My very first rant (on the blog, that is)

So I'm actually going to rant for a little (or a lot) bit. Bear with me, ok?

So every few days, I Google Avengers to see if there's any new news I should know about. As I was doing this last night, I stumbled across an article that talked feminism in Avengers. Joss Whedon is known for portraying feminist material, and there are apparently some people complaining that Avengers doesn't have enough female characters and they aren't portrayed in a light that would make it a feminist film. I totally agree with how the guy responded to this complaint.

Black Widow can totally kick butt. Seriously, she's so awesome, and (currently) the only girl on the Avengers team. Now, do they treat Black Widow like some fragile flower that can crack at any moment? No. Do they exalt her to a higher level because she's "just a girl" and yet can "keep up" with the guys? No. Is she "one of the guys"? No. Her femininity is still noticed and valued. Black Widow is on the Avengers team because she's good at what she does. If she wasn't good at what she does, then she wouldn't be on the team. She's not put on a pedestal or demeaned for her gender. She's treated like an equal. A girl, yet still an equal. And no one tries to flirt with her or anything like that. She's accepted. As is Maria Hill. Maria Hill is a girl. The fact that "a girl" is second in command is never even questioned, never even brought up! She's second in command because she's good at what she does. Same with all of the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents on board. Some of them are girls, some of them are guys. They're there because they are good agents, and not because of their gender. This is Joss Whedon's take on feminism. Feminism shouldn't be about exalting women while putting men down, or trying to make women just like men. We're different for a reason. Whedon demonstrates that women who can do their jobs well will be treated with equality and respect.

Now, here comes a tricky question for me. Am I a feminist? Not in the way that people define the term now. I'm not all "women are totally better than men", but I'm not all "women are poor defenseless beings that need help every step of the way". I still believe in gentlemen, and chivalry. I don't mind when a guy opens the door for me, or pulls my chair out when I'm about to sit down. To me, being a gentleman is not a guy's way of demeaning a woman, it's his way of honoring her, and of cutting her some slack every now and again. And it's nice. Does this mean that I'm a total wuss, and can't do anything on my own? Absolutely not. I don't sit around and wait for some guy to rescue me, or shriek when there's a spider. I can kill the spiders, thank you very much.

There are some places where men and women should be treated equally. Namely, the work place. In my sociology class, we learned some terms for what happens to men and women in the workplace. If a woman is working a job that men primarily work (say, an engineer), then they hit what is called a "glass ceiling". No matter how hard they try, or how good they are, women often experience a stopping point, where they don't get promoted to the extent of their abilities, or they don't get paid the same as their peers, etc. On the flip side, if a man is in a predominantly female position (say, nurse), then he is often put on a "glass escalator" or put on a path where he gets promoted sooner and paid higher. Now, I'm under the belief that if someone can do the job, then pay them what you're paying everyone else. If they can't, then fire them! It shouldn't matter when it comes to that whether or not they're a man or woman. Just like how it doesn't matter if Black Widow or Maria Hill are women. Believe me, if they couldn't do the job, then they wouldn't be there! So that's when I find that equality is necessary.

Now, once we're outside the workplace, that's different. Men and women are physically built differently. That's why sports are often separated. I'm 5'3". Am I going to want to play a contact sport against a broad shouldered guy that is over six feet? Absolutely not! Why? I could get hurt! There's no way little me would stand a chance at bringing someone his size down. It's like when you see those wrecks on the high way where the little Honda Civic is totaled, but the truck only as a small bump in its fender. Should I be screaming for "equality" and whining about how it's not fair? No. We're built the way that we're built for a reason. That's why I refuse to play contact sports with boys. Someone (and by someone, I mean me) could get seriously hurt. Does this make me weak? Nope. It makes me smart. Sports are separated for a reason. Women have different abilities than men. I'm going to say it straight up: men are stronger, taller, and often faster, than most women (even professionally). So girls, don't go throwing a hissy-fit because you can't run as fast or be as strong. It's the way we're built. Just be the best you can be, and let the rest work itself out. Now, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't play sports with guys. Just be smart about it. I play sports with guys all the time. So do a bunch of girls that I know. And they're respected because of their knowledge of the game, and their overall awesomeness on the field (not talking about me now). And when we're playing a pick-up game in the park, I definitely want to be treated by the way I can play. If I'm a good player, then pass me the ball! Don't do it because you pity me, but at least give me a chance! This happened to me while playing Ultimate Frisbee. Now, I'm not the best Frisbee player. Not by a million miles. But I can catch. If I'm wide open, then the Frisbee should be thrown to me, and not to someone who's covered. Chances are, I'm going to catch it. It just took the boys a little while to realize that yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I can catch the Frisbee, even with the defense closing in around me. Now, did I drop it sometimes? Of course, but everyone does. When it comes to something like that, at least give the girls a chance to prove whether or not they can play the game. If they suck, then don't throw it to them, just like how you wouldn't throw it to a boy who couldn't catch at all. It's simple.

I know this is getting long, but I just wanted to make a couple more points. When people hear about what I want to do in life, they laugh at me or tell me that I'm wasting talent. I want to be a stay-at-home mom. This doesn't mean that I'm going to skip college and spend all of time looking for a husband to take care of me. Quite the opposite. I go out and do my own thing. I'm going to college, and I'm going to finish my degree, with or without a husband. I'm not going to sit by and not be educated. I do want to have a career at some point, but if it gets in the way of me having kids, then it's ultimately unimportant. Being a mom is the highest honor I can think of. My mom is tough as nails. She doesn't let anyone or anything stand in her way. She's a stay-at-home mom. More like "run around town helping out my kids" mom, because let's be real here,it's not an easy job. At all. Especially with seven of us. But she still does it, and I love her for it.

So why are men and women different? Some say evolution, but I say God. If God wanted us to all be the same, then we would all be 6' tall and reproduce asexually. But that's not the point. The point is to celebrate our differences, and accept the fact that while women can't do some things "just the same" as guys, we can do a whole lot of other things. Like be caring and maternal. We help to raise children to grow up and survive in this world and become good people (I say help, because dads help with care-giving too). So am I feminist? I guess in the way that feminism should be: Not exaltation and praise for being "so good in a man's job" or demeaning other men and rejecting them like the Amazons. Just quiet acceptance and realization that men and women are different for a purpose. A heavenly purpose. So girls, you can be anything, and you can do anything. Just be smart about it. And don't turn away a good gentleman, because they're not demeaning you, they just want you feel special. Even Black Widow let Captain America shield her from an explosion. Be who you want to be, and accept who you are. That's when you'll be truly happy.