This video gives a final overview of some very important aspect of cyberfeminism that I think need to be looked at and shared! I also wanted to present this information in an engaging way so I went about this process a little differently than some people. I will list all images/videos/audio clips as links (for easy reference) and articles will be cited in MLA format.
Articles referenced:
Cochrane, Kristen. "Talking Cyberfeminism and Art with Artist and Aspiring Cyborg, Signe Pierce." SLUTEVER. N.p., 09 June 2016. Web. 06 May 2017.
"The Male Gaze." Discussing & Debating Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2017.
Felix, Doreen St. "Black Teens Are Breaking The Internet And Seeing None Of The Profits." The FADER. The FADER, 20 Feb. 2017. Web. 06 May 2017.
H, Rachel. "Is A Digital Tool The Key To Addressing Campus Sexual Assault?" FBomb. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2017.
All video clips/images used in this video (for educational purposes)
In this age, we can see feminism is pop culture, music videos, selfies, new vernacular that emerges, and through the use of art, bloggers, vloggers, and even Facebook pages. Feminist action is no longer necessarily about establishing feminist thought, rather, it is situated in “call-out culture” and holding other people accountable; it reaches to an even greater audience and stretches to be inclusive of all women, regardless of their sex, and regardless of how much they identify with women (for example, demi-girls).
We cannot, of course, predict the future of feminism nor technology, however, I believe the next step is to destroy the barrier between internet and self. Unlike in the past, it is important to connect and resonate with your identity, it is a part of who you are. Instead of treating the internet like a separate entity, it is an extension of our society and of ourselves. Embracing ourselves online towards strangers is the first step in embracing ourselves for us. I believe the internet is a powerful tool, one that is already starting to be utilized for good. Women are already embracing technology and the internet to shame their harassers, such as discussed way back “"Rethinking Cyberfeminism(s): Race, Gender, and Embodiment." Women's Studies Quarterly”, the article by Jessie Daniels. Technology allows women to have a voice and to call out their oppressors, sharing evidence in order to hold them accountable. Many examples of this exist, from calling men out on linkedin to sharing photos of harassment on dating sites. The creator of #byefelipe mentioned one of the reasons for starting the project being, “Commiserating with other women (you can’t be a woman online and not get creepy messages from men”, something I whole heartedly agree with. You cannot simply exist on the internet and not be harassed at some point while being a woman. The future of technology will be to turn this tool of oppression and harassment back around and shine the spotlight on men, I truly believe that. As more and more women speak up, more and more will be empowered to share their stories and speak up. The internet holds infinite potential, it could be the thing that unites women together, everywhere, through their shared experiences and empathy. Women created the “selfie” to allow themselves to capture their image without a male focus; in their own gaze. Much like the article, “Women’s Creation of Camera Phone Culture” speaks about, women have been viewed by the male gaze for so lone, countless of centuries. If you look at portraits of women, most, if not all, were painted in the male gaze. Finally, women are able to center themselves how they want to be viewed, without being unnecessarily sexualized, or perhaps sexualizing themselves in an empowering way.
Cyberfeminism of the past was focused on separating body from self, creating two identities in one. I believe cyberfeminism of the future will be embracing and creating oneself using technology. The future will allow women to control how they are viewed and how their voices are heard, especially after so many years of being written and talked about from the viewpoints of men! Technology can really allow women to write and share their own history in a much more accessible way than ever before, something that I believe will be utilized and honed. Feminism is spoken about more online than before, although not necessarily in a good way, but the concept has more leverage than ever. More celebrities are openly endorsing feminist ideologies which allows more doors to open on the discussion of intersectionality and even allows critique of these “so-called” feminists, something that I truly believe will make the movement better. The standards for a feminist are only growing higher, something that will only raise the standards of the society around us with it; and in that, technology will have achieved true purpose.
I view the spaces online where young people can express themselves as extremely empowering. It allows for those who may have not had a voice before, to gain confidence, express themselves, and expand their overall creativity. However, when one’s own content is censored due to their skin color we often times see them not profiting off of their own creations. As seen in the article “Black Teens are Breaking the Internet and seeing none of the profits”, we see young people of color not receiving the credit off of their own content. Kayla Newman is the voice behind the saying “on fleek” that is widely used amongst the younger generations and large corporations, and celebrities. She reached over 36 million “loops” (replays), felt that she gave the world a new word, and yet she was never recognized with ownership to this saying.
