2015 Seemed to Bring A Rise in...
Feminist bullshit. How about 2016? I can only hope for the best, but I'm also expecting the worst. It's not just feminists though, it's also social justice warriors, so-called fighters for "equality," and people who want to prolong the idea that certain groups of people are "oppressed." I feel like these non-issue issues are getting really hyped up and it can only mean that our society is going to get worse and worse. Instead of progressing like they think we're doing, we're regressing. I understand why people are for these movements, but surely they must understand that not everyone wants to be a part of these movements, right? They can't think everyone cares to the same extent that they do or share the same opinions they have. In fact, many of the issues they touch are hardly noticeable until someone wants to whine about it. People make situations into race issues, gender issues, religion issues, etc. and sometimes that's definitely not the case. As it's happening more and more I just wonder what this world is going to come to. So please 2016, we'll be done with your first month in one day, so please just be better than 2015. If you bring more stupidity into this world, I'm going to be really sad for the next generation.
Now that a new year has begun, I just wanted to start off by writing an article that showcases more of my thoughts on feminism. This article (where I am taking all the quotes from) shows us "4 Ways to Become a Better Feminist in 2016." I'm going to write all my thoughts on whatever I see as to show a different standpoint on this issue. I'm reading the article as I go and I'm expecting a lot of bullshit to appear on my screen.
Before 2015 I thought feminists were ok, I could really care less about it, and if someone came up to me and were to ask if I identified as one I'd probably reply yes. I truly was at some point leaning towards the feminist side and I did treat guys differently. That's not a good thing, but to me that's what I thought feminists did. I thought they were supposed to treat people of the male gender differently. That was only my basic understanding at age 11 and thank goodness it only lasted a month or two, but imagine all the other girls out there who are thinking of being feminists now. Do you know how bad their perception of the male gender is going to be? With the exposure to radical feminism displayed all throughout the internet, they're sure to get the misconceptualized version of feminism. They're going to think anything a guy says is demeaning (mansplaining). They'll think that anything a guy does to them is oppression (patriarchy). They'll have these crazy ideas that guys are rapists who think of women as merely sex objects (rape culture)! And what will these new feminists do with it? They'll pass it on to the next generation! They'll create more propaganda! They'll do whatever it is they have to do to push their fucking agenda! Soon, the day will come when women are no longer equal to men, but instead, men will be the oppressed class. At least that's where I see it going. Of course, if these tips that I'm about to read are actually worthwhile, then maybe feminism can change it's name and people will start supporting the movement and perhaps I don't have to worry about the bleak future I'm expecting in this world. Shall we begin?
The first thing we see in this article is a picture of a female soldier. That's empowerment at it's finest. It's a good, strong picture and it definitely draws in the audience it needs. Speaking of the audience, let's keep in mind this article is specifically made for teenage girls of the ages 13-19, give or take a few years, since it is published on the Teen Vogue website. It really shows us how feminists want more and more women to be a part of their movement (obviously, that's a no-brainer) and they want to start recruiting at a younger age. At this age, people are really trying to get a feel for who they are and labels are really important to them. It helps them know what place in society they have and how they will be perceived. Going back to the picture, how strong is this to girls of this age? Very strong! It shows them that girls can be strong, too, even if our so-called misogynistic society tells them that they're weak. Looking at it objectively, I think it's a great way to ease people into a movement. Feminism is about women empowerment; starting off with a picture of a strong soldier who is female will encourage girls to want to be a part of something that allows women to have this strength. That's a good thing. At some point, feminism was doing good things. Take the picture below, for example:
I'm sure we're all well aware of this feminist icon: Rosie the Riveter. An icon for women during World War II when they had to replace men in factory jobs. Although not a feminist icon at the time it was released, you can definitely see why it became one over time. See, if feminism were still a lot more like this, I would definitely be one, but it's not. I see nothing like this in modern feminism (hey, feminists who dare read this article, how about showing me some examples?). With the picture of the woman soldier, we can see some of the same things and get the same feelings of empowerment that Rosie the Riveter gives us.
