I'm trying to figure out whether a feminist would be offended by the title of this post.
Turns out, apparently I am (and have always been) a feminist, despite 1) not having known it and 2) the fact that I find the f-word itself to be inherently contradictory.
We feminists need a new marketing department.
[Fine then: one more side-note. Ladies and Gentlemen: you probably are feminists, too, even if you've burned less than one bra in your life. Brassiere Arson is not a prerequisite of feminism, in case you were as confused as I was.]
I, a feminist, am of the opinion that my post title is 98 parts witty, up to 2 parts offensive. I think I'm gonna leave it as is.
Because I'm liberated like that.
Anywho. If you follow me on Facebook (if not, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER-LOVING MIND???), then you know I am very grateful to have been a guest at the Newsweek / Daily Beast "Women in the World" conference in NYC last week.
As you'll note in the stunning photo above, I was wearing a gorgeous, solid-plastic Press Pass as the perfect accessory to my yellow chemise and laptop clutch.
Wearing a press pass at Women in the World felt approximately as wrong as if I were an elitist at an equal-rights gathering (because that's how it sorta WAS), but I was entirely okay with it because I have decided that wearing a press pass is AWESOME. I skipped lines, got great seats and had a heart-to-heart with one of the most talented actresses of all time, for crying out loud.
[Readers! Please recognize that I am using the previous paragraph as a means of demonstrating that it is easy to become complacent about inequalities when you are the person of privilege. You will quickly come to realize that I am not acting like a Snobby Press Pass Elitist here; I'm simply exposing my inner thoughts as a means of shining a light upon unprincipled human tendencies, as any good martyr would do! You're welcome!]
But this leads me to deeper and much more serious thoughts, which I'm saving for a separate post.
Incidentally, pretty soon, The Daily Beast and/or Newsweek are going to publish an article that I am writing regarding my reflections on the event.
[As of the writing of today's post, both publications are as yet unawares of their forthcoming plans to publish my work, but likely you have arrived here in the near future entirely BECAUSE you have linked here from one of those publications, so there I go proving one of Oprah's points that dreams are more likely to come true if you write them down.]
Now. Am I worried that I could suffer great embarrassment if I tell you that I plan to be published by the Daily Beast and then that plan flops on its face? HAHAHA - NO!!! (The callus on my Embarrassment Nerve tripled in size after this gem, Dahlings!)
But am I worried that I have not tweaked this post enough and am thereby exposing myself to much possible miscommunication in the process? HAHAHA - OF COURSE I AM!! I am ALWAYS concerned about how I am impacting people and what everybody thinks of me, Sillies!
I think most of us worry about these things. That's okay...as long as we do the things we need to do anyway.
Can somebody tell me where I was going with this post?
Oh: right!
I sat down to tell you that the Women in the World conference was a chillingly inspiring event relevant to both women AND men, and its take-aways deserve to be preserved…thoughtfully, and with great heart.
So I'm going to write about it. As best I can.
Today's post was just a filler for the meantime. Like quinoa. Which, incidentally, is a grain enjoyed by Press Pass Elitists and other privileged societies throughout the world.
One more thing. Please remember this:
Hope you are well.
Talk to you soon.
Love,
The Reluctant (Non-Bra-Arsonist) Feminist, Bethany
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PS: If you want to see any of the speeches from the event, videos are here.
You can't go wrong with ANY of the presenters. Personally, I found the most inspiring talk to be the one titled, "The Next Generation of Malalas."
But BEFORE you watch that talk, watch this ten-minute documentary about the incredible work Humaira is doing in Pakistan.
We could all take a lesson from Humaira and Khalida's bravery.
You can donate to Humaira's cause here.
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Are you going to make me beg you to "like" this post?
Because I will. I aint too proud to beg, home-fries. :)