Man! I Feel Like a Woman

The year was 1997. I was just a young kid at the time, but I can vividly remember driving to school on the bus one day when Shania Twain's pop-country hit "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" came on over the radio. I sang it. The kindergarteners and sixth graders sang it. The bus driver sang it. We all sang it. As a young boy, belting the lyrics, "Man! I feel like a woman!" felt oddly empowering. Admittedly, as an adult male, my understanding of what it truly feels like to be a woman in today's world is probably pretty limited. Maybe the closest I've ever come to understanding the power of being a woman is singing Shania Twain on a dirty yellow bus 20 years ago. What I do know is that being a woman means being human; and being human means being individually unique and complex. With this complexity in mind, describing what it's like to be a woman in today's world in a few mere words or photos is impossible. However, through the following media and accompanying dialogue, I try to capture my perspective of women and what it means to me to be a woman in today's world.

Photograph by Kylee Ann Maughan. (2014, July 4).

Image retrieved from http://kyleeannphotography.com/amber-breast-cancer-inspiration-shoot/

To be a woman in today's world means being brave, strong, and resilient. It means being an inspiration. The above picture is from a photoshoot of a woman named Amber who recently underwent breast cancer treatment. As my mom overcame breast cancer, including a double mastectomy, a few years ago, Amber's photoshoot carries personal significance. Many would consider long, luscious hair and breasts hallmarks of female beauty and womanhood. So without either of these physical features, the cultural consensus might be that Amber is not "sexy" or beautiful. However, Amber's beauty is undeniable. Only a woman could endure the physical and emotional trials of breast cancer and emerge more beautiful than ever. Amber's photoshoot portrays the bravery and courage of the modern woman. Society might expect a survivor of breast cancer to be insecure, damaged, and unwilling to display their "imperfect" body. Sorry society. The modern woman- Amber, my mom, and many other survivors- are too strong to let a little cancer cripple them.

Image retrieved from http://www.assisttohire.com/blog/2017/03/28/the-modern-mom/

The modern mom is the multi-tasking mother, expected and capable of doing it all while not receiving the credit for doing so. The traditional view of a mother's role might be simplistic. A mother cooks. A mother cleans. A mother cares for children. Seems easy, right? Being a mother and a modern woman entails so much more than the 1950s portrayal of "Mom" suggests. The way I see it, the modern mom can do it all, is expected to do it all, and does do it all. The modern mom works, nurtures, care-takes, educates, and leads. And yes, she most likely cleans and cooks too. The modern mom is expected to change the diaper, make the sale, call the doctor, buy the groceries and look photo-shoot ready while doing it. The modern mom faces daily pressure to get it all done and her efforts are often overlooked. The modern mom does it all and makes it look easy. And we take her for granted.

Quote by Emma Watson. (2014, Sept. 20) 

Image retrieved from http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/01/emma-watson-feminism-quotes/

The modern woman is misunderstood. The above quote is from a speech delivered by actress Emma Watson to the U.N. in 2014. Thanks to the media and society in general, the word "feminism" often carries negative connotations. Feminists are man-haters. Feminists are angry. Feminists seek superiority over men. However, as Emma Watson points out, feminism is misunderstood. Feminists want equality, not superiority. The woman in today's world who stands up for women may be mislabeled as an obnoxious, whiny, angry, overly sensitive man-hater. Hopefully in history books 100 years from now, we will reform our current stereotypes and look back on today's feminists in the same light as Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Abraham Lincoln- as heroes who fought for human rights and equality.

Song by Kelly Clarkson. (2003, April 10).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS1ZW0FdoIU

A woman is independent. Traditional views suggest that a woman is dependent, specifically, that a woman is dependent on a man. These traditional stereotypes submit that a woman needs a man to "show her the way." Without a man, a woman cannot thrive and cannot succeed. Without a man, a woman cannot BE. To me, being a woman in today's world means being independent and self-reliant. Women are progressively being portrayed as empowered, autonomous individuals in the media. Songs like Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" promote self-sufficiency, fearlessness, and independence in women. Even in the Disney movie "Frozen," female independence and not needing a man acts as a central theme.

Tweet by alivingiano. (2016, Aug. 15). 

Retrieved from https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-women-tweets-feminism/

To be a woman in today's world means having the ability to accomplish anything and everything and yet not receive the appropriate recognition. At the age of 19, Katie Ledecky dominated the 2016 Olympic games in swimming winning four gold medals, one silver medal, and breaking two world records. However, her unparalleled success was reduced to a mere footnote in the Associated Press which featured Michael Phelp's silver medal as the dominant headline, thus downplaying the significance of Ledecky's world record. To be a woman in today's world means to be more capable and accomplished than a man and yet receive less recognition for equal or superior performance. Notwithstanding this lack of praise, the modern woman will continue to break world records.

Video by BuzzFeed. (2014).

