Newsflash: Enlightened Sexism

Enlightened Sexism By Susan Douglas (Newsweek Book Review)

The progress of the women’s rights movement in the twentieth century has certainly produced more gender equality than ever before in American history. Women have gained the right to vote, have become the majority at many colleges and universities, and have united under groups such as the National Organization for Women, founded by Betty Friedan. These developments can be largely attributed to second wave feminists and would seem to set the stage for gender equality in current society. Many people view the sexual freedom and open discussion of sex in modern society as a significant step forward towards gender equality and treating gender related issues with open dialogue.

This openness is undoubtedly reflected in the transition in American pop culture. 1950s pop culture showed June Cleaver dressing up to do housework, taping a lovely note to her children’s lunch, and sleeping in a separate bed than her husband. This “Pleasantville-like” portrayal has given way to modern women, who attend college so they can get a high-powered job and run the corporate world as well as maintaining a family life. This transformation of women in half a century would seem to be a positive shift in gender roles. People believe that these advancements signify equality, but women still earn significantly less than men in similar jobs, are promoted to the top of companies much less often, and so forth. However, Susan Douglas points out that such advancements have created a culture where sexism is now allowed. Douglas coins this term “enlightened sexism” (the same title as her book) and explains that because women have advanced to a perceived state of gender equality, stereotypes and discrimination that used to be considered sexist, now goes unnoticed. Enlightened sexism underlies the belief that, “full equality has been achieved-so now it’s okay, even amusing, to resurrect sexist stereotypes of girls and women” (Douglas 9). Douglas uses examples in reality TV and pop culture to make this claim, in a similar way that Ariel Levy does. I agree with Douglas’ overall point, but I believe the fact that we allow such sexism and discrimination to go unnoticed is indicative to the actual lack of gender inequality. If we truly had gender equality, discrimination could not theoretically exist because it serves a way to suppress a minority.

Ariel Levy and Susan Douglas agree that women have made important strides towards equality and breaking down barriers. The institution of collegiate women’s sports, equality or even majority of women in colleges, and the access of women to jobs that were previously exclusively male, are testaments to this progress. Levy claims that these strides, however, have not prevented women from being judged by their appearance. She references Playboy spreads with women seen in provocative poses, and Girls Gone Wild tapes where women expose themselves merely for a free t-shirt and a moment of fame. Levy believes that the success of women and the progression towards a closer level of gender equality should prevent women from engaging in such raunch culture and she criticizes them for doing so. Douglas differs by blaming society for giving women a mixed opinion on what it means to be empowered and equal.

To explain Douglas’ point, I believe the notion of gender equality has led our society to believe that power no longer comes from gender or race, but social status. Thus, women do not care whether it is their mind, their intellect, or both which contribute to their success-they merely see the achievement of success and social standing as the embodiment of being empowered. This governs over reality television, which is where Douglas roots her argument. She claims that shows such as the “Hills” or “The Bachelor” portray women as being obsessed with relationships and willing to backstab one another to win a guy. Since women believe they are equal, they do not mine playing out gender stereotypes in reality TV shows in exchange for fame. Similarly, Douglas references the LPGA’s decision to hire hair and makeup artists to increase the sexual appeal of female golfers. This would seem like a justified business move to increase the LPGA’s popularity if there truly was gender equality, but rather it furthers the stereotype that women need to be attractive to be successful. Danica Patrick is not referenced by Douglas, but perfectly suits the implications of “enlightened sexism.” Danica Patrick is a skilled racecar driver who has broken the gender gap into Nascar. However, Patrick is much more known for her appearance, having appeared in provocative magazine covers and as the main sponsor of GoDaddy.com. Following Douglas’ definition of enlightened sexism, since people perceive there to be gender equality, it lessens the significance of Patrick’s racing accomplishments. Thus, there is little criticism of Patrick being discussed primarily for her looks.

The pitfalls of enlightened sexism go beyond the entertainment and pop culture world, but also to difficulties for teenage girls who are trapped between society’s rules and their own desires. Douglas claims that teenage girls are confused because they are supposed to act feminine and be obedient, but they are also adolescents who are supposed to be rebellious. I believe, however, that the difficulty for teenage girls lies in our modern raunch culture and the fact that teenage girls are supposed to be enticing to guys, but not promiscuous. This creates a difficult disconnect as girls do not know where to draw the line. They get attention and self-esteem boosts when dressing “sexy,” but is labeled as sluts if they actually act on the urges there supposed to invoke. Teenage girls are a top-consuming group for magazines like Cosmo, which have articles on “how to please your man,” but are delegated as social outcasts if they follow the article’s suggestion. Rebecca Walker (in Listen Up) advocates the knowledge and positive life lessons she learned from having sex at a young age, yet society and teenage peers criticize the girls who do. Even though Walker claims to be proud of her young sexual encounters, she admits that she is shy in divulging what age she lost her virginity for fear of how people might judge her.

