Can a 23-year-old's confession that she's a feminist change hearts and minds about the "F" word? Maybe... if that 23-year-old is Lady Gaga. When Gaga sat down with Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann Powers recently, she explained why gender issues matter. As Powers writes in her article "Frank talk with Lady Gaga":
"I'm getting the sense that you're a little bit of a feminist, like I am, which is good," she said. "I find that men get away with saying a lot in this business, and that women get away with saying very little . . . In my opinion, women need and want someone to look up to that they feel have the full sense of who they are, and says, 'I'm great.' "
Gaga's casual use of the term "feminist" was interesting; like many female pop stars, she's rejected the term in the past. But she's evolving....Her new songs address serious themes like women's shame about their bodies and the need for open communication in relationships; her often physically distorting costumes show that the pursuit of the feminine ideal is far from natural....Her frank talk about...how young women are afraid to ask for what they need from their sexual partners inches her toward a new articulation of feminism....
"When I say to you, there is nobody like me, and there never was, that is a statement I want every woman to feel and make about themselves," she continued.... "I know my greatness is individual. And I want every woman to be able to say that."
Will Lady Gaga's calling herself as a feminist influence other young women and perhaps encourage them to think differently about the term...and also identify as a feminist?
Are you a feminist? If so, what influenced you to become one?
Share Your Story: Why I'm a Feminist
Photo of Lady Gaga © Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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on a related note… feminists, be careful what you wish for… http://www.doublex.com/section/life/rise-kitchen-bitch?page=0,0