Video retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9Dp6D91fI

To be a woman in today's world means to face the constant pressure of being externally beautiful and "made-up." This expectation to put on a pretty face is not just a pressure women face in the United States and other first-world countries. As seen in the above video, the majority of the world perceives a woman to be beautiful when she is meticulously "made-up" with perfect hair, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, etc. Although the definition of female beauty differs throughout the world, regardless of location, beauty consistently revolves around physical appearance. Today's woman might be told that inner beauty is all that matters, but then turns on the television and sees the actress with the pristinely "made-up" face or goes to the store and sees the airbrushed magazine model with the perfectly toned body. Because cultures throughout the world define female beauty by physical appearance, the modern woman faces daily pressure to be physically flawless. To be a woman means to battle the cultural contradiction that inner beauty is supposedly all that matters when outer beauty is all that is seen in popular culture and media.

Photograph by Annie Leibovitz. (2015).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/the-real-reason-why-pirelli-chose-real-women-the-rise-of-the-fem/

To be a woman means to fight stereotypes of physical beauty. It is undeniable that the media's portrayal of female beauty emphasizes physical qualities that are sensational and largely unrealistic. According to the media and popular culture, being sexy is synonymous with being skinny, having large breasts, being perfectly proportioned...essentially looking flawless in lingerie. Without plastic surgery, these physical characteristics are nearly impossible to obtain. Women are fighting back against the unrealistic stereotypes of beauty displayed by the media. The above picture is of comedian Amy Schumer who posed semi-nude to oppose the media's portrayal of physical beauty as being skinny, perfectly toned, and having Barbie-like proportions. To be a woman in today's world means combatting media stereotypes and embracing the innate physical beauty that all women possess.

Ad by UN Women. (2013). Credit: Memac Ogilvy and Mather Dubai

Image retrieved from http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2013/10/women-should-ads

To be a woman means to be oppressed in many parts of the world. Progressive ideas concerning women's rights are not accepted in most cultures. Women around the world are oppressed, victimized, and abused. It is estimated that 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives. To be a woman in today's world means to be widely considered inferior and incapable. I have been fortunate to grow up in a culture and household that values women as intelligent, capable, equal, beautiful, and worthy of constant respect and admiration. Unfortunately, the perception and treatment of women throughout the world largely does not mirror my own.

Image retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/quote-boss-bossy-B1q47o48d0SCA

Women are "bosses." Traditionally, women have been stereotyped as meek, soft, and submissive. Yes, I suppose women may generally be more meek than men, but almost every prominent woman in my life is a straight-up "boss." My wife is a "boss." She's strong, opinionated, independent, motivated, sexy. My mom is a "boss." She's brave, persistent, hard-working, determined, and intelligent. My grandma is a "boss." She's strong-willed, confident, selfless, outgoing and was literally the boss of BYU catering for over 20 years. The fearlessness of the women in my life has shaped my view of today's woman as being strong, driven, and tenacious. 

Quote by Kavita Ramdas. Date unknown.

Image retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/213780313539342543/

To me, women are the most loving, caring, and selfless people in the world. Although society might associate these characteristics with just mothers, I believe these attributes pertain to all women. I believe women have an innate ability to love. To be a woman means to have the unsurpassed ability to nurture, love, and empathize. Throughout this presentation, I have referred to women as strong, brave, and "bosses." Many would consider that these assertive traits contradict characteristics such as loving, caring, and selfless. Enter the uniqueness of women. Only a woman can be a "boss" while simultaneously being the most loving, compassionate person in the world. The above poem illustrates a woman's unique ability to possess seemingly contrasting characteristics   

Image by Barry Deutsch. (2012, April 3)

Image retrieved from http://leftycartoons.com/2012/04/03/really-good-careers/

To be a woman means to have equal intelligence, skill, and ability but not equal opportunity. As of 2015 in the United States, the Pew Research center estimated that a full-time working woman makes 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Further statistics indicate that women consistently earn less than men in nearly every occupation in which salary data can be collected. Even more harrowing, the Institute for Women's Policy Research estimated that Black women will have to wait until the year 2124 to receive equal pay as men. Hispanic women will have to wait until 2248. And while more women graduate from college than men, women enter the work field following graduation make approximately $9,000 less in yearly salary than men according to an Economic Policy Institute study (2016).  

Quote by Alexandre Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo.

Image retrieved from http://quotespictures.com/quotes/women-quotes/page/36/

This quote, more than any another, captures my perception of women. Women are sacred. Women are divine. Women are the greatest of God's creations. My belief in the divinity of women was cemented when I got married to my wife, Christie. In her I see my future, my life, and my potential. Women throughout the world are not always viewed as sacred or holy. They are disadvantaged, oppressed, and objectified. To be a woman in today's world means to be the greatest of God's creations but not recognized or treated as such. I am grateful that my upbringing, religious background, and personal experiences have helped me realize the sacredness of women.