Enlightened Sexism

I think this assigned reading was a fabulous way for our class to dive into the world of feminism, sexism, and all other categories that may unfold. Susan Douglas does an excellent job of analyzing how a highly controversial topic relates not only with her life, but how it has effected our world as a whole. She takes us on a path that engages a "beginning, middle and end" theme to help dissect feminism for the modern reader. Through this introduction, Douglas establishes her ground as a feminist mom who identifies the uphill battle she faces in her quest to fight for equal rights of women from all generations.

Douglas begins by mentioning the 90's pop band 'Spice Girls' and the influence they have had on her daughter's generation. At the height of their career, the Spice Girls promoted the successful idea of girl power. This concept, the group claimed, was a new positive phrase they had adopted in favor of the previously "dirty" word, feminism. The Spice Girls' influence of female empowerment carried on for years following the girl band's break up. For example, as Douglas points out, within the past couple of years we have seen females run for president and vice president. In film and television we have also seen females in the roles of CEO's, attorneys, surgeons, and even police chiefs. So have the feminists of the world done their jobs? Have women finally become "equal" in the sense that we are now running with the same packs of wolves as the men?

Sommer's, another author Douglas references, argues that we have in fact gone too far. The so-called success of feminism, Sommer's claims, is damaging and even harming the young men of the world. Because all these women are now becoming well-educated and are in the over-achieving mindset, young boys are being neglected and even prejudged in the classroom. As we can see from real world examples, however, this is not the case. Women still make less than men do and do not hold nearly as many coveted high profile positions.

The media has done an excellent job at alluding that women have reached equality, with shows like Sex and the City and magazines like Cosmo; "media allusion is that equality for girls is an accomplished fact when it isn't" (4). Douglas puts it nicely when she says that if the media were a mirror, they would be the fun-house mirrors, the one's that distort everything. This, in my opinion, is an understatement if thought about clearly. Enlightened Sexism demonstrates how the media does a good job at deceiving its audience by exaggerating certain stories, people and values while minimizing others. Did you ever step back and think about how many shows you watch where the main characters are beautiful and rich? I would say most of them. It was not until recently that a small amount of reality shows started to incorporate a few series that highlighted the underdogs of society, the poor and less fortunate looking people.

As a result of the media highlighting such lifestyles, the girl power generation, as Douglas puts it, is sold the idea that power and success come from shopping, being hot, having the right material goods and worst of all by being vindictive towards other girls. Taking a step back and seeing what the media has to this day accomplished, with cult classics such as Mean Girls, and how they have influenced out generation is shocking. It makes me think they we need to go back to the days of the Spice Girls and try to generate that positive approach to equilibrium. Here's hoping that history repeats itself.

While thinking about this crossroads with some of my friends, I started thinking about what influence the Spice Girls had on me. Initially, all I could remember was that I was in LOVE with them and saved my money to buy Spice World the day it came out on VHS. Looking back with a more mature frame of mind I realized that I was probably influenced a great deal by the five members of the group and by what they represented. I have been lucky enough to grow up in a generation modern enough to not question when women succeed at the work place and when they voice their opinions in public. I have, however, also been a part of the generation who is the prime subject for mass media targeting. I hope that I have not suffered negatively because of the later, but if I have I hope that this class will do a good job at allowing me to think clearly as I move forward in future.