Saturday, June 4, 2016

We Were Feminists Once

We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political MovementWe Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am grateful to Andi Zeisler for articulating so much of what I've been struggling to about the concepts of "empowerment" and "choice" in contemporary discussions of (primarily American) feminism. Using the term "market feminism" to discuss the range of problematic "feminisms" from choice feminism to postfeminism, Zeisler explains, "while feminist movements seek to change systems, marketplace feminism prioritizes individuals" (260). I appreciate the ways in which We Were Feminists Once has helped me clarify my thinking about books such as Lean In and The Art of Asking--which are totally individual-focused and not at all interested in considering the systemic.

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