There’s a long history of words that are associated with being more feminine. Shallow and stupid are just two words that come to mind. Why is it that when someone enjoys watching romantic comedies and likes the color pink it is automatically assumed to be someone that can’t think on a deeper level?
dismissal of femininity in the media
When looking at the way pop culture has portrayed femininity within the last 50 years, it’s very clear how society views this word. Many of the books I read in middle school had female main characters who chose to wear pants and didn’t like talking to other girls. An example of this is in a YA book series I read called The Selection. The female main character completely rejects anything that is traditionally feminine such as dresses, makeup and nails. She is instead painted as someone who thinks deeper of the world, which perpetuates the idea that feminine women can’t think beyond the next nail color they’re going to get.
The movies, shows, books, and music that more feminine women enjoy tend to be labeled as guilty pleasures. Some of my favorite TV shows to watch are reality shows such as the Bachelor and the Real Housewives of New York. Both of these shows are considered to be “trash TV” that is only watched for pure entertainment purposes, and while that may be true, I’ve never heard anyone criticize men for watching football. I also notice when I tell people my favorite singer is Taylor Swift, they automatically label me as “basic” and “uncultured.” As if Taylor Swifts music has no merit to it, when in reality one of the reasons I love her music is because of how much I connect to the lyrics in her songs.
In books and movies, romance is the one genre that is not taken seriously. People think of romance in books as something that makes it less serious, taking away the merit. Romance novels communicate the strongest feelings that humans develop for each other and put those feelings into words that flow off the page. How could it not be taken seriously? This is a legitimate question I’ve been asking myself recently since novels with violence don’t get looked down upon in the same way romance does.
How do we redefine Femininity
Femininity should be redefined as something that is not stupid or shallow, but having it’s own intelligence that’s a different kind of intelligence than masculinity. There is complexity in femininity that is dismissed because of the connotations that come with the word. The next time someone calls your favorite romantic comedy a “guilty pleasure” call them out, and ask them to question why they don’t take femininity seriously.
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