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Val Demos
This seems just about right.

The Problems With Third-Wave Feminism

I am not a third-wave feminist, as you can probably tell by the title. (I know, what a monster!) Here are 5 reasons why (in no particular order):

  1. They Use the Dictionary Definition in Debates, But Not in Application. Here is the much-quoted Google definition of feminism: “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.” That sounds amazing. Who in their right mind wouldn’t support that? But, as Lauren Southern and many others point out, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0rOKTCuQI) the dictionary definition of equal rights and the actions of third-wave feminists are vastly different. Modern feminists do advocate women’s rights, but rarely with the concept of “equal to men” in mind.
  2. They Can’t Decide What They Want. Virtually all third-wave feminists agree that women need more rights. However, they disagree among each other (and contradict themselves) as to what rights they need. Some preach empowerment, especially body pride, including not shaving, wearing revealing clothes, (or virtually none) and increasing self-confidence. Others fight for sheltering, what with “trigger warnings,” “safe spaces,” and treating women like they need to be protected from things as minor as disagreement or being looked at. The worst part, though, is that many feminists are hypocrites and support both ideas. They are basically saying, “Yeah, women should have equal rights, be proud, and be treated like men; they are NOT more sensitive or emotional.” At the same time, they say, “Men shouldn’t even look at a woman, let alone say something going against her views. Women need to be protected from the evils of the world and should be given special laws to get them hired and make them feel happy.” One of the most common examples I see is the basic idea of a man paying for dinner or opening a door for a women. I have seen just as many feminists say it IS insulting to open a door for a woman as I’ve seen those that say not opening the door is rude! Make up your minds!
  3. Their Statistics Are Often Misleading Or Conditional. I would say that the two most commonly cited statistics for feminists are the “one in four women in college will be raped” study and the “78 cents to a dollar” gender gap. Both are debatable, and studies on the subjects often come up with vastly different results. For example, The Daily Beast’s article on the college rape statistic shows that study organizers admitted the statistic may be off; this is because those that agreed to take part in the study were the people most likely to have experienced sexual assault. (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/21/how-misleading-is-the-new-one-in-four-campus-rape-statistic.html) Furthermore, the wage gap has been condemned by many economists, including Claudia Goldin from Harvard for having less to do with discrimination and more to do with women choosing different jobs and taking time off. (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/harvard-prof.-takes-down-gender-wage-gap-myth/article/2580405) Of course, this doesn’t apply to all women, but it does apply to many. There are bound to be disagreements over statistics in almost any social debate. However, the controversy surrounding feminist statistics significantly reduces feminist credibility.
  4. They Classify Everything As Rape. Recently, I have read some feminist opinions that all sex is rape. I have also heard them call anything from catcalling to posting nudes rape. While these things are certainly dumb and can sometimes be classified as harassment, calling them rape is untrue and disrespectful to all the men and women that have actually had to experience rape. Yes, feminists have raised awareness of rape, but maybe the reason rape reports are often taken with a grain of salt is because so many situations have been falsely reported as rape. Is it really helping the victims to reduce their credibility and call experiences not half as terrible as theirs rape? Calling everything rape may very well be what’s contributing to your so-called “rape culture.”
  5. They Can’t Take Criticism. Okay, this is one that only applies to some feminists. I really don’t mean to apply this to the well intentioned, logical feminists who truly want to convince people that their cause is good. Those people I disagree with but respect (after all, I can’t use my right to free speech while denying theirs). No, I am talking about many high-profile third-wavers who use excuses such as “well you’ve obviously never been raped, so you can’t talk about it” or “you are obviously benefiting from cisgender/straight/male privilege.” I have heard so many feminists who say a man in “mansplaining” whenever he talks or yelling at a man during an argument for “not letting a girl speak.” It seems almost like there’s more female privilege (at least in first-world countries) than male privilege. We can use “oppression” arguments on men, we can hit men without them hitting use back, and we can easily convince others we are victims. If feminists want to be treated equally, maybe they should stop crying harassment and asking for special treatment.

I could go on, but these are the main reasons I am not a third-wave feminist. None of the reasons above apply to first or second wave feminism, nor to they apply to feminists in third-world countries such as certain places in the Middle East or Africa that truly do not support women’s rights. I recognize that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the right to vote, own property, and choose my job, and I support feminists across the world who fight for these basic rights. However, modern third-wave feminists seem to just be looking for something to fight against, so they made up the patriarchy and focus on mostly ridiculous details. These people should be drawing attention to the REAL feminists who struggle with ACTUAL oppression instead of ruining the name of feminism and drawing attention away from real issues.