"Being a feminist is hard in a world that tries to make 'feminist' a dirty word." Right off the bat I have a problem with this. The world does not try to make feminist a dirty word. In fact, there are tons of famous people who milk off of being a feminist *cough* Hillary Clinton *cough* thinking that they'll gain the support of women. So how is that making feminist a dirty word? The only reason people think of it as a dirty word is because they do not like what goes along with being a feminist. To me if I hear someone say they support Trump, I am immediately going to think they are a white supremacist (or just plain ignorant) who doesn't seem to realize that Trump is definitely not going to make America great again. Do you see that? It's all about association. We don't see people whining about how the world thinks Trump supporters are bad people even if it's a generalization. No, we relish in that. We love to make Trump supporters look stupid by making articles on how the things he does/says are obviously bad, and no one cares. Yet, somehow, doing the same thing to feminists is wrong. When they make a big deal about what someone who isn't a feminist says about their movement, it's empowering. Us telling them that what they're doing is wrong is somehow the worst possible thing we could do. It's just funny to me how some things are good to be against and some things are bad to be against. Shouldn't we all have our own opinions on things? Isn't that true equality? Feminist is not a dirty word. It's associated with things people would rather not be a part of and that is why people don't want to identify as one. "Oh, you're not a feminist, so you don't support equality," someone would say. Not exactly. You don't have to be a feminist to want equality. I want equality (and this is only to a certain extent. I could really talk on and on about equality issues, but that's not what this is about), but I do not identify as a feminist. If I would have to put a label on what I am, I am a gender egalitarian. I could go deeper than that and just be a plain egalitarian. I'm not even just for equality between the sexes, I'm for the equality of all. I don't care about your race, gender, religion, etc. I care about who you are and rather than teaching people to join movements that only hype up some of these things, we need to teach people to see people for who they are and not for what they are.
"Being a feminist is hard in a world where people dub themselves a humanists even though humanism is and has been a thing for a while that has nothing to do with human rights and equality." When I first began to have my issue with feminism, I started looking for things that could help me out. What could I be to show feminists that their movement is not the only saving grace for equality? What other label was there? I saw a lot of people calling themselves humanists. I thought that was fine until I found out what a real humanist was. It's not the correct definition, sure, but it's okay. We have to look at it within the sentence. What is this person trying to say by humanist in the context of the conversation? Certainly, not the actual meaning (but it's not a bad thing to be a humanist either). When a feminist tries to downplay the word humanist by saying it has nothing to do with equality even though they totally understand why you would call yourself a humanist, they are doing nothing more than being petty. We have the right idea when we call ourselves humanist, but I guess it's not good enough for feminists. It's fine though, keep doing what you're doing and value human rights!
"Being a feminist is hard because there is still so much left to be done." Please state what needs to be done in the Western World and state what feminists here are doing in third-world countries, thank you.
"The feminist movement is not over, nor does it appear it will be for a long time." Except it definitely is over in my , and many others, eyes. As I've been saying earlier, there are people who believe in gender egalitarianism and there are people who believe in basic human rights for all. How is that not better than feminism? There are also men's rights activists (MRAs). First of all, if men were so privileged they wouldn't need to have men's rights activists (check out this female privilege checklist as written by a man, but if you're a feminist you probably think this is somehow biased) and second of all there would be no need for MRAs if feminists actually supported men's equality. They may say they do and sure they say it's okay for men to be feminine--which is good, everyone should be accepted--BUT when they say that masculinity is toxic, it just makes you think that a guy who wants to act like a guy is bad and that's totally not the case. If feminists want to be able to act however they want, the same right should go to men.
"Feminism [is needed by]...an entire world." Again, do we not see how the Western World is not affected by the feminist movement? The feminist movement has made its mark and helped us get to where we are today, but by prolonging it without doing the same kind of things it did before, members are only making it look worse. Third-world countries may need the push of feminism, because women really are treated differently there, but again, isn't this a human thing? Won't this affect humans as a whole? It will definitely benefit women, but it's affecting everyone. Any changes in this world whether they are of concern to gender or not impact all of us, so men's issues affect women and women's issues affect men. Point in case, all issues affect everyone even if it doesn't pertain to them and even if they don't realize it.
"Teens and young people, being naturally gifted with tech and media, have immense power in this global movement." Basically, as technology expands, feminism will expand technologically as well. I don't mean to sound harsh, but have you seen the stuff people post on Tumblr? Twitter? Facebook? That stuff is downright idiotic at times. Let me not get into that. I do want to bring to attention the fact that a lot of accounts on twitter are now being suspended if they go against feminists. These people have to delete certain tweets they made to end their suspension in order to satisfy the feminists. Take the story of Gregory Alan Elliot, for example. He was put on trial for three years (he was released on 1/22 yay!) for criticizing a feminist. If this isn't censorship at it's best I don't know what is. Feminists using technology to shut our mouths while yelling that they're the oppressed and non-privileged don't seem to realize that they are getting special privileges and are taking away the right for others to believe in whatever they want. Feminists can use technology as a good thing. I do believe if they can change their movement around and do something good with it like actually advocating something of importance by creating a website or YouTube videos (that are factual and unbiased), then they can really get the support they need.
Now the article starts with the first of it's tips for being a feminist: "Speak up/ Have uncomfortable conversations." At first glance, I'll predict that the article will say something about talking about feminist issues and female rights. Speaking up about anything you believe in is the way to go and it doesn't have to be just for feminists. Having uncomfortable conversations is also for anyone . Why does it have to be uncomfortable? If you feel strongly about your movement, no matter how controversial it may be, you need to stick by it and never find yourself second-guessing what you're about to say. If you did that, you'd have no movement at all.
