Marriage Advice To Young Ladies From 1918 By A Suffragette Is Radical And Hilarious At The Same Time
If International Woman’s Day did anything it shed light on how far women have come and how far we still have to go, but either way, we still have a lot of feminists to thank who have fought for equality through endless movements along the way. One of the most notable feminist movements and groups in history was the suffragettes, who fought for women’s right to vote and gender equality across society.
Naturally, this set of fiery women had some strong views on all topics, not just voting, or work equality but about marriage as well. A post on marriage advice from 1918 suffrage history has been making the rounds on the internet and has gone viral – and when you read it it’s easy to see why.
Image credits: Laurel L. Russwurm
The suffragette movement began in the late 19th and 20th centuries because men in the United Kingdom had the right to vote but not the women. From this inequality was born two groups, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and the Women’s Social and Political Union. The term suffragette comes from the word suffrage, which means the right to vote in political elections and was actually created by newspapers to mock these women.
Image credits: Shaun Conway
There were both men and women who didn’t support the idea of women voting, but they campaigned on with peaceful protests, banners, and badges. In 1900 the Suffragists’ had gained enough momentum that several bills in support of women’s suffrage won support in Parliament but not enough to pass. Following this defeat, the movement evolved and would employ more extreme protest tactics from hunger strikes to stepping out in front of the King’s racehorse. Through their work women finally gained the right to vote in 1928.
Recently a 1918 pamphlet from a suffragette, on display at the Pontypridd Museum in Wales, went viral – for its sage advice for women who are thinking of getting married
Her advice starts off strong, maybe too strong, with the simple statement “do not marry at all.” Of course, as promised she follows up her number one rule with actual advice for those who want to marry the mostly “lazy, selfish, thoughtless, lying, drunken, clumsy, heavy-footed, rough, unmanly brutes.” Much like dogs sister suffragette says that if you want to keep your man happy just “feed the brute.”
Image credits: Washington Area Spark
1918, the year the pamphlet was published was a breakthrough year for womens’ suffrage. A bill was passed in Parliament that granted some women the right to vote as long as they were over the age of 30, and owned property or were married to someone who owned property.
Women in the comments joked that much of this advice was just as relevant today
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Share on FacebookPeople says that this is very sexist. It is, it is not nice to generalize and insult men. But we need to understand how badly women were treated back then.Men did not allowed then to vote, to study, to have a profession, open bank acounts, start business, deny sex to their men, uae contraception. They werel ocked in asylums for harmless things like reading or enjoying sex. I do not agree with what she said but I understand why she was so angry.
This is pretty sexist but funny. And back in the day, i think the rage against men was more justified.
It is still justified way too often. That's what's sad about this, all too true all too often
Load More Replies...Lol! TJler, you NEVER cease to disappoint me! Keep up the good work! 😂
Load More Replies...quite surprising that in this day and age with all of our so - called "tolerance" and "acceptance", the comments made are so archaic. You are literally comparing human beings to dogs. Nobody is perfect: but to lump together ALL men as one thing or another is no different than saying ALL women are such and such or ALL Jews, Blacks, Asians, Whites, etc are ALL similar. Disgusting how off hand the remarks listed seem to be. Why is it "funny" to joke about one gender but not the other? Why or how can this be justified anymore that if the shoe where on the other foot. Women bashing was acceptable 40 - 50 years ago and it seems Male bashing is acceptable now. Watch how many t.v. commercials make the father, husband, boyfriend , look stupid. Similar to advertising I remember on t.v. and magazines growing up in the 1970's that made it seem that women were somehow less important than men. It's all so wrong. haven't we as a society learned about individual worth? Prejudice? Bashing each other?
