Feminism as a movement has strived for many years to affix its evolved 4th wave ideas, and why it’s still relevant, in the minds of 21st century society. Combating stereotypes and clarifying misconceptions on what we stand for has been the goal of many feminists in the past and continues to be the goal to this day.
No, we don’t hate men.
No, we aren’t against having children.
Whether I shave or not is none of your concern.
YES, INEQUALITY STILL EXISTS.
The campaigns and benchmarks of feminism from decades past have varied and changed, but the single common purpose has and will always remain, equality amongst everyone. Aside from equality, I think many 4th wave feminists would agree that feminism has also become more about women empowering women, and creating a better relationship among females. Simple as that.
As with anything, a movement or change is only as successful as the attention and effort it receives. Who better to gain the attention of millions and ignite an interest than musicians, movie stars, or anyone famous for that matter? While there are (thankfully) many celebs using their voices to stand up for feminism like; Lena Dunham, Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler, and the ever-fierce Beyoncé, there are just as many who have taken to magazine articles and interviews to express their rejection of feminism. However…. how many of them actually know what feminism is?
Shailene Woodley
When asked if she considers herself a feminist by TIME – “No because I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance. With myself, I’m very in touch with my masculine side. And I’m 50 percentand 50 percent masculine, same as I think a lot of us are. And I think that is important to note. And also I think that if men went down and women rose to power, that wouldn’t work either. We have to have a fine balance.”
Katy Perry
“I’m not a feminist, but I do believe in the power of women.”
Lily Allen
“Feminism. I hate that word because it shouldn’t even be a thing anymore. We’re all equal, everyone is equal. Why is there even a conversation about feminism?”
“I’m not a feminist. I hail men, I love men, I celebrate American male culture — beer, bars, and muscle cars.”
These women, among countless others, have actually rejected feminism with the definition of feminism.
All of the figures listed above are idols to many women and young girls around the world. Turning them off to the very word ‘feminsim’ risks creating a barrier to collaborations that would otherwise encourage empowerment, opportunity, and equality. Contrary to what people against feminism claim, feminism isn’t just about women. The word is actually very humanistic and seeks to promote change that benefits humanity. The word equal encompasses everyone, whether it be man/women, black/white, gay/straight and encourages a better world.
In light of feminists correcting these public statement many of the celebs who have openly been anti-feminism, are now stating that they had not actually known the true definition of feminism and in the words of Taylor Swift,”becoming friends with Lena [Dunham] – without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for – has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so.”
Moral of the story is, it’s okay to not know something but it’s not okay to sit back and continue to be blind to the facts. It is also okay to admit you’re wrong and change your stance on something. More than anything educating yourself and having the courage to go against what may be in the media is what will allow more positive change in the world.
