By Helen Andelin, Author of Fascinating Womanhood
The good news is that due to the heavy demands of the SMK fan clubs it will be online again on Pax TV January 28, Monday through Friday, 4:00 pm eastern time. I encourage all serious students of Fascinating Womanhood to "make time" for this program. The episodes are well written, well directed and the acting superb!!
It's the story of a divorced housewife, Amanda King who, quite by accident, becomes involved with helping a federal agent, Lee Stetson, a sleek bachelor spy (code name Scarecrow) solve a mystery. Although she is not a skilled operator like Scarecrow, she has such a gift for cracking mysteries that the federal agency hires her part time as an undercover civilian and Scarecrow's partner.
This excellent program supports the basic concepts of FW. For one thing, it glorifies the housewife, not the career woman. Amanda is a devoted mother of her two sons. She is feminine, domestic, an ideal woman from a man's point of view - kind, serving, caring, with longsuffering patience and a strong moral character, yet with a human side too - feminine and refined, sparkling and childlike, not easily pushed around - the kind of woman men adore, as Scarecrow eventually does. Sometimes she makes mistakes, but even these are learning tools. If you would like to review some SMK fan clubs, try www.smkfans.com -the main web site of a web ring of other sites.
One of the main things I like about the series is that the relationship between Lee and Amanda is based on a solid foundation. Over a period of time they get to know each other, which leads to respect, appreciation, understanding, complete trust and finally a mutual affection leading to love. I like the way they handle disagreements and the way she handles herself when he is difficult - cute moments, never ugly. If you like the show and would like to send in your comments, I will print them here.
Japan: You probably know that Fascinating Womanhood has been translated into the Japanese language by Cosmo 21, a publishing company in Tokyo. It is now into its second printing. They have also translated The Fascinating Girl (called here The Secrets of Winning Men) into Japanese and it will be on the market soon.
Historian: I have had a few inquires about the historian who is doing a study of the Fascinating Womanhood movement for her doctorate. She was here in December and spent four days interviewing me extensively, and copying news articles, records and other things of historical value. She was here again this month and spent another four days of the same. She says of her research, "I have never seen anything like it." She plans to write a book about it for the public and thinks it will be widely read.
Site for Men: Some good news!! After a number of requests from men, we finally have plans for a site for men, hopefully beginning March 1. No, I am not going to write this myself. It will be written by my oldest son, Lane Andelin. He grew up in a home immersed in the ideals of marriage and family life, has a doctorate in psychology and is a practicing counselor in marriage and family life. In addition he has insights, is a very kind hearted person and an excellent teacher, therefore well qualified to do justice to this important subject. Although a separate site, there will be a link to it from this site.
What is feminism? Feminism is an aggressive program to claim and protect the rights of women. It was first launched about 1912 by Susan B Anthony and her followers who believed women were not given a fair deal in government and the market place and needed to demand equal rights with men. After a tough fight they won women's
rights to vote.
Feminism began anew in the 1970s with an even more aggressive program, broader complaints and higher goals, gaining momentum until the l980s when its flaws became apparent. The reason I am writing about it here is that many of you who stumble onto this web site or hear about the teachings of Fascinating Womanhood in other places, may find these teaching new, different and even strange, causing you to resist or challenge the teachings of FW. This is because for the past 20 to 30 years you have been exposed to the views of feminism and many of their teachings have influenced your way of thinking. To clear your mind of these false concepts and make it a fertile field for truth I will review the flaws of feminism. First let's take a look at their views and goals:
From a 1970 Weekly Reader: "Today's school girl may have a bright future in the world of work. Even now some women are becoming steel mill workers, drivers, jockeys, pilots and even Army generals. For years our country's hard, high paying or important jobs were mostly "for men only." Now this is changing.
From Betty Freidan, former president of N.O.W. "We hope to change the entire concept of man as the breadwinner and the decision making head of the family and the wife as the subordinate helpmeet."
From Hubert Humphries, a political figure who once ran from President: "One of the untapped resources of this country is woman power. We need them in science, medicine, engineering, politics, education - in all endeavors.
Women in the feminist movement suffer a great misconception about life and its most basic principles. For example, their complaint about "inequality" is a misconception. The man's position as the breadwinner and decision making head of the family is not more important than the woman's position in the home, as a wife, mother and homemaker. Both are essential building blocks of society - equally important but different in function.
