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I really don't get how people can argue, with a straight face, that anything a given woman does is inherently feminist merely because she's female.
Women are not magical beings imbued with perfect instincts to know when their actions are being influenced by negative things like...oh...pervasive cultural sexism. We're just as subject to that brainwashing as anyone else.*
Waking up and recognizing how not just the behavior of others, but our OWN behavior is shaped by our environment is a key part of feminist enlightenment. Running away and perpetuating the denial that noooo, yer smrt, you couldn't possibly be influenced by those nasty old media messages or cultural upbringing or blah blah blah? Is not feminist enlightenment.
That denial is understandable, of course. The first part of feminist enlightenment is realizing how oppressed women really are. The second part is realizing that you've participated in that oppression. That fucking hurts, lemme tellya. It's like waking up and realizing your whole life up until now is one big scam. You end up questioning everything you've ever done and experienced, wondering how even subtle, seemingly innocuous things may have led you to act in a way that keeps the hamster wheel spinning.
Unfortunately, it's necessary for all of us to go through that process, because coming out the other end of it is the only way any of us gets to actual empowerment, and the ability to really work for change.
Periodically shutting off the sexism radar is understandable and healthy. We'd all be suffering with some fairly serious depression if we didn't do that regularly. But we can't go through life living entirely in that fog if we want to make things better for ourselves and others, and letting go of the idea that any of us has 100% free will and makes untainted choices is absolutely necessary for that work.
Yes, it's scary as fuck to realize how out of control of your own life you really are, but if you're ever going to get back IN control of it, you have to have that realization.
*FWIW, yes, this also means that men often aren't 100% responsible for perpetuating sexist behavior on their end, too. It's the guys who know better and still act like assholes who deserve the kick.
Women are not magical beings imbued with perfect instincts to know when their actions are being influenced by negative things like...oh...pervasive cultural sexism. We're just as subject to that brainwashing as anyone else.*
Waking up and recognizing how not just the behavior of others, but our OWN behavior is shaped by our environment is a key part of feminist enlightenment. Running away and perpetuating the denial that noooo, yer smrt, you couldn't possibly be influenced by those nasty old media messages or cultural upbringing or blah blah blah? Is not feminist enlightenment.
That denial is understandable, of course. The first part of feminist enlightenment is realizing how oppressed women really are. The second part is realizing that you've participated in that oppression. That fucking hurts, lemme tellya. It's like waking up and realizing your whole life up until now is one big scam. You end up questioning everything you've ever done and experienced, wondering how even subtle, seemingly innocuous things may have led you to act in a way that keeps the hamster wheel spinning.
Unfortunately, it's necessary for all of us to go through that process, because coming out the other end of it is the only way any of us gets to actual empowerment, and the ability to really work for change.
Periodically shutting off the sexism radar is understandable and healthy. We'd all be suffering with some fairly serious depression if we didn't do that regularly. But we can't go through life living entirely in that fog if we want to make things better for ourselves and others, and letting go of the idea that any of us has 100% free will and makes untainted choices is absolutely necessary for that work.
Yes, it's scary as fuck to realize how out of control of your own life you really are, but if you're ever going to get back IN control of it, you have to have that realization.
*FWIW, yes, this also means that men often aren't 100% responsible for perpetuating sexist behavior on their end, too. It's the guys who know better and still act like assholes who deserve the kick.
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