Radical feminist critique of patriarchy has practically been silenced in our culture. It has become a subcultural discourse available only to well-educated elites. Even in those circles, using the word “patriarchy” is regarded as passé. Often in my lectures when I use the phrase “imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy” to describe our nation’s political system, audiences laugh. No one has ever explained why accurately naming this system is funny. The laughter is itself a weapon of patriarchal terrorism. It functions as a disclaimer, discounting the significance of what is being named. It suggests that the words themselves are problematic and not the system they describe. I interpret this laughter as the audience’s way of showing discomfort with being asked to ally themselves with an antipatriarchal disobedient critique. This laughter reminds me that if I dare to challenge patriarchy openly, I risk not being taken seriously.
bell hooks, Understanding Patriarchy
Anti-Porn Feminists 
Reblogged this on Sonoran Dreamer.
Would you recommend this book as an entry into bell hooks’ work?
It’s not one of hers I’ve read. Feminism is for Everybody is actually a good introductory book (even if it does stray into liberal feminism), and the only other book by her I’ve read is Outlaw Culture , which is good, but if I recall correctly includes some stupid things about ‘sex radicals’ and about how BDSM is different when its practiced by lesbians. I own Feminist Theory From Margin to Centre, but haven’t read it yet.