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Jessica Valenti Quotes

Total quotes: 26
“No one wants to listen to our sad stories unless they are smoothed over with a joke or nice melody. And even then, not always. No one wants to hear a woman talking or writing about pain in a way that suggests that it doesn't end.”
— Jessica Valenti, Sex Object
Tagged: Pain, feminism, LOL, Laughing it Off, Sad Stories
“Imagine if men were more worried about women being harassed than they were abusers losing their jobs.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Men, sexual harassment issue, patriarchal society, male culture, Women Empowerment, Vision
“If you are tempted to say that masturbating in front of women is not THAT bad on the spectrum of sexual assault, please don't.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, male culture
“We should all be troubled by men desperate to claim that women are overreacting.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Men, Males, smash the patriarchy
“Plenty of people get wasted and manage not to assault others. Lots of folks struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction without harassing women.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, male culture, smash the patriarchy
“I worked at a mall throughout college. Let me tell you, you have to be one serious fucking creep to get mall security to do something about it.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Sexual Harassment, sexual predators, sexual harassers
“Instead of more thoughts and prayers, I’m going to commit myself to write more and work harder against gun violence.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Gun Violence, Mass Shootings, Gun Control, Human rights issue
“And for all the pieces decrying INNOCENT MEN'S LIVES why does no one mention the men negatively impacted by the Shitty list were those whose wrongdoings were properly investigated & acted upon?”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: MeToo, #metoo, Sexual Assault, Stop Enabling Predators, The Myth of a Witch Hunt
“While falling in love is fun, it’s not everything, and it’s not the antidote to an unfulfilled life.”
— Jessica Valenti, Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters
Tagged: Love, Growing Pains, Finding Yourself, Dating
“Don’t tell me this isn’t about sexism. I’ve been around too long for that.”
— Jessica Valenti, It Will Be Hard to Get Over What Happened to Elizabeth Warren
Tagged: Elizabeth Warren, 2020 Election, Sexism, This Sucks
“The point is that a good number of the people attached to the letter — which presents itself as an objective defense of free speech — are those eager to excuse their own bad behavior and bigotries.”
— Jessica Valenti, ‘Cancel Culture’ Is How the Powerful Play Victim
Tagged: Cancel Culture
“Human beings have, and continue to, take pleasure in the suffering of others. This is especially true when you’re talking about members of an empowered majority hurting a marginalized minority.”
— Jessica Valenti, Why Do Some Men Hurt Women?
Tagged: Women, gender
“Obviously finding out something terrible about someone you love is difficult, but the best way to show your support for women – and this moment – is not to reflect on your own feelings or surprise, but on the victims.”
— Jessica Valenti, The week in patriarchy: more powerful men are falling | Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Victims Come First, Prioritizing Victims, Victims of Sexual Assault, Victims of Rape, MeToo, #metoo, Patriarchy, Misogyny, The Fall of Powerful Men, Men Abusing Their Power, The Reckoning, The Revolution Is Coming
“When you back young women into a corner, making it clear that men can harass, assault, and rape them with little to no consequence, it’s incredibly naive to expect them to remain silent.”
— Jessica Valenti, Fed-Up Teens Are Outing Their Rapists on TikTok
Tagged: Rape, Assault, Social Media, TikTok
“Ignoring men, whether romantically or rhetorically, is existential violence to them”
— Jessica Valenti, Sex Object
Tagged: feminism, Men, Violence, Ignoring Men
“If your husband is cheating on you, it doesn't mean that you need to get prettier -- it means he's a scumbag.”
— Jessica Valenti, Full Frontal Feminism
Tagged: Cheating, Infidelity, Marriage, H4D-2
“Value yourself for what the media doesn't. Your intelligence, your street smarts, your ability to play a kick-ass game of pool, whatever. So long as it's not just valuing yourself for your ability to look hot in a bikini and be available to men, it's an improvement.”
— Jessica Valenti, Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters
Tagged: Intelligence, Value, looks, inner beauty
“The problem isn’t men and women being alone together, it’s abusive men and their communities that look the other way.

