THE CHOICE
Fashion has been trying to scream it out loud; “We should all be feminist” but, should we though?
I want to believe being a feminist is about equal rights,
about making the same money as men do, about not being “shamed’ for our
decisions concerning our careers, our bodies, our life. I would like to express
my feelings about this whole feminism thing, and I’m afraid I’m going to be
more like a “shame-minist” essay, than a feminist.
The first time I started to be aware of feminism was back in
2001 when my sister told me I should read one of Florence Thomas’ books, which
I had the chance to read two years later. The book pretty much talks about how
patriarchal our society is, and how as women we are told to prepare to
be wives, and mothers in the Latin – American culture. Being 17 years old at
the time, it seemed like a strong read for a teenager, but I’m thankful I came
across the book, and that book formed some strong thoughts that I still live by.
So, as I grew up in college I went through things that shape me more into who I
am, without even noticing, I was becoming some sort of feminist. The second time
I recall being aware of feminism, was like 3 years ago when I listened to
Beyoncé’s Flawless outro… and I was like “damn, this is feminism! I love it”
years later I found out that the outro of the song is actually from a TED Talk,
so I took the time to google it and listen to Chimamanda go on about being a
feminist in the context in which she grew up. And I never felt so related to a
stranger in my life. I agree with 90% of what she says and how she feels. After
that, I started to read the word in more common places; Blogs, Music, Books,
Magazines… Social Media. Either I was living under a rock, or the movement was.
And that, dear reader is when I started to get it twisted* To quote Beyoncé.
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| These are women who I admire for what they've done (and did) above and beyond beauty standards, religion, social background, and, political view. They are feminist icons. |
As the movement and the word became each day more popular;
like popular girls in school, you have crush on them and then you hate them.
Don’t take me wrong, the popular girl WILL
always be the popular girl, but the popular girl is also mean and only likes to
hang out with certain group of people AKA other popular kids. Because the world
is going through a lot of things, we have a lot of issues we need to address
and work on as a society; racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and whatever you
want to call the current President of the United States. The speech in social
media have changed, and people must be more careful about the things they say
and how, because some way or another somebody always gets offended. No matter how cool and popular you used to
be, if you offend someone who is on your table, you can’t sit there anymore,
you don’t get a chance to change your mind, or apologize, you’ve lost your
cool. And that’s how I feel like it is with feminism today, if you say
something to upset “the wave” you get punished and publicly shamed.
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| Thousand of people moved in January for the Women's March, where the Pussy Hat became the beret women, men and children wore to march. |
Now, I do not understand feminism but I think I have an
idea; there’s the Ideal Feminism where everything is rainbows and blue skies and
there’s the Practical Feminism in which things get nasty* (key word).
Ideally, in our present, being a feminist is supporting each other, telling
empowering things to each other; respecting each other’s choices, accepting
other body types, being happily ever after in a diverse community where we all
hold hands and smile. All imperfections and all things are welcome; body hair,
natural hair, sexual orientations, religious orientations, fat girls, skinny
girls, bossy girls, submissive girls, vegetarians, vegans… all! The best part of
this Ideal Feminism is that there is
a platform to be loud about that love we have for each other: SOCIAL MEDIA! The
place where everything is possible, where dreams come true and people who hate
you and make mean comments to you, can’t sit on your table. But! Remember, I
said there’s a Practical Feminism, in which women each day struggle with racial
discrimination at their jobs, not to mention the salary gap; women get blasted
by other women and men for working too much, or for giving up their careers to
have a family, or for not wanting to “have a family” at all; women each day are
reminded that if they open their legs and their mouths they are sluts, each day
women are PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY
ABUSED, SEXUALLY HARASSED, AND MURDERED; yet, these women fight at home, at
work and literally on the street to change these stigmas and the inequality in
which we live. The practical side doesn’t have the rainbows and blue skies of
the ideal side, because reality is dark, and the constant fight for gender
equality has a lot of storms.
