Blog si Feminis

Being a ‘pengacara’ (you know what it stands for, right? LOL) since last October 2006, practically I don’t have really strict schedule but Monday-Thursday 15.00-19.00, and Friday-Saturday 14.00-16.00. In the morning, I am free so I spend much time at Paradise Club (nongkrong beside the swimming pool for reading or scribbling in my cute notebook, or join the aerobics or do a little fitness), and at home.
Writing for my blogs indeed is one way to make my life more challenged, to avoid boredom. And, thinking of trying getting paid by doing one hobby of mine–blogging–made me register myself to join a program offered by Google Adsense. To promote my blog, I came to an idea to join more mailing lists. Before, I joined Perempuan, Sastra Pembebasan, and Rumah Kita Bersama (using my ID fe36smg) and PAUGM, Pria Sehat Tanpa Celana, WritersTavern, and Lapanpuluhan (using my ID fe_36_smg). To promote my blog at http://afeministblog.blogspot.com I join some more mailing lists, such as Apakabar, Mediacare, Zamanku, Forum Pembaca Kompas, and Forum Interaktif Kabar Indonesia.
Another activity that has made myself busier lately after my application was approved by Google is of course going online almost everyday. I don’t mind it of course. In fact I enjoy it very much, except that I have to spend more money for that. LOL.
Meanwhile, I have got more offers to join some other mailing lists. One of them is debat_antar_agama. I clicked JOIN in this website around three days ago, at the time when I was about to get offline. I set ‘daily mail’ in the membership.
Just yesterday I got a chance to drop by at warnet. Goodness, abundant messages from milis debat_antar_agama fulfilled my mailbox. From the titles I could conclude that many of them just contain rubbish, talking bad things about other religions, to emphasize their own religion. Really not educated people, I assume.
I remember the time when I was pursuing my study at American Studies UGM, I attended a seminar held by Comparative Religion Graduate Program of UGM, because luckily one guest lecturer in my major from Michigan–Professor Kenneth Hall–also taught in that program. Instead of talking bad things about other religions, in that major (Comparative Religion), students were sitting together, learning together the differences and similarities of one religion from other religions, without saying bad things about others. isn’t it lovely?
Why should people attack other religions only to say that his/her own religion is the only accepted religion by his/her God?
Last night when talking about this to my sister, I used annoyed tone–annoyed with those uneducated people swearing other religions. Simply, my sister said, "Joining such mailing lists will just give me headache. I have fun to join milis lapanpuluhan."
I was annoyed, yes. More annoyed today when I read some messages in that milis. But then I realize, this is the quality of Indonesian people, my fellow citizen. PABLEBUAT???

KPDE 18.00 280407

Language is arbitrary. That was what one of my lecturer said when we
talked about the main core of semiotics. There is no reason why one
thing is called a certain word. “Let us take the word fuck for
example.” He went one saying. That word can be vulgar to swear people,
but that can also mean something else, such as very, in a sentence,
‘this food is fucking delicious.”

For the complete article click the following site

http://afeministblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/language.html

Thanks
Nana

Therefore I am always sad to hear people from one
religion talk bad things about other religions because they think that their
religion is the only good one. I am also very unhappy to know that people try
to force other people to convert their religion to the religion they believe as
true. Why don’t we just live in peace, respect one another? Build our country
together? Maintain the Mother Earth wisely for the next generation?

To read the complete article, you can click the following site.

http://afeministblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-spiritual-journey.html

KPDE 11.16 280407

Mengomentari
artikel yang berjudul “Perempuan Makhluk Sekunder?” yang dimuat surat kabar
Suara Merdeka tanggal 21 April 2007 halaman 6.

Dalam salah satu
paragraf artikel ini, Martin Moentadhim menulis “Konon, versi bahasa Inggris
buku itu (baca è Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang tulisan RA
Kartini) sampai ke daratan AS. Ibu Negara AS—kalau tidak salah—Nyonya Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, the First Lady, memidatokannya di mana-mana. lahirlah
kemudian apa yang disebut gerakan Womans Liberation.”

