Is This Just Another Fad Movement?

Is feminism just another fad on a course to the inevitable silence and disinterest?

The movement of women’s rights has been going on for centuries, but came into the spotlight at particular, selective times. Women rallied behind it’s ideals and fought for a change, and most of the time, change came. They fought for education, the right to own land, vote and be independent. Women have come along way in society and, in most parts of the world, have the same legal rights as men. But now the goals of the feminist movement are unclear and widespread. With no clear cut objective, it has become a hard fight to get behind. Because of this, the feminist movement may just be a fad that people will become disinterested in.

Throughout history women have always received their rights directly after another minority group fought for theirs. In America, the women’s suffrage movement always gained energy and support after the world wars and the end of civil rights movement. It has piggybacked other pushes for equality because it has never had the means or unification to be by itself. Now, in the twenty-first century, feminism has grabbed a hold of the back of the gay right’s movement.

They LGBT community needed support and women gave it to them. Now the women’s fight has tried to take a shape of its own, but nothing is really coming out of it. The public see it as a plea for attention or a reason to bash others. There is no goal, making it hard to defend and keep alive. So this makes me beg the question, is this just another fad?

Will this movement die slowly and quietly, tapering off to eventually be forgotten about? No, I don’t think it will ever completely become silent. There is still gender inequality in some parts of the world, so that will warrant some type fight, but as for America and the western societies, feminism is probably just another internet sensation. The movement picked up steam over the summer and into early fall with Beyonce’s performance at the VMA’s and Emma Watson’s UN gender equality speech. These two celebrities made it almost cool to be a feminist. People jumped behind it because the two were and the animosity and power increased. Videos like the Potty Mouth Princesses and issues like domestic abuse and rape became more prevalent.

Now, as we are rolling head on in to winter, the movement is dying down. Not as many issues are in the media and the support is going down. There is nothing to be ‘angry’ or upset over. Interest is going down. All of this points towards the idea that this movement is just another fad. People will inevitably lose interest unless something happens to keep their attention.

50 Shades of I Shouldn't Have Knocked

You know the saying "don't knock until you try it"? Well, last weekend, I put this phrase into action. Over Thanksgiving break I slowly and cautiously read this book, cringing after every other page. I did it because for this project, I am trying to look at society and the feminist movement in a parallel. By doing this, certain things that clash seem to clearly stand out. In this case, the upcoming movie 50 Shades of Grey popped out with flashing lights. But why is a movie and book based on dominating and forcing women into being subservient beings, when our culture seems to be pushing for female equality, so popular?

E.L. James, an English author, originally wrote the story as Twilight fan fiction, and later adapted it to the story that is now known. It was originally published in 2011 as an e-book, but in 2012, interest sparked and it quickly became a best seller with 60 million copies sold. 50 Shades spent twenty weeks on top of USA Today's best selling book list, breaking the record previously held by The Hunger Games.

But why was it the phenomenon it came to be? The book is filed under the genre of erotic romance and it withholds that description. It takes place in Seattle and Vancouver Washington. Anastasia Steele, a recently graduated college student, meets business entrepreneur Christian Grey. Immediately, there is a spark between to two, but the relationship turns out to be so much more than Ana expected. Christian says his "tastes are singular," which essentially eludes to his BDSM likes. He is a dominant and wishes for Ana to be submissive to him in almost every aspect of life.

That extremely short synopsis is what everyone believes the book is about. Girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy turns out to be dangerous, girl doesn't care, they live happily ever after. My prejudices and judgement want to say that is all the book is, but now I can say there is a lot more than BDSM to the story.

