Depends whether you're saying "yuck women smell of fish" or just using the fact that everybody knows that meme as part of a joke. I don't think it /has/ to be misogynist, but it clearly could be. I also don't think it's very funny - it's too easy.
I can see how it could be argued that you don't have to *agree* that yuck women smell of fish to comprehend the statement, but I think propagating or making use of a misogynist meme is often pretty misogynist in itself, particularly in a context where it cannot be easily argued with.
Ah, well, when I first came across the fishsmell thing, over 40 years ago now, it wasn't "yuck" it was just "this is what some fannies smell like", with no particular import either way. Maybe that makes a difference. It's not like there's owt intrinsically wrong with the smell of fish, is it?
Of course, in those days we used to enjoy Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Mind_The_Quality_Feel_The_Width) as well - but even then some of us knew Love Thy Neighbour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Thy_Neighbor) was a bit dodgy. Blimey, that was 1972! I thought it was earlier, but it explains why I never saw more than half an episode - that's when I left home for Uni.
I don't think many blokes are offended by jokes about knobcheese and its smell, either.
If you go down the route of "thou shalt not propagate a meme that /may/ be used maliciously", a lot of Jewish comedians are going to be out of work. Depending on your viewpoint, that may not be a bad thing, of course. But you lose an awful lot of other good stuff too. About 85% of all the love songs ever written, for one thing.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-24 11:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-24 12:02 pm (UTC)I don't think it /has/ to be misogynist, but it clearly could be.
I also don't think it's very funny - it's too easy.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-24 02:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-24 02:34 pm (UTC)It's not like there's owt intrinsically wrong with the smell of fish, is it?
Of course, in those days we used to enjoy Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Mind_The_Quality_Feel_The_Width) as well - but even then some of us knew Love Thy Neighbour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Thy_Neighbor) was a bit dodgy. Blimey, that was 1972! I thought it was earlier, but it explains why I never saw more than half an episode - that's when I left home for Uni.
I don't think many blokes are offended by jokes about knobcheese and its smell, either.
If you go down the route of "thou shalt not propagate a meme that /may/ be used maliciously", a lot of Jewish comedians are going to be out of work. Depending on your viewpoint, that may not be a bad thing, of course. But you lose an awful lot of other good stuff too. About 85% of all the love songs ever written, for one thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-24 12:06 pm (UTC)