Lahirnya gerakan
Woman’s Liberation di Amerika Serikat tidaklah semudah seperti apa yang ditulis
oleh Martin Moentadhim, bahwa Ibu Negara Amerika Serikat pada waktu itu
terinspirasi oleh buku RA Kartini. Saya tidak bermaksud untuk mengecilkan nama
RA Kartini yang entah bagaimana ceritanya dipilih oleh penguasa Orde Baru
sebagai ikon pejuang perempuan dibandingkan perempuan-perempuan pahlawan lain,
seperti Dewi Sartika dari Jawa Barat, Cut Nyak Dhien dari Aceh, dan lain-lain.

Gerakan perempuan
di Amerika bisa dikatakan mulai dilaksanakan dengan solid oleh kaum perempuan
di sana semenjak dilaksanakannya Konvensi Perempuan pertama di Seneca Falls,
New York pada tanggal 19 Juli 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton menulis draft The
Declaration of Sentiments sebagai ganti The Declaration of Independence
(1776) yang menyatakan “All men are created equal”. Kata “men” dulu dianggap
juga mewakili “women” jika kata “men” itu bermakna jamak. Namun kenyataannya
kata “men” dalam The Declaration of Independence memang hanya
dimaksudkan untuk “white men”; lebih lengkapnya lagi “white Anglo Saxon
Protestant men”, karena dalam prakteknya, kesetaraan itu hanya untuk laki-laki
berkulit putih yang beragama Anglo Saxon Protestant. Yang diluar itu, tentu
saja masih mengalami diskriminasi, termasuk kaum perempuan, dan kaum kulit
hitam yang masih terbelenggu perbudakan.

Stanton
berpendapat bahwa seharusnya kalimat itu diubah menjadi “All men and women are
created equal.”

Satu hal yang
diperjuangkan oleh kaum pejuang perempuan fase pertama ini, yakni hak
memilih dalam Pemilihan Umum. Para perempuan pada waktu itu berpikir bahwa jika
mereka memiliki hak untuk memilih, mereka setara dengan laki-laki. Sebagian
perempuan lain yang berpendapat bahwa jika perempuan mampu mandiri secara
finansial akan menjadikannya setara dengan laki-laki masih kalah gaungnya
dibandingkan yang memperjuangkan hak memilih.

Lewat perjuangan
yang panjang, selain juga berjuang untuk kemerdekaan para kaum kulit hitam yang
terbelenggu perbudakan, kaum perempuan Amerika akhirnya memperoleh hak pilih
pada tahun 1920 di bawah pemerintahan Presiden Woodrow Wilson (memerintah dalam
kurun waktu 1913-1921).

Setelah
perjuangan mereka terpenuhi—memperoleh hak pilih dalam Pemilihan Umum—gerakan
kaum perempuan gelombang pertama ini mulai menurun. Selain itu juga kebanyakan
para pejuang perempuan tersebut telah mencapai usia yang uzur dan belum
mendapatkan ganti. http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_030901_ifromitsorig.htm

Setelah perang
dunia kedua, 1950-an merupakan domestic decade (dekade domestikisasi)
kaum perempuan. Budaya massa yang muncul pada waktu itu lebih menekankan peran
domestik perempuan, mengolok-olok wanita karir, merendahkan kaum ibu yang
bekerja, dan melabeli kaum feminis sebagai kaum penyimpang.

Namun begitu,
pada dekade yang sama kampanye pedidikan tinggi bagi kaum perempuan juga
meningkat dengan pesat. Jumlah kaum perempuan yang melanjutkan kuliah tambah
banyak. Di antara mereka inilah muncul Betty Friedan yang menuliskan
pengalamannya sebagai seorang perempuan terpelajar yang “dikungkung” tembok
rumah tangga (dan juga banyak perempuan yang lain yang dia wawancara sebelum
menuangkannya dalam buku yang berjudul “A Feminine Mystique” (1963).

