Modern Alternative Representations of Women Despite all the problematic media a critically-thinking feminist encounters, there is an increasing amount of positive, "alternative" representations of women. By the term "alternative", I will be referring to a new conceptualization of what it means to be feminine and what it means to be a woman, not necessarily tailored to patriarchal hegemonic standards and very often not intended for the consumption of the male gaze. There are examples in popular music, popular television, photography as well as growing resources for young girls to explore feminism beyond narrow and unforgiving media representations. Music Janelle Monae is a new American R&B artist whose popularity is increasing, proving the attractiveness of alternative femininity to a culture that feels sexualizing women in music and film is a necessary marketing technique. She has stated in an interview with "Essence" magazine that she wants to "redefine what it means to be sexy and what it means to be a woman. Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy. I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way." Monae takes redefining femininity beyond her musical career as she recently became the new face of CoverGirl cosmetics, which is another excellent mode in which she can influence young girls positively.
2010 music video for the song "Tightrope"
Photography 20 year old, self-proclaimed feminist Petra Collins is an artist, photographer, and curator. She has expressed in interviews as well as in her work that one of her goals is to help other young women feel more comfortable discovering their sexuality through taking photos that capture to the "female gaze", or what she describes as the ways in which women view sex. Collins hopes her work will inspire young women to feel in charge of their own sexuality. She also prefers to shoot her close friends rather than models in order to create an even more identifiable image for young women to relate to in a world of hyper-sexualized, objectified female bodies and unrealistic expectations accompanying them. Collins received recognition from art magazine Bloun Artinfo as one of Canada's top 30 young photographers under 30 years old.
From her photo set "The Female Gaze".
From her photo set "Magnetic Paradise".
Television Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation (2006-2013) Leslie Knope is the Deputy Parks Director of the city Pawnee's parks and recreation department and a member of Pawnee's city council played by actress Amy Poehler. She has huge enthusiasm for her job and creating a government that cares for its people. Her character is frequently optimistic to an unrealistic degree, but despite her failings she is hard-working and has the ultimate goal of advancing her career and reaching the success of her female political heroes Hillary Rodham Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird. She is very much an outspoken pro-women, feminist character, yet remains likable and relatable and in her pleasant demeanor avoids the typical media categorization as a straw feminist or "femi-nazi".
Liz Lemon, 30 Rock (2006-2013) Liz Lemon is the main character on the television show 30 Rock played and written by Tina Fey. Her character is a 30-something writer for a comedy television show. Her character is generally depicted as very work-centric/carrer-oriented, which subverts the usual career-oriented male stereotype in television. Her personality also encompasses a lot of great characteristics that are not defined as stereotypically feminine: she is a woman that eats frequently and is unapologetic about her apetite, she enjoys "nerdy" things and frequently alludes situations to scenes in the Star Wars series, does not have interest in dressing femininely, and is a single woman that is not seeking a relationship for any sort of self-fulfillment. It is a running theme on the show that she does not seek validation from any man (or woman for that matter) and does not see any shame in remaining un-sexualized. Liz Lemon is also a great female character because she shows in her work and personality that women are, absolutely, funny.
Liz Lemon, hard at work.
Liz Lemon, being ok with her sexuality.
Websites Aimed at Teenage Girls Hello Giggles HelloGiggles is an entertainment and lifestyle website started in 2011 founded by actress Zooey Deschanel, producer Sophia Rossi, and writer Molly McAleer. The content is appropriate for all ages and bloggers post on topics such as Do-it-yourself projects, cooking, music, as well as social issues such as this one that discusses rape culture at Occidental College. The website has gotten positive reviews from the likes of Forbes magazine, being described as "one of the best examples of how the online landscape for women is changing due to fast and effectively strong word of mouth offers engaging content for the young professional woman" while showing that the "voice of the modern young woman comes in a variety of flavors". Mashable said the site "warms the internet up with fun and empowering, lady-friendly content." As founder Zooey Deschanel is a popular American actress, this site becomes readily accesible with all its positive messages to young teenage girls, and serves as a powerful resource for young women to be educated on social issues in a safe online community.
Smart Girls At The Party Amy Poehler gets double points for bringing the option of alternative femininity to both television and an online community on the site she founded "Smart Girls At The Party". The site embraces the empowerment of young women in Poehler's interviews that celebrate girls that make amazing contributions to the world just by " being themselves". The site also features positive female role models and their contributions which makes the site another resource in which young girls can be positively affected by social media.
Rookie Mag Rookie Mag is an online community launched in 2011 by 17-year-old fashion blogger and journalist Tavi Gevinson. Her site is targeted at teen girls and publishes art and writing from a large staff (managed by Gevinson) as well as as celebrities and submissions from the visitors of the site. Subjects on the site are broad enough so as to reach many girls' interests, as well focus in on specific interests such as pop culture, fashion, adolescence, and feminism. One popular feature of the site is the "Ask a Grown Man" segment, in which Rookie gets celebrity men to answer questions from teenaged girls, which is a fantastic way for girls to get another perspective on their issues as well as to get men to think about and care about issues teenage girls have.
