As part of her book, “The Sex Story,” a new book about the intersection of gender and sexuality, author Anita Sarkeesian argues that the best way to engage with a woman is to speak her mind, not to try to be her friend.
In her first interview since “The Rape of Serendipity,” Sarkeesians told Salon that there are some common misconceptions about how to engage a woman and the role women play in the world.
“It’s like if you had a kid and you were looking for a babysitter or a nanny, and you wanted someone who could talk to you, but also was a nice person and didn’t just look for someone to tell you what to do, that’s not an ideal role model,” she said.
Sarkeesian said that when she was younger, she had the opposite experience.
I had no idea how to tell a woman not to tell me, or not to go into a relationship with me.
I was never asked what I wanted and I wasn’t asked what my goals were, and I didn’t know how to deal with rejection.
And the more I did that, the more it made me feel like, Well, she knows this stuff.
And she’s right.
As a woman, she said, there is a certain amount of self-doubt that comes with being a woman.
But even for those who are more confident, Sarkeesia says there are still barriers.
When I was younger I would have never said no to a guy who I thought was too hot to fuck, but I would never have said no if I thought he was too dumb to fuck.
So I think that there is some value in being a little more open about these things, especially when it comes to dating.
What’s next?
Sarin said that she hopes to get more women in the industry and help women in STEM careers by making them aware of the barriers they face.
Follow Micah Foslien on Twitter @micah_foslian.