If women have been unhappy with their role in the home it is because they have not given enough to it. If we merely feed and clothe children and keep the house clean we are "unprofitable servants," deserving neither thanks nor reward. Success and happiness comes when we make a wholehearted effort, go the second mile. This follows a principle of truth, "He who loseth his life in service to others, will surely find it."
Women of the movement feel they must leave their meager roles in the home to serve humanity elsewhere. They must find a cure for cancer or serve in science, industry or the government. They ignore the fact that they can best serve society in the home, preparing their children to be useful citizens, instilling in them moral values, inspiring them to noble goals and serving as their husband's support in an increasingly threatening world. We do not need a woman to be president or rescue a dwindling world. There are plenty of men to do that. The greatest need of our country today is better mothers and more secure, happy homes. In this lies the strength of America.
The feminists have rejected their feminine sphere, where they are so desperately needed and are forcing their way into the man's world, thinking it is a better place. Here they must compete with men for equality. Here they must strive for position, taking on the traits of aggressiveness and determination if they are to succeed along with men. But women, if they are truly women, will never excel men in his world, unless they lose their womanliness. They will be misfits, wandering between two worlds but excelling in neither. They have underestimated the value of being a woman and exaggerated the benefits of being a man.
There is no justification for women to desert their posts in the home and offer to help men solve their problems. Women have had a record of failure in the home. Most of our social problems stem from homes where the woman has failed to establish a successful home life. We have an alarmingly high record of divorce, family turmoil and youth problems. Isn't it presumptuous on the part of women to leave their homes, where they have failed, and offer to help men solve their problems? The weak spot in America is the home - - where the emphasis should be in solving problems.
Their complaint about discrimination is another misconceptions. If men have taken the initiative to keep women out of the man's world or treat them differently it is because they respect femininity and would like to preserve their gentle nature. The feminists ignore a fundamental fact, that men and women are different psychologically, temperamentally and socially as well as physically. The theory that the masculine and feminine traits are learned is false. God created male and female and each was given characteristics to function in his role. One has only to care for a large number of children from infancy to see the pronounced difference in the male and female children as they play together, yet develop differently in nature. A busy mother does not have time to teach her children to be male and female. They are so without instruction.
It is strange but the feminists never speak of love, either the love between a man and a woman or between parents and children. Yet love, next to food and warmth, has been recognized as the most basic human need. And last, the feminists think entirely too much of what they want, instead of where their responsibility lies. If our world is to succeed, both men and women must serve where they are most urgently needed and do so
unselfishly.
"Thank you for writing Fascinating Womanhood. It is the answer to many prayers and a key to healing our families and marriages."
"Fascinating Womanhood has truly been a blessing in my life. As a single young woman I have found the principles to be on-point and very powerful."
"Dear Helen, The world needs you now more than ever. Your work is of the utmost importance to both men and women. We must not loose sight of the differences between men and women. You give us hope and the tools we need to move forward. Please keep faith that you are spreading the principles. You have touched so many lives that touch others by example. The truth is not often in fashion but will always hold through the tests of time. Continue to shed a light of joy in this darkened world." PG - California
Be especially sweet to your husband this week - lots of sweet talk,
sweet smiles, tender affection and kindly considerations. Don't let a critical thought
cross your mind or a harsh work escape your lips.
Soften 8 oz of Philadelphia cream cheese. Stir until very soft. Gradually add 1 can
Eagle brand milk. Slowly add 1/3 cup lemon juice. Pour over graham cracker crust.
Chill three hours. Top with 1 can Comstock Cherry Pie Filling. Chill one hour. This
was intended to be online Monday morning but through an oversight it was over looked.
Don't let it make a difference. Give him a valentine week
http://www.fascinatingwomanhood.net
andelins@sofnet.com
February 2002
Many of you may remember, in the September 2000 issue of this web site I wrote about the Scarecrow and Mrs. King TV program and urged you to watch it. To give you some background: From 1983 to 1987 Warner Bros. produced this program for TV shown weekly on CBS. In January of 2000 Pax TV began reruns until it strangely disappeared from the screen in December 2001.
News Brief
The Flaws of Feminism
Comments from Grateful Students:
Valentine Treat: