The Face of Feminism

When I first read the article we discussed in class today, I thought that it didn't matter how feminism was being spread, as long as people were being exposed to it. I didn't understand what the author was trying to say but then after reading it a second time, I started to analyze the different points she made. While it is great that we have women such as Beyoncé or Emma Watson who are starting to make people comfortable using the word feminist, I don't think that we are giving credit where it is due. The only people that are being praised for being outspoken feminists are popular musicians, comedians and actors. Basically everyone in the entertainment business is being recognized while the people who are dedicating their lives to the cause are in the shadows.

We have other feminists such as Malala Yousafzai and Emma Sulkowicz who are contributing to the movement and yet most people don't know who they are because they aren't in Hollywood. Again, I am not against the media covering celebrity feminists, but I think that there should be more stories being released about the women who aren't household names who are making a difference. I worry about this because I feel that fans of these celebrities are only adopting the word "feminist" without really understanding what it means and will probably stop using it when they get over the celebrity they learned this term from. Ultimately what I think is happening is that people are starting to associate themselves with feminism without actually taking a part in it. More people will be inspired to take action when the media starts covering stories about women such as Malala and Emma Sulkowicz who are the ones who are making the real changes.