viiciicii:

So in regards to that little episode last October, and the massive attention and even more attention it received…  Well.  The main objective of a journalist is to sell zirself and grab attention, so kudos to me…

……..

A brief response to some of your points. Forgive me if I’m a bit confrontational- your less than contrite apology brings out the snark in me.

1.)  ”I understand the true power of the pen now: it’s the ability to convince everyone that yes, you were completely serious when you alleged that women throw their used tampons over the floor, and you’re the idiot for saying it, not for believing it was said without a trace of humor.”

The internet, by its nature, picks particularly interesting or infuriating bits from a larger source. Forgive me for not studiously examining the publication in which your delightful article was published. I’ve got a degree to work on.

In addition, the “it was just a joke, calm down” response is not, by any means, a valid defense. Just because you intended this as a joke does not mean anyone finds it funny.

2.) I would have written a much more eloquent clarification back in October, but the whole debacle occurred at a very bad time.  I don’t know about the rest of you all, but I had midterms that week, and therefore had more pressing matters to attend to.”

Goodness! I actually thought you learned from your mistake. My bad!

3.) “Well, I’m living testament that you can stick a woman in a women’s college or a co-ed school, and she can come out pretty much exactly the same.”

A living testament? Aren’t you just the paragon of womanhood! I suppose the combined communities of all women’s colleges are accurately represented by you. 

4.) “Many commenters frequently called me a liar on the original article, and many others called me out for perpetuating stereotypes.  So which is it, ladies?”

Are you unfamiliar with the idea of false stereotypes?

5.) “ (i.e., tampons alluded to the fact that women living together tend to PMS at the same time… except no one got it)”

Darling, that’s because you’re a dumbass.

6.) “In fact, there’s an entire Tumblr about stereotypes of women’s colleges. So far, I haven’t encountered any coedschoolproblems memes.”

That’s because they’re called college problems. And apparently you haven’t heard of any of the liberal arts stereotypes!

7.) “The gap between the rich and the poor has never been larger, and therefore has significantly cemented the relevance of socioeconomic status to both higher education and a successful career.”

I’ve got an idea! Let’s take a look at the most expensive colleges in America!

1. Columbia University (private)

2. Vassar College (private)

3. Trinity College (private)

4. St. John’s College (private)

5. Connecticut College (private)

6. Bucknell University (private)

7. Bard College (private)

8. Wesleyan College! Where do you go again?

Let’s see which women’s colleges are on this list!

Oh, sorry! None.

The gap between the rich and poor is a problem. It’s a problem that concerns all private institutions.

8.) “When I was at Bryn Mawr, I didn’t receive any hands-on-this-is-how-you-counter-a-man’s-point pep talks. ”

Who the hell would do that? Is this another attempt at tampon humor? For the sake of the world at large, please never look into comedy.

9.) “To a certain extent, I remain skeptical as to how a woman even learns how to speak up in a male-dominated class by being in a female-dominated class. “

Because it sets a norm of females dominating a classroom! I fundamentally do not understand how you don’t get this.

10.) “So what does empowerment mean to you? Banding together in solidarity for the sake of solidarity, in the absence of what diminishes your power? Or banding together in solidarity against those who diminish your power in your very presence?”

Pardon me for wishing to attend college in a community that doesn’t tear me down. This is the one time in my life in which I will not encounter much misogyny- I’d like to enjoy it while I can. Far from people like you!

11.) “I wish I knew sooner that empowerment is something that can be cultivated in many different places, and in all sorts of contexts – and not just within the walls of a women’s college.”

Yeah, I wish you knew that too! Most of us would call that common sense. If feminism only existed as a result of women’s colleges, we’d all be living as sex slaves by now.

Best of luck in your future, Vicky! I’ll make sure to stay as far away from you as I can.