What is feminism? Why should I be a part of it? The article “The F-Word” by Jasmine Hart argues answers for these questions in a way that is both factual and convincing, but also relatable. The essay is full of statistics and definitive answers that it is hard to argue with. Each number becomes a spritz in the face with a water bottle. But anecdotes and questions keep the reader engaged so that she can carve her message into your head.
This article was so inspiring to me because it took on a Goliath of an issue and turned it into something manageable. Her statistics are the pebbles she uses to take the giant down. For example, “Why do only 16% of mainstream films have a female protagonist, and why are many of these women shown primarily as sex objects?” Her personal stories showed realism to a problem that seemed not even to affect me, like when she mentions how she was a rape victim, and was blamed for her own assault. I walked away from this article feeling like a vigilante. I wanted to take action against the patriarchy that she describes with shame. in her concluding paragraph she defines the feminists as “people fighting for gender equality, fighting against patriarchy and rape culture.” By the end of this essay, I knew I wanted to battle by their side.