Choice feminism: between empowerment and brainswashing

Picture by Red Dot from Unsplash

Feminism is not about doing whatever you want: it is about doing feminist things.

Is it feminist to be a boss bitch?

I must admit it, lately I’ve been watching a lot of trash television. The academic and personal stress brought me to a place of wanting to consume intellectually underwhelming content just for fun, and reality shows have been on the front line of this behaviour. Not that I am “anti” trash TV:  while I had never deemed quotes from this specific context particularly inspirational, the media serves as a glimpse into contemporary society. While watching it, I was impressed by how many quotes were repeated by female participants over and over again. Yas queen, go get that bag! Heels higher than his standards! You’re such a boss bitch! Not even mentioning how popular it is to self-define as a bimbo (a derogatory term to define an attractive, yet not particularly smart woman). Overall, the language reflects the so-called “hustle” culture, where the portrayal of secure and independent women is tied to neo-liberal values: being pretty, being rich and being flirty. But how would any of these things challenge the male gaze and patriarchy?

What is the role of choice in feminism?

Feminism is often associated with the word choice. Slogans such as “My Body, My Choice” became the anthem of fights for reproductive rights, abortion rights, but also when talking about fatphobia, ableism, and the overall necessity of patriarchy to control our bodies.

While the choice of controlling our bodies and our identities is a pillar of feminism, the so-called “choice feminism” depoliticises feminism, and it makes it about individual privileges rather than about collective struggles. It became evident through how feminism became a brand, a product to be consumed rather than a political idea: fast-fashion companies started selling t-shirt with Feminist as fuck written on it (although they are product on underpaid, exploited labour). Choice feminism wants us to be bad bitchesand girl bosses, because none of these things challenge the intersection of patriarchy with capitalism.

The question then becomes obvious. To what extent are our “choices” rooted in a patriarchal vision of the world? Are you shaving “for yourself” or because you’ve been taught that hairy women are gross, and no men would be attracted to you if you refuse to adhere to these norms? Are you wearing make-up as an “artistic expression” if your makeup looks like the one that most celebrity billionaires wear on magazine covers? And are you doing plastic surgery to feel like the best version of yourself, or is it because you are ashamed that some of your body features do not fit into (deeply racist and ableist) aesthetic ideals? While none of these things singularly hurt anyone, and the point of this article is not to forbid women from doing them, they should come from a place of reflection and not be minimised as a free choice.

Feminism is not about personal empowerment but collective liberation instead.

For different reasons, many people cannot adhere to these ideas of beauty and success. This leads to the ostracisation and isolation of those who cannot be, or do not want to be, what society has decided is “successful.” And there is nothing feminist in making disabled, POC, queer, economically challenged women feel like they don’t belong to feminism. This might be uncomfortable to hear, but it-s necessary if we-re serious about real change. Feminism is not about doing whatever makes you happy. Feminism is about thinking and acting against patriarchy. While being completely coherent, when you are raised in a profoundly patriarchal society that brainwashes you from a young age, can be difficult for everybody, I beg you to not fall into the trap of “do whatever empowers you”. A feminism that wants to convince us that uncomfortable and expensive practices stem from our own choice and not from external conditioning will not defeat the patriarchy.  A feminism that lacks intersectionality and is based on privilege will not free women collectively. Audre Lorde remind us that feminism isn’t just personal, it’s deeply collective: I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. 

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