http://www.salon.com/2013/04/06/im_not_a_feminist_but/
http://www.thefrisky.com/2013-10-31/kelly-clarkson-im-not-a-feminist/
We have touched on this in class, but I found the 1) apparent prevalence of this sentiment and 2) range of defenses on this topic shocking. Working within the feminist WGS community I forget that people outside our bubble aren't engaging with the same ideas and discussions and feel this repulsion to the term. I was particularly surprised when I learned of Kelly Clarkson's take on the term....
Viscerally I kind of hate this trend. Feminism is something that represents many of the things that I stand for, and so I wince when someone interprets it as negative or alienating. That said, (as I know Ebony has posted on here before), there are totally legit reasons to reject it. For example, Beyonce has said (on why she doesn't totally embrace the term "feminist): "Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman, and I love being a woman.” While I love this, I myself am not willing to drop the term.
What are your thoughts on this?
Hannah I completely sympathize with you. For me it is very hard being in a world were there are a lot of women who won't claim their feminism. I believe that until the word is reclaimed, women are still going to fall into the trap of shying away from the term. By shying away women are inevitably allow patriarchy to control them. P.s. I disliked Lady Gaga's reason, for not being a feminist, the most. In my opinion, she praised patriarchy, and many of the facets patriarchy lives on. In doing so, she falls into a submissive trap.
ReplyDelete