The relivance of Feminism

For me personally, feminism has always been about the language and attitudes towards women more than anything else, and when you take these issues into consideration, who can argue that feminism is not still extremely relevant. While the economical and political needs are pressing, I've always felt that those particular problems stem from a deeper, more engrained cultural problem. One need only take one look at the media to be overwhelmed by negative, and often confusing images of femininity and gender roles. When flipping through the pages of a magazine, you can find an advertisement on one page with a beautiful, barley dressed women glorifying sex and a product, and on the very next page find a women modeling the picturesque domestic ideal. These images not only conflict one another, but they are both completely unrealistic, for within two pages we have not only reduced sex and sexuality to a purely physical act, we have also managed to condemned it and glorified it in the same breath. If a young girl is a sexual person, she is considered a slut, but at the same time, a girl devoid of sexuality is considered undesirable. It is these double standards, media images, and other cultural influences that are shaping the way society views women, and they ways in which women are taught to view themselves. I feel it is the language and the images more than anything else that shapes our early perceptions of femininity, and these perceptions are carried by us through our lives. So to my mind at least, it seems the biggest problem faced by women and feminist today is a cultural attitude problem, and it will be difficult for us to advance in other areas until this problem is sufficiently dealt with.

Is Feminism Relevant? Why or Why Not?

Im really pleased to see all of the activity on our class blog so far -- after only two days of classes! Ive enjoyed reading -- and commenting on a few of -- your before and after posts about feminism's relevance.  Keep up the great work, everybody!

Green Sex - It Saves Energy!

Wow. After reading a blog entry on Feministing.com and subsequently checking out the website mentioned in the entry, I was shocked, angry, appalled, too many things to explain. Angry Green Girl just gave me enough material to rant for months. It is sites like this one, and women like this that make it necessary for feminism to exist today, along with the equal rights, and gender equality issues. Assuming that men are so stupid that they can only understand things when they have sex written all over them is disgusting. The videos on her site are not only offensive to regular people like me who would like to see the world go greener, but also to feminists everywhere. As Vanessa said on Feministing.com, the whole purpose of Angry Green Girl is "an attempt to convince straight guys that going green will get them laid." Not only is this a blatant insult to men, but it's also just one more way that women's bodies are being exploited for purposes that are completely non-sex related, and what makes this case worse, is that they are being exploited by a woman. Wow. Why is it that feminists get made fun of for promoting their ideas and beliefs, while people like Angry Green Girl get attention? Well, obviously, sex sells, but is it worth it? Is Angry Green Girl really going to affect the entire world's atmosphere? Probably not, but feminism could affect the whole world if enough people realize how important it is, even today. Because really, what feminist is going to sell feminism by exploiting their bodies and their fellow women? None.

Yes, We Can Vote, But Is That Enough?

Ok, so we have the right to vote, and have for many years, but still, how about equal pay? Or being treated the same as men in stores, or banks? Is it really fair that when my mom was trying to get her first credit card she had to apply about ten times, although she had good credit, before she was approved, and my dad was approved his first time? Or that when my little sister wanted to play baseball in middle school, she couldn't? People may think that feminism is unnecessary, especially in the US, but women still don't have equal rights. Growing up in a feminist family, I was exposed to a different family dynamic than most of my friends, with their stay at home moms who coddled them until they left the house. I never understood when my friends didn't get outraged at sexist things that happened at my school, like why was the dress code ten times stricter for girls than it was for boys? They just said oh well, and accepted it. There are so many different ways that women are margnialized and treated unfairly here, in our homes, and not too many people pay attention to it. Women are working now, in jobs equal to men, and yet they are still paid less, although they may be more qualified for it. Women still do not have equal rights, and until they do, both politically, socially, and domestically, feminism will be necessary.

Feminism and the Media - Reaction to a Blog

Whether you try and run from it or you embrace it, media is a large part of your life. From liberal radio and TV talk shows to half-naked women shaking their assets in music videos, there is a wide array of content that can be found through a variety of mediums. The subjects of female oppression, stereotyping, and depreciation in a popular television programming is discussed in length by a guest blogger on girlwpen. In this show, Thirty Something, women are portrayed as needing men to be happy with their lives. The female homemaker is glorified, while the career seeking, independent, single gal finds herself to be unlovable. While this show is almost twenty years old, contemporary series such as 7th Heaven promote the same stereotypes displayed in Thirty Something. In 7th Heaven them Mother is obedient and caring, rarely venturing outside of the house. Although the three daughters sometimes step out of line, they all eventually regress to the socially acceptable norms. I would dare to say that much of popular media continues to portray women in the same roles that they have always played; homemakers, mothers, and friends rather than as activists, career women, and independent females. There has also been a current trend of portraying women as sex toys and placing high value on their physical appearance rather than their internal composition, but that is a different topic for a different post.

Facebook Feminism

Being a freshman, fresh out of high school it is interesting to see how little I knew about feminism- sure it came up now and again in classes but there was never much awareness about the importance of it. In a world of facebook, myspace, twitter, and blogging there are endless outlets where one can get information out there and be heard. I confess I am not a regular newspaper reader and I rarely watch the news; however, I know how to use the internet. I believe that the majority of my peers do as well. True, I have a love-hate relationship with all this crazy new technology, but my point is: this is a perfect way to get the feminist voice out there to youth! If today's youth is the future, shouldn't we be targeting them and informing them? Similarly, since I am not out working in the real world, the sexism I encounter usually comes from teens. Some may believe that they don't know any better and society molds them to think and act certain ways. This may very well be true, so why don't we use these tools like facebook, myspace, and twitter to change "the way it is?" Use the resources that are out there and that teens are exposed to daily and get the messages sent! I strongly believe that feminism is relevant and will always be relevant no matter how much progress we make because it is not an issue that can be solved over night. Laws can be made and changed but there are still individual people in the world who will forever think certain things; let's get these people talking. Create spaces for dialogue and have conversations!

Global Feminism

In America, feminism is a thriving, driving, living cause. Thousands devote themselves to the goal of true equality between men and women; they demand equal treatment in the work place, the right to serve their country however they please, and of course to be men's equal in the bedroom and where ever else sex might be an issue. America has come a long way in the last sixty years in respects to women's rights; we can vote, hold high level, high power jobs, and go to any college we'd like. Sometimes these things are not always given to us as we have won the right to have them, but the legal and social steps have been taken. All that remains is to keep feminism alive so we won't lose those rights.
However, I feel that the true place of feminism, and the real need for it, is not in America. Women all over the world are still living as second class citizens meant to be seen (and sometimes not even that) and not heard. In the Middle East women are required to wear head to toe veils. In Africa young girls are required to undergo brutal genital circumcision that cripples them for life and often kills through infection immediately after, or in child birth years later. In many Asian countries women cannot speak and are forced into unwanted sexual intercourse with husbands they did not choose to marry. Everywhere women suffer beatings, rape, and "mercy" killings simply because of their gender. This is why feminism is necessary. In America, most of us are doing just fine. Let's help out the rest of the world now.