Selain itu,
kebutuhan konsumerisme yang semakin meningkat, dan dengan semakin meluasnya
kehadiran “kaum kelas menengah” dalam mencukupi kehidupannya, banyak keluarga
yang akhirnya memiliki dua pencari nafkah—baik suami maupun istri. Dari sinilah
muncul kebutuhan akan perlakuan yang sama kepada pekerja laki-laki maupun
perempuan, termasuk di antaranya adalah gaji dan kesempatan untuk meningkatkan
karir yang sama.

Bersama-sama
dengan para pejuang kulit hitam untuk menghapus segregasi antara kulit putih
dan kulit hitam dengan adanya Jim Crow Law, para feminis muda ini
menyuarakan women’s liberation.

PT56 12.05 240407

Salah satu artikel
dalam Suara Merdeka yang berjudul “’Empat Mata’ dalam Kognisi Masyarakat”
terbit hari Selasa 24 April (halaman 6) menulis tentang betapa kurang
kerjaannya manusia (termasuk aku yang hobby blogging ini LOL) sehingga berusaha
mencari-cari celah untuk menandai kekurangan orang lain. Well, at least, this
is what I was thinking when reading that article. LOL.

Sekelompok orang yang
menamakan diri wakil KPID (singkatan dari apa ya? LOL. Mungkin Komisi Penyiaran
Indonesia Daerah? LOL.) datang bersilaturrahmi dengan Komisi Fatwa MUI Jawa
Tengah untuk membicarakan masalah peran publik dalam mengatur penyiaran. Ada
dua hal utama yang dirasa sangat mengganggu. Pertama, ungkapan salam
persahabatan yang menggunakan adegan ciuman pipi. Yang kedua hal kesopanan dan
kepantasan dalam menggunakan kata-kata yang dipakai host. Berdasarkan
pengamatan MUI, banyak kata-kata yang berkesan menjurus dan memiliki makna
mesum, cabul, dan vulgar.

Komisi Fatwa MUI
Jateng mengharapkan dihapuskannya adegan ciuman sebagai ucapan selamat datang
kepada bintang tamu, karena dikhawatirkan adegan tersebut akan menggugah birahi
yang menonton. Serta bagi para bintang tamu maupun tokoh pendamping agar
memakai pakaian yang tidak minimalis.

Wah, jadi ingat RUU
APP deh. Kalau RUU yang menunjukkan ketidakcerdasan si pembuat ini jadi
disahkan, mungkinkah Tukul—dan beberapa bintang tamunya—akan dikenai hukuman
pidana karena telah menunjukkan pornoaksi? Padahal kalau tidak salah jam tayang
“Empat Mata” bisa dimasukkan malam hari, dimana anak-anak diharapkan
telah tidur? Salahkan saja orang tua anak-anak yang membiarkan anak-anak yang
masih di bawah umur belum tidur pada jam itu dan ikut menonton “Empat Mata”.

PT56 13.05 240407

Siapa yang belum
pernah mendengar acara “Empat Mata” yang ditayangkan oleh Trans 7? Namun
percayakah kamu bahwa aku sendiri belum pernah duduk manis di depan televisi
untuk sengaja menonton acara yang digawangi oleh Tukul Arwana, pelawak yang
berasal dari kota kelahiranku pula, Semarang. Ada dua alasan utama yang
melatarbelakanginya. Pertama, kehebohan acara “Empat Mata” ini tidak cukup
berhasil untuk memaksaku nongkrong di depan televisi. Yang kedua, memang aku
ini bukan penyuka televisi sejati. LOL. Percayalah, tidak mudah untuk
memprovokasiku agar menonton satu acara tertentu di televisi. LOL.

Berarti aku termasuk
kategori katro dong? LOL. FYI, aku tahu istilah “katro”, “tak sobek-sobek”
maupun “kembali ke laptop” bukan karena hasil nongkrong di depan televisi,
namun karena begitu sering siswa-siswa di kelasku menirukan celetukan khas
Tukul ini.

