Here’s a simple question: are you a feminist? Before you answered, did you pause? Gulp? Gasp? Hem and haw? OK, maybe it’s not such a simple question, after all. In this piece, published in Slate magazine in January 2015, staff writer Amanda Hess presents a brief history of asking that question to celebrities.
Read it here: Hess, "Popping the question: A brief history of asking celebrities ‘Are you a feminist?’”
- The term “celebrity” covers a lot of ground, and there are many ways to achieve celebrity status. What generalizations can you make about the celebrities Hess includes in her article? What demographic and professional categories did she omit? Why might she have made the selections she made? Would including celebrities from other categories have strengthened or weakened her essay? Why? Explain your reasoning.
- Hess never mentions whether she considers herself a feminist. Based on her article, do you think she does? Why or why not? Point to examples in the article that support your conclusion.
- Hess concludes her essay by describing a robot’s 1993 response to The Question, stating that the robot “went further than most modern celebrities do” and implying that a robot is able to give a more simple and straightforward response than a live movie star. Do you think the implication is correct? Why or why not?
- What, exactly, does “feminism” mean? It’s not a trick question; it’s simply a contentious and difficult one. And despite Hess’s assertion that “the word has now been flattened into a press tour sound bite,” it is worth examining, describing, and defining. Using Hess’s article (including any of the links she provides) and hooks’s essay from Chapter 20 of your text as your They Say, write an essay in which you define what “feminism” means to you. Explain why you do or do not consider yourself a feminist according to your own definition of the term.
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1)Some generalizations of the women that Hess chose include how the handful of women are known in society. The women she chose are known to express there feelings through song, even if some find it inappropriate (Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga). Others are in association with movies or shows where they are one of the only important female along with a group of guys (“Big Bang Theory” actor, Kaley Cuoco, and “Twilight” author, Stephenie Meyer). She omitted women that were in shows or movies where there were either about an equal amount of guys or a group of girls. Women in romantic movies were omitted as well. She may and probably made the selections she did to help her cause and prove her point. Including celebrities from different categories would have weakened her essay for sure. Of the celebrities that are or have been present in society within the last 30-40 years, Hess chose the ones that would prove her point. She didn’t chose the ones that went against her discussion, for it would have ruined and disproved her whole essay. 2)Based on her article, I think Hess is still contemplating on whether or not she is a feminist, because of the way she writes this article. She starts it off with her talking about how, in the past, women proclaimed that they were not feminists (1989 when Natasha Richardson said, “I am not a feminist in any way at all, at all”), but then ends with examples of celebrities who agree with being feminists (2010 when Lady Gaga proclaimed “I am a feminist”). She is considering her opinions while providing information for her audience as well. She is for sure leaning towards being a feminist by the end of her essay. 3) I think the implication is incorrect, because a robot has absolutely nothing to worry about, but, as for celebrities, they have a lot more to think about. With the use of social media today, if a celebrity were to choose one way or the other, the world would consider what they say. Some might become firm believers and supporters of the celebrity, while others would begin to push away its positive and encouraging feelings toward the celebrity. Answering certain questions certain ways can make or break a celebrity’s career today. 4)”Feminism” means that women have as much rights as men in someone’s opinion. Whether those rights be legal, political, social, or economical, an individuals answer should be the same to such a question as “Are you a feminist?”. My answer to this question is absolutely yes. Women should have equal rights with men. They can work to provide for a family and, with the changing of our society, women can do a lot more today compared to years ago. This calls for more rights associated to them, for they do just as much and can do more then men do in certain situations.
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1)song writers/singers and movie stars. I feel like she chose these categories because these are categories not only women can do but men can as well. It just depends on who she chose to see if they would strengthen or weaken her essay. The selections she made were the perfect ones to help show readers where she was going with this essay
2)I feel like in a way the author is a feminist but there is no way that she would come out and say that due to not only are women reading this article but men are also. I feel that she would not just come out and say if she was or not. she says shes not but then goes on to show more examples that yes she is so im still a little confused on that question. I think it is incorrect a robot is a non living creature with no responsibilities , they don’t have to worry about their image their family or their lifestyle that were just made. celebrities have to watch every single move they make because if they make the wrong one it could ruin their entire career. in my opnion feminism is where women took control and prove that they can do anything a man can do I mean look at what all we have accomplished over the decadades I am so proud to be a woman today !
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To me, feminism is a very real thing and its something to not be taken lightly. Am I a feminist? No. It didn’t take me long to answer that. I’m simply not into “womans rights”. I feel like yes, we should all be equals but at the same time, guys are stronger then most girls. Its a fact. Most women wanna cry about how they can’t join certain things but somethings are just ment for men to do as well as somethings are ment for just women to do. But when a husband asks his wife to mow the lawn or fix the broken pipe under the sink, she most likely will say no because its a “mans” job to do those things. Yet women want to be treated as complete equals. Both men and women should work in my eyes, but there are somethings that guys should stick to and women should stick to.
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I do not consider myself a feminist. Yes, I support equal rights for women (and men), but the word ‘feminist’ has such a negative connotation. People have turned feminism into such a big thing that I, as a woman, feel like I will get berated if I say I am not a feminist. Often, someone will lash out and say “Without feminism, you wouldn’t be where you are today!” But, I am not saying that I’m not grateful for what I have and the opportunities I have in life; I’m simply saying that I’d rather not have that title and connotation of that title pinned on me. The feminist movement has greatly helped women move forward in becoming equal to men. Yes, there is still work to be done, but we commonly forgot what we have already achieved- voting rights, leadership positistion in the work place, etc. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, we should acknowledge how far we have come and continue to strive for the ultimate goal of total, undisputed equality. Power to the women!
