Feminism, Life, Love

I Had Forgotten All About Tootsie. Until Today.

I cried along with actor Dustin Hoffman in this interview on the driving force behind the movie Tootsie, and why he made it.

He SO gets it.

No need to say anything more really, other than: watch the video below!

“Because I think I am an interesting woman when I look at myself on screen. And I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk to that character because she doesn’t fulfill physically the demands that we’re brought up to think women have to have in order to ask them out. — There’s too many interesting women I have…not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed.”

~ Dustin Hoffman, actor

Thank you Dustin Hoffman.

Here’s the Tootsie scene in which “Dorothy” (played by Hoffman) reveals herself to be a man:

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8 thoughts

      • Would you define yourself as Radical, Conservative, Libertarian, Separatist, or other feminist?

        • Wow! I don’t know LOL 🙂 I have a real problem putting myself in a box. I don’t fit well in pigeonholes and don’t feel comfortable defining myself with overly restrictive labels. I see myself as multidimensional in virtually all aspects of my being. I didn’t even really know there were so many narrowly defined “types” of feminism. SoŠ ummmmmŠ probably there would be aspects of different types with which I would agree and disagree. If forced to choose one on the list, maybe “liberal” (I.E. seeks individualistic equality of men and women through political and legal reform without altering the structure of society), would be the closest fit.

          • I prefer to get a sense of a person’s context especially in a more involved
            arena such as feminism. Saves time, gives a jumping off point, and avoids
            launching into areas that might not even apply. Generally, as with so many
            individuals, people are often more than their beliefs, ideologies and chosen
            fields—multidimensional. It isn’t meant to box in or pigeonhole, but rather to
            clarify. If one declares their feminism, I realize there are many directions that
            can take and prefer to explore first. For instance I don’t think that I’d want to
            get into an extended exchange with anyone who is militant (radical?) about
            this or any other subject, which you don’t appear to be, Otherwise, positions
            get locked and circular reasoning prevails. Usually a waste of psychic energy.

            (For instance, I’m an atheist (for philosophical reasons.) Most people I know
            believe in god. They aren’t militant about it—otherwise they probably wouldn’t
            brook my presence. No doubt there are militant ones who avoid me, but I’m
            not too cognizant of it as they’re not around.)

            May I ask how you came about becoming feminist? Was it a series of events
            or a pivotal event? Probably more gradual, but I’d be curious about your own
            personal journey.

            I should mention that I read Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique about
            40 year ago and found it quite a ground-breaking sociological study. As well,
            poignant and heartfelt. Refreshing and honest. Cracking the frozen stigma of
            “the problem with no name.” Trapped. Yearning. Longing. And the above
            ratio suicides. I didn’t felt that way about my life, but I realized that many women
            did.

            Well, there is much for future discussion. To start I’m not an ERA defender, I’m
            not a gay rights defender. I’m not a specific group defender. I’m an individual
            rights defender.

            To be continued…

          • Thanks for the clarification.

            I was once in a book group in which one of the women declared that she would willingly be a suicide bomber. In fact, she regretted that she had not blown herself up. To this day, I rue not having had the presence of mind to suspend my judgment (this was about 20 years ago since which I have become much more aware and awake though still working on same), and ask probing questions to learn more about her extremist (or at least what I would consider extremist) views. I missed a golden opportunity 🙁 Although it is exceedingly difficult, I think it can also be extraordinarily enlightening to explore views which we ourselves might find abhorrent. Curiosity is a wonderful gift.

            All that said, I think I am not radical in any way. Others might disagree.

            I have not read The Feminine Mystique. Perhaps it’s time I did 🙂 I see your address is CanadianŠ funny you should use the ERA as exampleŠ

          • Not sure what you meant by “I see your address as Canadian,
            funny you should use the ERA as example.”

            Our version here is the Charter of Rights. Amounts to the same
            thing.

            However, it isn’t the country. It’s the political philosophy I’m
            challenging. Universally. Especially in the wake of observing
            all basic rights undergoing erosion with the growth of Statism
            everywhere. (Big government.) I’m not against government,
            just needs to be defined as to what role it should play in our
            lives—everywhere.

            In our millions of years evolving on this earth, this has been a
            very short history of liberty. Going back about 10,000 years or
            so to the start of farming and the growth of cities, there has
            always been slavery. This has been the history of the world
            before 1776 and The Declaration of Independence. The
            Founding Fathers still struggled mightily with this. And most
            of the world still doesn’t understand it.

            So, if you’ve “missed a golden opportunity” with the wishful
            “suicide bomber” woman (although I don’t liken her to the
            suicide ratio that Friedan was writing about) but understand
            your point about “views we may find abhorrent” that can be
            “extraordinarily enlightening” (with some provisos.) I think
            many of us can relate to “missing golden opportunities”
            when we look back. Strongly urge you to read her book
            It’s very readable.

            It’s my impression that you and I are very different.
            Perhaps this is another “golden opportunity?”

            By the way, have you ever seen the movie, The Contender?
            The president nominating a female for vice-president of the
            U.S. and what she goes through? Would be curious about
            your take on this.

            Still curious about your journey to feminism.

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