Feminism in Pop Culture 1

Feminisms Negative Reputation and Pop Cultures Role in Modifying It

Kinsey Danielle Donovan
Glen Allen High School

Feminism in Pop Culture 2

Introduction
It is 2015, and women are still being kicked to the curb. A survey by research company,
OnePoll, in 2013 showed that one in seven women lost their job while on maternity leave
(McVeigh 2013). Out of those who did return, 40% reported a change in their position, and half
got less hours or were demoted. This all occurred because they furthered their life with the
beauty of a child. Women across the world are coming together to start what some call the
second wave of feminism (Martin & Valenti, 2013). Whether through conferences, news
outreach, or social media, women feel it necessary to stand up against the injustice that still
occurs today. Feminism: the infamous f-word. This movement has long had a negative air that
surrounds it. But why? Todays society is dominated by the never-ending increase of technology
that is present in our everyday lives. This tool is being utilized by advocates across the world in
order to spread their message of the true meaning of feminism to people they never would have
gotten in contact with otherwise. Why has feminism had such a negative connotation over the
years? With these unfavorable views, is pop culture harming or hurting the attempt to reinvent
the feminist movement as a positive necessity in society? Past associations combined with the
difficulty of breaking stereotypes have created a negative stigma for feminism, which pop culture
and the internet are attempting to break.
Why People Shy Away From Feminism
In todays society, the question Are you a feminist? draws hesitant responses. History
brings the f-word back long ago to the early feminist movements, most of them occurring in
the United States, but some occurring in other places around the world. In Germany, when the
word feminism was first created in the German language, it was a feminine noun, as most
languages other than English tie a gender to nouns (Scharff n.d). Typically, the gender does not

Feminism in Pop Culture 3

mean anything about the words. However, because this was such a deeply contested issue, any
pairing with gender had a significant effect. From the start, it was considered a female-dominated
movement. Women controlled what was talked about and how it was talked about. Any input
from men was disapproving, criticizing the idea that women believed they could shift traditions
that have been around for years.
The suffrage movement in the United States brought new obstacles for the developing
feminist movement. Men were accustomed to the way things were and were not looking for that
to change. They ruled business, they ruled television, and they ruled the military. Where did that
leave women? They were restrained to the household, cooking in the kitchen, always listening to
the jurisdiction of their husbands. Women began to realize that this was not the way they should
be living. Here and there, women began to speak up for equal rights, beginning with voting
rights. Influential women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony took the lead at
the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 (The Fight for Womens Suffrage n.d.). As with any civil
rights movement, these women were angry and appalled at the fact that this inequality had been
occurring for so long without opposition. Therefore, they began their efforts strongly, harshly
criticizing traditional ideals of male-dominated society. To men, this movement seemed to come
out of nowhere. All of a sudden, the life they used to know was slowly beginning to fade away
and into the hands of some extreme women. Since the men were not in favor of this drastic
change, opposition to the movement came on strong.
Those who advocated for womens voting rights were harshly painted by anti-suffrage
campaigns with a number of different stereotypes. Strong anti-suffrage propaganda began to
spread across the country as men realized what a threat the suffrage movement was to their

Feminism in Pop Culture 4

typical male dominance. Political cartoons, such as the one featured in Figure 1, portrayed them
as unattractive, masculine, and furious.
Figure 1

Some propaganda tools even went as far to say that suffragettes neglect their natural role as a
mother and do not care properly for their children (Wade 2015). It can be understood why
neither men nor women would want to associate with a movement designed to encourage
improper parenting and child neglect. However, the most common theme among the antisuffrage movement involved portraying the suffragettes as desiring full domination over men, as
displayed in Figure 1. Women who simply wanted equal rights were viewed as controlling
monsters obsessed with authority. They were portrayed not as those who wanted gender equality,
but as emerging dictators looking to widen the gender gap in the opposite direction. Men did not
approve of this sudden transition to equality and took out their frustration through criticism of
suffragettes.

