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A feminist reads Lisa Haydon’s treatise on feminism for the first time. Here's what happens

A feminist reads Lisa Haydon’s treatise on feminism for the first time. Here's what happens

Actually Lisa, saying motherhood is the pinnacle of female achievement is really problematic.
Updated 25 May, 2016

Yesterday model and Bollywood actress Lisa Haydon had some things to say about feminism in an interview with Times of India.

Her nine-line take on feminism resounded like thunder across the internet. Before I read the interview social media had already made clear that what I found within might be alarming. But I resolved to read Lisa's take on feminism with an open mind.

What follows is a critical, line-by-line analysis of Lisa Haydon on feminism — as and when it happened.

1) "I don't like the word feminist."

Okay. So Lisa’s starting off her, um, treatise with a simple declarative sentence asserting that she lacks affinity with the word ‘feminist.’

Cool, cool. Words can be tricky sometimes. Me, I could list at least a dozen words that I swear harbour some kind of personal vendetta against me - like diarrhoea, the correct spelling of which has eluded me all my life despite my being a pretty proficient speller. I mean, I just spelled it wrong again. I spelled it D-I-A-H-O-R-E-A which I would have sworn was right but as soon as I hit the spacebar there it was – that squiggly red line which makes me feel like an idiot. I’m so off even Spellcheck refuses to recognise the word. Great.

Anyway, speaking of poop, back to Lisa's take on feminism. I get that Lisa could conceivably hold a similar grudge against ‘feminist’ even though that’s a pretty easy word to spell, I think.

Either way, I’m intrigued. According to logic, Lisa’s next sentence should offer up some kind of definition of ‘feminist’ – or what she thinks the word means anyway, and then she should go about explaining to me why she hates it.

2) "I don't think women trying to be men is feminism."

Whoa. So Lisa’s making an interesting choice here by not presenting her argument against the word ‘feminist’ in a logical sequence. Either that or her first sentence was intended to just kind of soften me up while she prepared to spring her real thesis on me – an analysis of what feminism is (and isn’t, clearly).

Anyway. So, she thinks ‘women trying to be men’ is not an accurate description of feminism.

Well, I can’t find fault with that statement. Congratulations Lisa! You’re 100% correct. ‘Women trying to be men’ is actually NOT the correct definition of feminism.

So what is feminism? Lisa doesn’t tell us, so I may as well.

Now, there are long, complicated answers to this and some simple ones too. This is only fair, considering feminism is a large and complex social movement — also ideology, also field of study —spanning generations that cuts across class, race and sexual orientation.

But for the purposes of this essay let’s keep it real simple and say that feminism is the belief that women shouldn’t be discriminated against on the basis of their gender. Okay? Okay.

So now I’m guessing Lisa’s going to…

3) "I also don't believe in being outspoken for the sake of it, or just to prove a point."

Wait, what? Let’s backtrack. Because she’s explained what she thinks feminism isn’t I’m assuming she has an opinions on what it is – but we haven’t got there yet. Instead we’re talking about being outspoken.

Lisa has now appeared to have jettisoned logic entirely. I will attempt to put put the pieces together as best I can.

We know Lisa doesn’t like the word feminist. She appears to associate it with something negative. She also appears to believe ‘being outspoken’ is bad under any circumstances. Yes, you read me correctly. She’s issued a blanket condemnation of outspokenness. She doesn’t want you to be outspoken just for the heck of it and she also doesn’t want you to be outspoken when you really have an important point to make.

By analysing her use of the word ‘just’ (in colloquial usage, when preceding mention of an action, thing or person ‘just’ minimises or diminishes the importance of that action, thing or person, for example: “Maa, it’s just a tattoo” or “No need to stand up, it’s just the Vice President”) as it relates to ‘proving a point’ I’m also going to assume that she thinks proving points – that is, following hypotheses to their conclusions — is a huge waste of time.

Hmmm. Lisa really doesn’t like people having opinions. Or discussing, you know, issues.

Enter irony. This is because this treatise on feminism is Lisa’s opinion, and if she were to apply this to her own situation she shouldn’t have allowed herself to be interviewed in a national newspaper.

Hmmm. Hmmm. I sense some inconsistencies.

4) "Feminism is just an overused term and people make too much noise about it for no reason."

Ok. Finally. Lisa gets back to feminism.

But wait – what does she think it is? Ugh, we still don’t know! And there’s that ‘just’ again!

Anyway, she’s forced my hand. Lisa’s forcing me to conclude that she doesn’t have a very high opinion of feminism. I’d go so far as to say she thinks it kind of sucks.

You know what else Lisa thinks sucks? How people ‘make too much noise’ about feminism ‘for no reason.’

Remember how we said feminism is the belief that women shouldn’t be discriminated against on the basis of their gender identities? Let’s stay with that for a moment.

Lisa Haydon is from India and she’s a woman. Given that a lot of women around her are, in fact, discriminated against on the basis of their gender can Lisa say in good faith that ‘making noise’ (which I understand to mean ‘talking about’ or teaching people about’) feminism is without purpose?

