In Conclusion.... (LOL sorry... X'D)

[excused_early]

Yes, I'm going to make a final post regarding the sexism issue because there are some things I'd like to clarify and I don't want people paraphrasing me incorrectly.
So, please do skip it again if you're totally sick of it or if you're over it and just want to move on! :3

First, let me say how very grateful I am to all the people who commented

Comments

[mrjl_writer]

"IF sexism HAS TO involve the elements of discrimination and superiority over the other sex, then I DON'T think he's sexist.

So, if anybody can enlighten me on this, I'd be grateful."

A small group of fans who call him/his beliefs sexist seem to interpret his beliefs as saying that women are somehow weaker or inferior to men, and for them sexism has to involve those elements. Specifically when he brings out the "men should protect women", some take it that he's saying men should be doing this because women can't. I've never found him to say this, and I feel he's been pretty clear on what he means by saying it. Plus he should know most of all, being so in love with his samurai era, that women being unable to defend themselves certainly was not true at the time, at least for samurai wives.

I don't want to drag this discussion out anymore than it has been, I think we're coming to the dead horse stage of it now but if you or anyone could PM me this I'd appreciate it. Because a lot of fans have said those same words essentially, that his beliefs are backwards/old-fashioned. And honestly, I never really understood how. I'm geuninely curious.

[amaia]

Well, I'm not one of the fans who defines sexism like that, but keep in mind even GACKT describes himself as "old fashioned" and "a dinosaur". So calling him "old fashioned isn't even an insult really. He'd probably say thank you.

[excused_early]

Well, while it's true that samurai's wives were trained in fencing, etc. to some extent, they still largely depended on men to protect them, though. They did put up a fight if all of their men were gone for a battle or dead already, but they also ended their own lives if the only alternative was capture. Or, at least that's the impression I have.
But I will say that samurai wives were generally very strong mentally (they had to be), and I think this strength is what GACKT wants in today's women.

Are you asking why I say "backwards"? It's because he wants to bring the physicality and mentality of today's Japan 'back' to the era of samurai. And like Amaia's said, he has said he is old-fashioned himself, so I don't think it's much of a surprise?

[mrjl_writer]

No it's not a surprise really, but I guess I'm old-fashioned myself which is why I don't see it as completely backwards. But my old-fashioned love goes a lot further back than his does, when women fought alongside men and could own their own property, etc. ^_^

[excused_early]

Oh, now THAT to me isn't backwards, I'd love to see that in my lifetime! :D