There’s more than one “f” word in modern society. And, if you can believe it, the one I have in mind is considerably more incendiary than the one you’re probably thinking of. In any context, “feminism” has a remarkable power to invite both disparaging commentary and withering eye rolls; associated as it is with angry, radical protesters and man-hating anomalies of the female persuasion, most people are quick to distance themselves from a term with such extreme connotations.
First and foremost, everyone needs a basic vocabulary lesson. “Feminism,” that poor, misunderstood word of the linguistic high school cafeteria scene, simply refers to the advocacy of equal rights for women in all areas of life. If that’s all right in your book, then congratulations, you’re a feminist. Now go put a bumper sticker on the back of your Prius and burn all your bras.
Acknowledging the persistence of blatant sexism, especially in the current political climate, should be enough to prove that the goals of feminism are far from accomplished. All the brouhaha over the Republicans’ “War on Women”—the debate over health insurance coverage of contraception, abortion rights, and the definition of rape—demonstrates that women have not yet achieved legitimate political equality with men in the 21st century. As for equality in the workplace, the continuing wage gap and the appalling absence of women in upper-level jobs make a similar statement. Even Anne-Marie Slaughter, a Princeton academic and former Director of Policy Planning for the State Department, thinks women still can’t have it all. And this is in the West. Extending the scope elsewhere opens up an entirely different can of worms.
So, what happened to all the kick-ass feminists? For the most part, their message has been consigned to the dusty world of academia and gender studies classes with a particular fondness for the word “construction.” In terms of political equality, there are brave spokeswomen like Georgetown’s own Sandra Fluke (LAW ‘12) and others fighting the good fight, but such heroines are few and far between.
Feminist activism has also found solid footing in niche political issues, particularly sexual assault prosecution. In response to a Canadian police officer’s helpful suggestion that women shouldn’t dress like sluts if they don’t want to be raped, the national advent of SlutWalks has made an effective statement against a shockingly common habit of blaming the victim. Having had a similar experience with a police officer, I know personally how especially infuriating this can be in the midst of other obvious traumas.
These are applications of contemporary feminism in the forms we know best: explicit protest and political advocacy. As desperately necessary as they are, however, they constitute only a few parts of the puzzle. There’s a pretty big chunk still missing, yet people often forget it’s even meant to be there.
Insidiously pervasive in every aspect of our lives—our movies, music, TV shows, and magazines—the behemoth that is pop culture could be called the last frontier of feminism. Though political and economic equality between genders should always be at the forefront of the feminist movement, the portrayal of girls and women in the media is a reflection on how society believes they should act. If an on-screen female character never finds happiness until, as Lily Allen is currently singing into my iPod, “the man of her dreams comes along, picks her up, and puts her over his shoulder,” then this will be the prevailing attitude and expectation in the real world. If every powerful, independent woman is portrayed as using her sexuality to achieve her position, then surprisingly few people will think anything otherwise is a possibility. Therefore, the importance of having flawed, multidimensional women in pop culture as true reflections of living, breathing females cannot be overstated. Thankfully, a few people are starting to do something about it.
Anyone who’s ever been in an awkward social situation knows that a good joke can immediately put people at ease. Not surprisingly, the same goes for incorporating a feminist perspective into pop culture. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, and Lena Dunham have blazed the trail for their realistic on-screen representations of being a woman. A frazzled comedy writer, an ambitious local politician, a bridesmaid experiencing a life crisis, and a confused twenty-something form a synthesis of roles that portray women in all their flawed, often hilarious humanity. Though they can be annoying and self-centered at times, they’re just as imperfect and complex as the rest of us.
Modern feminism then, is clearly not the serious creature of generations past. Outrageous and utterly shameless, feminism in pop culture gets attention through laughs rather than posters. Caitlin Moran, whose book I recently devoured before marching around and obnoxiously declaring my strident feminism, probably best expresses this credo: “The idea that we’re all just a bunch of well-meaning schlumps, trying to get along, is the basic alpha and omega of my world view. I’m neither ‘pro-women’ nor ‘anti-men.’ I’m just ‘thumbs up for the six billion.’”
Radical that I am, I couldn’t have said it better.
