Feminism and its various portrayals

 

I really liked reading Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay because I could relate to much of how she felt as a woman who didn’t always involve herself in or claim to be a proud member of the Feminist movement. I have always been somewhat of a feminist in that I support most of what the moment stands for; I want equal rights for women no matter age, sexuality, color, etc. and have always been passionate enough about these rights to voice my opinions. Even if someone asked me point blank if I was a feminist, I would say yes, but after a little hesitation. I think the hesitation comes from the general public opinion of the movement. Gay talks about the standards of the movement as well as the media portrayal of it, which in some lights is very negative. I thought her depiction of feminism’s standards was extremely valid: “for whatever reason, we hold feminism to an unreasonable standard where the movement must be everything we want and must always make the best choices.” When the movement doesn’t meet these standards, people are so quick to abandon it and even be embarrassed of it. Gay addresses this point and goes on to say that “we should disavow the failures of feminism without disavowing its many successes and how far we have come.” I think this point should be more popularized and with acceptance of the movement’s failures, more women and men would be proud to be feminists.

My favorite Hannah Bonner video was “The Problem That Has No Name.” This mini movie showcased important scenes of women in positions of lesser power than men. The first scene shows a man sleeping in late and being taken care of by his wife, who he regards with condescension. Other scenes show women doing chores or standing in the background while men work. Throughout the film the viewer can really feel how powerless the women are and how hard they are trying to please the people around them. Overall, the woman’s responsibility to make men feel happy is burdensome and tiring.

Upon first viewing “Untied Shoes” I was confused that the shopping sections would be so clearly separated as men and women. However, I realized that no matter which option you click on the same secondary menu appears. It seems Evie Ruddy was trying to make a statement that coincides with her overall objective of the site. She could never find shoes as kid, regardless of what gender they were. Thus, she is saying that either menu works regardless of what gender you initially pick or identify with.

In conclusion, I thought all these pieces were successful in expressing feminism in a different way. I liked how Roxane Gay spoke about it plainly and tried to correct her past misgivings against the movement. I also like the more abstract portrayal of equality between men and women shown in Bonner’s videos and Ruddy’s website.