coat: H&M - sweater, shirt: Zara - pants: River Island - boots: ASOS
A cold and dreary morning, an early exam and getting ready while it's still pitch black dark outside -> this hyperbright outfit. I usually prefer more harmonious colorcombos but well ya know ugh this is an outfit I'LL WEAR WHAT I FEEL LIKE WEARING GOSH (high five if you get the Napoleon Dynamite reference!)
I just had my last exam today, so now it's time to unwind a bit and prepare for my dissertation. Exciting times! On one hand I can't wait to lose myself in the writing and researching, but on the other hand I'm nervous. I really want to create something awesome you know, contribute something to the world... What if I get stuck? I'll totally get stuck. WILL I GET STUCK?
PS: guys I have a question I'd like to ask all of you. I've noticed a lot of people recoiling when I mention my feminism, and I was wondering why that is. So all of my readers, please leave a comment, tweet/mail me or contact me via tumblr answering the following question:
Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why (not)?
Please be as thorough as possible, that way I can adress some of the misunderstandings that seem to be floating around. I'll address this in detail this weekend after I've gathered some response!
yep when you are doing research you will get stuck! but i loved every single minute of it!
ReplyDeleteholy smokes, lady. You look awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat's hell a lot of color, girl! But it still looks good. Have the same thing with my dissertation :(
ReplyDeleteooh zalig outfit!!! en over je vraag heb ik nog niet echt nagedacht dus I'll let you know als ik er wat heb over nagedacht :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE this outfit and congrats on finishing your exams! And don't worry, you won't get stuck with your paper!
ReplyDeleteHmm...as for feminism, I'd say I am a feminist but I don't really talk about it all that much, because no one ever brings it up. I'm actually in a field that is dominated by men, so to be a woman doing web design is interesting. Some people think you can't do it because you're a woman and others don't even notice XD
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/
Om eerlijk te zijn, weet ik eigenlijk niet goed wat feminisme nu echt is. Wat ik wel weet is dat ik een voorstander ben van gelijke lonen voor gelijk werk, gelijk behandeld worden, en waar ik al helemaal onnozel van word is dat vrouwen nog steeds sletten kunnen zijn, maar er over mannen nog geen woord gerept wordt wanneer zij zich net als een vrouwelijke 'slet' gedragen. Hoewel daar in mijn omgeving al verandering in begint te komen, joehoe! Dus als dit gelijk staat aan feminisme, dan ben ik een feminist. Maar het is niet zo dat ik er bewust mee bezig ben. Als ik jouw posts lees herken ik wat je allemaal schrijft, maar ik ben er niet zo vaak mee bezig als jou denk ik. Zelf heb ik niets van die misverstanden gemerkt, maar blijf vooral zo'n posts schrijven! Ik vind het zeer interessant om te lezen want het zet mij tot nadenken en dat vind ik wel leuk :).
ReplyDeleteYes obviously, I consider myself a feminist and most people are feminist, whether they 'call' themselves it or not. It merely means that you are in favor of equal political, economic, and social rights for women. MEANING: Not putting women/men on a pedestal, not putting women/men down, not saying women are worth more than men, it simply means that everyone should be equal (as we are), whatever sex/gender we may be. No wage gaps, no thinking that women should be at home more than men because they happen to have a uterus, no saying 'shut up bitch get back to the kitchen AMMIRIGHT? HIGH FIVE!' and please no more people who go 'Yeah... I'm not sure if I should call myself feminist because someone told me they're all lesbians who don't shave their armpits and stand on their heads every third sunday of april'. Sorry for the rant, I'm just really over perfectly sensible, smart people who could contribute to this cause going all ignorant on my ass. Yes, you will come across ignorant people but the whole idea is to raise awareness so more people get behind the cause, no? There might be some assholes among the ignorant people but there are also plenty of not-so-ignorant people who just maybe never thought of it that particular way. It's a bit like atheism (skepticism in general really) in that way, a lot of people don't question what goes on around them until someone calls onto their brainz and they suddenly go '.... waaaait a second, this doesn't make any sense.' and realise that it's actually an option to question all things, whether it's their particular belief in something or someone or the way men or women are treated in our society. That is where education and critical thinking kicks in. I strongly believe that if you teach people to think critically and question things they might not question in the first place you'll have a lot less sheeple, people thinking a certain way simply because they were born in a certain family or a certain country. The only arguments I have heard against being feminist are douchey ones like 'nah, I don't think women are worth more than men (WE DON'T EITHER)', 'yeah right, want equal rights? We'll draft you when war comes around the corner, see how you like that! ' a la 'with great power comes great responsibility, girls!' and 'oh boohoo, don't you have anything else to whine about, WOMAN?!' . Seriously, I haven't seen ONE good reason to not be a feminist because those arguments come from misinformation. There is no good reason to not be for complete equal rights. And a great outfit!
