Internalized sexism: Britney Spears is not your enemy

Feminismus Sexismus Britney Spears

Internalized sexism: Britney Spears is not your enemy

Anna Schughart | Anzeige Anzeige

It is the year 2000 and the American singer Britney Spears is at the head of the global charts with her single "Oops, I Did It Again".The song runs everywhere - also in my children's room.Over my first, own stereo system hang pictures of Spears, printed out of the then still fresh internet.My friends and I dance and sing enthusiastically and feel at least as cool as Britney in their red suit.For a short time, I have the feeling for the first time to be part of a global coolness, not just a child, but half a teenager.Dancing to Britney feels empowering.It is a feeling that will not be long -lasting.

"Do you like Britney Spears?" Asks the boy months later and looks skeptically at the printed pictures over my stereo system."No, no," I weigh off."They just hang around."His demand, his raised eyebrows, are the last proof of something that has been subconsciously clear to me for some time: to like Britney Spears is not cool, but stupid.Not because she could not sing or dance or her music would be too catchy, but because she is stupid herself.Naive.Yes, as will be shown a few years later (supposedly), even crazy and completely crazy.If you like Britney Spears, you can't be smart.But I'm clever.

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What can young girls get excited about?

Who or what can young girls get enthusiastic about without making fun of them?The question recently caused some excitement on Tikkok.Because an answer is surprisingly difficult.Nothing is considered with a collective eye roll as well as young girls who break out in tears because they meet Harry Styles, Robbie Williams or the K-pop band BTS.On the other hand, if a boy completely loses the version because his football star throws the jersey, it is heartwarming.Find girls great, you discredited them as a "horse girl".Dance ballet, that's not a sport.And listen, play and read the "right", the "serious", they are constantly subject to suspicion not to really like these things.A well -known pattern is hidden behind it: things that are female are less worth less.The films of Nancy Meyers, who have recorded hundreds of million dollars worldwide, are "only” Romantic Comedies.

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As a young girl I noticed that.Many girls and young women notice this.In the attempt to clear themselves from these negative, implicit connotations, for fear of being considered weak and stupid, they started rejecting, I started rejecting: women like Britney Spears;Women who like romantic comedies;Women go to ballet.A perfectly fried head and simultaneous presence of mind - apparently that is not compatible.The biggest imaginable compliment?"You are very different from all other girls I know."But you could also say: it is the moment when I am captured by my internalized sexism.

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Almost 90 percent of the world's population have prejudices against women

Almost 90 percent of the world's population have prejudices against women.The "Gender Social Norms Index" of the United Nations came to this result last year.He measures to what extent social beliefs of equality between women and men in areas such as politics, work and education stand in the way of.Data from 75 countries that were collected between 2005 and 2014 were taken into account.Accordingly, half of all men and women believe that men better politicians, more than 40 percent, that they are the better business people and have privilege for a job when they are rare.In Germany, too, around half of all women interviewed also had at least a prejudice against women.How can that be?

"Sexism is the systematic unequal treatment of girls and women through men and society as a whole," write the scientists Steve Bearman, Neill Korobov and Avril Thorne in a study from 2009."Internalized sexism refers to incorporation of sexist practices and the spread of these practices among women, also in the absence of men."Just said that our society is so woven through sexist and misogynic views and practices that women are not automatically free of it, qua gender, too.Or easier: women can also act and think sexistically.Can believe that men are smarter, less emotional, the better politicians, the fairer bosses.

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Internalized sexism can express itself very differently

This internalized sexism can express itself in different ways and wise wise.The internalized feeling of being powerless and incompetent is, according to Bearman, Korobov and Thorne, for example.This is noticeable in little things such as the frequency, with which women are involved in their sentences: "I'm not sure, but ..." - even though they know the facts very well.But large life decisions are also affected: young women who do not trust themselves to study scientific, or not even at the point where they would consider that at all.

But the way women deal with other women is also affected.According to an evaluation of the PEW Research Center from 2018, 39 percent of women in the United States chose Donald Trump in the 2018 presidential election.A man whose sexism never existed at any point in time.Of course there are various reasons for this - but a not insignificant, according to the social philosopher Kate Manne that his opponent was called Hillary Clinton.

„Gute" und „schlechte" Frauen

Man who deals with the "Logic of Misogynia" in their book "Down Girl", explains that this serves to distinguish between "good" and "bad" women.A "good" woman in this context is very simply said, a woman who takes care of: the good wife, the caring mother, the "cool" girlfriend.A "bad woman" is a woman who does not meet these requirements or does not want enough who instead raises a claim-such as wanting to become a US President.This behavior is punished - also by women.It is "not surprising that women who want to be" good "have social incentives to distance themselves from a woman who is considered" bad ", writes Manne.In addition, women impress other women to achieve something they do not trust themselves.

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That sounds terrible at first glance.Envy furies that don't treat a woman to win?Welcome back to the cliché.In fact, Manne writes, however, this knowledge helped her to partially redirect her own anger after the US election: away from Trump voters to a system that even believes that young women believe that they themselves could never exist in such a position.Because that's what the end of the end is that women can also be sexist is not an excuse for men's sexism.But it is just as little a question of blaming women to blame for women.According to the motto: Why does you demand equality if you don't live you yourself?Instead, concepts show such as that of internalized misogynia or internalized sexism, how complicated and complex it is to break away from these structures.

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„Britney ist nicht deine Feindin"

Philosopher Manne refers to women in her book, especially to women, because they penetrate into male domains like Clinton, for example, in male domains.But they are not the only ones affected.Even those who meet the requirements of a patriarchal society - for example because it has a perfect body - is not immune to that before.This is shown by the Britney Spears case.

The documentary "Framing Britney Spears" critically deals with the perception of the pop singer in the media and the public.She has just triggered a debate about misogyny and sexism in the United States because she "throws an unpleasant look at the misogynistic celebrity culture that we inherited,” said the "Teen Vogue”.Britney Spears and with her women like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton at the peak of their celebrity were initially reinforced and then punished.For her sexuality, her lifestyle "and sometimes just to be a woman".

At that time I was also a (subconscious) accomplice.A teenager who has turned power to not want to be like other teenagers.Because that is what internalized sexism does.He represents women against women.He keeps sexism (with) alive because he bundles strength and attention.Anyone who recognized this can change that.Instead of evaluating each other, women should concentrate on supporting each other.Or, as I would say it my teenage ego: "Britney is not your enemy."