Wokeism: The New Fundamentalism #woke #gotwoke #fundamentalism #fundie #fundamentalist

 

Full transparency, I am, what would be considered by many, a woke feminist (fun fact: a guy I was seeing once referred to me chidingly as a 'feminist', even more fun, I stayed linked to him for three more years...yikes, enough about MY SHAME!).  Overall, I find the original context of woke to be powerful and meaningful in living an empowered, authentic, forward moving life.  

Originating from African American Vernacular English since the 1930s, woke found resurgence in the 2010s, used as a means of encouragement to awaken to the injustices everywhere with the hopes that speaking out would impact change.  Such has been the positive influence of the term, "woke" within the last decade, such as the rise of awareness of mistreatment of Black Americans and police brutality, the uprising and seemingly approval of white supremacy by certain government leaders, to the 2020 election of Biden v. Trump, among many.  Thus, woke, in its original meaning, is powerful and one of which I will continue to practice with pride.  I will, in fact, work to 'Stay Woke'.

However, as in anything positive, a darker side has emerged, such that seems to be nearing a similarity with the organized religion it claims to disagree.  It would seem that woke has become misinterpreted and misused in order to shame into silence those who may not follow the acceptable status quo of who and what is in and who is out (see: cancelled) and use the appropriate lingo and language depicted by society.  Those who would seem to speak out against this new version of "woke" are chastised, chided, cancelled, just look at Dave Chapelle and Ricky Gervais as an example.  Liking or viewing that which has spoken against, used the wrong terminology, thus been cancelled and called 'anti-woke bigots' are attacked as a kin to such.  This inability to listen to one's intent over the correct word usage and terminology, lack of critical thinking skills, and increased focus on substituting individuality over conformity is startling me into recognizing the traits of this new woke with that of Fundamentalism, specifically that of Christian from my own personal experience.

Once again, I spent 7, maybe 8 years, of my life as what I now deem a fundamentalist Christian, what society and active believers describe as 'evangelical Christian'.  Yet with the meaning behind evangelical to be 'sharing of good news', I would rather not give such term to a fundamentalist Christian, or any fundamentalist, as such there does not appear to be any sort of good news or good energy being shared, contrary to what they would think.  That said, as a Fundie, I found myself falling into the trap of those around me of using select words and phrases, Christianeze, not understandable to those outside.  However relatable this is to an enclosed, exclusive, controlling worldview such as present day conservative Christians, what is more insidious is the damage within.  If one within the church's confines does not use the correctly prescribed word, phrase, or description of scripture, he or she is met with a declaration negative and made to feel shame, that said, the intent of what is being said is not being heard.  (Sound familiar?) Personally, I recall an experience where I shared with a friend what I had learned during a bible study from a pastor of the same denomination whose description of scripture differed from the status quo, of which was declared incorrect, no discussion granted, and the friend quickly exited the conversation.  Furthermore, this hyper-fixation on one's prescribed literal translation lends itself to disagreement, downplaying, and even strife between other conservative Christian churches, although their basic doctrine and belief in Jesus would appear the same.

It is important now to state that I have no issue with organized religion, Christianity, or the Woke culture if such is done within the true nature and purpose of its origins.  However, to me, my past history as a fundie Christian, seems increasingly more apparent within the woke culture of which has now become ridicule from the Christian Right and governmental leadership seeking to destroy.  The ironic reality is that fundamentalist Christians and the Woke-ists are following the same standards within the context of their own inner beliefs, yet both blinded by what their own exclusivity.  

The answer then for either the Woke or the Christian is to look within, understanding one's own benefits and biases, working through one's own struggles and using such as a foundation to impact change without, not wanting others to conform but seeking healing and individuality for all.  Basically, seeking all to be awakened, rather woke, to themselves first, then to the rights and needs of society.  For healing within is what guides to true peace without.

I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King .Jr HD (subtitled)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke

This article is more than 2 years old We need to discuss the word ‘woke’

"Let Me Be Brave!"

