The Cosmopolitan: The New Feminist

02/06/08 - Here's an idea: let's start from scratch. We can't change the raunchy Playboy world we currently inhabit as young generation Y women, but we can choose a different course. No, not that one! Not the prude, over-modest, paranoid lady, trying to convince us that you are pure, chaste and virginal: do not go down that road again. It took decades to gain some ground there, so do not cast your gaze downward and clamp your legs together in fear of "what the others will think." I am asking the women of this campus to participate in what I call the New Feminism.

Recently, I heard an acquaintance speak of a startling situation in which two self-proclaimed straight women were "having fun" in his presence while performing oral sex on one another. These women are the same that make out at bars to show how "crazy" they are.

This is COLLEGE. We are here for education, motivation, ambition, enrichment, life experience, socialization. Not to go down on one another to get men's attention. Not to get freaky at The Mews and embarrass ourselves with a pal and one too many shots of whiskey. If women want to have oral sex with other women, be my guest, but only a cheap imitator of reality performs it for show! Seriously. This is about more than devaluation and lack of respect. This is about being an idiot.

Here is the grand proposal: pretend that we aren't "women." Pretend, darling fake-and-bakers, that we are contenders, warriors and people with untapped visions, writings, speeches and research, leadership and commentary.

Think about the battles of our mothers to get us to a point where we not only had the resources to attend college, but the legislation to ensure equal education opportunities (or damn near).

Think of Title IX and our right to buy Plan B over the counter. Michelle Obama recently said at a Delaware campaign speech that, "To those which much is given, much is expected." Isn't this the truth? Why do you spit on our mothers' visions? Stop with the incessant attendance to appearance (frankly, most of you are going overboard anyway), do your homework, and give your professors a chance to teach you, ask questions and be involved in more than just the frat-next-door's kegger.

Now there are the rest of you . the blessed rest. You speak up in class, debate, write intense papers. You are writers, philosophers, artists, politicians, athletes, researchers, scholars and scientists. I want nothing more than for you to tackle every obstacle and trample every fluffy moron on this campus and others.

Nevertheless, I have news for the rest of you. Being an educated woman is not about leveraging your ability to give a man an erection. That is a weak, unsophisticated abuse of menial proportions of power, and it is one I cannot and never will respect.

Not the kind of "Rah Rah! Let's watch Oprah and cry!" type of respect. I mean that if I am ever your employer, co-worker or peer in class groups (and you can bet your Uggs I will be), you will know. I will tell you exactly why we still make 77 cents to every dollar our male peers make. It is because of you. Get it together.

Rants? Ideas for a column? Shoot me an e-mail at cosmopolitan_withlime@yahoo.com.