Does Female Empowerment exist?

[PyroChamber]

The term "female empowerment" has been thrown around a lot lately, especially after the release of Sucker Punch.

Where Zack Synder spoke about how this was a movie about female empowerment, while those who've seen the movie see no such thing on display; granted the girls are using weapons and kicking ass while at the same time wearing skimpy clothing with almost no real explaination.

Now the last time I truly heard about "female empowerment" came from, of all people, the Pussycat Dolls.

And I'm no expert on this but it seems to me that some, if not most, of the women talking about "female empowerment" or empowering women are the ones who are dressing in a way that makes them look like nothing more than sex objects; I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but that doesn't look very empowering if you ask me.

Now my question is, does so-called female empowerment even exist anymore, and if it does then why is it that these are the women talking about it the most?

(p.s. I didn't want this to turn into another Sucker Punch thread, I was just using that as one example)

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Most of the time girls use this term is to justify the ****ty actions. There is female empowerment, it's just that real empowered female don't need to yell it from the rooftops like the ones ****ting it up.

 

[Timstuff]

Unfortunately, many women seem to confuse the term "female empowerment" with either trading on their sexuality or kicking men in the nuts (either figuratively or literally).

 

[Rocketman]

Female empowerment, to me, is more appropriately applied to:

- Being the dean at a university.
- Being the CEO of a company.
- Being the superintendent of a school district.
- Being a self-made millionaire / entrepreneur.

Do NOT look to the entertainment industry if you're trying to find female empowerment. The very fact that women are in the entertainment industry is because most of them are physically attractive and nothing else. That doesn't make them empowered - that means they're being used. You can't have power while being used at the same time.

The only exception I can find to the entertainment industry is Martha Stewart, but she fits the criteria I just mentioned above... and she is NOT physically attractive.

 

[Kane52630]

The only exception I can find to the entertainment industry is Martha Stewart, but she fits the criteria I just mentioned above... and she is NOT physically attractive.

pffft, says you.

 

[GhostPoet]

unfortunately, many women seem to confuse the term "female empowerment" with either trading on their sexuality or kicking men in the nuts (either figuratively or literally).

qft

 

[Franklin Richards]

Dressing ****ty has EVERYTHING to do with it. Do you have to choose to express it in that way? No. But dressing in that way is exactly what female empowerment is about.

Let's think about how things were and are.

Is this empowering? If it's a choice, I suppose but the reality is that this is behavior forced on women in a good portion of the world.

What about our own sorted past?

We think our wives and daughters should be some sort of Stepford Wife who's only job is to wash our socks and feed us. And they damn well better not try to think for themselves or break the cycle men decreed long ago.

Women only got the power to vote in 1920. Look at that again. 1920.


In a world where men walk the streets of Miami without their shirts on, you damn right it's about clothes and what's "acceptable". So is it ONLY about dressing ****ty? Of course not.


But dressing ****ty needs to have the word **** taken out of it.

 

[Bat-Mite]

I hear that girls with empowerment have cooties.

 

[Erzengel]

So they'd be dressy "ty"?

 

[Franklin Richards]

Yes. That's exactly it.


They'd be dressy "ty".

 

[Rocketman]

I like to dressy ty on my spare time.

 

[Gotham Knight]

Dressing ****ty has EVERYTHING to do with it. Do you have to choose to express it in that way? No. But dressing in that way is exactly what female empowerment is about.

Let's think about how things were and are.

Is this empowering? If it's a choice, I suppose but the reality is that this is behavior forced on women in a good portion of the world.

What about our own sorted past?

We think our wives and daughters should be some sort of Stepford Wife who's only job is to wash our socks and feed us. And they damn well better not try to think for themselves or break the cycle men decreed long ago.

Women only got the power to vote in 1920. Look at that again. 1920.


In a world where men walk the streets of Miami without their shirts on, you damn right it's about clothes and what's "acceptable". So is it ONLY about dressing ****ty? Of course not.


But dressing ****ty needs to have the word **** taken out of it.

Oh snap, Franklin Richards dropped that knowledge on you.

 

[E-Man]

Female empowerment is a buzz term used to sell entertainment with a prevalent female protagonist. At some point in time it was about empowering females to take a stand for what they believed to gain equality, but now it just seems like something they use to market things.

