Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto - Jessa Crispin

“The other power our marginalization could give us is the ability to align and empathize with the others who are also on the outs. All those labeled worthless by those in charge, from people of colour to religious minorities to the poor. There could be an alliance there.

The fact that there is not only not an alliance, but that feminism has been guilty throughout its history of rampant racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other failures of empathy, shows that the mainstream goal was always participation in the system, rather than its destruction. The goal was to share in the power, not reveal this powerful/powerless dynamic as evil. The only thing that made the system evil in our eyes was that we were not granted access. We saw, and still see, the other marginalized not as our equals, but as competition for power once the hierarch falls” (64-5).

Jessa Crispin’s writing is witty and biting, expelling a convincing air of confidence. Her work, “Why I Am Not a Feminist: A Feminist Manifesto” is laced with a mixture of skewering satire and hard-hitting honesty. Throughout her manifesto, Crispin seems to be dancing back and forth between rejecting the term ‘feminist’, because of its current implications and pitfalls, while at the same time reshaping and reclaiming the word ‘feminism’. She makes it quite clear that she despises the current state of feminism, which is a weak, white, universal feminism. Crispin believes that “feminist discourse has become shallow” and selfish (103).

“Discomfort is not part of the universal feminist agenda … With all the focus now on opinion and personal narratives (over theory or even fact), it tells young feminists that they do not have to study their own collective and intellectual history. With all of the focus on lifestyle, contemporary feminism becomes just another thing to buy” (40).

‘Universal feminism’ is not meant to stir-up feelings of revolution, but instead to recruit masses into quiet submission. The capitalist market thrives on selling “This is what a feminist looks like” merchandise, so that young ‘feminists’ can tick a box and feel satisfied that the world can now see their new, hip label. Meanwhile, Crispin also reminds us that “Making people uncomfortable was feminism’s whole point” (8). She is crystal clear when she states, “[y]our first encounter with feminism should make you uncomfortable. It has to break through all of the messages you've been indoctrinated with” (111). Feminism is not a hat you can put on in the morning and take off at night, and the very idea of this selection is the demonstration of white privilege. You cannot simply choose to be a feminist when it benefits you or your brand. “Our first responsibility [as feminists] should be to take care of each other”, not just yourself (114). Crispin emphasizes that “Our job, as feminists, should not be recruitment. It should not be conversion. It should be listening to the want and needs of women that differ from our own” (34-5). She urges us to resist the charms and pulls of universal feminism, and instead, engage with the uncomfortable, yet necessary discussions that feminism requires.

She first breaks down the term feminism, dispelling myths, examining what the term has come to mean, and what feminism is not. She then continues to reclaim the term by explaining what feminism is, what it should be, and what it can be. Part of that explanation includes discussions around love and community. Crispin questions why feminism has become a lone-wolf ideology, and those who want to have families are seen as lesser persons. Crispin explains that:

“Feminists do not have to shut themselves off from the possibility of romantic love. But we should question the privileging of romantic love over all other forms of love, from familial to friendship to societal. We should also question what is required of us in order to be loved, and the way the possibility of love and sex and family is dangled in front of women as a way of keeping them in line - and the way women are all too eager to internalize this method of control” (120-1).

This does not mean we have to reject romantic love, or reject the notions of family, compassion, and care, but that we should be aware of the system in which we live in, and we should be actively questioning whether our decisions are unconsciously driven by society's institutions or if we are making a conscious choice. She reminds us that “maybe there are things we discarded that we should go back and reclaim” (35), such as embracing the support system and community that can emerge from a familial structure. The patriarchal system has forced women into discarding feminine traits so as to embrace more masculine traits (such as greed, lust for money and power), instead of promoting positive feminine traits in men (stay at home dads, men who want a family, and to be an active part in that family, men who are sensitive, caring, compassionate and loving towards their families).

Throughout her manifesto, she addresses the concept of feminists ‘hating men’, and explains why it is not necessary or beneficial. She reminds us that we should spend our time and energy fighting the patriarchal system of oppression, not individual misogynists. Moreover, Crispin raises awareness to the term ‘outrage feminist’, explaining that:

“We do not like to pay attention to how the casual demonization of white straight men follows the same pattern of bias and hatred that fuels misogyny, racism, and homophobia. It might not count as sexism because it does not have institutional power behind it, but it follows the same lazy thinking, easy scapegoating, and pleasurable anger that all other forms of hatred have” (101-2).

Crispin does not want feminists to be blinded by hate or anger. Hatred and fear are what fuel prejudices, and for feminism to be beneficial to society, we must learn from the patriarchy’s mistakes. We are no better than the system we claim to resist if we blindly attack every individual misogynist, if we are constantly out for blood. She admits that it may feel like a success to ‘take out’ or ‘remove’ one misogynist or racist, but they will always be replaced by another. We must be careful with our precious time and energy, and remember to look at the bigger picture, the larger system that should require our attention.

Finally, Crispin continually rejects the selfish goals that seem to dominate white feminism within our capitalist culture. Crispin observes that “[a]s a woman’s ability to take care of herself expands thanks to feminist efforts, the feminist goals she’s willing to really fight for, or contribute time and money and effort to, shrink” (49). Moreover, she states that “[b]y fighting for your own way to inclusion, you are not improving the system, you are simply joining the ranks of those included and benefiting. You are doing your own excluding and exploiting. In other words: you, a woman, are also the patriarchy” (61-2).

Crispin does not hate Feminism. Crispin rejects and resists white feminism, universal feminism and outrage feminism. She is unhappy with what feminism has become, and angry with selfish, self-centred people who claim to be feminist. She wants to take back the word, and is unafraid who she may offend along the way. She wants to shake our culture awake, to invoke an emotional and guttural response from her readership. She wants us to remember that “Feminism is - should be - a movement, not an excuse to stand still” (52).

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