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Feminism has become a major topic of discussion in the twenty-first century. Feminism is officially defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” Equality between the sexes is a key factor in establishing a healthy community, yet the ideology is rapidly losing supporters due to social issues. As time progressed, the common concept of feminism changed from social equality to female superiority. Many people think negatively of feminism and look down upon anyone who claims they are a feminist. Upon meeting a male my age on a recent trip, he asked me: “ugh, you’re not like a women’s’ activist or anything, right?” As a teenage female, I can confidently say that most males my age have similar ideologies. The mindset of America’s youth needs to be promoting progression, not regression.
The dreaded question of: “are you a feminist?” has no easy solution. If one declares their passion for women’s rights, they become a freak in others’ eyes. Yet if a man chooses to say no, they become a sexist, misogynist creature. If a woman attempted to avoid the ridicule and says no, they become a traitor of their own sex. In a 2014 Buzzfeed poll, 57% of feminists said they had received criticism at one time or another for declaring themselves women’s activists. Public standards have a large impact on one’s public opinion of feminism. 78% of voters said they thought celebrities’ public opinions on feminism would affect the general population. After growing exponentially since 1970, Feminism’s peak was in 1996. Its downfall began around the time that the internet became popular. This quick and easy publication of ‘important figures’’ opinions may have contributed to the significant decline in percentage of feminists amongst society. Those who did not believe in women’s rights began to sway the entire general population. Common peoples’ opinions were changed and just like that, BAM, feminists were treated as outcasts. This intimidation creates a vicious cycle of people failing to declare their true opinions. Public opinion must change in order to alter inequality laws. In order for public opinion to change, ‘important leaders’ must blatantly address their feminist ideals to create a safe environment for both the youth, and adults to express their beliefs. It seems as if answering the simple question “are you a feminist?” is not simple at all.
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In short, I do not consider myself a feminist. In the past few years, feminism has transformed from a movement for equal rights to an insult that one throws out sarcastically when they do not get what they want. This negative connotation prevents many women from calling themselves feminists, myself included. A major problem with feminists today is their ignorance. American feminists complain about how they “aren’t treated fairly”, but they are forgetting about the women in other countries who are suppressed to the point they cannot wear what they please. Not only that, but there was a time in America when women could not vote. Now, women have that right. In America, only men have to be drafted for war. Women do not even sign up. These feminists ignore the fact that men are not always treated better than women.
Feminism has grown increasingly unpopular lately. Women are afraid to answer the question, “Are you a feminist?”. That question seems to be a trap, because either way one answers, they are always ridiculed or chastised. As another commenter put it, “If a woman attempted to avoid the ridicule and says no, they become a traitor of their own sex.” (Elena McNiece). Instead of labeling people “feminist” or “not feminist”, why not strive toward what feminism started for; Equal rights for everybody.
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On Feminism, Its Definition, and Its Perception
To me, the dreaded question of “Are you a feminist?” is not “difficult and contentious” at all. With a clear definition of feminism, the question is quite simple. However, what exactly is the definition of feminism and how is it defined? To form an opinion on something, one first needs an understanding of what it is. A huge number of different types of feminist beliefs and theories exist and often, the movement’s members disagree about specific topics. However, like in many movements and fields, the solid definition should be something provided by its professionals and prominent members who have experience, familiarity to the subject, and a powerful voice in the community. I believe the basic and concise definition of feminism’s ideals established by Bell Hooks, an important social activist and member of the movement, really encompasses everyone : “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. “(Feminism is for Everybody, page 1). To me, feminism is a movement that advocates for the right for everyone to be whoever they are, regardless of their gender and the roles society sets up for them, and for equal social, political, and economic equality among all genders. To put it simply, with the essential definition of feminism as accepted and defined by its members, the question comes down to “Are you for the elimination of sexism and the equal rights and opportunity of every gender?” I believe that the answer to the question should, ideally, easily be a resounding “yes”. However, many find grasping this definition and identifying as a feminist hard as damaging myths about the movement constantly perpetuate in society and mass media–and this is where celebrities and their opinions come into play.
People–especially young impressionable ones–are invariably influenced by the images and media that surround them nearly every moment of every day in the current world’s technological society. It is from movies, social media, t.v., music, and the internet where we learn perceptions of anything from what’s cool what and products we should buy to social and gender norms to popular opinions on movements such as feminism. Often the media perpetuates only depiction of feminists–the negative stereotype of the angry, man-hating feminists who advocate female superiority. While not everyone has to agree with feminism or be a feminist, misinformed celebrities voicing their objection to the stereotype of feminism are really adding to the problem of nobody getting any exposure to the basic feminist ideals. Celebrities such as Shaline Woodely, who told Time that she was not a feminist “because I love men. I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out” and Lily Allen who says that “We’re all equal, everyone is equal. Why is there even a conversation about feminism?” repeat the same worn anti-equality feminist stereotype that actually directly contradicts its own definition and ideology over and over. What’s more is that many impressionable young women and girls who admire misinformed celebrities may actually benefit from the ideology of feminism don’t get any access to it. When they hear the “f-word”, they immediately think of the caricature constantly portrayed by celebrities and mainstream media, and reject it, often saying “I believe in equality. . .”(a feminist ideal) “but I’m not a feminist” . I think that celebrities who do not fully understand what the movement and instead receive their idea of feminism from strawmen extremists on T.V. should refrain from voicing incorrect myths about feminism–a person shouldn’t teach others a subject they don’t understand themselves.
However, it is easy to understand why a celebrity has those misinformed opinions–they are not immune to the uninformed information that cycles the industry they work in, a field where men who work on films outnumber women five to one. Misconceptions are often caused by the straw feminists prevalent in T.V. that deliberately represent the movement in a distorted, incredibly exaggerated way. Such misrepresentations serve to discredit and undermine the movement as unnecessary by making feminist-identifying characters completely over-the-top, laughable, and irrational, with ideologies that, in reality, bear little to no resemblance to the feminist movement. Although there are hateful and extreme people in feminism, just like with any group of people, this is the only image of feminists everyone is raised up with–straw feminists like Femme Fatale and Liz and Patty’s mom even appear in children’s cartoons such as The Powerpuff Girls and The Rugrats. As famous people absorb these stereotypes from other celebrities and media with the false notion that gender equality has been reached and voice their rejection to impressionable admirers, they help keep this cycle going. Although celebrities should avoid announcing uninformed opinions and myths about feminism, it is not difficult to see where the stereotypes come from and why they believe them. They should not be condemned for their lack of knowledge about feminism, as it stems from a much larger problem with representation and the media industry that provides little opportunity for people to familiarize with the actual ideology.