Feminism in Pop Culture 5

Its roots lying with the suffrage movement, the feminist movement has often been seen as
opposing the achievements of men, which left no room for men to be considered feminists
(Scharff n.d.). This female domination pinned men against the whole movement, emphasizing
the idea that feminism was a movement for the advocacy of promoting women and belittling
men. These time periods gave feminism its reputation for man-hating. So often men would say,
I wouldnt call myself a feminist, Im a man! (Williams 2014). Why would men want to join a
movement encouraging the break-down of male success? In a research study of a variety of forty
young women, almost half mentioned man-hating in conjunction with feminism (Scharff n.d.).
These extreme views ostracized feminists from the rest of society, which was composed of many
male critics. Men did not want to be associated with hating their own gender or joining a
movement to take away their own successes, so they dodged any inkling of involvement,
particularly by criticizing the movement as a whole.
Within the female-dominated feminist movement came a new dispute. Women who hate
men are often accused as being lesbians, creating the stereotype that all feminists are lesbians.
This strong accusation lead to less women wanting to associate with the movement, in fear that
they will be mislabeled as a homosexual. A 2007 research study displayed that many women
portrayed themselves as homophobic in order to emphasize their traditional feminine identities
(Scharff n.d.). They were so fearful of being associated with and being labeled a homosexual that
they were willing to preach hate against women within their own social movement group. This
lead to a division in the feminist movement by putting women against each other. Scharff alludes
to this idea. She explains that if a woman says she is a feminist and then asked if she hates men,
saying no, I am heterosexual is inversely saying that homosexuals hate men. With all these
deep-rooted problems within the movement, feminism has experienced strong hesitation and

Feminism in Pop Culture 6

backlash from society, including negativity which some think is irreversibly even in todays
modern times.
Additional stereotypes exist among feminism. While the portrayals of feminism in the
suffrage movement seemed extreme, they subconsciously stayed with the movement. Lots of
factors play into why people still shy away from feminism. Many anti-feminists believe that
feminism look[s] down on housewives, mothers, and cooks, discouraging women from
living a more traditional lifestyle (Reyes 2014). While supporters argue that feminism is all about
the ability to choose the lifestyle that a woman wants, negativity easily spreads, and stereotypes
become very difficult to break. In addition to opposing tradition, a multitude of people believe
that feminists are hypocritical. They have the idea that feminists do not want to live in the
shadows of men, yet they will rid themselves of any feminine characteristic they have left, such
as not shaving or not wearing makeup. While some supporters of the movement do exhibit
extreme actions such as letting their body hair grow out, this by no means represents the whole
feminist population, one that is spread across the world. Despite how these stereotypes portray
the feminist movement, advocates emphasize that feminism is about choice. It is about a woman
being able to live her life the way she wants to, not the way a man wants her to. Unfortunately,
negative stereotypes have spread across the world to dissuade others from joining a movement
that has the power to dissolve the inequality that still exists around the world today.
Celebrity Endorsements and Pop Culture
With the fluctuation of feminism in pop culture, celebrities have taken to the media to
display their overwhelming approval of the movement. Emma Watson, best known for her lead
role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, has taken initiative. Starting her own submovement, HeForShe, Watson advocates for both men and women to come together to promote

