownmythighs.
becauseyouvealwaysbeenontop

Finally

youreconfrontedwithmyvoice
butyoucanthearfromupthere,
youcanthearfromupthere.

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CELEBRITYISCULTURALHEGEMONY

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