It is more than sex; it is romance. Not a conventional romance, but what book ever is? People love fantasy. They love things that blur the lines between reality and fiction. The best romance books are ones that are plausible. "In some world or life this plot could happen." Possibility drives the imagination and 50 Shades encompasses some of the most common fantasies. While living in a consumer fueled world, Christian Grey is the perfect man. He is attractive, but above all, rich. He has more money than he knows what to do with and owns a jet, helicopter, and an extensive amount of cars. Ana is showered with gifts from the beginning of the book, from rare first edition books to expensive laptops. Christian is rich and knows how to work it. On top of that, there is the aspect of the need to be saved. Ana has recently graduated college and her life is almost up in the air. She meets Christian in an opportune time and allows her self to figure everything out. On the opposite side, Christian is the one that really needs the saving. He comes from an abuse filled past and is emotionally detached from the type of relationship Ana wants. Yet, of course, throughout the book, Ana pushes him out of his comfort zone and there relationship becomes more than sex. She saves him from himself.

Without the sex the book would be about a rich man and a normal girl falling in love and saving each other in the process. In other words, it is the perfect plot for a run on the mill romance book. E.L. James wrote what sells and it worked. Women read it because of all of the buzz around it, but enjoy it because it is a look into an alternate reality that has the possibility of being real. Is there a wealthy, attractive, twenty seven year old man waiting to sweep them off their feet? Probably not, but it is what people want to think they want. The world of BDSM has been shown to a wide audience because of the book, but the thought that it is going against the feminist movement is not a strong argument. It is not actively sponsoring the life style. In fact, for the entire book Ana fights being subservient and refuses to bow down to Christian. She maintains being a strong, independent woman, while shortly delving into the new world to make him happy because she wants to. He never forces her to do anything. The ball is in her court at all times.

50 Shades of Grey sold because of word of mouth. It turned into a sensation that is followed by a trail of protests and angry critics saying it is an "abomination" of a book. Yet, the book minus the sex is just like any other romance novel. It is a fantasy with a small, unconventional twist. Feminists fight the subservient undertones of the book, but while reading it, I realized that was not the message of the book. Ana has all the power and that it's self portraits an entirely different type of relationship. Christian says multiple times that they will not do anything she is not comfortable with.      

Feminists that attack the book for being filled with inappropriate sex and relationships probably did not read it. E.L. James walked a fine line while writing, but I think she managed to portray the relationship as not fundamentally normal but also not detrimental or abusive. It is not about women being subservient and powerless. It actually empowers it's female characters and gives the readers a look into a different, usually unattainable lifestyle, just like any other piece of fiction.

Potty-Mouthed Princesses

In the height of the recent push for feminism, the radicals have taken the spotlight. Any time something is in the news, the anchors are criticizing the extremeness for their actions. The latest act of radicalism comes from the group FCKH8. In late October they released a video on youtube. It is titled “Potty-Mouth Princesses” and has caused quite a stir in the American public. With hundreds of thousands of likes and shares on facebook, this video has gone viral.

Within the 2:35 seconds of the video, six girls and one boy, all in elementary school, attempt to bring awareness to the inequalities between men and women in our society. However, it is not done in the most tasteful way. The premises of the video is to show that the inequalities are more shocking and terrible than a few kids dropping the f-bomb every five seconds.

In theory, this video makes sense, but theory is the only place it does. Since the kids are so young, they do not understand the meaning or weight of the swear words and main ideas coming out of their mouths. An 8 year old does not understand the concept of the f-word just as much as he/she would not understand the concept of rape. Each of the children brought up heavy topics that none of them, doubtedly, understand fully. The kids looked like they were having fun playing the roles of sassy, smart women, but there is a slim chance they could actually comprehend what it is they were saying.

With that being said, this video is just another example of the radical aspect of feminism. Women believe they are helping, but instead cause more detriment. While watching this video, I was not focused on the message, but on how messed up the idea was. Having kids help fight a battle they do not understand is not right. So, yes, the video did get a lot of media attention on the movement, and it was mostly all bad, but in the end, some statistics are now out there. Yet, the video could have been delivered in a better, more sensible way to get the message out there.

