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The Different Types of Feminists

Jill

Image of a woman with the words, "I'm a feminist, now what?"

Wow, what cool new arguments. I definitely want to be a Regular-Person Feminist — you know, the type who doesn’t ever talk about feminism, and definitely won’t hurt your feelings by challenging anything you say. Unfortunately, I appear to be some hybrid of the Joyless Psuedo-Intellectual Feminist and the Slutty Feminist (mostly because I totally identify with Karen Walker). Who knows how that even works.

48 thoughts on The Different Types of Feminists

  2. The internet has been such a double edged sword for the ocd-just making feminists such as myself…

  3. I love how he assumes disliking the pressure on women to be traditionally feminine means hating women who freely choose to do traditionally feminine things.

    *eyeroll*

  5. Wretched. I can do it shorter though.

    Angry Feminists: Feminists I do not want to bone.

    Douchey Dude Feminists: Dudes who want to bone feminists. Not actually feminists by anyone’s definition but their own.

    Slutty Feminists: Feminists I want to bone (possibly otherwise known as FILF, which I’m sure has been coined by some asshole somewhere). Until they mysteriously become Joyless Pseudo Intellectual Feminists when they realize that I am Douchey Dude Feminist.

    Joyless Pseudo Intellectual Feminists: Feminists who do not want to bone me.

    Regular-People Feminists: Feminists I have not decided yet if I want to bone. Or my sister/cousins.

    Stay-at-Home Feminists: Feminists I kind of want to bone even though it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable for a reason I can’t put my finger on. Or my mom.

    (Looking again, I gather from the author’s name that boning may not be the priority here, but it was too obvious not to.)

  6. I like how the author refers to zirself as a feminist.

    “This isn’t even an insulting category because angry feminists know they’re angry. They embrace anger. If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

    “These kind of feminists are exhausting because they want to respond to each thing you say with a Summa Feminista blog post. ”

    They also get shit done.

  7. I really just can’t wrap my head around “The only really awesome feminists are the slutty ones!”. I mean, way to miss the point about sex positivity and sexual autonomy.

  8. Pfft. My least favorite feminists are the ones who hastily reassure everyone that they are indeed Regular People Feminists, they are cool, not like those OTHER angry, loud, opinionated feminists.

  9. I shall damn this article with faint praise, by praising the author for resorting to categories instead of just binaries.

  11. I think the author is mixing up stay at home feminists with the Quiverfull movement. They do homeschooling to keep their kids away from “bad” influences and tend to use home remedies and make their own bread etc.

  12. Remember when there was this whole thing on Facebook that everyone wanted a dislike button? I don’t really care about the dislike button.

    I’d like a “Stupid” sticker. Something I can just slap onto a website, that gets logged in the metadata so that other people can look at it and see “X people have found this STUPID.”

    That blog post is just stupid, from top to bottom. Jadey’s paraphrase of it, however, AWESOME.

  13. “and end up childless, unhappy, and pining for Kelly Osborne circa 2005.”

    oh noes! NOT CHILDLESS!!!

  15. <blockquoteStay at Home Feminists believe in feminism because women are equal

    Yes, well, what a ridiculous premise, eh?

    …and “baking is way lame” must be the wittiest thing I’ve read on the internet all year. Seriously, this writer is an intellectual giant.

  16. Humor that attempt to reinforce long-standing cliches is generally not funny. Johanna de Silentio’s article is a massive fail.

    I struggle to understand why a self-proclaimed feminist would spout the angry and joyless and slutty feminist stereotypes. It makes no sense. Is it her misguided way of defending feminism? Is she saying, “Yeah, feminists are often a real drag but some of us are cool.”

  18. Isn’t this written by a woman? If so, it’s WAY full of misogynist, non-feminist fail. If by a dude, it’s still full of misogynist, non-feminist fail. What a coincidence.

  19. These are not the categories I was taught. Something must be wrong with my education.

    I am not a feminist, apparently. Shit.

  20. Even if we could break ourselves into categories for the easy sake of identification, and even if these were positive and accurate, should we? Does it really matter?

  21. Regular Person Feminist: “I believe women should be equal, in theory, but I’m not about to put myself out or do anything like, ya know, speaking out or acting to ensure that actually happens because it might make people uncomfortable and hurt their privileged wee fee-fees.”

  22. When I saw “Douchey Dude Feminist” I totally thought it would describe me (a queer femme who sometimes wears bermuda shorts and wayfarers and often calls all her friends some variation on “bro” while drinking beer) so I was really sad to find out that “dude” meant “guy” and that it was a misplaced description of “nice guys.”

  23. Angry and proud. There’s a lot of shit to be fucking angry about, especially down here in kyriarchal Hell.

  24. This article sucks- it is not even creative in its offense and contrivance of categories. Is it supposed to be a satiric critique of people who might write this shit? Or is it just an extremely unfortunate example of someone who did?

