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Marissa Mayer doesn’t like feminism? Then maybe she should understand it first. | Source
Is “feminism” the new F-word? It seems like it, because it’s getting a bad rap.
The new Yahoo CEO (a huge, important, and high-paying job), Marissa Mayer, is a woman. Had she worked for Yahoo–or any other company–a few decades ago, she likely wouldn’t have risen as high in the ranks or earned as much money, because she’s a woman. Feminism earned her the equality and opportunities in the workplace that many women today still don’t have–and yet Marissa Mayer doesn’t consider herself a feminist, going as far as to say that “feminism” is a “negative word.” No, seriously.
When we heard that, we let out a huge “WTF?!” It seems enormously hypocritical that in a society where most women still earn less than men do for performing the same exact jobs that Marissa Mayer would deny the very movement that allowed her to earn her current position. Watch her here:
Marissa Mayer seems a little confused between “militant“ feminists and, well, the rest of us. The problem is, she’s lumping every single woman who supports equal rights into a sort of extremist group together. That’s sort of like saying everyone who practices Islam is a terrorist–which isn’t true, and is actually a dangerous statement that causes severe divisions and misunderstandings between people. Whether Marissa Mayer realizes it or not, denouncing feminism is actually, quite literally, promoting sexism.
How? Allow us to explain. Feminism doesn’t necessarily entail hating men, spelling women “womyn,” burning your bra, not shaving your pits, or really wanting Lilith Fair to start again. At its core, basic feminism is just wanting equal rights for both sexes. That means men and women. Without feminism, if you had an after school job at a cafe, it’d be perfectly fine and legal for your boss to pay the lazy guy who can’t make a good cappuccino twice as much as he pays you. Without feminism, you wouldn’t be able to vote, to go to school, or to work at all.
So our advice to Marissa Mayer? If you want to distance yourself from feminism, you should distance yourself from everything it’s gotten you thus far. It probably means taking a demotion or ten, a really big pay cut, not having the right or power to choose what you do with your own body, relinquishing your voter registration and driver’s license, handing over your diplomas, and succumbing to a “barefoot and pregnant in a kitchen” stereotype. If feminism really bothers you, Marissa Mayer, quit your job, shut up, and make a man a sandwich.
Do you think Marissa Mayer has a misconception of what feminism means? Do you think it’s good for women to distance themselves from feminism in the workplace? Do you think that Marissa Mayer is damaging women’s chances for equal rights by denouncing feminism? Tell us in the comments!
Here’s Why It’s Awesome To Be A Feminist!
So, nobody else seems to realize how negative feminism is. Want to read an article with that theme? It will be telling you, as a woman, how much the world is screwing you over. There are so few success stories and encouraging words of wisdom for women who don’t want to complain but instead actually want to DO something to make the world a more equal, sane place.
I stand for feminism by doing what I want. And actually, there aren’t any real barriers between me and any career path or family life that I want. Reading feminism has triggered my depression and made me feel less capable of doing anything. I feel defeared. Like, the world hates women anyway so there’s no hope. Nothing is much better.
This can’t be true. A lot is better. Can we focus on that?
If feminism is about equality, why is it called feminism?
Stupid fat hobbit is stupid.
I must say, the comments on this article have restored alot of faith in humanity that I, previously, had thought was lost.
I fully believe in equal rights: it disgusts me that, all things being equal, women are paid less than men for the same job; the sexual double-standard is complete bullshit (a woman that has sex with numerous men is a “slut”, but a man who does the same with women is a “stud”); guys can wear a pimp suit in public and be commended, whereas a woman who dresses to take advantage of her physical attractiveness is scolded (at best, chances are she’s harassed by dumbasses and possibly gets attacked because “she was asking for it.”)
There are countless other injustices that are aimed against women in the U.S., not to mention the truly HORRIFIC practices that go on in other parts of the world.
I can only hope to be alive for the day when such things are behind us as a species.
