My must read of the day is "The Neo-Porn Feminists," in the National Review Online:
Feminism’s definition needed to be twisted, contorted, and—basically — changed. And change it did: It became so elastic that the rubber band finally snapped and no one knows what the heck feminism means any longer.
Enter poor, confused Katy Perry. The pop starlet rocketed to fame by singing about kissing a girl even though she is not gay or bisexual, thus falsely usurping LGBT sexuality for material gain; she parades around in dresses three sizes too small; and she obsesses over boyfriends — all behaviors that you would think would make a true feminist recoil in horror. But Perry, who had stated in 2012 that she was not a feminist, this week (at the urging of a publicist, no doubt) proudly declared herself one: "A feminist? Um, yeah, actually. I used to not really understand what that word meant, and now that I do, it just means that I love myself as a female and I also love men." […]
What happened to a solid definition of feminism, namely "a simple, pure belief in the equality of the sexes"? It has given way to the more useful notion of "not judging": Nowadays, anything a woman does (provided, of course, she isn’t one of those pro-life nutcases!) is fantastic and worthy of acclaim — criticisms not wanted.
Feminists (whatever that means) may exist, but one thing is certain: They are not those who come bearing the title, be they "empowered" porn-star university students or pop divas. The warning "Beware of false prophets" has never seemed so necessary.
This article is written as a response to the college student at Duke University who also stars in pornographic films. I couldn’t care less about the Duke porn star. But she does bring up interesting questions about feminism: What does it mean today?
It is without a doubt not what Katy Perry described, and it has never been that. But she seems to show one thing—people do not understand what feminism is anymore, even when they're claiming to be a feminist.
Why? Partly it’s because the movement in America focuses on parochial issues that resonate with very few people. People don't understand the goals of feminism because by and large they don't see it engaging in many meaningful activities.
Feminism has become a partisan tool that has little to do with women. It's about votes, and more people are recognizing that. The words "I'm a feminist" tend to come out unenthused and apathetic, much like Katy Perry's answer.
If feminism wants to achieve the overarching goals of the first, second, or third waves—or anything worthy of praise—maybe it's time for a new a wave, one that would make feminism’s principal focus real women's rights issues, not abortion and birth control.