In contrast to previous periods of feminist activism, so called “fourth-wave feminism” has become far more mainstream than its predecessors. While feminist advocacy has always been at least partially controversial, feminism is now palatable enough to market. Dior sells a white t-shirt emblazoned with ‘We Should All Be Feminists’, available to all with £580 and a social conscience. In 2015, Chanel sent a parade of ultra slim, able bodied white women down the runway with slogans emblazoned with ‘Be Different’ and ‘History is Her Story’. Many famous women have incorporated feminism, or “girl power”, closely into their brands.
While it’s positive that the feminist taboo is being broken, there is a sense that this kind of feminism is only available to famous women and brands. Emily Ratajkowski, a model, has spoken repeatedly about the importance of feminism in her life and work. She’s stated that, ‘feminism is about the choices we make, and the freedom we have to make personal choices without judgement or retribution’. This is a nice concept and I would agree with the sentiment, however, it is not feminism. Feminism is about fighting for the social, economic, and political equality of women. It involves legislation, legal challenges, fund raising and activism. Ratajkowski became famous as a result of starring in a music video about rape and sexual assault. In defending her role in promoting ‘Blurred Lines’, Ratajkowski has said she didn’t understand why a ‘woman’s naked body is so controversial in our culture’, thus ignoring the more pressing issue of why a song glorifying assault would land in the top 20 songs of the past decade, according to Billboard.
Popularly, feminism seems to have become a defence against criticism, with many famous women only raising the movement as a shield by which to protect against those who find fault with their actions. These celebrities invoke their feminism most publicly not when lobbying for changes to legislation or supporting women run businesses but when promoting themselves. Miley Cyrus said in 2013 that ‘I feel like I’m one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women to not be scared of anything’. This was in response to criticism of her Bangerz era behaviour. It was also a pretty effective way of grabbing headlines while promoting an album. Retuning to perhaps the most egregious offender, Emily Ratajkowski has said that her Instagram feed is ‘a sexy feminist magazine’. Search her account, and it returns images of Ratajkowski on the red carpet, on magazines, at the pool, in the park and in bed. It returns no publicity campaigns for causes that would improve the standing of women in society, or links to articles about the challenges of finding affordable child-care or reproductive health care. It is an account dedicated to self-promotion.
But here’s the thing, there is nothing wrong with Ratajkowski’s Instagram. What is Instagram if not a tool to promote the best version of yourself? Instagram doesn’t have to be a ‘sexy feminist magazine’. What is wrong is her appropriation of the word to encompass just about everything under the sun. Feminism isn’t about any one individual and their choices; it is about the wider emancipation of all people from the patriarchal system in which we live. Feminism counters the structural and systemic misogyny that is buried deep within the foundations of our world. “Empowerment” cannot be a catch all to encompass all feminist discourse. Feminism is not Emily Ratajkowski’s Instagram.
Famous women do not have to centre feminist activism in their work; that would be deeply unfair. However, those who capitalise on the label to increase their public standing have an obligation to put in the work. This goes beyond posting an info-graph on their Instagram stories now and again. Celebrities who become engaged in a cause are effective at increasing donations and raising the profile of their organisation of choice. Harris & Ruth (2015) determined that charities with a celebrity backer receive 1.4% more donations from the public. This is equivalent to approximately $100,000 USD. Celebrities have, for better or worse, real power in shaping the public conversation. It’s a shame that for so many, there is a reluctance to engage with feminism beyond their personal interests.