Junior government and politics major

If you’re looking to strike up a conversation about feminism at Eppley Recreation Center’s male-dominated weight room, you’re probably out of luck. For many men, especially male college students, feminism is foreign, strange and even threatening. In a male subculture that places a premium on enhancing physiques and hooking up with girls, engaging with a movement that often challenges traditional notions of masculinity (and femininity) can be uncomfortable.

Few men would openly contest feminism’s central contention that women should be on equal political, economic and social footing with men. However, the reputation of feminism has definitely taken a battering. Admittedly, the scene from Borat in which Sacha Baron Cohen effortlessly baits a group of older, short-tempered feminists oblivious to his shenanigans is amusing. But the common caricature of feminists as sexless, hostile misanthropes grossly misrepresents the movement. Most egregiously, it sends the message that feminism is an exclusively female endeavor.

Still, men aren’t the only ones wary of the feminist brand. Asked in a Daily Beast interview whether she considers herself a feminist, Taylor Swift responded she doesn’t “really think about things as guys versus girls.” Her comments rightly drew criticism that she probably should have Googled feminism to gain some understanding of what it is before she publicly mischaracterized it. Alas, the tendency to conflate feminism and misandristic vitriol is a major threat to the social egalitarianism at feminism’s core.

Unfortunately, some so-called feminists intent on empowering women subscribe to the kind of gender stereotypes that reinforce many of the divisions underpinning modern sexism. For instance, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) claimed in an interview with MSNBC that female politicians would have been defter in navigating the recent government shutdown because “a woman doesn’t want to ruin the person on the other side of the aisle.”

In addition to working off outdated assumptions about the “fairer sex” and unnecessarily bashing men, Wasserman Schultz committed a tactical error far too commonplace these days: She argued that barriers for women to enter male-dominated fields should be removed not because women are people but because they have certain “feminine” characteristics that might be useful. Sadly, unless this strain of thought is rejected, when women do enter traditionally male fields, they might be relegated to specific roles believed to maximize their value.

Feminism is about social liberation from the double standards, stereotypes and expectations that come with traditional gender roles. A feminist world would be beneficial for both sexes, especially in a college setting. Considering the stigma associated with female promiscuity, the “prudish” restraint on the part of some women is more than understandable. Defeating old ideas about “sluts” would allow women to pursue hookups as unabashedly as men — a win for guys and gals.

Some people find feminism difficult to swallow because they feel it threatens traditional masculine or feminine traits that are a key part of their identities. But feminism doesn’t seek to erase these traits. Rather, it aspires to empower people to behave as they choose, without being judged by their peers. College is a place of social opportunity, and feminism is the perfect tool to capitalize on it.

Charlie Bulman is a sophomore government and politics major. He can be reached at cbulmandbk@gmail.com.