Captain Marvel and I have nothing to prove to you

This morning I read the Patriarchal-diatribe-disguised-as-review about this movie from desiringgod (I’m not going to post a link because I’m just not going to drive traffic to their site but if you really want to read it you can definitely google it!) It was ridiculous in so many ways . . . From the fact that Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are presented as the ideal princesses (yep, both princesses who were in a magical trance of sleep, silent and motionless, unable to consent to the kiss from a prince who is given credit for waking them up) to the insistence that empowering girls is somehow undermining our society because it would be horrible if we dispel the myth that women need men to rescue us.

Now, I’m just going to say it . . . I’m going to be writing a post that includes all sorts of spoilers so if you don’t like them, wait to read this until you’ve seen the movie. If you think you don’t care and read this please don’t get angry that I’ve given things away.

That out of the way, let’s dive in . . .

Turns out the thing racist Patriarchalists fear most is a woman who stops believing their lies. Why? Because empowered women will do what is best for everyone . . . Literally EVERYONE!

I knew the Kree were the bad guys when the only other female called the Earth a shithole. Clearly they were being compared to the President and his racist statements about African countries and Haiti. Please note that the desiringgod reviewer doesn’t have a complaint that she’s a soldier – she’s a soldier who stands for what they stand for. You know, one of the “decent people on both sides” gals.

If you read the desiringgod review did you notice that no concern at all was expressed about the plot of the movie? It’s about refugees and the need to find a solution that allows them to live, and to live in peace, while preventing the hateful murderers who see the refugees’ desire to do so as a personal threat against them from killing them all.

Captain Mar Vell realized the truth about what her people were doing and was so opposed to it that she hid herself on Earth, and hid many Skrull refugees on her space station at the risk of her own life. She was smart enough to develop the technology to protect them and relocate them away from her own people who were murdering them.

While trying to get them the technology she was murdered by her own people who saw her as a traitor. When the young soldier who was with her, Carol Danvers, destroys the rocket Captain Mar Vell was going to destroy when she was shot, she absorbs the power of that rocket and the Kree take her hostage. They conceal her power and her identity from her, and begin indoctrinating her with the idea that she has to embrace pure logic in order to be powerful enough to defeat the man she doesn’t realize is her captor. This is a common tactic of abusers – villainizing emotion and arguing for pure logic. They aren’t logical, but if they can get you to try and be logical you will be distracted from what they are doing to you. Your feelings are your warning indicators – if they get you to turn the warnings off, they have more room to do their evil.

When she’s taken before the Supreme Intelligence she knows she will see them through the filter of her subconscious and she sees Captain Mar Vell – who, of course, she doesn’t realize is someone she knows. Using other women to oppress women is a classic patriarchy move. If you hear something from a woman you will be less likely to realize the threat to yourself, as a woman.

The moment she realizes that she’s been fighting with one hand tied behind her back . . . That moment she ultimately rejects their “definition” and imposed limitations of her . . . That’s a moment to behold! At that point she doesn’t even have to exert any real energy to take down her oppressors! She’s laughing while she tricks them and beats the snot out of them. If I’m being real honest, It’s the look I know I have on my face when a misogynists jumps into a conversation to take me on.

Next it’s time to confront the man who has been her abuser – the man who kidnapped her, lied to her, removed her identity and hindered her physical abilities . . . The man who redefined her and stole her power and her voice. . . And he’s standing up to her. Then he stops. He drops back and appears to “reason” with her – by reminding her he is responsible for who she is and argues that it’s only by NOT using her powers that she will know she’s really defeated him.

Then she blows him across the landscape into a giant rock and informs him she has nothing to prove to him.

That is the experience of empowerment. It is freeing. It is seeing the bullshit for what it really is! It is no longer allowing anyone – not a woman, not a man, not a racist, not a Patriarchalist, to control or define you! Empowered women, added by Fury, pursuing justice, will always fight for the freedom and empowerment of EVERYONE!

If you want to know who the evil villain is, look for the oppressor. Who is trying to keep women oppressed? Who is calling other countries shitholes? Who is arguing to build a wall to keep out refugees, and when they get in is ripping apart their families and villianizing everyone who tries to defend them? They are the villain.

Is that you? You are the villain!

The people at desiringgod are the villian.

Turns out the folks over at desiringgod aren’t concerned about undermining our society – they are concerned that women will wake up and realize they are the villian and they are trying to get us to set aside our emotion, not use our power, and deal with them on their terms.

The reason it won’t work is that I have nothing to prove to them!

The encouragement I take from this movie is this . . . The bad guys know that when we tap into our power and find our voice we will defeat them! They know we will do it easily. They know they have no way to win. In fact, according to Gavin De Becker, predators tell you exactly what to do to defeat them in what they tell you not to do.

If they say:

Don’t scream . . . . Scream! It means they think someone is close enough to hear you and come to your aid

Don’t run . . . RUN! They think you will be able to outrun them.

Don’t fight . . . Fight! They know you will be able to overpower them.

Think for a minute about what Patriarchy tells us to do. Be silent. Be submissive. Be focused only at home. It’s just another version of don’t scream, don’t run, don’t fight! Patriarchalists will even argue that you need logic only and not emotion!

Once you identify the villain – be the hero!

And remember, you have nothing to prove to anyone.

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