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First of all, feminism is most prominently an ideology and a movement. In both respects, feminism is the absolute equality between men and women; economically, socially, and politically. But this is where they begin to diverge, as in the movement a feminist would actively combat sexism in their daily lives, while in the ideology a feminist would simply believe that men and women should be equal. It is, unfortunately, possible for them to be mutually exclusive. The best example of movement-exclusive is Femen, a radical “feminist” group that really just wants a matriarchy. The members of this group are technically feminists in the aspect of the movement (as they really are attempting to combat sexism), but in the ideology they fall short, as they really don’t believe in equality. They’re basically PETA but for feminism instead of animal rights.
In both the movement and ideology, I consider myself a feminist. I would like to be payed the same as my male coworkers, and I would like my actions to be considered more seriously than my physical appearance. This doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate what has been done, what with suffrage and the “Equal Pay” attempt, it just means that I understand that women have a long way to go before we are truly equal to men. The sad thing about all of this is calling yourself a feminist is it’s basically a trap; If you do you’re a man-hating, bra-burning, something-that-rhymes-with-witch, or a sad, strange little man. If you don’t you’re a traitor to your gender, or your friends if you are a man yourself. So, with this in mind, I am also okay with people deciding to not call themselves feminists due to the stigma.
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I disagree with the assertion that the meaning of feminism is “contentious and difficult”. While the perception of feminism may be contentious, the definition is quite straightforward: feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. Therefore with this definition and without external stereotypes imposed onto it, I am a feminist. Some may look at me with squinted eyes, believing that by finding pride in this identity, I am taking the previous strides of the women before me for granted. Yes, the original motive of feminism was for suffrage and education. And later, equal pay became a goal as women moved beyond the traditional, domestic roles. Yes, there are laws in place in the United States of America, such as the 19th Amendment and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The statistic that women get paid only 78 cents to a man’s dollar shows a different view on this “equality”, and this statistic only stands true for white women. For African-American women, that number drops to 64 cents. For Hispanic or Latina women, it drops further, reaching an astonishing 53 cents to a man’s dollar (http://www.aauw.org/2014/04/03/race-and-the-gender-wage-gap/). There is still work to be done.
In recent years, a new role model has stepped into the spotlight. No, not Beyoncé or Emma Watson, both known for their advocacy of feminism, but Malala Yousafazai. In 2012, when Malala was only 15, a Taliban gunman shot her in the face while she was returning home on her school bus. His reason stemmed from the teenager’s advocacy for girls’ education. As much as some people may declare it, feminism is not an inclusive movement. We live in a world where some women risk their lives for an education, where some women are denied the right to drive (Saudi Arabia), where some women are denied the right to vote (Saudi Arabia and Vatican City). Again, there is still work to be done.
We, as a society, cannot stop with white women and we cannot stop with the most-developed countries. I, as a white, American, able-bodied, straight, cis-gendered young woman, benefit from the restraints put on other women by society. I recognize this established privilege and to honor the strides of women before me and currently, I strongly believe that the feminist movement must continue until all women are politically, socially, and economically equal to men. Therefore, I am a feminist.
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I am a feminist and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Nor do I find any reason as to why I should shy away from feminist ideas. Feminism, simply put, is the belief that women should be looked upon as equals to men, both in terms of the wages, rights and opportunities available to them, as well as in terms of how they are valued by society and the respect they receive from their peers. Women should not be treated as inferior or superior, but rather as equal in all terms. This to me is what “feminism” refers to, and it is these ideals for which I fight for and hope are present in the future. So long as I am a living, breathing, hard-working human being, I see no wrong in demanding this respect.
But while I identify with feminists and will proudly and boldly state my beliefs if challenged, I do not believe that the world should be divided simply into black and white, feminists and non feminists, just as there is no clear boundary between good and evil. Concerning a matter so complex as human core beliefs and opinions, there will always be a wide array of outlooks, from every shade of white to gray to black. How is it that such a positive and empowering idea such as feminism turned to such a discouraged belief, a word that is spoken by so many in tones of contempt. It is because we have created so sharp of a boundary between feminists and non feminists, found every reason to hate the other and turned like soldiers upon one another. No gains can be achieved when a matter is looked upon as a war made up of strictly good and evil. We should not impose titles upon ourselves with which we will grow further apart and more distinguished. We, as a whole, should unite as one with the common goal of bettering or nations and our world. And if equal rights is the way to achieve a better place, then it is that for which we shall fight, no matter our title.
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I do consider myself a feminist. I advocate for equal rights of women and men. This false perception of feminism sickens me, along with the negative connotation that now comes along with the word “feminism”. People have changed a movement for social equality to a image of a “strong-headed” women who many are unwilling to identify themselves with. But feminism, down to its core, is simply the equality between genders in our society today. Any who disagree with this and try to pin an image to the feminist movement which is simply not true in most cases should be ashamed of themselves. The feminist movement is a rightful cause and people should be proud to say they are a feminist, and the many women who don’t agree with the feminist movement are hindering their success in society, which seems very counter-intuitive.
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I am not a feminist. There is a high chance that if i were to say this is in public people would be quick to insult and shame me. I should not be judged based on whether or not i call myself a feminist, it is simply a name. Feminism has provided women with the rights we hold in society today and i am thankful for them. Now my statement that i am not a feminist does not get in the way of what i believe. I do believe that the feminist movement is making a difference in the way the world perceives women, but i am not one to be caught up in the news over this specific cause. Now i also continue to believe that there are certain things in the world that are generalized to be a “mans job’ or a “woman job”, but not all of those generalizations are incorrect. In todays society the majority of women continue to do household chores and men continue to do the more “masculine” jobs such as changing lightbulbs. The bottom line is the feminist movement has come a long way, i do not need to call myself a feminist to believe that fact.