Feminism in Pop Culture 7

gender equality, rather than just the advancement of women. She exposes the inequalities and
mistreatment of women across the world, specifically in third world countries, in order to
provoke a response that will increase gender equality. One of Time Magazines 100 Most
Influential People (2015), Watson has appeared on talk shows and been active on Twitter,
sparking the publics interest with her elegant, yet persistent attack on the injustice that still
exists today. Her Brown University education has allowed her to recruit supporters of all
different varieties (Abramson 2015).
Celebrities in the film and music industries continue to support feminism as well. Actor,
Aziz Ansari, best known for his role in the television series, Parks and Recreation, has utilized
his access to the media to promote his feminist beliefs. His talent in comedic performances has
allowed him to connect with people of all ages on the topic of feminism. Appearing on The Late
Night Show with David Letterman, Ansari implemented a humorous analogy comparing
feminism to a Beyonc and Jay-Z concert to illustrate why everyone should consider themselves
a feminist (Maule 2015).
In 2014, Forbes named Beyonc the top-earning female in the music industry, earning
over $115 million in one year. She has used her fame to endorse the feminist movement, yet also
explain her initial hesitation because of the aforementioned stereotypes. Advocating to her
millions of supporters across the world, Beyonc has spoken up to the world and preached that
the idea of a feminist is very simple. [as] its just a person that believes in equality for men
and women (Hare 2014). Projecting a large feminist sign behind her at concerts, she has
continually spoken up about the inequalities between men and women while encouraging others
to speak up and close this gap. Her support has gathered thousands of men and women across the
globe to join the feminist movement.

Feminism in Pop Culture 8

What is Online Feminism?

With the ever-growing technology boom, more and more ideas and movements have been
transferred online. Currently, feminism is attempting to follow this rising trend. Started by
Vanessa Valenti and Courtney Martin, #FemFuture is one of many online feminist movements
that are beginning to take over the internet. Together, they are working to bring people across the
world online and work to [harness] the power of online media to discuss, uplift, and activate
gender equality and social justice (Martin & Valenti 2013). While their intentions are good, this
new way of advocating for uplifting women and promoting gender equality has had both positive
and negative effects on the feminist movement as a whole.
The Harmful Effects of Online Feminism
In a world of technological prosperity, the internet is a beneficial communication tool for
many different causes. However, it is having some adverse effects on the feminist movement.
The ladies of #FemFuture: Online Revolution, Courtney Martin and Vanessa Valenti, mention
that feminist advocates often experience a psychology of deprivation a sense that they are
in direct competition with one another (2013). Since the internet is thriving with many new
innovations, there are thousands of voices involved in the feminist movement all at once. That
being said, they all want their voice to be heard, and they need to feel like their opinion matters.
As Michelle Goldberg mentions, bloggers and advocates often fight and tear each other down
over each persons approach to the feminist movement (2014). Technology has created a sense of
indestructability, in that one feels they can be much crueler on screen than they can in person.

Feminism in Pop Culture 9

This fearless disparagement tears apart the people who are supposed to be coming together for a
cause that was rooted in the same ideals.
Contributing to this indestructability, technology fosters the opportunity to tear people
down across social gaps, such as race, sexuality, and class lines. Feminism has involved some
group bias, in which advocates only support gender equality for their specific social or ethnic
group. Technology has allowed this to grow, by making posts excluding others as easy as 140
characters. With the #FemFuture meeting, Martin and Valenti aimed to grow online feminism in
order to advance the movement. However, many people were outraged because the meeting was
somewhat exclusive in its invites, not providing transportation for those outside of New York
City (Goldberg 2014).
While technology has cultivated the break-down within the feminist movement, it has
also made it easier to criticize the movement from the outside looking in. The anti-feminists
gather online, writing blog posts and tweeting about why people should not be a feminist. Blogs
such as WomenAgainstFeminism have spread across the internet, preaching their motto of
supporting women who choose to stand without feminism. They have gained thousands of
supporters, encouraging them to submit photos of their personal reasons for why they are not a
feminist. Twitter has become a place to be outspoken, whether in agreement or speaking out
against ideas. Trends such as #WhyIDontNeedFeminism and have brought women together
who do not believe that feminism is a beneficial movement.
Additionally, online feminism does not have the funding or financial backing that
previous movements have received by organizations. Without this funding, the online movement,
for the most part, only benefits the privileged (Martin & Valenti 2013). They already have the
resources and time to blog and speak out, so their voices are heard. Those who are less fortunate,

