Now and Then

After reading about feminism and femininity by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, I was intrigued because it made me realize that maybe I’m a third-wave feminist. I’ve always been all for equality and women’s rights, but not a die-hard feminist where I hate sex and men. Jennifer and Amy had asked, “What does it mean to be a girl?” I was questioning that as well because I felt confused. Isn’t a girl just the female sex?  Are girls only considered girls because they’re girlie? No. But is that how men or even some women see it? Maybe.

In second-wave feminism, girls were taught that they could do what men can do. Whether that be becoming president, playing sports, becoming an engineer, doctor, etc. The second-wave definitely did their job fighting for equality for us women to prove our worth just as much as men, but they overlooked that women can still be taken seriously while being feminine. They always thought that the only way to make their point was to reject anything Barbie or pink. So then what could girls be? When I was younger, I played with hot wheels. Did that mean I wasn’t a girl? But now that I’m into fashion and have close bonds with my girl-friends, does that mean I don’t care about women’s equality or my self-empowerment?

 

Sex and the City is a great example of third-wave feminism. Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Samantha Jones, and Miranda Hobbes are a group of women living in New York city with social issues of sexuality, femininity, promiscuity. Carrie, the narrator, writes a column in the New York Star each week about sex and feminism. She’s care-free, loves sex, and most importantly loves her shoes. Charlotte works in an art gallery and is considered to be a perfectionist in the East Side. She always dreamed of the perfect marriage with her prince charming. Samantha, oldest of the four, is a business woman in the PR field. She’s always been confident with her sexuality, and is very outspoken. Lastly, Miranda is a lawyer who is indifferent with relationships. Her main concern was men thinking she was too intimidating because of her job. She always thought men wanted a woman who wasn’t as smart as they were. These women remind me of third-wave feminism because of who they are. They all have the “girlie” trait, but are each powerful, successful women who do love sex and men. I believe third-wave is considered fierce, fun, and powerful. That’s exactly what all four of these women are. Each episode talks about Carrie asking herself, what is it that men want from women? Are women too feminine? Not feminine enough?

http://www.bustle.com/articles/106952-7-sex-and-the-city-lessons-about-feminine-empowerment-fashion

Above I attached a link to an article called, “7 ‘Sex and the City’ Lessons About Feminine Empowerment & Fashion.” These 7 lessons are exactly what third-wave feminism is about.

1. You can love fashion and still be an empowered individual, be proud of your career and don’t compromise it for anyone.

2. Infertility and abortions are a part of life and they deserve discussion.

3. Masturbating: a thing everyone does and not a source of shame.

4. And it is perfectly ok to be a sexually active single woman.

5. Your feelings are important.

6. Prioritizing your relationship with yourself over your relationship with others.

The first lesson has to do with Carrie because of her die-hard love for fashion and hard-working ethic for her blog. The second lesson is about Miranda being too scared to date men because of her intimidating job. The third is about Charlotte being comfortable enough to talk about something intimately with her husband that he feels doesn’t need to be discussed. The fourth is about Samantha because of her non-relationship sex only life. The fifth, sixth, and seventh are about all four women. These lessons should make every woman feel comfortable if that’s who they are because that’s exactly what third-wave feminism is about. Being comfortable with who you are. According to Baumgardner and Richard, “Third-wave goal is to present a range from which feminists can feel comfortable to express themselves.”

In Baumgardner and Richard’s reading, according to the second wave, “Girls might have the potential to be powerful, but girl things assuredly do not.” I highly disagree with that. With what I’ve stated above, I find those four women empowering because they love “girl things” and know how to be independent and hard-working. I think the “girl things” are what make them specifically powerful because they prove they can do both. Now I’m not saying that only girlie things make women powerful. What I’m saying is that people look at the girlie things as a negative when in reality, women can express themselves however they want and still be just as powerful. There’s nothing wrong with women being a feminine business woman or a feminine lawyer, like Miranda for example. Being powerful is important to women, but being powerful while also “loving the color pink” is even more important to women.

Women like Michelle Obama, Oprah, Beyonce, Hillary Clinton, etc. are all powerful women who are completely different, yet have the same beliefs for women’s rights and equality. Some may say it’s people that have money that can be powerful, but I disagree. When I think of someone like my mother, I think of her as the most powerful woman I know. A single mom who was pregnant as a teenager, who works hard in order for me to live a great life and get a good education, while also teaching me that I can be whoever I want to be no matter what anyone says and dress however I want to dress. That’s what empowerment is. Working hard to be successful for yourself and the ones you love while embracing your femininity if you choose to. The third-wave is an evolution of feminism that is developing from previous generations and today it gives women the opportunity to be who they want to be, do what they want to do, and wear what they want to wear.

References: 

Feminism and Femininity: Or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Loving the Thong by Jennifer Baumgardener and Amy Richards

Zulch, Meg. "7 'Sex and the City' Lessons About Feminine Empowerment & Fashion." Bustle. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.