The New Feminist

A few weeks ago Kelly Clarkson was asked during an interview with time magazine if she was a feminist yet she quickly batted it down, saying, "No, I wouldn’t say feminist — that’s too strong. I think when people hear feminist, it’s like, “Get out of my way, I don’t need anyone." 

She was afraid to admit to being a feminist because it was too strong of a word, an extreme that she didn't want to be associated with. She even gave a very negative connotation to the word by saying that it was associated with people who "don't need anyone," or aren't connected to other human society. Also, by saying it means "get out of my way," she acts like a feminist is someone who thinks they are better than other people. 

Clarkson even added something at the end of her answer for her reason why she was not a feminist, saying,"I love that I’m being taken care of, and I have a man that’s a leader." Personally, I think that is sickening. If this popular icon in the media believes that she should have a man who is a leader, or someone who takes charge and controls the situation, that implies that she is the follower and does not have any power and is simply ordered around. Celebrities are people who many people look up to, or at least take a strong interest in, and this is a bad message to send to woman everywhere. 

Other prominent female celebrities of today, such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce, have expressed similar views. Rachel Hills from the Daily Life wrote in an article 2 weeks ago, "if you ask a female celebrity if she is a feminist, she will politely demure, insisting that she “loves men,” “doesn’t like labels,” and that if she had to pick a label, she’d prefer “humanist."

Hills has a valid point because this description seems to match Kelly Clarkson's comment perfectly. Clarkson denied being a feminist because the label was just "too strong," as well as mentioning the fact that she loved men, or that men take care of her.

Hills says that these celebs would rather be "humanists" or people who are very interested in human welfare, versus a "feminist," or someone who a person who advocates rights of woman equal to those of men. This means that they are willing to accept the fact that humanity as a whole should treat each other equally, but does this mean that these strong women do not believe that within humanity women deserve the same rights as men?  These extremely popular female celebrities are setting an example for so many other people worldwide. It makes me question whether they don't recognize the fact that women are not entirely equal to men in our society today and like Clarkson are accepting being the "follower," or if they recognize this and are just unwilling to fight for change.

I don't know which is worse.