With the internet being as big at is has ever been, I would imagine it is hard to keep track of the origins of which meme came from where, or who said what first, but why are some people making millions and others not? There are so many vloggers, insta-famous, among many other average people that have made it big solely based off of their content that they are putting out there for others to view. I found this article showing the salary of some vloggers. It appears that most are over six-figures. However, just because one is born with a different skin color, they are immediately classified and shunned by society outside of their social media platform of choice. I think this is definitely a topic that needs to be addressed. I believe that everyone deserves credit for their original creations regardless of what color their skin is. Like Kayla mentioned, she believes good things happen to those who wait.
I think this is an excellent article and you make a wonderful point! I don’t know many vloggers but it seems the most famous tend to be white men. If I were to list famous youtubers/vine makers off the top of my head, the majority would indeed by white. However, there is no doubt that a huge part of internet culture is being created by black teens. Black vernacular is created and shared among online black communities and then subsequently stolen and appropriated by nonblack folks. Think of all the famous dance crazes that have been popping up across facebook, many, if not all, were started by young, black teenagers. Words like “yaaaas”, “ratchet”, “basic”, and “bae” are all words originating from black online culture. Nonblack people are taking the “cooler” aspects of black culture without having to be affected by the racism and discrimination that comes with it. This is not a new concept. Black culture has been being appropriated and stolen for countless years. Think of all the nonwhite people with “dreadlocks” and how their employment rate is most likely not affected by their hair style. This is just stolen culture being expressed across another medium.
It SHOULD be empowering for young black people to create their own dance moves and share their voice with a black community. It becomes a problem when their inventions are stolen and used without any credit and without any respect to the original creators. For companies to profit off of using their language and their dances....it becomes closer to exploitative. You can respect dances and vernacular from the black community without appropriating it and trying to make it your own.
I found this week’s film to be incredibly informational and even emotional. Personally, I have some extremely close friends who are cam girls and it helps bring perspective when equating sex work to normalized labor. This film really shows that it is not necessarily about the money or the sex, cam girls are people just like anyone else; people with dreams, people who go to college, people who worry over their next exam. These girls are not coerced into sexual labor, they are normal people working a job just like any other, it just so happens to involve sexual activities, or, sometimes it doesn’t. I really enjoy the broad spectrum this film showed the audience; from humiliation and BDSM to older women to young girls who just like to talk and be themselves. I also really enjoyed the perspective from the other side of the screen. I enjoyed the comparison that one drew to therapists, albeit, sexual ones. I think that is exactly what these women do. They entertain, they listen, they laugh, they give emotional support. They hold an emotional connection with their audience, and yet, they are still strong, independent business women. At the end of the day, no matter how much fun they had, they are still working a job. As mentioned in the film, there’s a niche for anyone. I believe that there can be a strong space present for marginalized groups. One male viewer even mentioned that while it was originally about the hottest, most naked girls, it evolved into something more past their looks and past their outside appearance. This film showed chubby women, skinny women, black women, women with natural hair, and even older women all working as cam girls to their own prospective audiences. In terms of feminism, I believe this work can be very empowering to some and maybe not so much to others. If men are willing to pay to see a woman naked, why shouldn’t she make money from it. If men are willing to pay to talk to a woman all night why shouldn’t she earn a living from it. I may be personally invested, as one of my closest friends does cam work, but these girls and women are working a job just like anyone else and they are only working because there is an audience and high demand.
I was so interested in learning more after watching this film that I facetimed one of my cam friends and asked her about her experiences. She said many of the men are older and lonely, some married, some single, all looking for someone to talk to. She writes down all their names and their comments and if they become a regular, she always makes sure to ask them how their job is going or how they are. Sometimes she simply lends her ear and listens to her clients and talks to them about their days. She quit her job so her fiance could use her car to go to his job; she started because she needed to support herself and wanted to go back to college. She has hopes and dreams just like anyone else, she wants to major in horticulture one day and grow plants on a farm. She wants to start a rescue for animals when she has enough money.
