Most Americans that have not been hiding under a rock for the past century or so, have no doubt heard of feminists and the feminist movement. But what exactly is a feminist? A feminist is defined most commonly as one who believes that both sexes should be equal. That is all. However, feminism has been mutilated and thrown around until the original goal of feminists has been warped into something horrendous and barely recognizable. Being a feminist has become synonymous with being a whiny jerk. So how did feminism obtain such a poor reputation, and what does it mean today?


One of the reasons for the bad reputation of feminism is due to a number of anti-feminists. The famous televangelist Pat Robertson in 1992 wrote that, “It [feminism] is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.” Also speaking against women having equal rights is Peter Thiel (the CEO of PayPal) and even Sigmund Freud cautioned against women wishing equal rights. Now, surely, most people realize that women do not wish to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians, but some people do not. Also, while Sigmund Freud was a very intelligent man, he was not always correct.


However, another reason for feminism’s poor reputation is because of feminists themselves. Some feminists target other women, calling them anti-feminist when the women in question may or may not be. Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, has recently been a target. While this writer has her own opinions on the series and its shortcomings, she also does not believe Miss Meyer is an anti-feminist. Other women have also been accused such as the author Marion Zimmer Bradley.


Firstly, Stephenie Meyer has been criticized for her weak female characters, her ‘soccer mom’ status, and her motherly image; this all makes her an anti-feminist. While this writer will confess her dislike for Miss Meyer, she is not an anti-feminist. The character of Bella Swann may be weak in Meyer’s works, but this does not appear to be a conscious anti-feminist effort and more as Bella being poorly characterized. It should also be noted that some male characters, such as Edward Cullen, might also be viewed as shallow and even stereotypical. Also, there is no philosophy in feminism that says a woman cannot be a soccer mom or housewife if she wishes. In its purest definition, feminism is a choice, not an obligation. If a woman wishes to become a housewife or soccer mom, she should be able to without fear of criticism. Sadly, this fact has been overlooked by feminists for decades.


As an example, Betty Friedman, a leader of the feminist movement, was well known for her criticism of housewives and weak-willed women. Frank O’Connor once remarked that, “No man is as anti-feminist as a really feminine woman.” Mister O’Connor seems to be stating that feminine, elegant, and traditional women are all anti-feminists, and that is just not true.


A final cause for the distortion of the meaning of feminism is the attitudes from feminists, who claim men have no right to be feminists. This makes little sense. Many men see women as their equals and believe they should be equal under the law. Is it not a warped form of anti-feminism to tell men that they have no right to believe that both genders should have equal rights? There is no gender requirement for being a feminist.


In conclusion, feminism is a surprisingly common belief, and through the actions of feminists and anti-feminists, it has turned into something barely recognizable. Thus, my friends, man and woman, boy and girl, I encourage you to decide for yourselves which stance you take. Feminism should not be something to be ashamed of or something just for women. Only when everyone realizes that men and women are equal will the Battle of the Sexes finally end.