On a side note that may or may not relate to this article, but does relate to the topic of uncomfort in feminism, perhaps the one thing I find uncomfortable about the feminist movement is anything that has to do with #FreeTheNipple or female masturbation (basically anything genital related). As a girl, I don't want to see your naked body. "But guys get to show off their upper-half!" So what? What makes you think that I want to see a fat guys upper body or a super-buff guys upper body in public? They look just like boobs. Boobs are covered up for a reason. What need is there to be topless? In fact, if you don't want saggy boobs, then you wouldn't go topless (ah, but we live in a plastic world, do we not? Saggy boobs are a problem of the past). Why is it okay for guys to go out in public without a shirt on? Well, that's debatable, but it definitely doesn't make me cringe. If I saw a girls boobs, I'd freak out. Also, if you don't want the "patriarchy" to "oppress" you, you'd definitely be against #FreeTheNipple. Males will definitely stare at any topless lady, which to you would be "objectification," right? With female masturbation, I think it's just uncomfortable, because of the visualization of such a thing. It's not that girls don't do it, it's that it's weird to talk about and it's more of a personal thing when it comes to girls. "Why does it have to be that way? Why can't we talk about it as openly as men?" Actually, I ask a lot of guys who I'm comfortable with if they masturbate and they actually seem to mind. They usually reply asking me why I would ask such a weird question, which I laugh it off, but it's probably not okay of me to do that. It's invasive even and I should stop. Girls, you can masturbate if you want to, it's up to you if you want to talk about it.
Actually, I've got a great story for you guys! I have a feminist friend, who really annoys me, and not because she's a feminist, she's just extremely annoying. Anyway, she started talking smack to some guy who was making fun of her previous haircut and said her hairy vagina looked like his haircut. Do I want to know that? Do I need to know that? Will it ever be of use to me in my life? There were a bunch of guys there, too. Do they need to know that? That's so gross. I do say the weirdest things to guys, but never about myself. I make very sexual jokes with everyone. I'm fun to hang around, but when it comes to vaginas, I just can't. I hate vaginas and I have one. Is that a good representation of where I stand with that? It's not that it makes me uncomfortable because it's taboo, it makes me uncomfortable because they gross me out. I'd say that, along with female masturbation, is the only taboo thing that makes me uncomfortable. I can talk about everything else, but when it comes to vaginas I get really grossed out. It bothers me. Like I can definitely make jokes about them, but normally talking about it grosses me out. I'm not going to openly talk about something my vagina does. Like, that's gross. If you think it's bad that people can't talk about that stuff normally, think again. Imagine a world where people talked about their sexual desires openly. Imagine all the weird shit people would say? Do you think everyone would be up to talking about that? No, of course not. Why is it a problem if someone/society does not want to talk about certain subjects? We should have the freedom to choose what we want to talk about. Haha, I definitely went off topic with this, but it's fine. You can use my thoughts to guide you with what the article says on the above tip. If I confused you just know my overall standpoint is, it's okay if you want to talk about things that are uncomfortable, but just know some people aren't going to like it; you have to be able to understand that.
"The power behind feminism...[isn't] powered by capitalist interests -- which is to say major corporations rarely (honestly) sell or promote feminism as a common business practice." Actually, you have to really think hard about this one. Are corporations going to gear their product or business or whatever it is they're trying to do to a movement they do not support? If the business is woman-based and geared towards women, then they will most likely try to get feminists on their side. If it isn't, then why should it be changed to be geared towards women? It doesn't have to be. Products meant for men will have commercials geared towards men, like the Carl's Jr. commercials (which feminists probably hate).
When I go inside a Carl's Jr. I see more men than women. It's usually all men and maybe one or two women when I walk in. That's ok. That's their audience. Their audience is men. If a product is meant for women however, such as make-up, then the commercial will be geared towards females. Is that offensive to men? Of course not. It's not a feminist issue and it's not something to worry about. People do what they need to do for their business, not what fits the standards you want. If something is in high demand for a certain group, then maybe the company will make a product just for them. Companies do what they think will help them, so it's not bad if they don't sell or promote feminism.
"Feminism doesn't start with petitions, writing, activism, protests, and rallies, it starts with people having conversations that shake up the status quo and challenge people to think outside the box in which society has imprisoned us." Society has not imprisoned us in some box, oh my gosh. If it weren't for innovators, we wouldn't have so many things in this world...oh, oops, I forgot the patriarchy created a lot of those things. SORRY!!!! I don't think feminism starts with conversations. I don't think any movement has to. It starts with a person or people and from them, ideas. Ideas are the start of everything, but with your ideas you must question everything. Are you really a feminist? Is this a feminist issue? How will this help everyone and how will it bring equality? Is this issue going to just create a bigger one or will it actually resolve something? Etc. Etc. If you don't have ideas or questions, then you can't have a solid conversation or petition or writing piece or anything else to begin with. You need a foundation to work with and then pieces to put on top of it. It's okay if pieces are missing, but that's what the questions are for. You need to be able to look for the answers/possibilities your question imposes. Most of all your foundation needs an empty space that doesn't break it down, because you must always be open-minded. That's how it works, so don't look at this world as a box that we are trapped in, look at it as something you can keep building upon, something you can play with. Free your mind of what a feminist should or should not be and be your own feminist before labeling yourself as such-and-such type of feminist. Just think about things before you label yourself. You really have to dive deep down into your brain and ask yourself where you stand on certain things. You'll really be able to see if feminism is right for you.
