On June 28, 1998, Ally McBeal graced the cover of Time magazine; not in the name of television or Hollywood or fashion, but in the name of feminism. According to The American Century Dictionary, feminism is the advocacy of women's rights and sexual equality. So how does an upper-class woman who complains about her weight and puts dating before all else qualify as a feminist? Simple: in the misdirected world of the modern women's movement, Ally McBeal is as much an icon of feminism as the women who shared the cover with her, women like Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan, two of the most celebrated founding mothers of feminism. The prior successes of the movement have been overshadowed by these new, ludicrous ideals and haphazard ventures into the mainstream media. Feminism, which at is core strives for a higher quality of life, is one of the main opponents of progress in the United States. As necessary as the feminism was in the past, its continuing presence is completely counterproductive in today's society.
[...] As more and more negative connotations are attached to the modern women's movement, attitude that lesbianism is an extension of feminism makes it impossible for the gay community to earn any respect. And although many young lesbians do consider themselves to be feminists, they do not believe in a lot of the radical steps the women's movement has taken (Survey, Lesbian). Since the late 1970's, lesbians have been in limbo as to whether they are a help or a hindrance to the movement, or whether feminism even considers them to be women in need of equal rights. [...]
[...] Not when “feminists have shamefully turned their backs on battered lesbians, and have stifled the attempts of activists to address lesbian domestic violence” (Sacks, just to hide the negative reality that women can also physically abuse partners. The women's movement should support unconditionally instead of in its best interest; otherwise it is helping no one. For the most part, feminism does appeal to lesbians, but the gay community is not the only target of the modern women's movement. With aging leaders, some of whom have been actively campaigning since 1970, feminists are now turning to the new generation for replacements. [...]
[...] Feminism's stranglehold on society is not limited to adolescents and adults; it is equally capable of hurting the prepubescent generation, especially when it comes to boys versus girls in sports. Early in 2002, a case surfaced in North Carolina concerning a boy who wished to join his school's softball team as a substitute for his middle school's lack of baseball, since not playing at all would seriously diminish his chance to play in high school. State legislature denied his plea, however, for “although there are a few hundred female athletes playing on boys teams in North Carolina . [...]
[...] Simple: in the misdirected world of the modern women's movement, Ally McBeal is as much an icon of feminism as the women who shared the cover with her, women like Susan B. Anthony and Betty Friedan, two of the most celebrated founding mothers of feminism. The prior successes of the movement have been overshadowed by these new, ludicrous ideals and haphazard ventures into the mainstream media. Feminism, which at is core strives for a higher quality of life, is one of the main opponents of progress in the United States. [...]
[...] It is ludicrous to even think of searching for feminist undertones in the show; although it has previously self-proclaimed itself to be about women empowerment, it focuses more on life issues like drugs and college than on feminist concepts. But for the first four seasons, it ranked in the top ten of the Feminist Primetime Report. Then the show took a dark turn; the female characters embraced violence, and a lesbian died. Feminists were not pleased with this change; they found it downright sexist. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
