Participation in Pop Culture is Voluntary

I got a bit fed up with another feminist sub I was on, r/fourthwavewomen after several people kept posting stuff about models, celebrity wives and tv actresses. The posts were about how the women were using too much makeup and botox, had plastic surgery or were possibly in abusive relationships because they were doing degrading things in public. I wouldn't know any of this if I hadn't seen it critiqued on a Reddit forum. Here's a tip: You don't have to follow actresses or models on Instagram, you don't have to watch reality tv, you don't have to read celebrity gossip. In fact, I suggest not going any of these things, because they will rot your brain.

I have to say I was shocked to see these posts on a radical feminist subreddit. No one has to consume popular culture and why would you if it's misogynist. There have been entire social movements that have rejected popular culture. These include the hippie movement of the late 60s-early 70s and the punk rock movement of the late 70s-early 80s.

The hippie women rejected the teased and hairsprayed bouffant hairdos and false eyelashes of the early to mid 60s. They grew their hair long, only washed and combed it, and often wore no makeup. The hippie men also grew their hair long, in rejection of the military-inspired "crew cuts" that were fashionable. Although aligned with the anti-war movement, the hippies mainly believed in rejecting society. They had sex with whoever they wanted, smoked marijuana and used LSD, and some moved to the country and started organic farms. They listened to groundbreaking music. 10 years later the punk rockers of Britain defied fashion by ripping up their clothes and re-fastening them with safety pins. They wore deliberately ugly hairstyles and the women wore out-of-style dresses. Their music had less virtuosity than the music of the hippie era, but they had a lot of attitude.

There was also a DIY folk music movement in the early 60s, in which young people, including women, had "hootenanys" which were basically open mics for folk music they had written. This culture supported Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. It was a rejection of the overproduced Motown sound.

Where is the youth movement of today? If there is no movement, at least young feminists could find other cultural and artistic products to consume. The internet allows people to find anything they want. I know some young people do this--around 12 years ago I found out young people were discovering Led Zeppelin and the tv show "Friends." Apparently they were bored by current pop music and maybe grossed out by "Game of Thrones" (I know I was). So they went back to the past and found something else.

I'm on Instagram but I only use it to follow some bands such as Metallica that I like, and a few photographers. I never see junk about actresses with botox or reality tv stars. It doesn't come up. That shit doesn't come up in my Facebook reels either. For tv I went back and started watching early episodes of ER from the 90s. That show had strong women and no nudity.

Don't get upset about current popular culture. Just go on strike. Don't listen to music by porn stars, don't follow pop celebrities on social media, don't watch shit tv. You could always read a book.