Inspired by the ubiquitous "Practice Random Acts of Kindness" slogan, Wendy Roby of The Guardian has been writing about everyday things that we could do to show female solidarity and chisel away at the patriarchy. She explains the impact of "random acts of resistance" like this:
A sign of female solidarity in an unlikely place might, in fact, be a useful weapon in the feminist's arsenal. Be it the blaring inanity of lads' mags, the stark reality of sexist language or the sheer tedium of excessive housework, Random Acts of Feminism represent a small but lively opportunity to fight back in our everyday lives.Her recipes for quick-and-easy subversive acts include putting copies of Good Housekeeping in front of racks of "lad's mags," leaving copies of feminist publications like Bust or Bitch in dentists' waiting rooms, and amending lewd or derisive comments scrawled on the back of bathroom doors:
It only takes a second - and a handy marker pen - to transform something mean-spirited. Cross out the "c" and the "h", for example, and "Jilly is a bitch" can quickly be changed to "Jilly is a bit of a genius".Apparently, a marker is a consistently useful tool in any feminist's portable arsenal. I am intrigued by Roby's idea, and feel like these little acts of protest might be a nice antidote to the tiny morale dampeners we face while out-and-about every day. Does anyone else have suggestions for "random acts" of feminist resistance?
(image via Deviant Blonde)
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1 comment:
The author of the Guardian article wrote a few more suggestions for the f-word. I liked this one:
"LADS’ MAGS
The berks what produce these things helpfully provide you with email
addresses - so you can send in pictures of yourself with no clothes
on. I thought this might be a Death Star-style weak spot in their
nasty little racket, as it provides you with an opening to tell them
what you think. You could style your email like a budding page three
starlet, but attach a picture of something decidedly less sexy, for
example. Or just whack them a massive attachment or two – anything
to slow down their day as they frantically grope through their inbox."
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