It isn't, but in all decades people will be a******s. For people to really learn something new their world ideologies need to be challenged, which will make them uncomfortable. That discomfort can either lead to a new way of thinking or a reaction, most people sadly choose to react rather than grow. Until that changes people will b***h at each other over pointless c**p forever more. Because this is quite pointless, isn't it!? An old poster causes a bunch of strangers to all comment, some wildly sexist some not, but literally who cares? Taking offence is a personal choice, I choose not to be offended by things I have no contr. Ov
Load More Replies...I have to say that I have an inteligent, very smart, hardworking and carry husband who slowly rebuilds our house by himself after work and he also helps me with our little son a lot. I. Was. Blessed.
Of course its sexist. I mean life is in general. Still. I am a man I was laughing my lazy, selfish, drunken a*s off. It is funny.
Same here, people are trying to defend it or complain about it being sexist rather than just reading it and laughing as it's actually quite funny and even though it's conversational in tone it's well written. "if you want him to be happy Feed The Brute", blunt and to the point, love it.
Load More Replies...To be fair back them it was legal to hit your wife with a stick as long as it was no wider than your hand....Also don't insult dogs.
That was an 18th century rule, and it was the thumb not the hand, and was widely mocked even at the time.
Load More Replies...I once didn't want to get married or have child until I met someone who have kind of same view about this life. But still, we now far apart so, single again. Life isn't only about getting married and have a child also a family like everyone else and yet, life is a choice. Everyone have their own choice. As long as ones happy with their own choice and didn't interfere with the life of other, why not?
@ the guy who commented on her living with lots of cats...what's the problems? cats are better than men 99/100.
People are saying this is sexist, though sexism was rampant against women back then. In those time women were angry at the lack of equality, and it's a good thing they were. They paved the way for so much. No, I'm not a feminist, I'm not against it either, I just dont beleive any one should be held back for anything.
Why in the world are you getting downvoted for just saying “oh”???
Load More Replies...Trying to beat sexism by being even more sexist. Yay! But what did they have against the dogs?!
You know this pamphlet was written in 1918 when women died trying to get the franchise? It was not called sexism in those days; men called it women's madness. I am the very proud great-grandaughter of a Suffragette.
Load More Replies...And yet, some idiots says that you should thank feminists. Yes, those were rough times for women, but NONE OF TOU WHO INDULGED feminism would last a day on those times. Get real!
Any sentient being that doesn't have the good sense to lift the seat is, by all accounts, a brute.
What's with all the downvotes of normal comments and upvotes of stupid ones?
That's not sexist at all /s. The list is obviously a product of its time and perhaps that woman was justified in her rage, since things were a lot worse for women back then. Don't think it's as relevant today though.
It's good to write about suffragette history, but pairing it up with this poor example isn't a very good way to get people to learn more about them.
Load More Replies...Was 4 meant to read "Don't expect much"?! Because it said "Don't except much"? That doesn't make sense? Then again women probably didn't have a right to education as evidenced in her spelling mistake. Thank you for your work I love my liberties you fought for me to have! Thanks!
Because this was the start of the 1900's were many, MANY women experienced this from men. So it may not apply today, but back then I'm sure it did. Why write it if it wasn't their experience.
Load More Replies...Funny, both YOUR comment and TJlers comment have exactly 4 upvotes! Hmmm.....
Load More Replies...People says that this is very sexist. It is, it is not nice to generalize and insult men. But we need to understand how badly women were treated back then.Men did not allowed then to vote, to study, to have a profession, open bank acounts, start business, deny sex to their men, uae contraception. They werel ocked in asylums for harmless things like reading or enjoying sex. I do not agree with what she said but I understand why she was so angry.
This is pretty sexist but funny. And back in the day, i think the rage against men was more justified.
