How are Hess’, Ford’s, and Sarkeesian’s experiences of sexual harassment and misogyny on social media similar? And how can we begin to theorize women’s experiences of sexual harassment and misogyny on social media in terms of gender identity? Firstly, as the above examples demonstrate, the harassment levelled at the three women is largely characterized by misogynistic language intended to degrade these women on the basis of their gender. Words like “bitch” and “cunt” are used to directly attack their feminine identities in explicit and pejorative ways. Gendered insults make the harassers’ disapproval of and hatred toward these women’s voices known, while they also intend to undercut these women’s voices simply because they are women.
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However, they are targeted in ways which underscore the significance of their gendered (feminine) bodies which can be seen as attempts by harassers to undermine their opinions by focusing on their bodies instead of taking their thoughts seriously. This is seen in Hess and Sarkeesian’s cases with respect to the multiple rape threats each received as well as the characterizations of Hess and Ford as “ugly” women. The female body is both insulted and physically threatened in the rhetoric used by male online harassers. As Megarry notes, “These comments convey the message that the internet is a male space to which women have limited access, and communicate to women that their presence online is tolerated only on the basis of their sexual value and appeal to men” (50). Harassment that characterizes women like Hess and Ford as “ugly” implies that they have failed as women to uphold typical notions of feminine beauty. Rape threats, moreover, as Jane points out, are a standard feature …show more content…
The Internet, in this sense, tends not to be feminist-friendly, and therefore, can be characterized as a masculinized space of gender inequity and patriarchy as feminist women like Ford and Sarkeesian are targeted by male harassers for their feminist viewpoints. As Jane states, “[online sexual harassment] is diagnostic not so much of a problem a particular man has with a particular woman… but of a broader social issue involving issues of gender equity, as well as tenacious sexism” (“‘Back to the kitchen, cunt’” 566). The anti-feminist backlash Ford and Sarkeesian received, then, is an effort to police their opinions which speaks to a larger problem of widespread misogyny and anti-feminism on the Internet. patriarchal space, not feminist-friendly, patrolling women’s opinions, stereotypes of
The article, “Why We Still Need Feminism”, written by Casey Cavanaugh (2014), describes how women are treated and why feminism is looked at in such a negative light. She focuses on how the feminism movement doesn’t only concentrate on women and what concerns them, she also talks about how the movement can positively impact all humans. Cavanaugh explains how the treatment of women can go on for generations and how many women are simply dealing with the ill-treatment (Cavanaugh, 2014). The writer gives a few examples of how women are treated and the different ways that it can be changed for the better.
The image that is usually placed with feminism is that of a rabid, bra-burning, lesbian running around disclaiming the patriarchy. It could be that of a mid-century housewife complaining about how her only career choices are between teacher and secretary, or even of a woman with a sash and banner walking in front of the White House; preaching about her right to vote. However, this isn't necessarily the case. Ever since the rise of the internet, in the late 20th Century, feminism has had a revival causing it to grow in popularity and spread across forums everywhere. Women are joining this “third wave” movement to bring an end to the societal injustices that still plague the gender today (qtd. in Haslanger et al.). Feminism currently represents much more than it did in its infantile stage, having evolved to include relevant issues that affect every woman in today’s subordinating world. Issues such as rape culture, slut shaming, abortion and the wage gap have all been adapted into the feminist agenda with the hope that, as a united force, women could bring change to a misogynist society. The bra burning days are over, and feminism is on a rise, bringing light to issues that need to be addressed.
John Oliver’s tenure as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart helped to bring in an outsider’s perspective on American culture and society, given that he is from England. Oliver continued his socially conscious, but wickedly sharp and funny commentary behind the desk of Last Week Tonight. During his June 21st episode, he addressed the issue of online harassment and revenge pornography. Oliver showed that women are horrendously persecuted on the Internet for having even the simplest of opinions, such as liking the fact that there are female captains on Star Trek. He showed that our online safety is something that we take for granted and casually dismiss online threats as not “being real life”. When it comes to situations like these,
Textual harassment has been one of the major prevailing forms of violence in the present day society. Both males and females are prone to be victims but females are more susceptible to be ta...
Misogyny is not the result of the physical state of womanhood; it is the product of the conventions that a society has established for how a woman should compose herself (Rey). These societal rules were created with the intent of perpetuating a patriarchal system in which women cannot express themselves freely. Misogyny is an attempt at enforcing these rules, and misogynistic behaviors can be performed by anyone. While The Gender Knot discusses how the limitation of female sexual expression and the enforcement of gender roles are forms of misogyny, “Girl” and “Mona Lisa Smile” indicate how these practices affect women.
