What IS a zeitgeist? What does this mean in the context of women?
A zeitgeist is defined by Merriam-Webster as "the intellectual fashion or dominant school of thought that typifies and influences the culture of a particular period in time." Okay, sounds good. What does this mean? Essentially, its the way that predominant opinions about certain subjects influence the way they are displayed in popular culture. These "certain subjects" can include a multitude of things: race, gender, political affiliation, sexual orientation, social class, and the list can go on and on. For this page, I want to focus on women and why, even today, there is not much difference between now and fifty years ago.
It's important to note that it is the predominant opinion prevails, not necessarily the actual facts. Meaning, that sometimes stereotypes can be the predominant opinion which can then show up in the most prominent transmission of our popular culture: the media. There used to be an old saying that has evolved into a newer saying, depending on which generation you're apart of. "Don't believe everything you see on TV" is now "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." But I can't help but wonder: how many of us truly take that notion into account BEFORE we form our opinions about a subject? And how many times do these programs, commercials, songs, etc actually solidify in our head as a specific meaning? Sometimes, we don't realize it's happening.
My goal here is to show that there are tons of stereotypes and ideas about women that people have been displayed over decades in the media, and have now influenced the way we are viewed and treated. These aren't just closeted ideas that people believe, but don't really say out loud. Women hear these things. Out loud. By parents. By friends. By coworkers or bosses. By OTHER WOMEN. By significant others. What I want is for there to be a level of awareness while witnessing these forms of media. I want people to understand the effects of what these comments and ideas are having. For example, I've talked to some women who say that it's easier to ignore a catcaller or an ignorant comment. I believe that's correct in its own right, but also lazy. If someone says something ignorant to you or demeans you in any way,I believe it is your right and duty to correct them. This does not have to be done angrily, because let's face it: no one wants to be the "crazy" feminist. However I am firm in my belief that if you do not act against this, you are condoning it. Meaning, even if you don't agree with the ignorant comment, if you do or say nothing to set the record straight, you aren't the solution, you are part of the problem. You don't have to stand up for the entire female population. My point is that every member of the female population should stand up for herself. Sometimes I feel like the reason feminists get a crazy reputation is because not every female is on the same team. Some women are very interested in fighting for their rights while others are more comfortable keeping things the way they are. But if every woman stood up for herself, there wouldn't be an overwhelming need for our ideas to be heard and accepted. I also believe that every woman deserves and wants respect. Perhaps the ones that don't want respect are the ones that were taught that they don't deserve it. But they do. As human beings, we ALL do.
We want these stereotypes to be addressed like a real problem, not some willed creation we thought of in our heads. We are aiming for effective. We want our message heard. I believe there is a way to do this. With strong, dignified voices. With statistics. With proof. With information. More than anything, I want women to really question why they want what they want. Is it their dream? Or is it a preconceived idea of what society is saying is normal for a woman to want in 2014?