MOST people regard me as a feminist. But I don’t actually consider myself to be one because while I do advocate equal opportunity, I don’t only advocate equal opportunity between men and women but among all human beings regardless of gender, sexual orientation, politics, race or religion.
Because I am a woman, I naturally gravitate towards causes that denounce discrimination against women but I do not, in any way, blindly take on all the causes that feminist groups take up, purportedly to advance women’s fight for parity. For instance, I never was and I never will be part of the “burn the bra” movement.
There are issues that modern-day feminists rant about today which I actually feel are issues they have simply brought upon themselves. Female celebrities in the United States are incensed because they’re not being asked more than “who they’re wearing” on the red carpet. Hence the campaign, #AskHerMore. Frankly, though, I find their umbrage hypocritical.
I get that these women want to be asked about their acting performances as well as their achievements. But should they really feel outraged that after taking such great pains to look like a million dollars on the red carpet, they are being complimented on the results? If these celebrities did not really want reporters to focus on how they look then they shouldn’t take such great pains to look good!
Why bother to wear these drop-dead gorgeous gowns and starve yourselves to death on these award nights if you truly do not want the public to sit up and notice your gorgeous bodies and gowns? You want to be asked about the films you make? Then let your film performance rather than your breasts hog the limelight.
If you came to an interview with me and want me to focus on your abilities rather your looks, then you should skip the spectacular and wear the professional and understated—that is, if you really want me to focus on your resume rather than your OOTD (Outfit of the Day).
I find it hypocritical that these female celebrities would take such great offense over reporters focusing on who or what they’re wearing when in fact, they take such great pains to look visually stunning on the red carpet. The reality is that female celebrities feed the media frenzy over what they’re wearing and who they’re wearing so why are they complaining?
But beyond the glare of Hollywood, I’ve never understood why feminists are quick to swoop down on men who seemingly make the mistake of complimenting the looks of an intelligent and accomplished woman. How could such a compliment diminish a woman’s intellectual or organizational abilities?
Why would any woman feel insulted for being complimented on how she looks unless she is supremely insecure about her skills, abilities and achievements? Why would we go to such great lengths to look the way we want to look if we did not want to be noticed for how we look?
So here’s my big reveal for International Women’s Day. I’m no feminist. And since I’m no celebrity either, I’d like to give you advance notice that you can dish out as many compliments as you like about how I look. I will, in no way, take your compliments, as an affront to my myriad abilities.
(mail: sunstarcebucolumnist@yahoo.com, twitter: Melanie T. Lim (@melanietlim)