Feminism in Pop Culture 10

are working full-time to provide for their family and therefore do not have time to share their
opinions online. Their voices are overshadowed by the wealthy and privileged in the world of
technology, contributing to the growing gap between social groups in online feminism.
The Benefits of Online Feminism
While technology has enhanced a divide among the feminist movement, it is
simultaneously and more effectively bringing more people together. Courtney Martin and
Vanessa Valenti explained.
There is paradox here. While the times we are living in call for social justice
movements to embrace decentralization, our technological tools allow
coordination among a much broader, more motley collection of organizations and
individuals than ever before (2013).
89% of women who go online use social networks (Martin & Valenti 2013). This large
percentage explains why the next wave of feminism is primarily online. Experiences and
controversies can trend in a matter of hours to spread reasons why feminism is still needed. In
2012, the hashtag #Delhibraveheart trended on Twitter to spread the word about the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi. This viral trend of women and men coming together to
protest violence against women lead to governmental action (Martin & Valenti 2013). As women
begin to see feminism growing online, the negative stigma associated with the movement is
beginning to disappear. The online campaign informs young women that by letting [them] know
can be a feminist and care about pop culture, [it] gives them social permission to care about
equality (Martin & Valenti 2013). Technology is bridging the gap between past feminist
movements and pop culture, allowing the movement to thrive now more than ever.

Feminism in Pop Culture 11

Online feminism has many methods of gaining momentum and breaking down the
negative stereotype. Advocates have begun to use humor, fashion, and personal anecdotes to
name a few. Andi Zeisler talks about how pop culture informs our understanding of political
issues (n.d.). The internet has allowed feminists to play to the hearts of people across the world
to recruit them to join the movement. Interviews such as Emma Watson talking about her
HeforShe Campaign that easily go viral spread the word about feminism. They shine a light on
celebrity endorsements, encouraging people to think that if their role models are feminists,
maybe they should be too (2015). Technology open[s] our eyes to the plight of women and girls
around the world (Wallace 2014). It allows us to hear stories of suffering from inequality that
we would not be able to hear otherwise.
While trends such as #WomenAgainstFeminism begin and seem to take charge, the
backlash against these anti-feminists is even greater. Twitter users have explained that the
women who post explanations as to why they are not a feminist has only taught [them] that
there are lots of women who have no idea what feminism is (Durgin 2014). The hashtag
#WhyINeedFeminism drastically outnumbers its counterpart, with thousands of women
describing their encounters with the sexism that is still prevalent in our society today.
Conclusion
Feminism has had a long history of having a negative stigma. Past advocates have
struggled to break these numerous damaging stereotypes. Currently, todays society is also
attempting to destroy the stigma. Within pop culture, the internet has had both negative and
positive effects on the movement. However, the benefits of online feminism are beginning to
outweigh the harms. Every day, more people are learning about the gender inequality and what

Feminism in Pop Culture 12

needs to be done. Past associations with a female-dominated movement are being destroyed by a
thriving online feminist movement that will not stop until gender equality is fully reached.
Reference List
Abramson, J. (2015, April 16). Emma Watson. Retrieved from http://time.com/3823057/emmawatson-2015-time-100/
Alter, C. (2014, September 24). Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt explain why hes a feminist in a
truly thoughtful way. Retrieved from http://time.com/3426757/watch-joseph-gordonlevitt-explain-why-hes-a-feminist-in-a-truly-thoughtful-way/
Culp-Ressler, T. (2015, February 23). The problem with making celebrities like Patricia Arquette
the face of feminism. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2015/02/23/
3625824/problem-celebrity-feminists/
Durgin, C. (2014, July 28). Woman against feminism vs. feminists: whos actually confused?
Retrieved from http://www.nationalreview.com/article/383683/anti-feminists-bafflefeminists-celina-durgin
Goldberg, M. (2014). Feminisms toxic twitter wars. Retrieved from http://www.thenation.com/
article/178140/feminisms-toxic-twitter-wars?page=0,0#
Goldberg, M. (2015, February 20). Feminist writers are so besieged by online abuse that some
have begun to retire. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/onlinefeminists-increasingly-ask-are-the-psychic-costs-too-much-to-bear/2015/02/19/3dc4ca6cb7dd-11e4-a200-c008a01a6692_story.html
Greenburg, Z. (2014, November 4). The top-earning women in music 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/11/04/the-top-earning-womenin-music-2014/

