Redefining Powerful Women

This is just bizarre:

The Oxford English Dictionary Online has been updated and amongst the new entries is Girl Power. Defined as “power exercised by girls; spec. a self-reliant attitude among girls and young women manifested in ambition, assertiveness, and individualism“, the term is one of several hundred that have just been added to the OED Online, the most up-to-date version of the world famous authority on the English language. The Spice Girls are credited with using the term in the late 1990s; however, riot girls (also a new entrant to the dictionary) adopted Girl Power in the early 90s, in the United States. A riot girl, also known as a grrrl, (another new entry) a young woman perceived as strong or aggressive, esp. in her attitude to men or in her expression of feminine independence and sexuality, is defined in general terms as a member of a movement expressing feminist resistance to male domination in society and esp. to the abuse and harassment of women.

Its bizarre and, moreover, it bothers me. It seems honestly a bit sexist, a bit ridiculous that we need to add new words to the dictionary in order to describe strong or powerful women. Why won’t woman do? Or female? Or girl? Or feminine? Decisions like this more clearly reveal the antiquated notions we have as a society: in this case the idea that women, by default, are not already strong or powerful. The need for a separate term entirely for a powerful woman implies that woman in general are not always powerful – an independent, powerful woman is a riot girl, has girl power… she is an exception. Or, at least, that’s what the Oxford Dictionary would have us think.

Girl Power! (Or, you know, just women in power – these are some female heads of state, the link leads you to information on more current and former female leaders, in case anyone has an interest!)

Knowing When to Leave

Recently, on feministing, I was linked to an article from askmen.com called Ten Subtle Ways to Tell Her She’s Getting Fat. Aside from being horribly insulting and sexist (askmen.com is fairly notorious for this) I really felt this article crossed the line, straight into abusive territory.

An image from the article; this goes along with the suggestion that a man, “playfully grab her love handles” because “when you make contact with any unwanted flab: She recoils and feels embarrassment” and the man should “use this reaction to [his] advantage. ” Other gems from this article include leaving before and after pictures around for her to find, to remind her of how thin she was, and sabotaging her chair because “nothing says ‘better lose some weight’ like a broken chair“

While reading this article I was reminded of the popular novel, Twilight.  In this series Bella, a pretty but clumsy teenage girl, falls in love with Edward, a vampire who is characterized little beyond his appearance which is described a comparison to the Greek god Adonis. Over the course of this series Edward manipulates Bella emotionally; he secretly breaks into her room and watches her sleep, removes her engine so she cannot visit a friend he is jealous of, bribes his sister to kidnap Bella for a weekend so she cannot visit that same friend, and so much more. Essentially, if Bella makes a decision Edward disagrees with she will not be able to see that decision through to its close.

The Twilight series depicts an emotionally abusive relationship, and yet this series is so popular with teenage girls and their parents alike that it has sold over seventeen-million copies and young girls everywhere are pining away for an Edward of their very own. Although many adults and teens alike may argue that there is no harm in  the messages that Twilight, and other forms of media like it, perpetuates there are obvious dangers to enforcing this fantasy.

Radical Radiance: Lana Lawless

I am proud to name Lana Lawless, Women’s World Champion in the 2008 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, as this week’s beauty. Not only is Lana a talented golfer, she is also a true individual – someone who is completely unafraid to stand up and show the world who she is without apology. Lana is a transgendered person, a woman born into the body of a man. She explains herself quite profoundly in the article, saying that “This is who I am. This is my life, that other person, that 245-pound SWAT cop I used to be, he’s gone. He’s not coming back.” I am in awe of the eloquent and decisive way in which she summed herself up; Lana truly knows how to handle an interview and make her point known.