  25. Hmm. Interesting. I’m a cross between an Angry Feminist (though I’m not childless) and a Regular Person Feminist, but I have a little bit of joyless in me, so maybe I’m 1/2 of a joyless pseudo intellectual feminist (emphasis on the joylessness and de-emphasis on the intellectual part because being a mother has taken part of my brain away). But truth be told, because we’re among friends on this site: I really want to be a Slutty Feminist. But that ship has sailed, and at least for the time being, my husband has told me I can’t be a Slutty Feminist other than with him. But he’s thinking on it and we’ll see.

  26. Andie:
    Regular Person Feminist: “I believe women should be equal, in theory, but I’m not about to put myself out or do anything like, ya know, speaking out or acting to ensure that actually happens because it might make people uncomfortable and hurt their privileged wee fee-fees.”

    +1

    Or “I’m a feminist, but not like those angry man-hating ones.” Or even worse, “I’m totally a feminist, but *insert dissertation about how patriarchy doesn’t really exist anymore, the pay gap exists because of stay–at-home-moms, women just need to develop thicker skins, etc.*”

    Yeah…I think that category annoyed me more than any of the others.

  27. Comrade Kevin:
    Even if we could break ourselves into categories for the easy sake of identification, and even if these were positive and accurate, should we?Does it really matter?

    Well, categories and generalizations are a big part of feminism (it is after all about analyzing group dynamics and power imbalances etc). Also feminism is a very broad category, so trying to break it down a bit might be a useful exercise.
    However, this is obviously not a serious attempt to do this breakdown, but rather an attempt at humor.

    There are some rather strange parts of the referenced post – especially when looking at the examples. I have a hard time seeing Bill Clinton and “Privilege-denying white dude” as examples of feminists.

  28. I think it is fair to say that Malcom X and MLK were two different types of civil rights crusaders with different paths and priorities to achieve the same goal of equality and betterment. Why is it offensive for someone to suggest that they aren’t comfortable with on form of civil rights ideology but not another?

    There are even differences between a Cornell West and a Duval Patrick and a Sharpton and a Jackson and an Alice Walker.

    It would be absurd to think that feminism has to fit in similarly narrow categories. Why ridicule the notion?

  29. Nyara: Or “I’m a feminist, but not like those angry man-hating ones.” Or even worse, “I’m totally a feminist, but *insert dissertation about how patriarchy doesn’t really exist anymore, the pay gap exists because of stay–at-home-moms, women just need to develop thicker skins, etc.*”

    Yeah…I think that category annoyed me more than any of the others.

    Do you not agree that this category is a rather good description of quite a few people? I certainly know people like that…

  30. Oh gosh, I feel like I might could be all these at once, except for DDF, which is definitely just Nice Guy(TM).

    “Angry Feminists believe in equality but hate lots of women—basically anyone who is pretty, wears heels, or laughs a lot.”
    Laughing, what a fucking drag, am I right ladies?

    I have lots of other thoughts, but I’ll limit it to this about Slutty Feminists.
    1) I am really glad to know that Bill Clinton is a bad bitch fighting for my right to like Legally Blonde.
    2)”They fight for the right to wear leggings as pants and booty dresses in the winter and fuck you if you think that invites a rape.”
    Did any one else read this as “They fight for the right to […]fuck you if you think that invites rape”?

  31. It would be absurd to think that feminism has to fit in similarly narrow categories. Why ridicule the notion?

    Because, as expressed, the notion includes the idea that only accommodationists are worthy listening to. (Unless you want to get laid, and then you indulge a slutty feminist as a prelude to boning.) Also, there’s a major difference between feeling as though a particular strain of a philosophical movement doesn’t resonate for you and characterizing the overwhelming majority of those who also identify with that broader philosophy as insufferable misanthropes (replete with asinine stereotypes).

  32. Also, if you identify as more than one subtype of feminist, does that implicate oxytocin, PMS, or the always irrational female brain? Inquiring minds want to know!

  33. This thing is about two inches from Youtube comments in its intelligence and insight. … OK, maybe one inch.

  34. Hmm. Well I’m definitely a Slutty Feminist, and I would say also an Angry Feminist (i am rather angry!) but I like high heels and laughter, so apparently I can’t be Angry… well at least I have my sluttiness to fall,back on!

  35. Nahida:
    I like how the author refers to zirself as a feminist.

    “This isn’t even an insulting category because angry feminists know they’re angry. They embrace anger. If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

    “These kind of feminists are exhausting because they want to respond to each thing you say with a Summa Feminista blog post. ”

    They also get shit done.

    Yeah, I don’t get the self-identification as a feminist either. In fact, it completely bewilders me.

  36. matlun: Do you not agree that this category is a rather good description of quite a few people? I certainly know people like that…

    It is, as long as the description doesn’t praise the behaviour, especially by labelling such people “Regular-People Feminists”.

