My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Ella Whelan article - Jameela Jamil and the rise of navel-gazing 'activism'

17 replies

NonnyMouse1337 · 04/10/2020 08:29

I find it interesting reading the perspectives of those who are not feminists about feminism or what counts as activism among many young women these days.

www.spiked-online.com/2020/09/24/jameela-jamil-and-the-rise-of-navel-gazing-activism/

I think I agree with most of what's been written above. I'm intrigued about Ella Whelan's comments on making misogyny a hate crime. I haven't come across much detailed critique of the idea, especially from feminist writers or legal minds. I suppose my concern is how exactly would misogyny be defined in law and what would it encompass that isn't adequately covered by existing legislation.
But that's a tangential discussion from the main topic of the article. I have noticed the phenomena of social capital among young women who talk a lot about having all sorts of self-diagnosed mental health issues. It could just be that it's a lot easier to connect with others online about such things, but there does seem to be a correlation with mental health and social media use that's affecting girls at ever younger ages. Also a lot of 'activists' seem to be all about posting things on Instagram. That's the extent of their activism.
I remember the days when people just wrote long winded posts on LiveJournal. Smile

Your thoughts?

OP posts:
Report
EyeRollForever · 04/10/2020 08:56

I think she's half right:

'What it suggests is that life has to mould to our insecurities and sense of self, rather than us being rough, tough and strong enough to adapt to, or challenge, what society throws at us'

They talk a lot about this is The Coddling of the American Mind and it makes a lot of sense to me. If something or someone upsets me, it's for me to deal with, it's not for the world around me to fix.

As for hate crime, I think that particular piece of legislation needs to get in the bin. I don't think it needs more categories, even ones I would benefit from. We should all be equal under law and be treated the same way. And in the most practical terms how would they even police it? But that's probably for a different discussion!

Report
EyeRollForever · 04/10/2020 08:57

I meant to say, the half she's missing is that it isn't feminism. It's liberal feminism, sure, but it's the whole woke movememt. The bulk of which doesn't seem to me to be all that concerned about women

Report
SerenityNowwwww · 04/10/2020 12:52

I misread that at Jameela ‘Weasel’. Freud would have a field day with that.

Report
TyroBurningDownTheCloset · 04/10/2020 13:00

My thoughts: I miss the days of longwinded livejournal posts.

And introspection is important, but introspection alone will get us nowhere. We need to take the time to ponder how we've been fucked over by our experiences of the patriarchal world so we can try and make it better for other women and girls. If we're not actually doing the second part then what's the point?

Report
Asterion · 04/10/2020 13:04

Haven't got time right now to read the article, but having listened to a few of Jamela Jamil's podcast episodes I have changed my view of her (not that my view of her is remotely important). She does actually walk the walk. And she's been through a lot.

Report
PurpleWave · 04/10/2020 13:08

I wouldn't believe a word of what she says to be honest.

Report
NonnyMouse1337 · 04/10/2020 13:11

@EyeRollForever

I meant to say, the half she's missing is that it isn't feminism. It's liberal feminism, sure, but it's the whole woke movememt. The bulk of which doesn't seem to me to be all that concerned about women

To be fair, the vast majority of people aren't aware of this distinction. I certainly wasn't aware of it a few years ago. All I could see presented in mainstream media and by feminists didn't seem like the sort of things that would bring meaningful change to women's lives. It was all about choice and not challenging anything.
OP posts:
Report
EyeRollForever · 04/10/2020 13:16

@NonnyMouse1337 yeah, it's the choicey choice stuff that gets the airtime, because it conveniently bolsters heterosexual male desire. Quelle surprise!

Report
PearPickingPorky · 04/10/2020 13:53

And she's been through a lot.

She certainly claims to have been through a lot. Her Wikipedia page was exhausting.

Report
SunsetBeetch · 04/10/2020 14:28

@Asterion

Haven't got time right now to read the article, but having listened to a few of Jamela Jamil's podcast episodes I have changed my view of her (not that my view of her is remotely important). She does actually walk the walk. And she's been through a lot.

Yeah, about that....

www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDkzODgzODY0MDgzNjAz?igshid=zii56x3sm912&story_media_id=2237543377360317268_5465555
Report
TyroBurningDownTheCloset · 04/10/2020 14:29

Attacked by killer bees three times, I note. Does she live somewhere known for killer bees? Might be worth moving if so.

Report
BitOfFun · 04/10/2020 14:42

Oh dear. Poor Jamellia.

Report
SerenityNowwwww · 04/10/2020 14:43

Does quicksand appear anywhere on the list?

Report
DidoLamenting · 04/10/2020 14:58

Jamelia is also talking bollocks about skin. Of course there are extreme examples where a deficient diet will cause skin problems- e.g scurvy.

There is also a sort of pasty, grey skintone which can be indicative of deprivation but does not necessarily include acne or breakouts.

Acne, breakouts have virtually no connection with diet.

Report
NiceGerbil · 04/10/2020 15:15

Sorry not on topic but that wiki page is great.

'In 2015, Jameela claimed that while she was interviewing musician Mark Ronson in the Hollywood Hills, the 'biggest swarm of killer bees' she had ever seen made them retreat.[77] Ronson contradicted Jamil's version of events, describing 'one or two individual bees' and walking 'slowly inside' in response.'

Reading between the lines and some of the things on there, I suspect the mental health struggles she talks of are driving the other things she's claimed.

Report
NiceGerbil · 04/10/2020 15:17

The annoying thing as well is that some of the sexual assaults etc she has spoken about, given my experience growing up in NW London. Are not as extreme and ??? as the tone of the piece indicates.

Report
Vermeil · 04/10/2020 15:38

Ah, Jameela Jamil Von Munchausen...
It’s the old suffering = purity, so beloved of religions and herione’s in Victorian novels. 🙄

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.