Famous Feminists

Recently, a lot of celebrities have 'come out' as feminists. I find this fascinating because it tends to subject these celebrities to a higher level of scrutiny and criticism.

Top right should say people, not women.

Being interested in feminism (read: a feminist), I found that I wanted to support the work of people who considered themselves feminists. We all want to put our money into things that support a social framework we agree with, right? The problem that I ran into was this: everyone is problematic. It's super cool for Taylor Swift to call herself a feminist. It's awesome for Beyonce to perform in front of the word "feminist". Good for Joss Whedon that he feels he's written empowering lady characters. But these people aren't perfect feminists at all!

I was outraged. Kind of.

I want to support Taylor Swift's feminist awakening, but her earlier lyrics are so heteronormative and they reinforce strict gender roles. I want to support Beyonce's feminism, but she chooses to hypersexualize herself and I'm not sure what the implications of that are on the coming generation. I want to support Joss Whedon's feminism, but he's not very racially inclusive at all. How is one to navigate this world of complex, imperfect people?

Well, the internet.

I decided to create a small website/blog that explores each individual artist's distinctive feminism. I tried, generally, to address the problems with each artist first, and end positively. I considered their statements in interviews, their work, and their reactions to criticism. 

And here it is!!

I included a sort of disclaimer, because I understand that the internet is a dangerous place for a comments section, and that my opinions and evaluations aren't law. They aren't even the most informed versions of this type of thing. It's important to recognize that. While I didn't openly invite people to send me their corrections/opinions, I tried to qualify my opinions with the admission that they are neither flawless nor complete. 

"Here’s a handy guide to our favorite celebrity feminists.
It’s incomplete, because everything is incomplete. These people are alive and making choices every day, so these evaluations are constantly subject to change.
The most important thing to remember is that eliminating or condemning all problematic work will leave us with nothing. You can like it, and still acknowledge how it falls short in the social justice category (Believe me, I know. I watched all 7 seasons of Gossip Girl). Everyone and everything falls short in one way or another. The question is whether the damage is worth the benefit.
Also, I’m not in charge. Just because I say something, or disagree with someone, or make a judgment, doesn’t mean it’s the only judgment. In fact, I can promise you it’s not."

- - Read Me First Pretty Please from my blog

Here is a Google Doc containing every website I referenced/researched/linked to in the blog.  It should be accessible to everyone, even if you don't have a Google account.

I wish everyone a happy takedown of the patriarchy.