|
|
|
||||||
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Review Aimee Mann Lyrics and Gendered Language Patterns
Policy Reflections
on Our Wounded
Identities in Law
Holy Trouble To Make a Dragon Move To Rescue or Research Pornography: Subjectivity and Gender-Identity in Cyberspace GWU Resources
|
Reactions to Hooks’
“Feminism is for Everybody” I am not a feminist simply because
I was raised in a feminist household. I am not a feminist because I am
an independent, educated woman. I am not a feminist because I am a bitter
female, nor because I am a “woman scorned.” I am not a feminist because
I hate men, nor because I am a lesbian nor because I like to listen to In Feminism is for Everybody, hooks introduces a popular theory of feminism rooted in common sense and the wisdom of her own personal experience. In my opinion, hooks’ book is perfectly poised to become THE OFFICIAL “handbook” or “cliff notes” to feminism. Although it’s short, Feminism is for Everybody is powerful. It addresses all of the most prevalent issues facing the contemporary feminist movement, everything from where feminism stands, reproductive choice, beauty, violence, race, class, work, all the way to where feminism will go in the future. She uses simple, direct language to express complex issues. However, that is not to say that she “dumbs-down” such topics. Rather, she makes them more comprehensible to those not as familiar with feminism as a discipline. This book offers everyone (man or woman) a chance to explore feminism. It serves as an eye-opener to all those “would be” feminists who are afraid to label themselves as such for fear of being called a man hater or worse, a lesbian! She dispels these myths and others, forcing her audience to realize that feminism goes beyond bra burning. Feminism is not about wanting to be like a man—it is about basic human rights and equality. While hooks concentrates a great deal on the advantages which feminism affords all people (not just women), she readily admits the shortcomings of such a diverse movement. She concedes that there is no one way of defining or explaining what feminism is or means in just one way because feminism is a very personal movement. hooks encourages her readers to demand alternatives to patriarchal, racist, and homophobic culture, and to imagine a different future. Her book literally speaks to everybody, asking readers, whether they are feminist or not, to take look at feminism in a new light, to see that it touches all lives. No longer will people (men or women) have the excuse that feminism is “too complex” to understand, nor will they be able to get by on third-hand knowledge (as hooks refers to on vii) of the topic. As hooks intended, I finally have a book to hand to all of my friends (both male and female) who gave me strained looks because I lived on Mt. Vernon last year or because I am more than willing to admit that I am proud to be a feminist. hooks shows that feminism—far from being an outdated concept or one limited to an intellectual elite—is indeed for everybody.
|
|
 |
the Indigo Girls. To the contrary I love men and I am not a lesbian. While
I agree with hooks that “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist
exploitation, and oppression” (viii), I believe that her definition of
“feminism” states the goals of the movement rather than actually defining
the term itself. In my mind, feminism is a synonym for equality. I am
a feminist because I believe in the equality between men and women, plane
and simple. No hidden agenda, no gimmicks, no tricky explanations. Sounds
like an easy enough concept to comprehend. So why then is feminism such
a misunderstood and feared notion? Why has this “ism” in particular become
the new f-word of pop culture? Equality is a word commonly associated
with American culture; it is a long-standing theme of our history. This
does not make a great deal of sense to me. After all, America was established
on the premise that all MEN are created EQUAL. The term “men” is very
specific as is the rest of the wording of the Constitution. It is doubtful
that the founding fathers of our country meant this to include men and
women or else they would have stated exactly that. It is only in the latter
half of the past century that this equality was extended to include the
fair treatment of all peoples, regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity.
America was first settled in large part by religious outcasts seeking
a safe haven where they could openly practice the religion of their choosing.
Therefore I believe it is a bitter irony that has forever plagued American
culture—that the “land of the free,” a country which prides itself on
individual liberties—remains a hotbed of inequality. While sexism is no
longer as overt a practice as in the past, it is arguably just as pervasive.
bell hooks’ life as an academic has been spent trying to breakdown the
existent sexist barriers, which have prohibited women from achieving equality
with men.