Mordant Belle

I am devastated today. I look up to Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon, and I am heartbroken to learn of her appropriation of RWOC brownfemipower’s work, which ultimately resulted in the removal of bfp’s powerful and wonderful blog.

As a female blogger who forged something amazing out of her righteous feminist anger, she was someone I had hoped to be. Her blog is one of those that I check every day, and I alway look forward to her humor and scathing commentary, her unabashed willingness to “call bullshit” when she sees it. Many say that being so caustic is damaging to “the cause”, but to the contrary, a perspective that is blunt, straightforward, rightfully angry, and unashamed is refreshing to me, since I’m so used to rhetoric, hedging, evasion, and empty words.

I’m not going to link to any of the multitude of the conversations taking place elsewhere, because they are too many and too confusing. I believe Amanda when she says she did not “steal” brownfemipower’s content, and it appears that she wrote every word of her original article herself. However, I also believe it is intellectually dishonest for her to claim no credit is due to brownfemipower, whose entire activisim and more importantly her blog was based on the topics covered in Amanda’s article, which Amanda has admitted is on her reading list. This is practically a textbook case of appropriation of WOC work.

I understand Amanda’s defensive stance, and her perception of being attacked…she IS being attacked. The question is whether the attack is warranted. Even if some of the accusations are overreactions - which brownfemipower’s was decidedly not, though some of her loyal friends went much more vocal and accusing - that doesn’t invalidate the original complaint. As a woman and a feminist, she knows and understands the effects of discrimination. She can understand what its like, for example, if a male colleague repeats a suggestion of hers and it receives consideration since it came from a male mouth instead of her own. She understands what its like to be ignored, dismissed, silenced, called “hysterical”. This makes her actions regarding brownfemipower all the more disappointing. I’m not sure how this will affect how I read her blog.

There is a simple solution, which I think could solve this, at least between Amanda and bfp. Amanda, apologize. Say you’re sorry for the lack of mention. Say appropriation was not your intention, and thank bfp for her blog, which you have read, which helps you track the discrimination and racism people of color, especially women of color, experience. Add a link in your article, either at the end or within the text, to brownfemipower’s work. Maybe even link to some other inspirations…you said you were inspired by speeches and texts not from brownfemipower. Acknowledge those too.

That’s all. That’s really all it would take. At that point it is not longer appropriation, but you adding your unique voice to the work of the RWOC. You would be defending WOC and their right to speak and be heard, rather than undermine those rights.

Your unwillingness to do that, for whatever reason, is what the uproar is all about.

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