Postfeminism: from Out of Sight to Real Women have Curves

Postfeminism is a pretty broad term these days. What exactly does it mean and when exactly did this movement start amongst females. An articles written by Chris Holmlund, Postfeminism from A to G, discusses these issues. Holmund discusses the three different types of  postfeminists in today's society, the academic, the chick, and the grrl, mostly focussing on the latest two. Chick feminists are somewhat backward feminists. Holmund says, "many are hostile to the goals and gains of second-wave feminism; others simply take these gains and goals for granted". They're nostalgic about the life prior to equal rights in the workforce and family. Grrl feminists, sometimes called thrid-wave feminists, "eager to carry on the first- and second-wave feminist struggles". The article focuses on how these types of postfeminism translate into media, specifically movies. Two movies discussed are Out of Sight, starring Jennifer Lopez, and Real Women Have Curves, starring America Ferrera. Both are seen as postfeminist movies, however, Out of Sight still focuses on the romance and the need for a man in a womans life; whereas Real Women Have Curves focuses on putting a career above all.

 

(Images courtesy of IMDB)

 

Postfeminism is hard to define. Some feminists believe it started after women gained the right to vote. That's a large span of time to cover. I liked this article because it helped pinpoint this broad spectrum of postfeminism. I had no idea there was such a thing as a chick postfeminist and that they were working against the progress of current and past feminists. I think all these types are relevant to what postfeminists means today. However, I wonder if it's missing one. This type isn't defined, it's not radical, but it's not complacent. I think there is a gray area between the chick and grrrl feminists. Women who care about their rights and want to see them continue to be equalized but may not protest to show it. They may be a more silent, but still effective advocate. Most women, I would bet, fit within this gray area of postfeminism.

I was interested in this article from the start because it discussed grrl feminists which was something we had discussed in class. But as I read more of the article, I realized it focused more on how media portrays the postfeminist attitudes. We had discussed in class how even when the main character of literature is a girl and she seems powerful, there are still things that make her less of an equal. A class example was Katniss of The Hunger Games, and how even though she saved the world, romance surrounded the storyline and played a big part in her being able to succeed. Just like Out of Sight, though Jennifer Lopez plays a smart and respected detective, she lets the criminal go for love. You can tell by looking at the movie covers (above), that Out of Sight isn't just about Jennifer Lopez's character because George Clooney is also pictured on the cover, while Real Women Have Curves just pictures America Ferrera. The media sends a big message to viewers about how women and girls are to be portrayed and treated amongst society. I believe there is a bigger need for movies like Real Women Have Curves to promote the right idea to females everywhere.