Film-inist

Anyone remember The Long Kiss Goodnight? For those who haven't seen it, the set-up is this: Geena Davis plays Samantha, a happy suburban teacher and mother with amnesia. She's been trying to figure out her former profession, but to no avail. As the movie unfolds, she slowly begins to remember her time as a CIA assassin. A typical action movie premise.

And, unfortunately for some feminists, it's a typical action movie execution, as well. Part of what jogs Samantha's awakening is some underwater torture- while she's wearing a see-through white dress, of course. She cuts her long red hair and dyes it blond to fully embrace her re-entry into spydom. She flashes men, smokes, talks fast and kills faster. In short, she's the quintessential male fantasy. But wait, even though she can overcome almost any obstacle, when it comes to ridding herself of her villainous ex, she's at a loss. She is totally incapable of picking him off just like everyone else, and it definitely isn't because she's having mixed feelings about it.

Some folks will think The Long Kiss Goodnight is a feminist movie, and to some degree, it is. But it follows an all-too-common pattern of female characters in mainstream action movies. Skinny, beautiful women in trendy clothing, but very little of it. Sweaty, wet, sexy eye candy. They can fight pretty good for girls, but when push really comes to shove, they need a little help from their male partner or lover.

Even though this archetype is annoying, it's heads above the old one: skinny, beautiful women in trendy clothes who get kidnapped and scream a lot and have to have their men come and save them. Action movies are obviously progressing. But how can they catch up to other genres which have been able to portray sexy and/or tough women as more than one-dimensional? (At this point, it's obligatory to mention that Geena Davis also starred in Thelma and Louise, widely recognized as an essential feminist film.) Granted, characters are usually secondary to the action in action movies. Go figure.

It doesn't have to be this way. Let's take the Kill Bill movies, for example. First, we'll set aside all the clumsy, caricatured portrayals of race, and forget about some of Tarantino's less-than-feminist moments in other films. That being said, the Bride is an action hero(ine) most women can live with. Yes, she's blond and thin, but this fact is acknowledged several times throughout the course of the movies. Yes, she stalls a bit before killing Bill, but she is always shown as a human who makes mistakes. It definitely uses elements of the female action hero stereotype, but it is progress. The film also touches briefly on a few feminist issues, such as rape and motherhood, so even though the movie is probably not attempting to be a feminist statement, it has had an impact. Here's one great example found online: “it was from that movie where i learnt that motherhood is actually a cool thing” and that there is “courage and passion in it.” Rock on.

Action movies really aren't the place to make feminist statements. And let's face it, women definitely don't have to be violent to be tough or admirable. But as long as action movies are being made, they could at least cast women in a more positive, less stereotypical light. Filmmakers, take note.

White Girl

You may notice the long break between entries. Part of this was due to a vacation, but in part, I was mulling over a comment, unready to respond. You see, an activist friend whom I greatly respect recently said that she stopped calling herself a feminist when she realized that the term was mostly used by white academics. I've wanted to fully respond for a long while, but was left at a loss for words.

My first response to this was to feel indignant that someone would eschew the feminist moniker. I mean, come on. Half of the population has been getting the short end of the stick for how long? How could you not identify with the desire for equally for all genders?

It's time for a disclaimer: I'm white. My partner is a man. My circumstance growing up might not be described as “well off”, but I was fortunate enough to win a scholarship that allowed me to attend college. I seem to be a walking feminist stereotype. Perhaps I should question my initial bristling.

An oft-leveled criticism is that feminism is a movement for middle-class white women by middle-class white women. Some might add “straight”, though I would argue that the feminist and LGBTQI movements have a tentative alliance. There are many famous feminists that don't fit the bill: bell hooks, Dorothy Allison and Angela Davis come to mind immediately. Still, when I think of all the folks I know personally who embrace the term feminist, I can't help but notice how white, middle-class and well-educated they are.

Certain circumstances may compound gender discrimination or trump it altogether. I certainly can't claim to know what it is like to experience violence or hatred based on the color of my skin. I am lucky enough to live in a well-to-do country, have never known starvation or civil war. My world is very insular and I am well aware of it. I have always had difficulty finding a common “sisterhood” even within Western culture, let alone the world. However, I do believe that certain feminist issues- like equal pay or an end to domestic violence- will benefit a lot of folks. Perhaps because feminism could potentially help so many, its definition has been broadened to encompass countless points of view. Does this dilute the meaning? Probably. Does it mean that anyone- male or female, gay or straight, black or white- can embrace this term? Absolutely.

With so many allies to choose from, why is feminism so popular among white academics? Maybe because we have more time and resources- luxuries needed to lobby for change. I really have no idea. But now, longtime coming, the point:

So what?

So what if I'm a white woman? Is my viewpoint null and void? No. I don't claim to speak for every woman. No movement has ever successfully spoken for all of those that it seeks to benefit.

So what if I'm fighting for my own equality? Should I step aside and stop being such a whiner? A resounding no. Some have it better than others, but that doesn't mean they should become complacent.

So what if feminist isn't a perfect term? Should it be abandoned or replaced? Of course not. All that it has come to mean and all past struggles should not be forgotten. And how exactly will people of a different bent come to embrace the term if we don't keep it and all it stands for?

I will continue to call myself a feminist, and you should, too. Even if you're not a white academic.

Revolution Girl Style Now

In the past few months, folks seem to have rediscovered punk rock revolutionaries like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, and Huggy Bear. Riot grrrls and their predecessors have been getting a lot of press recently: Bikini Kill has a new archive on the web, the book Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music was released, Kathleen Hanna has resurfaced for interviews, the Sundance Film Festival held three screenings of The Runaways (Joan Jett is often cited as an influence for many of these musicians).

At a time when few women even came out for rock shows, the riot grrrls were a a no-holds-barred voice for women. They took feminism from the inaccessible world of theory and criticism and dropped it into music and popular culture. They made it relevant for a younger generation, bringing third wave feminist thinking to the forefront. And they did so amidst cries of “show us your tits” and threats of violence from the audience. The resulting media firestorm painted them as adversarial attention-seekers but ignored their core messages: women can be empowered, they can play music just as well as men, sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, sexual and domestic violence must stop. They opened up the doors for women in the music world, both concertgoers and musicians alike. We can thank them in part for the feminist groups that followed, such as Sleater-Kinney, The Gossip and Le Tigre.

Unfortunately, popular culture is slow to change. Google “women in music” and you'll find proof that many still place more emphasis on women's looks than talent. It can be discouraging to see young female musicians play into someone else's idea of sexuality rather than being able to establish their own. Girl power has become a commodity.

There is still hope. One of the many goals of the riot grrrl movement was to have women create a culture they could feel good about. They made music and zines without much money or outside support, proving that DIY culture could have a widespread influence. Though their message is still misinterpreted, the fact remains that we benefit from their work today. Feminist zines have turned into feminist blogs, and rock and roll camps for girls have sprung up. The framework the riot grrrls established still exists, ready and waiting. Perhaps the world is finally ready for another feminist movement in popular culture. We don't need to be famous, we don't need money, we don't need anything more than determination and desire. But one thing is for sure: we still need revolution girl style now.