feminism and other things that don't communicate anything on twitter

Did you know there are still women who don't identify as feminist? I was following one on twitter.

I really don't mean to call anyone out (at all) but I do find this tweet funny. Feminists keep their opinions in women's knickers because EVERYONE has their fucking opinions in women's knickers, every institution including but not limited to the government at every level, every religion, educational institutions, the military industrial complex, medicine/psychiatric hospitals and health care systems, capitalism, social class, art and culture and every other fucking thing under the sun, is concerned with getting their opinions into women's knickers.

I imagine the tweet was offhand but what does it mean?

She goes on to say feminists should stop getting 'hysterical' over advertising--too dumb to comment on (sorry). Anyone who looks at advertising and doesn't feel a little hysterical sometimes, might be a dumdum.


The nature of twitter is that people post things all the time that you might think are stupid. And the stupidest thing of all is to tweet back. Like I sometimes do.  Whatever, I'm human (despite what everyone thinks haha).
To twitter spar with this lady is to come unprepared, she informed me that there are far scarier things facing women than brilliant, pro-active women...blah blah read it yourself. Notice I hadn't said that women who don't identify as feminist are the scariest thing--merely scary. I'd still like to know why these brilliant and proactive women ditched the term and why they think it communicates nothing. 


I guess I understand where these women might be coming from (well not really...)--I'm postulating that it has something to do with thinking the major battles of feminism were won; or that we must have evolved past feminism to something broader and more inclusive, say 'humanism'.  


Because I still think it communicates a whole lot. Third wave feminism (and fourth and beyond) have grown and changed. There is more focus on intersectionality (race, class, capitalism, trans-people, genderqueer issues, the military industrial complex) and on human rights abuses of all kinds. To incorporate such radical notions as specesism. The idea that there is something inherently wrong with exploiting any other sentient being for any reason. Women who are associating the term with man hating or bra burning are way, way outdated. Even if you still identified with the movement from in those terms, there is still a huge gender pay gap, there is still a huge gap of women in power, there is an enormous burden of every kind of abuse under the sun, borne by women. 


The good news is, other smart people are thinking about this:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2011/12/13/afraid-of-post-feminism-means-feminist-today-gloria-steinem-jane-fonda-ursula-burns/

And I stumbled on this Tumblr account which I think is pretty awesome:
http://whoneedsfeminism.tumblr.com/