I've been getting into the gym recently and I started watching fitness videos by female lifters in the mornings. A lot of these women have that stereotypical "girlboss" attitude. They say things like "I always get ready in the morning and I do it to take pride in myself", and "My content is all about empowering women and finding ways for us to support each other." Some of these women have founded businesses (in e.g. athletic wear or sports nutrition) which also push these attitudes as part of the whole brand, and seem to employ many women. (Then again, of course, you don't know how their company is actually treating the women who work there.)
I'd like to know everyone's thoughts on these attitudes, which are spread through Western society as representing "mainstream feminism". Of course there's no acknowledgement of patriarchy, the causes of the barriers women face, the things women have to do to be successful in this society. As well as this, it totally ignores barriers based on race or class as well. However, I do find these videos quite motivational, and I think that they encourage a lot of positive qualities for women (self-confidence, working on your goals, focusing on yourself and your career, helping other women).
So what do you think? Do you wish this mentality would disappear, or do you think it has its benefits?
This reminds me a bit of choice feminism. Some women love makeup and will say things in its defense like, "Makeup is just my way to express myself." While there is nothing wrong with using makeup, choice feminism often ignores that certain choices of women are rewarded by patriarchy and certain choices are punished. In most cases women who wear makeup are treated differently than women who don't wear makeup. Women who don't wear makeup are asked if they are sick and told they look unprofessional, while women who wear makeup are held up as the gold standard ( natural makeup of course, not festival makeup) Additionally, many of the companies who produce makeup are headed by men who are lining their pockets out of our insecurity. I think it is important to be able to critique things like choice feminism or the "girl boss" phenomenon that you mentioned, however I don't think that means that it is priority number one for feminists to stop wearing makeup and calling themselves girlbosses. Instead, I would just focus on supporting women. If you like wearing makeup, look out for and support women who don't. If you like watching girlboss videos, you are supporting female content with the best of intentions. Just be watchful if the message starts to change into something more pickme so you can bail.
it's great starter into feminism if anything because the core of being a feminist is the confidence to stand your ground as one. i'm not a fan of the helping other women part only due to the fact that actually doing so should be an act not a statement. pickmes can run around talking about female solidarity but we all know they're the first ones to throw other women under the bus.
I think this mentality is good to see exhibited bc it's incredibly palatable for young women- it gives them an easy way to dip their toes into feminism and internalize the attitude that women's are capable and equal to men in business and the law. These women are definitely examples of how feminism has benefited women and how women are capable. But it's not a good idea to put political leanings on a figurehead that hasn't spoken up about it themselves- and just how celebrity activists don't have the impact hoped for, neither do business women etc who aren't doing activist work or being out openly about their stance on feminism.
Imo the issue here isn't the "girl boss" type of feminism. A lot of radical feminism is frankly depressing and not suitable for a younger audience, so the kind of "feminism" that essentially ignores the patriarchy and systems of oppression while focusing solely on building up other women, and improving women seems ok to me. It's palatable, kid friendly, and it's about improving things for women. I think of it as like an intro level to feminism. We all know the patriarchy is still there, but it's ok to just focus on yourself and what you CAN control. It's a healthy cope.
The problem I see is here is consumerism, and honestly it may not actually be a problem but let me explain. Consumerism is a big part of what makes "choice feminism" so toxic. Like if there is any part of you that you dislike,you can try a new product or drug, a new surgery, a new subscription to a service, etc that will solve all your problems. It pretends that the problem is entirely individual, that women don't face any distinct disadvantage due to our sex, and that any problem you face could be solved by making better choices, or forcing ourselves to feel differently about the problem. It often comes across as victim blaming.
So basically all these fitness influencers have to monetize their service or platform in some way. Some are more ethical than others when it comes to implementation, and that's why I said the problem is consumerism. It's one thing if they occasionally say, "I recommend X product because it's good and I need to make money somehow," vs "X product will change your life," and they're just relentlessly pushing a product or brand like a podcaster and his homemade nutritional supplements. Like how much effort are they putting into research and development? Are they clear about who is sponsoring what? Are they trying to sell you womanhood and femininity as though they're running a kind of "build a bitch" shop where you can just buy replacement parts for your body and snap them into place?
It kind of requires splitting hairs and it does get easier to recognize followers of the church of consumerism once you spot a few. Tbh it's less problematic when these influencers remain shallow/on the surface and don't try to push the philosophy behind diet pills and exercise. Follow the ones who provide you the service you need, and ignore the fanatics when possible.
When I had Instagram, I used to follow female fitness trainers to learn from them and at the beginning they were truly gorgeous and natural looking to educate people but unfortunately when most of them got a huge following, they started promoting for many clothing brands and lingerie. Now they are pages are just soft porn and no longer truly just fitness. It’s all about posts of themselves sexualizing themselves. I’m glad I’m not in that space anymore. I now stick yo YouTube channel by women to level me up.
It's not feminism, it's Individualism and capitalism.
I think the political points they make that don’t really address women’s issues are faulty. I think the positive attitude is fine though, I don’t mind hearing about “girl bosses” (though I dislike the term). Getting too much into radical feminism can get angry and depressing, liberal feminism is often more uplifting (I think this is because media is pushing it), so I think the ATTITUDE has a place, but not the IDEAS