ReplyDeleteIk zie mezelf niet als feminist, maar als er iets is waar ik een grondige hekel aan heb gekregen, is het vrouwhatende vrouwen. Van die types die denken dat ze cool zijn omdat ze beter met jongens opschieten en liever niet geassocieerd worden met shoppende, gillende, make-up smerende meisje-meisjes. Als puber dacht ik zo, maar tegenwoordig vind ik het super leuk om samen naar de wc te lopen en lipstick smeren en giechelen. Vrouwen die zulke verzustering niet kennen weten niet wat ze missen.
ReplyDeleteEn om nog maar te zwijgen van de schoonheidsregels die we onszelf opleggen, een haarloos lichaam vanaf je neus naar beneden, van een huidplooi op je knie een drama maken, o wee als er een zweetdruppeltje te bespeuren valt, zelfs als het 30° is kent men geen genade. En mijn grootste pet peeve: "Mannen houden van échte vrouwen met rondingen".
Zelfs in onze "vooruitstrevende" samenleving anno 2012 wordt er tegenover vrouwen gediscrimineerd door mannen, en door zo onderling te concurreren laten we ons in mijn mening alleen kennen.
Enneh, je outfit is awesome haha! Zo vrolijk op een saaie grijze dag!
waarom zie je jezelf dan niet als feminist?? Je hebt precies dezelfde standpunten als ik! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm a feminist. I actually love your feminist posts. Personally, I think feminism has got something of a bad reputation, with certain people man-hating and slut-shaming and body policing and calling it feminism. I knew a lot of girls at uni who described themselves as feminist, but would then merrily discuss how some girl in the bar was 'too fat for that skirt' or bitch about a girl making a pass at a guy in an obvious corner.
ReplyDeleteYour brand of feminism is much more real, at least to me. Your attitude has always struck me as seeing feminism the way I do. About choice. Respecting others choices, even if you don't perhaps agree with them.
yesssss I agree 100%. People just don't like being associated with the term because it sounds so.. Extremist? It's so silly that feminism and the beautiful idea it stands for (i.e. gender should not be a defining characteristic in social order - SO EXTREMIST) are being put in the corner because for some reason it has started to become marginalized. I wonder what changed after the nineties, because back then it was totally normal for girls and women to identify as feminists whereas the title carries a stigma with it nowadays. I blame it all on hip hop. And SATC.
ReplyDeleteLol no but seriously I wish I knew why and how this shift in opinions came about. Maybe it hasn't got anything to do with feminism but rather with people not wanting to confine themselves to certain political standpoints anymore. Relativism and postmodernism to the max!
bedankt voor je mening! Ik kom er zeker nog op terug in mijn post volgend weekend! :D
ReplyDeleteI don't recoil, but I don't always comment either. Some of the feminism stuff I take as given, some of it I think needs to be said, some of it... I'm more interested in other stuff, like the class and rich/poor divide. But to each their own!
ReplyDeleteI totally get that though! I mean to me feminism is majorly important but I get that not everyone feels like they need to talk about it all the time, or even that they aren't THAT pissed off about certain attributes of society. However, to me you don't need to be an activist to be considered a feminist, it's more about your views and opinions than about what you devote your life too. So I would still consider you a feminist! And I love that you are into politics. So am I, even though I hate political parties and the game to gain more power. Lesigh.
ReplyDeletelove your comment :) thanks so much! feminism is so easy and logical in my mind: freedom and respect for each individual, basically!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED that color combo soooo much!
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a feminist, because I believe women should have the right to the same opportunities as men
Giveaway – Fox House voucher!
