“Feyminism:” A New Standard of Feminism for a Nonstandard World Move over, Madonna: feminism has a new poster girl, and her name is Tina Fey! In a time where feminism has been corrupted by the patriarchy into the work of “feminazis,” Fey’s Bossypants proves that feminism is still a rational struggle for equality. Throughout the text, Fey describes obstacles against femininity in her life; readers learn of her struggles grasping womanhood, the subtle sexism on the Chicago comedy circuit, and the struggles with her foray into television via Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. Unlike most celebrity works, Bossypants is not one of overwhelming fame and glamour; between tales of celebrity mishaps, Fey intersperses her thoughts on standards of beauty, dieting, and the all-too-frequently asked question of having children. The key differences between Madonna’s feminism and Fey’s
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Fey devotes an entire chapter to unreasonable standards; through examples such as “crotch biscuits” and “bad nail beds,” Fey simultaneously acknowledges criticisms of beauty and ridicules them (Fey 19-25). Madonna, on the other hand, used her characteristic nonchalant acceptance of herself to completely disregard dissenting opinions on beauty. Bordo describes a Madonna quote given in an interview that, while completely inaccurate, summated her views on beauty neatly: “Back in the fifties, women weren’t ashamed of their bodies” (Bordo 399). Madonna and Fey agree that society has put forth ridiculous standards for women, and both are resolute in their opposition to them. As Fey puts it, the only truly important “Rule of Beauty” is but two words: “who cares?” (Fey 110). Women should be free to see their own unique beauty; instead of conforming to the Barbie-doll model of beauty put forth by society, diversity should be
Fey devotes an entire chapter to unreasonable standards; through examples such as “crotch biscuits” and “bad nail beds,” Fey simultaneously acknowledges criticisms of beauty and ridicules them (Fey 19-25). Madonna, on the other hand, used her characteristic nonchalant acceptance of herself to completely disregard dissenting opinions on beauty. Bordo describes a Madonna quote given in an interview that, while completely inaccurate, summated her views on beauty neatly: “Back in the fifties, women weren’t ashamed of their bodies” (Bordo 399). Madonna and Fey agree that society has put forth ridiculous standards for women, and both are resolute in their opposition to them. As Fey puts it, the only truly important “Rule of Beauty” is but two words: “who cares?” (Fey 110). Women should be free to see their own unique beauty; instead of conforming to the Barbie-doll model of beauty put forth by society, diversity should be