Hadley Freeman weighs in on the Joss Whedon has problems with the word 'feminist' controversy.

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Hadley's well worth a read, no matter what the subject (very funny, for one thing). Her thoughts on
the 're-branding' of feminism.

Have to say, I do wonder if Joss ran his recent speech by his wife before delivering it.

Comments

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

I also think a lot of people go out of their way to misunderstand it on purpose.

Oftentimes people (read: women) who have benefited most from it (and the suffragette movement before it.) Women like the ones in the article who can hold careers and even own businesses; own their own property and vote and speak in public without fear of being stoned; who can use birth control and have at least some control over their own bodies

My mother told me that when she first got married she was not allowed to purchase a car or get a loan from the bank without a signature from her husband. She's 65 years old, so this would have been about 45 years ago - within my lifetime.

Women make up 51% of the world's population and own about 2% of it's wealth. This is what feminism is meant to address: crushing gender disparities.

There are certainly problems with the main leadership of the feminist movement, ie the focus on white, middle-class college educated women; this is an issue that has nothing to do with the word "feminist" itself.

And re-branding is not going to bring about any changes.

The fact that Joss admits to not having read feminist theory is risible, but I guess his stories (the comics, Dollhouse) are proof enough of that. I'm long past done with giving him a pass. But it's things like this that make me want to reclaim the term, just as I reclaim the term "lesbian" whenever I read about another gay teenager who committed suicide because they were harassed and received no support in their community. The war ain't over, folks, and that's a fact.

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I think thismaz below has a point, in that many (not all by any means) girls growing up in affluent western countries these days encounter less of the blatant sexism that was the norm when Maz and I (and your mum) were growing up, so may at times feel feminism has become irrelevant.

However, I do think many go on to realise how easily all these hard-won rights could be taken away again. Not to mention how non-existent they are in many parts of the world. I think it's a shame that so many of them seem to have taken the hostile establishment/media interpretation of the word 'feminism' on board, but likewise don't think that picking a new word is going to change that very fundamental hostility.

As for Joss, I always feel his heart is in the right place, but yes, he's coasting. Has been ever since BtVS ended. How much of that is down to having to make a living in Hollywood and how much to believing his own hype, I couldn't say.

[red-satin-doll.livejournal.com]

However, I do think many go on to realise how easily all these hard-won rights could be taken away again. Not to mention how non-existent they are in many parts of the world. I think it's a shame that so many of them seem to have taken the hostile establishment/media interpretation of the word 'feminism' on board, but likewise don't think that picking a new word is going to change that very fundamental hostility.

100% AGREEMENT. THIS is the point.