I love to read comics and graphic novels, one of my favorite webcomics is Hark! A Vagrant, by artist Kate Beaton. As a huge DC Comics fan, I think her Lois Lane and Wonder Woman comic strip is what sealed the deal for me. Beaton typically references historical and literary figures, but it's her comic strips on feminism and sexism that stand out for me. Her hilarious response to the blatant sexism in the media, Strong Female Characters Part 1 & Part 2, pokes fun at costumes, attitudes, and behaviors that some strong female characters are given in movies, television, video games, comics, etc.
When my class was asked whether we thought of ourselves as feminists and what our perception of a feminist was, I instantly thought of Beaton's Straw Feminists in the Closet comic strip. A straw feminist is an over-generalization of a feminist, depicting them as extremists hairy-legged women who hate men and won't stop till women are the superior sex. The straw feminist is typically the image that comes to mind when asked if someone is a feminist or not. As a result, this demeaning depiction of feminism causes most people to shy away from the label and the movement.
Yesterday we discussed the lack of racial and low-socioeconomic representation in the feminist movement. So then what does a feminist look like? The image of a feminist seems to have evolved from oppressed housewife to in-your-face, bra-burning spinster. This image is a clear tactic used by people who don't believe that the feminist movement is necessary and gender equality is no longer an issue. Until everyone advocates for gender equality, the straw feminist will continue to remain at large, encouraging dissociation and indifference towards the feminist movement. Hairy legs or shaved legs, black or white, male or female, straight or gay, rich or poor - the fight for equality is every persons fight.
Here's a video that further discusses the portrayal of feminists in the media as extremist and man-hating...
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