'Ally McBeal' does not spell the end of feminism

By Jack Schillaci

Michigan Daily (U. Michigan)
07/20/98

(U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Forgive me if I tread where no man should. Forgive me, women, if I piss you off. But I sense a conspiracy against your freedom of choice.

The June 29 issue of Time touched on an interesting subject, the demise of feminism. On the cover stood a rough timeline of notables in the feminist movement, including Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. At the end of this floating head line-up was Calista Flockhart, better known as the title character of the FOX show "Ally McBeal," with the rhetorical question, "Is feminism dead?" beneath her.

Inside the magazine is a multi-page diatribe by Ginia Bellafante detailing how commercialism and popular culture have overrun the idealism that feminism used to embrace and replaced it with a sugar coating. The article - not-so-subtly entitled "Who put the 'me' in feminism?" - lays the blame at numerous notable women's feet, among them Courtney Love, Flockhart, Steinem, Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg ... the list goes on and on.

Now, as far as I know - and I may be wrong about this - Ally McBeal is not considered the icon of current feminist thought. I have yet to hear anyone - man or woman - state, "Damn, she's a powerful woman. She represents the true voice of the female gender." Yes, she is a ditz obsessed with her own well-being, occasionally haunted by fantasies of dancing babies and "human sundials." And of course, one of her characteristic lines, "I want to help save the world, I just want to get married first," does smack in the face of the liberation that the feminist movement embodies. But I think it's just a little bit much to ask a fictional character on a TV program to single-handedly promote the politics of her gender.

I will agree that all too often, feminism is integrated as a component of a PR campaign to promote female-led bands, TV shows and products. The Spice Girls, with their "Girl Power," are pseudo-feminists, though I doubt they could even spell that word. The Lilith Fair, which I had the pleasure of taking in a week ago, is hyped as celebrating women in music. But aside from a few jokes about vaginas, it was really just about good music.

And I will agree with Bellafante's assertion that women are still woefully underrepresented in positions of power.

But her expectation that every woman who makes it into the public eye must serve to better the plight of all women is dull and historically inconsistent. While the '60s and '70s brought the rise of the feminist movement, it also brought us Gidget, Goldie Hawn, Marcia Brady and Olivia Newton-John. It seems that the ditz patrol has always followed in the wake of Bellafante's vaunted idealism.

The feminist movement was supposed to be about women being whatever the hell they wanted to be, as I recall. It was about broadening choices, not dogmatic politicking. If Ally McBeal wants to obsess about her ex-boyfriend/co-worker, then more power to her. Having kids, pursuing a career, performing domesticities, becoming an activist - all are choices that should be respected.

And no person - be it a man or Ginia Bellafante - should say differently.

- Jack Schillaci, with his X and Y chromosomes, can be reached over e-mail at jschilla@umich.edu.