« Feminist Film making | Main | Feminist Media »

feminist media

Feminist media is media that puts forward a feminist message or otherwise moves the cause(s) of feminism forward. This does not have to be done in a manner as blatant as saying “I am a feminist filmmaker and this is a feminist film.” Media that discusses or portrays issues that are important to women's lives can be feminist as well. In some cases, particularly for marginalized populations of women, simply putting media out there that reflects their existence as empowered agents or counters stereotypes can be a feminist act. Context, content, and form are all important when deciding whether media is feminist or not.

A classic example of radical feminist media is the film Born in Flames, made in 1983 by Lizzie Borden. This film depicts a feminist revolution in a male-dominated post-socialist-revolutionary society, discussing along the way issues such as race, class, work and sexuality. It is notable for its frank treatment of these issues, as well as a prescient pre-9/11 scene of the feminists blowing up the World Trade Center.

A clip from that film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nns8seQuY5o

Real Women Have Curves is a good example of a film that is feminist without actively saying so. The film is about a young Latina woman who deals with issues such as school, family, poverty, body image, and first love. The heroine is strong and smart and makes her own decisions, ultimately choosing to go to college and making it happen for herself.

A scene from that movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG1L3wIIxlc

Another film that does feminist work by discussing issues that are important to girls and women is Just Another Girl on the IRT, which is about a teenage Black woman who gets pregnant, has her baby and finishes school. The film deals with teenage pregnancy in a sensitive and honest manner that doesn't stereotype or demonize, which does not often happen in public discussion of that issue.

I could not find a clip for that one, but the IMDB link is here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104575/

Several notable feminist blogs are linked to at http://feministblogs.org. I also like Angry Black Bitch, which can be found here: http://angryblackbitch.blogspot.com/

I think all of those express different aspects of media that can be feminist in different ways, although there are many other ways that media can be feminist as well. I think the common theme they have is depicting and discussing issues that are important to women's lives, as well as speaking out in some way for justice and change.

Post a comment

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.