I am a feminist.
I say it openly and often, and I mean it.
I believe that women are still oppressed, society is overwhelmingly patriarchal, and that its not right.
But there are tough questions that come along with that.
Am I a bad feminist?
I love make-up.
And fashion.
I show cleavage.
I even enjoy showing cleavage.
I aspire to be a magazine writer, preferably for a fashion magazine, not a scientist or the CEO of a fortune 500 company.
I love America's Next Top Model.
I played with Barbies and Polly Pockets as a kid.
Does this make me less of a feminist?
Less of a woman?
Am I part of the problem?
I want to say no. I do. But there's always that part of me whispering yes.
But does that mean I have to be to cover up my body, denounce beauty products and fashion, and encourage little girls to play with toy cars to be a feminist?
The whisper changes to a scream and says no.
Although thats not all of who I am. I also happen to be pierced, and outspoken, and comfortably unskinny. All of which surely contradict the image of women we're supposed to support.
I suppose the point is that women need options. That the only acceptable image shouldn't be the beauty obsessed one that I've partially adhered to. That as women we need to find where we strike our own individual balance.
It'll always linger in my mind that part of who I am could be the result of the patriarchal, gender-biased media that enrages me so.
I am a feminist. I am a strong woman. And my love of make-up and such in no way changes how I feel about the lack of equality around me.
Its important that I question my own image, but I happen to have no concrete answers as of yet.
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3 comments:
I was quite interested in this, as it seems most women are caught between this stage of wanting independence and empowerment but at the same time to be idolized and gazed at for the same things we detest the media for emphasizing. As you said you enjoy showing cleavage but I assume you would be insulted by an ad that claimed that it was the most important feature on a women. So thats where it remains we have been conditioned to conform to the standards set around us and at the same time question if its right.
Women now a days are expected to feel both ways, and I believe that they are expected to be feminists and glorify in their looks and act in a girlish manner.
Con't (I hit enter by accident)
But even those who truly detest the way women are portrayed are sometimes incapable of change, since at times that will become a trend so to say, as their have been times such as know when emphasis are placed on breasts, there have been times when it was the fasion to hide them and restrain them to have a straight slender figure, fashions change and even those who detest showing off might find themselves wrapped up in a current fashion though that may be unlikely at the current time.
Acting girly liking make-up and such has no been incorporated into feminism in the way that we can now act in such a way but still be a feminist, by saying yes I may dress like this but you are no longer allowed to judge me on it. It seems not to sound corny or anything but a way to have your cake and eat it to.
Just my own opinion on it.
I do enjoy your articles and hope you will write another, I recently decided to make a new account after closing my old one awhile back so I signed my posts with my comment with my old name initials. I would love if you would give me some ideas on what to write about I too seem to have many ideas but am having trouble on focusing long enough on just one
-F.M
Cleavage shower. Jeez.
What a whore you are. =)
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