"Gender norms...are nothing more than standards created by people who wish to control behavior." Look, I see where this is going I really do, but when science is able to disprove it, what can you do? I think people are born with certain mannerisms and maybe some things are taught to us by society, but that doesn't mean you can't break away from it. We have to think about it. Why would the difference between genders be a form of behavior control? What about transgender people? A man who feels like a woman or vice versa will have the mindset of their preferred gender, right? That would already show us that there is a difference between males and females right there. Why would there be a female mindset and a male mindset if there weren't differences in brain structure and behavior in both genders? Is it some sort of government plot to control behavior? I mean I'm all for conspiracies, but this I do not believe. As humans, I'm sure we have the will to break away from things if we want. We act the way we want and we're interested in whatever we want. Just because a guy is interested in something that girls are mostly into, doesn't mean he is any less of a guy and the same goes for a girl. We all have the ability to choose what we want to do and what we like without it being some sort of controlled behavior. Society does have an effect on what people will openly do, but it also shouldn't affect us so much nowadays. Back then, I'm sure it did, but just a few weeks ago I saw a dude fully donned in women's apparel without a care in the world and I've seen a guy who does his make-up better than many girls can. No one says anything. You know why? Because it's 2015. Maybe it has to do with area or the environment you grew up in or whether or not you know someone who is discriminated constantly, etc. I'm sure there are many factors that impact your view on gender norms, but as far as I know of, I have only met one person who discriminates openly these broken expectations for a certain gender. It's just a really shitty thing with society. Society tells us to be ourselves, but when we do just that it shuns us. It's strange, but that's how society seems to work and so if you really wanted to be yourself, you wouldn't take society into account. You should understand society, but also understand yourself and the things that can happen if you are yourself openly. It's all about understanding and accepting yourself.
"Without feminism, we might all continue to blindly accept gender norms as natural -- that, among many falsities, women belong in the home and men belong in the workforce." If that's how people want to function, then that's how they want to function. It doesn't have to be that way nor does it matter if it is that way. If a family wants it to be the opposite way, let it be. If both want to work, let it be. If both want to stay at home, let it be. Let people work out their own situations. This has nothing to do with feminism. This is an issue with how society is generally structured. If we go back to the agricultural revolution, women were working at home and on the fields, while men were out hunting. Both did their share of work. That's how society was shaped for them. As the child of a single mother, I can easily tell you that the above is a stupid perception made by people who want to argue that the patriarchy is in charge. My mom had to work without a man to help her, so what now? What do you make of that? Is it still the patriarchy's fault? The fact that my mom could so easily balance both taking care of a child and going to work is amazing. So, no, I don't think that's a gender issue that needs the help of feminism, I think it's a social structure and one that doesn't even need to be followed nowadays, BUT if you want it so dearly changed, then don't pay attention to it. Let people choose the way they want to live. People have to make decisions for their family. Don't say being a housewife is bad and don't say being a stay-at-home dad is bad. Don't say a woman working is empowering and don't say a man working is the patriarchy. Don't say anything. People do what's best for them and it shouldn't affect you unless you are being denied a job for some sort of discrimination or if you are being told you should "Just be a housewife, because...." BUT DO NOT MAKE IT A GENDER ISSUE WHEN IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE ONE!!!! It's a gender issue when people say only mom's can be the one's who stay at home. Only dad's can have jobs to support their family. That's when it's a problem. At some point, that's how life was structured, but obviously society has grown and been shaped. It will continue to be shaped and if we already have a problem with how it's shaped now, the same thing will keep happening. It will be a continuous cycle of having a problem with how society is structured. If you don't want to follow society's structure, you have the right to do that. Don't blame it on society for setting gender roles, because you are capable of making your own choices.
"Challenging folks can be incredibly intimidating, particularly when the person you're talking to is a friend, romantic partner, family member, or figure of authority. In speaking up we open ourselves to criticism and backlash from those who benefit from the many systems that feminism fights." I agree with this, because it can be applied to everyone. Of course, the backlash and criticism you're getting isn't just from people who benefit from the systems. Some things that feminists want to change would obviously benefit me as a woman, but that doesn't mean I should support it if I don't feel like it is fair to everyone. That's all I have to say about that. Criticism isn't always bad and is even beneficial to showing the opposite opinion of what your movement believes in or it can even show you how things are already fine and don't need change. You have to stand behind what you believe, of course, so when it comes to criticism and backlash, you've got to stand strong. Don't whine about the criticism and backlash. Be firm about your cause and don't set yourself up to look stupid. It's also crucial to admit when someone else has made a better point than you. It helps to reassess and establish the foundation of your movement.
