it’s just started to hit me recently how fucking heinous the concept of empowerment was in terms of feminism. i remember first being exposed to the culture surrounding empowerment when women were beginning to embrace female domination in a sexual setting, saying stuff like “eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man” and whatnot. it was all based in uplifting themselves and putting themselves in a position of power, which isn’t inherently bad. however, no one ever wanted to acknowledge that these things are still, ultimately embracing the patriarchal ideals of always being sexually appealing and available to men. and from that point on, it only got worse. women began to convince themselves that there was a feminist aspect to being subservient, submissive, docile. as if these aren’t traits engrained into us from the moment we’re born. femininity, sexual availability to men, and the acceptance of traditional gender roles were introduced into feminism just gradually enough for women to accept them without realizing that they are in fact returning to square one. exactly where our patriarchal society wants them to be. feminine, sexually and emotionally submissive, to the point where many feminists believe that having the best makeup or letting their boyfriends infantilize and sexually abuse them (with consent of course) is genuinely more empowering and more progressive than rejecting the gender roles imposed on us our whole life.