Cam girls are just working a job like anyone else and are using the internet and the patriarchy to their advantage. My friend tells me men have been leering at her for years, even when she was just a little girl. Now she’s using their attention as a means to support herself and live a happy life; she has turned their unwanted compliments into a way to thrive.
Now I, for the most part, only watch makeup channels on YouTube. I look for people that I look like physically, because I can just literally go to the store and buy the same foundations, bronzers, etc. Growing up my dad taught me that homosexuality was evil and that while we should love the sinner, we should not love the sin. Therefore, I feared anyone that was part of the LGBTQ because I didn’t want God to strike me from the earth. In addition to that, I would only go to places where my dad knew I wouldn’t see anything that he didn’t want me to see, so I lived a very sheltered life and never even saw a gay couple or anyone that was transgender.
The first time I saw a guy in full blown make up was actually on YouTube, her name was Nikita Dragun. To be totally honest I didn’t even realize it was a guy. It wasn’t until she came out with a transgender segment that I realized that she was transgendered. Before releasing this segment, she would record herself talking head-and-upper-torso, and it wasn’t until she got her breast augmentation that she started to record her lower torso. She documented her plastic surgery story so that other people that wanted to undergo surgery would have more of an idea of what it’s like and so that she could reflect on the experience.
For me, this experienced help a lot because it normalized her to the point that when I found out that she was trans, I didn’t react negatively. I had already formed that intimacy with her, so when she finally released that video, I fully supported her. One of the thing that struck me from the article was the example they gave about how people complained about transition video, but while there may be thousands of them, it was Nikita’s personal experience that busted my bubble.
More importantly, YouTube, and in this case moving to Los Angeles, gave Nikita that communal support that she was looking. The cool thing about YouTube is that, while you may get some hate, you can find a community that is willing to listen and learn from your experiences. One of the things that Nikita talked about was how growing up she didn’t realize that she wasn’t a girl. Once Nikita found out she wasn’t a girl she immediately lumped herself with the gay community because no one talked about being transgender. Now that Nikita has her YouTube channel she tries to make her journey as open as possible because when she was transitioning, she struggled to find people that were completely open about it.
I enjoy the perspective you shared about your personal experiences with transgender vloggers. It proves a point about how people fear what they don’t understand. The beauty of online vlogging for members of the transgender community is that they have the ability to document themselves and alter their perception to the public. For years, public thoughts of transgender individuals most likely aligned themselves with the likes of “Buffalo Bill” and other deeply offensive caricatures portrayed by media. For the first time, viewers can see a transgender person for who they are as a person, not just someone who is transgender. I think that it is important to have the understanding that transgender individuals are still people, they are just people who happen to be trans. The internet has become the perfect utility for transgender activists to normalize their transitions and emotions and perhaps even reassure individuals about their own doubts on self gender. Similar to the sentiment in the Horak article, while I believe these individuals are more than just their gender, it is important for their struggles and thoughts to be shared and catalogued in order to further acceptance of transgender people everywhere.
I want to start off with a disclaimer saying I have never, personally, utilized a dating site but oh boy. I have read enough about other women’s experiences on them that I could honestly write a book.
Something I found incredibly interesting in this week’s readings was the initial creation of online dating in Hicks’ article, “Computer Love”. Initially, these dating websites were created to cater to white, middle-class, “wholesome”, individuals and projected a very patriarchal system through the forced heteronormativity and gender roles/stereotypes. I think it is important to bring this up because still, modern dating sites cater to, almost exclusively, white, middle-class, men. I am going to force my gaze upon men for my writings as I feel they have the most freedom on dating sites. Like many of the articles we have read this semester bring up, online anonymity is often utilized to spew out hateful speech that would not be deemed “acceptable” in the work place or, even, the real world. Combine this with the superiority and entitlement that males, especially white males, seem to hold over women on dating sites and the results can be extremely disgusting.