It is still justified way too often. That's what's sad about this, all too true all too often
Load More Replies...Lol! TJler, you NEVER cease to disappoint me! Keep up the good work! 😂
Load More Replies...quite surprising that in this day and age with all of our so - called "tolerance" and "acceptance", the comments made are so archaic. You are literally comparing human beings to dogs. Nobody is perfect: but to lump together ALL men as one thing or another is no different than saying ALL women are such and such or ALL Jews, Blacks, Asians, Whites, etc are ALL similar. Disgusting how off hand the remarks listed seem to be. Why is it "funny" to joke about one gender but not the other? Why or how can this be justified anymore that if the shoe where on the other foot. Women bashing was acceptable 40 - 50 years ago and it seems Male bashing is acceptable now. Watch how many t.v. commercials make the father, husband, boyfriend , look stupid. Similar to advertising I remember on t.v. and magazines growing up in the 1970's that made it seem that women were somehow less important than men. It's all so wrong. haven't we as a society learned about individual worth? Prejudice? Bashing each other?
It isn't, but in all decades people will be a******s. For people to really learn something new their world ideologies need to be challenged, which will make them uncomfortable. That discomfort can either lead to a new way of thinking or a reaction, most people sadly choose to react rather than grow. Until that changes people will b***h at each other over pointless c**p forever more. Because this is quite pointless, isn't it!? An old poster causes a bunch of strangers to all comment, some wildly sexist some not, but literally who cares? Taking offence is a personal choice, I choose not to be offended by things I have no contr. Ov
Load More Replies...I have to say that I have an inteligent, very smart, hardworking and carry husband who slowly rebuilds our house by himself after work and he also helps me with our little son a lot. I. Was. Blessed.
Of course its sexist. I mean life is in general. Still. I am a man I was laughing my lazy, selfish, drunken a*s off. It is funny.
Same here, people are trying to defend it or complain about it being sexist rather than just reading it and laughing as it's actually quite funny and even though it's conversational in tone it's well written. "if you want him to be happy Feed The Brute", blunt and to the point, love it.
Load More Replies...To be fair back them it was legal to hit your wife with a stick as long as it was no wider than your hand....Also don't insult dogs.
That was an 18th century rule, and it was the thumb not the hand, and was widely mocked even at the time.
Load More Replies...I once didn't want to get married or have child until I met someone who have kind of same view about this life. But still, we now far apart so, single again. Life isn't only about getting married and have a child also a family like everyone else and yet, life is a choice. Everyone have their own choice. As long as ones happy with their own choice and didn't interfere with the life of other, why not?
@ the guy who commented on her living with lots of cats...what's the problems? cats are better than men 99/100.
People are saying this is sexist, though sexism was rampant against women back then. In those time women were angry at the lack of equality, and it's a good thing they were. They paved the way for so much. No, I'm not a feminist, I'm not against it either, I just dont beleive any one should be held back for anything.
Why in the world are you getting downvoted for just saying “oh”???
Load More Replies...Trying to beat sexism by being even more sexist. Yay! But what did they have against the dogs?!
You know this pamphlet was written in 1918 when women died trying to get the franchise? It was not called sexism in those days; men called it women's madness. I am the very proud great-grandaughter of a Suffragette.
Load More Replies...And yet, some idiots says that you should thank feminists. Yes, those were rough times for women, but NONE OF TOU WHO INDULGED feminism would last a day on those times. Get real!
Any sentient being that doesn't have the good sense to lift the seat is, by all accounts, a brute.
What's with all the downvotes of normal comments and upvotes of stupid ones?
That's not sexist at all /s. The list is obviously a product of its time and perhaps that woman was justified in her rage, since things were a lot worse for women back then. Don't think it's as relevant today though.
It's good to write about suffragette history, but pairing it up with this poor example isn't a very good way to get people to learn more about them.
Load More Replies...Was 4 meant to read "Don't expect much"?! Because it said "Don't except much"? That doesn't make sense? Then again women probably didn't have a right to education as evidenced in her spelling mistake. Thank you for your work I love my liberties you fought for me to have! Thanks!
Because this was the start of the 1900's were many, MANY women experienced this from men. So it may not apply today, but back then I'm sure it did. Why write it if it wasn't their experience.
Load More Replies...Funny, both YOUR comment and TJlers comment have exactly 4 upvotes! Hmmm.....
Load More Replies...
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