Prescriptivisms

Last week, a meme "presented" itself on my social media feed. A pretty young actress "leaned into" the fact of her ample cleavage on Saturday Night Live, and created a minor kerfuffle in the process. Slate, where cultural scolds continue to thrive, ran eight hundred words informing us that her "boobs are not that big." The Internet had fun with that, as it often does:

Normally, I'd have had a quick chuckle and moved on, but I happened to read a bit by Erec Smith at the Cato Institute around the same time that offered the phrase "prescriptive racism:"

Another underlying concept of Critical Social Justice is prescriptive racism: the prescribing of certain values, attitudes, and behaviors onto someone based on race. To shirk these values, attitudes, and behaviors is to be inauthentic, to not be a true member of a particular racial group.

This Monday's blog offering discussed, among other things, "tradwives," i.e. women who choose (yes, choose) to embrace (or seek) a more traditional role in marriage, eschewing the "career mom" or similar modern women's-liberation or feminist life choices. This movement has been panned by modern feminists and other members of the woke-o-sphere. That it's a choice doesn't much matter, because it's the 'wrong' choice.

The social justice concept of prescriptive racism has an obvious parallel here.

That is, proper modern women must not embrace trad roles, even if they want to, and even if no one demands it of them. Failure to conform to the modern narrative, to behave as a properly modern woman should, hurts the cause. As is so often the case in progressivism, the individual is subordinate to the collective, and may not matter at all.

We see this across the culture and across the identities:

• Gays who stay closeted hurt the acceptance movement.

• Acting "color blind" is racist.

• Speaking grammatically correct English, being on time, elevating rationality over feelings, and applying blind justice and neutral principles of law undermine black societal progress.

• Believing that two parent households are better for children is oppressive and patriarchal.

It's at the heart of the transgender industry. Girls that behave like boys must inwardly be boys, and thus must be put on chemical regimes or surgical programs to validate their true identities. In a stunning cultural reversal, gender is determined by… stereotypical gender roles and behaviors. No allowance for tomboy phases, no consideration that perhaps they might be gay.

And, no allowance for criticism or dissent. Check out this description of YouTuber Arielle Scarcella, who regularly posts (among related matters) criticisms of the trans-activist efforts to redefine what it means to be a lesbian.

It has infiltrated comedy, with (usually young) scolds deciding that, if they don't find something funny, no one else should. Take note that such never say "I don't find this funny." They, instead, put forth a categorical "this is not funny," establishing themselves as arbiters and gatekeepers.

Movies and television are awash in it. There is a grievance hierarchy in just about everything you see.

Even our elections are infected. Sure, you get to vote, but if you vote for the wrong person, you are imperiling democracy itself.

All this comes from the same mindset. With a hat tip to the late, great Bill Hicks, you are free... to think as they tell you. All these modern "justice" and "critical" ideologies serve one purpose: to replace independent thought and individual action with a script. Whether it be shame, shunning, bullying, or overt coercion, the end goal is to put you in a box of their choosing. If you don't embrace fourth-wave feminism, you're a traitor to women everywhere. If you don't act and think (and vote) "black," you're not black. If you're an effeminate boy or a "butch" girl, you must be transgender, with no allowance for anything else (including the first letters of "LGBTQ...").

Such observations and objections will be dismissed by the Best-and-Brightest as "culturally conservative" or "right-wing" or "MAGA" or "alt-right," but they are actually about liberty. About the individual's inalienable right to pursue happiness, social conformity be damned. This is why I constantly deride leftists and differentiate them from liberals. At its core, leftism is fundamentally and irredeemably anti-liberty, which makes it anathema to me, no matter how purportedly noble its intent.

Yes, I want you to think in terms of liberty. That's my "prescriptivism." Even if you don’t, persuade rather than coerce. Make the case for whatever -ism you prefer. The marketplace of ideas is a good thing. Argue away, but don’t demand. Don’t require others live the lifestyles you prefer or choose for yourself.

---

A necessary afterthought. Not all lifestyle choices are equal. I won't try to bully you into those that I think are better, but I offer a few "better" ones are. From an empirical and experiential perspective.

• Capitalism works better than socialism. Not perfect, but miles better.

• Exercise and controlling your weight is healthier than sloth and obesity.

• Speaking the common language and idiom of your society opens more opportunity than an uncommon vernacular or other language.

• Two parent households are among the greatest indicators of a child's success later in life. Not a requirement, by any means, and certainly many single parents have done very well by their kids, but in the aggregate, the evidence is irrefutable, and progressive messaging to the contrary is harmful.

• Being on time is a Good Thing. It shows respect for both your counterpart and yourself.

There are many more, of course. Y’all can suggest them in the comments, if you wish. Others may agree or disagree. All can (and should) be debated. Honestly and genuinely.