“Lantas, kamu mau
nulis apa dong Na di artikel ini kalau kamu sendiri belum pernah nonton “Empat
Mata”? barangkali ada yang bertanya begitu. (Mohon maklum, karena menderita
gejala schizophrenia, aku suka ngomong pada diri sendiri. LOL.)

Dalam kehidupanku
sehari-hari, aku kebetulan pernah berada di satu tempat yang membuatku
mendengar orang-orang berbicara tentang Tukul.

Pertama, beberapa
minggu yang lalu tatkala aku mandi setelah berenang di kolam renang Paradise
Club. Beberapa perempuan berusia sekitar 60-an yang mandi bersamaku merumpi
tentang keberhasilan Tukul. “Wajahnya jelek tapi pinter cari uang ya tak
apalah.” LOL. Ada juga yang bercerita ketika anaknya menghadiri pernikahan
seorang teman anak orang kaya di Semarang yang mengundang Tukul sebagai
penghibur. Keren bo’ mengundang Tukul ke pestar pernikahan? Barangkali. Tapi,
tentu saja hasilnya perhatian para tamu undangan akan tersita kepada Tukul
daripada kepada mempelai berdua.

Kedua, satu pagi dalam
perjalanan menuju kantor, ban motorku bocor. Untunglah tidak jauh dari situ ada
tukang tambal ban yang sudah buka (waktu itu sekitar pukul 07.15). Ketika
menunggu inilah, aku numpang nongkrong di salah satu warung dekat tambal ban.
Si pemilik warung memiliki anak kecil berusia (mungkin) sekitar 1,5-2 tahun
yang sedang dimomong oleh kakaknya (atau omnya?) Si kakak menggoda bibir si
kecil yang maju (bahasa tepatnya apaan ya? LOL) seperti milik Tukul.
Sang ibu serta merta berkomentar, “Ah ga papa punya bibir seperti bibir Tukul.
Jelek-jelek gitu duitnya banyak!”

Ketiga, satu malam aku
sedang ngenet di warnet langganan. Berhubung aku tidak mendapatkan tempat di
ruang utama, aku harus ke lab yang kebetulan tidak banyak user, sampai aku
tinggal seorang diri di lab tersebut. Aku males pindah karena harus membuka
website lagi satu persatu. Kalau akses lambat, wah, bakal butuh waktu lebih
lama kan? Pada waktu itu aku ditemani dua pegawai yang asik ngobrol. Guess
what? Mereka ngobrol tentang Tukul yang honor sekali shooting yang aduhai.
Salah satu dari mereka berkomentar, “Honor Tukul dalam satu minggu itu sama
dengan gajiku berapa bulan ya?”

Oh gosh, wherever I am
… aku mendengar orang berbicara tentang Tukul!!!

PT56 12.40 240407

Another interesting article I found while browsing:

http://cbs2chicago.com/entertainment/entertainment_story_112105300.html

Madonna Takes Adopted Son From Malawi

FYI, I have been amused by Madonna’s confidence (or craziness to many other people) to decide to have a baby from a man she wanted (her case with her first child, Lourdes), and refused to marry him. Isn’t it inspiring? isn’t it daring? Women choose from whom she wants to have a baby publicly. It shows a very big confidence that she has command on society. I wish I could do the same thing. LOL.

KPDE 21.00 230407

I have been browsing for some time when I found the title of a book I wrote in the title of this post. And below is one review of the book. VERY INTERESTING!!!

Belonging to Genetic
Structuralism

school

of

Lucien Goldmann

,
I cannot separate the work from the background of the poet and the society when
a certain work was produced. Brooks was born in 1917 in

Kansas

,
and grew up in

chicago

.
She herself divided her writing career into two phases, “pre-1967” and
“post-1967”. In 1967 when she attended the Second Black Writers’ Conference at

Fisk

University

,
Brooks met a number of young black poets who persuaded her that “black poets
should write as blacks, about blacks, and address themselves to blacks.” It
means, after that conference, Brooks’ awareness of her being African American
poet made her dedicate more time and work for Black society in

America

.

Gilbert and Gubar stated
that although Brooks did not claim herself as a feminist, believing that racial
issues must take priority over gender questions, she has always written with
extraordinary sympathy about the dilemmas of female characters. This can be
clearly seen in the poem I posted above “Sadie and Maud”.

Maud
went to college.

Sadie
stayed at home.

The first two lines in stanza one illustrated two sisters
who choose different kind of life, Maud goes to college, to study for a
betterment in her own future life while Sadie her sister chooses to stay at
home. Living in an era where education is very important for someone’s success
in life, one can directly conclude that Maud will have a better future than her
sister Sadie.

However, if one jumps
into the last stanza

Maud,
who went to college,

Is
a thin brown mouse.

She
is living all alone

In
this old house.

He/she will be surprised
because things do not turn like what he/she expects. Maud is even lonely, all
alone at home, feeling desperate about her life.

What happens in the process of those two sisters’ lives?

Sadie
scraped life

With
a fine-tooth comb

She
didn’t leave a tangle in.

Her
comb found every strand.

The lines three and four
of stanza one illustrates that life is not easy for Sadie, for she does not go
to college, she has to struggle to survive. “with a fine-tooth comb” can
be interpreted as she chooses to use her physical beauty to survive. The first
and second lines of stanza two depicts the continuation of the previous lines.
Her struggle indeed makes her survive, she can handle every problem coming to
her, with her own way of life that she chooses (by not going to college).

Sadie
was one of the livingest chits

In
all the land.

Lines three and four of stanza two illustrates that Sadie
is the happiest girl in her community despite the fact that she has to undergo
many severe problems in her struggle. Her struggle to survive by choosing “the
best” life that suits her personality does make her happy.

Sadie
bore two babies

Under
her maiden name.

Maud
and Ma and Papa

Nearly
died of shame.

Stanza three describes
one episode in Sadie’s life as “one of the livingest chits in all the land”.
She has two babies outside the wedlock. Therefore, she makes her sister, Maud,
and her parents very ashamed. Maud and her two parents obviously follow the
consensus of “good girl” as required by The Cult of True Womanhood spread since
the nineteenth century

America

that a girl must keep her virginity before getting married. Therefore what
Sadie has done really makes them almost die because of feeling humiliated by
society.

Does Sadie ever regret
of her own choice—not to go to college, to use her physical beauty to survive,
to have babies outside the wedlock? The following four lines in stanza four
shows that.

When
Sadie said her last so-long

Her
girls struck out from home.

(Sadie
had left as heritage

Her
fine-tooth comb.)

Before Sadie dies, she “teaches” her two daughters to
follow her step in their life, “Be yourself. Do what you think will make you
happy. And be responsible with your own choice. Don’t just follow the consensus
of “good norm” of society if you don’t feel happy with that.”

Since 1960s after the
abolishment of Jim Crow Law in

America

,
many African American people want to forget their “heritage” as Black people
and start to follow the habit of the white (read è the European American). Many feel ashamed
to do the “habit” of their parents or grandparents or older generations.

Brooks depicts Maud who
follows the bulk of white women who go to college in that era, without
realizing what it is for, without trying to like doing it, only as an
“obligation” to be considered as “the educated” person. Doing something because
it is an obligation without knowing the significance why doing it, without
enjoying it will just make Maud—or anybody else—unhappy.

PT56 09.05 220407

Sadie and Maud

Gwendolyn Brooks

(1917-2000)

Maud went to college.

Sadie stayed at home.

Sadie scraped life

With a fine-tooth comb

She didn’t leave a tangle in.

Her comb found every strand.

Sadie was one of the livingest chits

In all the land.

Sadie bore two babies

Under her maiden name.

Maud and Ma and Papa

Nearly died of shame.

When Sadie said her last so-long

Her girls struck out from home.

(Sadie had left as heritage

Her fine-tooth comb.)

Maud, who went to college,

Is a thin brown mouse.

She is living all alone

In this old house.