Flirting with Feminism

Inappropriate choice of words?

Well I'm becoming more interested in feminism. It all started when I read "Women on Top" by Nancy Friday, as it says on the back "Guru to a generation of feminists" (Thank you Daily Mail). I did go through a phase of being obsessed with femininity or whatever at the start of the year, there was Poetry and everything! Feeling a proper grown up, a woman. Yes its taken me 23 years to settle into it, but better late than never.

There is so much moaning goes on about being a woman and how much crap we have to put up with but I'm at the silver-lining of that angst cloud right now.

Now I get what the Guerilla Girls are saying about abundant naked ladies. But isn't that the closest we get to Heaven on Earth? Women are beautiful, fascinating, muti-faceted, perfect .. and if ever any subject demanded such artistic inspiration and investigation surely it is she. So why not more women artists (in galleries)? By the same logic, don't we have anything to say worth listening to? Are we to be aesthetically admired but not understood?

Another problem I'm having is with the violent clash between the flirtatious,
vivacious, bombshell (baby!) against the practical, astute, in-control woman. And never the twain shall meet. I realised I was getting into feminism at the same time as those great vintage pin-up posters. And felt slightly guilty about it..

I hate that whole thing that women cannot be both alluring, sexually devastating yet not be taken seriously- as artists, as writers, by men, by other women? Can feminists flirt? So I'm into exploring the psyche of the pin-up right now and am working on a few ideas.

The final word here to "The Sun" newspaper, that great British institution who have a rather unique approach to the juxtaposition problem. I can't help but think they're spoiling us actually. Not only does their page 3 girl shows us her lovely bosoms each day but also has her own caption box to comment on the political issue of the day. Nice.