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Vatican Says Washing Machine Did Most To Liberate Women

Posted by samzenpus on from the darks-lights-and-liberation dept.

The Vatican newspaper says that the washing machine did more to liberate women than the pill or the right to work. "The Washing Machine and the Liberation of Women - Put in the Detergent, Close the Lid and Relax," ran on Sunday to mark international Women's Day. It's strange that the Vatican made no mention of the liberating aspects of cooking, or doing what you are told.

11 comments

  1. Seriously Old School Tech by jedidiah · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Many people seriously have no clue just how back breaking housework used to be. Mechanized laundry has been with us for so long (in the West) that we really have no idea what sort of a labor and muscle intensive chore it used to be.

    Have a little empathy and the Vatican's ideas don't seem so absurd anymore.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    1. Re:Seriously Old School Tech by thomis · · Score: 1

      Pappa Ratzi, formerly leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has long demonstrated
      his respect for the advances of Workers, Women, Minorities, Scholars, Physicians, Educators and the Poor.

      It's obviously in his DNA, from handmade slipper/shoes to his diamond crusted golden Miter.

      Poor, misunderstood fella.

      --
      ceci n'est pas un 'sig'
    2. Re:Seriously Old School Tech by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      Actually, Herr Hitler Youth's ideas fall in quite nicely with Maslow's heirarchy of needs.

      The fact that he is a jerk and leader of a cabal of jerks doesn't
      negate his ideas any more than his title makes him an automatic
      moral authority.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  2. Quite Old News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Basically, the statement is correct and I've heard from many other sources across the years (including liberated women). What I don't know, it's why the poster feels the need to bash the Vatican for saying it.

    1. Re:Quite Old News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I spent a year washing clothes by hand. I sincerely appreciate the washing machine as a labor saving device. I like cars and microwave ovens, too.

      But I don't really see technology as favoring any particular gender in the arena of sexual politics.

      The vatican looks like a clod for appearing to limit women's role in society to be domestic help.

    2. Re:Quite Old News by Asic+Eng · · Score: 1
      ...why the poster feels the need to bash the Vatican for saying it

      While the statement is not without merit, there were political reasons for making it. The Vatican newspaper didn't just decide to play a party game: Let's try and rank the most liberating inventions for women - it will be so fun. They chose to publish this article on women's day, with the obvious intent to denigrate achievements like women's right to work and their ability to enjoy sex and control the size of their families due to the pill. The Vatican's stance on birth control and the role of women, is one which leads to population growth and poverty. While they may genuinely think of their position as moral - it is seen as amoral and detrimental to humanity by many others.

      Also - while birth control is still a political matter in many nations, there is no such debate about outlawing washing machines. Raising this point as part of a discussion about birth control and other women's rights matters, is very much a red herring.

    3. Re:Quite Old News by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe he's bashing the Vatican in acknowledgement of all the little children whom the Vatican has touched.

      --
      Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
    4. Re:Quite Old News by conureman · · Score: 1

      In another time, I too did it the hard way. I felt very modern with a stick in a plastic bucket, unlike those folks beating it on rocks by the river. Got stuff very much cleaner, but it took up the better part of one whole day per week.

      --
      The cost of that cleanup, of course, will be borne by taxpayers, not industry.
  3. So what he's saying by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The washing machine, the birth control pill, and women's protective labor laws were ALL more effective in liberating half of humanity than the Vatican.

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
    1. Re:So what he's saying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Insightful, and truly funny. Thank you. (Although I feel now a little dirty for enjoying idle.)

  4. Technology and freedom. by Heather+D · · Score: 1

    That sounds about right. Tech. has probably done more to liberate humanity as a whole than any philosophy or religion. Of course, upon liberation, we've generally done a pretty good job of enslaving ourselves to other things.