Or, Why I Like Clara Oswald

A lot of Whovians out there have expressed strong dislike for Clara Oswald, played by the talented actress, Jenna Coleman.  But, I liked her from the start and when her casting was first announced, I believed this actress was to reach Billie Piper status in Doctor Who history.

Well, due to the majority of Whovians dislike, I don't think she quite made it to that point, for many.  Yet for me, I give her a positive thumbs up in that direction.

Why?

First, as Jenna, she's a talented, well-rounded actress.  But, as Clara, well bear with me, as I give my reasonings.

A lot of viewers found the new-Who series under the guidance of the man, Steven Moffat, to be down-right sexist.  So, in addition to watching the show as a pure fan-girl, I started looking for that element in the writing.  Not only did I not see this, but I saw the opposite.

Women were lifted up, for the first time, in Doctor Who history as never before.

If the doctor or a male companion tried to protect or shield a female character, that woman would deny that and stand up for herself, showing an element of bravery never before seen in previous Doctor Who series.  Yes, I recall the Doctor helping Rose, Martha, and even Donna to achieve their full purpose yet that wasn't without the constant assistance, supervision, and protection by himself as almost a Savior-Complex.

So, what about Clara?

In all her four years traveling with the Doctor, in whatever role whether as Oswin or as a Victorian maidservant, Clara never really succumbed to Doctor-Worship but gave him back what was his due.  Not only that, but on several occasions it was Clara who helped rescue the Doctor or assist him as an equal in whatever the problem was that needed solve.  As an equal, mind you!

In one episode, the Doctor trapped in a shrunken TARDIS has to succumb to Clara for complete control.  As she took the sonic screwdriver and deposited the space-ship in her knapsack, she joyfully commented, "So, I'm the Doctor now?" and then proceeded to orchestrate the 'saving of the day' in true Doctor Who fashion.  Some might complain of this, that the Doctor is becoming less important, more like a goofy clown in the background, but my point remains, its to lift up the women companions as strong and independent and not weak, submissive or needy.

To that I say, Go, Moffat, Go!

In addition to this, Clara kept a strong sense of femininity, both in style and in attitude.  She was a schoolteacher, a care-taker to the young and those in need.  She was compassionate and allowed herself to fall in love with Danny Pink.  Yet she remained clear-headed, intelligent, and strong despite these traits.  In fact, she proved that femininity, including sexuality, was not a lack of feminine power and strength but a part of it.

Clara was a woman and more than that a human being equal to not just the Doctor but to her male counter-parts.  Able to allow herself to be vulnerable emotionally as well as fully capable to show her intelligence and strength, Clara represents the symbol of not only the New-Whovian female companion but of the new feminism.  One of which says that in order to be a feminist, you need not give up your desire to "be a girl", in a sense, "hide your femininity", but that can be used as an asset to the cause.  Therefore, it is possible that the dislike of Coleman's character is an inbuilt dislike of feminism.

Her final words, though full of vulnerability and fear, maintain her determination to stand strong: "Let me be brave!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPXNvJMiQyc

Deemed the Impossible Girl, Jenna Coleman's character, Clara Oswin Oswald, is proof that future female companions and girls throughout the world can be anything but that.

Music For The Heart

Maybe its just me, but I feel like the popular songs of recent have made a major shift in evolving into a more positive feminist mindset.  Starting in the 80's with such singers as Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, to name a few, the songs appeared to be more focused on finding a guy which made one happy and feel whole, the opposite of which when the relationship ended, one's entire sense of self was shattered.

Only In My Dreams

Now, I must confess that despite the lack of feminine strength, I hold a strong liking for the work of the great, Debbie Gibson, mostly originating from freshman year of college, when my best friend and I would sit in my dorm room listening to a Gibson tape I had, in between the times we drank a 40 and watched Sesame Street.  But, however, I do recognize now the heartbreak and loss of identity in losing one's relationship.  In addition, look at the songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" where the female singer croons over the blinding loss of her guy, who offers her hope if she would just "turn around".  Meanwhile, the majority of male singers wrote and performed songs with more of an overall significant message about life, spirituality, of sense of defining one's self, such as "Burning Down The House" by Talking Heads or "Losing My Religion" by REM.

