What the F?
Amy Mitten
Meredith Villano, co-founder and Director of [url='http://www.paradigmshiftnyc.com/']Paradigm Shift: NYC
Meredith sez:
I'm tremendously honored to be selected by the Feminist Press: 40 Under 40: The Future of Feminism. This honor is an affirmation that doing feminist work is valuable and necessary. I am inspired by the accomplishments and work of the other honorees including past Paradigm Shift speakers Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, The Feminist Press, and its esteemed co-chairs.
Being interviewed by me may not be as big a deal but I'm sure glad Meredith found time to chat. Our conversation is below.
WATCH VIDEO: Operation Wild: Female Forces
Suggested Reading From Meredith Villano
- No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, by Gloria Feldt
- Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, by Dr. Michael Kimmel
- The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women, by Jessica Valenti
- Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists, Edited by Courtney E. Martin & J. Courtney Sullivan
- Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future, by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards
- Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation, Edited by Barbara Findlen
My Conversation With Meredith Villano
Planet Green: Why do you call it the "F Word"?
Meredith Villano: It's a double entendre, which speaks to the "taboo" and "unmentionable" notion of feminism that leads people away from identifying as feminists. We are working to tear down those barriers and encourage people to embrace the term.
PG: To me, it seems that a tiny bit of feminism has been used by the dominant media/culture to co-opt and marginalize the larger movement. Do you agree?
MV: Many of those who are social issue conservatives, Sarah Palin for example, are trying to marginalize and co-opt the larger movement by calling themselves feminist, but it's obvious these claims don't have much substance behind them. With Ms. Palin in particular, it's clear that she's acting a part in the hope of gaining more press attention. She spews smoke and mirrors verbiage, tosses feminism in there for good measure, and then performs a classic turn-and-pivot maneuver to avoid actually answering a question. Largely, those who try to co-opt the movement, including the aforementioned Ms. Palin, lack the credibility to do so, but they do get press, and they do have influence. As feminists, I think we should encourage diversity within the movement, but for someone to actually be a feminist, they shouldn't use mass media to limit the choices of women. That is a betrayal, which inherently mistrusts a woman's ability to command her own life.
Arriving at a feminist consciousness is a very personal process, which is often in response to contextualizing one's own personal story within the larger cultural dynamic (i.e. sexual assault, bullying, poverty, abortion/reproductive health access). We can reclaim the F-word by voicing these personal narratives, and labeling them as feminist struggles, which only serves to destroy the feminist "man-hating bitch" stereotype. For example, a 16 year-old-girl has the right to medically accurate sexual education, in order to not only prevent pregnancy and STIs, but to make informed and empowered choices. Is that 16 year old a "man-hating bitch" for learning about birth control and choosing whether or not to have sex? Of course not. Should social conservatives preach abstinence and narrow her choices? No. Feminists fight for the respect of women and people of all gender identifications to make empowered and educated choices for themselves.
PG: What can be done to reclaim the F Word in its fullest sense?
MV: We can reclaim the F-word by encouraging diversity of its expression, meaning—not only within mass media channels within a political context, but by supporting feminist art, independent media, theater, music, education, social enterprise ventures, technological pursuits, psychological research, and more. On a practical level, we can increase support by building coalitions with the goal of expanding marketing reach and establishing sustainable revenue streams, which is no small task.
PG: What is PShiftTV and how can Planet Green readers get involved?
MV: Paradigm Shift TV is an online feminist video channel which highlights progressive videos, including those related to Paradigm Shift event topics, lectures by leaders in feminist thought, submissions from the community, and film trailers. We also feature topics that can benefit from increased exposure that aren't outwardly feminist, but carry a progressive message, such as the post-traumatic stress of war on children. We encourage Planet Green readers to submit their own videos, which may feature green DIY projects, footage of community actions/projects, critical responses, and more. Ecofeminism is a topic that we've featured in the past- it was a lecture and discussion with Marti Kheel, Ph.D., author of Nature Ethics: an Ecofeminist Perspective, so we encourage Planet Green readers to contribute to the dialogue on issues such as the intersection of animal rights, the preservation of nature, and feminism.
PG: What has surprised you most since you began Paradigm Shift?
MV: I was surprised and very excited by the enthusiasm of the men who participate and volunteer. Men make up about a third of our membership/attendees and partners. The feedback has been extremely positive, and I most often hear that they are inspired by our speakers and performers. We often feature and highlight the work of feminist men, including a panel discussion
PG: If you could place a public service announcement on network TV at primetime, what would you want viewers to see/hear/learn about feminism in the 21st century?
MV: I would feature a very diverse range of feminists (age/gender identity/race/sexual orientation/class) with the message that feminism benefits everyone. If I had an infomercial, I would raise money for a movement which is based on the work of those who often are under-paid or unpaid.