Seriously. If I could go back in time and pick ONE event, it would be one of the countless demonstrations for Womens’ Suffrage (#2 would be to participate in the Million Man March) just to show my support.
On the flip side of the coin, it really bothers me that the “feminists” who get the most exposure are those who aren’t really feminists. As a 27 year-old, caucasian male, I’ll give you my perspective on “feminism,” as it has been given to me throughout my time on this Earth:
99.999999% of the time when I hear “feminist/feminism” it’s a long, vitriolic diatribe about how all men are evil and all women are saintly victims.
No, really. Every time I hear or read “feminist” I immediately think “Oh shit, what did I do now to fuck humanity up?”
I’m reminded every single day that ONLY men commit acts of evil – women only do so under the most dire of duress or to extract “just” vengeance on some male in their lives (watch ANY T.V. crime show… if a woman is the murderer, she, FAR more often than not, has a morally justifiable reason to kill men [unless she's old/unattractive, of course], whereas male perpetrators on other episodes of the same show are just evil, malignant, sadistic pieces of garbage). I’m reminded every day that, despite the fact that I have always seen women as just another person equally capable of anything another human being can do*, I’m just some sexist asshole who’s trying to perpetuate the patriarchy. *with respect to physiological differences – the world’s strongest (naturally born) woman probably doesn’t have the same upper-body strength as a man, of comparable fitness, 3/5 her mass* When I was a 26 year-old man with a perfect driving history, I paid more for car insurance premiums than a 16 year-old female with a traffic ticket on her record. I’m tired of extremists taking the limelight to spit their venom at the y-chromosome, but (successfully) pulling it under the guise of “equality.”
Feminists are up-in-arms about Title IX and/or other “equal opportunity” laws being applied to men when they become the numerical minority in college campuses. When you bring up the fact that a significantly lower number of men are applying for, and completing, college than are women today, there is no support from “feminism,” to have their “equality laws” exercised to their specifications; just more hatred for men. The same feminists who pushed for Title IX are now upset that anyone who is stupid enough to commit the unfathomable crime of being born with testicles, and to have a dream beyond cannon fodder/expendable laborer, is brought into a 4-year institution to meet diversity quotas. NEVER, ever, have I heard a feminist complain about the fact that males must register for selective service (the draft) if they want to receive any kind of financial aid, for college, from the U.S. government, but women are not subject to the same rule. NEVER have I heard a feminist call circumcision “genital mutilation” (you’re LITERALLY excising the male clitrois – and spare me the bullshit about “hygiene” because there’s nothing a flap of skin, designed by hundreds of millions of years of evolution to protect the penis, can accumulate that bi-daily use of soap and water cannot prevent). I have yet to hear a single woman complain about the inequality (heavily favoring women) in family court.
I could go on (and want to) but you’re probably bored/you’re calling me a chauvanistic asshole. I’m not here to start a crusade, and I’m certainly not trying to incite a “War of the Roses.” Nor am I trying to say that men have it worse than women. I’m just sick and tired of being called “bitter and lonely” when I try to point out some of the sexism I (as a man) have experienced.
For any people out there who genuinely want equality, I support you and would like to help. If you’re just looking for revenge, like 99% of the “feminists” I have interacted with, please stop parading under the noble mask of “equality” and just reveal your true agenda for what it is: blind hatred.
Seriously, it’s OK to hate someone based on one variable. I just take exception when you take unfettered hatred and broadcast it with the bullshit, alterior motive as “equality.”
In my experience, the vast majority of feminists do not want equality. They want revenge.
Umm, what a load of drivel.
Feminism didn’t get Marissa all theses things, hard work, persistance, determination, intelligence, focus, etc, etc did.
And to the silly comments that if you are not feminist you believe that women are hidiously inferior creatures is laughable. Those are the types of militant views that turns people (including Marissa Mayer) away from feminism. That’s lilke saying that “If you aren’t a humanist you believe that humans aren’t equal to animals”.
