Feminism Killed The Neanderthals!

My family and I just got the February 2009 issue of National Geographic today, which followed a featured article about Neanderthals. It got a lot of stupid letters about how certain people look like the Neanderthal reconstruction (which, as one grateful reader pointed out, was of a female and not the traditional male) but one of the letters was just utterly absurd. Letters are published in the magazine but not online so you would have to actually buy the issue to see it. I’ve transcribed it:

“The Neanderthal researchers are smart people, so I’m sure they thought of this. Political correctness being what it is, I guess they could not mention it. But it’s clear what probably happened. The Neanderthal women started going out hunting with the guys, researchers say, to put better cuts on the table. Maybe they liked hunting better than being stuck back at the cave with the kids. Lacking high-quality, subsidized child care back at camp, they decided to cut back on having babies. Fecundity dropped below the replacement level, which had to be pretty high in those days, and bingo–extinctionville. Women’s lib did them in.”
Mikk Hinnov
Bridgewater, New Jersey

So basically: Feminism will make us go extinct!
Can this possibly be for real? Are we being baited? Looking at what actual conservatives say and Men’s Rights Activist websites, it seems entirely possible that this is serious.
It looks like one of those familiar “evolutionary psychologist” articles that set out to justify sexism and don’t really bother to back up their claims. It’s also got that casual, “edgy” tone that I see so often in arrogant conservative articles.
Frankly, I’d rather have us go extinct than have to live in an unjust world where people are defined by what’s between their legs rather than what’s in their hearts and minds.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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