I could go on and on about my views on gender, society, the media, relations with men, etc. But that's not what this blog is for, and plus i'm just a 21 year old and I have a lot to learn. However, the topic has always interested me and the whole idea "I am woman, here me roar" and saying "fuck you" to every single stereotype that has been drilled into our heads about what we are 'supposed' to be as women. This can be said for men also since there are stereotypes that are drilled into their heads also, however women still have a long way to go with their identity struggles. I hate when I hear people say how downhill girls have gone with all of the sexual shit in the media and how dumb women are being portrayed on tv. Of course it's awful but there are so many women out there that are not that and they know it's okay to be who they are, and not some glittery lipped big boob airhead who simply wants to get married to someone rich and call it a day.
Bikini Kill and Le Tigre were two bands that I started listening to in 8th grade, which was a time when I decided I wanted to get into music. Real music, not the shit that MTV/VH1 was spoon feeding mainstream society. Le Tigre really touched my soul and Kathleen Hanna was/is someone I look up to. I love learning more about feminist issues and popular feminists themselves, but Hanna has really been one of those women that has stuck out to me because of how carefree she is about it. Maybe carefree is not the right word, but she has this light hearted feeling to her that makes feminism fun and not scary.
Being a girl that can be tough and have liberal views on what is allowed and what isnt 'allowed' should be fun and not intimidating. It is easy to fall victim to being a robot type girl that just stays in line and does exactly what they are supposed to do but if you look hard enough, there are things out there that help you feel not weird about being who you are. Now, not being a robot does not necessarily mean that you have to be self destructive and rebel constantly, it just means that you don't have to be a cookie cutter dumbed down version of yourself and let's face it, a lot of things in life sometimes test you with that.
This is something that I constantly struggle with as a young woman. I love things like feminine fashion, i love cooking and the idea of someday becoming a wife and a mother. I'm an old soul but with a very modern outlook on life. It's just that there are hundreds of things that I want to accomplish for myself in my life. Being a feminist in my eyes means not only embracing yourself but embracing all the opportunities that are laid out for you and not being afraid of them because you feel that you should just be a wife or a mom and NOTHING else. Women still have those beliefs and it's just tragic.
There is so much out there, so much to accomplish, along with something as powerful as being a mom/wife. It doesnt have to end there. It's also terrifying how many men/young men have this whole belief that feminism is dumb/funny and there are girls out there that are willing to go along with that idea because they are so scared of scaring off men. It's terrible.
Anyway- watch this video. She's still awesome. I love the part where they discuss the Willie Mae Rock Camp For Girls. That's so fucking cool! What a great thing to expose young girls to.
Also, listen to Le Tigre or Bikini Kill, pick up a women's lib book and feel proud to be who you are. Even if you're a plastic glittery airhead, if that's who you are, then cool. Let's just all accept eachother as women (and as humans.) because we need to stick together, ya know?
