“claims about what's 'natural' have long been used to reinforce traditional gender roles and values. ... Even the notion that women should have children at all is based on the idea that a woman's inherent and most important role is that of mother. Shockingly, men's 'innate' roles are a lot more fun than the ones bestowed on women.” MenShouldChildrenLongImportantIdeasUsedMotherValuesFunNaturalRolesShould HaveClaimsNotionGenderTraditionalSexismInherentInnateGender Roles Author:Jessica Valenti
“The stereotypes of feminists as ugly, or man-haters, or hairy, or whatever it is - that's really strategic. That's a really smart way to keep young women away from feminism, is to kind of put out this idea that all feminists hate men, or all feminists are ugly; and that they really come from a place of fear.” MenWayKindIdeasYoungHateFeminismSmartFeministUglyYoung WomenStereotypeStrategicHate MeReally SmartMan Hater Author:Jessica Valenti
“Bra-burning never happened. It was completely made up by the media. A couple of women protesting a Miss America pageant threw some bras into a garbage can, and somehow that became this longstanding idea of feminists as bra-burners.” MadeIdeasAmericaHappenedMediaMissingCoupleFeministBurningGarbageBrasPageantGarbage CansMiss America Author:Jessica Valenti
“I think the idea that feminism is dead is dangerous because it leads women and men to believe that (1) they don't have to do anything; the work has been done, and that everything is okay now; and (2) it leaves them kind of alone, I think, in a struggle, and that's something I've seen a lot when I go to colleges and I speak to young women.” ThinkingMenBelieveKindHas BeensIdeasDoneYoungSpeakStruggleFeminismDangerousCollegeMen And WomenOkayYoung Women Author:Jessica Valenti
“I saw an article where the manager of the Pussycat Dolls, which is kind of this like striptease band, girl band, said, oh well, the girls are totally third-wave feminist. This is what third-wave feminism is about. Like you don't get to use that word. You don't get to say that something is feminist as a way to sell back sexism to women, as a way to further consumerist ideas.” WayWellsKindSaidIdeasUseGirlSawsFeminismLike YouBandThirdsSellsWaveFeministManagersSexismArticlesDollsOh Well Author:Jessica Valenti
“I think that the ideal of young womanhood as it's seen in pop culture specifically is a really kind of vapid, conceited, concerned with money and looks kind of thing that you'll see in a lot of reality shows. And I think that's really damaging, not just because it's a terrible role model to put forth, but that it also puts across this idea to the American public that this is what young women are like, that this is what all young women in America are like.” ThinkingLooksKindIdeasShowsRealityAmericaYoungCultureRolesTerribleModelsConcernedIdealsPopsRole ModelsYoung WomenWomanhoodPop CultureConceitedReality ShowsVapid Author:Jessica Valenti
“...idea at play here is that of “morality.” When young women are taught about morality, there’s not often talk of compassion, kindness, courage, or integrity. There is, however, a lot of talk about hymens” IdeasPlayYoungCompassionKindnessTaughtMoralityIntegrityYoung Women Book:The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women Source: The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women
“There have been women who stumbled across Feministing randomly, through a bizarre Google search or something, and had no idea what feminism was. They thought it was something older women do, or bought into the hairy bra-burning man-hating stereotype 100 percent. Anything that deviates from that is very exciting for them.” MenHas BeensIdeasHateFeminismPercentExcitingBurningNo IdeaGoogleStereotypeBizarreBrasOlder WomenDeviateMan HatingGoogle SearchBurning Man Author:Jessica Valenti
