"Girlboss" is a later byproduct of backlash, women as girls, still childish but newly aggressive. The defeat of feminism has meant that its reconstruction is led by a younger generation who grew up reading and now publish in fashion magazines. The first time I saw a woman with a handbag in the crook of her arm I knew what it meant. I didn't have to read Faludi.
Utopianism failed. Moralism always fails. The only utopian dreams now are explicitly fascist. We're stuck negotiating ambiguities, and that means some women are going to see Holly Golightly as a feminist model. In the late 90s a woman my age told me everything she'd learned about being a woman she'd learned from drag queens. She said it with a straight face. I thought that was sad. And recently the head of the largest gay rights organization in Europe stated that homosexuality—sexual attraction based on biology—is akin to racism. You can't talk about "feminism" without a definition of "woman".
The hatred for girlbosses stems from their use in the media and by politicians as obvious tokens: "this girl became a boss so feminism must be winning!"
"Girlboss" is a later byproduct of backlash, women as girls, still childish but newly aggressive. The defeat of feminism has meant that its reconstruction is led by a younger generation who grew up reading and now publish in fashion magazines. The first time I saw a woman with a handbag in the crook of her arm I knew what it meant. I didn't have to read Faludi.
Utopianism failed. Moralism always fails. The only utopian dreams now are explicitly fascist. We're stuck negotiating ambiguities, and that means some women are going to see Holly Golightly as a feminist model. In the late 90s a woman my age told me everything she'd learned about being a woman she'd learned from drag queens. She said it with a straight face. I thought that was sad. And recently the head of the largest gay rights organization in Europe stated that homosexuality—sexual attraction based on biology—is akin to racism. You can't talk about "feminism" without a definition of "woman".
https://afterellen.com/backlash-against-lesbians-assaulted-by-transwomen/
The hatred for girlbosses stems from their use in the media and by politicians as obvious tokens: "this girl became a boss so feminism must be winning!"
This is a brilliant article. Thank you so much for writing and sharing this!
Exceptional article, financial independence from how much a man likes you is the first step
In a capitalist world, the one with the most money has power to influence the system the most
Commodification of women's bodies is not financial independence, it stills relies on pleasing men's sausages to eat food
An incredibly important read to your local female-founders everywhere.
Girl boss is out... girl union is in.
Exceptional article, financial independence from how much a man likes you is the first step
In a capitalist world, the one with the most money has power to influence the system the most
Commodification of women's bodies is not financial independence, it stills relies on pleasing men's sausages to eat food