My Fashion Insider
and yes, it is as simple as that! :D
ReplyDeleteI looove when you mention your feminism! People don't talk about it, a lot of times in fashion especially. It's something that affects everyone whether they're aware of it or not. I took a womens studies class this past term and absolutely loved it. We all have such interesting experiences and it's such an important stubject, women are amazing and completely capable of doing anything and should have the same rights as men. And the woman on woman hate that goes on makes me mad and is moving us further away from what we really need!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I looove this oufit, these colours are amazing and cheerful and gorgeous. Definitely a fun look
xJennaD
Ik weet het niet, misschien ben ik inderdaad wel feminist dan haha. De term klinkt zoals je hierboven in een reactie al zei nogal extremistisch, alsof ik per direct al mijn (gevulde!!1! oh the irony) bh's ga verbranden en mijn okselhaar laat staan.
ReplyDeleteEn je comment over SATC - inderdaad! Kan samen met de Flair in de pseudo-feministische borderline anti-feministische prullenbak. Want wat leert men ons? Mooie kleertjes, leuk make-upje en fijne vriendinnetjes zijn super fijn maar uiteindelijk zitten we allemaal uit een bak ijs te eten als we geen vent vinden om ons de goedkeuring te geven die beide media ons doen geloven dat we nodig hebben. Boee!!
ok so there's this horrible misperception that being a feminist means hating men... I suppose the word doesn't really help and "gender equalist" would be better BUT the inequality isn't against men, it's women who consistently make less, and a whole slew of other bs, but that doesn't feminists do or should hate men, in fact, I know a lot of men who I'd call feminists but they wouldn't necessary call themselves that since we also think only women can be feminists. But anyway, basically we just need to all work together for equal rights for all people, all races, and all genders and work together to go against society that's not supporting these issues and not worry about terms and labels. Hmm well that's all my two cents : )
ReplyDeleteLike all the colors you wore here too btw.
http://dusanabotswana.com
I'm sure you'll do great on your dissertation you smartypants!
ReplyDeleteI think I am a bit of a feminist, of course I think that women should have the same rights as men and I'll speak up whenever I feel like someone is not being treated right or as an equal.
ooh pretty pants, I like :)
ReplyDeleteWel ik heb net heel de vrouwenemancipatie geleerd, en ik begrijp waaruit al dit onrecht is ontstaan en wat er allemaal bereikt is. Maar ondanks dat allemaal vind ik nog wel dat er burgerlijk onrecht is.. Mensen willen ons wel als gelijken zien, maar er worden nog altijd mannen sneller aangenomen voor een hogere & verantwoordelijke functie dan vrouwen. Zeker bij de kwetsbare groepen zie je dit nog veel feller. Dus ik sta wel op mijn strepen als het om zo'n onrecht gaat.
Door mijn studies ben ik er ook bewuster mee omgaan, maar ik voel me toch wel feminist in een niet al te extreme vorm :) Ik wist niet dat er zo'n commotie rond gemaakt werd op blogs? Uiteindelijk weten maar weinig mensen hoe de vlaamse vrouwen beweging noemt en welke punten er vorig jaar naar voor werden gebracht op wereldvrouwendag ;) waarom een goeie blogger afkraken voor haar tekst.. hihi x
ik zou de serie ook eerder relatief realistisch (behalve het deel waar iedereen miljonair lijkt te zijn daar in new york) dan idealistisch feministisch noemen, want veel vrouwen willen nu eenmaal die zekerheid van een vent enz. Maar SATC lijkt quasi 100% om seks en geld te draaien, en dat maakt feminisme zo... individualistisch en opportunistisch, in het geval van de hoofdpersonages, ipv iets moois dat draait om respect en vrijheid.
