Some thoughts of an on-and-off feminist
As I've noted before, I'm sort of on-again, off-again as far as feminism goes. Some days, I'm pretty enthusiastic about it; other times I don't think about it too much. Yes, I'm a typical Gen-Xer who was a wee tyke during the second wave of feminism. And no, my mom never took me to any ERA rallies. OTOH, my parents did take me to a Vietnam war demo when I was an infant. My mom says there's probably a photo of me as a baby in an FBI file. But I digress.
Despite drifting in and out of feminism, I've always supported the concept behind it, even when you got the occasional nutcase. Katha Pollitt and Barbara Ehrenreich are, in my opinion, two of the smartest, most insightful writers today, and they don't just write about feminism, either. Also, I find anti-feminists, by and large, to be a noxious bunch. The men are often all-around woman-haters who think feminism made their lives miserable when, in fact, it was their own bad attitudes. Anti-feminist women, meanwhile, clearly have issues. Why don't they stay home and channel their inner June Cleavers if they think feminism is such an awful idea?
I firmly believe that, with the decline of movement conservatism, liberalism will re-emerge as a vital part of political discourse. I hope that this will be followed by another wave of feminism (a Fourth Wave, perhaps?) that will focus on women's issues inside and outside America. The Feminist Majority Foundation and similar organizations were among the first to bring attention to the issue of Afghan women--a fact that the right wing, in its "librulz luv Muslims & hate USA!1!1" hysteria conveniently overlooks.
At the same time, I think feminists need to be smarter and more savvy when addressing portrayals of women in the mass media. The whole "war on porn" was a waste of time that backfired badly. I edit erotica for a living, so I'll admit to some bias. Note that a. this is erotica written by and for women, b. it sells like crazy. Women LOVE erotica. The books practically fly off the shelves.
Still, I hate the endless parade of professional celebrities with more publicity than talent. I think the Pussycat Dolls have no business being in a recording studio. I don't care HOW hard the producers worked to Pro-Tool their voices. The same is true of Fergie, Jessica and Ashley Simpson, and Britney Spears. Speaking of Britney, you ever wonder how she was signed? Allow her A&R guy at Jive to explain:
Well, in a way, Britney was lucky. She may have been marketed to dirty old men, but at least she was never photographed as a murder victim for a reality show so that the judges could fawn over how ravishing she looked. Echidne has more. Man, this makes me appreciate "The Price Is Right" and all those other old game shows, where contestants didn't have to simulate drowning or strangulation to win neat prizes. What's next, snuff films?
On the other hand, you have Lindsay Beyerstein who's troubled a NY Times cover story about female soldiers from PTSD. Specifically, she's got a problem with the accompanying photographs, which look too cheesecake to her and appear to be out of place given the subject matter.
Beyerstein may have a point, but this is a case where the representation of these women is not the issue. And I don't see the cheesecake. This photograph shows an unhappy-looking young woman suffering from psychological trauma. Her pain is all too apparent on her face. There's also an interview with another woman who was raped by her fellow soldiers. Shouldn't this be the real focus of outrage? Instead of analyzing a handful of photographs, shouldn't we be asking more important questions?
Despite drifting in and out of feminism, I've always supported the concept behind it, even when you got the occasional nutcase. Katha Pollitt and Barbara Ehrenreich are, in my opinion, two of the smartest, most insightful writers today, and they don't just write about feminism, either. Also, I find anti-feminists, by and large, to be a noxious bunch. The men are often all-around woman-haters who think feminism made their lives miserable when, in fact, it was their own bad attitudes. Anti-feminist women, meanwhile, clearly have issues. Why don't they stay home and channel their inner June Cleavers if they think feminism is such an awful idea?
I firmly believe that, with the decline of movement conservatism, liberalism will re-emerge as a vital part of political discourse. I hope that this will be followed by another wave of feminism (a Fourth Wave, perhaps?) that will focus on women's issues inside and outside America. The Feminist Majority Foundation and similar organizations were among the first to bring attention to the issue of Afghan women--a fact that the right wing, in its "librulz luv Muslims & hate USA!1!1" hysteria conveniently overlooks.
At the same time, I think feminists need to be smarter and more savvy when addressing portrayals of women in the mass media. The whole "war on porn" was a waste of time that backfired badly. I edit erotica for a living, so I'll admit to some bias. Note that a. this is erotica written by and for women, b. it sells like crazy. Women LOVE erotica. The books practically fly off the shelves.
Still, I hate the endless parade of professional celebrities with more publicity than talent. I think the Pussycat Dolls have no business being in a recording studio. I don't care HOW hard the producers worked to Pro-Tool their voices. The same is true of Fergie, Jessica and Ashley Simpson, and Britney Spears. Speaking of Britney, you ever wonder how she was signed? Allow her A&R guy at Jive to explain:
Sony Music’s Michael Caplan admitted he’d passed on Britney Spears while he was at Epic. “She came in and warbled, ‘I Will Always Love You.’ She had a bad complexion, small boobs, I couldn’t wait for her to get out of my office."
However, Jive’s Jeff Fenster viewed a young Britney quite differently. Her package contained a one-song demo on cassette and professional photos, including a wholesome shot of her in a cropped top, sitting on a picnic blanket with a puppy. “She was the all-American girl you just wanted to defile and do bad things to,” he said.
Well, in a way, Britney was lucky. She may have been marketed to dirty old men, but at least she was never photographed as a murder victim for a reality show so that the judges could fawn over how ravishing she looked. Echidne has more. Man, this makes me appreciate "The Price Is Right" and all those other old game shows, where contestants didn't have to simulate drowning or strangulation to win neat prizes. What's next, snuff films?
On the other hand, you have Lindsay Beyerstein who's troubled a NY Times cover story about female soldiers from PTSD. Specifically, she's got a problem with the accompanying photographs, which look too cheesecake to her and appear to be out of place given the subject matter.
Why would you get a woman in jeans and a t-shirt to pose like a swimsuit model on a beach in order to illustrate a story about how she got PTSD in Iraq and went AWOL? I'm not saying it's a bad photograph. Actually, I think it's very good technically and aesthetically. It just doesn't make any sense.
Beyerstein may have a point, but this is a case where the representation of these women is not the issue. And I don't see the cheesecake. This photograph shows an unhappy-looking young woman suffering from psychological trauma. Her pain is all too apparent on her face. There's also an interview with another woman who was raped by her fellow soldiers. Shouldn't this be the real focus of outrage? Instead of analyzing a handful of photographs, shouldn't we be asking more important questions?
Comments