Feminism Does Not Mean Anti
A misconception that Feminism means “man-hating”
Feminism has always been misunderstood to be a movement that is pro-women and anti-men. To be a feminists it does not mean that you don’t care for men. Feminism keeps men accountable for their participation of sexism and oppression against women while at the same time, acknowledging the negative impact that is pressed upon them as well.
bell hooks’ “Comrades In Struggle” (67–83) from FEMINIST THEORY from margin to center, supports the idea that men need to be liable for the oppression they create on women in addition to that of capitalism. Feminism needs the support of men in order to create a radical societal change and liberation. It is essential to consider men as comrades in the struggle. “Men have a tremendous contribution to make to feminist struggle in the area of exposing, confronting ,opposing, and transforming the sexism of their male peers” (81). hooks encourages the reader to see beyond the separatist ideology that has been engraved in us; ignoring the negative impact of sexism on males. Today, it is clear that our society still believes in certain stereotypes that have been placed upon feminism. Although one would expect that people today are more educated and knowledgeable about what sexism, capitalism, and other forms of oppression are because of or current social issues and presidential election, we are not.
Because the United States, along with other countries in the world, have a huge social media and technological platform it is easier for people to receive strategically selected messages and one-sided perspectives. Thus, easily convincing the masses to agree on what the system of oppression wants the world to believe.
For instance, in recent news, beauty pageant contestant, Kára McCullough, and now Miss USA 2017, shocks the world with her thoughts on feminism. This year’s Miss USA contestants were asked to share their thoughts on what they considered feminism to be and also whether they considered themselves feminists or not. When it came to our now winner of Miss USA 2017, Kára McCullough, she answered that she did not considered herself a feminist but an equalist. It was appalling to all social media platforms when she answered in a very uneducated way. McCullough: “ ‘I don’t really want to consider myself — try not to consider myself like this diehard, you know, like, ‘Oh, I don’t really care about men.’ ” McCullough’s answer is another example of how feminism is globally misunderstood with the idea that to be a feminist means hating and not caring for men.
Miss USA 2017 plays a huge role in the lives of many communities, significantly targeting growing boys and girls who will take anything this form of role model will say and apply it to their own morals and believes. Not only does Miss USA have this type of power to control or persuade people to believe in the stereotypes that she has been taught, but other people like celebrities and even our own POTUS that are constantly going viral all over the internet and media platforms.
It is time to analyze what kinds of roles models are continuing to share and reproduce these sets of uneducated beliefs into the minds of those who have no capital to learn on their own about theory. Feminism does not mean that we hate men, on the other hand, we are acknowledging their suffrage too while at the same time keeping them accountable for their role in the struggle. Feminism is about the equality of all sexes in every aspect of life. It means loving each other and recognizing the branches of oppression that need to be broken in order for liberation to occur.
