ssues & ideas

EDITOR TANYA COMMISSO

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 5, 2015 7

Women's lib in today's world

Media influence on feminism has spurred unique counter-movements and trends

Contrary to the meninist
platform, feminism is not
to blame for gender-based
stereotyping

By VINCENT MATAK

eninist issues have more in
common with the feminist
movement than meets the
eye.

#Meninism began trending on Twit-
ter in 2018 as a satirical effort to “stop
the objectification of men” in the me-
dia. However, over the last two years,
meninism has become a platform for
men who feel discriminated against as
a result of the feminist movement.

Modern feminism, according to Na-
tional Coalition For Men president
Harry Crouch, has allowed women to
use male stereotypes, painting men as
aggressive and stoic, to propagate fe-
male victimhood.

“T can’t tell you how many calls I’ve
had from how many [men] over the

years where they’ve been attacked,
they call the police, the police show up,
and they get arrested,” he said.

Research presented on the NCFM
website states that these stereotypes
lead to higher rates of suicide, stricter
sentencing for crimes and less support
for domestic violence among men.

But blaming these issues on femi-
nism is just ignorant, according to
Emma Lutz, an ex-
ecutive member of
the UBC Feminist
Club.

“Tt comes from a
fundamental mis-
understanding of
what feminism is,”
she said, adding
that issues related
to gender-based
stereotypes are
rooted in our patri-
archal society.

“When feminists talk about destroy-
ing the patriarchy, it’s all about de-
stroying these masculine and feminine
ideas,” she said.

DAVID RYAN
Langara publish-
ing student

VINCENT MATAK photo illustration
Men’s rights groups argue that feminism contributes to harmful male stereotypes that suggest men over-assert their strength.

Men's Issues are feminist issues

The club, and feminism as a whole,
view men’s issues as integral to femi-
nist discourse, she said. But the menin-
ist way of dealing with these issues
does more harm than good, according
to Lutz.

“There’s a huge misogynistic compo-
nent,” she said. “It’s deliberately ex-
cluding women’s issues and acting like
they aren’t there, and acting like men
are more oppressed than women,
which is something I believe we all can
agree is not true.”

David Ryan, a publishing student at
Langara College, agreed - meninist
groups are “deplorable” and akin to
“Internet trolling,” he said.

“What men are maybe too afraid to
ask of our culture is helping deal with
the emotional side of life through
means other than the expression of an-
ger and violence,” he said.

This is something that can be
achieved through feminism, he said.

“Our society really needs to address
the way it’s failed our men in their abil-
ity to deal with the natural emotions
that come with being a human.”

66

White voices
dominate
pop culture

When looking at famous
feminist celebs, it’s hard to
find diversity

By NANCY PLECHATY

the most privileged voices are

pushed to the forefront.

“White feminism” refers to making
straight, white women the mouthpiece
for feminist issues, and in doing so, ex-
cluding women of colour and other mi-
norities. Though the feminist move-
ment is designed to represent all
women, the opposite becomes true
when only one kind of feminist is pre-
sented to the public.

“T think the media always perpetu-
ates privilege and it’s not restricted to
feminism, and so I think there are cer-
tain voices that have more privilege
than others,” said Jennifer Marchbank,
associate professor of the department
of gender, sexuality and women’s stud-
ies at SFU. “As a white woman, my
voice certainly is more privileged than
that of some, and of women of colour.”

Nancy Pollak, Langara College wom-
en’s studies instructor, stresses the im-
portance of intersectionality. This con-
cept connects people of all social
backgrounds by acknowledging that
each person will face different kinds of

I: the media’s portrayal of feminism,

‘just plucked it off

Wh en . discrimination or disadvantage.
feminists Intersectionality also examines “the

valuable insights that flow from look-
talk about ing at the complexity of female experi-
des troying ence,” said Pollak.

. However, Pollak disagrees with the
the p atri use of the term “white feminism”, say-
archy, it’s ing it sounds like a “‘j
all about BuzzFeed’ concept,” she said. “Femi-

. nism is many things, but it’s not a piece
des troying of fluff. It’s not a lifestyle.”
these mas- Gugandeep Gill, a second-year Lan-

. gara kinesiology student, said race
culine and doesn’t always matter when talking
ny about feminism. Comparing media
feminine icons Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, Gill
ideas said, “I don’t look at it as a colour dif-
EMMA LUTZ ference. I look at the way they are rep-

resenting themselves.”
UBC FEMINIST Marchbank said neither Minaj nor

CLUB

Swift are exemplary feminists. “Femi-
nism is about inclusivity and equality
and fighting for equality of all people.”

Icons in feminism: social impact trumps all

When discussing what
makes an icon, the smart
vs. sexy debate marches on

By MARK STUART

hile feminism is an established
WY ever. what constitutes a

feminist icon is still up for de-
bate.

There is no set definition for what
traits make a feminist icon. It can fall
anywhere between a woman who owns
her sexuality and speaks openly and
unabashedly, to a woman who places
more emphasis on academia and mod-
esty.

Langara College English instructor
Jill Goldberg, host of the Pop Stars and
Feminists: Allies or Adversaries forum
put on by the department of English,
believes that reaching icon status as a
feminist can sometimes indirectly fuel
an already male-dominated society.

“If a woman is using her body and
her sexuality to gain power ... she is
still trading on the idea ... that women’s
bodies are a commodity, which is - in
one sense — the antithesis of feminism
because she’s still playing in the patri-
archal marketplace that values certain
women’s bodies more than others,”
said Goldberg.

“Tt’s complicated. Of course it can be
fun, and pleasurable, and even seem
empowering for both celebrity and reg-

war woman to flaunt or embrace her

POPSTAR

icons

sexuality, but is that because we’ve

drank the patriar-
chal Kool-Aid?”
she added.

Female students
at Langara have a
less pointed
stance.

“For me, I think
a feminist icon
would be a more
outgoing person.
Someone who is
okay with their
sexuality, but then

icc
OOLA DIXSON

Langara business
student

again, not somebody who just takes off
all their clothes,” said business stu-

dent Oola Dixson.

“Feminists who are more outgoing
have a voice that can be heard more
than that of an academic, who is some-
one that isn’t really heard, or as popu-
lar,” she added.

While female students at Langara
acknowledged the impact that profes-
sors and policymakers can have on the
movement, having a dominant voice
was the most important trait in their
ideal feminist icon.

“It’s definitely important to have the
academics, they can influence laws and
all that, said first-year general studies
student Evangéline Lapalme.

“But for changes in the social realm I
think we would need someone more
geared towards speaking out.”

BEYONCE
LENA DUNHAM
JOAN JETT
NICKI MINAJ
ELLEN PAGE

AMY POEHLER

TAYLOR SWIFT

EMMA WATSON

Source: madamenoire.com