Dating sites, like most online spaces, have unlimited potential. Potential for ace individuals to meet or those interested in polyamorous relationships to explore romance. Opportunities for transgender women, men and all nonbinary individuals to meet and bond over their emotions and shared experiences and date without prejudice. However, like most online spaces, this potential is often overshadowed by the tendrils of male entitlement, racism, classism, misogyny, and the list honestly goes on and on and on. Emotions play a large role in how dating sites are used and how users are impacted. There are a plethora of issues with dating sites, any site really, so I want to go ahead and focus on male entitlement because it is the issue that just does not seem to go away. Men grow up with the idea that they are “owed” a beautiful, perfect woman. This idea is perpetuated in media and pop culture time and time again. Hero gets the princess, “ugly” father gets the hot, trophy wife, and awkward, nerdy boy gets the beautiful girl. What this translates to is male entitlement in dating apps and the thinking that women are displayed on these sites/apps as commodities to be “bought”. Men tend not to regard women on dating sites as actual people with feeling, rather than a hot face that they deserve a chance with. This is also where the “anonymity” of being online plays a role and gives these men the bravery they need to confront, and oftentimes assault, random women on dating sites. It creates a culture of sending “dick pics” to random women and getting upset when they don’t believe your genitals are an appropriate conversation starter. I want to end my writings for this week with a short interview I had with my mother. As I have never had any experience with men on dating sites I wanted to gain a view from someone I knew. I asked her what her experiences where and she told me that you sift through countless men who ask you horrible, invasive questions and send inappropriate pictures when not asked for. Men who disrespect your boundaries and treat you like a sexual commodity. She met her current fiance through the same dating site, so it’s not all bad to her, but really?? Do women really deserve to sift through a sea of disrespecting men to get that far..
The comment section I found to demonstrate “feelings” is attached to the New York Post article titled “A transgender dad and daughter are going through their transitions together”. This is obviously a gold mine for strong feelings – it’s a pretty safe assumption that news about gender is going to have a lot of angry commentators. What we can see here is the product of years of gender politics, where despite advocacy for gender rights as a culture “we immediately assign and assume people as male & female,” as was exhibited in American Reflexxx when the crowd called back and forth to each other to determine the sex of Signe Pierce (Avedisian). There is an instinct towards othering deeply rooted in society, where those who live outside of carefully constructed traditional identities are fair game for internet voices to belittle.
(New York Post on Facebook, screenshot taken by myself. Names hidden for privacy)
This screenshot of a comment section on the New York Post Facebook page represents several classic internet arguments when it comes to gender identity: the biological fundamentalists, the blaming of sexual and gender identity on some external or environmental force, the “proof” of an outside source, the term “leftist media,” the implied persecution of Christians. All we’re missing is swearing and questioning the characters of other commentators, possibly by visiting their Facebook pages and “Facebook stalking” their photos, posts, and friends. There are examples of all both of these further down the thread, as well as several debates about gender dysmorphia and transgenderism as a mental illness. However, this small section contains the roots of three separate arguments – gender binary, transgender as a fad, and environmental influence – and was what I thought best represented the “theory of passion not as the drive to accumulate (whether it be value, power, or meaning), but as that which is accumulated over time” that Sara Ahmed describes (Ahmed, 120).
(Here you get to see some actual “discussion” between participants in the same comment section. Colors are consistent, so you can tell who is talking to whom. My own screencaptures, collected to show a thread of discussion, again from NYP).
These arguments that the commentators make – or perhaps a better word than arguments is simply statements, because no evidence is given other than long-held personal beliefs – are the result of years of fear and anger about LGBTQ acceptance in society. Homophobia was taught in schools, from pulpits, and validated by doctors and politicians who advocated chemical castration and gay conversion camps. When we see commentators who speak out in defense of the people in the article they are called “liberal nuts”, “leftists”, “typical liberal”, etc – though that’s not to say they aren’t using similar derogatory terms towards their opponents. Thus the danger of comment sections: no matter who has the moral high ground, the fear of the other and hate for dissenters makes mudslingers of many. Cyberfeminists must tread the line between presenting arguments and shouting hate-filled statements of passion at those who would oppress everyone who does not share their identities.
