Fourth Wave Woman

Young adult and chick lit writer Meg Cabot recently spoke about her views of feminism with the Miami Herald. A few years ago, I loved Cabot’s writing. The Boy Next Door is entirely written in e-mails. It was fresh and clever.

She got a bit preachy in Princess Diaries, which was quite different from the Disney movie. Her young adult books have a much stronger political bent than her chick lit. She echos the sentiments of many a beleaguered writer and feminist: feminism isn’t unpopular, the label feminism is.

Ask any tween or teen girl today if she considers herself a feminist, and chances are good you will receive a horrified “No!” in reply.

But ask that same girl if she feels that women should receive equal political, social, and economic rights as men (which happens to be the definition of the word feminism), and she’ll cry, “Of course!”

It’s not the concept of feminism that’s the problem. It’s the word “feminist.”

I’m not sure when “feminist” became such a dirty word to so many. But for a lot of kids it seems to summon up an image of a hairy-armpitted, man-hating woman who despises fashionable clothing (and eschews all meat and dairy products).

While I would suggest that feminist actually practice what they preach and be more diverse in their political viewpoints and respectful towards their conservative peers, Cabot share how she inserts feminism into her books. The appeal to fashion, boys and girly topics is just a lure:

So how does a feminist author like myself write popular books for this generation of tweens and teens, who are at best suspicious of the word “feminist” and at worst repulsed by it, while actually getting across a feminist “message”?

I’ll let you in on my dirty little secret:

Like the sparkles on the tiara Princess Mia wore in the Princess Diaries, Allie’s fun rules and Em’s sudden plunge into the world of high fashion are just the bait to draw readers to the real message behind my books which is the same message I was taught growing up, and the message I feel is so important to today’s generation, because it seems to be getting lost in a world where so few girls self-identify as a feminist:

Everyone has value as an individual. Let’s celebrate our individuality, but at the same time, learn to tolerate one another’s special uniqueness. And let’s ensure that all children, girls as well as boys, have the same opportunities. We’re all equal. By believing in ourselves, we can accomplish anything.

That’s a message I think everyone can get behind, even the most judgmental teens and tweens of today. It’s a message that’s in all my books.

Call it cultural diversity awareness. Call it gender egalitarianism. Call it Girl Power.

Just don’t, I guess, call it the F word.

Cabot’s confession here underlies the reason why I started this blog. Feminist may be a dirty word, but the philosophy of feminism has infiltrated all levels of education, politics and even culture. Conservatives have faught the political front, but completely abadoned the cultural war. Not all of this is bad, but it furthers the view that girls are victims of this society simply because they were born female.

Cabot’s brand of “feminist light” is one which I’m extremely familiar. In the mid-80s, feminists turned their attention to the next generation and started working to “empower” girls. This is particularly true with girl-focused organizations such as Girls Inc.* and Girl Scouts.

While I don’t have issues with teaching equality of the sexes or telling girls to follow their dreams, these programs teach that girls are in “crisis!” that’s “harder to be a girl than ever before!” While it’s always difficult to be a teenager, it is harder to be a girl than ever before? Feminists have simply swapped the cage of traditional gender roles with one of victimization, low self-esteem and delicacy.

While most of the programs are silly hyperbole about self-esteem, tolerance and celebrating diversity, the messages do undercut traditional values and only present one side of the political spectrum because of the ingrained biases of the women designing these curriculum and presenting the programs. Having spent some time in this world, I can safely say that conservative women are rare.

*In full disclosure, I used to work for a Girls Inc. affiliate.