"In the video game industry, for example, men are dominant in both representation and control of products, despite the fact that women and girls are making up more and more of gaming consumers." To this I reply with a video of someone who is MUCH more educated than me: Lauren Southern.
"Those who oppress either don't care or don't know about the realities of whom they oppress." Let's start off by addressing the oppressors who don't care. They probably don't care because they've been raised that way. Can we really blame people for getting settled into what they know? If you've been molded into this oppressor, then over time it will be harder to mold yourself into someone who doesn't oppress. Also, you may not really care that your oppressing someone, because that's just who you are. Can we blame someone for who they are? They might not even view it as them being misogynistic or racist or anything like that. They might just want control over others. We don't really know. Anyhow, treating others differently, because of their gender, race, etc. is wrong and rather than getting mad at these oppressors, we need to ignore them. I don't mean ignore as in submit to their oppression, I mean ignore as in don't listen to them and act as if they aren't there. Silent treatment. The most classic way to ignore someone. The most classic way to eat away at someone's subconscious.If we ignore them, they see they have no power over whoever it is they're oppressing. Another way to ignore these oppressors is to make them see their faults. By doing so, they may have a moment of self-realization that can change their world completely. I also think that just getting the time to understand the so-called oppressor is a great way of learning why they are oppressing you as well as learning what you can do to change their mind. It's good to have conversation even if the other person may be stubborn or highly argumentative. It's nice to bounce off of others ideas. Moving on to those who don't realize they are oppressors. Well, why do you get mad at them?! People who don't realize they are doing something wrong shouldn't be getting yelled at for what they do. They literally don't realize that they're doing it and I'm sure that's more often than not a lot of people. You can try to teach them about what they're doing, but in the end, I will never stick by a feminist on this issue. Oppression is an action that you associate with people who are privileged and if, for example, anything a male does that you don't agree with is oppression, then maybe you should try to understand why exactly you are feeling this way.Just because someone seems to be "oppressing" you does not mean they actually are and it could also mean you're reading into things a little too much.
Basically, what I've taken out of tip #1 is that if you are going to speak up and talk about uncomfortable situations, dear feminists, then you need to ask yourself questions about them first and understand how others and the world feel towards the subject. Make good points that support your view on the topic, but always be ready for people like me to argue/debunk them.
The second tip the article gives us is to "read, read, read" and I think that's a great tip for anyone for any movement at any time. In the context of feminism here, I imagine they're going to address non-issue issues just like the first tip above.
"It's so important for you talk about the important issues in the feminist movement, like #BlackLivesMatter, fighting transphobia, and equal pay." *groans* Well, ok, let's mix one important topic, with two annoying and stupid topics. Can you guess which one is the golden one? I'm sure you can! Usually when it comes to me, people think I'm anti-everything and in a way I am, but I am honestly the type of person who makes their judgments based on what they know, have seen, and learned over the course of time. (lol does anyone else notice the major grammatical typo <---I'm one to talk, there's probably a bunch in my article, haha.)
Addressing the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It honestly annoys the hell out of me. I'm half-black, but I guess if you talked to me you'd think I was fairly discriminatory towards my own race. I've never been accepted into that race, so you can imagine how I feel. The black side of my family treats me like a joke, random black girls stare at me up and down as if I'm different (which I am, but honestly, it's still not right of them to do), and black people in school definitely think of me as different. Even in middle school, there was a circumstance where someone asked me how I could be best friends with my best friend just because she's white. Is that not wrong? Back to what I said about being discriminatory towards my own race. It's not to everyone. It's just to people who portray themselves the wrong way and are a part of that race. Once your race displays certain aspects, even if that's not all of them, people are generally not going to like you. It's exactly like the feminist movement in some ways. Black people say they are oppressed by "the white man." My dad (he's my black parent) has even gone as far as to tell me that he does not want me to ever date/marry a white guy and that he will never accept that guy. My brother who learns his anti-white racism from my dad, obviously, is always making fun of me for liking white guys. Why does it matter who I like? It's my preference and it shouldn't matter! "Yeah, but Lovely, what does any of this have to do with black lives matter?" It has everything to do with it! Black people say that white people don't care about them and are racist towards them, but then they think it's totally fine for them to be racist to white people and not care about them. That is never right! Sure, black lives do matter, but don't all lives matter? Apparently, not, because saying that is racist! As I started getting more and more into these social issues, I looked to YouTube to see what people were saying. I watched a video about Info Wars and that took me to Paul Joseph Watson (probably my favorite person fighting the war against political correctness in this world). Unfortunately, I'm trying to search on Blogger for his videos, but they won't show up, so I'll link them for you. He has some great videos on race issues concerning the black lives matter movement as well as just black people in general and their racism. So if you have the time, check those videos out! Another aspect of the #BlackLivesMatter movement that I do not like is that it results in riots! It's like they're using their race plus the movement they've formed as an excuse to steal, destroy, etc. That will not only make your movement look worse, but it will make black people look worse as a result. It's a great thing to support your race, beliefs, etc, but when you're doing it a way that isn't civilized you will never be taken seriously.
