“Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.”
- Margaret Mead
What do I talk about next? Do I talk about double-standards? Do I talk about why we need to consider ourselves feminists? Why you need to be a little bit angry, a little bit sarcastic, and have a big sense of humor to be a feminist (among many other things)? Why Todd Akin's statement on "legitimate rape" and "acting ladylike" is so wrong and so detrimental to equality? Why shaving is okay and not okay
Are there any topics you would like to talk about or are concerned about that you believe other women/feminists should be concerned about? Do you want to do more than just read about it over the internet? Because that seems a bit passive agressive to me. I mean, yeah, I'm causing those who read this to think about feminism and equality. Causing people to think can be a pretty powerful thing, but I also want to cause those who read this to act. Have in-person discussions with one another, but that's like going to an Anime convention and discussing why everyone around you should like Anime. It's not like these discussions with like-minded people are bad, they can cause new ideas or new ways of thinking.
Maybe I just have this urge to teach young people about feminism and equality and I can't express it because I, well, haven't created any little ones to teach yet. Yet, even that isn't really enough because it will most likely only be two little ones to teach. Are there any children's books on feminism? =) It's not only children that need to be taught these ideas of equality. I still need to be taught things, to learn new ideas, and to think differently. Do you really think there is a woman out there who has it all figured out when it comes to feminism?
I would also like to thank everyone for their comments on my posts. In the past, I used to feel like one of those crazy people on the street corner with the tinfoil hat, yelling about crazy things, and that nobody was actually listening to me. However, with your comments along with positive reactions from friends I do not feel like a lunatic anymore. Friends ask me questions about politics, tell me they love the things I post, and then I have your comments that show me there I'm causing a discussion and that people love what I am posting. I was so happy to read all of these positive comments which caused me to tear up! I will respond properly to every comment!
Are there any topics you would like to talk about or are concerned about that you believe other women/feminists should be concerned about? Do you want to do more than just read about it over the internet? Because that seems a bit passive agressive to me. I mean, yeah, I'm causing those who read this to think about feminism and equality. Causing people to think can be a pretty powerful thing, but I also want to cause those who read this to act. Have in-person discussions with one another, but that's like going to an Anime convention and discussing why everyone around you should like Anime. It's not like these discussions with like-minded people are bad, they can cause new ideas or new ways of thinking.
Maybe I just have this urge to teach young people about feminism and equality and I can't express it because I, well, haven't created any little ones to teach yet. Yet, even that isn't really enough because it will most likely only be two little ones to teach. Are there any children's books on feminism? =) It's not only children that need to be taught these ideas of equality. I still need to be taught things, to learn new ideas, and to think differently. Do you really think there is a woman out there who has it all figured out when it comes to feminism?
I would also like to thank everyone for their comments on my posts. In the past, I used to feel like one of those crazy people on the street corner with the tinfoil hat, yelling about crazy things, and that nobody was actually listening to me. However, with your comments along with positive reactions from friends I do not feel like a lunatic anymore. Friends ask me questions about politics, tell me they love the things I post, and then I have your comments that show me there I'm causing a discussion and that people love what I am posting. I was so happy to read all of these positive comments which caused me to tear up! I will respond properly to every comment!
awareness is the 1st step, don't ya think, courtney? i definitely don't know enough, or have much figured out. i feel like our current politics shows rights of women going backward, instead of forward. yes, i'm referring to women's right to choose. women still make less money than men doing the same job. also the jobs with a higher percentage of women, working in certain fields, are lower paying, in general than men too. don't get me started about the double sex standard, & the pressure women have to not grow old, or look perfect all the time.
ReplyDeletegrrrl i love how awesome your feminism-writing is. like, it's coherent and makes sense and everything. It's super awesome that you're motivated to share the love 'n awesome shiz that is feminism. I always talk about it and rant about it and stuff, but it would be super awesome do like DO something about it other than talking about it (even if spreading the love is ultra-important), but i'm not even sure what to do...? but, like, you're totally motivated me (aka a young person) to do ALL the feminist shiz :)
ReplyDeleteI thought i knew what it meant to be a feminist but there are so many layers to it that just trying to bring equality for men and women is just not enough anymore. feminism as a whole means representing and standing up from all women from all races and not just our own. it's not about making men feel bad or other groups thinking we are better but helping them realize that we need to all have equal parts of say in this. people like lena dunham can say shes a feminist but is she really when she says she represents girls when theres not a single women of minority in the show? feminism isnt just about us having hair or having equality and its certainly not about just ourselves anymore. education is seriously key.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand why Girls is the show that I "MUST WATCH" according to a friend of mine. I read an article on XOJane today about how absurd that show is, how it only represents a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of young women out there. I do not have HBO, and this may seem a bit silly of me to say this but I recently watched the trailer and could not relate to anything she was going through. Does that mean if I watched it that I would not laugh, no. But it being described as the voice of our generation (whoever "our" may be) pisses me off.
DeleteAlthough, Lena Dunham was interviewed about that part and this is what she said about the "voice of a generation" thing,
"The joke in the pilot, I kept being like, "She's on drugs when she says it, so hopefully nobody thinks it's really my thinking." But it's in the trailer so everyone thinks it's my credo. I think the concept of a voice of a generation is becoming less and less applicable. The world's getting more and more full. Our generation is not just white girls. It's guys. Women of color. Gay people. The idea that I could speak for everyone is so absurd. But what is nice is if I could speak for me and it's resonant for people, then that's about as much as I could hope for."
So she understands that it doesn't speak for or represent those who aren't white former rich girls struggling to make it out there. I think the show had the wrong people speaking for it and the "voice of a generation" thing just stuck.
I think a lot of people do not understand (self-proclaimed feminists or not) that feminism isn't just about equality for women. It's about the equality of us all! Women or men, gay or straight, trans, black or white, I could go on and on!
Ha! I feel you on the crazy-person-on-the-corner thing sometimes. I am SO happy that you are making your blog a platform to encourage young women to be aware of issues of social justice. I think a great post would be to outline ways in which women are still not equal to men in very concise terms, perhaps? I feel that a lot of women are not even aware of the double standards that exist, and it might be an eye-opener for someone! The disparities in treatment seem obvious, but a lot of people just kinda go through life with blinders on.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm your new Follower! I hope you visit my blog sometimes.. Thank you!! :)
ReplyDeleteKisses from VV!!
Dein Blog gefällt mir und die Bilder sind wirklich toll :)
ReplyDeleteIch möchte bei 100 Lesern ein Gewinnspiel 6 zwei Blogvorstellungen machen, Dazu fehlen mir noch 20, vielleicht magst du mir helfen dem Gewinnspiel & den 100 Lesern ein bisschen Näher zu kommen. Ich würde mich wirklich freuen wenn du mir hilfst und wenn du dann auch teilnimmst.
do-you-believe-in.blogspot.de
Ganz liebe Grüße ♥
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5pM1fW6hNs
ReplyDeleteHey! I just saw this preview for a film on youtube and thought you may be interested. MissRepresentaion. I would also love to hear more about the books you are reading, and your thoughts. It would be interesting if there was some sort of book club/ discussion where people could discuss books. I absorb so much more when I talk to people about what I am reading.
Thanks for your posts!!