I am still deeply bothered by what Kelly Clarkson said about feminism. I am so disgusted by what she said that I've lost so much respect for her. I still like her songs but I just don't want to anymore.
I think what really bothers me is that Clarkson will never know she made people feel this way and cost herself at least one fan, probably more. Even if she did find that out, she won't understand the ignorance of her statement and the place of privilege it comes from.
There was a time when a woman being a secretary was a BIG DEAL. There was a time not too long ago when a woman being a doctor, lawyer, professor, cartographer, editor, computer programmer, judge, police officer, or film/stage director was unheard of. My mom had a job where she was one of the first women to ever do it.
All of these early women were making less money than men for the exact same jobs because 'Mitch has a family to support and you should just get a nice man to take care of you so you can stop working.' In the 1960s a Pan Am stewardess would be terminated for getting married. The job also had a mandatory retirement age below 35 and weigh-ins.
Most if not all women who are reading this have jobs. Do you enjoy wearing pants to that job? Thank feminism for that. A female performer having creative control over her career? Feminism helped end the days of 'shut up and sing sweetheart.' Clarkson's refusal to lose weight or sex it up would have cost her dearly in the not-so distant past.
There's an amazing ad by Pantene that shows how professional women are seen today. Men are 'the boss' while women are just bossy. Working fathers are dedicated while working mothers are selfish. These are subconscious things that researchers noticed in a recent study.
Despite that, many employers exercise the right to refuse to cover birth control in their insurance plans. Several do it under the guise of 'God's will' but for some reason all of these plans cover Viagra. If God decides he doesn't need to get it up anymore, let God's will be done. If a man deserves the right to choose when he gets hard, a woman deserves the right to choose when she gets pregnant.
No matter where a woman falls on the political or religious spectrum, maternity coverage and access to birth control are important. Men can get recreational medications while women have to pay extra for fundamental care. We are not equal if having a uterus is still treated as a preexisting condition.
I think if someone sat Clarkson down and actually told her what the term really means and what it's done for women everywhere, she might change her tune. The same goes for Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. I doubt Clarkson would make a public declaration since she wants to release a country album and no one thinks feminism is another F word like that demographic. I wish she could know how impactful her words are and how she helps perpetuate the negative stereotype in the first place.
I just wish there was a pop star out there brave enough to say "The core tenant of feminism is equality and choice. I absolutely believe in that so, yes, I am a feminist." Women deserve that much.
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