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The issue with feminism is the word itself. In the dictionary, it’s defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. However, despite its denotation, the word has a very strong connotation. Some may say that this does not affect the actual meaning of the word—but it does. If I were to call someone childish, they would naturally take offense, whereas if I called them youthful, they would appreciate the praise. They both have similar denotations, but while youthful implies energetic, the connotations of childish imply immaturity, over time changing the generally accepted definition.
Having established this, the issue with the feminism question is that to some feminism has a strong positive connotation and to others a negative. The issue is not so much the viewpoints on the concept of feminism but the interpretations of the word. In fact, there are people who identified the stigma associated with the word, and made new names, such as HeForShe.
Many people believe in the fundamental concepts of feminism, but are frightened by the name. There are very few people that would openly say they believe women are inferior and ought to subjugate themselves to men. There are very few people who would still openly claim male superiority, at least, in my experience. There are undoubtedly people whose opinions differ, and I’m sure that there are plenty of examples of men, or even women, discriminating because of gender.
I am not defending these people. I believe in gender equality as much as those who label themselves feminists and as much as those who do not. While I may disagree with certain parts of their arguments, not being one of them does not and should not put me against them. I just do not believe that a label or a name or a category truly matters as much as what it is you believe. So, no, I would not label myself a feminist, though I support their endeavors.
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Feminism is usually defined as equality between men and women. This is very watered down feminism. If the people want the end result of feminism to be equality, just between men and women isn’t going to cut it. After all, not even all men are equal in today’s society. Abled men, white men, cis men, christian men, etc are all treated differently from their counterparts. This is where intersectional feminism is important. Feminism is a movement primarily for women e.g. women of color, trans women, disabled women, queer women, etc. People often ask “What about men? Why aren’t you taking account of men if this movement is all about equality?” First of all, women are not on the same economic, political, or social status as men. We are not on the same level. And while there are benefits for men due to feminism, this is not a movement for them. And a movement’s significance and importance should not rely on how how beneficial it is to men. Feminism takes into account all those who are oppressed and aims to liberate them.
When asking people if they believe that men and women should be equal most people say yes. However, feminism is a scary word. A scary word that carries many negative connatations. When Emma Watson stated that she was a feminist, she gave one of the most simple, men-inclusive speeches I’ve ever seen. She was careful not to step on any toes. And yet, she was still showered in threats because she was a feminist. Those who are anti-feminist are not interested in equality. Since feminism began, it has been treated as a radical movement that has no place in today’s society. Even when Susan B Anthony was fighting for the suffrage of white women, feminists were seen as people who couldn’t get men and turned to this movement for comfort. Because a women’s value was determined by what men thought. Of course I specify that she only cared for white people and even used black people as props to further her cause. She argued that even white women should have voting rights over black men. Again, this is where intersectional feminism is important. Feminism is to liberate oppressed groups of people. Feminism is for equity. While the egalitarian movement is for equality. Giving the same thing to all people will not bring them to the same level. Feminism is more than just equality between men and women. People may say that the issues women face in America’s society are not worth caring about when there are women in other countries getting killed for trying to get an education. They’re wrong. You can care about more than one thing surprisingly. You don’t have to only focus on one women’s issue and frankly this is just a tactic to stop women talking about their experiences and problems that they face in modern society. Of course you can’t explain everything about feminism in two paragraphs since there are entire books written on this subject.
I am a feminist.
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Feminism tends to be a “dirty” word in today’s society, but what does it actually mean? What does the general public think it means? What do feminists think it means?
To the general public, it seems that feminism means the struggle for female supremacy. However, the true, dictionary definition of feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights in order to gain equality to men(not supremacy over men). Although this is the formal definition of feminism, I believe that its meaning has shifted over time.
I believe that feminism did originally follow the official definition quite closely through women’s rights movements. However, in more recent times, feminism has transformed. Instead of only giving women rights in order to be equal to men, many feminists also believe in eliminating gender roles for everyone, creating true equality. Feminist movements have turned into equal rights movements; the words are now synonymous.
I, personally am a feminist because I believe that every person should be able to act how they want to act and do what they want to do(unless their actions harm someone). However, people who do not associate themselves with the feminist movement are not necessarily against feminists.
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While it is true that women have made great advances against sexism, gender equality is not yet attained. Recently the topic of feminism has been reintroduced in the American spotlight. During the 1970’s, feminist sentiment was at an all time high. For the first time, women were seen as valuable workers and recognized as important contributors to society rather than mothers and housewives. Slowly, as working women became a commonality, feminism went out of style. It is important to keep in mind that women’s suffrage was only achieved within the last century. Male superiority is still felt in most places around the world, although at varying intensities. In some third world countries, women are not allowed to drive, attend school or even leave their houses without permission from their fathers or husbands. It is true that American women are not nearly as subjugated as their foreign counter parts but American women are currently earning seventy-eight cents on the dollar compared to men. Why would a country that preaches equal opportunity allow women to be paid less than men for the same work?
The exact definition of feminism remains unclear. Many girls are taught that feminism advocates female superiority over men. However, the feminist movement in the 1970’s had the same definition and goals as the current feminist movement. Feminism preaches gender equality. It is strange to me that the fight for equality can be misconstrued. Women and men are both important components in the feminist movement. Feminism has direct ramifications on women, it is a fight that on the surface benefits women. But the role of men in supporting the feminist movement sets an important precedent. Men who advocate for feminism demonstrate the true feminist agenda; the fight for equality. They are also conveying that their mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and co-workers have the same value and abilities as they do. Regardless of your opinions toward feminism, society will not be satisfied with your stance. One’s view on this subject becomes a loaded question, a question that once answered is interpreted many ways by many people. Celebrities, such as Meryl Streep, choose to use their limelight as a way to bring attention to the cause. However, many celebrities do not seem to understand the true goal of feminism. There are female celebrities who say that they believe in equality but not feminism. This statement is at best contradictory. It is true that the beliefs and actions of people in the public eye do heavily influence their fans. My comments on feminism hold little sway compared to those of an A-lister. But if somebody asks if I am a feminist, if I support gender equality, my answer would be a resounding “yes”.
