Ah, gotta love Jezebel’s consistency here. Less than a week ago, they published “The Many Misguided Reasons Famous Ladies Say I’m Not a Feminist”. They went on beating that dead pony right up to the point of splashing putrid flesh with the usual finger pointing at Beyonce, among others. Not a single mention of the many reasons women (particularly Women of Color who have been long victims of feminism’s failures in acknowledging racial inequalities) might have to eschew the label.
Yesterday, their mood was different when they lauded white, cis, dude extraordinaire Joss Whedon for saying people should stop identifying as feminist and, instead, go for “genderist” (non shocker, Jezebel’s Editor in Chief Jessica Coen explained a similar view in the comments of the first piece). So, you heard it at Jezebel first, ladies: a white cis dude has given you the OK not to identify as a feminist. Just like previously, an equally brave brother in arms gave you permission to redeem men by taking their jizz on your face or letting them rub you off for their own good.
Nothing says women’s liberation, self actualization and freedom like a white dude giving us permission to do stuff. Especially when said man has such a stellar track record with issues of racial diversity in his own shows. I mean, just watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D where every villain up to episode 4 (when I had to stop watching due to racism induced rage) was a person of color (or a corrupt government like Malta, known for its mainly Afro descendant demographics). So, you know, do as a (white, cis) man says and stop those pesky feminist politics of yours. Nobody better equipped to lead change than one of the men who creates the problem.
For the past decade and a half I have been making all my content available for free (and never behind a paywall) as an ongoing practice of ephemeral publishing. This site is no exception. If you wish to help offset my labor costs, you can donate on Paypal or you can subscribe to Patreon where I will not be putting my posts behind a lock but you'd be helping me continue making this work available for everyone. Thank you. Follow me on Twitter for new post updates.