Erica Jong Defends Feminist Revolution

[katty]

more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/27/erica-jong-defends-feminist-revolution.html


Erica Jong Defends Feminist Revolution
by Erica Jong Mar 27, 2012 4:45 AM EDT

Why has feminism become a dirty word? Erica Jong defends the feminist and sexual revolution against criticism from the next generation of women who just don’t get it.

EXCERPT:
The fact that the so-called mainstream press reduced our valid struggles to sex, drugs, rock and roll, and bra burning (which, btw, never actually occurred) was their attempt to further disempower us. And they surely prevailed. The backlash has been bigger and more successful than any cultural revolution ever was.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. You want evidence that the "next generation" doesn't get it?

I substitute teach. Almost all the young married female teachers don't hyphenate. They don't keep their "maiden names". They've adopted "Mrs." (husband's surname) and almost all of them have their wedding photos on their desk. In the past, you'd see casual pics of them and their spouses like recreation or family events. This group is marriage-centric.

[ismnotwasm]

2. Some of them do

I'm a RN, and I work with lots of young women. Very few of them self identify os a feminist. However when I talk about feminist issues, most of them agree. Even the conservative types will agree with things like your basic exploitation of the female body if I frame it a certain way. I'm very careful to distance it from so-called 'moral' concerns, because I'm sick of women carrying that burden, especially sex workers. I make that very clear. I get through to them that way.

In my position as a peer, I bring up feminist concerns every chance I get.

On the other hand you are exactly right; I hear about wedding plans, size shape and worth of wedding rings way too often. The young mothers, most of them, clearly have help from their spouses and just as clearly do most of household care.


One or two think burlesque shows are the height of sophisticated entertainment.

Many of the nurses in middle age like myself STILL don't self identify as feminist, thinking it a political label, while agreeing almost completely with the liberal feminist stance (I'm a radical feminist; it's the ideology I agree with most completely, although it was quite a shock to me to discover that's where I landed)
Again, on the other hand there is an very odd(to me) trend toward these eyelash extenders in a few 50 yer old women. I have to admit to being baffled on that one. I mean, why?

So it's not just the next generation, it's women everywhere. I look at it like the union movement. People reap the benefits of union activism without a clue or perhaps not a care, where the benefits came from

Most of all, these young women as well as the older, seem to be terrified of being considered unattractive. A species of body dismorphic syndrome affects every woman, in my opinion, to a certain degree. The misogynist media has done its work well. To call oneself a feminist means giving up femininity, whatever that's supposed to be.

[CreekDog]

3. "To call oneself a feminist means giving up femininity, whatever that's supposed to be."

Isn't it condescending to say that whole groups of people can't be feminists because you judge them to care too much about their appearance?

If a woman, or a man, wants their body to look a certain way, while also wanting equal pay and wanting to control their own destiny --who are you to suggest they can't be a feminist?

When we talk about empowerment, I think a theme I see in these feminist wave discussions are some people saying that, mostly younger women, don't get to be feminists unless they subscribe to the rather arbitrary definitions of some older feminists.

Well, doesn't that sound like people telling young women what to do, instead of them choosing themselves?

[ismnotwasm]

4. Whoa there, friend I was talking, specifically

More about young women who DO NOT self identify as feminists. How the word feminist seems off putting. I self identify as one and find more agreement than resistance regarding feminism in this group of well educated young women.

In fact one of the ones who does self identify as a feminist is a very attractive woman, gets Botox and other beauty treatments regularly. We have great conversations, and as you say "who am I" to say she is not a feminist? She most certainly is.

I have nothing against being attractive. Or self decoration. I do it myself. On my terms.

I'm not sure how you drew your conclusion of that i was judging who is a feminist or not from a rather vague post, so..

Let me turn the question around. Do you think woman Have healthy body images? If so, why?
And while we're at it, what is your definition of a feminist?

[CreekDog]

5. I guess I was reacting to your last sentence because it was so jarring

that said, no i don't think most women or men in general have healthy body images. when even supermodels on magazine covers are photoshopped, the ideal placed before us is not even attainable for those who are pictured.

as for feminism, i'm not so naive to say that anyone who wants to be a feminist is one, but generally speaking those who consider themselves feminists or who support equality for women and empowerment that's indistinguishable from that of men, i think are supporting feminism.

[ismnotwasm]

6. Exactly

Now there are, of course a few crazies out there, they use the term feminism for anti woman platforms, a few conservative groups for instance, so I think your definition is a good one.

My problem with femininity is it in part what defines masculinity-- by exception, the things 'men' aren't, supposedly. Qualities of femininity is anathema for males, deadly for Gay males in just about any culture at one time or another. It's a false standard, a social construct. For women it's almost a default term, as well as a category that uses terms like soft, gentle or nurturing, but what really means is keeping up the socially accepted appearance of being sexually available.

And the sad thing is, it not a bad thing for males or females to be soft, gentle or nurturing. Those are often good traits to have, but society has generally unpleasant names for women who are not those things and for men who are.

[libodem]

7. If you want feminism to sound dirty

Let it fall out from between Dr Laura's red gash of a mouth. She blames the fall of western civilization on the uppity women. Then public school is similarity degraded and trashed.

According to her if you don't marry rich, then fall all over yourself catering to the breadwinner, then home school, or send the kids to private religious education, you are a failure as a mother and wife. Which as a woman is your only true calling. Dr Laura, spits out the word, feminism like Glenn Beck spits out the words social justice.

Both of them love the idea of social injustice and unequal treatment under the law.