In my opinion, the comments of the video are the best part of it.      

 

If these comments show anything, it is that people do not understand the idea of feminism. You have three guys ripping on women for their opinions and one feminist attacking men. Both sides of the battle mashed into one consecutive picture of comments. It is astounding how much people can just ignore the message of a movement and attack each other.

A Modern Day Civil War

A civil war is defined as a war between citizens of the same country. It is people against people, brother against brother, and, in this case, woman against woman. Today's modern day feminist movement is being sidetracked in the midst of a civil war, the two sides: pro-feminists vs. anti-feminists.

Women are being forced to choose a side once they come across the movement. Do you agree or disagree with the ideals of modern feminism? The question is simple, to agree or not to agree, but the answer becomes more complicated. The feminist movement in today's terms does not have a clear cut goal. In the early 1900s they fought for the right to vote, and even earlier than that, women fought for the right to own property, hold jobs, and have a sense of freedom. Women now have the same main legal rights men have, so the feminist fight becomes more blurry. From the outside looking in it appears that modern day feminism is fighting social stereotypes, rape and abuse, and cat calling. All of these are controversial and debate-rich topics, leading women to choose one side or the other.

Each side has brought in it's own social media campaign, named either "Who Needs Feminism?" (pro-feminists) or "Women Against Feminism" (anti-feminists). Both are centralized on Tumblr and consist of women (and some men) submitting pictures of them selves holding a sign that explains why they do or do not need feminism.

Below are some examples...

"Who Needs Feminism?"
 

"Women Against Feminism"

The "Women Against Feminism" movement has taken off recently. It has gained some of the attention that pro-feminism has. The women that post pictures under the blog mostly say they are egalitarian (equality of all people), endorse men issues, or just criticize the feminist ideals.

These disagreements have caused an uprising among the two sides. Feminists have been known to attack non-feminists and usually use the argument that the opposing side do not know the true definition of feminism. In the most radical cases, there have even been death threats. Not everyone will always agree with them, yet feminists seem to be more focused on getting every woman on their side instead of just fighting for what they want.

This fighting and uncommon views may be leading the movement down a path that is not going to be beneficial. Instead of looking like a cohesive group that is battling for the same rights, the public sees it as a mess of fighting, bickering women, and the movement is not usually taken seriously. In order to make a difference and the progress that is wanted, the two sides need to stop the battle and make common ground or at least call a peace treaty.   

The f-word

Feminism- the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. The word is the basis of need for equality in all aspects of life. It is about fair representation in government, media, and global culture.

The word contains the prefix fem-, leading people to look only at the female side, but in actuality, it can be used for both sexes. The only problem is that women are most often at the short end of the stick. They are the ones that need the scales to be balanced. Feminism is driven by sexism: the discrimination based on gender. Sexism takes down one gender by building up the other, while feminism brings the hurt back to its rightful status. It can be either gender, but in our society females are the ones in the most need.

Examples of inequality are everywhere and not all of them will ever be equalized. The movement pushes to make as many wrongs right as it can by starting with the big ones. For example, the United States population is 50.8% female and 49.2% male, yet the government is a whopping 81.5% male. Out of the 535 congress members, only 99 are female. This means that the governing body that is creating and declaring laws about the lives and bodies of women is dominated by a sex that will never know the true impact of their decisions. The men are in control. It could be argued that this is a fault of world history and tradition, but that extremely long argument can be saved for another day.    

The word feminism is often met with uneasiness and a predisposition to hatred. It is presumed that the person describing themselves as a "feminist" must hate men or believe that women are the supreme gender. That may be true with the radicals, which is the same for almost anything, but normally this isn't the case. It is only seen as radical because of the way the media has portrayed it in the last few decades.

  
   *The reality of feminism                        *This picture came up on the first page of Google images when
                                                                feminism was searched

Feminism isn't what the media can portray it to be, and our culture and this movement are starting to reflect this. I hope to disprove the anti-feminist mindset throughout my project, while also showing, in an unbiased way, the disparities between the sexes, because feminism isn't a bad thing. it just has a bad reputation.

P.S. Here is a video that pretty much sums up why the world needs feminism.

Sources:
Images: google images
Video: YouTube- Channel: lacigreen
Congress facts/ numbers: http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/fast_facts/levels_of_office/documents/cong.pdf

Kissing My Dreams Goodbye

So I decided that my last topic was going to cause me more stress than actual interest, and in thought, figuring out what people's dreams are and why they do not follow them is interesting and cool, but  almost unpractical when put into motion. I could not figure out what to do with my research or how I would research the topic outside of just asking people what their dreams are. So, since we have not really done anything with this project yet, I have decided to change my topic.

But to what? One thing other I love other than unanswerable questions is social change. The idea that society can start a revolution and change their culture is fascinating. The one "social revolution" going on today is feminism. It is bringing women's rights and women's inequalities into the spotlight of mainstream culture. But is it working? Is our culture really turning in favor of the feminist ideals?

Every six minutes a woman in the United States is raped, yet one of the first questions we ask is how much was she drinking or what was she wearing. Because a woman is more likely to be raped because she was "asking for it" rather than their being a problem with the education and morals the man had received his entire life. When a woman leaves a long-term abusive relationship, people ask why she stayed instead of why he would hit her. These are just two examples of why the world needs feminism.    

I want to research this more because I believe that every woman needs feminism. We live in a culture where we believe that everyone is equal, but, in reality, we have just been raised to ignore the differences in the lifestyles of a man and a woman. Turning our heads has been a way of life. However, this feminist movement is changing the game.

I plan to research for the real definition of feminism and being a feminist, then the history feminism influence in world culture (women's rights, suffrage). I want to look into the differences in the lifestyles and careers of men and women. Why can men go out at night without blinking an eye, but women are stricken with fear? Why do women still get paid only $0.77 for every dollar a man earns? Then I want to look at it through the media. How is the movement spreading? Why do so many people still think it is an anti-men movement? Looking into the leaders of it is something I want to do too. Stars like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Emma Watson are all self-proclaimed or media-proclaimed feminists, but what are they doing to promote it? And lastly I plan to look at the counteractants. Recently things like 50 Shades of Grey and Twilight have swept the media, but go against the ideal of women being independent and strong. Why does our culture love these things so much when they go against everything we are fighting for? As for people I can interview and have as mentors, I looked into professors at Pitt and Duquesne. I can talk to gender women's studies professors to get a professional opinion on today's culture shock and movement. Finally, as for what I'm going to do with this information, I do not really know yet. I want to bring a light to this issue, but I think I will figure something out eventually.      

My Project Idea

Sooo senior project? When Mrs. Hetrick gave us the prompt of curiosity and nothing else, I hit a wall. Even though there was so much to choose from I could not think of one idea. Then, after realizing this project had to last all year and be worked on every week, I realized I didn't want to research something with a definite answer. I figured that once I found the answer, my project would just be finished. So, I decided to pose a question as my topic that doesn't really have a clear cut answer...

Why don't people follow their dreams? Why do our dreams change as we get older? What factors in our life shape what we want to get out of it? I don't want to research the images in people's heads as they sleep (every time I explain my idea everyone immediately thinks that). I want to research peoples goals in life. What do children want to be when they grow up? What do grown-ups want to do with their lives outside of work? And, most importantly, why don't they do what they want to do? The idea of people having a dream and fighting for what they want in life fascinates me. These questions obviously don't have a definite answer, and I don't expect to find one, but I just want to see how close I can get.  

Right now my head is a jumbled mess of ideas on how and where to start and what I want to do. So, as of now I have no idea how I'm going to start, but that can obviously be my first objective for this project. I'm excited to get started and see where this takes me.

SENIOR PROJ YAS