Here is popular American actor Paul Rudd and his "Ask a Grown Man" segment:
Despite all the problematic media a critically-thinking feminist encounters, there is an increasing amount of positive, "alternative" representations of women. By the term "alternative", I will be referring to a new conceptualization of what it means to be feminine and what it means to be a woman, not necessarily tailored to patriarchal hegemonic standards and very often not intended for the consumption of the male gaze. There are examples in popular music, popular television, photography as well as growing resources for young girls to explore feminism beyond narrow and unforgiving media representations.
Music
Janelle Monae is a new American R&B artist whose popularity is increasing, proving the attractiveness of alternative femininity to a culture that feels sexualizing women in music and film is a necessary marketing technique. She has stated in an interview with "Essence" magazine that she wants to "redefine what it means to be sexy and what it means to be a woman. Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy. I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way." Monae takes redefining femininity beyond her musical career as she recently became the new face of CoverGirl cosmetics, which is another excellent mode in which she can influence young girls positively.
2010 music video for the song "Tightrope"
Photography
20 year old, self-proclaimed feminist Petra Collins is an artist, photographer, and curator. She has expressed in interviews as well as in her work that one of her goals is to help other young women feel more comfortable discovering their sexuality through taking photos that capture to the "female gaze", or what she describes as the ways in which women view sex. Collins hopes her work will inspire young women to feel in charge of their own sexuality. She also prefers to shoot her close friends rather than models in order to create an even more identifiable image for young women to relate to in a world of hyper-sexualized, objectified female bodies and unrealistic expectations accompanying them. Collins received recognition from art magazine Bloun Artinfo as one of Canada's top 30 young photographers under 30 years old.
From her photo set "The Female Gaze".
From her photo set "Magnetic Paradise".
Television
Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation (2006-2013)
Leslie Knope is the Deputy Parks Director of the city Pawnee's parks and recreation department and a member of Pawnee's city council played by actress Amy Poehler. She has huge enthusiasm for her job and creating a government that cares for its people. Her character is frequently optimistic to an unrealistic degree, but despite her failings she is hard-working and has the ultimate goal of advancing her career and reaching the success of her female political heroes Hillary Rodham Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird. She is very much an outspoken pro-women, feminist character, yet remains likable and relatable and in her pleasant demeanor avoids the typical media categorization as a straw feminist or "femi-nazi".
Liz Lemon, 30 Rock (2006-2013)
Liz Lemon is the main character on the television show 30 Rock played and written by Tina Fey. Her character is a 30-something writer for a comedy television show. Her character is generally depicted as very work-centric/carrer-oriented, which subverts the usual career-oriented male stereotype in television. Her personality also encompasses a lot of great characteristics that are not defined as stereotypically feminine: she is a woman that eats frequently and is unapologetic about her apetite, she enjoys "nerdy" things and frequently alludes situations to scenes in the Star Wars series, does not have interest in dressing femininely, and is a single woman that is not seeking a relationship for any sort of self-fulfillment. It is a running theme on the show that she does not seek validation from any man (or woman for that matter) and does not see any shame in remaining un-sexualized. Liz Lemon is also a great female character because she shows in her work and personality that women are, absolutely, funny.
Liz Lemon, hard at work.
Liz Lemon, being ok with her sexuality.
Websites Aimed at Teenage Girls
Hello Giggles
HelloGiggles is an entertainment and lifestyle website started in 2011 founded by actress Zooey Deschanel, producer Sophia Rossi, and writer Molly McAleer. The content is appropriate for all ages and bloggers post on topics such as Do-it-yourself projects, cooking, music, as well as social issues such as this one that discusses rape culture at Occidental College. The website has gotten positive reviews from the likes of Forbes magazine, being described as "one of the best examples of how the online landscape for women is changing due to fast and effectively strong word of mouth
offers engaging content for the young professional woman" while showing that the "voice of the modern young woman comes in a variety of flavors". Mashable said the site "warms the internet up with fun and empowering, lady-friendly content." As founder Zooey Deschanel is a popular American actress, this site becomes readily accesible with all its positive messages to young teenage girls, and serves as a powerful resource for young women to be educated on social issues in a safe online community.
Smart Girls At The Party
Amy Poehler gets double points for bringing the option of alternative femininity to both television and an online community on the site she founded "Smart Girls At The Party". The site embraces the empowerment of young women in Poehler's interviews that celebrate girls that make amazing contributions to the world just by " being themselves". The site also features positive female role models and their contributions which makes the site another resource in which young girls can be positively affected by social media.
Rookie Mag
Rookie Mag is an online community launched in 2011 by 17-year-old fashion blogger and journalist Tavi Gevinson. Her site is targeted at teen girls and publishes art and writing from a large staff (managed by Gevinson) as well as as celebrities and submissions from the visitors of the site. Subjects on the site are broad enough so as to reach many girls' interests, as well focus in on specific interests such as pop culture, fashion, adolescence, and feminism. One popular feature of the site is the "Ask a Grown Man" segment, in which Rookie gets celebrity men to answer questions from teenaged girls, which is a fantastic way for girls to get another perspective on their issues as well as to get men to think about and care about issues teenage girls have.
Here is popular American actor Paul Rudd and his "Ask a Grown Man" segment: