Product Description

A powerful indictment from within of the current state of feminism, and a passionate call to arms

From Lilith Fair to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the WNBA--everywhere you look, girl culture is clearly ascendant. Young women live by feminism's goals, yet feminism itself is undeniably at a crossroads; "girl power" feminists appear to be obsessed with personal empowerment at the expense of politics while political institutions such as Ms. and NOW are so battle weary they've lost their ability to speak to a new generation. In Manifesta, Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards show the snags in each feminist hub--from the dissolution of riot grrrls into the likes of the Spice Girls, to older women's hawking of young girls' imperiled self-esteem, to the hyped hatred of feminist thorns like Katie Roiphe and Naomi Wolf--and prove that these snags have not, in fact, torn feminism asunder.

In an intelligent and incendiary argument, Baumgardner and Richards address issues instead of feelings and the political as well as the personal. They describe the seven deadly sins the media commits against feminism, provide keys to accessible and urgent activism, discuss why the ERA is still a relevant and crucial political goal, and spell out what a world with equality would look like. They apply Third Wave confidence to Second Wave consciousness, all the while maintaining that the answer to feminism's problems is still feminism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79743 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780374526221
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Two youthful alumnae of Ms. magazine present not a manifesto, but a talky defense of contemporary feminism, directed in part at disappointed Second Wave foremothers. Arguing that feminism is already all around us, the heart of the book is a long, unbridled paean to tough and sexy "girlie culture," as represented by Xena, Ally McBeal, the Spice Girls and little girls wearing Mia Hamm jerseys. Sporting green nail polish and Hello Kitty lunchboxes isn't infantile, the authors declare, but a "nod to our joyous youth." At the same time, they caution young women not to stop and rest on the success of cultural feminism, but to develop political lives and awareness. The book suffers mightily from its determined evenhandedness; Baumgardner and Richards typically temper any negative comments with an immediate positive note, and vice versa. Whether this feminist duo's ambivalence reflects schisms in the movement, their own fear of offending other feminists or simply the awkwardness of joint authorship, the result is shallow, both as a critique and a call to arms. Analysis of the few Third Wavers who are already visible in the media ought to have been surefire; instead, the chapter "Who's Afraid of Katie Roiphe?" comes too late (after 200-odd pages) and is too tame and indecisiveAthe authors pointedly clamp down on their own irritation with Roiphe, referring to her simply as a "controversial" figure among left-wing feminists. Fewer history lessons and more pique might have given this book more force. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Baumgardner and Richards, two writers with Ms. affiliations, start their analysis of U.S. feminism with a wonderful assumption: that "girl culture," from women rock stars and athletes to female entrepreneurs and inventors, have become an integral part of the national psyche. Thanks to Second Wave feminist agitators, today's young womenDthose who grew up believing that they could be anything they wanted to beDhave unprecedented opportunities. Now, as responsibility for women's liberation falls to them, decisions about goals, strategies, and direction have to be made. Manifesta, which is far less shrill than the name suggests, urges young women to pick up where their mothers, aunts, and adult mentors left off. Their challenge? To fulfill feminism's promise of justice, equality, and sexual freedom for all. Complete with appendixes to teach novices the nuts-and-bolts of community organizing, this book is a reasoned and passionate call to action and an exciting how-to guide for both burgeoning and seasoned Third Wave feminists. Recommended for all high school, college, and public libraries.DEleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
By addressing itself specifically to young women, this imperfect but relatively thorough treatise helps fill a gap in the current debate between older feminist luminaries, some would say "dinosaurs", such as Gloria Steinem, and the crop of news making younger female writers who tend to embrace anti-feminism.Both authors are former editors at Ms. who have since moved on to various leadership roles in the so-called "Third Wave" of feminist writers and activists now in their 20s and early 30s. They combine a brief historical assessment of the movement for women's equality (focusing particularly on the tumultuous developments of the 1970s) with a call to action-aimed largely at girls and young women who, the authors believe, have benefited from the previous generation's struggles but continue to experience forms of sexism and relative powerlessness. By linking contemporary pro-female culture (the Lilith Festival; magazines such as Bust, Sassy, and Jane; women's basketball and soccer) to its intellectual and political roots from the 1960s and '70s, Baumgardner and Richards aim to provide counter-evidence to the perennial claim that feminism has died or outlived its usefulness. Many pages are spent on a useful analysis of the strengths and shortcomings of "girl power"-a healthy, positive, empowering attitude toward the traditional trappings of female youth culture, but not quite a political strategy, in the authors' estimation. Their study falters in a few ways: repetitiveness, an over-reliance on personal anecdotes in the opening pages, and a penchant for making controversial claims without providing sources (for example, the "fact" that some states won't allow a mother to make medical decisions on behalf of her children without the father's approval). Still, simpatico older women will be heartened by the authors' knowledgeable discussion of pro-woman attitudes and actions among the younger set, while girls and young women may find political or personal inspiration in their account.An important contribution to the subject, despite its flaws. -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Good ideas, but very uneven
Perhaps my problem with the book came from the fact that it was written by two people working together, which probably contributed to its uneven tone. Jennifer and Amy (as they call themselves) try to encompass quite a bit of description and critique of certain youth-oriented trends in feminism, and sometimes it falls apart by the sheer width of their scope. And even though they continually point out that they are members of the Third Wave, the younger wave of feminist women, sometimes they seem strangely removed from the ideas that they purport to describe. For instance, they feel obliged to dismiss Girlie feminists as ineffectual, when this brand of feminism probably attracts more young people to the movement than any other. They were also dismissive to the huge contributions that Third Wavers have made to incorporating men to the cause. On the other hand, they were particularly adept at dismantling some of the myths that are commonly believed about feminism, which is a valuable task for anyone, Second or Third Wave. It's worth reading, but don't accept it as encompassing as a manifesta should be. Even the authors ask this of the reader.

