"Hysterical"

[WilliamPitt]

1610s, from L. hystericus "of the womb," from Gk. hysterikos "of the womb, suffering in the womb," from hystera "womb" (see uterus). Originally defined as a neurotic condition peculiar to women and thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the uterus.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hysterical

These shit attitudes are embedded in the very language we speak and hear every day. It is beyond insidious.

Long road behind. Long road ahead.



You are not alone.

[Hekate]

1. Will Pitt

You are on a roll now as far as me recc'ing your posts. You be good.

[m-lekktor]

2. yup. recommend. nt

[spanone]

3. k&r...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. It's very good to have you on our side, my dear Will...

Thank you.

[Cracklin Charlie]

15. Will Pitt!

He's a real boy!

Thanks for always understanding the stakes, Will!

[kickitup]

5. Thank you.

[redqueen]

6. Word police! Freedom of speech! First amendment!

K&R

[Duval]

7. Love you, WRP.

Thank you for standing with us gals on this, yet another travesty of justice. Keep fighting the good fight, and know that YOU are not alone, either.

[cali]

8. spot on

[dgibby]

9. Thanks, Will.

You're the best!

[nolabear]

10. I'm so glad you're on the human side.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. I think the word has its uses, but do we have any less offensive equivalents?

Shrill?

Over-wrought?

Unwarranted?

Hair-on-fire?

[WilliamPitt]

12. Well, one cound defer to the original definition:

"Wrong"

Like I said, it's in the language. Hysterical = wrong...Woman = wrong.

Insidious. You and your stupid ovaries.

[uppityperson]

23. "overly upset" might work

[LynneSin]

13. There use to be a medical conditional called Female Hysteria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria

Female hysteria was a once-common medical diagnosis, made exclusively in women, which is today no longer recognized by medical authorities as a medical disorder. Its diagnosis and treatment were routine for many hundreds of years in Western Europe. Hysteria was widely discussed in the medical literature of the 19th century. Women considered to be suffering from it exhibited a wide array of symptoms, including faintness, nervousness, sexual desire, insomnia, fluid retention, heaviness in the abdomen, muscle spasm, shortness of breath, irritability, loss of appetite for food or sex, and "a tendency to cause trouble".[1] In extreme cases, the woman would be forced into the asylum and undergo surgical hysterectomy.

There was a great movie that came out a few years ago about Female Hysteria. ALthough it was a fictional movie it was based on much of the history of Female Hysteria and how men treated the sympton (and also the development of the very first female vibrator).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteria_(2011_film)

[WilliamPitt]

14. "a tendency to cause trouble"

You are officially diagnosed.

[LynneSin]

34. I suspect the GOP would diagnose most of us progressive women...

With female hysteria.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. Here's the link to imdb.com about this movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1435513/

[IronLionZion]

18. If that was how vibrators came about,

then I wonder how many women claimed to have hysteria just so they could get one?

It would be bad if it was forced on the unwilling of course.

[redqueen]

22. Considering the historical pathologization of female sexuality,

in addition to the demonization of women for even having a sex drive at all, I'm sure it wasn't exactly pleasant for most women, who were treated to the experience at the hands of male doctors.

[LeftyMom]

32. The treatment was to go to your doctor and get treated to "hysterical paroxysm" with a vibrator.

No fooling.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

16. Not all Christian teaching believe in the Virgin Birth of their Savior

An Episcopal confirmation class taught me that the Virgin Birth is not taught in their liturgy. Their Savior needn't have been born by a miraculous, "immaculate" conception. But the Catholic Church for some reason insisted it be taught as though it was. And then decide priests can't marry, nor can women become priests.

The deck has been stacked ever since. The only woman the church truly admires is a fabrication of their own demented thinking.

[toby jo]

19. Sacred energy, you see, descends, first to the penis, where it divulges its' secrets.

Then it moves within the soul, mind, and spirit.

That penis seems to be the pivot point.

You gotta love these guys. Who needs comedians when we have the church?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

30. Nope. I think He was just touched in the head.

(but even that has a double entrendre. Maybe triple.

[ReRe]

20. I love learning where our words come from...

... and this is a good one. Have several books on the shelf on the topic and pull them down and enjoy now and then.

Right now, as we sit here morphing in front of our computers, there's some serious hysteria stewing inside of us women, and it isn't our libidos. Especially when we learn that HL pays for vasectomies & Viagra/Cialis for men. I bet you we see an up-tic in tubal ligations in the last 6 months of this year, not to mention legal abortions. And let's not forget those botched abortions.

K&R

[littlemissmartypants]

21. We have to hope

Your baby girl will know a better world. Thanks so much for your thoughtful and provocative posts. They make me think and I enjoy thinking.
Love, Peace and Shelter. littlemissmartypants

[uppityperson]

24. k&r

[redwitch]

25. Lola Jane has quite the advocate for a daddy.

Maybe by the time she is grown we can finally put this shit behind us?

[dilby]

26. Cool story, thanks for going back 400 years to find that.

[Louisiana1976]

27. K&R

[Enthusiast]

28. Kicked and recommended!

Thank you, WilliamPitt.

[LiberalLoner]

29. Thank you

[angstlessk]

31. I agree...'Madam President" or "Madam" prostitute manager

[WilliamPitt]

33. .

[smirkymonkey]

35. Yes. Quite sick of the word actually.

Thanks.

[WilliamPitt]

36. Up

[WilliamPitt]

37. Up

[Autumn]

38. Thanks Will.

Recommended.