Over the past few years, feminism has become as trendy as mirror sunglasses and as misunderstood as I was at the age of 16 (when I listened to Dashboard Confessional and painted my nails black – but that’s a completely different story). Although it is one of the most ambiguous and misinterpreted concepts of our generation, feminism is, simply put, a plea for equality (political, economic, social, sexual, you name it) between the sexes.
To me, the word “feminist” has become so overused that it’s not actually “feminist” to be a “feminist” anymore. It’s become less of a word and more of a frame into which people can thrust their faces and their meanings. It’s a politically, economically and socially charged buzzword, and it has been thrown around so much in the media as of late I believe the poor word probably wants a break from the washing machine of opinions and scathing speeches so it can just take a well-deserved nap.
People have become enthralled with the idea of having something meaningful to say. It’s in our nature; as a species, humans are desperate to leave something more than a carbon footprint after death. We’re terrified of passing away without making a valuable contribution to history, science, art, etc. However, this desire to make a mark on the earth has become distorted into a selfish cry for attention in the modern world. Because of the availability of the Internet and iPhones, people no longer need an editor or an interview to share their opinions with the world; all people need is a keyboard and some Wi-Fi to make a statement. Today, people find catharsis in Facebook rants, in cowardly Twitter messages to political figures and celebrities, in sending cruel, anonymous messages on gossip apps like YikYak. This quickness to formulate and post an opinion infiltrates the definition of feminism pretty quickly. Because feminism is so prevalent in the media, people feel obligated to form an opinion on it, and because people are people, they often neglect to get their facts straight.
There’s an article called “Meet the Badass Female Pilot Who’s Dropping Bombs on Isis” that’s lately circulated websites such as “Total Sorority Move,” “Business Insider” and “Wounded American Warrior.” The title of this article sums up everything I think is wrong with our culture’s perception of feminism. Would this woman still be equally impressive if she weren’t female? The title suggests not. This is called reverse sexism. The article draws attention to the gender of the person rather than to the nobility of their actions. I’m reading a book of poetry by Gwendolyn Brooks, the cover of which deems her “the greatest black poet after the Harlem Renaissance.” Applauding Brooks’ work just because she is African-American completely discredits her credentials and high education. This isn’t a racist comment, but it does draw attention to Brooks’ race rather than the quality of her work.
The problem lies not within disrespecting women; rather it lies within disrespecting people. If we draw from one aspect of a person’s being to create his or her identity, then we neglect all other laudable attributes. If we could all just pat one another on the back for doing good deeds and making awesome things happen regardless of gender/race/religion, I believe the misconceptions surrounding feminism would gradually disappear, and the tired, abused word would finally get to catch up on some rest.