Feminism in Pop Culture 13

Hare, B. (2014, December 12). Beyonc opens up on feminism, fame, and marriage. Retrieved
from http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/showbiz/music/beyonce-feminism-yours-andmine-video/
HeForShe, (2015, March 8). HeForShe conversation with Emma Watson on International
Womens Day 2015 [full q&a] official. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/LNi9Ypc0cg8
Is Feminism Still Relevant? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.debate.org/opinions/isfeminism-still-relevant
Martin, C., & Valenti, V. (2013). #FemFuture: online revolution. New Feminist Solutions, 8.
Retrieved from http://bcrw.barnard.edu/wp-content/nfs/reports/NFS8-FemFuture-OnlineRevolution-Report-April-15-2013.pdf
Maule A. (2015, March 14). Aziz Ansari doubles down on feminism. Retrieved from
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/aziz-ansari-doubles-down-feminism
McVeigh, T. (2013, March 9). One in seven women are made redundant after maternity leave.
Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/mar/09/women-on-maternityleave-illegal-discrimation
Nussbaum, E. (2011, October 30). The rebirth of the feminist manifesto. Retrieved from
http://nymag.com/news/features/feminist-blogs-2011-11/
Reyes, M. (2014, July 29). Five stereotypes about feminism that have to stop. Retrieved from
http://www.whyfeminist.com/articles/2014/7/29/five-stereotypes-about-feminism-thathave-to-stop
Scharff, C. (n.d.). Repudiating feminism: young women in a neoliberal world. Available from
https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=7_NMQfKVDRAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1976&dq=feminism+negative&ots=

Feminism in Pop Culture 14

ga2KfccIVB&sig=b-4mfj_Kn9u-sUi8hr4vbjRg-jg#v=onepage&q=feminism
%20negative&f=false
Shulevitz, J., & Traister, R. (2014, September 15). Feminism has conquered the culture now
comes the hard part. Retrieved from http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/09/
feminism -has-conquered-culture-now-comes-hard-part

Steinmetz, K. (2014, November 12). Which word should be banned in 2015? Retrieved from
http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/
The Fight for Womens Suffrage. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage
Traister, R. (2014, August 25). Beyoncs VMA performance was the feminist moment Ive been
waiting for. Retrieved from http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119211/beyonces-vmaperformance-feminisms-most-powerful-pop-culture-moment
Wade, L. (2015, February 2). Where do negative stereotypes about feminism come from?
Retrieved from http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2015/02/02/where-do-negativestereotypes-about-feminists-come-from/
Wallace, K. (2014, October 7). Technology is feminisms friend and foe. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/18/living/technology-empowering-women-identity/
Williams, A. (2014, November 17). Common misconceptions too many people have about
feminism. Retrieved from http://hellogiggles.com/misconceptions-about-feminism/#read.
Wolfers, J. (2015, March 2). Fewer women run big companies than men named John. Retrieved
from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/upshot/fewer-women-run-big-companiesthan-men-named-john.html?_r=1&abt=0002&abg=0
Zeisler, A. (n.d.). Feminism and pop culture: seal studies. Available from

Feminism in Pop Culture 15

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ROhSbOQIzmYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&d
q=feminism+pop+culture&ots=_C6wVxVWJl&sig=S0Q2c4BQm7ruv4zzTAHY_YQEf
D8#v=onepage&q=feminism%20pop%20culture&f=false