Stereotypes Part 2: Feminists



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This post is a continuation from last week and touches on the stereotypes of feminism and feminists. Angry.net (a website whose sole purpose is to offer a place for people to rant) provided many people’s (men and women’s) stereotypes of feminists.

There are many sub-movements of feminism that do fulfill some of the stereotypes listed below (stereotypes do come from somewhere). However, these are small sub-sections that consist of radicals who have changed a lot of the meanings and original intents of feminism.

1.      Hate men

After doing some reading on websites for men’s rights, it seems that some men and women think feminism is about destroying men because feminists think they are all evil. Some even go as far as to call feminism a hate group. That fact is that any group based on hate, is not a group one should want to be a part of. Feminism is about achieving equality so that men and women can better support each other.

2.      Only for lesbians

While there is a sub-set of feminism that rejects heterosexuality, this is in no way represents the beliefs of the majority of feminists. Feminism is for everyone regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, etc.

3.      Anti-feminine/ x

Feminism is about choice. A woman choosing to be girly in no way keeps her from being a feminist. It is when young girls and women are forced into the traditional role of being feminine despite their own preferences about how they would like to look, that that woman has become a victim of the patriarchy.

4.      Reject all traditional female roles

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Getting married and becoming a stay at home mom is not a bad thing. Some women dream of the domestic life from a young age. This is not anti-feminist. Feminism is not about rejecting cooking, cleaning, knitting, or child rearing. Again, feminism is about a woman’s right to choose where her place is. It does not matter if she wants to be running an office or cleaning up after her kids as long as it is her decision and that is where she wants to be.

5.      Only for women

This stereotype goes back to the first bullet point. Feminism is not about men vs. women; it is about men and women coming together for equality. And that is truly the root of feminism. When it comes down to it, a woman should be able to choose to cut her hair short, only wear pant suits, go out and break the glass ceiling, wear makeup, love pink, and stay home to raise her children. Feminism is choice and equality.

Stereotypes Part 1: Fat People

For the next two posts I will be addressing common stereotypes related to my topic of fat feminism. This post is about stereotypes associated with fat people. Angry.net (a website whose sole purpose is to offer a place for people to rant) provided many people’s stereotypes of fat people. 

1.     Are never active/ never exercise

The author of the article I linked seems to think losing weight should be a fat person’s biggest goal in life. And if they are not losing weight, it must be because they are not exercising. But there are heavier people who love exercising/ being active just as there are thin people who hate exercising. The size of someone’s body is not always connected to their participation in physical activity. Even Olympic athlete bodies come in a large range of sizes.

2.     Never eat healthy/ constantly eating

Just like with exercising, size is not always related the amount of food a person eats. Metabolism plays a large role in how someone’s everyday diet effects weight gain. People can watch portion sizes and calorie intake and still be larger than someone with a naturally thin person that eats whatever they want because they have a faster metabolism.

3.     Suffer from poor health

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Some people like to believe that they can look at someone and be able to accurately assess that person’s health. However judging someone’s outward appearance does not make one a doctor. Poor health affects all people. A person is not automatically unhealthy because they are overweight and a person is not automatically healthy because they are thin. 

“The only thing that anyone can diagnose, with any certainty, by looking at a fat person, is their own level of stereotype and prejudice toward fat people.”
-Marilyn Wann, “Fat Studies: An Invitation to Revolution”

4.     Smell bad

This stereotype is certainly the most childish misconception a person can have about fat people. Size is in no way connected to the amount of body odor someone produces or how they handle their personal hygiene.

5.     Desperate for sex/ easy/ kinky/ into fetishes

This is probably one of the more harmful misconceptions about fat people. Fat women are often stereotyped as being desperate for sex because they go unloved for so long because of their weight. Some men seem to think that getting a fat woman in bed will be an easy task. It is also rumored that fat women give better blow jobs because they eat so much. These are just misogynistic views of fat women by men who see them as nothing but sex objects. Expecting sex of any woman, regardless of size, is objectification.

6.     Fat people are fat because they are not disciplined and are lazy

Weight gain happens for a myriad of reasons. Some people gain weight because of injuries/ surgeries that leave then bedridden or unable to move and exercise as they did previously. Other health problems unrelated to being overweight or obese can cause weight gain. Medications can sometimes cause an increase in appetite and can make losing weight difficult. To automatically assume that someone is overweight because they are simply lazy is ignorant of possible health problems that are beyond their control.

Fat Celebrities

One would be hard-pressed to find a celebrity that has not been called fat by the media. As soon as an ounce of cellulite is spotted, that famous person is written off as “let themselves go”. Some celebrities have become well known for their large size. It is the celebrities that have embraced their fat and have made it a part of their image, while not letting it become their only quality, that I admire the most. 

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Beth Ditto is the lead singer of the indie band Gossip (O’Brien). Her bold sense of fashion and her wild stage antics set her far apart from the mainstream. She has been known to strip down to her underwear for her concerts (O’Brien). She is a strong advocate for gay rights, fat acceptance, and self-love (O’Brien). What I admire most is her openness with her body. She performs on stage in as tight or as little clothing as popular, thinner singers and she does this without shame.

“Don’t hang out with people who don’t love you. Don’t try to impress people who aren’t worth it. Don’t try to win people over who aren’t worth it. Focus on yourself, and focus on the people who are really awesome and who love you. Don’t hang out with people who make you feel like shit. Don’t spend your energy on them.” - Beth Ditto

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Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe rose to fame in 2009 for her role as the title character in Precious for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (Gabourey). She is currently starring on Showtime’s The Big C (Gabourey). Unlike the character of Precious whose low self-esteem was her main character trait; Gabby self-acceptance of her body and her confidence is inspiring for people of all sizes.

“One day I decided I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I were a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.” - Gabourey Sidibe

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Rebel Wilson is an Australian actress who caught fame in America after her roles in Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect (Rebel). I admire Rebel for a different reason than Beth or Gabourey. In 2011, Rebel Wilson became the spokesperson for Jenny Craig in Australia (Rebel). Wanting to lose weight does not automatically mean that someone hates their body. I respect Rebel Wilson because she is confident with her appearance but has chosen to watch her weight to be healthier.

“I know I pick up the roles other actresses don’t want. When there are movies where there are two sisters and one’s the uglier sister, there’s always no actress that wants to go for it. I’m like, why not! They’re the best roles!” - Rebel Wilson

Works Cited

"Gabourey Sidibe." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.

O'Brien, Jon. "About Beth Ditto." MTV. MTV, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.

"Rebel Wilson." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.