I appreciate your example about comments left on the article about a transgender father and daughter. It relates extremely well to both Ahmed’s article and American Reflexxx. In regard to Ahmed’s article, I found that the case of transgender, or even agender, individuals are often treated the way she described the “bogus” asylum seekers. Many individuals are quick to speak up against laws advocating for transgender rights in fear of “the bogus transgender woman” who lurks within bathrooms waiting to prey upon little girls. Instead of attempting to open their minds to the possibility of transgender individuals and attempting to understand them, many people rely on fear of the unknown and misunderstood to fuel their opinions. As Ahmed spoke about, you cannot necessarily disprove who is and who is not a “boogeyman” which is what makes the fear even more real. In regards to American Reflexx, I find that it is easier to disregard the rights of other people if you can believe they are different than you. By distancing themselves from gay or transgender individuals, they are dehumanizing and defacing them; viewing them as strange outliers who disrupt normal life, thus, making it easier to strip them of their rights as a human. American Reflexx really struck a chord with me because oftentimes I see individuals arguing over the appearances of celebrity women or famous Youtubers, ignoring that they have a life and emotions and treating them like a sexual object to be gawked and squabbled over; almost like a horse in an auction. It is easy to dehumanize someone over the internet, especially when you have the ability to be anonymous and also the assurance of non confrontation.
Fashion is incredibly important. It is a tool to build confidence and to make our outsides reflect how we feel on the inside. Some utilize fashion as a weapon, stabbing their opponents with their spiky hair and ripped up shirts. Others use it to reflect on themselves, wearing clothes that match their preferred gender, or even, no gender at all. Regardless, fashion has always been an important part of self expression and thus, also an important player in feminism. With the world utilizing online shopping at a rate almost equal to in-person shopping, e-commerce is more important than ever before. Online shopping not only has the possibility of being better for the environment, but it can be of great assistance to those suffering from anxiety or disabled individuals who may not have the resources to drive to the nearest mall. Together, online shopping and fashion are incredibly important, which is why they could also benefit from cyberfeminism intervention. For all the industries aimed at women, most of them are still controlled by men, which may explain the itchy bras, jeans without pockets, and other nonfunctional clothing. The fashion market needs more women catering to women, or other feminine individuals, and needs more inclusivity.
An example of women intervening on behalf of women can be seen in the takeover of phone and selfie culture by women. Technology has always been seen as a market for men. Men utilize cell phones for business, use their laptops for gaming, and hold conferences with coworkers over skype. The concept of selfie culture and the idea of selecting these photos be interpreted as a takeover of technology by women. It can be seen as a method of empowerment and a way of turning technology into something take amplifies self expression and even sexual freedom. I believe that women can do the same to the fashion industry, turning what is usually seen as an oversexualized and non-inclusive world into something empowering and beautiful.
As I mentioned last week, the fashion industry would greatly benefit from an online store that boasts inclusivity and clothing for women, by women. By utilizing pictures of models that are dark colored, fat, disabled, or just simply different, online stores can work to empower and celebrate women and their bodies. When stores are created by men, they are also created in a male gaze, sexualizing women through their clothing and through the models that are chosen. When the average woman weighs 166.2lbs. and the average model only 117, stores are not appealing to a large majority of women. I believe that there should not be separate stores for large, disabled, transgender, or femme-identifying individuals. Stores should work to be open individuals of all sizes and all body shapes.
Fashion will always be a feminist topic as long as most stores still utilize sweatshop labor and take advantage of young women. Sweatshop laborers suffer under poor wages, horrible working conditions, and lack of benefits and, unfortunately, they mostly consist of young women and children. As a feminist, it can seem counterproductive to buy empowering clothing made by men and produced by poor, working women. For as long as the industry remains corrupt, the online fashion world will require intervention. To persevere for self expression, inclusivity, and ethical production should be the goal of any feminist who considers fashion an important part of her life.
The internet is a world of endless possibilities; a world of self expression and a way for many to dissociate from their actual selves. In an ideal world, the internet would also be used as tool to fill the gap between real life fashion and its unrealistic reach and online, inclusive fashion for all women and all femme identifying individuals. In an online world where an average person can start their own store with nothing but a laptop, an ethical clothing store can’t be too far out of reach. Where so many cyberfeminists have persisted and created their own personal, online spaces before, fashion and online shopping should not be an exception.
As a feminist, fashion has always been a bit of a sore spot for me. Although there have been great strides in inclusivity, I still believe that fashion and clothing need feminist intervention.