As Douglas points out, magazines like Cosmo teach girls to get their self-esteem from their sexual desirability and that attractiveness is associated with success. However, a study shows that a woman who dresses “provocatively” in the workplace is considered less intelligent than their peers (Douglas 185). This confirms Douglas’ main point that society is giving women mixed signals about how they can behave in modern society.

Enlightened sexism, according to Susan Douglas, is when the perceived new gender equality in society allows stereotypes and discrimination to no longer be considered sexist. Hillary Clinton serves as the premier example for this, as her campaign for the highest position in the United States lends to the notion of gender equality. However, Clinton was critiqued on both spectrums of female stereotypes. She was disparaged for always wearing suits and thus exuding manliness as opposed to femininity. Clinton, however, was also criticized when she cried while meeting supporters. This incident reflected her supposed femininity by showing her sensitive side, thus bringing up concerns about her being too weak and issues with her menstrual cycle and how it might impact her decision-making. This epitomizes Douglas’ definition of enlightened sexism, as people presumed they could critique Clinton based on gender stereotypes because her legitimacy as a female presidential candidate proved that there is complete gender equality. While presidential candidates are often criticized from all different angles, Clinton was caught in a winless situation-she was condemned for being too feminine and for being anti-feminine. If we are truly in a society with gender equality, why should it matter if she were one or the other? 

Lusting For Freedom

I was astounded in reading Rebecca Walker's essay to find out the first time she had sex was at age eleven. Taking that into context, I was impressed with the maturity to which Walker approached sex during young adulthood. I believe she provided a unique perspective of someone who engaged in sex since a young age and with multiple partners, but feels she has learned from her experiences rather than faced unfortunate consequences. The main reason people do not usually have such experiences line up with a positive perception of sex as healthy is because of STD's, unwanted pregnancies, rape, and heartbreak. Walker claims to have avoided these occurrences, thus leading to her positive outlook. While this is obviously a fortunate avoidance for Walker, it leads her to disregard such concerns entirely. Walker quickly mentions the possibilities of such disasters but mostly criticizes society for making sex a shameful act and condemning young girls as "sluts." Our society has progressed tremendously in discussing sex openly; dating from the days of "I Love Lucy" when a married couple did not sleep in the same bed, to current raunch culture such as "Sex in the City" re-runs being played on TBS. Despite this progression, I do agree with Walker that social customs limits the sexual freedom of young adults but this is due to the unwanted pregnancies, STD's and rape that Walker quickly glances over. She tries to advocate for a change in society's constrictions but does not offer a solution to these problems which force such restrictions. Walker attempts to present sexual experiences at a young age as a positive attempt to learn one's body but she does not fully address the possible consequences that prevents most young people from doing so.

Lusting for Freedom

For many young women, sex is all too often a power held by others that is used against them. It is something they are taught to avoid and to fear…“There are forces that subvert girls’ access to freeing and empowering sex—forces like HIV/AIDS, limited access to health care, and parental notification laws that force thousands of young women to seek out illegal and sometimes fatal abortions.” (p.19) In addition to the forces mentioned by Rebecca Walker, there are a bevy of other constraining influences that seek to stifle a young woman’s sexuality; whether it’s overly conservative parents or a fire and brimstone religious faith, young women are constantly bombarded by authority figures telling them to steer clear of sex until they are married (or at least until they’re 18). As Walker further explains, “Sex can also be power because knowledge is power…” (p.20) Sex is power in the form of knowledge as well as freedom. Sexual liberation, when achieved safely and in a smart way can be a very powerful source of personal reflection and growth. Walker postulates that, “Without being able to respond to and honor the desires of our bodies and our selves, we become cut off from our instincts for pleasure, dissatisfied living under rules and thoughts that are not our own.” (p.23) If a young women is overly sexually constrained then she will feel uncomfortable in her own body, which could lead not only to sexual confusion, but to being sexually exploited in truly harmful ways.