 

[comicgirl]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Since women in the west have the right to divorce, claim sole custody of properly, children and have clasual sex without being stoned to death and birth control.......yeah, I think so

 

[Matt.S99]

My question is, why CANT girls dress sexy and still be considered enpowered? It can go either way really, depending on how you look at it.
Most people I see who think of female empowerment make it out to look like theyre saying women cant be empowered AND be/dress sexy.

 

[Victarion]

^Becuase dressing that way automatically bends them to my mental whims.

 

[Jack O Lantern]

My question is, why CANT girls dress sexy and still be considered enpowered? It can go either way really, depending on how you look at it.
Most people I see who think of female empowerment make it out to look like theyre saying women cant be empowered AND be/dress sexy.

They can. It's just a lot of girls seem to think they can always be sexy. You can't go to work with a top that has your boobs hanging out and expect to be taken seriously. It's like a guy with a six pack walking around the office with his shirt open.

 

[Pythenis]

Female "empowerment" and "Womens liberation" are some great marketing ploys that the world has bought hook line and sinker.

How "empowered" do you feel ladies? Still making less than a man? Staying single until your older and having a failed marriage? Being sold a line of clothes that is supposed to make you "feel" empowered? Female empowerment is just the next marketing ploy to pigeon hole women into some sort of stereotype to be exploted by the fashion industry and keep women working, working, working, and "contributing" to society...for less cash than a man no less. Such a ruse.

Just like womens lib...........Ok dear, stop being a worthless stay at home wife, your more than that. Go to work, pay taxes, get paid less salary, hold off on having kids, don't get married, work full time and take care of a home, work full time and be a wife, work full time and be a mom, oh and it's a double win for "them" because they wont pay you as much as a man or your husband for doing the same work,...the extra rub is they wont pay your husband enough to provide for the family any more either, now you both have to work harder for less.

Feel liberated ladies??? Do more for less.....and now if you choose to stay home society will view you negatively and say your a gold digger or you have no ambition...yea womens lib. What a joke that was/is.

 

[The Question]

They can. It's just a lot of girls seem to think they can always be sexy. You can't go to work with a top that has your boobs hanging out and expect to be taken seriously. It's like a guy with a six pack walking around the office with his shirt open.

Yes, but that's only a problem in that environment due to the somewhat arbitrary social and psychological dynamics present there that have built up around sexuality and appearance. There is no objective reason not to take a shirtless man seriously if he has something serious to say.

So, while it's not practical to flaunt your sexuality in every situation, I don't really see how that issue of pragmatism has anything to do with female empowerment.

 

[redmarvel]

Female empowerment, to me, is more appropriately applied to:

- Being the dean at a university.
- Being the CEO of a company.
- Being the superintendent of a school district.
- Being a self-made millionaire / entrepreneur.

Do NOT look to the entertainment industry if you're trying to find female empowerment. The very fact that women are in the entertainment industry is because most of them are physically attractive and nothing else. That doesn't make them empowered - that means they're being used. You can't have power while being used at the same time.

The only exception I can find to the entertainment industry is Martha Stewart, but she fits the criteria I just mentioned above... and she is NOT physically attractive.

Women in the entertainment industry are using their attractiveness to get more power. If that's what they choose to do and it makes them happy then it's great. As long as it is THEIR choice and not forced on them by some man.

We need the power to make our own choices. We should get the same wages as a male doing the same job. Unfortunately we still don't, we are still paid less. In some countries we are not allowed to drive or even wear a swimsuit to go swimming. Those women in the burkahs in Arab countries, can only go swimming if they are willing to swim with their burkahs on... think about trying to swim with all your clothes on.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Using sexual attraction to tease and make men look like mindless horn dogs = a form a female empowerment

Using sexual attraction to lay the entire basketball team = just gross and pathetic

 

[Matt.S99]

They can. It's just a lot of girls seem to think they can always be sexy. You can't go to work with a top that has your boobs hanging out and expect to be taken seriously. It's like a guy with a six pack walking around the office with his shirt open.

This is very true.

 

[Silvermoth]

Of course female empowerment exists. Also it doesn't threaten men at all. Alot of guys seem to think when women are suitably empowered they are deliberately left out which is not neccesarily the case and a real shame in terms of being a part of a 21st century first world country.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Yes, being an attractive woman gives you power.
Wearing less cloths gives you power (if you are attractive). Men like sex, it's whats they aspire to have. You have the power to give that.

 

[Danalys]

Using sexual attraction to tease and make men look like mindless horn dogs = a form a female empowerment

Using sexual attraction to lay the entire basketball team = just gross and pathetic

double standards still exist it seems.