In the 1960s, around the time the SCUM manifesto was becoming more popular, feminist focused on having equal pay for equal work, ending domestic violence, reducing severe limits on women in managerial jobs, ending sexual harassment, and having equal responsibility in the household.
Radical feminism focused on similar aspects but took things a step further but protesting racial equality over the struggle of women’s rights, including abortion rights, wanting equal rights amendment, accessing credit, and having equal pay.
The SCUM manifesto was written by Valerie Solamis. Besides her writing she is most famous for shooting Andy Warhol. He called a play she wanted to publish “distasteful” and misplaced it preventing further production or replication. The manifesto was published in many different languages. The availability became more accessible and let the message spread.
One of my main criticisms comes from when Valerie discusses her thoughts about men. There is a valid criticism of men upholding dynamics/ systems of power that negatively affect women and others. What that statement doesn’t consider is how capitalism and patriarchy play a role in behavior and what biases men may have. I think she is trying to say that because men are in control, they are the reason we have capitalism and a toxic patriarchy. Her criticisms would be better expressed by saying the reason why men act this way: being emotionless and greedy is because of capitalism and patriarchy.
Other instances to criticize capitalism is when she discusses men always wanting more power which they get by means of control. Capitalism has forced us to think working constantly and needing to be constantly productive is normal. We could work 2-3 hours a week and have the same productivity or more. This argument isn’t given to disrupt capitalism but to men.
She also describes women who act nice with men are a problem to society too. Valerie describes this is because they are in kahoots with men but her bigger issue is with women who are willing to conform to societal standards. The standards before the counter culture movement being upholding patriarchy and seeing women being less than men.
