Feminism in the time of celebrity

MANILA, Philippines - Let’s talk about feminism. Or, feminism as we know it.

A good friend of mine tweeted a couple of weeks ago, “One of my favorite trends of 2014 is feminism.” This was subsequently followed by a lot of backlash, which I attribute to people assuming that this person viewed feminism as a fleeting, passing fad, quickly moving through one ear of society and out the other. There was lots of stoking, lots of quelling, but nothing really resolved, which isn’t surprising in a patch of cyberspace as limiting and toxic as Twitter. But that’s another conversation for another day.

Feminism is many things. An ideology. A moral obligation. Some people see feminism as a tablet of commandments, others prefer to view it as a constant conversation. I don’t view feminism as a trend, but whether or not you believe it is one, it seems to be presented like one, and we might say it even behaves like one. It rises, falls, is thrown into the spotlight, and gets pulled out again. 2014 is blatantly more feminist than the ‘90s, or the early 2000s, thanks largely to dozens of celebrities who have publicly exclaimed their support for gender equality, Emma Watson being one of the most recent examples of this.

Some of us look at feminism as something that’s been present throughout the whole span of human history. And we can say that’s true. Wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that women have been fighting for their rights ever since men started acting like dicks, so that’s time immemorial, pretty much. But you’d be hard-pressed to present another point in time when the issue of women’s rights was a hotter topic, when this much attention has been directed towards rape culture, domestic abuse, heteronormativity, and a lot of other delicate things that make people squirm with discomfort. Discourse has been going on long enough for its focus to shift: not only are we telling people to be feminist, we’re talking about what it means to be a feminist, even entertaining the idea of what a “real” feminist should be. Is it still in vogue to channel Rosie the Riveter? Should a feminist even be responsible for projecting a carefully crafted image? Hell if I know. But when it comes to popular discussion, feminism is at its peak.

And we should be celebrating, shouldn’t we? You have people like Taylor Swift and Lorde who are branded by the media both as talented musicians and as spokespersons for feminism. You have celebrities like Tom Hiddleston and Liam Neeson publicly supporting the #HeforShe campaign. All these big names and famous faces, suddenly hella keen on gender politics, suddenly vocal, dominating your Facebook feed. Sure, there’re celebrities like Katy Perry and Shailene Woodley who don’t consider themselves feminists, but even they seem to generally espouse equality. There’s also the uneasiness that comes with knowing that feminism, because of its rising popularity, is now being capitalized and appropriated for branding purposes, and in the mess of things gets misconstrued as faux girl power. But for all the misconception and accusations thrown at it, feminism is enjoying a lot of PR. Red carpet treatment, cameras flashing, the weight of the whole world staring it down to see its next move.

This is what I’ve noticed: you tell a person to do something because it’s morally right, you won’t be sure whether or not they’ll listen. You tell a person to do something by convincing them it’s cool, they’re more likely to follow. The reverse is true. You can get people to stop holding certain beliefs once you’ve convinced them that it’s uncool or, in other words, unfit for this day and age. Almost all of us adopt a certain belief or conviction because someone we idolize has done the same. This public figure, with their numerous talents and achievements — their opinions are validated by their accolades. (How many people has “***Flawless” won over? There should be a study done on this.)

The difference between two eras: in one era, a particular form of knowledge is seen as revolutionary. In another, it’s conventional. Feminism currently walks in the vast space between, with pop culture as its well-meaning, albeit imperfect escort.

Celebrities didn’t just make feminism popular. They made it digestible. By attaching sensibility to media, ideology to celebrity, feminism became approachable, palatable, a little less intimidating for people uncomfortable with change (read: everybody). To identify oneself as a feminist is now seen as a mark of tastefulness, a vague badge that lets people know you’re in step with the times’ moral aesthetic. It’s ironic, somewhat, that feminism had to be dressed up and made up in front of the mirror of popular culture to be deemed presentable.

I said that feminist discussion is currently at its peak. Feminism’s influence will only grow stronger, garnering more and more celebrity support until it no longer needs a bunch of pretty faces to win people over. At this stage, feminism is presented as something welcoming, and popular culture won’t have to act as its chaperone for long, but it will always be its inevitable companion. In truth, the fight for gender equality has only just begun.