ReplyDeleteEN IK DRAAG OOK GEVULDE BH'S HOOR :-D en ik heb geen okselhaar, ookal denk ik wel eens dat ik mezelf ooit wel eens met okselhaar zou willen zien aangezien ik het al afdoe van voor ik het echt had :-D gewoon for the lulz! :D
nee ik bedoel vooral algemeen, in mijn sociale interactie met mensen stuit ik ALTIJD op onbegrip en lacherige reacties als ik over feminisme begin, terwijl ik feminisme als ingesteldheid veel evidenter en minder extreem vind dan bijv liberalisme, wat helemaal niet zo'n vieze bijklank heeft. Dus neem ik het op mij om awareness te raisen, nu ik dan toch zo'n blog heb waarmee ik veel meisjes en vrouwen bereik! :-D feminisme 101! Ik denk dat feminisme lijdt onder het liberale gedachtegoed (meritocracy en individualisme) waardoor de beweging als zielig en verbrokkeld wordt beschouwd.
ReplyDeleteEn ik hou me minder bezig met de financiele kant vd zaken (die vind ik zo evident dat ik denk dat iedereen wel weet wat daar ong speelt) dan met de sociale kant. ZO veel mensen hebben bijv niet door dat girl hate super onfeministisch is, en slutshaming bijv is ook echt omnipresent in onze samenleving. Van die kleine dingen die iedereen doet vormen je echt als meisje/vrouw, en daar zou ik graag iets aan doen. Bewustwording enzo.
Dear Annebeth, I think you'd like this tutorial:
ReplyDeletedid you try hair coloring with chalk?? I just saw this great idea, easy and you can wash out just like ABC:) http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/01/chalk-it-up/
fashionandmargarita.blogspot.xom
yeah I read about it! so sweet of you to think of me, it's an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a feminist. There is this notion people have of a feminist that I think is kind of the negative man hating crazy lady who doesn't shave her legs. But a feminist to me is someone who wants equality for BOTH genders. Have you ever read UnderbaraClara? Her blog is fantastic. She is a homemaker and a blogger, a wife and a mother and she always writes about sharing the housework and caring for her child equally with her husband and how her choices are hers to make. Its very interesting because to me that is feminism. When you write about it, I like it, I don't recoil!!
ReplyDeleteHell, yes. Because I'll never forget how people in the streets would always turn to my much taller and male friend when asking directions or train information, while actually I was the one who could help them. Because when you're a smart girl you'll be called a little miss know-it-all (remember Hermione), while a boy is just living up to his potential (remember Cedric). Because when you're writing poetry as a girl, it's just a girly phase 'every girl' goes through, while a boy will be considered a real poet more easily. I don't want to over-generalise, but these are some experiences I had to cope with more than once, which makes me believe, to a certain extent, feminism is still needed and, yes, I will gladly take up the cause with them.
ReplyDeleteoooh thanks for the tip, I'll check it out asap!
ReplyDeleteyes yes yes and yes!!
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think of myself as a feminist, but I absolutely am. I think a lot of people - well, women, unfortunately - refrain from calling themselves feminists because they somehow feel that it defines a certain type of person - kind of hairy, no sense of style whatsoever, always bitching about gender stereotypes. As if being a feminist means you're no longer allowed to like chick lit or nail polish or dumb blonde jokes. It always pisses me of when women around me diss feminism. If you don't see what the feminist activists of the past centuries accomplished, then maybe you should consider giving up the small privileges they fought for. You know, silly stuff, like education, equal pay (ahum), maternity leave, and I don't know, the right to vote? To divorce? To OWN things? We already have a lot to be thankful for, but I don't think this renders feminism redundant. We still have to deal with glass ceilings, discrimination, sexual harassment, ... on a daily basis. Feminism still has a big role to play in our culture when it comes to gender attitudes.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it drives me crazy when women proudly call themselves a feminist simply because they refuse to shave their legs. Sure, gender stereotyping is related to body issues and certain aesthetic expectations, but cherishing leg hair does not one feminist make.
I also agree with Emily, by the way. I think it's impossible to call yourself a feminist and not pay any attention to the rights of women thousands of miles away. And I'm not just talking about 'omg can you believe Saudi women aren't allowed to drive', I'm talking about systematic economical abuse and injustice. Feminism is entangled with equal rights for all people, not just women. Maybe that is my main objection to mainstream feminism: it's much too focused on women. I'm more interested in gender studies in general: relations, power, dominance, ...
On another note: '... and realise that it's actually an option to question all things, whether it's their particular belief in something or someone or the way men or women are treated in our society.' YES! I couldn't agree more. The value of feminism is exactly that: making people question their attitudes and conceptual frameworks. I think that's the holy duty of every human science, to be honest.