Now we're on the topic of transphobia! I'm totally fine with speaking out on this one. It is an important issue. My only problem with this is that they're not being understanding to the people who don't really get it. Have you guys heard about the fine in New York City? If you misgender anyone who is trans, you will get a fine of $250,000!!! One, that's outrageous, and two, how can you expect anyone to know? People just call you based on what they see and if they call you "she" when you want to be called "he" (or one of those weird xhe/xir made up prononuns), but if you never specified why should you expect people to know? In fact, why should you care?! People aren't used to it and they have to get used to it. It may take people a while to remember that you wanted to be called a specific pronoun rather than the one you are generally called. When I watched the show about Caitlyn Jenner on the E! Network, it was very informative (I really don't want to get into that, though, because I could say many things that people would not agree with on the topic of Caitlyn Jenner). Sometimes my uncle (the most discriminatory person I have ever met!) would watch and would ask my mother and I in a joking way, "Are you seriously going to call him a she?". I'd call her Caitlyn, because I mean I was watching that show. When I see anything with Bruce Jenner in it, I don't call him Caitlyn, I call him Bruce. I even from time to time call Caitlyn he or she. I fluctuate with it. If I personally knew her and she demanded I call her by woman pronouns then I would try my best to get used to it and do so. If I knew Caitlyn personally, but she wasn't famous and I was very used to her as a guy, is it really wrong of me to call her by guy pronouns? Not at all. I see no problem in it, because society is demanding a lot out of us so that we can be accepting of everyone and I get that, but that doesn't mean you can expect so much out of so little time. We need to get used to it and rewire our brain to say, "Oh, that person asked me to call them by this pronoun. Let me not forget." It's easy to forget that kind of thing. When there are people out in this world who can't remember names (in a work/school environment is what I'm referring to) even after knowing a person for a while, then how can we expect people to just automatically get pronouns? We can try our best to understand it, but we can't expect a sudden change. We need to ease ourselves into it! Lol, I totally went off the topic of transphobia. Well, I think it has a lot to do with the fact, that people aren't used to it and they also don't want to think that the person they are with maybe used to be a guy/girl. There is nothing wrong with not liking someone (romantically) who is transgender either. I want everyone to know that. It is not discrimination! Some people are not comfortable with that and it's ok. Some people have religious beliefs and that's ok. We need to understand that what you may think is discrimination could just be a firm belief to another.
On the topic of equal pay, here is a video of the lovely, Christina Hoff Sommers:
This is also a pretty good video. It touches on the wage gap as well as other feminist beliefs.
"It's equally important that you know what you're talking about." True. This is one of the truest things the article has said. You really do need to know what you're talking about. This is also another thing that the radical feminists on twitter don't seem to take into account and as more girls want to become feminists, if they don't do their research and take everything on twitter to be true (and trust me, I know many girls at school who don't believe anything until they see it on twitter. That is what this generation has come to). If new feminists begin to do their research by using social media or biased websites, then they won't be getting the correct information, but instead, an agenda that was meant to be pushed on those who are impressionable.
"The great thing about feminism is that personal experience counts for a lot." I hope if that's the case, then the personal experience of MRAs, antifems, and egalitarians counts for a lot, too! Experience is important, but again, don't use all your experiences to cry out "oppression" or "victimization" or to blame it on the "patriarchy."
"Feminism is bigger than us as individuals and includes people from different walks of life who all need to be considered, recognized, and respected." Yet, radical feminists or feminists who have no logic don't seem to realize that the people who are not a part of their movement are also coming from different walks of life. The main point is, we need to consider, recognize, and respect everyone. It doesn't matter whether you're a feminist, against feminism, or you really just don't care. We all deserve the right to have our own beliefs. You can attempt to change someone's beliefs, but never tell someone that they're opinion amounts to nothing or that they are a horrible person for believing in that. You may think they are, but try to understand the person and say that you want to agree to disagree. It's honestly as simple as that.
"Unless you're someone who just gets everything in the world, chances are there are realities that you don't understand. And unless you live in the most diverse place in the world, you'll probably need to do some digging and reading to understand the folks who are different from you." This is actually great advice. Reading and understanding others who are different from you is the key to being able to see from various points of view. You will never really be able to live a life like everyone's, but it's good to read about others experiences. I just see how people try to apply this to privilege and oppression though and it sort of makes me sick. We really shouldn't be telling people they are oppressed, but I understand that people are treated differently based on what they are. I am sure that I get treated differently, but it doesn't bother me, because I don't look at myself as someone who is at a disadvantage. We like to look at the under-privileged and oppressed point of view on life, but do we ever consider the privileged and "not oppressed" point of view? The stereotypical embodiment of privilege is the straight white cis male, but does that mean that they aren't oppressed? Absolutely not! The more people look at them as bad, the more discriminated against they will be and that isn't right, so when we try to get to know and understand everyone through reading let's try NOT to apply privilege and oppression or any of those other key terms feminists like to use. Let's try to think objectively!
