Page 94 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 5-6: Teaching Feminism, ed. Valerija Vendramin
P. 94
šolsko polje, letnik xxxi, številka 5–6
mentioning the problem. The text headline gives no hint of dealing with
the fight for women’s rights but accentuates the President’s statement that
she was “a girl on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain”, although it is well
known that former Yugoslavia never was one of the countries behind the
Iron Curtain. This was very broadly discussed in the media, along with
comments that she had used a completely inaccurate comparison.
The text also mentions “discrimination and abuse of women and
girls, as well as denying their rights”, allowing it to be said that feminist
values in this framework are being presented in a positive context, or at
least mentioned as a problem. The word “feminism” is never explicitly
mentioned in the text. It is necessary to note that the former, right-wing
president has never publicly declared herself a feminist, on the contrary,
she explicitly refused to do so in an interview (Brakus, 2015) so we can
conclude that tagging this approach as “feminism” is the result of an edi-
torial or wider interpretation of feminism-supportive statements.
Celebrity Feminism
The typical actor of celebrity feminism is a star of celebrity culture, most
often connected to the media or pop culture, i.e. the world of show busi-
ness (film, television shows, music etc.). They advocate feminist values in
their public activities and often, because of this, their other actions are in-
terpreted through the framework of feminist values. In this framework,
we find Meghan Markle, the former American actress who is now the
Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry as well as Emily Ratajkowski,
who is a “model, actress and businesswoman” and reportedly “one of the
sexiest women in the world”. They are the topic of most articles in our
sample (N=4).
This theme focuses on the physical appearance of the actors, for ex-
ample “she wore her hair naturally curly, and her freckles back then were
more pronounced than they are today” or “she posed with unshaven arm-
pits”. Special focus is also placed on sexuality because “women are often
ashamed of their sexuality”. The importance of “personal choice” and in-
dividuality is stressed, not only in relation to one’s body but also in rela-
tion to behaviour patterns and clothing choices. Although it might seem
that these choices are trivial and have no bearing the political and social
core of feminism, this thematic focus is typically postfeminist.
I’m aware that my impression of what it means to be a woman when I was young
was mostly influenced by misogynistic culture. Even more, I’m convinced that it
still affects my views on sex appeal. But I don’t mind it because that is something I
chose myself. Isn’t that the essence of feminism – the right to choose? (CF–1)
92
mentioning the problem. The text headline gives no hint of dealing with
the fight for women’s rights but accentuates the President’s statement that
she was “a girl on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain”, although it is well
known that former Yugoslavia never was one of the countries behind the
Iron Curtain. This was very broadly discussed in the media, along with
comments that she had used a completely inaccurate comparison.
The text also mentions “discrimination and abuse of women and
girls, as well as denying their rights”, allowing it to be said that feminist
values in this framework are being presented in a positive context, or at
least mentioned as a problem. The word “feminism” is never explicitly
mentioned in the text. It is necessary to note that the former, right-wing
president has never publicly declared herself a feminist, on the contrary,
she explicitly refused to do so in an interview (Brakus, 2015) so we can
conclude that tagging this approach as “feminism” is the result of an edi-
torial or wider interpretation of feminism-supportive statements.
Celebrity Feminism
The typical actor of celebrity feminism is a star of celebrity culture, most
often connected to the media or pop culture, i.e. the world of show busi-
ness (film, television shows, music etc.). They advocate feminist values in
their public activities and often, because of this, their other actions are in-
terpreted through the framework of feminist values. In this framework,
we find Meghan Markle, the former American actress who is now the
Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry as well as Emily Ratajkowski,
who is a “model, actress and businesswoman” and reportedly “one of the
sexiest women in the world”. They are the topic of most articles in our
sample (N=4).
This theme focuses on the physical appearance of the actors, for ex-
ample “she wore her hair naturally curly, and her freckles back then were
more pronounced than they are today” or “she posed with unshaven arm-
pits”. Special focus is also placed on sexuality because “women are often
ashamed of their sexuality”. The importance of “personal choice” and in-
dividuality is stressed, not only in relation to one’s body but also in rela-
tion to behaviour patterns and clothing choices. Although it might seem
that these choices are trivial and have no bearing the political and social
core of feminism, this thematic focus is typically postfeminist.
I’m aware that my impression of what it means to be a woman when I was young
was mostly influenced by misogynistic culture. Even more, I’m convinced that it
still affects my views on sex appeal. But I don’t mind it because that is something I
chose myself. Isn’t that the essence of feminism – the right to choose? (CF–1)
92
