Have you seen Caitlin Moran's article on how to be a modern feminist?

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

I rather like it

I like her alot anyway, but this is now on my wishlist.

Me too. It reads very MN-esque

It does, doesn't it. I love it.

I think she really hit the nail on the head, and expressed exactly how I feel but couldn't articulate. I've given it to my 16 yo dd to read (while loafing about in post-GCSE lethargy.)

When I was at Uni a group of girls in my 'Images of Women' tutorial once rounded on me and said I couldn't call myself a feminist if I was heterosexual because the act of having sex with a man was in itself oppressive. I know it was just daft student extremity talking, but it did stick with me and knock my confidence for a while. When I read that article I finally felt I had the comeback I was looking for! (Why does that always happen? You think of the right thing to say 20 years after the event?)

If you are going ot buy the book we are planning to discuss it over in the Books area

I am very much against any "you can't be a feminist if..." unless the sentence ends with something like "...you think men are better than women"

I do like her writing.

I think the drawstring linen trousers are a nod to MN

(Why does that always happen? You think of the right thing to say 20 years after the event?) Orlando, when I find the answer to that, I'll let you know...

I quite liked the article. Hoping the book is available offline as well, might pick it up at the airport tomorrow, if it is.

I am very much against any "you can't be a feminist if..." unless the sentence ends with something like "...you think men are better than women"

THANK YOU! I once got told I couldn't possibly be a feminist. I like pink too much. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. Oooh, and I'm too "girlie" to be a feminist. Each time was by a bloke, ironically.

Yes, the 'you can't be a feminist' thing is so self-defeating and wearisome and depressing (and I guess in the case of the women who said it to me, immature. The 1991 intellectual equivalent of 'you can't call yourself a proper Twilight fan unless you've carved Robert Pattinson's name into your arm with a rusty razor blade and permanently given up food.')

I got this tweet from Johann Hari, who I trust:

This new book by @caitlinmoran isn't just hilarious - it's beautiful and profound. I implore you to read it

Actually, I am a bit about it. I saw some bits about it in the Times at the w/e. I have a feeling it is along the lines of a New Frivolous Feminism .

I am sure the book will be funny but where's the Anger, the Activism??!

We are just not going to make progress with Feminist goals sitting around LOLing at this book!

I hope I am wrong. I hope that even if I am partially right thus will bring women to feminism and get the F word up the agenda.

Please anyone here (lurkers included) also consider The Equality Illusion, Living Dolls or Reclaiming the F Word. These to me are the books to kindle a new feminist revolution.

I thought the article was quite amusing in a very light weight way, with one or two throwaway lines which actually were about feminism. It strikes me that Caitlin Moran would probably be quite a laugh, but as with most columnists it all seems a bit pointless.

I once got told I couldn't possibly be a feminist. I like pink too much. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. Oooh, and I'm too "girlie" to be a feminist. Each time was by a bloke, ironically.

That's not ironic, that's a bloke trying to undermine a movement that he feels is hostile to him by using exceptionalism - i.e., 'you're too much of a REAL woman to be a feminist, unlike those hairy-legged harpies'.

I also have the Equality Illusion on its way from Amazon.

But I think it is important to know that feminism is open to everyone, and you don't have to read hard books in order to want equal rights, equal pay, and equal amounts of stupid-posing-with-not-many-clothes-on-the-front-of-magazines.

I don't usually post in Feminism explicitly because someone here said, "You can't call yourself a feminist if..."

I know I'm not a Feminist?, I haven't read the books. And I'm probably not going to, in the same way that I haven't read most of the books about psychology or Marxism or post-Colonial theory. But all of these things inform my world, sometimes profoundly, and I love the MN Feminist section because it's informative and thought-provoking, and gives me tools to use when I need them.

Funny that she mentioned McCoy's in the article - I was half expecting there to then be a rant at the fact they say on the back in big letters "MAN CRISPS"

I eat McCoys while thinking "fuck you, I can have whatever crisps I like".

I don't eat Yorkies because they are crap.

Dittany, I'm not suggesting anyone needs to read books about Marxism in order to be a feminist.

I'm saying feminism is one of a number of discourses I might use to analyse the world. For me, understanding (even changing) the world around me is the end, feminism a tool to do so. So feminist texts jostle for my time with all the others.

There may well be Feminists who despise me for this, and feel I shouldn't post on this board because of it. Which is why I generally don't.

Ooh I could kills for some crisps about now.

Why the hell would anyone despise anyone on here? Least of all for remaining open to various interpretations? Random.

Well I rarely read any books that aren't some kind of story so please don't think it's compulsory. I HAVE read The Equality Illusion though so if you just read one, try that one. It's great and bang up to date as only published last year. If it wasn't an easy/gripping read I wouldn't have got through it

Half the Sky is good too (to add to book recommendations above).