One concept that has been elaborated on during this week is the idea that women should be writing about women, for women. An example of such, as seen in the writings of Mehreen Kasana, is the illusion of other countries as “exotic” or in need of saving. She mentions a petition that was created to “save the trans” in Pakistan; one that was not only grossly misinformed but also seemingly written by an American, furthering the idea of the “white savior” complex. In a less drastic sense, I believe that this idea can be applied to fashion as well. It is important for individuals to write and speak on their experiences, whether it be gender, race, or religion, just as it is important for women to be in charge of their own image through fashion.
How is it that in the world of woman’s fashion, most companies are run by cis men?
How can fashion be catered to women when those designing it aren’t even aware of how women’s bodies work. Much of the clothing produced today are not only flimsy, but are entirely nonfunctional for women. Many pants do not have pockets so they can follow the shape of a woman’s body and promote the purchase of purses and handbags. As there are many types of women, many needs pants and shorts that are able to withstand wear and hold items. Besides functionality, there is another glaring flaw in women’s fashion. “Woman” does not necessarily mean “cis Woman”. I believe that stores should cater to femme androgynous, femme nonbinary, and transgender women as well as cis women. It is entirely ridiculous that “being a woman” or being feminine has to relate to flowery dresses and strappy sandals. Many nonbinary individuals still have feminine bodies and may desire feminine-fitting clothing without the feminine flair.
In my opinion, online stores for women could greatly improve with cyberfeminist interjection. Every woman deserves the chance to wear clothes designed for her comfort, her size, and functionality.
On a planet in another solar system, another timeline, filled with individuals are varying size, color, and shape, one would assume the injustices that plague our society would not be present. When you fill the role of an avatar with an entirely different story and life; someone who you may even create entirely unique, you may expect to find yourself separated from your body. In idea, online gaming should be an environment free from discrimination and prejudice, a place so different from our own that the values and culture are shockingly different. The point of playing is to escape. However, as Brophy brings up, it is increasingly difficult to separate the real world from the virtual world. The internet cannot be treated as an equal utopia for all when not even all have access to it. The first selective method of creating dissent is simply not allowing everyone the same privileges. The second is that even though many times users will hide behind their own virtual avatar, they are simply assumed to be cis, white, male, middle-class, English-speaking, Christian individuals. Another issue behind the anonymity of online avatars is the opportunity it brings to incite even more prejudice, whether by intentional trolling or by the security to say things without consequences.
The point is, ideally, virtual gaming should be a chance to escape reality and explore one’s identity; it should be a chance to separate oneself from the race, sex, and social status they were born into. However, concepts from outside start to leak in. It’s easy to see where the virtual “clean slate” goes wrong when you look at the misogyny that still exists within gaming, especially in the concept of character designs. Even today, over-sexualized female characters flood mainstream games, often bearing unrealistic and non-protective clothing. Even avatars that have different skin tones, such a blue or purple, still boast white-centric facial features, and what little ethnic representation exists is usually either hyper sexualized or heavily stereotyped.
Online gaming environments have the perfect opportunity to become spaces that embolden diversity, racial backgrounds, and allow one to escape the confines of reality. Although many have begun taking steps towards this, there is still a long way to go.
New Wave Feminists are a feminist group against abortion, which should not be a problem: they don’t advocate for restricting abortion or making it illegal, and since they are not seeking to take away autonomy they should be able to coexist in the feminist community. This is a niche that there has not been publicity for in the past and fills a void for women who want equality but might struggle with abortion (for example, because of a religious upbringing or affiliation, as was the case for me when I first became a feminist). Reproductive rights are, rightfully, one of the central problems in modern feminism, but as Zoe R. from the F bomb says, “I think anyone must be prepared to bare all and wear their hearts on their sleeves in order to express themselves. But doing so in such a hypercritical world, in the context of social media that preys on girls who demonstrate anything that can be interpreted as weakness, is challenging” (Zoe R.). To be a pro-life feminist – who is not trying to criminalize abortion – is generally met with opposition and not with dialogue.
