I've had this discussion before, and I will have it again. And I realize that the accusations of me being oversensitive will pour in as they did last time
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I understand exactly what you mean. I have a seizure disorder, for which I take daily medications. It blows my mind (so to speak) that, as recently as the first third of the 20th century, epileptics were still being institutionalized because they were somehow "mentally deficient" as opposed to having an organic brain disorder (and yes, I know that sometimes seizures can lead to brain damage/cognitive impairment. That still shouldn't warrant automatic institutionalization, unless there are no friends/relatives to help, and the person cannot take care of themselves).
There's someone I used to interact with on IRC, until he decided making seizure "jokes" in my presence was the high point of his day. When I'd ask him politely to stop, he'd tell me to "grow a thicker skin".
From puberty, I had hormonal issues which ultimately resulted in a total hysterectomy just before I turned 32. The Maternal Unit used to love waxing eloquent about what an "antisocial bitch" I was. So, on the one hand, I'd get yelled at for "hiding out in my room all the time". On the other hand, if I tried to interact with my family during "that time of the month", I'd get yelled at for "being a bitch". The school district, and my parents, decided that I should be enrolled in a district-run program for "emotionally disturbed adolescents" when I started HS.
I also tend to just naturally be an in-your-face kind of person. I say what's on my mind. It gets old hearing all the "clever" comments about how I "must be on the rag" because some guy didn't like what I said. I've had 17 brain surgeries, in addition to the total hysterectomy. I don't think it's "cute" or "funny" when some idiot wants to belittle what I've gone through, either with "seizure jokes" or "on the rag jokes". I'd like to see how many people who say things like that to me would feel after having gone through that themselves.
When I'd ask him politely to stop, he'd tell me to "grow a thicker skin".
Oh, I hate that so, so much. It's just obnoxious and rude, for one. And for another, it really frustrates me when someone thinks that somehow, I should be forced to deal with something that hurts me rather than them stopping doing that thing because they're a decent human being. Which goes to prove that they're usually NOT very decent human beings whatsoever.
Unfortunately, sometimes, you don't always have the choice of disengaging with such people, especially if they're family or close friends of family.
I don't think it's "cute" or "funny" when some idiot wants to belittle what I've gone through, either with "seizure jokes" or "on the rag jokes".
Agreed completely. It's not clever, cute, funny, or anything else like that. It's wrong and hurtful and shows a lot of ignorance and pantlessness. My lady bits don't work the way they're supposed to, either, leading to problems of a different sort. But I also really hate the "on the rag" jokes. I'd like to ask someone if they think it's funny after having a (TMI warning) period that lasts for three whole weeks, cramps, headaches and all. Oh, PCOS, the ways in which I don't love you at all.
Plus, I hate that it's used to shut down women in general, even if they don't have a medically diagnosed problem. I hate that a part of our bodies and a process it goes through is used to invalidate our anger when, usually, we're quite right to be very, very pissed off.
I have to really restrain myself from punching people in the face when they pull out the 'on the rag' jokes and comments.
I also hate how it gets turned around and somehow, if you suffer from severe symptoms because of menstruation (there are so, so many disorders, diseases, and conditions that cause this), you're being whiny or just looking for an excuse or being weak. I hate the "just take a Midol and get over it" crap that I've heard, too.
There's someone I used to interact with on IRC, until he decided making seizure "jokes" in my presence was the high point of his day. When I'd ask him politely to stop, he'd tell me to "grow a thicker skin".
From puberty, I had hormonal issues which ultimately resulted in a total hysterectomy just before I turned 32. The Maternal Unit used to love waxing eloquent about what an "antisocial bitch" I was. So, on the one hand, I'd get yelled at for "hiding out in my room all the time". On the other hand, if I tried to interact with my family during "that time of the month", I'd get yelled at for "being a bitch". The school district, and my parents, decided that I should be enrolled in a district-run program for "emotionally disturbed adolescents" when I started HS.
I also tend to just naturally be an in-your-face kind of person. I say what's on my mind. It gets old hearing all the "clever" comments about how I "must be on the rag" because some guy didn't like what I said. I've had 17 brain surgeries, in addition to the total hysterectomy. I don't think it's "cute" or "funny" when some idiot wants to belittle what I've gone through, either with "seizure jokes" or "on the rag jokes". I'd like to see how many people who say things like that to me would feel after having gone through that themselves.
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Oh, I hate that so, so much. It's just obnoxious and rude, for one. And for another, it really frustrates me when someone thinks that somehow, I should be forced to deal with something that hurts me rather than them stopping doing that thing because they're a decent human being. Which goes to prove that they're usually NOT very decent human beings whatsoever.
Unfortunately, sometimes, you don't always have the choice of disengaging with such people, especially if they're family or close friends of family.
I don't think it's "cute" or "funny" when some idiot wants to belittle what I've gone through, either with "seizure jokes" or "on the rag jokes".
Agreed completely. It's not clever, cute, funny, or anything else like that. It's wrong and hurtful and shows a lot of ignorance and pantlessness. My lady bits don't work the way they're supposed to, either, leading to problems of a different sort. But I also really hate the "on the rag" jokes. I'd like to ask someone if they think it's funny after having a (TMI warning) period that lasts for three whole weeks, cramps, headaches and all. Oh, PCOS, the ways in which I don't love you at all.
Plus, I hate that it's used to shut down women in general, even if they don't have a medically diagnosed problem. I hate that a part of our bodies and a process it goes through is used to invalidate our anger when, usually, we're quite right to be very, very pissed off.
I have to really restrain myself from punching people in the face when they pull out the 'on the rag' jokes and comments.
I also hate how it gets turned around and somehow, if you suffer from severe symptoms because of menstruation (there are so, so many disorders, diseases, and conditions that cause this), you're being whiny or just looking for an excuse or being weak. I hate the "just take a Midol and get over it" crap that I've heard, too.
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