When (and why) did what used to be known as Feminism become labelled Radical Feminism?

[RulersMakeBadLovers]

A very incisive feminist pointed this out to me the other day.

S'all very interesting (MN should have a chin-stroking emoticon)

Maybe the lack of progress towards equality is merely a by-product of something else. To progress, we have to be educated. If we are better educated, we might stop doing stuff that the powers-that-be wouldn't like. We might stop buying awful foods, we might stop watching awful TV programmes (cutting down on advertising revenue). We might stop buying terrible 'newspapers'.

So, keep the populace dumb, give us what seems good for us/what we like, and carry on making more and more money out of us. One part of the fall-out is that people simply stop caring about the important stuff like inequality in society. Meanwhile, certain people at the top keep making bazillions of dollars. I mean, who would have foreseen 10k a year for a university education, or working past 70, or worthless pension schemes, or the X Factor.........

Bit of a ramble, sorry.

try as I might,i just cant see the conspiracy.

You don't think there is a conspiracy to keep women in their place? I thought that was the whole basis of rad feminism!

I don't think there is a conspiracy - that would imply some sort of secrecy!.

This is a very petty example of the backlash, but...

have you seen the shoes that are "fashionable" now?

Sky high stilettos (bigger than ever, it seems) which are impossible to walk in and cause long term damage.

Why are women being encouraged to wear something so detrimental?

This is a very petty example of the backlash, but...

have you seen the shoes that are "fashionable" now?

Sky high stilettos (bigger than ever, it seems) which are impossible to walk in and cause long term damage.

Why are women being encouraged to wear something so detrimental?

Shoes have been a topic of lively feminist debate since I can remember, GothAnne

Personally I don't believe they're an issue. They would be if they were a law or something, but fashion just does what fashion does ... I can go on about it for ages; the industry is one of my 'areas' and I do think there are feminist issues there. But ditsy shoes? Meh. Very high will be followed by flat. They always are.

amillion, there are indeed such conspiracies with governments and always have been. "The Patriarchy" may be more of an organic development but it certainly informs those conspiracies. The The Fifties Housewife was a perfectly deliberate push - the biggest government promotional spend ever, at the time; even bigger than the wartime campaigns - to get women back out of the factories so the returned soldiers could have jobs. That's when the ideal nuclear family was invented: quite purposefully, to quell social dissatisfaction (replacing it with dissatisfied housewives) using patriarchy as the means.

I think shoes are significant, actually. Flats, however hard some people try, are never really fashionable. And women are conditioned to think of them as frumpy/ugly/sexless, The fashion industry, for whatever reason persists in making women look vulnerable/helpless/sexually available.

Personally I find flats really really uncomfortable and get back pain when I wear them - I know I'm not the only one, maybe that's the reason why heels never go out of fashion, no matter how popular flats are at times.

That's what happens when you've worn heels for years- your body adapts.

I was brooding on this as I watched the Jubilee celebrations,particularly the service at St Pauls. Fashion does what fashion does may be true,but I can't think of a period in my lifetime where flats would have been acceptable in a situation like that.I'm sure someone will suggest a time now!
On a slightly separate note,men's shoes aren't flat flat ,are they - like trainers etc they have a bit of a heel...

Flats, however hard some people try, are never really fashionable.

Tsk. I was enjoying getting links for you, but thought I'd better stop at some point!

Rifat Ozbek 1991
Sophia Kokosalaki 2002
Hussein Chalayan 2000
Vogue, 1987
Princess Di's Choos
Princess Di again
DMs by Viv Westwood (one of many)
Lots of other designer DMs
Madonna in the 80s

I don't know in what world Royalty's attire at Westminster Abbey is considered a fashion lead! But they have had one fashion icon - Princess Di, who wore flats anywhere :)

Oh, I thought I'd seen this last year! Gisele Bundchen won't wear very high shoes on the catwalk. As the article also says, heels historically go up when economies go down. If we ever get a recovery, we can dig out our our DMs. (I've still got most of mine - the things are indestructible!)

Feminist fashionista over & out

WidowWadman, you should do ballet stretches or yoga/Pilates to keep your hamstrings flexible and your back aligned. Do foot exercises, too - wiggle them around, pick up small objects with your toes.

Yes, I know this isn't S&B. Just didn't want this economy's heels to inflict postural rigidity on you all.

Na, yoga and ballet isn't for me, I prefer other sports and will continue to wear shoes I find comfortable.

They were fashionable bury brieflybin Lady Di's time, because she was taller than Chuck. But look at the young Royals now