What is feminism? The answer, etymologically, is simple – the advocacy for women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes, as defined by Oxford Languages. Culturally, however, feminism has evolved beyond what a single word can capture. Given the pervasion of social media in everyday life, how the users of these platforms are capturing particular cultural movements such as feminism unquestionably impacts how we view them. Though social media can spread awareness of feminism, along with other significant causes, it has also completely altered how people see these issues. I wonder:do people still know what feminism is really about?
If, hypothetically, you had not heard of feminism before 2025, your first encounter with it could very well have been on TikTok in the form of the satirical archetype of the ‘performative man’: a category of man defined by his eagerness to be perceived as feminist or ‘pro-women’ through the fervent consumption of matcha and feminist literature. If that was your first introduction to what being a feminist was, you would instantly discredit feminism as a shallow aesthetic or even a consumerist trend, rather than seeing the movement as one defined by a belief in full equality between men and women. That’s a funny (and hopefully improbable) hypothetical. But if these performative men are parading a facade of feminism, it’s reasonable to assume there could also be other actors misrepresenting the values most of us would consider part of the fight for gender equality.
Ironically, Western society’s earliest image of the ultimate feminist used to be that of a woman presenting conventionally masculine traits and behaviour. For example, the iconic Rosie the Riveter caricature is a woman with short hair flexing her bicep. In the modern day, whether it be by wearing suits in the office or forgoing shaving their body hair, women disregarding specific gendered expectations in mundane ways has come to be automatically equated with a sense of feminism. Of course, part of the vision for gender equality is an environment where women are allowed to express themselves freely without being limited to the social confines created for them according to male preference. In a way, it does make sense that feminism has become associated with the idea of women expressing themselves in ‘unconventional’ or ‘masculine’ ways. So maybe it’s only natural that our society would come to see men unashamedly enjoying things that are known to be more popular among young women as a presentation of feminism too. After all, it’s another example of bending the popular social conventions around appropriately gendered behaviour.
In and of itself, this is hardly problematic. However, the reduction of feminism to its aesthetic components certainly is. Assuming that any man who wears jorts and drinks tea or any woman who wears flannel and doesn’t shave her armpits is trying to project feminism is to consider feminism itself as something insubstantial as an outfit, a habit, or a trend.
Perhaps these widespread, generalized images of ‘feminist’ presentation are benign, but maybe they also demonstrate a much more serious decentring of the tenets of feminism. One present indicator that we still have progress to make is another cultural archetype prominent on social media platforms: the ‘girl’s girl.’ According to the Urban Dictionary, the term refers to a “girl who has [respect] for female etiquette.” But in a broader sense, this label is used to describe women who prioritize their close female friendships, look out for other women, and uplift each other. Being called a ‘girl’s girl’ is an aspirational compliment, it means that you don’t seek to be a threat to other women, but an ally. Yet subconsciously, I’ve always found something wrong with the idea of a woman’s goals being solely to lift others up. Of course being generous is an excellent ideal for anyone to have, but it feels odd that society again seems to have found a way of telling women they should aspire to prioritize others when women historically were already being confined to supporting roles as mothers, wives, nurses, or teachers.
Arguably, this modern standard is an improvement, where women are now encouraged to be taking care of each other rather than focusing on men or children. Still, in an ideal situation, women wouldn’t have to face any of the challenges intrinsic to their gender and there would be no need for ‘girl’s girls.’ The fact that so many women feel they need to set these new expectations in order to receive support from fellow women is, in itself, indicative of the enduringly imperfect reality of the female experience.
Are these newer, more trendy ways of seeing feminism valid? I would say yes, except the real, continuing struggle for gender equality is still far from accomplishing its goal. Ultimately, neither of these two popular archetypes are devastatingly consequential. Neither are likely to stay relevant
even in the next calendar year, yet it is nonetheless interesting to examine the way our current
culture sees feminists: male feminists as the obnoxious owners of carabiners and tote bags, and female feminists as just another type of caretaker, except this time for other women. Trends can be fun when they facilitate action. Maybe it will be appropriate to associate feminism with a certain aesthetic once the fight has been won – when women no longer experience disproportionately high levels of poverty, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and mistreatment in healthcare. We can’t let ourselves forget that it isn’t over yet.