Feminism, in past decades, had a negative connotation, often being referred to as "the other F word." Feminists were assumed to be people who didn't shave or wear makeup and hated men and were thought of as "most likely lesbians." And God knows what men who were feminists went through, the select few of them that were actually around. But recently, the feminist movement is starting to be seen in a new light. As more and more women rise to powerful positions, and make their voices heard, females as a whole start to break stereotypes and rise above the preconceived notion of what a woman should be. People like Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and even Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Lady Gaga are becoming the faces of the new generation of women, striving to achieve bigger and better things, and empower other women to strive for successes of their own, as well.
What most people seem to misunderstand is that the whole point of feminism is not to shun men, or belittle them the way they've belittled us. It's to achieve great things on our own, without stooping to an unsightly level, whilst also helping other women succeed, and feel powerful, too. We can't move forward if we're so focused on avenging ourselves against the wrongdoings of men. We must take the higher road in order to see the effects of our hard work. Feminism also doesn't mean we can't appreciate and accept acts of chivalry. You can enjoy it when a man buys you dinner or holds the door for you, and still be a feminist. Being a feminist just means you believe in and fight for equal rights between men and women. By that definition, you should be able to enjoy being doted upon, while also being able to dote on someone else, without the stigma of it being your "place" to dote on a man.
On one hand, we have people like Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Oprah, who use their political and business positions to influence the situations surrounding them, in order to achieve a goal that benefits the greater good. But they don't just work solely for women. The initiatives and programs they organize and head, such as the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and the Childhood Obesity Action Plan, (created by Michelle Obama), have goals through which they wish to help as many people as possible, of any gender. In that way, they are not only fighting for feminine equality, but human equality, which is feminism at its most basic.
And how can we forget the contributions of Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Lady Gaga? These fierce females broke the mold of the common pop star, paving the way for the crazy antics of people like Miley Cyrus, post-Hannah Montana. Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are known for their outrageous and elaborate outfits on the red carpet, and have proven to women that you don't have to dress a certain way to get attention or respect. They taught girls that you can be outlandish and crazy and colorful and some people will think you're strange, but other people will think you're awesome, and those are the people worth your time. Ke$ha is infamous for having racy, raucous lyrics that take specific sexual jabs at men that most people are uncomfortable with. It's kind of ironic that a woman gets so much hate for lyrics that are nearly identical in message to lyrics of popular male artists, like 2Chainz, or Chris Brown, or even Justin Bieber. Ke$ha is literally giving these and all other men a taste of their own medicine, making them feel singled out and uncomfortable, the way their songs make women feel. And of course she gets hate, because she's innovative and clever with her messages. I completely admire her for being so blunt and raunchy, because if she didn't do it, someone else would've, because it was bound to happen sometime. These icons of pop culture have progressed the feminist movement by making people question the traditional roles and molds of women, by breaking them vehemently and extraordinarily.
In essence, feminism is necessary because women need to feel just as comfortable and powerful in their own skin as men do. We need to feel okay with or without makeup, dressed up or dressed down, singing one lyric or another. We need others to recognize our power and influence, and respect it. We need feminism because it's time that all people realize that it is beneficial to a more progressive society. It's time we get over our archaic notions of gender roles, and accept each other with all of our flaws and talents and give each other the respect we deserve as decent humans, no matter the gender.
