Banning the “F-word”

by Jenna McDaniel

TIME magazine’s recent decision to propose banning the word “feminist” from the English language was met with understandable outrage. TIME magazine claimed that too many celebrities were jumping on the feminist bandwagon, and that the term was losing its power. As author Katy Steinmetz put it:

“You have nothing against feminism itself, but when did it become a thing that every celebrity had to state their position on whether this word applies to them, like some politician declaring a party? Let’s stick to the issues and quit throwing this label around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade.”

TIME has addressed the use of the “f-word” by female celebrities prior to this. In fact, the magazine published a list of 17 female celebrities who talk about what feminism means to them, including Shailene Woodley and Kelly Clarkson. After including the article “What word should be banned in 2015?” in its latest issue, TIME faced a barrage of criticism, leaving them with only one option, to apologize and hastily fix the list of words. Caitlyn Dewey, a Washington Post writer, described the quick amendment of the list as simply a calculated play for more page views. In TIME’s apology, the magazine stated their intent was to spark debate and discussion around the word. Whether this is the real reason behind including the “f-word” in the original list or not, it’s a loaded term that stands for so much more that a belief in gender equality and shouldn’t be taken lightly, regardless.