Teaching people that women have the same right as men to occupy public spaces might spare Indian women from brutal rape and murder. Talking about gender discrimination might save one more baby girl from infanticide. If this isn't purpose, I don't know what is.

Heck, if Lisa thinks that isn’t purpose enough to talk about feminism she could think about her own situation.

Earlier in this very same interview she says: “I am just an individual trying to carve a niche for myself that nobody else can fill.” She also says she doesn’t want to be objectified.

Feminism would help with that, don’t you think?

5) "Women have been given these bodies to produce children, and the spirit and tenderness to take care of people around us."

To follow the train of Lisa Hayden's thoughts is akin to taking a tour of a particularly dystopic Narnia. Much like the tale's enchanted closet, entering Lisa Haydon's headspace requires forgetting everything you thought you knew about contemporary debates on gender.

What she's doing here is essentialising differences between women and men (again, no mention of other genders!). Women are inherently maternal and nurturing, says Lisa. What follows from this is that mothering should be their primary role.

This essentialism is a dangerous, dirty business that drives practically every discriminatory practice against women, from gender-based wage gaps to sexual harassment. It's the very attitude women and the feminist movement have fought long and hard against, because they don't want to be seen as 'just' mothers or 'just' wives' or 'just' anything.

Again, this is a pretty odd stance for Lisa to take given that earlier in this very interview she said she wants to be considered "multi-dimensional."

And then she follows this up with...

6) "It's fine to be an outspoken and working woman."

This is the very definition of a U-turn.

Lisa literally just said she thinks being outspoken is a bad thing, and now it's 'fine'. I don't understand where this came from. I have a headache.

7) "I don't want to be a man."

Ok, this is the second time the Lisa has stressed that she doesn’t want to be a man.

In literary theory, repetition is an important indicator of value. Of some underlying theme or point of obsession.

I’m forced to conclude Lisa has real anxiety about being considered masculine.

And this is only natural when , like Lisa, you essentialise gender roles. When you view femininity and masculinity as rigid constructs you feel anything you do that can be construed as even slightly 'male' — like having an opinion, or or being outspoken — might put you in the man box. And that would be bad, because you're really invested in not being a man, right?

I don't even want to think about what little room this archaic construction of the world leaves for people who don't identify as either a man or woman.

But I feel for Lisa. I honestly want to place my hand on her head and say, it's ok. No one's forcing you to be a man, Lisa. You can be a woman and still ask for equal pay. You can ask for the same rights to life and liberty as a man and not relinquish your love for fuschia. How? Feminism. It will let you have these things. Come towards the light.

8) "One day I look forward to making dinner for my husband and children. I don't want to be a career feminist."

Lisa's anxiety seems to be reaching a head. This statement is at least a logical conclusion to what came before: how she thinks men and women should remain within the confines of the roles generations of patriarchy assigned to them.

I find myself wondering how it is that Lisa, a 21st century woman who says she values individualism ("the best person to compete with is yourself," she trilled earlier), is mimicking arguments made mostly as a reaction to second-wave feminism back in the 1970's and 80s. She has access to modern takes on feminism which make clear it's more inclusive than ever, and open to criticism too. She has friends who espouse these values. Why then is her understanding of feminism so regressive, so limited?

What's fascinating is how her view doesn't reflect her experiences — she is, after all, a reasonably independent, opinionated woman who appears to live life on her own terms. Now, whether she wants to identify as a feminist or not is her business. But as a public figure, I do hold her accountable for what she chooses to say in the media, and for spreading ill-informed and damaging arguments that may hold other women back.

Given all the flaws and loopholes in Lisa's argument I can only conclude: Lisa would do well to have a conversation with Kangna Ranaut or even Anuskha Sharma. What she needs, really, is to be woke.