"Learning their realities not only makes you a better human being, but also a better feminist." It really should just stick to being a better human, but I can see how it applies to feminism. You understand how one group of women is different from another. I personally believe in just understanding a person, not applying them to a group. You can do that, but you still have to look beneath the surface. You don't have to be viewed as oppressed or less than someone else. The only reason you are is because you believe you are. This movement is about empowerment, right? Empower yourself to look past what society has told you and tell yourself you are better than that!
"Read the fiction of women [and]...subscribe to feminist specific websites." This is when it becomes a problem. It's good to do this, but please don't eliminate any other work from your life. This anecdote has nothing to do with feminists, but it has the same concept. My mom works with a lot of black women and she told me that many of her co-workers only listen to black musicians, only read books by black authors, only watch movies with black actors/black culture, etc. You can't do that! You have to realize that this world has so many diverse cultures and it's not good to just stick to yours. Same for feminism. You can't just read the work of women and stick to feminist websites, movies, etc. That's like closing the doors to other options!
"Rarely will formal school settings give you any proper feminist education, unless you specifically seek out courses in that area." Maybe there's a reason for that...AND DON'T SAY THE PATRIARCHY!!!! Well, my reasoning for this is that school doesn't want to push that kind of thing onto students. Why would they be biased? Because it is biased honestly. You can't have a class geared towards girls when there are boys in the school, too. Sure, you'll say it's an equality movement, but when men are to blame for many of the things taught in the feminist agenda, why would you want to push that upon males? Plus, feminism is just a movement. Are we also going to push for an animal rights class? Probably not. If feminism is really this important, set up a club! We have a tolerance club at my school and they reach on many issues not just woman-based issues although that does compose of many of the issues.
Based on this tip, I really don't see much to gain from it that you can't gain as a normal human being with or without feminism. Reading is a great way to understand, but we need to form our views, see other views on the same topic, and try not to form much of a bias. I obviously have the bias that I do not like feminists/feminism, but that doesn't mean I can't agree with one from time to time and vice-versa for people who don't agree with anti-feminists/anti-feminism. Although our opposing view points rarely see eye to eye, it doesn't mean we can't try to understand each other and even admit when we have made a good point.
The next tip presented to us is "Try not to glamorize celebrity feminism." Now, I think this is what they would classify as "white feminism." This basically means that celebrities/people, usually white hence the name, are using feminists for problems that only impact them and not everybody. This type of feminism is highly criticized by intersectional feminists who claim to be the exact same opposite (inclusive/facing problems on a broader scale). I'm guessing that from this tip they're going to talk about not looking up to the feminism of celebrities (again, I'm pretty sure they're going to mention the key term of white feminism) because it's not a good representation of feminism. Personally, white feminism can be radical, but as much as I've taken from it, if celebrities use it to milk profit from it, BUT it presents a general overlook of what feminism is. Basically, feminism at its simplest in most cases. I also think they added this point, because again, this is geared towards teens. Most of us are into popular culture and celebrities are at our highest priority, we look up to them, we watch their shows/movies, we listen to their music, and we copy their style. In many ways, we try to embody them, so their influence can change who we are drastically.
"There are some powerful celebrity feminists out there. Beyonce. Nicki Minaj. Taylor Swift. Lena Dunham. Emma Watson." Ok first off, I really don't think Lena Dunham, who sexually abused her little sister, should be considered a feminist, but hey, SHE IS and somehow people like her. Taylor Swift actually says some powerful stuff about women.
Sorry, but the first 30 seconds of this are amazing! What she said was a really good, respectful response. It's not even because I love Taylor Swift, I just think she had a really good response and that's actually something a feminist should say. If you want to be in any movement, don't get mad about what you're saying, say it in a respectful manner. I know she says some dumb stuff, but that's anybody honestly. As for everyone else I could really care less about (and I like Emma Watson, too, but not on the basis of feminism. Just you know, as an actress).
"These celebs...share important truths and bring attention to a movement that is often demonized and distorted by a male-dominated society." Lol, our society sure is male-dominated!
"We have to keep our fandom in check and remember that feminism requires more than an opinion, and more than emotions." Lol, so this whole tip is just to realize that you shouldn't fangirl (oh, oops that isn't gender neutral, sorry!) over celeb's opinions because you like them? That your bias towards a celeb doesn't mean you should listen to what they say? Well, okay, let's think about this logically. That should be for everyone and instead of giving this as a tip why not make the tip "look at things objectively" instead? That would be more useful.
