Beyond extremely negative dismemberment of women, disturbing perversion towards women is another problem in the 1st world. On page 202, after viewing pornographic art depicting a rat crawling out of a woman’s vagina, Renee casually tests Jake’s level of perversion:
If I had a rat in my vagina, would it turn you on? Dead or alive? Said Jake. Me or the rat? Said Rennie. Feh, said Jake…El sleazo, he said. Come on, don’t confuse me with that sick stuff. You think I’m some kind of a pervert? You think most men are like that? Rennie said no.
As described here, 1st world sexism is more than just a view that men hold towards women, but a tangible act of disrespect and distorted behavior. Although Jake ultimately concludes that Renee is suggesting something perverted, he dabbles in the idea by asking her “Dead or alive?” (202). Furthermore, by asking “Dead or alive” Jake is setting his own terms, suggesting that he would only be turned on by this if it was exactly the way he wanted.
The last form of 1st world racism is exemplified when Renee exclaims, “Men were doctors, women were nurses; men were heroes, and what were women? Women rolled the bandages and that was about all anyone ever said about that” (48). Reiterating the idea of strong gender roles, this quote illustrates the undersized credit women receive for their accomplishments, in comparison to men. Although doctors and nurses are factually of equal importance, only men become “heroes” from their achievements. On the other hand, women do dirty work and then virtually disappear from the medical scene. In response to sexism, 1st world activists became fed up with men, “So we said, you want it, fine, we want it too, let’s get together, and all of a sudden millions of pricks went limp” (157). Here, Renee’s friend Jocasta elucidates women reacting to men who are only interested in sex. Rather than correcting men, women decided to start playing along with the rules males established, conforming to the “just in it for sex” policy and disestablishing meaningful relationships. Although this form of reactionary activism seems degrading, Jocasta believes treating men with equal disrespect ultimately caused them to realize that they too want meaningful relationships.