These days, it’s getting harder and harder to find a consistent cultural message about anything, so it is to be expected that certain political movements and ideas are plagued with confusion, but nothing beats “feminism” for mixed messages. Recently, the most prominent feminists in the news have been Sheryl Sandberg, Katy Perry (who just discovered her feminism), and that porn star student at Duke. They might as well all be babbling nonsensically as far as I’m concerned, but I keep seeing the word “feminist” in their quotes.
Aren’t the senior feminists a bit embarrassed by this? A White House insider cum billionaire executive, a pop singer and a porn star are all calling what they do feminist, but if that’s true, what isn’t feminist? Is feminism just a state of mind, or a party affiliation (apparently not — the porn star is a libertarian)? Is it having lots of money? Being proud of oneself?
There is one thing the above examples have in common, and it might just be the key to understanding what feminism means today. They are all shameless self-promoters. Apparently, feminism is about “me, ME, ME!” That’s all there is to it. It has nothing to do with values, conscience or a desire to make the world a better place. It’s transparent self-interest. Distilled selfishness. It brings to mind little more than pigs in the trough.
The last pretense has been abandoned. The original, utopian idea that women would stop wars, bring a kinder and more caring society, correct injustices and so on hardly comes up any longer. Maybe this just allows us to see feminism for what it was all along, but how can anyone respond to this revelation with anything other than disappointment and spiritual exhaustion? This must be what civilizational decline feels like.