"Our feminist values should be formed from experience, knowledge, and understanding, not because someone we like said them." Ok good, this is true. Don't worry though. Celebs can help ease you into a movement if they want. Heck, all of their values can be yours, too. Just know when it becomes too much and try to ask yourself if you actually believe in what the people you idolize are saying.
Tip #3 is basically just trying to teach young women who look up to celebrities that they need to form their own opinion making it the best tip on here, but also the stupidest because they really needn't bring up the whole celebrity feminism thing in the conversation. It should just be about using what you know to formulate an opinion on something a celebrity feminist says or believes.
"Live, breathe, eat, and sleep intersectionally" is the fourth and last tip. This will address intersectional feminism and it's foundation most likely.
"Intersectional feminism understands that feminism means including everyone in the community." Everyone? So am I included or has my membership been revoked?
"Historically, feminism has served one community in particular: white women." I hope they aren't the enemy in this case! Is this why "white feminism" is frowned upon? Gosh, it's almost like we forget what the 1st wave white feminists did though. I mean, it didn't just make a basis for the rest of us to gain this freedom through a movement when it was still meaningful!
"It wouldn't be until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s that black women would be uninterrupted in voting." Ok, but see, that's called motivation. That's called standing up for something you believe is right and trying to make changes to what is unfair. They're two separate movements, but they got the job done, so we shouldn't be complaining about what you think is a mistake if it happened a century ago. Honestly, if people were still racist, then why would the white women care much for those of color? It still shows progression though. Women finally get the right to vote and then minorities. It all shows how society has changed over time. It's history and it's absolutely fascinating.
"The mainstream feminist movement did not mobilize for women of color when their rights were taken back. This is white feminism...which...refers to a brand of feminism that views the world through a white lens." We all know we'd rather have La Vie En Rose and view the world through rose-tinted lens, but whatever. There's nothing necessarily wrong with what they're calling white feminism, because as I said earlier, it's just really a more general feminism. At least it isn't as hardcore as intersectional feminism. Being intersectional is a total problem if you do it the wrong way! Being inclusive is great, but also being overly sensitive of everything because you want to make sure everyone is comfortable (which is impossible) is going to cause problems. To be honest, white feminism consists of problems that affect all women no matter what race they are, the reason intersectional feminism is a thing is because there are different problems that minority women face that white women may not. Still, I don't see how basic equality can't fix that. There's no need for feminism in that case. It's like breaking the whole gender thing into a race and gender thing, no, even farther a race, gender, and sexuality thing. But wait, we can go even farther a race, gender, sexuality, and religion thing. Oh my goodness, there's more, a race gender, sexuality, religion, and status thing. Hey, did you know we could also add...? The list is never ending and you can see that there's a million layers. Do you really think that's logical? Do you really think that fixes anything? It just creates more division.
"White feminism would not prioritize, nor would it accept #BlackLivesMatter as an issue of feminism, despite the fact that it is." Except it totally isn't, but hey, that's what people do nowadays. They take any situation, turn it around, and make it about something it isn't. I already told you my stance on #BlackLivesMatter but I don't see how a race issue (a shitty one at that) has anything to do with feminism or genders. What because it affects black women (and men)? Wouldn't that make any case a feminist issue, which tbh, everything somehow is a feminist issue now. I mean like my english teacher last year told me, "You can manipulate any situation to benefit you" and that's practically what feminists who make non-feminist issues into feminist issues are doing.
"Being a better feminist does not mean being perfect. It means trying. It means having an open heart and an open mind. It means joining the fight for equality in whatever way you can. If we all challenge ourselves to make 2016 a better year for feminism, who knows how many lives we can change or even save?" Well, with their rhetoric and the impressionable teens who listen, they're sure to get some new feminist supporters! All of these tips at the end can apply to anybody and any movement (especially egalitarians, so if you'd like, research it!). 2016 can be a better year for feminism if you try to actually make sense. Everything that's already messed up your movement is what's making your movement suck. Until you can show that you're movement is worthwhile is when people will start listening to you and identifying themselves with your movement. Just know there are people who are doing the exact same thing as you who don't go under the title "feminist."
What I got from the last tip (thank goodness, I'm so done with this article) is that you have to be an intersectional feminist to be a good feminist and I don't think that's necessarily true. Be your own feminist, don't be the cringe-worthy intersectional feminist who has some weird ideology that says white feminism is wrong. Where's the intersectionality in that? Feminism itself is basically one huge contradiction and intersectional feminism is one of the worst contradictions they have. So think before you label yourself as one.
Thanks to everyone who read this extensive article. I have such little time to ever do articles anymore. It's killing me!!!! I hope you enjoyed and maybe I changed your mind a little. Sorry about any errors in here, feel free to point them out and feel free to post your opinions! If you're a feminist, maybe you'll take my advice and change the way you look at your movement, change your own ideology, and perhaps I even convinced you to become an egalitarian!
Well, let's hope 2016 is great and doesn't result in more bullshit from the feminist movement or else I'll have no choice but to comment on it. See you next time! Stay lovely!