However, this message and this movement are exclusive in some pretty obvious ways. For one thing, their idea of feminism can best be described as girlpower, and is rather like the feminism that artist Audrey Wollen describes as “‘the shade of feminism that’s chosen for media attention is always the one most palatable to the powers that be – unthreatening, positive, communal’” (Watson). Their statement that instead of women needing abortions, “let’s work towards a culture that tells her ‘You Can,’ ‘You Are Strong Enough,’ and ‘If You Need Some Help - We Are Here,’ because that is what the sisterhood is all about” is problematic, because it is not actually about reproductive equality (“About”). This message of strength is deceptive because though it seems to promote supporting women, it actually creates an unhealthy and closed-off community where there is so much pressure against abortion that it is not an option. It suggests that women who can’t or don’t want to continue a pregnancy to term, for any reason (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc., etc.) are not strong and do not deserve a place in the aforementioned sisterhood. It excludes women who don’t have the necessary support system, who have jobs, families, or living situations that makes pregnancy unrealistic, women who do not want the physical and emotional consequences of pregnancy, rape victims, etc. To say that abortion does not need to be necessary ignores the realities of countless women.
Like this one, who couldn’t even afford six eggs to feed her family. Doesn’t she deserve to make decisions about her own body and life?
Abortion and bodily autonomy have always been issues within, and outside, of the feminist community. While your analysis of New Wave Feminists as being exclusive is spot-on, I also do agree that pro-abortion feminism can be exclusive to those who struggle with accepting abortion. You can dislike abortions and choose to never have one; that is perfectly valid and many feminists would agree. Just as it is your right to be a stay-at-home mother or to want your husband to be in charge of your household. Feminism is about letting all women choose what is right for them. Building on that, women who decide they want or need an abortion should also be protected, as that is still within their right as a woman. You can dislike abortion but still support those who decide to get one, that is the very basis of feminism, supporting a woman’s right to choose what they want for themselves. Feminism can be an exclusive space for those who may religious or conservative, but it shouldn’t have to be. Feminism is not just one idea, not one emotion; is not just “girl power” and “we can do it!”. Feminism is accepting your right to be happy, or your right to express yourself through sadness, as Lucy Watson wrote about. It’s your right to take nude photos of yourself, to be tattooed, to be a homebody, to have as many children as you want or no children at all. The power of feminism is that there is no right way to be a woman, just your way, as long as you are not infringing upon the rights of others.
There is no shortage to women on the internet, however, many sites feel entirely male-dominated. On women-centric posts, there seems to be an enormous amount of male response in what should be a place for women to react. So why is this? How did the internet get this way?
The internet is truly just a reflection of our society, and such, it is a reflection of a white, male-dominated space. As it is, white hegemonic masculinity is considered the “norm” for much of the English-speaking parts of the internet, just as it is in our societies. A result of this is that anything not masculine is seen as a threat to men as an attempt to rip apart the patriarchal framework that holds the internet, and society, together. Anything Not Masculine is also Not Normal, which is why women-only safe places or women-dominant sites see so much backlash and ridicule. Take for example, Tumblr, a site thats userbase consists mostly of females and has a heavy hand in internet social justice. Tumblr has become associated with feminism, queerness, and patriarchal freedom; many users share the same views and often band together to get racist or predatory blogs reported and banned. The rest of the internet is very aware of this, and to certain extent, even threatened. 4chan “anti-activists” have often made accounts on Tumblr simply to post triggering content, racist remarks, and even to tag obscene gore pictures with common words or fandoms. 4chan is notorious for its racially and sexually charged assualts on the internet and is known for being a mostly-male environment, which is why these attacks make so much sense. Although the individual "troll"'s actions may differ, the effect is the same. To dehumanize, demoralize, and humiliate women. Tumblr, which should be a safe space for women alike, has become a hated site known for being "whiny" and "full of crybabies"; another tactic meant to demoralize women and their valid concerns. This has caused a rift even between women themselves, as "white feminism" becomes more prevelant and non-white women's concerns are ignored and stepped over. Although Tumblr remains a “feminist” domain, it becomes problematic when transgender and intersex individuals begin to be excluded as “not-feminine-enough”.
As long as society views Not Masculine as a threat, women will continued to be ridiculed and humiliated for their opinions. In order for the internet to become an inclusive space, society must realign itself to be inclusive too.
I think it would be easy to say that the Cyberfeminist movement was just a fluke, a fleeting fascination or something that took up so little space in time it can be easily excused as something that needs little further examination. It would be easy to say that, but I don’t think it would be true.