I find 'solutions' like these so troubling because they’re based on the idea that the only thing stopping men from harassing is opportunity.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Sexual Harassment, sexual predators, Sexual Assault
“My father took me aside one day soon after and told me this: The things you do in your twenties are just things you do. But as you approach thirty what you do starts to become who you are. And there are some things you do not want to be forever.”
— Jessica Valenti, Sex Object
Tagged: Who You Are, Personality, Quote of the Moment, 20s, Twenties, 30s, thirties, actions
“When newspaper headlines call rapist Brock Turner a “swim star”, when victims are blamed for what they wore, or when Nancy Pelosi calls her colleague accused of sexual harassment an “icon”, we are providing refuge to those that abuse others.”
— Jessica Valenti, Male sexuality isn't brutal by default. It's dangerous to suggest it is | Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Rape Culture, Dangerous Predators, Sexual Assault, Rapists, Praising Predators, Protecting Narcissists, Enabling Predators, Victim Blaming, Victim Shaming, Rape, MeToo, #metoo, Stop Protecting Rapists, Stop Protecting Abusers
“Sometimes we just want to see sexy people in beautiful clothes.”
— Jessica Valenti, Why Women Like Men Who Wear Dresses
Tagged: harry styles, style, Fashion, Masculinity, femininity
“We invent boyfriends, wear fake engagement rings or give out fake phone numbers. We smile and act flattered, are polite when we don’t want to be, and leave relationships saying that it’s all our fault—anything to prevent a potential swell of rage.”
— Jessica Valenti, Hell Hath No Fury Like a Man Rejected 
Tagged: Pierce Morgan , Rejection, Misogyny, Sexism, Meghan Markle
“Edgar Allen Poe once called the death of a beautiful woman 'the most poetical topic in the world' and I've often found myself wondering how many woman writers who have killed themselves or let themselves be otherwise obliterated were trying, somehow, to fulfill this most popular of narratives.”
— Jessica Valenti, Sex Object
Tagged: Writers, Being a girl, feminism, woman writers, Edgar Allan Poe, Quote of the Moment
“What’s the worst possible thing you can call a woman? Don’t hold back, now.You’re probably thinking of words like slut, whore, bitch, cunt (I told you not to hold back!), skank.Okay, now, what are the worst things you can call a guy? Fag, girl, bitch, pussy. I’ve even heard the term “mangina.”Notice anything? The worst thing you can call a girl is a girl. The worst thing you can call a guy is a girl. Being a woman is the ultimate insult. Now tell me that’s not royally fucked up.”
— Jessica Valenti, Full Frontal Feminism
Tagged: feminism, Gender Wars, Weak, Sexism, Perspective
“Our standard for sexual behavior has to be more than what’s legal or illegal - it needs to be about what’s right.

I’m sure we’re going to hear lots of stories in the coming months about actions that aren’t against the law, or that don’t warrant repercussions. That doesn’t mean that women weren’t hurt, or that these stories aren’t worth discussing.

It’s easy to take a stand against Weinstein or men who whip their dicks out. It’s less easy to talk about behavior that’s widely considered acceptable - but . . . it’s just as important.

This is part of the problem with focusing so much on punitive action - it means anything that isn’t prosecutable or fireable gets dismissed as unimportant.

Creating a progressive sexual model and politics means interrogating not just the behaviors we all agree are wrong, but also those considered 'normal,' even though they cause harm.”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: Sexual Harassment, sexual harassment issue, smash the patriarchy
“No one is saying men can't have opinions about sexual harassment. (IF ONLY) Just that women's opinions about something that disproportionately impact them are more important.

It's not difficult: the person who has to deal with an issue on a daily basis is more of expert than someone who never has to think about it.

Men are so accustomed to believing they know everything that simply asking them to LISTEN gets translated as 'silencing.'”
— Jessica Valenti
Tagged: sexual harassment issue, Sexual Harassment
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