Anyway, I love that you write about these things. I follow quite a lot of style blogs, but the ones I enjoy most are the ones challenging me, be it with art, design, language, science, opinions, ... So yay for your feminist bits!
I don't think there is such a thing as mainstream feminism really, there is only a reputation of feminism, the social construct of feminism. If one would educate themselves on the main ideas behind feminism, I don't think more than maybe 5% of all people would say they WEREN'T feminists. I don't see how you distinguish gender studies from feminism: gender studies is a direct product of feminism, as feminism ALSO fights for gay rights for example. It is rooted in women's issues but concerns everything gender-power related.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever heard anyone call themselves a feminist just because they don't shave their legs, but feminism's stance on the deal is that leg hair is your own deal, and people shouldn't be told how to maintain their body hair. Which is another point any person in their right mind would probably say is right to make, but people are too lazy or too socialized by society's standards to actually support those kinds of "subversive" ideas in their day to day life, f.e. by not shaming other people for their appearance.
To me, feminism is basically about being a good person that doesn't put other people down based on prejudice or irrelevant characteristics. And yes, this is a global problem, so injustice elsewhere in the world concerns me as well. However, my power to actually do something about that is limited, while I can absolutely influence the people around me in my own culture, so I'm focusing on that :)
I started typing a long reply, but hit the wrong button (damn you pinky finger!) and deleted all of it. Anyway, I think it's admirable that you are enlightening all of us about feminism. I have to say, ever since reading that discussion on skimpy dressed Vegas girls, I'm a lot more conscious of the things I say about other people in general. Almost like when I read Siddhartha and decided to be more zen. You're a total guru in the making! ^^
ReplyDeleteI also consider myself a feminist despite the sort of 'extremist' tinge it carries, which i don't really consider to be something extremist at all. For me the word just expresses somethng like 'equality' if you get what i mean. I guess I've been influenced by the books I read and the sort of 'a room of one's own'-line of thought from Woolf and all those gender studies/papers in Literature classes.
ReplyDeleteBut when I really started to feeeeel as a feminist was where I used to work, I could clearly see they deemed me as 'less' just because I was a *young woman* teaching older people than me and that made me feel pissed off. Adults, especially men, got this thing that they did not like that I knew more than them, that I was 'smart' and independent. Weird. Talking about being in a 'postmodern world'. Feminism is not over, not for me. And it is hard to understand for me when other girls don't think themselves as feminist, it is like they are being sexist with their own gender lol ahaha anyway
a lot of people recoil when they hear that, it is almost like a taboo word, I guess it must have been the sexist at work that made the word carry a negative connotation.
cheers annebeth for creating this kind of discussion :)
comment of the month! I'm deeply touched! :D
ReplyDeleteYes, I totally consider myself a feminist. And it's one of the main reasons why I enjoy reading your blog so much. So many of these fashion blogs just post a look every day with the same boring, generic three lines about "their day" or "their outfit". I mean, sure that's fun to look at from time to time but read: hell no! I want people to have opinions and their OWN opinions. And I want them to be genuine. Like you've brought up before: so often everything looks staged and fake and perfect. I want to see real people! And you're just that kind of person!
ReplyDeleteFor me, feminism wasn't something I thought about much but I can be pretty/very defensive towards boys/men (yeah not finding a bf very easily) and sometimes people would say things like "so I guess you're a feminist huh?" in the kind of annoying manner you might imagine ("ugh feminism why is that still necessary, it's just frustrated women bahaha"). Then a couple of years ago I found about the riot grrrl movement and since I'm a huge music enthusiast that really, really spoke to me. So many parts of the world are still incredibly sexist / discriminating.
I, for example, would love to work in the music industry. Sadly enough there aren't many kick-ass women out there doing it out of passion. Most women I've met seem to be doing bland, boring administrative jobs. Whenever I meet someone that does it out of passion and genuinely has knowledge I get so inspired! I really wish there were more people like that everywhere in the world, in all departments (not sure how to say this in English correctly).
So often people say feminism is no longer necessary cause they seem to think of some extreme movement from the past whilst it just means EQUAL RIGHTS (like it's been stated several times in the comments here). I think all women could be as inspired by feminism as we are if they'd just read up on it.
