The publication last November of Kate Bolick’s "
All the Single Ladies," a provocative essay on the disruption of the "romantic market" and the related phenomenon of
solo living, seemed to spark a renewed feminist verve. An ongoing
political discourse is now helping to keep contemporary feminism front of mind. Journalists are responding in kind, applying
Steinem-inspired ideology to current fashion and fads.
"Meet the Woman-Child": Following the
feminist backlash—and subsequent
backlash to the backlash—that accompanied the hyped premiere of HBO’s
Girls, staff writer
Deborah Schoeneman released a
Kindle Single tackling a separate feminist (or
postfeminist) phenomenon: the "woman-child." In an excerpt
published on Jezebel, Schoeneman writes that the woman-child suffers from "prolonged girlhood," obsessing over nail art, polka dots, and woman-child exemplars like Katy Perry. She prioritizes female friendship over romantic relationships, and, ultimately, would rather remain a child than have one. Blogger Megan Reynolds
responded at
The Frisky, rallying fellow glitter-enthusiasts and arguing for a multifaceted approach to modern feminism that leaves room for the occasional pink polka-dot manicure.
"Disappearing Mothers": NYU professor
and oft-
contested author
Katie Roiphe recently took Facebook-friendly moms to task in
Financial Times Magazine. In her article "Disappearing Mothers," Roiphe rails against the practice of using a photo of one’s child as a Facebook profile picture, citing the seemingly innocuous gesture as a sign of an eradicated identity. For Roiphe, the custom marks the "disappearance" of a woman as her own person and displays her motherhood surmounting all, even her physical being. Readers—moms and others—were quick to voice objections in the comments, labeling the argument shallow and wondering why Roiphe never mentions the dads out there who practice similar acts of "baby-profiling" and parental
oversharing.
"Boys on the Side": Much has been written recently about the decline of men as a
professional,
economic, and
social force. Journalist
Hanna Rosin just released
a book on the subject, in which she offers some statistical and anecdotal evidence to support the conjectured crumbling of the patriarchal structure. An excerpt from Rosin’s work, titled "
Boys on the Side," ran in the latest issue of
The Atlantic. In the piece, Rosin explores the collegiate hookup culture and argues that, far from being
debased by it, women are in fact propelling the trend for their personal and professional benefit. As is usually the case concerning articles about feminism and/or sexuality, responses were
polarized and
polarizing.
