In the first three chapters of Susan Douglas’s Enlightened Sexism, she discusses how different components of female power have been construed and altered in the media. In the first chapter Douglas describes the beginnings of embedded feminism, or the façade of “girl power,” as a marketing scheme in order to capture the attention of teenage girls. Through numerous TV shows the media consistently links the idea of female power to consumption and male-approval, paving the way for enlightened sexism. For example, in the show 90210 the only type of family structure that is shown to last is one in which the father is the sole provider for the family. Moreover in this show teenage boys are made to appear innocent, sensitive, and sweet, allowing for the public to ask: “Who needs feminism anymore if teen guys are like this?” Douglas also describes shows such as Melrose Place and Murphy Brown in which the powerful women that enter the scene are unable to love or maintain stable relationships, proving that females cannot “have it all.”
In chapter three of the novel, Douglas describes another unrealistic perception of female power in the media, or that of the sexy warrior (a woman who contains a strong character/ physique, yet still remains feminine and beautiful). In shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charlie’s Angels, and Alias, gender roles are reversed, as women become the white knights for their men. However, the women that take on these superhero-esque roles do so at high personal costs, further proving that women who hold power do not experience love. Moreover, through the example of Janet Reno, Douglas demonstrates that in the real world, female “warriors” are unable to remain feminine in the public eye.
In chapter two of her novel, Douglas highlights another social construction of female power: their ability to castrate and emasculate men. In this chapter Douglas offers major news stories in which women use aggression or violence against men to achieve their goals. All of these incidents were known to produce a shock in the media since female (as opposed to more accepted, male) violence is seen as highly threatening to society. With the example of Lorena Bobbitt, who severed her husband’s penis after she claimed that he raped her, the media spent more time on her case than on her husband’s since her story was seen as more scandalous. Thus, in society today, while female aggression is targeted and amplified by the media, male violence toward women remains the status quo.
While aggression toward men may be one way for females to express power, I, for one, am not an advocate of violence. In my opinion both female and male violence are unacceptable, and I think that instead of physical transgression, women can promote equality through other means. Perhaps we can learn from Rebecca Walker who states in an excerpt from Becoming the Third Wave, that activism should directly come from our voices. Walker (and Xena and Buffy) beg women to turn their outrage into vocal manifestations of anger. Even though Walker’s except was short, it provided a wealth of substance for me to grasp onto and relate to. Walker was 22 at the time that she had written this piece, and her strong and solid voice (even at this young age) made me feel guilty for not fully standing up for myself/ other women when I have witnessed sexism throughout my life.
I also think that women more than deserve all of the points that were made in Baumgardner & Richards’ Manifesta for Young Women, some of which include: the elimination of violence against women, equal healthcare to men, freedom of sexuality, abortion rights, etc. Perhaps through true activism, this manifesta can be carried out, providing an Equal Rights Amendment for all women who hold power, and for those who are still trying to find their strength.
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