I love seeing women in media proclaim their feminist stances. When the term is frequently used as an insult, it's refreshing for a pop star to challenge their fans' beliefs by promoting the concept. However, such an identity comes with copious amounts of responsiblity. That being said, it's up to other, lesser-known feminists to uphold these women to the same standards of other people.
Take a look at two acclaimed female stars we have come to know and love: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The two have starred together in a number of productions. We often see them as unapologetic and fearless. It doesn't take a genius to know that being both a woman and a comedian comes with a lot of criticism, frequently for no other reason than womanhood itself. As progressive as Fey and Poehler paint themselves, there are multitudes of incidents that make me question just how progressive the two of them really are.
Poehler is, in my opinion, not as distressing as Fey, but she is not without fault. She helps produce a Hulu show, Difficult People, and in this show, one of her characters makes a "joke" about R. Kelly peeing on Blue Ivy, Beyoncé and Jay-Z's baby. Poehler received heavy backlash for the line, prompting many to cancel their Hulu subscription. She has yet to comment on the controversy. Certainly, writing something of this sort while asserting how enlightened she is is hypocritical to say the least.
She stars as Leslie Knope, determined young woman who admires figures such as Hilary Clinton, in Parks and Recreation, which she writes for as well. Her depictions of Native Americans in the show seems to be anti-racist, but in actuality, it shows that Poehler never took the time to research Native tribes at all. As a white person who is writing a character of a different culture, it's crucial that she represents that culture as accurately as possible. Google is free, and Poehler has more than enough money to access resources that would not only improve the representation in the show, but make the character authentic.
Her best pal, Fey, is not nearly as subtle. This is evident in the numerous productions she's taken part and starred in. Whiskey Tango Foxtrotcould have been a movie where cultural norms in Afghanistan could be discussed, but the production team didn't want to take a deeper, more intellectual route. Instead, they filled it with questionable scenarios, like her character's correspondent who says the burka she wears is "so pretty I don't even want to vote!" There was indeed a way to make this movie humorous, it just requires people to be something other than being flat out lazy.
30 Rock, another one of Fey's pet projects, is supposed to be a reflection of her time with SNL, but the comedy is out of touch and controversial. Blackface was employed three times on the show, something that pretty much everyone today has come to disapprove of, even if they're trying to portray ignorance in the guilty character. Race is not something you can wash off after a few takes in front of a camera. This has not gone under the radar. Alison Herman for Flavorwire writes, "And because the act of mocking something automatically implies that the comedian has, or thinks she has, the authority, objectivity, and distance needed to mock it, Fey’s harshest critics have often focused on race as her biggest blind spot."
That same show is packed with rape jokes. One episode features these remarks three times. Pete, played by Scott Adsit, states, "This Jenna promotion is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Do you understand how much free time I have now? Yesterday, I went to the gym. And, this morning, I made love to my wife. And she was still asleep, so I didn't have to be gentle." After this comment is a cut to a rape scene.
A rape scene in a show produced by a "feminist."
Fey's work outside producing isn't any better. She is not apprehensive to slut-shame time after time again. Her brand of feminism is not one that includes sex positivity, and ultimately that hurts women who are sex workers.
The worst part is, Fey couldn't care less. She is quoted saying, "Steer clear of the internet and you’ll live forever. We did an [Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt] episode and the internet was in a whirlwind, calling it ‘racist,’ but my new goal is not to explain jokes. I feel like we put so much effort into writing and crafting everything, they need to speak for themselves. There’s a real culture of demanding apologies, and I’m opting out of that."
I cannot subscribe or support such irresponsible and misinformed mainstream feminsm. Feminism as a progressive philosophy is about every woman, and in case Fey and Poehler missed this point, that includes women of color, sex workers, and sexual assault victims. Without the inclusion and focus of marginalized groups, we only support one group of women. How victorious is that win? How good does it feel to only help people who look and live their life like you alone? Is that really all they care about? It appears so.
Perhaps celebrities aren't the best people to expect political correctness and decency from, but if a friend online made that Blue Ivy joke, other feminists would have a fit (as they should). If a friend did blackface, they'd be called out. Why are superstars immune from this criticism? There's really no need for fans, who have never even met the stars, to try to hide them from being analyzed. They are in the spotlight. It's the price to pay for fame.
If you're going to brand yourself as progressive, represent the concept as it truly is. Don't cling to the concept you think you understand for the social media likes. It's unfortunate that our favorite stars aren't who we want to believe they are, but it's even worse to continue to excuse someone's crummy shot at equality just because you're a fan. Anyone who does so is doing a monumental disservice to feminism and progressiveness as a whole.
I hope people are not too dense to see past the double standards and stop seeing celebrities as gods. They're people too. People who want money, fame, and the pride to call themselves "radical" without actually putting the work in.
