Pinterest vs. Feminism

I read an article that I think raises and interesting argument, but that I can't say I agree with fully.

The article discusses the idea that Pinterest is "killing feminism" by containing content what a woman is "supposed" to be reading, according to stereotypical housewife codes of femininity. Critiques point out that the content for women on Pinterest is all about cooking, dieting, outrageous body image goals, clothing, and kitchen/house dreams, etc. By creating this site and then gaining so many millions of women followers, the article argues that the steps that internet has taken to create more substantive, meaty internet sites for women are being undone by the superficial and gender-restricting codes displayed on Pinterest.

And while I agree in some points, I disagree in others. Much like my stance on Women's Health Magazine, I do think sites dedicated to women's content are much too focused on dieting (rather than over all health), getting "fit" (a.k.a. having a certain body type and image), and "proper" topics for women. But I also think that sites and magazine like these can still serve a purpose.

A key critique of feminism in the Communication field is the isolating affect it can take on women. Rather than bringing the female population together as a solid, united group, it tends to do the opposite and make women see each other in an "us vs. them" light.

Pinterest has become a space where women (and men, who also are users of the site) can share ideas, pictures, recipes, comments, and so forth. While the content may be less than ideal, the collaboration it has sparked among female online users is quite ahead of many other sites. That collaboration in and of itself could be a very important and useful tool in uniting women as a collective group.

Another sticking point for me on this argument is the idea that just because one identifies his/herself as feminist, automatically one cannot enjoy the types of things you can find on Pinterest. As a user myself, I go to Pinterest because I enjoy cooking and I like to see the new and creative recipes and comments that other users contribute. I don't think that because of this I lose any credibility as a woman or as a political agent, I just enjoy doing it and I like the way it is done on this particular website.

So there, enough with my critique of a critique. I am always glad to see critical thinking such as this article, so I am happy to pass it on to others to read and think about it for themselves.

Enjoy!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/amyodell/how-pinterest-is-killing-feminism