Idealism versus Practicality

The difficult part of being an idealist about an issue is translating those ideals into practice. It’s easy to say that something is wrong, but to take a stand or hardline can lead to many complications. The toughest part of being a feminist is that rejecting everything that has elements of sexism means rejecting tons of movies, books, and other media. The issue that many feminists face is the question of whether or not they should cast-off everything that contains these problematic elements.

Case in point, I love to read. I am also a huge nerd that enjoys fantasy and science fiction. Many works in these genres are geared toward males (why writers haven’t realized that women read the same things as men is crazy, but I digress) and contain female characters in stereotypically weak roles or used as sex objects. I love the Game of Thrones books, but realize that many of the female characters are inherently flawed because they take on more helpless feminine characteristics. The stronger female characters are the ones who take on male roles (and face criticism for that choice). Do I outright reject an interesting series because I have some objection to some of the female portrayals?

Other media possess many of the same problems. Many movies put women in “traditional” weak roles or use female characters as desirable damsels in distress. I don’t read comic books or graphic novels, but a walk down the aisle of a comic book store shows cover after cover of hyper sexualized, scantily clothed, and unrealistic female characters. Luckily, I don’t listen to pop music stations, but I can only imagine the difficulty that feminists have reconciling their beliefs with the lyrics of much of today’s music. The list goes on and on.

So, what does a feminist do when faced with these issues? Is it better to reject all media with elements of sexism then to write off the flaws as “just part of life”? Should feminists get angry and walk out of movies because of sexist female portrayals? Are feminists required to turn off the latest pop hit because of patriarchal lyrics? Much like everything else in life, there is no easy answer.

One of the most important elements of being a feminist is having a sense of humor. Sometimes the world can throw offensive, terrible, angering, disappointing, and just plain awful content your way. Getting upset is absolutely natural in these situations. However, there are many times in which recognizing something is awful and then laughing at the absurdity of the situation is the more appropriate response. Don’t get me wrong, getting angry at issues can be positive, but it isn’t always the way to go. With laughter, feminists can show that they are the bigger person. After all, people’s minds are rarely changed with anger and yelling. By creating a dialogue and exposing the absurdity of a bad situation, you may soon find others agreeing with you.

What does everyone else do in situations like these? Do weather the storm or walk away? Do sexist and patriarchal elements, no matter how small, ruin media?