An Improbable Fiction

Posts Tagged: feminism

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8 months ago    |   Tags: feminism taylor swift  
rendezvoodoo:  THIS! not this. sure, the madonna/whore complex exists and is an issue, but taylor swift perpetuating it? really? i don’t even care for the girl, but it’s ridiculous to insinuate that the “you belong with me” video is anti-feminist. thanks to many late nights watching mtv rotate the same five videos, i can tell you with a certain confidence that the “whore” does not lose her boyfriend due to a sexual double standard. i don’t think sexual behavior is even addressed. correct me if i’m wrong, but doesn’t the video portray the male protagonist’s girlfriend as a bitch? (i’m sure feminists will come at me for using that word, but deal with it.) it is implied that he is kind to her and cares for her, while she blatantly disregards his feelings. sure, argue that the lyrics “she wears short skirts/i wear t-shirts” and her flashy prom dress imply that she is a whore. but how about this? we could look at both sides of the argument, which i know might pain some people to do, and assume that swift is simply acknowledging the girlfriend’s sexual confidence. men are generally attracted to women with higher self-esteem and vice versa, correct? nothing wrong with that, but confidence can easily give way to cockiness. so, MAYBE swift is commenting on the implied arrogance of her “competition.” after all, the whore does flirt with another man in the video (note: i am not saying that harmless flirting is, in any way, wrong) but is then outraged when her now ex-boyfriend shows interest in the madonna. she thinks so highly of herself that she can’t fathom her boyfriend leaving her for someone else. the nerve! that doesn’t make her a whore; it makes her arrogant, and that’s not attractive on anyone - male OR female. not to mention, it’s a fucking taylor swift video. if you want to go on some feminist crusade over the madonna/whore complex, let me direct you to paramore’s “misery business.” i am not personally commenting on the feminism or lack thereof - whatever your opinion may be - but at least they actually throw the word “whore” around. (via hamburgermeat-deactivated201103)

rendezvoodoo:

 THIS!

not this. sure, the madonna/whore complex exists and is an issue, but taylor swift perpetuating it? really?

i don’t even care for the girl, but it’s ridiculous to insinuate that the “you belong with me” video is anti-feminist. thanks to many late nights watching mtv rotate the same five videos, i can tell you with a certain confidence that the “whore” does not lose her boyfriend due to a sexual double standard. i don’t think sexual behavior is even addressed. correct me if i’m wrong, but doesn’t the video portray the male protagonist’s girlfriend as a bitch? (i’m sure feminists will come at me for using that word, but deal with it.) it is implied that he is kind to her and cares for her, while she blatantly disregards his feelings.

sure, argue that the lyrics “she wears short skirts/i wear t-shirts” and her flashy prom dress imply that she is a whore. but how about this? we could look at both sides of the argument, which i know might pain some people to do, and assume that swift is simply acknowledging the girlfriend’s sexual confidence. men are generally attracted to women with higher self-esteem and vice versa, correct? nothing wrong with that, but confidence can easily give way to cockiness. so, MAYBE swift is commenting on the implied arrogance of her “competition.” after all, the whore does flirt with another man in the video (note: i am not saying that harmless flirting is, in any way, wrong) but is then outraged when her now ex-boyfriend shows interest in the madonna. she thinks so highly of herself that she can’t fathom her boyfriend leaving her for someone else. the nerve! that doesn’t make her a whore; it makes her arrogant, and that’s not attractive on anyone - male OR female.

not to mention, it’s a fucking taylor swift video. if you want to go on some feminist crusade over the madonna/whore complex, let me direct you to paramore’s “misery business.” i am not personally commenting on the feminism or lack thereof - whatever your opinion may be - but at least they actually throw the word “whore” around.

(via hamburgermeat-deactivated201103)

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1 year ago    |   Tags: yes it's long but it's worth reading quotes feminism culture can change   |   Notes: 7

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A culture is the worst enemy because it is invisible. You can’t write letters to a culture. You can’t boycott it. You can’t kick it in the shins or spit in its face. Fighting a culture is frustrating. You have no leader to topple. In fighting it, you witness very few benchmarks of progress.

A lot of people think that fighting a culture is impossible. They say, “You can’t change anything… things have always been that way.” I’m not one of these people. Sure, I think culture defines people. But I also think that people define culture.

It is time to start holding people accountable as members of the culture that they constitute. We can change “the way things are,” because we, as humans, are part of the group that gets to define “the way things are.”

A changed culture isn’t achieved by mass demonstrations—it is achieved through one-on-one interactions. Culture doesn’t change at the rally, but at the water cooler. Culture changes when you teach your kids to act with integrity. It changes when you talk to your neighbors about justice, and call your friends out on their bullsh*t. Few people care about the thoughts of a bunch of strangers marching in the street. Most people value the input of those they hold close to them.

When you leave here, I encourage you to share your feelings—however you feel—with the people you connect with every day. Rape culture is defined by a million little incidents, and the only way we can combat it, is with a million little conversations.

"

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- Jamie Keiles of The Seventeen Magazine Project, speaking at the Chicago SlutWalk on June 4, 2011

Video and rest of the speech.