Last week during the Democratic National Convention I tweeted: “we can only put cracks in the glass ceiling, because if they break it then fems have to find something new to be mad about” (@jessica_elise)
I’m sure several “new-age” feminists who follow me on Twitter rolled their eyes as they scrolled past my snarky tweet. But, after reading this Politico article, I don’t think I’m wrong.
This columnist is disappointed in the lack of millennials excitement over Hillary’s historical nomination. She acts as though we don’t care because we didn’t have to live through the struggles of the past. From a historical perspective, I think it’s cool to see people like the 102 year-old DNC delegate who cast her state’s votes for Hillary. She was 6 when women even got the right to vote. Things like that are pretty cool!
However, I am frustrated with this article because growing up, it’s been forced down our throats that girls and boys are the same and can do whatever they want. Our generation is the most accepting of gays and transgenders and mixed races relationships. We don’t bat eyelashes in situations that would have been scandal 50 years ago. But we’re supposed to all cry and care about Hillary Clinton being nominated?
The article says “Any parent of girls today can attest to the flood of girls-can-do messages: the pink engineering toys, the entrepreneurial Disney princesses, the minifig Lego girl scientists.” Acceptance and equality and political correctness has been taught to us since a very young age. But apparently we don’t appreciate this moment? I’m confused what our society is striving towards. Do we want girls to keep complaining or do we want girls to be empowered?
Yes, Hillary Clinton’s nomination was historical. But to millennials, female success should be commonplace, and I think that, for feminists, that should be an seen as a success, right? I understand she thinks we won’t fight as much for female equality, but she should understand that it really should be worth noting that our generation accepts women in leadership positions much more easily. I think it’s a positive view of the future, not negative. However, I shouldn’t really be shocked that now some feminists believe this isn’t good enough.
I apologize to this reporter for not having enough fireworks and doing enough cartwheels for Hillary’s nomination, but in 2016, this isn’t the most exciting. Let’s stop talking about the glass ceiling and start looking through it and looking towards the future.
A Day in the Life of J 