Screw It

Feminism is stupid.

Let me rephrase that to sound more politically correct- The American idea of feminism is stupid.

This probably needs some explaining though. I’ve been struggling with this topic for awhile because I do not necessarily agree with everything I am finding and reading. I do agree with the idea of feminism, in fact I think everyone should agree with the idea or at least the definition of feminism, but it is the way that American women portray it that makes me mad.

I went on tumblr, a social media site that has a large number of active blogging feminists, and just searched the word feminism. At least 8 out of the first 10 posts supported my opinion that modern, American feminism is full of self-righteous, complaining supporters. The first post was a quote by Nikita Gill, a graphic designer and writer, that was angry about being called pretty because a woman is so much more than a nice face. The next two blamed the patriarchy and white men for their problems. One even went so far as to question the need to pay for feminine hygiene products when men can get condoms for free. Now I know that these posts are not what every single feminist believes in or is how all feminists portray themselves, but it goes to show just what is being put out on social media.  

All of these examples of posts are just women complaining about the “unfair” balances in their lives. Maybe I am just cold hearted and have not seen enough of the world to know better yet, but this seems like crap. Every race, gender, and social group has unfair factors. Our culture will never be equal. It is like a balance of life and human nature that people will always be on different levels of power. Take ethnic groups for example. African americans and muslims  are seen as criminals and are treated so harshly by our law. While there has been a recent movement for black equality, muslims still stay far behind in our culture. It is part of the balance and I really hate say that, but it’s true. Someone is always behind, but to be honest (because I am not being already) women do not have it the worst, especially white women who make up a large portion of feminists.

So these women complaining about their close to irrelevant problems, when compared to the rest of the country’s minorities, are the reason I do not want to support modern day, american feminism. Going along with the irrelevent problem idea, a majority of American feminists’ problems are miniscule compared to other parts of the world. While they are sitting behind their new iPhone 6’s, complaining about the privileged white man patriarchy and their need to buy an overpriced six dollar box of tampons, women are getting killed, stoned, and raped in their home countries for driving, going to school, and being seen in public without a man. These women are the ones that really need feminism.

I know, I know, it is the whole “I should not eat this hamburger because some child in Africa is starving” debate. I am not saying people should not complain about their problems because someone else, far away in an entirely different culture, has it worse. I am saying that if feminists really want to make a difference in the lives of women, they should start looking past our beautiful white sand beaches and take a look at war torn, anti-female countries. Those women need feminism. Those women have no rights. Those women need help and we, as Americans, can give it. In fact it should not be any different than our government butting it’s head into every world political matter. We are all women and we all deserve equal rights. We means American, British, Muslim, Indian, Kenyan and every other race and religion in between. Women always say they share an unbreakable bond with other women just because they are women. So it should be a no brainer that American feminists should focus their anger and energy into the governments and people that actually need it.  

So this is what I am going to do for my project. How and why the feminist movement has become so crazy and out of control, who really needs help, and how can we give it. Now I finally have a purpose, I have an idea, and I can go on with this project, hopefully anxiety free.    

P.S. this is a video I found while creeping around on youtube and it overviews what I mostly just ranted about. The man and I are one (when it comes to our feminism ideals).

HeForShe

In a time when I am seriously debating continuing with this topic, Emma Watson has become a shining light. On September 20, 2014, Emma gave a speech in the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to promote the new HeForShe campaign. During her ten minute speech she noted the important stereotypes around the word ‘feminism’ and future goals of the movement.

The first thing she did was define feminism and call out feminists that take on a role of “man-hating”. In doing this, she was able to bring people's attention away from the bad side of the movement and prepare them to look at the good. Feminism is not about putting men down to get ahead and Emma got this notion out of the way as soon as possible. Next she explained the events in her life that made her a feminist. These included being sexualized in the media as a teen and seeing her guy friends be unable to express themselves. The four or five reasons she gave setup the rest of her speech and one of the most important points, in my opinion.

This point is that feminism is not just a movement for women. It includes men too. The stereotypes that affect women have an equal and counter reaction on men. Women are emotional, while men can show no emotion and  women are submissive to their dominant male counterparts. Even though the idea is not voiced often, feminism is about ending these inequalities. Empowering men repressed from these gender roles is a goal Emma was able to successfully bring into the spotlight.

In the end of her speech, she brought in some urgency. This movement is not one that will see results quickly or soon. Right now it is a mostly social battle and in order to make progress, the public has to be on it’s side. Emma invites the public to be on her side, to take on a feminist role, because without that, nothing will ever get done.

Finally, she ends the speech with something that hit home with me. She says, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” This line calls on anyone to make an action and do something. It almost gives me motivation to pursue this topic because if no one talks about this, it will never be heard.

Mid-year Crisis

So here we are, at the halfway point of the year and this project. After this week we have to blog every Friday instead of every other and I have no idea what I’m going to do. When I chose my topic I did not really know much about feminism but from the outside it looked interesting and something I believed in. Now, two months in, I’m having a mid-project crisis.

I do not think I believe in feminism or really support it, but I am thinking about using that standpoint. I might switch to sort of why our society does not need this push for equal rights between men and women. We already mostly have it. I have also given up on starting this project over because I cannot think of a new topic and I have already put a lot of effort into this one. I have to choose what I’m going to do because I need to find people to talk to and something in the community to do, so hopefully I can figure this out soon.  

This is an article that explains the good and bad of modern day feminism: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/200908/the-pros-and-cons-feminism

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.