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Am I a feminist? No. Scientifically women and men think differently, a women cant think as man and a man cant think like a women. I believe everyone should be treated equally with the same respect as anyone else. In life there is things a man can’t do that a women can and vise versa. Although, it can be done. If a man was to ask a women to mow the lawn she’d say no its a “man’s” job. No gender is less or above the other, we’re all important to society.
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The definition of feminism is clear. It is simply the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. After reading this definition I ask myself, “Am I a feminist?” Absolutely, positively, 100%, yes.
I often try to understand why someone isn’t a feminist. I have been reading various responses and have been absolutely flabbergasted. One student claimed, “Yes, I support equal rights for women (and men), but the word ‘feminist’ has such a negative connotation.” Not supporting a movement like this because of a “negative connotation” is absolutely ridiculous. Who cares what connotation the word “feminism” has? It is an amazing movement that has helped so many women and not supporting it because of the connotation is simply ignorant.
I also do not understand how one can say something along the lines of “I support equality, but I’m not a feminist.” That is the exact definition of feminism. Feminism strives towards equality for all and for one to admit they support this but then say they aren’t a feminist sounds completely uneducated and contradictory.
The statement “Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, we should acknowledge how far we have come” is naive. Yes, it is true, that in the United States feminism has made great strides and for the most part women enjoy the same freedoms and rights as men. But what about the young girls (as young as five) who are married off to middle-aged men in the Middle East? What about the women that face the death penalty if they have a miscarriage in Iraq? What about the women that get acid thrown on their faces because their husbands are abusive, or the woman refuses to have more children, or the woman isn’t bearing sons in India? What about how in the Middle East only a man can get a divorce so women are forced to stay in abusive relationships?
For these reasons, I support feminism and all of its endeavors. We have come so far, and there is so much more to be done, but progress is being made.
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I do not consider myself a feminist, because, I see in our modern society, socially, not just women are repressed, if women can be considered repressed at all in most well developed countries. Men, just as much as women get repressed and harassed the same way women so. Some even get demonized just because they are men. And gay people are even more repressed than women are, they aren’t even allowed to marry in some states, and places can choose not to serve them or assist them just because they are gay.
I also believe, for many reasons, that complete equality between men, women, and everyone in general is unattainable. Men and women are different in many aspects, from their strength, to their way of thinking, or their emotions. For everyone to be completely equal, each would be on the same level able to do the exact things that each other can. But, honestly, women cannot play in the NFL with men because their bodies are different, as men cannot have children because their bodies are different.
Instead of searching for equality, I feel the need to search for understanding. For if everyone understood their differences, and what bothered them, then both would be able to work around them, and deal with them in an open minded manner, instead of blaming each other for their problems and looking for something that cannot be completely obtained.
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Being a woman and stating that you view yourself as a feminist has become a sort of risk, you either are a traitor to your own sex or some sort of man hating misandrist, and as a man your answer can mean the difference between getting called a mysonigist or being wrongly praised for defending your sex. I believe that in all of these situations the word feminist is being used in the wrong way. When we start to use a term that is meant to represent people fighting for equality as a tool to represent hate and misandry we discredit those who truly fight for equality. So yes, I am a feminist, but not with the meaning that it has come to have, I hold the term feminist to mean equality, not hate.
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I consider myself a feminist mainly because I’ve grown up living with my mother and sister and I’ve grown to believe that women can do about everything a man can do in today’s world. The term feminism has a very vague meaning and can mean various things to a plethora of people. Personally, I believe the term feminism means that a person is a advocate of womens’ rights and believes that there is equality between women and men.
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Modern society seems to emphasize the importance of equality between everyone. However, recently a new gender controversy rose from the feminism. The main reasons of the controversy seems to be misinterpretation of feminism. To begin with, definition of feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. The women’s right movement during the 1900s seem to follow the definition and strive for their deserving rights. However, people tend to ignore this definition overtime and establish their own negative and positive reactions to the word. For example, in the article, there are celebrities who say that they support the equality of between genders, but state that they are not feminist. Those who say similar statements to the previous one seem to have an assumption of deeper definition of feminism like an image of a persistent women who only prefer women’s side. As an advocate of feminism, I believe that the true definition of feminism should convey to the world; therefore, it would increase the confidence for people to state that they are feminist.
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In my opinion, feminism is simply advocating for women being treated the same way as men. However, the media has begun to spin it as the advocation of women’s rights over those of men. In my opinion, humans have natural rights. One of these rights is to be treated equally in every situation that they have not demeaned themselves. Therefore, feminism, when defined taken as the quest for EQUAL rights as men for women is a viable and important issue. It needs to be addressed in society as well as in the workplace and at home. The advocation for women to supersede men, not just to gain equality with men but to surpass them, the media’s definition of feminism is what is being asked of the celebrities in Hess’ story. Therefore, when many women say they are not feminists, this is a good thing when acknowledging that feminism to the media is different from what I say is the true definition of feminism. Furthermore, no matter which definition is being applied, no female or male should be judged upon their beliefs. TO be judged and attacked for your own beliefs, even by the media, is unconstitutional, and technically slander. just my thoughts.
