Trying to Satisfy the Official but Self-Appointed Feminist 'Gotcha' Police

Reading an excellent new blog Sepia Mutiny, I am reminded of just how easy it is to offend people.

In its newest cover, Ms. Magazine features a multi-tasking woman in multi-arm goddess iconography, with different elements from her life representing different roles and responsibilities.

Feministing calls the cover a blatant marginalization of women of color, in the process of white women appropriating a culture.

It is a reminder of the divided nature of the feminist movement, and the continued tendency of white feminists to participate in the exoticization or “Othering” of women of color. Whoa Nelly!

I refer you to another response to this topic of cultural appropriation: My Kitch is Their Cool, posted at Colorlines, “the national newsmagazine on race and politics.”

In the digital age, and with the proliferation of new cultural identities in America, it’s a ‘given’ that pop culture will cross fertilize more than ever before.

America, of all countries on earth, is known for not being a purist culture ever. We’ve always borrowed from column A and B. This country is founded on the concept of cultural fusion. We are not now and never were France (no offense intended).

Steven Spielberg and the Bollywood guys have gotten together. What can we expect from that creative/financial union?

The Hindu goddess iconography has the added element of being emblazoned in our unconscious minds for centuries. I’m not sure how conscious this decision was at Ms to ‘rob’ the cultural barrel, so to speak, in search for a cover.

via Racialicious.comThe criticism of Heidi Klum’s Halloween costume is perhaps more valid. But I add the fact that there are few sacred icons left in the world. In the global meltdown, even more are falling.  Everything and everybody is fair game today.

Dressing up like the Virgin Mary on Halloween might affront many people, but I daresay that hundreds of people in America did it last October.

The Ms. cover criticism from the self-appointed ‘real feminists’ is the ultimate in political correctness.

The argument at Sepia Mutiny (in India) that the cover would be less offensive with a multi-armed woman of culture, and not a white woman on the cover, seems to me a valid callout.

Even if the Ms. reader is largely a white woman, a woman of color would be timely, given all the Michelle Obama love floating around town.

Woops! Wouldn’t that be considered offensive, too? Seizing the moment to promote women of color in ads and media? Isn’t that ethically wrong … trading on the First Lady’s influence and popularity?

I must say that hard as I try, I don’t think I will ever have feminist credentials that are politically correct enough to satisfy the gotccha police.

The magazines and blogs that should be supporting and encouraging me the most to speak my mind and support women globally, terrorize me with the underlying conviction that I won’t possibly get it right.

Being an upper middle class white, woman brands me as hopelessly lacking bona fide feminist credentials. This is one little ditty that I can’t post in HopeTracker. I will say that at least the most visible comments — from Indian women — suggest that they’re not as offended, as the feministing feminist patroling their identity.

Please, could we just give peace a chance?

I know it’s the equivalent of wondering whether big pharma would actually sell a cure for cancer, if they found one. Whatever would we do in life, if we actually learned to stop cutting each other up into little pieces. We would have to use our creativity, unleash our minds, think positively, help each other, make things of genuine and lasting value? Is that really so boring?  Anne