Stay-at-home Feminist

[matril]

So I've kind of been flailing around trying to decide what to write about here...there's only so many times I can write about my kids' latest shenanigans (like Luke repeatedly dumping things out the second-story window) before I start feeling kind of like a whiner. But I do like being a mother, honestly I do! And I'm quite happy being at home with the kids most of the day. It occurred to me that that might, superficially, seem to contradict my feminist leanings, but such is not the case. That's why I decided to adopt the title of Stay-at-home Feminist. It tickled my fancy. And then it occurred to me that the times I'm most likely to go on prolonged musings about gender roles is when my children are watching movies. Peter Pan? Quite a showcase for Victorian Era gender politics. Beauty and the Beast? Gaston's greatest evil might be his assumption that Belle would be content as a foot-massaging little wife.

This is fun. I think I'm going to make this into a series.

I think some brands of feminism are all about empowering women. Which is nice, but not enough. Power is only one of many things that tend to be held back from marginalized groups. It's about having a fully-realized identity and sense of self-worth. And, in literature, which is mostly what I ramble on about, it's being a three-dimensional character, not a cardboard cutout. It's about having a purpose, a quest, and being an active agent rather than being acted upon. It is that standard by which I judge all characters, female or male, alien, elf or nanite. :D

Comments

[sonetka.livejournal.com]

Yes, we're a weird little subset, aren't we? (If I can grab your tag for my own as well :)). Have you ever read Feminist Mormon Housewives? I read them sometimes (more when I lived in Utah). They're interesting, but sometimes I feel like their posters would benefit from getting out more. I mean, not EVERYTHING has to be beanplated to death!

[matril.livejournal.com]

I think I've come across that blog once or twice. I also know a few women who get very impassioned about issues (gender roles, political stuff, etc.) that are basically nonexistent outside of Utah, and I can't help wanting to tell them they're not quite as on-the-edge and forward-thinking as they imagine themselves to be. ;)

[sonetka.livejournal.com]

Yes, I sometimes wanted to say that as well. It seemed like it would be a little rude, though, not being LDS myself, so I just read.