Sigh. Rant over. But hey, I like to look at the positive side of life and the fact that you're teaching your readers about feminism is AWESOME!
My first real understanding of what feminism stood for was when I saw Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich when I was 15 years old. She was slut shammed and not taken seriously (because she was a woman) and she ended up doing so much good for her community. It was at that point when I realized that women are taken advantage of and mocked for their appearances. It infuriates me. For example, today I had a book laying out on my desk at work (Our Lady of the Forest...good book) and a customer made mention of me reading a "chick" book. I could've slapped him right then and there, but he was a customer and a lawyer too. I just said, "no, it's about a young runaway girl who ends up believing that she's seen the virgin Mary". To which he interrupted, "yeah, it's a girl book". These types of experiences are what make me believe that feminism still has a long way to go. That women need to preserver in order to be seen as equals.
ReplyDeleteKeep the feminist posts coming! I enjoy reading about your ideas and opinions and love how they get me to thinking. I generally share your point of view, but don't always comment...
ReplyDeleteLovely outfit! I adore the colorblocking - and I am now coveting those trousers. :) Good luck with your dissertation - it sounds tough, but you're such a wonderful writing (if your blog posts are any indication) ;D
ReplyDeleteI personally love that you mention your feminism in your posts - it really is something that's not talked about that often (especially in the fashion blogging community). I consider myself to be a moderate feminist, since I see feminism (like other schools of thought), to have a wide scale of beliefs. While I think that equal rights for women is something that we should definitely strive to achieve, it's also hard to actively fight against the social norms (historical and cultural) that are put upon us. There's definitely a tricky balance to maintain. I choose to try to maintain this balance, by doing things that girls are expected to do: embracing fashion, reading chick-lit, watching romantic comedies, etc. - while still remaining conscious about the history of women, and reflecting upon about why some of these social norms are in place. (Though I still get reprimanded for 'thinking too much' =____= )
However, the sad thing is that I think nowadays, alot of people are just apathetic - and when they show signs of caring, they see how 'feminists' are depicted in the media and how they are mocked in real life - and then they may come to the conclusion that its better to follow the norms that are pushed upon us.
I don't know if my jumbled thoughts make any sense, haha.
-Evelina
effervescentevelina.blogspot.com
I definitely consider myself a feminist. Equality is awesome! I get that the 'crazy militant feminist' idea has given the word something of a bad association, but so many people who are feminists are totally reasonable and level-headed people, it's just that the more extremist people can often be a little louder.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like when you post about feminist issues on your blog; it's always interesting to read and I like it when a blog post makes me actually stop and think about something serious. :)
zou heel graag reageren maar eerlijk gezegd, krijg ik mijn reactie nooit neergepend. ik kan me gewoon beter verbaal uitdrukken als het snel moet gaan!
ReplyDeleteoh lord, I would NOT have your self control in a moment like that, I would tell him off for sure. Not necessarily the best option at all times (like the one you just mentioned) but I can't help myself :( oh well it has its upsides and its downsides I guess. Maturity has brought me SOME self control :D
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a feminist without even one blink of an eye. I think I always have as well. I'm the youngest of three, and both my older sister and my mother have been quiet pillars of feminism in my life. My mom didn't change her name when she got married and has had to (and still does) put up with a lot because of it. And through my sister I feel like my own particular blend of feminist belief was learned through osmosis.
ReplyDeleteI guess if I were to compare myself to the different schools of feminist thought, I would probably fall under the second wave banner, although I don't feel particularly lost in 60s nostalgia because of it. For me, everyone is just a person. Men are persons, women are persons, and those in between are persons too. I think this is the basis for equality. However, I realise that this definition will fall short in traditional spheres if not everyone adheres to it. Which is where my struggle comes in: I'm going to fight for everyone to be equal persons with no one gender or orientation able to trump another. I'm also a firm believer in gender being a construct, with rules and demarcations that we can either chose to adhere to or chose to ignore. Or make up your own in between! Because it is a choice, no one person's can be more or less correct than any others'.
