As humans, our decision-making processes are easily lead by our reactionary nature. This often unpredictable bug in our coding can lead two individuals to react to an identical situation totally differently. With Star Wars becoming an increasingly relevant and efficient object of comparison with various and often controversial topics, the sci-fi series was the first to come to mind when thinking of a digestible lens through which to talk about a decisively pertinent topic: feminism.
There currently exists an embarrassingly incorrect stigma around feminism. This has many causes—the most dominant of which is possibly the persistence of radical individuals and groups who make the problem worse by spreading counterintuitively aggressive, hateful ideology. Identical tendencies also hinder such movements as black liberation, such religions as Islam, and such philosophies as socialism—they are not solely the zit on feminism’s face. Misandry, contempt for or hatred of all males, is too often confused for feminism but is essentially its polar opposite. The feminist wants nothing to do with the hatred of men as feminism argues for political, social, and economic equality. It is important that we do not perpetuate the stigma by accepting misandry as legitimate (or karma) or as even a faction of feminism; their simple definitions express just how far apart the two are in their missions. Radical individuals and groups can blur this line and confuse the public about what feminism really is.
Now think about Star Wars for a minute. We’ll start with a young promising Jedi knight to be, Anakin Skywalker.
Anakin Skywalker was scouted as a young boy by Jedi masters Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and master Yoda for having what seemed to be a potent strength in the Force. He was eager and able to accomplish whatever he set his mind to, notably constructing the lovable protocol droid C3PO, and so Obi-Wan took the boy under his wing to train him in the Force to become possibly the most powerful Jedi ever. All appeared to be going well until Anakin began to question Obi-Wan and the legitimacy of the Jedi as opposed to their seemingly more powerful enemies, the Sith. After the capture and murder of Anakin’s mother by a ruthless indigenous Tatooine tribe (the Tuskan raiders) the conflicted padawan fed into his building rage and in an act of revenge and lust for control he turned to the dark side. It is then that Skywalker began his new life as Sith Lord Darth Vader. He channeled his deserved anger, reaction to injustice, and loss of control into an unadulterated hatred of the Jedi and totalitarian quest to control the galaxy.
His son reacted to a very similar circumstance completely differently.
Luke Skywalker, the adopted son of Owen and Beru Lars ([SPOILER ALERT]and biologically of Anakin Skywalker), was raised following his birth in a loving home and did not discover his calling to the Force until coerced by Ben (formerly Obi-Wan) Kenobi following an attack from the same tribe as those who killed Anakin’s mother. The Empire went on a search for the two droids (R2D2 and C3PO) that were in Luke’s house, and in their search murdered Owen and Beru. This inspired Luke to begin on his path to fight the Empire—to become a Jedi. Luke was unsure of many things in his life up until this point including his sense of purpose; he was disenfranchised but willing to give all of his energy to what he set his mind to. Becoming a Jedi was Luke’s opportunity to do great things: he channeled his deserved anger, reaction to injustice, and loss of control into a quest for the correction of all of these things; one for the good of the galaxy.
Back to feminism.
Confronting sexism is necessary but can be done in multiple ways. Some peoples’ response is visceral—disdain for the current system overrides any thinking toward positive change. These people become misandrists and misogynists, neither of which are effective personalities to instigate progress. All others, any who promote equality of the sexes, are feminists whether they know it or not. Juno (2007) star Ellen Pagenails it as she says that “I call myself a feminist when people ask me if I am, and of course I am ‘cause it’s about equality, so I hope everyone is."
Page's mindset aligns with that of one of the most prominent feminist writers and activists ever, Bell Hooks. Hooks, currently 63 years old, has written powerful feminist literature, namely Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center and Feminism is for Everybody. She emphasizes advocacy as a method of freedom both for men and women and equality as a vehicle for peace. With no “rules” to follow depending upon one’s sex, the ability to be a full individual becomes a right rather than a privilege. Hooks writes: “As the movement progressed, as feminist thinking advanced, enlightened feminist activists saw that men were not the problem, that the problem was patriarchy, sexism, and male domination. It was difficult to face the reality that the problem did not just lie with men.” (Hooks, 2000 Feminism Is For Everybody). The individual approach to feminism is ultimately routed in that individual’s understanding of men; their understanding of the problem. People such as Valerie Solanas do not understand the problem.
An image of Solanas from a promotion poster from I Shot Andy Warhol (1996).
Solanas (1936-1988) was a self-proclaimed radical feminist, but truly a misandrist. In her plays and other writing she objectifies, antagonizes, and dehumanizes men namely in what became her most popular work, the SCUM Manifesto . “SCUM” stands for “Society for Cutting Up Men” and after understanding this it is not difficult to imagine the tone of the manifesto. Solanas became famous for her attempt on iconic artist Andy Warhol’s life after he apparently lost one of her radical plays she had hoped Warhol would produce. She thinks that “Every man, deep down, knows he's a worthless piece of sh-t. Overwhelmed by a sense of animalism and deeply ashamed of it; wanting, not to express himself, but to hide from others his total physicality, total egocentricity, the hate and contempt he feels for other men, and to hide from himself the hate and contempt he suspects other men feel for him; having a crudely constructed nervous system that is easily upset by the least display of emotion or feeling, the male tries to enforce a `social' code that ensures perfect blandness, unsullied by the slightest trace or feeling or upsetting opinion.” (Solanas, 1967 SCUM Manifesto). This is NOT feminism. Solanas and others like her claim(ed) to be radical feminists who push the envelope where it needs to go. They do not understand that fostering this way of thinking just burns the envelope. This is a play into anger and a total conversion to the Dark Side.
Writers, activists, and thinkers such as Bell Hooks are feminism’s Luke Skywalker. They acknowledge the Dark Side, confront themselves in relation to the problem, and proactively work toward saving the entire galaxy. Anakin Skywalker, or Darth Vader, is feminism’s Valerie Solanas (he even tried to kill Obi-Wan, and had the same luck Solanas did with Warhol). These people are enraged thinkers, reactionary extremists, and misguided activists who protest for the sake of protest rather than to promote equality. A misandrist calling themselves a feminist would be the same as Darth Sidious claiming to be a simple policymaker fighting for the good of the galaxy. They are not logical thinkers and do not wish for a peaceful community. Misandrists are filled with hate and end up inadvertently creating a world much like the one they tried to eliminate by instilling rage-driven ideologies within people.
If we as a society could work to cultivate a community that inspires positive and proactive reactions to circumstances we wish to change, this would be a world with far more fearless badass Jedi feminists and ultimately a world with less hatred and suffering. As master Yoda says: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
May the Force be with you.
Bell Hooks at work. Microphone or lightsaber?