I am a feminist. I knew this before Beyoncé infamously defined the “F” word on the VMA stage in 2014. I knew this before a major party nominated a female to be their candidate for President of the United States despite criticisms. I certainly knew this before Brock Turner sexually assaulted a woman behind a dumpster and only received six months, but was released in three months due to his “good behavior” (privilege). Judith Lorber speaks on forms of all this in her book Gender Inequality as she examines the now thirteen types of feminism. Before I started reading the book I classified myself as a radical feminist. I quickly became aware of my connection to third wave feminism through women’s direct engagement of with feminism, women’s rise
There's an article by an Alpha Feminist lamenting the fact that childish internet basement dwellers regularly leave vitriolic remarks on her articles. She wrote“ I know I could stop reading the comments, but I shouldn’t have to”. i've seen the argument rehashed a million times. She has some valid points; I don’t' deny that many comments are hateful and don't contribute to the public discourse. The fact is that some people love to hurl online abuse, and find women easy targets. It sucks I know. But feminists screaming “It shouldn’t be this way” looks like the last ditch effort of a dying
...rms of power and source of pride in society. Emphasizing sexism in language and rising the concern with words can be a vital feminist strategy to provoke social change (Weatherall, 2002). Language can produce a false imagination and represents women and men unequally, as if members of one sex were somehow less wholly human, less complex, and has fewer rights than members of the other sex. Sexist language also characterizes serotypes of women and men, sometimes to the disadvantage of both, but more often to the disadvantage of women. (Wareing & Thomas, 2012). As a result, it is necessary that individuals have the right to define, and to redefine as their lives unfold, their own gender identities, without regard to genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role. Language about women is not a nonaligned or an insignificant issue but profoundly a political one.
Theirs countries that offer only women public transportation due to street harassment happening. Most females that have experienced street harassment has been before legal adulthood. Women of color experience street harassment as well but when they do they are racist and sexist towards them. Moreover, heterosexual and queer interracial couples are at higher risk of being harassed or physically assaulted. The men in the study said that street harassment was fun, harmless and the sure to boredom it also made them feel good when they did it with friends that how they bonded together as men. The way the law addresses street harassment brings fear to women because they feel that the law doesn’t really take it seriously because they barely do anything about it. Researchers believe that it is important for women and girls to look around where ever they are going to because there is street harassment situation everywhere and on can never know what they are up to if either rape, physical abuse
Social media is an influential way to entertain society. Unfortunately, social media can be a way for women to communicate cruel things to each other while hiding behind a computer screen or smartphone. According to dosomething.org, “Seventy percent of students report seeing bullying online”. As a result, there are numerous women whose self- esteem is taking a toll because of what other women feel they can say behind a computer screen. Another problem that women face on social media is obsessing over other women online. Young women today focus on following other women’s false lives. Most pictures on Facebook,
A huge controversy within society today is the debate between gender equality. I view gender equality is necessary to sustain a stable community. Some may disagree and say social status between men and women are infrequent because they say men have more power than women. According to Roxane Gay’s article, Bad Feminist, she states that good women adhere to standards of wearing make up, specific clothing, being charming, polite, and earning 77 percent of what men earn. If women do not fall under these categories, they maybe considered as bad women to society. Women are already subjugated as deteriorate to men regardless if they are considered as good or bad. Over time, the word feminism, which means women’s rights of economic, political, and social status should be equal to men, has taken on a negative view. Comparing with Julia Serano’s article, Why Nice Guys Finish Last, she explains how women and men are categorized when involved in rap culture. Rape is horrible, and how society normally views
If you thought that feminism died decades ago, think again. The F-word has been coming up a lot in social media in the past few years, which has led to conflict in surprising places in the movement. Not only has the movement run into issues with the freedom of being online but also with racial tensions between different groups of women. The Internet is now the battleground for racial issues that have been brought to the forefront in Feminism and shows no intentions of slowing down or cooling off. While looking into these issues I came across an article entitled, “Feminism’s Toxic Twitter Wars,” by Michelle Goldberg. As a senior contributing writer for The Nation, Goldberg has accomplished much more
Modern feminism pins gender as a main component of patriarchal society. As a result, modern trans-exclusive feminism blames transgender people for sustaining patriarchy by reinforcing the structure of gender. Cathy Brennan, head of the Gender Identity Watch, takes this position to possibly its furthest point, arguing, “the foundation of the entire “Transgender Rights Movement” is based on violence against women, censorship of women, and the elimination of the Human Rights of women” (“Transgender Ghouls for Suicide and Death”). The blog and organization Gender Identity Watch is a self-described tracker of legislation attempting to override protections based on sex by writing gender identity into law. A great deal of the organization’s actions fall directly in line with the mantra of its leader and avid fans; trans-exclusive feminists see transwomen as threatening female solidarity and using “weapons like the term “cisprivilege” to...offend born-females” (“The insanity of the term
The World Wide Web and Internet are great places to study, work, or even play. But there is an ugly side of cyberspace. Cyberspace reflects the real world and some people tend to forget that. Cyberstalking and harassment are problems that a large number of people (especially women) are realizing. (Jenson, 1996, p.1)
Women for many years have been denied the right to express themselves. If a female spoke against something she was considered strange and out of line. Hall says, “Feminist methodologies is the belief that patriarchal oppression of women… has been profound and multifaceted” (Hall 202). Patriarchal oppression has been let happen because women had the