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May 5 2009, 9:45 PM
On feminism and celebration

I am a feminist, but to be more specific, I will act as if I am about to give my opinions about some ideas that may characterize different schools of thought.

I look at feminism from the point of view of myself in the current time and project myself to different times. So, for example, I look at the principles and ideas of first-wave feminism by projecting myself to other periods in time, and then I consider the relevance of those ideas in the world today. Through these projections, I ask myself several questions: What is the current state of things? What is the ideal state of things? What change is possible? What's the best way to influence change?

Of course I believe that laws should apply equally to both sexes (even abortion laws, though men cannot currently birth children). That's a given. And I won't address those aspects of feminist movements. Outside of legal equality, the second-wave feminist movement that began around the early 1960s addressed sexuality and non-legal inequalities. These issues are rooted in the traditions of societies, and some argue that even capitalism plays a destructive role here. Inequalities in the workforce and sexuality issues spurred scientific debate regarding gender differences, and reactions to these debates led to third-wave feminism and post-feminism.

Third-wave feminism challenges the definition of femininity, supports a more continuous notion of gender, and celebrates freedom in sexuality. Some say that third-wave feminism is the result of generations that have grown up with feminism. This is true, but it's often followed by a negative critique of third-wave feminism. My issue with the statement is that third-wave feminism is complex and is a result of many more factors than just "growing up with feminism".

About the same time the third-wave feminist movement and other movements such as the LGBT movement were moving to celebration of sexuality, other ideas also "decided" that it was time to celebrate. The theme is celebration. The free use of terms that used to be considered offensive is celebrated. Anything that was not previously celebrated is celebrated: the terms cunt, whore, bitch, etc., prostitution, stereotypes of all types. Intellectuals, celebrate. Anti-intellectuals, celebrate. Atheists, celebrate; the evangelical Christians were already celebrating. To get attention, you celebrate. Everyone likes a party, and the biggest party wins. Celebrate because you have all the sex, all the drugs, and you have the best life. Celebrate because you've had it tough. You have the biggest tits, the biggest dick, and have all the fun. You have the cutest tits, the cutest dick, and you look really good in your clothes. Celebrate because you're super fat, celebrate because you can make fun of people really well. You work hard. You are the most passionate; you understand people. Celebrate the solstice. What you make, everyone adores.

Has humility been trumped? Has it always been this way, or does it cycle? How long must we wait for no gender or infinite varieties of gender, one mind or infinite minds?
2009-05-06 09:01:56
old Hairs
\"Anything that was not previously celebrated is celebrated... and the biggest party wins.\"

Yay!
2009-05-28 04:23:47
Larisa
Reading this, I\'m trying to form the link between second wave feminism and third wave feminism as you call it.

If we look at moving from \"growing up with feminism\" and believing that femininity is merely a mold imprinted by the oppressor to celebrating femininity, the transition moves in parallel with the idea of having only a general identity assigned by someone else and celebrating a new more specific sounding general identity. There are more parties happening, it\'s not only man or woman these days.
If we look at it like that and come to the conclusion that humility is lost, it\'s not that linked to the personal identity of an individual but rather that linked to the general identity of being a woman or being a straight woman or being a lesbian (as with this third wave more definitions have come available).
The second wave (i could be wrong in how i\'m assigning waves to things), rejected the idea of assigning a general identity to all, Femininity. These feminists sought refuge in creating a larger identity, one that would treat man and woman as equals, so that by creating this one giant identity the actual identities of actual individuals would form and be realized.
However existing as part of one general identity is difficult and virtually impossible given the history and the innate differences between men and women. Or at least, this is what I take to be the problem that the third wave is braced with.
Clearly we don\'t want to just reinstate the dichotomy that was just purged. So all that\'s left is to divide it into x groups with x new names, and then to scream every last one from the treetops since now there\'s competition.

so i think a way to reconcile this is to return to the second wave of thinking. This general identity, no matter how specific seeming, is not the individual. How it plays a part, I don\'t know yet.