Brennan 1

Michael Brennan
Steven Hall
English 1010

April 30, y
The Shadow of Feminism
The issue of feminism, while not new by any means, is certainly one that is
becoming increasingly significant as the years progress through the 21st Century. The
power of the movement is becoming more noticeable as more and more people stand in
support of it. However, despite both men and women in support of gender equality,
Feminism is still encountering resistance. That resistance is as old as Feminism itself;
but, is not actually the greatest problem Feminism is facing.
Traditional Gender Roles conform to genetic limitations, and those roles defined
the duties of each member of the family. The development of gender roles was
necessary for survival no longer than 100 years ago. However, the development of
technology should have redefined the image of a family; but, it didnt. Technology
redefined the economy first, and now family development is catching up. (Reich) While
the economy was shifting, there were many attempts, by women, to see gender roles
keep the pace. (Boucher) One thing stood in the way of their success, and by no means
but coincidence.
Communism, an idea that has been distorted and manipulated in countless ways
within this last Century. Communism is perhaps the most immediately recognizable
political term among the general population. Unfortunately this term is immediately

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recognized as bad, and non-American. It would go without saying that anything
associated with communism would receive immediate rejection. Political media and
politicians often use the term Communist to slander the credibility of an opponent.
While it is the most recognizable term, it is also the most misunderstood and misused
terminology in political history.
The effect that image has had on Feminism is permanent. The earliest Feminist
writers openly associated themselves with the communist party. (Boucher) At the same
time, America was butting heads with the Soviet Union in a confrontation known as the
Cold War. Despite the lack of tangible aggression between the Communist and the
Capitalist Nation, the amount of propaganda used to fuel disdain between them left a
scar. The history of the Cold War is taught in schools; but, there is a lack of
consideration for the political ideology of Communism. The Cold War has ended; but,
few steps have been taken to correct the propaganda against Communism. Instead, we
are left with slander and ignorance, much like the website commieblaster.com.
The Shadow of Feminism that hurts it so much is slander and ignorance. Those
ideals are pinning down true progress. If the Cold War didnt happen its likely our
economy would not be where it is today, and its possible that our gender roles would
more closely align with the demands of the individual sexes within a family. Communism
may not have been given so much animosity, which would have opened the way for
Feminist ideas to spread more freely. It is important to note that Feminism is actually
less similar to Communism than some more openly accepted policies like Foodstamps.

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Communism focuses on an idea where everybody does work and receives no
pay, but gets everything they need. Socialism focuses on an idea where everybody
does work and receives equal pay, and decides for themselves how to acquire the
things they need. In that regard, Feminism is more socialist in nature. However,
Socialism is no friend of Capitalist America either. That basic misunderstanding can
shine the light on many groundless arguments against gender equality. The economic
part of Feminism is very important; but, only highlights a very small section of what
Feminism is, and why its fighting so hard.
Today Tumblr seems to act as a gateway for individuals of all ages to express
their experience with gender oppression. i need feminism because people still ask what
the victim was wearing. (Tumblr, 3/20/15) These messages number more than 4,000;
and, that is just the count for women who want to talk publicly about their experience.
Some share their personal experiences, and others share their experience of observing
others receive abuse. i need feminism because i want to talk about my mental illnesses
without getting called a mangina or a pussy; i need feminism because i want my mom,
sisters, wife and friends to be treated equally and with respect (Tumblr, 1/18/15) Even
men take part in this battle against misunderstanding, ignorance, and oppression. The
inclusion of both sexes reciprocates to both sides of the argument though.
Tumblr also hosts another powerful page about Feminism; but, this one is
actually against the Feminist movement itself. I dont need modern feminism because
my issues shouldnt be more important than my BROTHERS! (Tumblr, 4/16/15)