I once saw a slogan that read "Feminine is not Anti-Feminist" which I'm a big fan of as well. Because, as above, a person can chose to be as "feminine" or "masculine" or whatever else, and this won't make them any less valid as persons. I think the trouble that some people have with the label of feminist is when they feel attacked by people who identify as such. In most cases that I've come up against when I feel as if someone is being sexist, it's usually a case of not being educated about the harm that their words and actions could be causing. I think it's important for feminists to explain their thoughts with such a person, and 9 times out of 10 the offending person will see how they can amend what they're saying or doing. But attacking said person outright, and failing to reach out to and educate them, is where you'll find the crucible of the stereotype of the man-hating, bitchy feminist. Which, again, I think would be the hallmark of an unpleasant PERSON, not feminists as a whole.
I'd like to thank you for putting this question out to us! I'm excited to read through the comments and see what your conclusions on Saturday will be. This is why yours has become one of my favourite blogs so quickly: this is a smart blog run by a smart lady with smart readers. And it can be all of those things whilst still celebrating fashion and femininity. Keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Lina from Canada
I agree 100%. LIKE!
ReplyDeleteIk zou mezelf als feminist beschouwen als het over gelijke behandeling, rechten enz. van vrouwen gaat. Maar ik ga nu niet beginnen mijn bh te verbranden ofzo :) Moeilijk om hierover een gefundeerde mening te geven, I blame the exams for my lack of creativity :D
ReplyDeleteIvm feminisme: het zijn de vrouwen zelf die elkaar tegenwerken.
ReplyDeleteZo hebben mijn schoonzus en schoonmoeder als enige waardebapling voor het feit dat ik al of niet geschikt ben voor mijn vriend dat ik niet direct een maat 36 ben. De jongen straalt nochtans van geluk maar misschien is het zelfs dat juist wat ze je niet gunnen.
De kracht van mannen zit in het feit dat ze weten hoe ze elkaar naar boven moeten werken ipv van elkaar te boycotten.
Feminisme vraagt een zekere mate van solidariteit tussen seksegenoten die zo goed als onbestaande is.
hum. Laat me hier in delen op antwoorden.
ReplyDelete1) denk je echt dat het aangeboren is bij meisjes om elkaar naar beneden te halen en te haten?
2) denk je niet dat feminisme ook juist dat soort girl hate onder elkaar probeert aan te kaarten?
3) denk je ECHT dat mannen elkaar alleen maar stimuleren ipv de rivaliteit ten top te drijven met soms negatieve gevolgen?
Je reactie is nogal zwart wit, maar ik snap het wel want de situatie waar hij op gegrond is is natuurlijk fucking irritant en kwetsend. Maar het is ontzettend seksistisch en kortzichtig om de situatie puur aan het geslacht van je schoonzus en -moeder te wijten, ik ken even goed mannen die grove uitspraken doen over alles wat niet in de P-magazine zou kunnen staan. Het probleem is hier vooral een MAATSCHAPPELIJKE consensus mbt het voornaamste nut van vrouwen: aantrekkelijk zijn voor mannen. Daar zijn ook al de triljoenen restylingprogramma's op gebaseerd, en het lachen met voorbijgangers die zich fout kleden enzovoort. Compleet belachelijk, want wie zegt dat iedere vrouw als LEVENSDOEL heeft er altijd zo aantrekkelijk mogelijk uit te zien? Talk about iemands potentieel beknotten.
http://thisrecording.com/today/2011/2/22/in-which-we-teach-you-how-to-be-a-woman-in-any-boys-club.html
je moet dit eens lezen, gaat mss wel over een professionele context maar je kan het toepassen op het HELE cliché van "vrouwen onder elkaar is enkel gezeik".
I don't consider myself a feminist, but I'm friends with many people - men and women - who consider themselves feminists or at least friendly to the feminist cause. Personally - and this is just my opinion - I think that the biggest hurdle is feminism's longtime bad image. You know, femi-nazis, women who pretended to be lesbians, man-hate... all the extreme stuff that gets all the bad press. Clearly, since I'm friends with feminists, I know for a fact ya'll aren't all like that haha, but I really do believe that's the biggest reason people are so offput by feminism. It just brings about this man-hating holier-than-man womyn-not-women mindset that just really turns a lot of people off, even if it's not all true. (And, as much as I think feminism is a good thing, I really do think spelling words to remove 'men' from them is infantile and silly, how is that AT ALL about equality? It's just a word, chill.)
