Fickle Feminism

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Fickle Feminism

"Why did the woman cross the road?" you tell me. In Judith Timson's

article, "What's a Girl to do?" she argues what stereotypes women are

accepting and doing away with. Written in 2001, Timson is speaking to

females in general, focusing on girl's interpretation of the media's

messages, understanding of the choices females have, and women's

acceptanceof their image despite the media's stereotypical image. By

raising questions and room for interpretation about these issues,

Timson arguesthat society is counteracting with the positive and strong

images that women have fought so hard for.

The goal of this article is to try and understand the role of females

in our media-crazed society today. The author is trying to convey the

serious problem dealing with the image of women by using sarcasm and humor.

Timson describes her encounter with a stereotypical joke her adolescent

daughter picks up from school. She uses this to grab the attention of the

reader because not only does it make the reader (hopefully) angry due to

the outdated joke, it considers what has happened to the years of struggle

that women have faced to secure equal rights and a positive and strong

image in society.

To appeal to an audience consisting mainly of women who play many

roles, Timson shares her own personal experiences as a working mother and

wife. She also uses societal friendly examples such as discussing issues

with Playboy, actresses such as Jennifer Lopez, and influences such as

Cosmopolitan Magazine. These issues keep the reader tied to the article

while raising the important concern of what kind of messages these are for

the quickly maturing girls of our time. As our youth are becoming more

mature at an ea...

... middle of paper ...

...g that these

are the images that all women have chosen; they are instead saying that

this is the image the media has chosen for them.

So why, after so many years of bra-burning and protesting, have women

lagged behind on their upkeep of a positive image in society? Judith

Timson's article is a prime argument for the media's influence on the image

of women. Her argument that women are stuck in a stereotypical limbo of

who and what to be in our world today is credible and intelligent, while

funny and intriguing. Timson's experience as a growing woman in the 21st

century is reflected in her questions and opinions on the mixed-messages

women are facing.

Works Cited

Timson, Judith. "What's a Girl to do?". Macleans's. 114 (2001): 44-

50. Academic Search Premier, University of Dayton, Roesch Library.

http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=5065583&ab=aph.>.

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