Poehler Comments on Non-Feminist Celebs

via huffingtonpost.com

We see many strong female celebrities...a quick glance at our blog will demonstrate that clearly. Why, then, do so many of these celebs deny being feminists?

Taylor Swift is one such celeb: “I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life.”

But wait...when did feminism become about tearing down men as a way to raising women up? At its most basic definition, feminism is the belief that men and women should be equal. That doesn't mean that men should be brought down. It means, rather, that women should be raised up to the level that men find themselves in society. 

Katy Perry also demonstrates this misunderstanding of feminism's definition: "I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women." I cannot put words in her mouth, but it's reasonable to infer that Perry believes that men and women should be equal if she believes that women are strong and powerful. 

In her own denouncement of feminism, Carrie Underwood touches upon a different issue. "I wouldn't go so far as to say I am a feminist, that can come off as a negative connotation. But I am a strong female." This negative connotation may be the biggest obstacle facing feminism today. Feminism is often thought to be a radical movement because at one point, it was. But as times change, the movement changes. It's important to get back to the basics of feminism. 

These women are incredibly strong, and in their own way may unknowingly promote feminism. It's a societal misunderstanding that leads them to distance themselves from these ideals. 

Amy Poehler has difficulty seeing why her fellow strong lady celebs wouldn't support feminism. In an interview with Elle magazine, Poehler commented: 

"But then they go on to explain what they support and live by -- it's feminism exactly. I think some big actors and musicians feel like they have to speak to their audience and that word is confusing to their audience. But I don't get it. That's like someone being like, "I don't really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don't know what I would do without it."

We need to erase the negative connotations that have glommed onto feminism to allow the movement to progress.