    I find it interesting that the author’s favourite category is Slutty Feminists, since they support her beliefs (including sexist ones, as she expands sex-positivism to include any sex-related beliefs she has), yet she doesn’t identify as belonging to this category. She’s a Regular-People Feminist.

  37. (pressed submit too soon)

    So she is a Regular-People feminist – according to the Feministe’s snarky translations of the definition.

  38. Spay Your Sea Kitten: It is, as long as the description doesn’t praise the behaviour, especially by labelling such people “Regular-People Feminists”.

    I did not see anything literally wrong in the description in the article, but it did feel very incomplete. That was actually my main problem with the article: The different types here are just a couple of different stereotypes. Not without some truth, but a very incomplete and limited view.

    For example, my personal experience of the “Regular Person Feminist” is that this is often someone who self identify as feminist because they have learned that feminism is a “good thing” ™ but do not actually know much about feminism at all.

    I do not really get your problem with the “Slutty Feminist” stereotype (as described in the article). I saw nothing sexist there.

  39. To clarify my opinion about this article:
    I found parts of it amusing but it certainly has no substance or value as an analysis. On the other hand, it is quite a lot better than the typical anti feminist rant so I don’t really find it that upsetting.

  40. I do not really get your problem with the “Slutty Feminist” stereotype (as described in the article). I saw nothing sexist there.

    (bangs head on keyboard)

  41. I think by “Regular Person Feminist” they meant someone who holds feminist beliefs but is not involved in activism? Maybe?

    I don’t see how these are particularly to do with feminism. In every movement there are people who are very passionate about the cause (“angry feminists”), people who sometimes take things too seriously (“joyless pseudo-intellectual feminists”), people who aren’t really engaged (“regular person feminists”), people who only pay attention to the parts of the ideology that they like (“slutty feminists”?), people who cling on/take advantage of the movement (“douchey dude feminists”).

    But really, most of us are a mix of the above, except for the last one. (And that is also true of every movement!)

  45. tinfoil hattie:
    I do not really get your problem with the “Slutty Feminist” stereotype (as described in the article). I saw nothing sexist there.

    (bangs head on keyboard)

    Are you referencing the article?

    The text in the article to describe this category was

    Oh man, this is my favorite category of feminists. Slutty feminists are bad bitches who intimidate the hell out of me because the are scary and confident and assertive but they still for some reason welcome me with open arms. They may or may not have good arguments for believing the things they do, but the Slutty Feminist is the only one who won’t make fun of me for liking Legally Blonde. They fight for the right to wear leggings as pants and booty dresses in the winter and fuck you if you think that invites a rape. This kind of feminist knows what’s up with men, knows they’re horny, knows women are hot, and know women don’t deserve to be scared all the time.

  46. anna:
    I love how he assumes disliking the pressure on women to be traditionally feminine means hating women who freely choose to do traditionally feminine things.

    *eyeroll*

    Johanna is a woman’s name…. it’s a she. And, she’s right.

  47. matlun: Do you not agree that this category is a rather good description of quite a few people? I certainly know people like that…

    Oh, yeah. I’ve known plenty of people like that. It annoyed me because of the “regular-people” lable- it kind of gives off a vibe of “it’s okay to be a feminist so long as you never really act like one.”

  48. I can identify with everybody but the Douchey Dude Feminist (DDF).

    I am an angry feminist (and have had huge fights with my husband because of it) when I hear stories about a town who feels sympathy for the 18 men and boys who gang raped an 11 year old while vilifying and blaming the victim. I have a terrible temper.

    I am a slutty feminist because I had lots of sex before getting married but defended myself when I had to, I love Legally Blonde, and I absolutely believe that the victim is never responsible for being raped. Can’t men see how excusing a rapist by saying lust made him lose control is not only misogynistic, it’s misandry? It relegates them to the level of animals.

    I am a joyless pseudo-intellectual feminist because I struggle with depression and I don’t think your “just a joke” is funny.” Not remotely. Also, know my own mind and using dismissive and disrespectful language toward me, comparing everybody you disagree with Hitler, and being defensive and acting like me standing up for myself means hating you while being totally unself-aware is not going to convince me that you’re right and I’m wrong.

    I’m a regular person feminist because I will listen you when you speak to me respectfully and reasonably. I know I’m not always right and am willing to learn if you actually have something to teach.

    I am a stay at home feminist because I am currently a stay at home mom, am actually trying to home-school my preschooler, and actually cook and bake for my family. I am not really into organic food (it’s expensive) nor specialty diets however.

    If you check out Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog goop.com and check out her cookbook you will totally understand why she is a stay at home feminist.

    Yes, the way Johanna wrote was totally stereotypical but it was also funny. Most of us see that no feminist is totally going to fit into any single category but can see bits and pieces of truth in each of them.

    The DDF, or “nice guy”, I would call a fake feminist. You can recognize them a mile away, and they come in both sexes. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it.

    Stay away from any guy who gives you a dozen red roses on a second date. Believe me, too “romantic” too fast means creepy stalker / potential rapist.

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