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Feminism originally began as advocating for equal rights and treatment amongst all women. By definition, feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. However, the media and technologies of today have skewed the fundamental ideologies of the movement. Therefore, I do not consider myself a feminist. I wholeheartedly agree with equality for both men and women, but should my opinions be held against me? Today, labeling myself as either a feminist or not would likely result in an onslaught of criticism from each viewpoint. I personally do not find it necessary to brand myself to a certain “side” so to speak in order to believe and appreciate the accomplishments of feminism. It is clear that feminism has made considerable differences universally on the perceptions and rights of women yet also with certain setbacks. Women should not feel threatened by the rigidity of these seemingly opposing groups: “I know there’s a lot of vindictive talk going around about me. You know, ‘Streep’s a bitch, a feminist, a troublemaker’ ” (Streep). Is this necessary? Is this catalog of terms really synonymous as presented? Should women feel this oppressed even in the 21st century? No. The causation of all these posed questions are rooted from the categorizing women from their varied perceptions. Thus, although I respect feminist ideologies and appreciate the accomplishments due to the theory, labeling women as feminists is an unnecessary hassle only causing more divisions within society.
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Look, I don’t care what any textbook definition is used, but contemporary “feminists” are really just women that use the excuse of sexism or sexual harassment to get their way. I do apologize to any true feminist out there and wish you luck.
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I don’t mind people who are feminist its just the people who take it too far that i have an issue with.
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I honestly think everyone should be for gender equality. Not feminism or meninism. It simply doesn’t make any sense to be one sided and not want equality. Isn’t that what these feminists are saying? How they want to be equal to men? So why would you consider yourself a feminist if you want gender equality?
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I think the term feminism is taken way too far. I do not believe myself to be a feminist but I do believe that sometimes women are looked down upon and lesser, but what will asking celeberties do about it, there are just some things that women cant do as equal to men.
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For me, there is nothing wrong with a woman saying, “I’m a feminist.” It may be due to the fact that I’m growing up in a younger generation, where feminism is a GOOD thing, and women WANT to be known as a feminist. Feminism is a good thing! And hardly as complicated as people like to think it is. Not every feminist burns bras, not every feminist hates men! (That’s not a feminist anyway)
The main problem with feminism is that society is uneducated about what it truly entails. Feminism isn’t beating men, it’s not lesbianism, it’s not misandry. It is DEFINITELY not misandry. There’s no such thing as a “”true feminist”?? If you believe in equal rights between the sexes then B O O M! You’re a feminist!
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I feel as though people view the word “feminism” differently from decades past. Originally, it was thought of rights just for women, that is why people would say they are more egalitarian or for equal rights for both men and women. Now, people view it as just that, equal rights for all. More and more people admit to being a feminist now because of the new connotation. Some people still don’t call themselves that because they don’t “need” feminism. However, even if an individual doesn’t need it, doesn’t meant that other people don’t and by saying they are a feminist, you show support for their fight. Maybe the connotation will change again and then everyone says they are a feminist. Only time will show how people act towards feminism.
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The word and meaning of feminism has changed so much within the past couple decades. People now a days are just hopping on the band wagon. But what men and society doesn’t understand is that not all females are feminist. It is not a feminist statement to tell your boyfriend your not cooking tonight, or asking him to go to the grocery store. We live in a day and age where men want to be treated equally to women and vice versa. How many single dads are out there raising kids? But i thought a women were supposed to watch, raise, and take care of the kids? Im not saying that guys are wrong for doing that and i think its amazing but please stop calling us feminist. I do think women are treated pretty similar to guys but what about a woman and a man having a same job position but him getting paid more. There are some unequal treatment between the two genders that needs to change but i do not consider myself a feminist.
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I personally think that it is ridiculous that feminism is still a thing. I think that everyone should be treated equally, why should men be aloud to do certain things that women can’t or the opposite? In the essay, it was stated that there was an argument that women shouldn’t be allowed to choose whether or not they want an abortion??? why is that? i don’t believe in that, why should a man choose what to do with someone elses body. I think that it should be a mutual decision, not one person over ruling the other. Everything should be equal in my opinion. For example, at night when the baby wakes up and needs to be changed, I don’t think the woman should be the one to get up every time just because shes the mother. i think that they need to take turns…MAKE THINGS EQUAL. no one should be superior over anyone, we are all human!
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What is feminism today? It seems like modern day pop culture society is so far removed from the original movement to grant females equal rights politically. Now feminism is a loosely thrown around term to make headlines more appealing and for journalist to get a bigger paycheck by throwing the word “feminist” in their title. It seems like today feminism is all about the role of women surpassing the role of men in society instead of gender equality like it was when the movement started. How does a woman being a feminist really make her any different than a woman who claims she is not one? It’s not like being a feminist makes you any better as a woman it’s more of just a word to make you feel like you’re for something bigger than yourself. I think the whole “feminist” conversation is too drawn out in this day and age and is only there for a journalist to get paid.
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I honestly believe that this was an interesting article and that it had alot of great points and facts! i really agree with the comment about how female roles were declining in percentages
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In “Popping the Question” Amanda Hess cites many responses by celebrities about being a feminist. While I find her reliance on those to be heavy and less than accurate when compared to the average woman, I though her leading example was quite appropriate. Senator Hattie Carraway was not a woman that placed herself on the stage, seeking notariaty or fame. Rather, she was thrust into a role that she did not expect and had not prepared for, by her circumstances. Life had thrown her a curveball. In regards to Senator Carraway New York Times reporter R.L. Duffus wrote “Mrs. Caraway is too feminine to be a feminist. She is so feminine that, though she is the soul of hospitality, the male visitor to her office goes away with a chocolate instead of a cigar.” This was obviously meant to demean Senator Carraway. However, I feel that Duffus inadvertantly made an opposing point. Senator Carraway, in her femininity broke down stereotypes about how business was conducted and that it was ” a mans world”. She ignored the assumptions and expectations. She did it her way, regardless of what was traditional… and business still went on as usual.
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Feminism? This has to be a joke. The article was interesting but reading the article, it really made me realize how much people care to know everything about a person. In my opinion I really dont care who is who. We all have the right to be what ever we want to be and the sad thing is we are being criticized way too much, what if people want to keep their believe to them self. Either way people will still assume things. Thats is a really sad fact and I really hope things will change one day.