Re: Society's Impact on Fitness

I have to disagree with Danny here. His claim that I primarily take task with is, “women may feel compelled to go to the gym, but the act of actually going increases their self-confidence. This is a sad truth, but one that is evident throughout society and especially on Colgate's campus.” I am not debating that going to the gym boosts women’s self-esteem, but I refuse to just accept this as inevitable reality of our society. The true issue that needs changing is the belief that a woman’s self-confidence is and ought to be directly linked to the number on the scale. Women should take pride in so many other things above their body image, whether it’s in their own mind or in the opinion of others. Alisa Valdes tries to make this point extremely clear throughout her essay. She understands that the reason that women take her class is to lose weight so other people, particularly men, think they are beautiful. However, Valdes maintains that, “through our organized dance exercise, we had also created a girls’ club where women work for women and make money off of and for women.” (p. 29) I am not saying that women should boycott the gym in order to rebel, but rather that they and society needs to drastically alter the mindset that thin and only thin is beautiful, and everything is simply grotesque. Herein lies the true perception that Valdes is fighting and that we all should be fighting. Being in shape is first and foremost a health issue, but I would take Danny’s characterization of fitness even one step further and call it an unfortunate obsession for many women. Many women in America don’t worship at the alter of fitness, but rather they drink the lethal punch of the cult of Barbie.

Society's Impact on Fitness

Alisa Valdes always wanted to be a feminist writer but was economically "forced" into being a fitness instructor to pay back her college loans. Valdes discussed the role of women in fitness as a religion. She claims that their everyday life's are geared toward becoming fit, just as devout people use their religious ideals to guide them in everyday life. I agree with Valdes' claim that society's ideal image of women as thin has compelled fitness into a form of religion in recent decades. There is no denying that it is society which is evoking such notions because social rules is practically what guides our actions. Social rules are the primary religion of every person, unless they choose to completely rebel. However, it would be helpful if we treat society's image of women as a given that has been in place for many decades and will probably not change anytime soon regardless of feminists because advertising rules our capitalist economy. Considering this, women may feel compelled to go to the gym, but the act of actually going increases their self-confidence. This is a sad truth, but one that is evident throughout society and especially on Colgate's campus. As we discussed in our last class meeting, many people go to the gym just to say they went to the gym. This sounds almost pathetic, but in the ingrained culture we live in, it does boost self-esteem. That is one positive we can take from this exploiting societal trend.

Advertising Needs to Step Up to Modern Times

After reading Steinem's essay, I am puzzled as to the unwillingness of many companies to advertise in Ms. and reach an expanded audience. Understandably, advertising is a very profitable business and companies spend millions of dollars on market research to ensure they are advertising to the right audiences. Thus, it seems logical in the past that beer and car companies would advertise during sporting events in hopes of targeting males. Similarly, makeup companies and beauty products would be advertised on shows like "Gossip Girl" and in Cosmo magazine. These tactics seem justifiable but they should transcend along with society. In the past few decades, the women's movement and parts of raunch culture has portrayed males and females as more alike than ever. There is plenty of evidence for women who love cars or men who care about their appearance. Thus, it would seem natural that advertising companies would keep up with these trends. The initial acceptance of males and females exhibiting an affinity for products that do not fall in line with traditional gender stereotypes is the key breakthrough. Once that breakthrough occurred, we would think advertising would coincide. Companies are always looking for a new target audience to attract and the emergence of accepted contradictions to traditional gender stereotypes allows advertising to enter into a similar realm. Thus, I agree with Jackson that the unwillingness of companies to make such a transition is not only puzzling but senseless.

Sex, Lies, & Advertisin g

Steinem's article describes her woman's magazines troubles getting advertisers to place adds in the Ms. magazine. What is most striking about her account is the backwardness of the companies she contacts about advertising in her magazine. In most cases the companies ignore survey and market research when making advertising choices. For ebelieve that xample, car and technology companies are resistant to advertising in the magazine as they only men purchase their products, despite survey and market research to the contrary. While on an intuitive level it would make sense for companies to place adds wherever they can generate revenue, Steinem's account shows that this is simply not true. If advertisements are out of touch with the people they are selling products to, then they must be created around pre-existing beliefs about what kind of groups like certain products. As such, Ms. magazine was constantly being forced to accept advertisements which were counter to their mission as a magazine. Furthermore, there were numerous examples of blatant sexism, as shown by VIP's in Este Lauder and Eastern Airlines. All these examples show how companies pressure magazines to show images in a certain manner which lead to the stereotypes of women and other groups which are seen in society today. Steinem is trying to show that advertisements are sources of labeling which affect the way we see each other, as well as the content of our magazines. Furthermore, this advertising is often biased in what it shows and how it is conceived.