ReplyDeleteI don't do it personally and I understand that it can come across very in your face and extreme, however, I do understand it's underlying idea and I can get behind it: language is an instrument of power, but it appears completely neutral. By going over the line by changing the rules and thus making explicit certain silent realities, you are raising awareness. F.e. saying "the gay athlete" or "the female politician", you are saying that those are deviating from the norm -> less than the norm. Womyn as a word comes from that train of thought: setting new rules to be freed from implicit othering.
ReplyDeleteDie kleuren staan je super, en passen mooi bij elkaar. Ben vooral fan van de broek!x
ReplyDeleteHi Annebeth,
ReplyDeleteSuper dat je dit ter sprake brengt. Ik ben zelf werkzaam bij een socio-culturele vrouwenorganisatie en voorzitster van een allochtone vrouwenorganisatie in mijn vrije tijd. Ik wou voornamelijk in deze sector werken omdat mijn moeder heel lang activiste geweest is op het vlak van vrouwenrechten. Ik vind mezelf wel een feministe alhoewel ik er soms ook lekker van gebruik maak dat ik een vrouw ben. Ik ben voor gelijke rechten tussen man en vrouw, ook al betekent dat niet dat je gelijk bent. Als vrouw heb je nu eenmaal andere eigenschappen en kwaliteiten dan een man en ik vind ook dat je dat extra in de verf mag zetten of daarvan gebruik mag maken wanneer het nodig is, mannen doen dit immers ook. Zo vind ik het helemaal niet erg als mijn vriend de deur openhoudt of als hij voorsteld me ergens naar toe te brengen.. Ik vind het wel een noodzaak dat mannen en vrouwen op dezelfde manier beoordeeld worden door de maatschappij, met name wanneer het aankomt op loon of gedrag. Wat voor een man door de beugel kan, moet voor een vrouw ook kunnen.
Op het werk zijn we eigenlijk een beetje in slaap gevallen. We coördineren hier eigenlijk vrouwenverenigingen van Vlaamse vrouwen ( zelforganisaties) maar ik heb het gevoel dat zij niet meer weten waarom ze zich willen verenigen en versterken. Vaak gaat het om het verenigen an sich en wordt daar geen ander " hoger" doel meer aan vastgeplakt. Dus dan vind ik onze opzet wat voorbijgestreefd. Bij allochtone vrouwen zie je veel meer dat ze nog echt vooruit moeten komen en ook willen komen in deze maatschappij dus dat dit het doel van verenigen en versterken is.
Anyhow,
Je hebt me geïnspireerd dus ik ga nu per mail eens vragen aan onze leden waarom ze in de eerste plaats een vrouwenvereniging hebben opgericht en wat hun vieuw is op feminisme en of daar al dan niet nog ruimte voor is in deze maatschappij voor de moderne vrouw van vandaag.
Indien ik respons krijg waar je iets mee bent post ik het hier wel :)
Groetjes,
Maureen
super, een insider! :-D en ik kijk uit naar het antwoord, soms is het belangrijk om mensen na te doen denken over wat ze nu eigenlijk drijft.
ReplyDeleteEnige zaak waar ik een probleem mee heb in je betoog is dat punt over verschillen tussen vrouw en man: uiteraard verschillen individuen van elkaar en kan je alle mannen en vrouwen niet zomaar gelijkschakelen, maar ik vind het simpelweg nergens op slaan dat de maatschappij mensen opdeelt in "mannen" enerzijds en "vrouwen" enerzijds. Ik verschil evenveel van bepaalde vrouwen als van bepaalde mannen, en ik ken zowel "vrouwelijke" mannen en "mannelijke" vrouwen die zich precies door die zwart witte tweedeling niet goed in hun vel voelen zitten, terwijl er gewoon een spectrum is aan invullingen van gender natuurlijk. Niet x of y maar een heel alfabet, so to speak :-D Ik zou dus graag hebben dat men in het algemeen eerder sprak over verschillen op het niveau vh individu dan op het niveau van geslacht, want in 99% van de gevallen is geslacht helemaal niet (of niet de enige) determinerende factor.