full frontal feminism by jessica valenti

Popular feminism risks becoming a depoliticized demonstration of an ambiguous empowerment and autonomy rather than a movement for social change. Contemporary popular feminism is characterized by relativism, individualism, and the appropriation of feminist style. At its core, girl power reconceives both of the fundamental concepts of second wave feminism: individual achievement now trumps collective struggles and an individual’s choice has now replaced the structural system as the focus of critique. In the 1990s and 2000s, fueled by socio-cultural shifts (neoliberalism, postmodernism and the language of choice surrounding abortion rights) and a market that is now skilled in turning social change movements into profitable trends, feminism has become a mainstream, marketable commodity, sold as girl power. “Sisterhood is powerful” and “The personal is political” both served as key mantras in the second wave of feminism. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of the social, political, and economic forces that led to the emergence of girl power media. This chapter compares early visions of a collective feminism to contemporary media translations of empowerment and autonomy through girl power. It is through these strategies that feminist values are negotiated and reworked, enabling producers to succeed as feminists in a digital economy that is more closely aligned with post-feminism. Firstly, they incorporate “authentic feminism” into their personal branding endeavors secondly, they redefine feminism to more closely match the values of post-feminism and, thirdly, they advance peripheral collective goals in their creative communities. In this study, interviews with 11 feminist online writers reveal that they reconcile the individualistic undertakings required to succeed in the digital economy and their collective feminist values in three ways. Creating feminist content in a digital environment thus requires the negotiation of individual self-branding and promotional activities alongside the advancement of collective feminist politics. Freelancers who produce creative content online work in an increasingly precarious neoliberal economy, which requires selfbranding, self-promotion, and constant audience engagement to succeed.

Full frontal feminism by jessica valenti