I am who I am today because my mother raised me with kindness and my father with a firm hand. Between the two, the details have come from the media, and I am not afraid to admit this. Film and television have had a large impact on my life. I was partially raised by Lorelai Gilmore of “Gilmore Girls”, by Evelyn Carnahan of The Mummy and by Alexandra Cabot of “Law and Order: SVU”. My mother died when I was 12, and I have since been drawn to fictional women who exhibit strength. Perhaps not always physical strength, but strength of character. These women were intelligent, compassionate, just. They helped raise me where my mother left off. Maybe I didn’t realize it until now, but I have been looking for surrogates in these characters all my life, someone to guide me because I had no other family—just my father and younger brother.
This is why I have grown disappointed and disenchanted at times when I receive messages from the media about gender that are not only inaccurate, but harmful. When I walk down the street and see advertisements that sexualize and objectify women, or when I watch film or television and see one of my favorite characters die as a plot device solely meant to highlight a male character’s suffering, it hurts. I was raised to believe that my worth as a human being is in no way impacted by the fact that I am a woman. I was raised to believe that I am whole, but the media, and the world around me often seems to argue against this.
I have been a feminist all my life, but at times it is difficult. Actually, it would be more accurate to admit that it is difficult all the time. When I hear my friends do or say something sexist–even benevolently–I am conflicted with wanting to object and wanting to avoid confrontation. Lisa Maria Hogeland’s article on the fear of feminism is one of the articles read this quarter that I will never forget. It has not only made me realize why I felt so afraid to admit being a feminist, but has helped me understand the reasons behind why others may feel the same. The article helped enlighten me on why others have been so cautious of feminism, and has moreover helped me understand why I’ve been so timid and unable to defend what I hold dear. Consequently, I feel like I may be able to speak for myself now with both calm and understanding to those I may disagree with.
Both women and men have veritable reason to fear feminism and the consequences to supporting such a subversive and arguably radical group of movements. Feminism challenges the status quo in rejecting a primarily patriarchal culture. Anti-feminists seek to keep male control by dirtying the word with negative connotations. Young women fear feminism because they fear reprisal, or are otherwise misguided into believing that feminism encompasses things that it actually doesn’t. They fear what others may do or say to them for believing in equality.
I believe that feminism in social media can be a helpful tool to not only those who are afraid of these reprisals but to those who seek support. The internet can be a space of anonymity, where one can safely approach feminism without having to risk personal consequence. For me, it has been an environment that has slowly, surely given me the courage to speak up against my friends when they, unconsciously or not, facilitate sexism by shaming women or men for refusing to conform to gendered identities.
I am a child of Generation Y, I learned how to type alongside learning how to write cursive. The internet is as familiar to me as the back of my hand. I believe most of what I have learned about feminism has come from the internet, though I also understand that this medium is not always accurate. Yet, now more than ever have I witnessed other men and women trying to educate those who may have the wrong idea. The internet and social media are powerful and cogent tools with which to approach feminism. It has raised feminist consciousness and allowed discussion and debate over what feminism does and does not stand for by providing commentary on real life events, whether major or everyday.
One of my favorite platforms of this is Tumblr, a micro-blogging site where users can “reblog” what others have written and posted. There is an entire community of men and women who identify as feminists and who casually, and often times tactfully spark discussion of feminism by commenting on how American society operates.
Following is an image gallery of photos, quotes, and other posts I have come across Tumblr in the past few weeks. Clicking each image enlarges it and shows an accompanying caption.
Cultural Attitudes 