Like a lot of the movements in the 90′s, they had a specific flavor that could only exist in the pre-Y2K setting, they were on an interesting cusp and represent some of the last social phenomenon existing independently of the internet. For this reason, they are precious in many way because they depict the last vestiges of a very different pre-internet-boom world. Remember, “A CyberFeminist Manifesto for the 21st Century” first appeared as a wheat-paste poster of all things.
The same way that the world doesn’t look the same as it did in the 90′s, neither does Cyberfeminism. Even the platform I type this on, Tumblr has been continuously heralded as both a place where young feminists get their wings, and also a breeding ground for misguided or watered-down feminist rhetoric, sometimes called “Tumblr Feminism”. I struggle to find a nuanced article about tumblr’s complex relationship to feminism that isn’t staunchly rooted in one side or another, so send one my way if you can find it.
All that to say, Cyberfeminism is still all around us. In “Where have all the cyberfeminists gone?” editors Gajjala and Oh begin to answer that question:
“They find cyberfeminists in women’s blogging networks and their conferences, in women’s gaming, in fandom, in social media, in online mothers’ groups performing pro-breastfeeding activism, and in online spaces developed and populated by marginal networks of women in non-Western countries.”
Judging by that definition I wouldn’t hesitate to add tumblr to the list, especially considering all the impact it has made on modern feminism, both good and bad. But I still see something much closer to these old-school Cyberfeminists every now and again…where are they, you ask? The fine art world.
There are so many self-identifying women artists today taking on the internet frontier in their work. Women are doing performance art via online chatrooms, Encoding feminist work via binary or hexadecimal language, Creating Digital catalogs of artist’s experiences with the art world’s treatment of their bodies, alter ego A.I. bots, and much, much more. The tenets of community, and using technology not only as tool for equity, but also as a mirror to current problems stand at the forefront of the Cyberfeminism today.
Though the term Cyberfeminist has dwindled, I can say with confidence its idea is alive and well in the arts.
I believe that Cyberfeminism has simply evolved into feminism and the word itself has been rendered irrelevant.
So much political activism and information sharing now takes place online that it seems a little redundant to include “cyber” to the front of any word. In this age, almost any organization, news site, or opinion is shared through the internet; there is simply no other method of getting information out in such a quick and efficient way. A “new” device being utilized now is public livestreaming, which allows viewers to capture an unbiased and realtime look into developing situations around the world (I am sure many of you are aware of the multiple new sites that have taken this approach to document the various protests that occurred today and yesterday).
Personally, I am glad that today’s feminism has evolved and grown from the movement it was in the 90′s. In particular I am glad we have, mostly, moved away from the then-progressive genitalia referencing art and slogans as they are dangerously transphobic and outdated at this time.
Hello, my name is Emma. My preferred pronouns are she/her. I am a pre-veterinary medicine major over at the poly campus and am in my sophomore year. I enjoy working around exotic animals and have a small collection of snakes. My favorite species is the Western Hognose, a snake native to Arizona, and I currently own four of them. I am interested in pursuing either a career in large animal or exotic medicine.
I am a semi-avid internet user. I used to be very active on Facebook and Tumblr, but have drifted away in the past few years. I am a part of many groups on Facebook that act as a designated space for women where feminine individuals can share their experiences with others. The beauty of the internet is that it allows us to be apart of unique “bubbles” where alike individuals can talk about their shared experiences and relate to each other. However, this can become a hinderance when we only allow ourselves to be involved in a few choice communities that align with our views. A part of gaining knowledge is also acknowledging the opposite viewpoint and opinion, so when we shut ourselves out in small, like-minded communities we tend to ignore the counter-points to our beliefs. It is not necessarily a negative thing to belong to a certain community but it is important to continuously grow and challenge your beliefs. While it may seem perplexing, the concept of internet “bubbles” plays more into real life and politics than may people realize and I do believe it is important we challenge ideas in a positive way, rather than just blindly support and accept them. The internet is an incredibly useful and powerful tool and it is important we use it as an opportunity to better ourselves and our ideals.
This video is not necessarily talking about social bubbles, instead, it is about filter bubbles that are automatically applied through social media but I felt the message was still relevant!
