Feminism..."freewriting".

NOTE TO READER: I composed this entry last night... I feel like it just seems to be a rambling, not a random rambling, but a rambling nonetheless. I'm not sure if I am answering what feminism is or what it is not. I questioned whether I should post this... here goes....
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Feminism- whenever the word is said aloud, there seems to be an instant reaction. Some people want to hear "nothing about it" and roll their eyes. I mean, why should we be a nuisance and tell others of our striving to be treated equal?? Others, upon hearing the word "feminism," react differently. Their faces contort into an intense expression; they're ready for a lonnnnng conversation full of intellect and reasoning.

I'd be a fool if I didn't call myself a feminist. I went to an all-girl's school--- I think that that makes me an honorary member of the group. I support reproductive rights for women, as well as supporting women in the military. I also have educated myself and have independent control of my finances. While I live with my "beau," I feel like I make my own choices in life about my career and my continuing education. I feel like a feminist.

I used to be a bit more vocal with my feminism. Seriously though, I recall my first few years of college. I would get very upset AND vocal whenever women were ridiculed; I hated the idea of radio shows like "Opie and Anthony" - they had this promotion called "WOW" stickers [Whip 'Em Out Wednesdays]- basically, if you were a female and saw a car that had a "WOW" sticker, you could "feel free" to expose yourself to the driver of the other vehicle. Additionally, in college, I expressed disgust at the idea of strip clubs and pornography--- all of those outlets objectified women and were negative to our gender and its depiction...

Or so I thought....

I later reached a point where I decided that I didn't have a problem with any of these "arenas" for sexual expression. Women make choices to work these jobs and do these actions, don't they? Why should I condemn them? Women should be free to pursue what they want.

I guess I used to see feminism as "freedom"- or just the idea that we could do as much as men: have as many opportunities, get as much power as them, and be accepted by society.

In 2006, I have a different stance on feminism. In class tonight, we talked about 3 "waves" of feminism. We also read an article which discussed "sex differences" and "gender roles." When I think of women in our country today, I feel like we are taking feminism backwards, instead of forward. Sex is obviously a huge part of today's American culture. People may not know about new art exhibitions at museums or new in-depth films at little indie theatres in place like Montclair, but they know about the Pam and Tommy Lee video and the Paris Hilton sex tape. Paris has gone on to having a TV show and releasing a full-length album. Jenna Jameson's book, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, held a spot on the NY Times bestseller list. "Pop" sensation Ashlee Simpson contemplated posing for Playboy magazine. The September 2004 Playboy featured nude photos of our "honorable" female Olympians. Greta Van Susteren, formerly of CNN, got cosmetic surgery before going on to hosting Fox News Channel's On the Record. Carmen Electra now sells workout videos that show viewers how to do a Striptease workout.

Why do I mention these scenarios in relation to feminism? Well, inevitably, people would say that all of these women have "power"- they're powerful forces in the entertainment industry and are wealthy. In a way, I guess one could say that they are "free," in regard to their sexual freedom and expression. They also seem to have control of their careers and are revered by both men and women.

I feel that women's actions, like those above, are making feminism go backward. The sole concern is on the woman's appearance. In addition to appearance, there also is an emphasis on the acquisition of material goods. The material goods and appearances are directly linked. This isn't just a Hollywood phenemenon either. Nowadays, even upper-elementary schoolers know what Coach purses are. Middle schoolers know what French manicures are...and get them. Mall stores like Club Libby Lu allow young girls to have "makeover parties" and have VIP pampering...because that's just what a 9-year-old needs on her birthday. A Club Libby Lu girl can even get a stuffed animal dog that resembles Paris Hilton's dog, Tinkerbell. Also-remember how we looked at myspace profiles? How many of those pictures had "cute, goofy pictures" versus the amount that had the "sexy, pouty-lipped look, provocative clothing, etc"? I saw the profile of one of my sister's friends: she had a close-up picture with a "seductive look" on her face and had some cleavage showing- the caption under her picture was "The classic MySpace pic."

I don't know if any of my ideas are connecting, but it seems like in today's world [at least in the United States], women are "free" in the sense that they seem to be doing what they want. We can even "put the ball in our court" and choose to ask a guy for his number, stand him up for a date, or wait "2 days" before calling after our first date. However, the aftereffects of all of this freedom are detrimental. By acting out in certain ways, I think that males may agree, "Yeah, yeah, you're free, that's great," but underneath, I think our actions are causing us to be less respected. Wasn't one of the first objectives of feminism to get respect and be treated as equals?

A recent book that I read, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture [Ariel Levy], is coming into my mind as I write this post. I know that the title is a bit over the top and, obviously, just from seeing the title, one can easily guess Levy's stance. Levy talks about how women like Paris Hilton and Jenna Jameson appear to be "icons" for the current generation of women. Really think about it. If you were to ask adolescents of today, in addition to post-adolescent women, about "strong" female figures in today's society, which names do you think they would mention?

The names that come to my mind are Hillary Rdoham Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, and Oprah Winfrey. Yes, I admit it, it is a pretty generic list. I might mention Jane Hirschfeld too, a female poet who has been through such amazing experiences in her life [lived and studied with Buddhist monks for years]. I don't think this list is short because I am unknowledgeable or misinformed. I just don't think that strong female figures are prominent in today's society. I KNOW that they exist; however, their accomplishments are overshadowed by what I feel are less worthy women.

I'm worried about feminism in today's society. Proof enough: I googled "feminism" and the first entry I got was from Wikipedia... not from NOW or Planned Parenthood. I went to the Third Wave Foundation's website. After looking through the site, I didn't see anything that made me feel "empowered."

I worry about us, women and men, in the year of 2006. I worry about the adolescent males and females growing up in this society. What has happened to us?? What will happen to them??