Feminism Isn't Dead

When I moved to Los Angeles for college, I was intoxicated with my own fantasies of college life. I imagined classroom debates, philosophical discussions on a lush green lawn, an idealistic boyfriend that would volunteer for the Democratic party during the election and respect my opnions on gay rights and my love for the History Channel as well as Mel Brooks. The reality, however, turned out to be vapid questions about required reading for 100-level classes, heated arguments over what constitutes Facebook "stalking," and a string of beer-guzzling frat boys who couldn't find the clitoris with a map.
However, what breaks my heart most about college is that on a campus with a 60% female student body, "feminism" is a word that falls on ears blocked out by ipods and cell phones; we who feel most passionately about women's rights face our biggest adversaries in those we would consider to be our sisters. It kills me to know that misogyny is so strong in my generation that it spills over from men and into the untrusting women who would rather be seen as "normal" or "complacent" to their male counterparts.
Recently, an article in the Washington Post made this issue all too clear. Charlotte Allen wrote a piece entitled "Women Aren't Very Bright," which was later renamed, "Barack Obama and the Female Vote" after a tremendous response from angry and offended readers. Allen drew from outdated research and clouded, ignorant opinions as well as personal shortcomings to conclude that women, as a whole, are nothing more than a swooning mob of hormone-driven, shoe-obsessed romance-novel consumers. The furious response from readers was no small comfort, as it reminded me that our guerilla warriors are still undercover and fighting one editorial response at a time.
This whole episode prompted me to scream "Feminism isn't dead! It's just not cool anymore!" which, of course, fell on deaf ears. So my new mission has become to gather those of us still intelligent enough to refuse sunless tanner, those of us confident enough to wear spiked heels and a business suit, those of us with a sense of identity that allows us to have careers and families, and remind those who aren't that "feminism" and "equality" aren't dirty words, they're fighting words.

I want the women of my generation to remember that they wouldn't be able to go to college if it hadn't been for the feminist movement, they wouldn't be able to pursue careers if it hadn't been for those women who wouldn't take no for an answer, and they wouldn't be able to have a say in politics if it hadn't been for those "bitchy upstarts" Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I want the women of my generation to stop being dolls, playthings, and mannequins that curry favor with men; I want them to know that they can be women. They are beautiful, real, and phenomenal women...but they need to choose to be so.

I realize that the word commonly associated with feminism is "bitch," but you know what? Bitches get stuff done. In the mighty words of Tina Fey, bitch is the new black.

Love.
Jess