It’s that time again: when readers vote on which word should be banned in Time’s annual Worst Words poll.
Typically, the poll includes slang words that are, arguably, annoying and/or stupid. In the past, this has included adorkable, amazeballs, epic fail, hashtag, and presh. This year is a bit different. According to Time, on par with words and phrases like “I can’t even,” “basic,” “om nom nom nom,” and “obvi” is the word “feminist.”
Time justifies the addition of “feminist” this way: “You have nothing against feminism itself, but when did it become a thing that every celebrity had to state their position on whether this word applies to them, like some politician declaring a party? Let’s stick to the issues and quit throwing this label around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade.”
Which is bad enough. But “feminist” is currently leading with 50 per cent of the vote. The second place winner, “bae,” only has 13 per cent (incidentally, my choice, “basic,” only has three per cent. That word needs to go). The landslide is the work of 4chan and 9gag, two of the worst places on the Internet.
What is 4chan, exactly? It’s a message board that is pretty much a haven for 14-year-old sociopathic boys who hate women, minorities, and anyone in the LGBT community. It’s 4chan who is leading Gamergate, the movement that is superficially about ethics in gaming journalism, but is really about how much gamers hate women. It was 4chan that led the attack on Anita Sarkeesian, the woman who criticized the portrayal of women in video games and has had to leave her home out of fear.
Time’s inclusion of “feminist” illustrates a lot of deeper issues that are constantly at the forefront of any Internet discussion.
There is a very vocal, very small group of feminists on the Internet who are, admittedly, militant. Most feminists are not like that.
Feminism, at its core, is about choice. Women should have a choice over what happens to their bodies, they should have the choice to enter any occupation they want, and they should be able to do what men do without encountering pushback.
But people don’t get that and it doesn’t help when young celebrities continue to propagate this mistaken idea about feminism.
Shailene Woodley, when asked by Time if she was a feminist: “No, because I love men and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance.”
Taylor Swift: “I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life.”
Lady Gaga: “I’m not a feminist. I hail men, I love men, I celebrate American male culture -- beer, bars, and muscle cars.”
Kelly Clarkson: “No, I wouldn’t say feminist — that’s too strong. I think when people hear feminist, it’s like, ‘Get out of my way, I don’t need anyone.’ I love that I’m being taken care of and I have a man that’s a leader. I’m not a feminist in that sense.”
Just like with anything, there is always going to be a contingent that is more intense than others. I talk a lot about gamers hating women, but of course, they’re not all like that – my own brother is a hardcore gamer and while he does get annoyed when I bring down our co-op games, it’s because I, personally, am pretty bad at video games, not because I’m a woman.
Not every Muslim is a terrorist and not every Christian supports the Westboro Baptist Church. People need to learn to differentiate between different factions within a movement and keep their eyes on the real point of feminism: creating a safer and more inclusive world for women.
Males on the Internet are sure that these crazy feminists are everywhere, plotting to accuse men of rape willy-nilly, talking with each other about how all men should die, and are ready to freak out about any slight – real or perceived. I go on a lot of feminist-leaning sites and I have personally never encountered a so-called “feminazi.” A lot of women are afraid to identify as feminists because of the stereotype it represents: that of the non-shaving, bra-burning, angry man-hater.
67 per cent of Canadians know a woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse.
Almost half of all female murder victims in Canada were killed by a partner.
Less than 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to the police, and even fewer go to court.
Feminism is about fixing these stats. It’s not about hating men.
If you think women are equal to men and that women shouldn’t be killed or raped in disproportionate numbers, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a feminist.
At the core of Time’s inclusion of the word is annoyance that women are speaking out and claiming the word. It feels to me like saying, “Can’t you just shut up about rape stats/equal pay/catcalling already?” The blurb even essentially says that it’s okay for people to be feminist, but for God’s sake, don’t talk about it. Because everyone knows change comes about when nobody ever does anything.
