To say “The Times They Are A-Changing” is as true now as it was 60 years ago. But the modern times are transitioning in ways that are hard to keep up with.
Case in point, a documentary released on June 1st, 2022 has generated mountains of controversy for daring to ask the elemental question— “What is a woman?” A film exploring this question wouldn’t have ruffled many feathers years ago, but we live in an era of forbidden questions.
“What is a Woman?” is presented by Matt Walsh
Directed by Justin Folk, “What is a Woman?” is presented by the host of “The Matt Walsh Show.” Matt Walsh is a political commentator, columnist, and speaker: a man who has never shied away from contentious issues.
“What is a Woman?” is available from The Daily Wire
Don’t look for “What is a Woman?” on Netflix. It’s only available from The Daily Wire, an unabashedly non-stream media company. They accurately identify as a “counter-cultural” outlet and make no claims of being unbiased. In addition to free news stories and podcasts, The Daily Wire’s paid subscription service offers a variety of exclusive movies, series, and documentaries like this one.
The film is equal parts documentary and travelogue
Matt Walsh is the on-screen narrator of “What is a Woman?” He traveled to Nashville, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and even Aberdeen, Washington to ask the titular question to all types of people: activists, professors,(I repeat myself) medical doctors, and even the forthright Don Sucher, owner of a Star Wars memorabilia shop.
Now, the gender ideology movement would have you believe that anyone who uses the word female in their definition of “woman” is merely a relic of the past. To suggest any connection between sex and gender means you’re worthy of mockery or contempt. As one of Walsh’s interviewees, Dr. Marci Bowers puts it: “the dinosaurs of the world are certainly out there.”
I’m someone who believes good questions, even seemingly simple ones can be a road to greater understanding. Sometimes a person’s response or reply to a question doesn’t answer the question but is revealing nonetheless. That’s definitely true in the documentary “What is a Woman?”
Dr. Miriam Grossman is informative in “What is a Woman?”
One of the most interesting and cogent interviewees of the film is Dr. Miriam Grossman, who sheds light on gender dysphoria and the heightened sex and gender industry of today. Yes, it most certainly is an industry. Particularly helpful is how she breaks down the terms. Dr. Grossman explains: “…let’s define the terms sex and gender. Sex is biology. Sex is unchanging. It’s based on chromosomes. 99.999% of the cells in the body are marked either male or female. Gender, on the other hand, is a perception. It’s a feeling. It’s a way of identifying. It’s an experience.” Grossman is direct in the film.
On the other hand, I observed that the more of an “activist” the person is, the less willing to commit to a firm answer as to what a woman is. The mantra repeated by many in this film is that “only women can tell you what a woman is.” Does that seem honest or deceitful to you? Are they incapable of defining what a woman is, or are they just not willing?
Walsh speaks with the Maasai people
A particularly fascinating part of the film is when Matt Walsh makes it all the way to the African continent. Walsh speaks to some of the Maasai people in Nairobi, Kenya. When Walsh explains the Western gender and transgenderism situation, their confusion is evident. It seems their identity is very understood. These issues aren’t really in question, showing gender ideology is a Western obsession and phenomenon.
The gender and sexuality movement stems from Alfred Kinsey and John Money
But, where does all of this come from? Dr. Grossman mentions two historical figures, both steeped in controversy as sources: Alfred Kinsey and John Money. Not only did they get a lot of the science wrong, but much of their research was fraudulent and disturbing. But, why aren’t more people aware of the details of Kinsey and Money? As Grossman remarks: “Evidently, there are forces that don’t want this information out.”
“What is a Woman?” is a film that everyone will have an emotional reaction to. It’s also full of facts that the radical element doesn’t want you to be aware of. Walsh and Folk have made a documentary that is fearless and revealing of what is actually going on. The only thing I wished for was to see the opposing sides (like Miriam Grossman vs. Michelle Forcier) come together to debate. With that said, it’s entirely possible that the producers attempted this, and one or both sides declined.
“What is a Woman?” dares to confront the underlying “whys”
We live in a time when we’re expected to continually deny certain truths and observations. “What is a Woman?” dares to confront the underlying “whys” of the gender ideology movement. The activists present themselves as humane, but the heart of the movement is not in acceptance. The first order of business is in silencing or eliminating any dissenting viewpoints.
There are great amounts of money changing hands because of the gender industry, and plenty of people have suffered greatly from gender reassignment surgery. As the film demonstrates, any scrutiny or questioning of the movement or industry is quick to be waved away as being rooted in transphobia.
Does this all seem like chaos? Maybe that’s the point. “What is a Woman?” is a rare kind of documentary in this day. I recommend you pay attention to both sides. The viewers can make up their own mind.
