Comments on: Sisterhood is (Still) Powerful

By: RoxanaGM

RoxanaGM — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:48:06 +0000

I can really comprehend and understand the tone of your article. As a female, I constantly viewed all girls as mean, ruthless, and backstabbing. I attempted to avoid them many times, but realized it was a complete fail. My sex was everywhere, unavoidable! Eventually, I learned that I must learn to tolerate women and ignore this generalization and stereotype about females inscribed in my brain. Soon enough, I noticed it was actually much more fun to hang out with women like myself. There was just some topics that I felt can be shared and understood more by a female companion than a male’s. Women Studies definitely taught me more about the casual stereotype of ruthlessness usually affiliated with all women that exists in our society.

By: Sam F

Sam F — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:41:06 +0000

I related so much to your experiences when I was reading your article. As a child growing up a bit overweight I always preferred to have friends that were male because girls were bitchy. I felt more welcomed in the male society than with females. The media had such strong effects on them. Disney channel and young celebrities encouraged them to be malnourished and on horrible diets. Therefore I decided to take a women’s studies class to learn more about feminism. I liked how they compared her journey and talked about the different aspects in life.

By: Jessica P.

Jessica P. — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:36:51 +0000

This article definitely spoke considering I personally am perplexed every time I encounter a young woman my age who claims to “hate girls” and “only gets along with guys”. It always out stands me that this woman thinks that she is so edgy and progressive but yet she is saying she hates over 50% of the population, people who share not only the same body parts but the same struggles as her. It is counterproductive to the mutual goals of women and feminists in general to be pit yourself against other women so that men will think you’re “low maintenance” and just “one of the guys”. I think that sisterhood is something that is often overlooked but yet necessary if we are to unite against the mutual enemy that is patriarchy.

By: Ariella M

Ariella M — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 02:52:34 +0000

It is very true that pop culture portrays most women as mean, backstabbing people. This idea was especially portrayed in “Mean Girls.” The “popular” girls were constantly competing with one another, talking bad about each other, trying to steal each other’s boyfriends, etc. When this movie first came out I was either in middle or high school and I remember thinking to myself that this was all true to some extent, but it was very exaggerated. I attended Beverly Hills High School and I have not experienced almost any of the things portrayed in the film. There were times when I thought that men were easier to talk to and drama free. This made me want to have more guy friends than girl friends, which I did for some time, but after a while I realized that I was not really happy because I did not have the advice and experiences that girls would be able to supply me with. For example, I could not go shopping with my male friends. After a while I have come to balance my friendships with both females and males. I know how much I am comfortable sharing with my friends and how much I would like to keep to myself. I am glad that you were able to have such a peaceful experience with twelve other women. I have been on a few all girls trips with my friends, but none of them have ever been drama free. I am excited to continue to learn about feminism in this class.

By: Heather Regan

Heather Regan — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:59:38 +0000

I am besides myself on what to think about this article. I am somewhat jealous of the author for finding such amazing “girl friends” in a world of “mean girls.” I myself have yet to find a women besides my best-friend who doesn’t try to compete with me, or stab me behind my back. It’s disgusting the way we treat one another. I can’t play all victim as I am a culprit of this deranged behavior towards other women I have met in my lifetime. The not so funny thing about our behaviors towards one another is perplexing. I for one, can’t sit there and say I ever had a conscience thought about competing with another women, although it has happened. Thinking about it now, I also can’t say I fully agree it is due to “father rule” of patriarchy. I have one girl friend that I met when I was 14 and we have shared over a decade of love and friendship with one another. I felt blessed to have found such a soulmate in a female and thought myself to be lucky and special. That was until I read how this author has loads of women as friends.

By: Lois P

Lois P — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 18:11:19 +0000

I understand and agree with Melanie’s view of the pressures adolescent and young women face in a “toxic pop culture.” It is ridiculous how young women are represented in popular media – as bitchy, boyfriend-obsessed “mean girls” in a way that is very familiar to me. I understand how Melanie was taken in by it all as are many of my own friends, and it was a Women’s Studies class that helped to see her own “internalized oppression” and to open up and accept real female friendships. I think it is really sad this kind of sociological stereotyping and misrepresentation of women is publicized in reality TV and girls’ magazines, how far it is from reality, and how bad its effects are. It seems to me that whole generations of young women can be taught that it is normal to dislike all other women in favor of almost all other men. I think the world would be a better place if more women took this view and reinforced the equality of perception. If women were to regard each other more highly, then I think we would have a better chance that men would see us the same way.

By: Zury C.

Zury C. — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:53:36 +0000

The media absolutely portrays women as being “back-stabbing,” “catty,” “sluts”- among many other degrading titles. The patriarchal society we live in so deeply influences pop culture -our culture- (and vice versa) that it sends the detrimental message that we as women can never create a bond with one another; it has done so to the point where many of us have began to believe it. It has done so to the point were we’ve become participants in our own oppression and accept as well as participate in misogyny as if it were natural. Still, this articles shows that through consciousness raising and forming healthy relationships, women and sisterhood can indeed be powerful. Being able to talk with one another can open our eyes and our hearts. More importantly it can spark change for the better. This is why I’ve been working on starting a consciousness raising group among my friends, family, and more. I believe it is so important to realize that we are not enemies, neither are men; sexism is. Once we start to realize this we can do something about it.

By: Lois P

Lois P — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:10:03 +0000

Before reading this interview with Zoe Nicholson, I wasn’t completely sure about what a feminist was. But now I think of myself as a feminist because of the ideas that Nicholson points out. I like how she asks rhetorically “why is it that we ask people why they chose to be feminists?” It is a good question, and made we wonder why anyone would ask this, given how obvious the answer should be. It seems so clear that everyone should be treated equally regardless of gender, race, color or sexuality. I think that men and women should be paid the same, it is irrational and completely out of keeping with the times we live in to think even for a second that women should be in some way less than men, or deserving of fewer opportunities or discriminated against. I think more people would say that they are feminists if the “label” wasn’t attached to them, and I like the way Nicholson is starting to describe herself as an “equality activist.” I think there should be equal opportunity for everyone.

By: Darien a.

Darien a. — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:18:09 +0000

The cult of personality that is developed by those who seek to gain power over a gender, which has been historically oppressed, is ultimately undermined by the constant attacks it makes against equality. To have equality for all except women is to have no equality at all and yet, this oppression is not plastered all over the media as frequently as it should be, for the patriarchal social system does not allow for this issue to gain traction. The media condemns “feminism” as a chaotic and undermining system without truly understanding the basis of feminism. As women start to follow this cult of personality they develop this hatred towards other women, but are these other women to blame or do they derive their expectations and perception from those who instigate this conflict and create this divide? There seems to be no one correct answer however, it is safe to say that although some gain their perception from life experiences the foundation for this content is developed by those who limit women in the first place. It seems that it is up to the individual to promote change within in order to affect those around them. In the case of the “dome,” like-minded with positive intentions came together in an effort to bring about this wisdom from within and share it with others. Even as they developed in separate spheres due to cultural, racial, and economic classes they came to unite under this single “dome.”

By: Yasmin F

Yasmin F — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:09:35 +0000

I strongly agree with this article that women in society today are characterized y the media as backstabbing and wicked. Throughout the years which television has been available, for the most part, the media has never set a positive image on women. After reading this article, it was evident that women are constantly excited to begin catty arguments, even if it is for no apparent reason. Although the media does show us that women are “catty”, it does not apply to all women in this world. It is unfair that broadcasting only shows the negative outlooks on women. Men have many flaws as well, but never does the media portray them badly. I believe they must stop corrupting young children.