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| Peggy Olson is one of my favorite fictional Characters, she managed to make it in Menland, because she lived like a man, she stood up for things that until today people would consider not - lady - like. In Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss goes through what women have to deal with in real life; asking for a salary raise, competing for jobs against unqualified men, getting the finger pointed at by family, and friends. |
Obviously, there are women and men that have the opportunity
to live in between these two realities, and to them we owe a lot of what we
have accomplish in the last few years; movements, laws, respect, and “The
Choice”.
FEMINISM WITH F OF FASHION
Like all cool kids, always wearing the latest fashion
trends; feminism is the trend. The
word feminist was present in a lot of the runways and reviews for Couture and Ready
to Wear this past February. Designers use the promise of female empowerment and
took it to the runway on printed T–Shirts, and everybody celebrated it like
it was something new; finally, something that is going to unite us all: an
expensive T-Shirt that only fits skinny people. "OMG!" Hillary Clinton, really
had to lose the elections last year for us to realize how unfair the world is to women, to finally speak out our minds about gender equality and the salary
gap, and abortion, and the pill, and rape, and abuse, and so, and so. Hillary
took one for the team, and designers took one for the win (not really), while a select group of “female
– empowerers” have used feminism to their own advantage, as they should, they create awareness of the issues we have as a gender.
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| The "Feminist T - Shirt" by Dior, as they call it, became the one of the trendiest items this season, portion of the retail cost is going to Rihanna's charity. |
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| Prabal Gurung Fall/Winter2017 "The Future Is Female" I'm unsure about that one. |
Not that there is something wrong with the way big designer
houses are dealing with feminism, but it’s just like a game for them, where
they use it just because it’s a trend; not because the world needs to be more
equal for all, which is what feminism stands for (I think). And seeing feminism being
taken as a trend bothers me, because it makes me feel like in the future all our
convictions are going to change and we are going to be saturated of this wave of positivism and F-Words, and we are going to forget about feminism and move onto the next…
like with a new popular kid in school.
I don’t want to think of feminism like a fashion trend, or
the movement of the moment. I want to think we all care about women’s rights
and equality. I don’t care if the you’re growing armpit hair to prove point,
because I personally think that doesn’t solve the issues I face when I apply
for a job. It might make you a more confident person, but come on! That’s a
trend it is not helping found Plan Parenthood. I don’t care about your
#freethenipple picture on Instagram, because that picture is not creating
awareness of femicide and rape, and domestic abuse, let alone, it doesn't solve the
issue. I do not care if you put glitter on your vagina hairs, or if you don’t
use a pad when you have your period, when there are communities of girls in other
countries that can’t access basic education (like you did) just because they are women.
As long as pads and tampons are still taxed but Viagra is no: I DO NOT CARE.
But I celebrate how cool you are and hey; I'm all for Body Positivity.
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| If you're a Millennial you are probably too young to remember that in the early 80's armpit hair was normal. take notes from Madonna, who is a trendsetter feminist. |
WE SHOULD ALL BE NONENIST
Let’s be realistic, and think about what is happening TODAY:
in our homes, in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in our cities, in our
countries, in the planet. We have a lot of things we must stand – up for. We
have a lot of causes to fight for, we have a lot of things we need to
accomplish. To be a feminist or not, I don’t care what you decide to be or what
you think you are; is the way you treat me when I take “The Choice” of what to
do with my life. If it doesn’t affect you, you should celebrate the fact that I
can make “that choice”. It is our freedom, and in regard of that I should
celebrate “your choice”. I don’t need to agree with you and the things you do,
but if we don’t harm each other, why do I have to attach you for the decisions
you make?
We should all strive to live in harmony and equality. And I
know it sounds idealistic, but that’s what I think feminism is about; The
Choice.
So,What is feminism today? I don’t know. Am I a feminist? Yes I
Am.
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| Cleopatra is the most ancient feminist. She literally ruled. |
"My pussy, my pussy
Is sweet just like a cookie
It goes to work, it makes the beats
It's C.E.O., no rookie
From senator to bookie
We run this shit, got lookie
You can turn any page, any race, any age
From Russia to the States
We tearing up the place"
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