Not that kind of feminist
When you think of feminists, the image of a chubby 25-year-old comic book geek might not be the first (or even tenth) image that’ll pop in your head. I mean, I wouldn’t even dare compare myself to the real-deal feminists lest I anger Gabriela. And the last thing I want is a socio-political bashing. But if I did have to answer a multiple choice question on what advocacy I support the most? Then I’d have to answer C: Feminism.
The biggest misconception I’ve heard is that males can’t possibly be feminists. As if the fact that suffering from a penis and two balls disqualifies me from supporting the opposite — and yes, better — sex. I’ve never seen a legitimate discussion about how feminists are out to get us. Most anti-feminist agendas usually stem from a lack of understanding, fear mongering, and misogyny. The truth is, feminists aren’t here to burn down our homes or take away our rights. What they are fighting for is equality and a level playing field for all women everywhere. From just and equal pay in the workplace, respect in the military, reproductive health, and to their protection of personal space and privacy, there’s so much going against women that it should be a no-brainer to support and wave the feminist flag. I am probably the least equipped to be the voice of feminists but one look at me you’ll see that anyone and everyone can and should be feminists.
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of strong powerful women. Most notable of them all was my late grandmother, Cory Aquino. She may not have called herself a feminist, but she helped push respect for women forward in our country. One of the biggest arguments against her as she entered politics was that she was nothing more than “a simple housewife.” I don’t know about you but that said more about society than it did my grandmother. She was smart, eloquent, well-read and humble. She worked hard to raise five children and build a home that was free of the vices of politics. Especially in those dark days of martial law when she was left to take care of her family amidst threats and uncertainty, she showed immense strength, courage, and fortitude. One could easily turn away from responsibility and leave for a quieter life after so much loss and heartache, but instead she sacrificed and helped others as much as she could. I was still a baby during most of her presidency but despite the gratuitous coup attempts and unfortunate natural disasters, she never once turned her back or hid under the bed. She did all she could to rebuild the country and no one ever put her down as a simple housewife since then.
With that kind of upbringing, it’s no surprise that I gravitated towards strong and empowered women in popular culture. I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed growing up. It never bothered me that it was a woman who was fighting all those vampires or monsters. I didn’t think twice that three sisters could master witchcraft and save the world to the tune of The Smiths’ How Soon is Now. In hindsight, maybe that’s why those shows became so successful. As much as they had to fight monsters and demons, back in the real world shows like Buffy had to prove that women could do more than just run around the beach in tight red swimsuits.
Even in comics, a predominantly male industry, there are thankfully those who promote feminism in their comics. My favorite writer, Brian K. Vaughan, is a staunch supporter of women and feminism. His most famous work, the comic Y: The Last Man, featured a cast solely of women, save for one man and his pet monkey. That in itself was a feat in the world of comics, a genre that mostly spotlights men in tights saving helpless women. Vaughan said that he got sick of the stupid debates about women in comics like “Should Catwoman’s boobs be bigger?” or “Is it Invisible Girl or Invisible Woman?” so he created Y to help change the conversation about women in comics. And he’s not alone. So many comics now feature strong empowered female heroes written and drawn by strong empowered women. Creators like Gail Simone, Kelly Sue DeConnick and G. Willow Wilson have given new life to once-forgotten female characters who were previously relegated to the sidelines. Gone are the days of women solely being the damsels in distress or mere objects of desire, thanks to these creators whose comics like Batgirl, Captain Marvel and Air have given depth to female characters readers can relate to and aspire to be.
I may not have been aware of feminism so much back then but by the time I was in college, I did feel I was leaning more towards it than ever before. It was almost innate for me to like music, movies, and books by strong and empowered women. I love rock bands with female vocalists like Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Metric, The Joy Formidable, Imago, Taken by Cars, and yes, Paramore. They portrayed a different kind of female performer, one who relies more on her talents and artistic honesty and less on twerking a giant furry at the Video Music Awards. Seeing women like Karen O command the crowd and lead her male bandmates on stage was a more powerful statement than any stunt Lady Gaga ever pulled at the Grammys.
Probably the woman in media who’s inspired me the most is Tina Fey. I fell in love with Ms. Fey the moment I saw her on Saturday Night Live as the host of Weekend Update. She was the first feminist in pop culture that I instantly gravitated towards. She used her skill in both writing and performing comedy to talk about important issues like when she defended Hillary Clinton when people kept calling the presidential candidate a bitch. She took the derogatory term used by the ignorant pundits and turned it against them. Fey supported Clinton and said, “What bothers me the most is that people say that Hillary is a bitch. Let me say something about that: Yeah, she is. And so am I... Know what? Bitches get stuff done.” She not only defended Clinton but also spoke out for women everywhere. I didn’t know a lot of women like Tina Fey back then but now there are so many more influential feminists in pop culture like Amy Poehler, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, and most recently, Emma Watson. These women spoke to me more than most male influencers and reminded me of the women I admired growing up and I’m so happy that they’re succeeding in inspiring so many people around the world.
It’s really not that hard to find feminists. They are everywhere. The people I mentioned above are just as normal as you or me and that’s the point of all of this. You can find feminists anywhere because feminism is universal. Women empowerment and equality should not be relegated to taboo. Feminism should be everyone’s advocacy. Women deserve just as much as anyone else and it infuriates me that there are still so many who belittle them. We wouldn’t be here without women, plain and simple. And the least we could do is support them and defend them in our daily lives. Don’t spread those stolen celebrity photos to your friends. Don’t work for a company that refuses to pay women for the same work as you do. Don’t bash reproductive health if you don’t know the pain of childbearing. Don’t ever call a woman a slut for sleeping around while you idolize guys for the exact same reason. And if you ever think that having a penis makes you a better person then I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t last one day with dysmenorrhea.