Comments

feminist_LOL May 23, 2016 06:57pm
Most so-called feminist dont understand the underlying feminist movements and what caused it. This is why most of today's feminist have a warped sense of what the word means... it does NOT mean that you get to work in jobs with men AND not have to serve in military armed conflicts or open your own door or even take half the check. Cant have your cake and eat it too ladies. The original feminists understood that, most so-called feminists today dont!
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Dr faizan May 23, 2016 07:35pm
Feminism is the number one tool used to ruin women, families and create another group in society which is pinned against another.
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rene May 23, 2016 08:40pm
Hello. Your Definition is wrong. Feminism means men are bad, woman are good ans men allways exploit woman. you are talking about humans right
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Moin Ul Haque May 23, 2016 08:57pm
I think it would be fair if the Ms. Zubair, being a journalist, included both sides of the story. For instance, she leaves our the origins of the movement, the eventual decline of the movement in the last few years. We as readers should be allowed to hear both sides of the argument where anti-feminist and men's rights movements have a lot of facts to back up their argument. The failure of western civilization and the breakup of even the nuclear families is ample evidence of the invalidity of the feminist theory. Only corporate elites benefit from feminist policies of total inclusion of women in the workforce as it reduces wages across the board. The real families are more vulnerable, children suffer due to lack of parental access, stress on family life increases all the while having very little impact on the household income. It has always been the Rockefellers and Morgans of our society who have made fortunes from every human misery for ages.
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COLIN May 24, 2016 01:12am
A "FEMINIST" FROM PAKISTAN ?! WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE. YOU MUST LIVE IN A MAKE BELIEVE IVORY TOWER,FAR FROM THE ACTUAL REALITY AND EXPERIENCES OF 98 % OF REAL PAKISTANI WOMEN !!
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arif ali May 24, 2016 02:32am
Actually what Lisa said in a spoken interview is lot more clear than your written article here. What is wrong if Lisa feels that women in general are kinder and hence better care givers? She feels that women should choose whatever roles they are comfortable with rather than forcing themselves to do what men do just to prove a point. If she is choosing to make dinner for her husband and children, what problem do you have with it? She forcing her choices on others like you are trying to do as she said "It's fine to be an outspoken and working woman". Please stop criticizing others just because they disagree with your viewpoints.
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Khuram Nisar May 24, 2016 09:24am
Whether man or women if stays in its own boundaries; looks beautiful - the moment you go out of the circle, it just becomes ugly.... Loved the last point.... "One day I look forward to making dinner for my husband and children. I don't want to be a career feminist."
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sudhir May 24, 2016 09:31am
She has a point. I have known women who talk feminism, but mostly depend on men for most things and women who are as good as men in fixing things, driving on highways, changing tires when car has a flat while still being great cooks, wives and mothers. Women are infinitely superior to men. We must remember they are the people who bring us into this world. No man can multitask the way a way a woman can and no man's life is complete without a woman.
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analyses May 24, 2016 09:31am
Without looking at author's name, you can easily judge that it can only be written by a woman. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. However, chain of reasoning presented in this article is quite typical of how women think in general.
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Shridevi May 24, 2016 10:24am
I agree with much of the points the author has pointed out here. Reading her interview first up in the morning woke up my dormant cells. Clearly, she doesn't understand feminism, the real-time issues women face all across the globe (specially in India), is a blind follower of this patriarchal society and sure is totally confused.
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Hassan May 24, 2016 11:14am
@Dr faizan Feminism is about equality, for Men and Women.
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tina May 24, 2016 11:50am
@Dr faizan : such ignorance!! feminism is nothing but an expression of acknowledgement that women and men are companions and not boss and slave. since, our society do not know how to treat women respectfully , forget about equality, we need feminism
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Kailash May 24, 2016 11:56am
I dint find anything objectionable in Lisa's interview. For example, if she is saying that she would prefer serving her family than having a career, what's wrong in it? Who is someone to question her judgement. If you decide to put every sentence under microscope and find a twisted narrative, you will always succeed. Seems like the author has a lot of grudge against Lisa.
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shakatiman May 24, 2016 01:01pm
Feminism =female chauvinism
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Mana May 24, 2016 06:05pm
Loved the write up! I've no words for Lisa's double standards, sitting on her privileged pedestal preaching what a woman should or should not do. Hilarious that the comments here are almost entirely from men, with the insanely ignorant view that feminism equals male bashing or is an intrinsically divisive term. Your archaic, misogynistic comments is just one more reason why South Asia is in such dire need of "feminism" (meaning the equality between BOTH genders)!
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Moksha May 25, 2016 12:52am
Males are same ,India or Pakistan .going by the comments here.feminists just want respect and equality for women.why is it so difficult.why can't a mother be head of the family.if women can multitask,why can't males.no shame in cooking or cleaning.a females work isn't shameful.these Bollywood actresses just want money by looking like sati Savitri Indian woman who always walks behind her husband and never along with him
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No. May 25, 2016 03:34pm
@Moin Ul Haque Actually, corporates benefit from from inclusion of women in the workforce because a diverse workforce brings in bigger profits and more viewpoints. And of course they benefit from lowered wages, women are considered less competent. By men.
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Steven Lyall May 25, 2016 10:31pm
You're basically saying that all women should want to be men. It's your thinking that is flawed. Women don't need to be like men or be men in order to be strong and independent and leaders in their own right. Women have always been and always will have an essential and primary role in human development and nothing is going to change that. Get your head out of the politics and activism and take a look at life. Women make our world. Without them we would cease to exist. Perhaps you consider ideas to be dangerous because you are too small to understand and accept them. Without women being women we would have no nuclear family units. Respect them. But don't try to change them. And for god's sake don't try to turn them into men.
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Steven Lyall May 25, 2016 10:36pm
@Shridevi how is wanting to cook dinner mean that you are a promoter of the patriarchal society model? I know many men who cook. I am one of them. I know men who cook for their families everyday after coming home from work. Are we going to fill up the internet with ridiculous notions about this? What exactly do you have against women being women? A woman is not weak. Being a man does not make you strong. But being true to yourself and following your dreams regardless of what life or other people throw at you does make you strong and independent and I respect that.
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Igloo May 29, 2016 02:12pm
Feminism is not a legal institution with set criteria. It is a general term like 'liberal' and has a very wide spectrum. There is no monopoly on the word and it use to identify oneself. And in secular terms there is no right and wrong - just opinions and whether you can use your influence to shape society to match your expectations. Or to paraphrase Captain Jack Sparrow, what matters is what a woman can do and what a woman cant do.
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