a very good but limited insiders review
This book does an excellent job of evaluating the feminist movement from an insider's perspective. However many of the threads involve women who work either in the movement or live in a liberal cultural environment. I am disappointed though that it doesn't address what I see as an important current problem: why does feminism fail to connect with a large percentage of women who are reluctant to identify themselves as feminist. Until the voices/minds of the apparently apathetic nurse/beautician/receptionist and "annoying dissentors" etc are explored (and considered "valid" not just "unliberated") I am afraid that feminism will remain in its ivory tower and not as effective as it should be, perhaps hijacked from the "ordinary" "unliberated" plebs. These women vote. (Why would a women's shelter volunteer be put off by her women's studies class?) The authors didn't explore why many women (and potentially supportive men) are totally put off by their women's studies class and never want to be associated with the feminist label after that. Where does an orthodox Jewish women fit into this picture. Is she just too stupid to know she's oppressed since she doesn't share the "agenda". What does she think? I haven't found a book who's interviews explore these marginalized, "unliberated" women's perspective with respect. The attitude of "support our troops" (feminist or otherwise) seems to pervade our society.

Important, but incomplete
The most recent in a string of books about "Third Wave" feminism, Manifesta is one of the more well-researched and forceful out there, and its attempt to reconcile "Girl Power" with Second Wave philosophy laudable. It is, unfortunately, lacking in several areas.

As the Kirkus review mentions, there is quite a bit of repetition in this book. There is also far too much of a meandering and verbose approach to making their statements and conclusions. It shouldn't take 41 pages to say that the "Girlie" feminists are cool, but lack a political foundation. I imagine that much of this wishy-washy feel is probably the authors' own attempts to come to agreement about many issues, but what that results in is something that is very much unlike a manifest(a) and more like a jointly written diary- a soul-searching hunt for a true opinion and foundation. The authors also seem to blindly present an essentialist and "difference" feminism viewpoint without, apparantly, an understanding of what those two philosophies really mean, and a clear idea of why those viewpoints are, in their opinion, more important and relevant than constructionism and "equality" feminism. The authors also come from a background of suburban and urban feminist culture (including feminist mothers) and access to good educations and high-profile media jobs, and don't seem to be aware of how that biases the conclusions they make- especially in their examinations of "Girlie" feminism and Girl Power. They don't go very far into examining the effect class and capitalism have on creating those two movements, for instance. It is also clear that they are coming from a background of publishing and print media, but they don't seem to understand, much less clearly state, exactly how deeply this colors their examination of media, culture and women in general.. "Write what you know" of course, but make sure the reader knows that that's the reason you're skimming over certain things. I'm also very disappointed at the lack of examination of heterosexual and binary gender dynamics as they contribute to current feminist culture. I would hope that women's/gender studies has advanced to the point where we truly understand that feminism is not solely an issue for biological women, but they seem to have missed that class. GLBT and alternative sexuality culture and writings are probably the most cutting-edge and insightful examinations of gender dynamics, theory and politics out there today, and it's unforgiveable to completely ignore what has been said from that perspective. I would higly recommend that the authors read Kate Bornstein's Gender Workbook, for instance, just as a start into seeing exactly how clearly GLBT culture understands feminism. I do, however, give great praise to their thoroughness in researching feminist history. If you buy the book for this information alone, it is well worth it- just skip the conclusions they make about what Third Wavers should be doing now.