Tag: Feminist

How To Recognize The Signs Of Feminist Burnout

Written by Myrna Waldron.

Sufferers of Feminist Burnout are advised that laptops don’t taste very good. (Source: SoftwareSourcery.Com)
Feminist Burnout, or ohmyfuckinggodwhyisthissohardforpeopletounderstanditis, is a common ailment afflicting individuals also suffering from the insane notion that women are people. Approach with caution. Feminist Burnout is extremely contagious.

Signs and symptoms of Feminist Burnout include:

  • Explosive exasperation at Hugo Schwyzer
  • Twitter arguments that end after 3 tweet exchanges and a blocking because you just cannot put up with this shit anymore
  • Mass unfriending of Facebook friends sharing pictures trying to make you feel bad that people are apparently regularly aborting full-term fetuses
  • Severe frown lines caused by awareness of advertising tactics
  • Blog entries created by repeatedly slamming your head on your keyboard in frustration
  • Complete lack of surprise that Katy Perry and Taylor Swift do not consider themselves feminists because of course they fucking don’t
  • Nightmares over the possibility of confronting certain gamers on their sexism and their likely responses
  • Paranoia that “misandry” might actually be added to the dictionary someday
  • Eyestrain from trying to comprehend female anatomy depicted in video games and comic books
  • Nausea over racist topless protesters being allowed to define the movement in the media
  • Compulsive side-eye at pretty much everyone in Hollywood
  • Excessive fantasies of punching the crap out of anyone who spouts “BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MENZ?!”
  • Unrestrained masochism that includes, but is not limited to: Challenging powerful individuals in the media on their bullshit, reading the comments, clicking on links that contain “FOX” in the URL, going on reddit, opening a Tumblr account
If left untreated, Feminist Burnout can result in exhaustion, emotional overload, lack of inspiration, and even utter defeat. There is no cure for Feminist Burnout. But there are several therapeutic treatments recently discovered:   
  • Turn off the fucking computer and mobile phone.
  • Eat some ice cream.
  • Have a nap.
  • Hug someone who “gets it.”
  • Look at pictures of puppies and/or kittens. (if unable to pry self from internet)
  • Write a satirical blog entry.
Feminist Burnout is a serious issue affecting approximately 99% of feminists, who are amazed at the 1% who are able to press on without experiencing any symptoms. If someone you love is affected by Feminist Burnout, do not exacerbate the symptoms by asking them to explain concepts that should be obvious to anyone who has actually questioned the world around them. Privilege Blindness is considered a mental condition that has been known to worsen the symptoms of Feminist Burnout. Individuals who argue that feminism does not truly seek equality because it is primarily focused on women are advised to shut the fuck up. Women who deliberately choose not to define themselves as feminists as it might scare men away are pieces of shit. MRAs who pick fights with sufferers of Feminist Burnout to prove some sort of warped point are advised to stab themselves in the genitals repeatedly.

If you suffer from Feminist Burnout, You Are Not Alone! Sufferers are advised to remember that although there is no cure for Feminist Burnout, there will eventually be a cure for societal inequality.
 
Now go have a cup of tea.

———-

Myrna Waldron is a feminist writer/blogger with a particular emphasis on all things nerdy. She lives in Toronto and has studied English and Film at York University. Myrna has a particular interest in the animation medium, having written extensively on American, Canadian and Japanese animation. She also has a passion for Sci-Fi & Fantasy literature, pop culture literature such as cartoons/comics, and the gaming subculture. She maintains a personal collection of blog posts, rants, essays and musings at The Soapboxing Geek, and tweets with reckless pottymouthed abandon at @SoapboxingGeek.

WAM! It Yourself Conference for Feminist Media Makers

Written by Megan Kearns.

As you could have probably guessed, I’m obsessed with feminist media. Not only do I write about gender, race and class here at Bitch Flicks, but also at my own blog and for Fem2pt0. I pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe film and television and deconstructing gender analysis. I incessantly talk online and in real life about female characters, the Bechdel Test, the need for more female filmmakers, and for greater diversity of roles on-screen. And yes, I’m constantly telling my friends about women-centric and women-directed films they must see.

So I’m thrilled that WAM! (Women, Action, & the Media), is hosting their 4th annual WAM! NYC Feminist Media Conference on Saturday, March 23, 9am – 5pm at The Hive at 55, 55 Broad St. Founded in 2004 with the amazing activist Jaclyn Friedman as Executive Director, WAM! is “an independent national nonprofit dedicated to building a robust, effective, inclusive movement for gender justice in media.”

Here’s a description of the conference from WAM!’s website:

“Are you feminist journalist or media activist? Love creating, consuming and critiquing race, gender, and class in media? Want to learn more tools, strategies and ideas to do your work better and meet other print, online, multimedia journalists and activists doing awesome work.”

Speakers include feminist media powerhouses Gloria Feldt, Quinn Heraty, Jina Moore, Lauren Wolfe, Jenn Pozner and Deanna Zandt. Panels include:

  • Diversity and Justice in Media Representation
  • Lights, Camera, Talking Points: Media Training
  • Negotiating 101: Salary, Contracts and More
  • Responsible Reporting
  • Acing Your Freelance Life
  • J-School Crash Course
Tickets are $12. Plus, WAM! is hosting a pre-conference happy hour on Friday night so you can mingle with other feminist journalists and media activists. If you’re in the NYC area, get your tickets today!

Don’t live in NYC or can’t attend, there are WAM! events in Austin, Boston (my home-town where they’re hosting the WAM! Boston Film Festival), Camden, NJ, Chicago, DC, Los Angeles, Ottowa and Vancouver. Or start a chapter in your area!

We have a huge media problem. Women are overwhelmingly underrepresented in the media.

Of the top 250 grossing films in the U.S. in 2012, women comprise 9% of directors, 15% of writers and make up 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors. For documentary directors at major film festivals, women are 39% of directors. Only 33% of films’ speaking roles belong to women. Most film reviews in mainstream media are written by men. 88% of video game developers are male even though 47% of gamers are women. 30% of women are TV news directors. Talk radio hosts are overwhelmingly male. Newspapers are more likely to quote men than women. On Sunday TV talk shows, women are 14% of those interviewed and 29% of panelists. Female authors’ books get reviewed far less than men’s and male literary critics are published far more than women.

So it’s time for us to do something about it.

You can’t be what you can’t see. It’s crucial for us to come together, strategize and support one another as we navigate the terrain. We must create our own media and analyze existing media through an intersectional feminist lens. It’s vital to highlight women’s voices and experiences.