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OPINION
| february 27, 2004
Editorial/Our View
What is feminism becoming?
No matter what, men and women
will always be different
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| The Shorthorn: Ryan Hartsell |
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By Jessica
Smith
The Shorthorn staff
Feminism is defined as “the principle that women should have
political, economic and social rights equal to those of men.”
Maybe that was the definition when the feminist movement began but
now that definition has changed for the worse.
Now, the feminist doctrine that is employed by groups like the National
Organization for Women advocates the notion that women and men are
the same with respect to their roles and responsibilities. Feminism
has resulted in women and men taking over each other’s roles
to the point that the only way women can distinguish themselves
is through their bodies by way of provocative clothing and increased
promiscuity.
March is Women’s History Month and part of that history includes
the feminist movement, which has caused the death of femininity
by feminism.
Women do not seem to want to act like women except in the way they
often bare their bodies with provocative clothing — or perhaps
they are discouraged from doing so. One of the reasons for this
is Hollywood, where female entertainers often earn praise or at
least more publicity by baring all or a lot more than normal. Britney
Spears is a good example of this. However, Hollywood should not
be blamed entirely.
The feminist education women often receive make them view men and
women not just as equal human beings but as identical human beings.
There is a difference. For example, according to the feminist doctrine,
husbands and wives have the same responsibility, i.e. there is no
distinction between mothers and fathers.
The role of the mother as it used to be viewed is now obsolete.
In fact, mothers are no longer necessary under the doctrine because
of the increasingly accepted view that two fathers or mothers are
just as acceptable for a child as a mother and a father. However,
for a lot of women, even the idea of marriage, motherhood and children
is not a desirable option, further reducing the ways women can express
their femininity.
Other feminine roles have been reduced as well, making women feel
powerless. It seems like the only way for them to gain power is
through sex. For example, at Harvard University, a new magazine,
whose creators are female, will feature Harvard women posing nude.
Why would women at one of the most prestigious universities in the
world and who presumably have everything going for them want to
pose nude? Because it is the only way they can distinguish themselves
from men. They cannot do that through their education and career
because a man can do the same thing.
Another way women expressed their femininity was through sexual
reticence, but that would be a ridiculous notion in the eyes of
many now. The majority of men would probably laugh at the idea of
a man having to earn access to a women’s body. But this reinforced
the fact that women are different from men. Nowadays, women who
act as sexually active as men are not viewed as female, but male-like.
This disgusts me because it shows these women have little to no
self-respect and that men do not view women as women as well.
Further, most of the clothes women wear now are the sexually provocative
clothes that are sadly one of the only ways women can express the
fact that they are female.
It saddens me when I see women in these sorts of clothes and I often
wonder why they would bare themselves like this when there is no
reason to. However, I also wonder if the women who wear these clothes
know why. It is more difficult to maintain any modesty when more
and more women’s clothing exposes part of the cleavage or
butt.
This is the result of the feminist movement in part, but it is not
entirely to blame. Women need to realize that while wearing provocative
clothing is going to attract a man, the man is only going to see
the woman as a potential sex partner, not as someone he may marry
someday.
Feminists have sought to destroy the concept of femininity because
it runs counter to their belief that men and women are identical
human beings when they are not. Unfortunately, they have succeeded
but we can still reverse this. Women need to return to the things
that distinguished them before — such as motherhood —
and stop flaunting their bodies and sexuality.
—Jessica Smith is a journalism senior and The Shorthorn opinion
editor.
CLARIFICATION
In Friday’s column “What
is feminism becoming?” there were several phrases and topics
similar to pieces published at townhall.com Feb. 17 and Feb. 24
by syndicated columnist and talk show host Dennis Prager. A sentence
in the original version that said Prager had inspired the column
was removed during the editing process. Prager’s words and
examples should have been better attributed in the printed version.
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