Most Feminist Media Doesn’t Deserve the Label
As someone who has identified as a feminist since I knew what the term meant, hearing of media marketed as feminist makes me less, not more, interested. It’s not that art should never advocate for social change. But what’s described as feminist rarely strives to create a more equitable world for all genders, or even start a conversation about it. It’s usually just a slapped-on label to try to score (just enough) points with women to get their money. Which isn’t surprising behavior for greedy powers like Hollywood, the music industry, or Big 5 publishers. But it is nonetheless dangerous in shaping people’s perceptions about feminism, offering up a definition that paints the movement as shallow and shunning traditional femininity.
Despite my intrigue in conversations surrounding gender, I wouldn’t want all my books and movies to frame every plot point and character in a feminist lens. I seek out art for entertainment and exposure to a variety of stories. (Crucially, however, anything that feels aggressively misogynistic is also a giant turn-off for me). Marketing a character as a feminist icon is often myopic. First of all, most so-called Strong Female Characters feel hollow, possessing both the physical prowess and disdain for anything “girly” that are associated with men, while still looking conventionally attractive and feminine, of course.
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