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I personally am not a feminist, I do believe that if a man and a woman work the same job and have the same level of education that they should be paid equally unless one has more experience in the field. Me personally I do think there are jobs that men should dominate in because most women will not work a dirty job that men will. Women are more fragile than men are its a fact. I just think that something’s are meant to be left alone like women wanting to be fully equal to men because it will never happen just as if a man wanted to be fully equal to a woman its pretty impossible. We are equal in different ways and everyone should just accept that fact. There’s just some things that woman cant do like men and the other way around as well men cant do everything a woman can do. So in my opinion feminism is pretty irrelevant to todays society I see nothing wrong with how I live my life as a woman. I don’t want to be comparable to a man with anything I do.
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I wouldn’t consider myself a feminist and I don’t feel ashamed to come to that conclusion. I believe in equal rights and a level playing field for everyone, which goes beyond gender. I believe everyone exhibits some form of feminism but I don’t believe that that is what defines a strong woman. I will say that, to my knowledge, it seems as though women and minorities have to fight a little harder to be respected and treated fairly in today’s society. The cause for this fight is a broad spectrum that spreads out way further than feminism. Sometimes our society does not play fair. Honestly, I believe the question “are you a feminist?” is rude and narrow minded, the more striking question would be if we asked ourselves and others; “do you care about anything other than yourself?”.
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The issue with these examples are that the vast majority of these interviews are of women in the mainstream popular media. When you interview “pop” figures, you shouldn’t expect much besides “pop” answers with little substance. With the exception of a few, they are just defaulting to wherever the popular opinion has shifted to protect their marketability. Are the actions of these women that now claim to be feminists any different than those that vehemently denied the accusation in the past?
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I cant really say that I am truly a feminist. I do believe that women should have the same chances as men do in the career field or in life in general. Women in the past have fought to be treated the same as men do, and I commend them for that. (round of applause)…..But, women sometimes mistake this idea of equality with “feminism”, which is often a shortcut to, in my terms, “getting their way.” Feminism only brings controversy if you ask me. I say this because some feminist use this term when they feel attacked as females, because they aren’t always in the same power as men are. Females do deserve equal opportunities as men, don’t get me wrong.
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In short I do consider myself a feminist, and I say so with confidence because i know the term has been diluted and abused to where people think misogyny and feminism are the same thing but there completely different. The term means equal rights and treatment for both genders and honestly i feel like more people are feminist then we think they just don’t know it. it’s a very misleading word it really shouldn’t even be called feminism because when people see femin in the word they immediately think it’s about women and only women but it’s not. Now granted the newer wave of feminist protesters are a lot of the time misogynist and i think that’s where in modern day people are afraid to identify themselves as feminist. But honestly anyone who doesn’t identify themselves as such that means they don’t believe in equal rights and believe one gender is better so because of that i refuse to believe that that really is the case i just believe the term is misunderstood.
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I know this might sound weird, but I didn’t know what feminism was until I looked it up. According to Wikipedia, feminism is a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal:to define, establish, and achieve equal rights and advocacy for women. After reading this, the first thing that came to my mind was my childhood. Since I was very little, my mom used to told me that I could be a lawyer, because I was always defending myself against their “no” answers. Well they never let me play basketball, baseball, soccer, climb trees, or hang out with the boys form my neighborhood, because i could get hurt, and that wasn’t supposed to be what girl do. I always had to go with my mom to the hairdressing, and wait hours in there until she got her hair and nails done, but never could go with my dad to the barbershop, because there were always males in there. Never could go to my dad’s baseball games because men would be saying bad words, and that wasn’t a place for girls. My play time consisted in playing with dolls, watching TV, or annoying my mom while she was cooking dinner. My childhood was limited to a number of things that “girls couldn’t do”, which I never came to understand.
Now that I think about it, I think I have been a feminist my whole life, not a lawyer as my mom would say. I would argue with my parents every time I wanted to do something and their answer was “no, because you’re a girl, and girls don’t do things like that”. I didn’t understand what was wrong with having fun with other kids. It looked way better than talking to dolls, who never even smiled at me after all the make up and clothes that I made for them.
I don’t understand why society see feminism as a bad thing. Being feminist is not saying that women are better than any other spice in the world, but it sure is a fight for equality.
I think that every human being is the same. It doesn’t matter where we come from, our skin color, our religion, our sexuality. We are all CAPABLE human beings with the right to live the life that God gave us however we please, as long as we are happy with it. Gender is just a limit that my parents put in my childhood, and is the same limit that society uses to say “no, that’s not what a girl/guy would do”. Don’t let anyone be the limit of you happiness!!!!
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Somehow, feminism has gained a negative connotation and imposes a stigma on whomever claims herself or himself to be a feminist. Being raised in a feminist family, I do not see the whole reason for such a negative connotation. Simply put, feminism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests”. There are different opinions on what feminism ‘actually is’–which has garnered the negativity towards it. For example, Shailene Woodley’s response on feminism (linked in the article) is extremely different than the dictionary definition. She states that she is not a feminist because “…I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance.” Feminism does not deal with loving or hating men, nor with inhibiting men from taking power, but rather promoting equality between the sexes.
Amanda Hess uses quotes from prominent women in the entertainment industry, but does not quote noted women (or men) in academic or political fields. By not using a variety of demographic and professional fields, I believe the writer has weakened her argument. If she had included more quotes from a greater variety of both men and women her argument, it would have seemed stronger.
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2)Based on Amanda’s article, I do not believe she consider herself as a feminist. Throughout her article, she points out different actresses and their response to the question of feminism, but she seem to be in agreement with those who seemed annoyed by the question. For example, when she talks about the difference in response between Miley Cyrus and Stephanie Meyers, She quickly says “While stepping up to claim oneself as a feminist used to be somewhat meaningful, the word has now flattened into a press tour sound bite.” Her choice of words make it seem as though the press has over exaggerated the question, which makes readers believe she is annoyed by the amount of attention this question has come to be. Another example is when she is gives her side comments to the response of Martha Stewart stating, “Do we really need to waste time saying ‘I’m a feminist’?” Amanda response in parenthesis, “We do now.” In conclusion, although she does not state whether she is a feminist or not, by the examples given, she seems more on the “ugh” side of the argument.
