I Was A Teenage Feminist Analysis

I Was A Teenage Feminist is a documentary film directed by Therese Shechter which displays the evolution and the many variations of what people believe the word feminist to mean. The film also raises issues such as women’s reproductive rights, sexuality, and equal pay. Through interviews with feminist icons such as Gloria Steinem and with random people on the streets of New York, we see that the feminist movement has plenty more obstacles to overcome. The ignorance of what feminism actually means is harming the movement from progressing. The majority of men that were interviewed on the streets believed that feminists were either lesbians or anti-men. In addition, many people tend to be afraid of the stigma and connotations of the word feminist so they tend to not claim the title. At one point in the film Schechter states “I

This insight into her own struggles of claiming the word feminist gives the film an unbiased sentiment. It demonstrates just how complex feminism can be and even those at the forefront are not exempt from needing to be more educated on the topic. The film raised up many issues related to women’s studies. During one of our classes’ current events discussions, we talked about the fourth grade teacher who has been getting flack for her attire. Many people have classified her dress as “too form-fitting” and “too clubby”. It led to discussions about how overly sexualized women’s bodies are in society. The film touched on this topic various times. For example, a Cosmopolitan article gave advice on the “right” kind of makeup to attract men during sex. The ladies in the film laughed off the article’s ridiculousness but the sad thing is that the article actually was a true representation of how women are treated in society. Women are seen as objects and have been for decades and