Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future [Paperback]

Perhaps my problem with the book came from the fact that it was written by two people working together, which probably contributed to its uneven tone. Jennifer and Amy (as they call themselves) try to encompass quite a bit of description and critique of certain youth-oriented trends in feminism, and sometimes it falls apart by the sheer width of their scope. And even though they continually point out that they are members of the Third Wave, the younger wave of feminist women, sometimes they seem strangely removed from the ideas that they purport to describe. For instance, they feel obliged to dismiss Girlie feminists as ineffectual, when this brand of feminism probably attracts more young people to the movement than any other. They were also dismissive to the huge contributions that Third Wavers have made to incorporating men to the cause. On the other hand, they were particularly adept at dismantling some of the myths that are commonly believed about feminism, which is a valuable task for anyone, Second or Third Wave. It's worth reading, but don't accept it as encompassing as a manifesta should be. Even the authors ask this of the reader.

(This review was not actually written by Anthony Schmitz. I'm Anna Schmitz, his 15-year-old daughter.)

I suppose this book had good intentions. The writers seem smart, and the book probably rings true for their select group of dinner party friends (young, urban, in the media business). However, the research is shoddy, the authors' arguments often become long-winded whining, and the arguments themselves are occasionally absurd.

It's unclear whether the authors simply grew bored of their book, or if a deadline was rapidly approaching, or if research was unavailable, but too often the authors rely on "according-to-my-friend-Jane" in lieu of actual research. In an actual quote from the book, in an argument for Take Back the Night, Baumgardner and Richards assure you that Take Back the Night remains important because "Jennifer Gottesman, a junior at Barnard College, confirmed that her college's Take Back the Night rally and march are the most important political events on campus." Say no more! If Jennifer thinks Take Back the Night is the most important event on campus, it surely is.

However, even this she-said research is often overshadowed by the authors' whining about their lack of importance in the eyes of Second Wave feminists. As important as it is to feel approval, it seems that the best way to gain it would be to carve out one's one niche instead on relying on older feminists to advance concerns that they may not fully understand. The authors complain about feeling patronized and disrespected by Second Wavers, about not being invited to speak at panels, and although these concerns are legitimate, it's not hard to see where Second Wavers are coming from when reading "Letter to an Older Feminist". The letter is patronizing and petty. It implies that Second Wavers are no longer useful in the movement-- that although they once wrote important books and had important ideas, they are no longer needed as innovators, and should sit back and hand over all controls to Third Wave women. Second Wave feminists are not dead, and don't need to be treated as such.

On a personal level, I found the book's criticism of New Moon Magazine to be both offensive and off-base. As both a former reader of New Moon and a former Girls' Editorial Board member, the authors' shallow appraisal of the magazine struck me as laughable. The authors argue that the magazine represents feminist mothers' ideas of what girls want, and not what the girls themselves want. The authors are prone to nostalgic reflections on Sassy magazine, and its embrace of fun/funky outfits, hairstyles, and articles. They seem disappointed that New Moon is not a twin of the magazine of their youth, and is instead an outright feminist magazine, with artwork and not Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love on the cover.

Baumgardner and Richards inform the reader that New Moon is not actually what girls want. I beg to differ. New Moon is not what teen girls want-- that's true. Most girls end their subscription by the time they hit 13. But for 8 to 12-year-olds, New Moon is a great magazine. If girls are looking for what Sassy once provided, there are other magazines. New Moon does not have to provide the tips on hair, makeup, and boys that the authors of Manifesta are convinced that girls actually want. What their argument amounts to is two Third Wave feminists advancing their agenda by accusing Second Wave feminists of starting a girls' magazine to advance their agenda. Perhaps Baumgardner and Richards should follow their own advice and let girls themselves decide and control what they want, as opposed to letting Third Wave feminists tell them what they want.

This book does an excellent job of evaluating the feminist movement from an insider's perspective. However many of the threads involve women who work either in the movement or live in a liberal cultural environment. I am disappointed though that it doesn't address what I see as an important current problem: why does feminism fail to connect with a large percentage of women who are reluctant to identify themselves as feminist. Until the voices/minds of the apparently apathetic nurse/beautician/receptionist and "annoying dissentors" etc are explored (and considered "valid" not just "unliberated") I am afraid that feminism will remain in its ivory tower and not as effective as it should be, perhaps hijacked from the "ordinary" "unliberated" plebs. These women vote. (Why would a women's shelter volunteer be put off by her women's studies class?) The authors didn't explore why many women (and potentially supportive men) are totally put off by their women's studies class and never want to be associated with the feminist label after that. Where does an orthodox Jewish women fit into this picture. Is she just too stupid to know she's oppressed since she doesn't share the "agenda". What does she think? I haven't found a book who's interviews explore these marginalized, "unliberated" women's perspective with respect. The attitude of "support our troops" (feminist or otherwise) seems to pervade our society.