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In response to JN-T. I think she did a pretty solid job. Although, her argument probably would have been stronger with examples of men. I believe her argument was relevant because most outspoken feminist women are in the entertainment industry. Those women are also the ones frequently being asked the question. As far as having an example in academic and political fields, she does use Hattie Caraway, a female senator, in her introduction. But she does have stronger side in the entertainment aspect of the discussion. Overall, I find her examples to be relevant to today’s point of view of feminism.
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In response to Samim. I agree everyone definitely does deserve to be who they want to be without being criticized.It seems as though today the world is focused on the lives of celebrities than living their own lives. It’s sad, but we see what the our future “could be” instead of actually making it happen. I think feminism is a good thing. Although, people take it way to seriously sometimes. As a female, I believe I should have equal rights, but I’m not bias. I believe everyone should have equal rights. Unfortunately, when looking at the world realistically, it doesn’t really go that way. I personally think it sucks, but that’s how it is.
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When it comes to the word “feminism”, there is always some sort of negative connotation behind it. Why can’t the term be seen is just another part of someone’s person? Why can’t the term itself just be viewed to some as inspirational? The word “feminism” is defined as a person who advocates the social, political, and economic equality between men and women. One thing that I still view as somewhat confusing is that fact that feminism is mainly seen as something that only women can believe in or fight for, which is not the case. Feminism is supporting the equality between both sexes, which means that both men and women can take on this stance. Nowadays, more men, along with women are supporters of the idea. The author of the “Are You A Feminist?”, Amanda Hess, argues that the word has been “flattened into a press tour soundbite”, which I somewhat agree with. People use it as a means to either support or be against a female celebrity. Feminism was always seen to hold a negative connotation, when in fact it is simply equality, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Personally, I do considered myself a feminist. Although women and men are different in some aspects, I feel that it is important for both to have equal rights. Some people don’t like to associate themselves with the term “feminism” when I consider it to be empowering. Instead of it being just something that women support, men can consider themselves feminists. I think the more that both men and women can be feminist, the more progressive we are as a country. I agree with Jay that some people nowadays are afraid to call themselves feminist. At the same time more and more people are showing their support for this type of equality, which I think is a step in the right direction. I also agree with Elianis in that being a feminist does not mean that you completely despise men, it just means you simply believe that men and mean should have equality socially, economically, and politically. I know that there are people who are not in favor of this kind of equality, but they will not stop anyone who even believes in it the slightest.
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In discussions of feminism, one controversial issue has been that the word “feminism” can be taken too literal and have negative drawbacks. I am totally for equal rights for everyone, but to call someone a feminist is like a republican calling a democrat a communist. The term feminist itself needs to be toned down because it can be taken as you are either for your gender or against it as Jonathon stated. There is nothing wrong with being a feminist however,it needs to be brought back to its original meaning, not what the media today has come to make it.
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Amanda Hess says if Duffus actually asked Caraway whether she personally identified as a feminist, it wasn’t important enough to print. The fact was that he did not receive his cigar. How times have changed. Today’s prominent women—senators, actresses, athletes, pop stars, whatever—all get asked the question. If the answer is “yes,” they’ll make headlines. If the answer is “no,” they’ll make bigger headlines.
Jonathan Minor says being a woman and stating that you view yourself as a feminist has become a sort of risk, you either are a traitor to your own sex or some sort of man hating misandrist, and as a man your answer can mean the difference between getting called a mysonigist or being wrongly praised for defending your sex.
Sean A Cunningham says look, I don’t care what any textbook definition is used, but contemporary “feminists” are really just women that use the excuse of sexism or sexual harassment to get their way. I do apologize to any true feminist out there and wish you luck.
I say in all honesty that the truth in the situation is that females can’t do most of the things that men can. There are a select few females in this world who have that capability but not that many. I just hate when females take it as offensive as they do when the topic is brought up but in actuality they know that it just isn’t physically possible to do so.
So what ? Who cares ? These findings challenge the work of earlier researchers, who tended to assume that females and males had the same physical capabilities. I think it’s important to know because I personally think the argument is stupid. there’s no need to argue about who deserves what job. the fact of the matter is do you fit the qualifications of the job or can you handle the physical aspect. We should go into this situation with an open mind and not limit anyone’s opportunities. everyone has their own opinion in which they’re entitled to.
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If Duffus actually asked Caraway whether she personally identified as a feminist, it wasn’t important enough to print. The fact was that he did not receive his cigar. How times have changed. Today’s prominent women—senators, actresses, athletes, pop stars, whatever—all get asked the question. If the answer is “yes,” they’ll make headlines. If the answer is “no,” they’ll make bigger headlines.For years, the subject of feminism only came up in the typical celebrity interview if the celebrity wanted to do it.
Justin Gorton said in discussions of feminism, one controversial issue has been that the word “feminism” can be taken too literal and have negative drawbacks. I am totally for equal rights for everyone, but to call someone a feminist is like a republican calling a democrat a communist. There is nothing wrong with being a feminist however,it needs to be brought back to its original meaning, not what the media today has come to make it.
Another blogger I analyzed was Elianis Rodriguez. They saiddon’t understand why society see feminism as a bad thing. Being feminist is not saying that women are better than any other spice in the world, but it sure is a fight for equality.
I think that every human being is the same. It doesn’t matter where we come from, our skin color, our religion, our sexuality. We are all CAPABLE human beings with the right to live the life that God gave us however we please, as long as we are happy with it. Gender is just a limit that my parents put in my childhood, and is the same limit that society uses to say “no, that’s not what a girl/guy would do”. Don’t let anyone be the limit of you happiness!!!!
I personally think I’m a feminist. Yes I believe that men and women should have equal rights but there are some things women cant do that men can.
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