Feminism is not about hating men, and it is not about hating men. Feminism is simply about believing that everyone is equal, regardless of their genitals. Having a penis dose not make you better/worse than anyone who dosent. Having a vagina dose not make you and better/worse than anyone else. people need to be judged on their decisions and their triumphs.
The definition of a feminist is: A person who supports feminism.
The definition of feminism is: The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
So therefore, if you are not a feminist, you do not support women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
I don’t think things need to be maken a big deal of if a woman becomes a CEO, it’s also not fair for women to say stuff like “Men suck!” because thats not being a feminist, thats sexism. If a guy said that about women, he’d be called chauvinistic.
But being called a “feminist” most certainly is not a negative thing.
I kind of see the article writer’s point. I don’t think Marissa Mayer is going out of her way to be bad, but I do think she’s incredibly underinformed like many women out there about what feminism is. There’s negative connotations about feminism, but these are prepatrated by STEREOTYPES. I think she’s a little confused because she thinks all feminists are the same, extremists who hate men. Honestly I’ve been introduced to a lot of feminists, and a lot of them don’t necessarily stand for that. No two feminists are the same. Yes, that would be like saying all people who practice Islam are terrorists. That’s incredibly untrue, and wrong. You can never squeeze everyone into one tiny box. Also this article really helped me define feminism. http://www.gurl.com/2012/02/27/who-is-a-feminist/
Seriously with this article? I agree with Marissa. I think women can do things just as well as men can, but I don’t consider myself a feminist. Some feminists seem to think that any woman who isn’t a feminist is someone to be looked down on – that’s exactly what gives feminism a bad name. Who says you HAVE to be a feminist to support equal rights? Why does every woman have to be a feminist in order to get respect from so-called feminists? It’s so frustrating. The title of this article is so misleading (as are the titles of most of the articles on this site) and I feel like Gurl is twisting Marissa’s words.
And saying this? “denouncing feminism is actually, quite literally, promoting sexism.” That is so absolutely ridiculous. This whole article makes me mad. Get off your high horse. Just because some of us aren’t feminists doesn’t mean we’re promoting sexism. Ugh.
wow, you obviously haven’t paid any attention to what this article was actually saying. Let me spell it out simply for you, since you obviously don’t understand:
being a feminist means that you believe men and women are equal.
So, by saying that you aren’t a feminist, you are saying you don’t believe both sexes are equal. It’s that simple.
So yes, actually, saying you aren’t a feminist is being sexism, being it’s saying you don’t believe both men and women are equal.
Also, can I just point out something you said… ‘Who says you HAVE to be a feminist to support equal rights?’ That is stupid. Supporting Equal rights IS feminism. duh.
Next time, please actually read the article, because it might teach you something. Like, how it is dum to not be a feminist.
Not being a feminist is “dum”? Really? I think not even knowing how to spell the word “dumb” is pretty dumb.
Also, that’s YOUR opinion. I totally don’t agree with it. I think you can absolutely support equal rights without considering yourself a feminist and that’s what I was trying to say here. I was also trying to say that it’s ridiculous to attack a woman for not calling herself a feminist.
I’m so, so, so, so sorry that I spelled dumb wrong. I really, truly am. deeply.
I think you don’t actually understand what feminism is. You have this idea that a feminist is this strong, wonder woman type girl, who hates men and burns bras and think women are perfect. I think you are just scared of that word because of all the labels attached to it, and are now ignoring what it REALLY is.
(WATCH THIS http://www.makers.com/tavi-gevinson/moments/fight-feminism)
I’ll say it again:
If you aren’t a feminist, you believe women aren’t equal to men.
It isn’t an opinion about what feminism is. There is what feminism is, and what it isn’t. Feminism IS believing both sexes are equal. end of story.
No not nessecary, you don’t have to be feminist to believe that women and men have equal rights. You can believe in equal for everyone. No matter if your gay, straight, black, white, jewish, or muslim.
