Betty Friedan speaks at Marymount Manhattan College
Ever wished you had a Betty Friedan in your pocket, telling you when you said something horribly misogynistic? Worry no more.
The tumblr Is This Feminist? takes a look at photos of women engaging in common activities and tells you why these acts subliminally reinforce the oppressive male patriarchy. And why you are a horrible person for thinking otherwise. Case in point:
This woman is dancing in a club. IS THIS FEMINIST?
What is she dancing to? Are the lyrics sexist? Does this sexy tune exclude the experiences of asexuals? Dancing to Le Tigre may not be enough. One of them is married to a guy who used to have sexist lyrics in his music, which makes their beats triggering for some. PROBLEMATIC.
But Is this Feminist? doesn’t just commit itself to the plight of one marginalized group. The blog devotes itself to the plight of animals too:
This woman is riding two dolphins, in a magical moment of pure joy, feeling like a mermaid princess surveying her kingdom in a glimmering sea chariot. IS THIS FEMINIST?
No. Feeling like a mermaid princess betrays an internalized ideological support of monarchy. Also, animals were not created to be our servants! Read “The Sexual Politics of Meat” some time! PROBLEMATIC.
Now we know that some people will find this blog horribly offensive, stating that it belittles actual problems by making a joke out of it. We also know that other people will come to its defense, stating its actually a satire of some of the really shallow and/or ridiculous feminist language on tumblr right now. Perhaps feminist Ryan Gosling can weigh in for us.