And ummm… is fall even really complete without a Fall of the Patriarchy mug?
Okayyy, that’s just the equal rights loving, product peddling, mug messaging patriarchy slayer in me.. But the truth is, I really do get excited talking about deconstructing systems of patriarchy, and not just in a snarky, fun loving artist sort of way.
Why oh why does it bring me hope to peel away at the musty, crusty, outdated systems of power that are losing their oomph by the day?
Well.. I get excited watching things that have always “just been that way” being questioned – it’s the only way we break out of obligatory patterns, and that’s always meaningful to see that play out in real life.
I also sort of hold my breath when I think there may be some measure of accountability passed down upon someone who has misused their power to over power another. After all – patriarchy isn’t necessarily about just masculine and feminine aspects. Patriarchy is about power. The power over dynamic.
The system of meaning that tells us from a young age that this person is valued more highly than that person; that person is less respectable than this person; this person deserves more than that person – and the list just keeps listing..
And also.. How can I be so judgmental of a system of power that I too participate in?
Yes, I’ll just be real here. Along with making mugs and asking hard questions, I also participate in the patriarchy, even as I scheme against its very existence. You know those times when you feel compelled to “play the game?” Sometimes it’s literally in the interest of keeping your job.. or your friends.. or your family.
There are times when you play the game to survive, and what does that really look like? Playing the game to me feels like when I am living a life that is out of alignment with my true values, my true needs and wants, and my true truths. It’s when I feel too afraid to stand up for what’s really right, and when I go along with groupthink rather than throw a wrench in the smoothly running engine of the status quo.
In those instances someone always loses. And it’s not usually those of us that sit closer to the top of the power that patriarchy offers.
So, how can I start to see through a more “patriarchy-proof” lens so I can contribute to the fall of the patriarchy?
Even if you’re still entrenched in systems that place greater power on some humans over others, if you start to ask some open minded questions about everything that is happening around you, they will start to change the way you think about things, the way you do things, and the way you conduct yourself.
Here are the questions to get in the habit of asking if you want to push a domino in the fall of the patriarchy game…
- Who is in power here? Who has the power to make the decisions?
- Who is benefiting most from the decisions being made?
- Who is represented – who’s got a seat at the table, able to speak and be heard?
- Who is not represented? Who’s voice/experience/perspective isn’t even at the table?
- Who is consistently being held accountable and also behaving like a decent human? Who consistently slicks around accountability?
- Who isn’t acting with integrity – and who is covering for them?
- And who is being punished for covering for those who aren’t acting in integrity – while those out of integrity strut onto the next thing?
When you start to pick apart the world by asking questions like these, you start to figure out who consistently gets away with bad behavior, who consistently takes the brunt of bad behavior, and where the power rests. It gets icky, it gets gross, and it usually unravels into a scenario where someone in power is hurting someone with less power.
Keep asking the questions. Keep looking at yourself to see where you may be playing a game you don’t need to play anymore. Keep your chin up and your rain boots handy for those days when you can go joyfully splash in the tears of those whose own bad antics have finally come back to bite them in the ass. And dance your own ass off in that puddle. We gotta celebrate the little wins…
Stay strong friends, there’s a whole mess of crazy coming down the pipeline about a month away from now. Whatever comes of it, let’s keep breaking down these silly structures that protect people with the most power. Brick by brick. 💪🍁✨
PS – if you want this inspirational beverage hugger, get your Fall of the Patriarchy mug here!
Other posts you may enjoy:
Art and Politics: How Art Tells the Stories of the Times
Artists: Telling the Story of a New Direction in the 2024 Election
Also, don’t be afraid of this adorable moon mug!