Okay Gurl.com, work on your journalism please.
Now, to the actual point. She’s not denouncing feminism. She clearly stands right behind the ideas of feminism, saying that women are as capable as men, however, there’s nothing wrong with not considering yourself a feminist. I recycle my yogurt cups, that doesn’t mean I consider myself an ‘eco-warrior’. Her success isn’t rooted in the feminist movement,. And though feminism is an idea that has gotten us far, that doesn’t mean that as women we have to consider ourselves in a battle against the oppression of the opposite sex in this day and age. As women we have opportunities that we didn’t have in the past,and with this in mind, not all of us have to take an evangelistic stance on gender issues.
In all due respect, it is considered by the population of America, improfessional to impress political views onto minors. Young women should be given the freedom to think for themselves and should be treated as equally as young men in that regard.
FYI, the person who wrote the article is the adult guilty of impressing personal political views onto minors, not Marissa Mayer.
I’m not a feminist, because then shouldn’t men have the right to be “malenists”?
I’m and equal rights activist. So I see where marissa is comign from.
Ok, now that I’ve watched the video, I understand where she is coming from. A lot of feminists today represent negative things, but not all of them. I consider myself a feminist and I agree with her. She even said that there are some things women can do better than men, she didn’t sound as if she was trying to downplay feminism at all. Although I do think that being the CEO of Yahoo! and being a woman is a huge deal, if she doesn’t feel that way and does not consider herself a feminist, that’s fine. It’s her choice. She could have spoken more on the positive things that have came out of feminism, though.
As the wise, beautiful, powerful and feminist singer Ani DiFranco puts it:
“My mother was a feminist
She taught me to see
That the road to ruin is paved
With patriarchy
So, let the way of the women
Guide democracy
From plunder and pollution
Let mother earth be free
Feminism ain’t about women
No, that’s not who it is for
It’s about a shifting consciousness
That’ll bring an end to war”
Which Side are You On? -Ani DiFranco
Acually, I agree with the writer of the article on this point. Sure women may have the same rights as men (in western nations), but women still have to work ten times harder for thouse same things. A woman, still has to prove her self more in certain work places than a man does. Plus women still get paid less than men do for the same job.
So before demionzing a femnist, think about the word and some of the facts and strides it has created for women. If there was never a femenist movement, woman still wouldn’t be in college. And if they were, it would only be for “female friendly” jobs, that they could only have untill they were pregnant.
I actually agree with Marissa. I believe in equal rights for men and women and think that sexism of any kind is bad. However, I don’t consider myself a “feminist,” because feminism carries a different connotation now from what it originally meant as a value. I think Marissa is being very clear that she is a believer in equal rights but doesn’t identify with that “militant” connotation of feminism.
I’m going to be short but honestly it was just equal rights! We didn’t give a special name for colored peoples equal rights…..we call it civil rights! And honestly this was very RUDE towards Marissa and THE EXACT REASON people think feminism is bad. You just proved HER point.
I think gurl is taking what Marissa is saying to a different level. She’s not saying that being Feminist is BAD, she is saying that women are taking feminism and turing it into a chip on the shoulder and making it where everything you do your doing it for the entire race of women. I do agree with what she say. I also believe with Women’s right but like other things I believe its been taking out of porportion.
Women right now have equal rights to pretty much everything now its just takes drive and effort. Even though there is still going to Sexism. The main point is: Marissa doesn’t consider herself feminist, she just considers herself a working woman.
If it was equal rights for both sexes it wouldn’t be called ‘feminism’. I agree with Marissa it shouldn’t be a huge deal that she’s a woman.This woman worked hard to get where she is now, just like any other CEO, man or female, and to say that just because she doesn’t like feminism she shouldn’t have her career? All feminists I’ve met just whine about how they don’t get any opportunities as girls meanwhile they just mooch around expecting someone to offer them a job. It’s not the 50′s girls have just as much rights as boys pretty much everywhere, you just have to have the drive.