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Surprisingly, this page isnt dominated by traditionalists and Patriarchs; rather, by
ordinary men and women who believe that they can help others by sharing their
confidence and promoting equality in a different way. I dont need feminism because I
can choose for myself and be responsible for my own choices. (Tumblr, 4/14/15) After
visiting both sites it is clear that these two sides hold equal weight. However, they both
seem to agree on the importance of equality.
There are also many women against feminism for religious reasons. Radicalism
is neither the cause nor the single source for this however. Many women simply believe
that their place is within the confines of traditional gender roles. The presence of this
idea is so heavily influential among the patrons of the LDS church that one woman
believed it necessary to post an article about her belief where all her peers would see it.
Im a Mormon Feminist because gender should not dictate destiny and culture should
not determine doctrine. (Monk, 2014) These messages come directly from those
affected by Feminism. They are unfiltered, and placed where they cannot be hidden.
There could be no better source for the state of the Feminist movement than looking
directly at its front lines. However, despite Monks outright support for Feminism, there
are many religious entities that still resist.
Those against Feminism for religious reasons seem to be in the same boat as
those against the raising of the minimum wage because of their choice to be
unemployed. Ultimately Feminism is about maximizing options for all genders, to create
a more accepting place for everyone. The existence of individuals who reject feminism
because it fails to apply to their situation are already taking advantage of Feminisms

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core idea. They are freely choosing to conform with the already existing social
paradigm. The gender equality movement simply wishes to build on the currently
existing structure of freedom.
The greatest argument against Feminism could be summarized with the first AntiFeminist reference. Where one woman expresses that she doesnt want her problems
to be more important than her brothers. To an extent, this is true of Feminism. If her
brother doesnt have problems that fall outside of his traditional gender role, and if he
feels content performing that role, then the only goal of Feminism that would apply to
him would be: The goal of expanding his understanding and acceptance of those who
do not feel comfortable in their traditional roles. Rather than thinking of the movement
toward social change in terms of autonomy, ego enrichment, or a self-contained subject,
psychoanalysis stresses [the recognition of] desire. (Khanna, 196) What we can take
from Khannas work on the human psyche of desire, is that social change is too robust
to be stopped by a single system of rejection. Feminism is not simply about one
gender. It is not about two genders. Feminism represents everyone affected by the
existence of other people, and affects how everyone fits into the modern societal
ecosystem. That is powerful.
Early Feminism failed to grasp the greater picture, and seemed to solely focus on
the oppression of women. Modern Feminism is something much more important. The
idea of gender equality seems to be lost when the subject of Feminism is spoken of.
This could be attributed to the name of the movement itself. However, despite the
obfuscation of the message, the idea seems to still be spreading. This can be seen

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even in those rejecting it, as their messages and actions still focus on their own
individuality. That freedom of individuality is Feminism.

Works Cited

Khanna, Ranjana. "Disposability." Differences: A Journal Of Feminist Cultural

Studies 20.1 (2009): 181-198. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

The Truth About the American Economy Robert Reich. n.p. May 30, 2011

Hirschman, Elizabeth C. "Ideology In Consumer Research, 1980 And 1990: A

Marxist And Feminist Critique." Journal Of Consumer Research 19.4 (1993): 537555. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

On Pay Gap, Millennial Women Near Parity - For Now n.a. Pew Research Center.
December 11, 2013.

Im a Mormon Feminist: on perspective on womens rights Meg Monk.

universe.byu.edu. The Digital Universe. web November 5, 2014

Betty Friedan and the Radical Past of Liberal Feminism Joanne Boucher.
nova.wpunj.edu. New Politics. web n.d.

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Commie Blaster. commieblaster, April 09, 2010. web. April 28, 2015

Who Needs Feminism. Tumblr, March 20, 2015. web. April 27, 2015

Who Needs Feminism. Tumblr, January 18, 2015. web. April 27, 2015

Women Against Feminism. Tumblr, April 16, 2015. web. April 27, 2015

Women Against Feminism. Tumblr, April 14, 2015. web. April 27, 2015