![]() Together, they're proving that what's more infectious than an earworm is an idea.Beyoncé, in the midst of an epic 15 minute medley at Sunday night’s MTV Video Music awards, performed her song “Flawless” in front of a giant screen blazoned with the word “FEMINIST”. Some might argue that pop music is hollow, worthless fluff, but Beyoncé with Adichie's help is proving that pop music at its best can be a dialogue, a place of activism, a vehicle for change. The power of this, the youth of the world chanting the definition of a feminist, holds the potential for changing the world. By placing the actual definition of feminism in what is bound to be a hit song, Beyoncé guarantees that millions will not only hear it, but memorize it. A pop song is arguably the most viral form of communication that exists in our culture. Which is why the Adichie sample in "Flawless" is such an inspired Trojan horse move on Beyoncé's part. When misogyny is so deep-rooted that even women are led to believe that feminism is a dirty word, and when feats like the one Wendy Davis executed this summer are still necessary, it becomes abundantly clear that the struggle for gender equality is far from over. Ginger Spice), or they suffer from cognitive dissonance ("I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women." - Katy Perry, while accepting Billboard's Woman of the Year award). It's very unglamorous." - Geri Halliwell a.k.a. It's more important to be asking than complaining." - Bjork), or that it means you're a lesbian ("For me, feminism is bra-burning lesbianism. I think it's important to do positive stuff. ![]() I hail men, I love men." - Lady Gaga), or they think the term has a negative connotation ("I think when people hear feminist, it's like, 'Get out of my way, I don't need anyone.' I love that I'm being taken care of and I have a man that's a leader." - Kelly Clarkson), or they think being a feminist means you're a negative whiner ("I think would isolate me. When asked whether they are feminists, famous women too often distance themselves from the idea either because they think being a feminist somehow means they hate men ("I'm not a feminist. We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.įeminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes." - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie We raise girls to see each other as competitors, not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing, but for the attention of men. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support, but why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don't teach boys the same? ![]() I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Otherwise you will threaten the man.'īecause I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. You should aim to be successful but not too successful. We say to girls: 'You can have ambition but not too much. "We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. You might not think that this is necessary, or maybe you even believe that Beyoncé isn't one to be lecturing about the topic, but, despite the tireless work of everyone from Gloria Steinem to Tavi Gevinson, there is still some confusion surrounding the term. A snippet of "We should all be feminists," Adichie's TED talk on feminism, was sampled on a song called "Flawless" in an attempt to finally pin down the definition of feminism. Despite her celebrated status within the writing community (honors include a MacArthur Fellowship and being one of The New Yorker's "20 Under 40"), most people hadn't heard of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie until Beyoncé surprised the world with her visual album last week.
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