Feminism struts down the Red Carpet

November 20, 2014 — by Deepthi Sampathkumar

The feminism fervor has increased, with stars across the entertainment industry promoting the concept.

Oxford-educated lawyer, activist and author Amal Alamuddin is 36 years old and has already represented international political giants, been an advisor to the King of Bahrain and actively participated in the United Nations.

If you’ve also been following the world of movie stars and celebrities, you might also know she now happens to be Mrs. George Clooney.

With her deep-set, dark brown eyes and golden skin, Alamuddin is the true embodiment of beauty. And just a few months ago, she had a wedding fit for a queen.

The streets of Venice were dazzled with stardust as celebrities flocked to the ancient city for the wedding of the year.

But Alamuddin represents much more than beauty. With her extensive experience in international and criminal law, as well as her time as a human rights activist, Alamuddin is redefining women’s roles and sparking an increase in feminism across the globe.

The whole world is buzzing with Alamuddin fever — even Ellen DeGeneres dressed up as Alamuddin for Halloween this year and commented: “What’s more attractive than a woman with brains!?”

Most surprisingly, Alamuddin was initially never interested in Clooney —  in fact, it was Clooney who was head over heels for Amal after meeting her at a charity dinner in September of 2013. At first, Alamuddin rejected Clooney’s offer of taking her number and he had to email her and convince her to give him a chance.

The marriage of Amal and Clooney demonstrates a change from society’s attraction to women for solely their looks to an appreciation for women with personality and brains.

The feminism fervor has only increased, with stars across the entertainment industry promoting the concept.

Donning a swan tutu and bright red lipstick in her recent hit music video “Shake it off,” Taylor Swift looks more like a Barbie doll than a symbol of feminism. But according to critics, below Swift’s thick layers of makeup lies a hard-core feminist. And she agrees.

According to Cosmopolitan magazine, Swift commented on her claims of being a feminist by saying, “My girlfriends and I talk a lot about feminism and the inequality between the way men and women are talked about.”

A majority of her hit songs, “We are Never Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Shake it Off” are all demonstrative of one feminist theme: Girls have the power to be strong individuals without male counterparts.

And it doesn’t stop at Swift. There are plenty of other icons in the entertainment industry including Beyoncé, Nelly Furtado and Katy Perry who are not afraid to declare themselves as strong women.

Commonly known as Queen Bey, Beyoncé is renowned as a goddess in all counts. Although she is married to famous rap singer Jay-Z, her reputation is independent of his and a majority of her followers are fans of him because he is married to the Queen Bey.

Beyoncé promotes female empowerment through her songs “Diva,” “Flawless” and “Run the World (Girls),” each earning millions of views on Youtube daily. Although Beyonce focuses many of her songs on female empowerment themes, she does not in any way put down males, therefore allowing her to perform successfully beside her husband and amass a large male audience.

In a recent interview with Huffington Post, Beyoncé said: “I guess I am a modern-day feminist. I do believe in equality. Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman and I love being a woman.”

Even more than Beyonce, some female entertainers take a belligerent approach.

Through the songs, “Promiscuous” and “Maneater,” Nelly Furtado delineates the males as being crazy for female love. By doing so, Furtado employs men’s inherent tendencies as a tool to present females as worthier and better.

Furtado’s bold views on feminism go back to her upbringing as she says in an interview with Huffington Post:

[My mother] was really assertive and she taught me that my opinion was just as important as anyone else's. I'm proud to say I grew up in a feminist household.”

Even more inspiring than her bold lyrics, Furtado has been donating thousands of dollars yearly to the building of an all-girls high school in rural Kenya.

Women across the entertainment industry have joined the feminist movement. These women have proved to us that beneath the crimson lipstick and pink blush lie individuals who seek to forge the path for female empowerment around the world.

Despite the hurdles and criticism thrown at these catalysts of feminism, the faces of the entertainment industry will continue to change the way the world sees the female race. For glitter and glamour are surface deep, while intelligence can redefine the world. 

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