Then, the 90's came, the time of my life where I came of age.  I remember listening to songs by artists like Jewel, Norah Jones, and Natalie Imbruglia.  Similarly, there were the so-called angry female singers such as Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, and the like.  These women, talented in their own right, seemed all in their own way to perform songs, not only of heartbreak and loss, but with a slightly angry tone blaming the guy for leaving but still offering the idea of loss of self from their leaving.  Consider Jewel's song "Foolish Games" or even Natalie Imbruglia's famous hit, "Torn" as examples of this.  Even, Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" which seemed to have a sense of empowerment still had the lingering effects of "its all your fault that I feel this way" thus giving away a woman's sense of power, strength, and individuality.  Remember the "Spice Girls" who danced around scantily clad singing "If you want to be my lover" showing men how to be their boyfriend, in a mock empowering way.

Foolish Games

Meanwhile, the male singers of that era sang songs that typically tried to manipulate woman with the false hope of forever love, such as the Boys to Men, "I'll Make Love To You".  So while the girls were faithfully dedicating their hearts to the men, whether they were together or not (look at Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You") simultaneously giving up their power, men were using these same words as a ploy to sway woman.  Even more disturbing, there were some male singers and bands, such as Aerosmith who performed songs such as "Crazy" about girls who had gone bad through making the choice for their own individuality.  (I confess I loved that song and the music video of it.)

But, now when I listen to the radio today, there seems to be a shift in the subject matter of what female singers are crooning, the message they are trying to get out.  Anything from singing on topics connecting to political standpoints to talking about how a woman no longer needs a man to thrive.  Even more so, female singers are crooning about how men are chasing after them while they actively pursue their own calling.  Its the men, like Bruno Mars, singing about how they messed up and lost an amazing woman through their own fault.  Female singers like Jordin Sparks and Lady Gaga, among others, seem to reflect this shift, not only singing songs with a deeper sense of empowerment that fights against prejudice such as Gaga's "Born This Way":

Born This Way

But, also (and this one is particularly meaningful to me) Sparks sings power into a woman's decision to move away from an abusive relationship and seek healthy love and a successful life in her song, "Tattoo":

Tattoo

I don't know, maybe its just me, after all, that as I listen to these songs, my interest in them reflects my own evolution of feminism and empowerment, in not letting men and society as a whole define who I am as an individual.

In the end, I still love listening to the songs of my youth and of the present, no matter what the meaning.  As a singer myself, music has a way of getting into our soul, helping us to heal and find meaning for our current life situations.

So, readers, if you are out there, what do you think? How has the popular music of your life influenced your life, both positively and negatively? This inquiring mind wants to know!

For inspiration, I leave you with one of the greatest female recording artists of our time, the amazing
Madonna:

Madonna

Ain't I A Woman?

With the onslaught of the transgender movement, both in the public eye and in my personal life with many of my friends (of whom I fully support), I've been doing a lot of thinking about the nature of gender, traditional, societal, and natural.  I recently learned of a new term called "cis-gender".  Looking it up, I learned it was a term referring to one's understanding of self as pertaining to the gender they were born with, the sex they were given at birth.

In college, I had a lot of classes that touched on this, discussions about whether gender and sex are purely biological or that of roles enforced by society, or even both.  I've come to the conclusion of the latter, even with the openness of the trans-movement, mostly pertaining to who I am as a woman and a human being, where I fall into place in society and, more importantly, as a sense of understanding of myself.

I've fought long and hard with being a woman and wanting to assert myself in this world.  I've felt ashamed of my femininity in past, thinking that showing this part of me was somehow a sign of weakness.  Yet, I realized recently that this is what I am, I am 100% girl, naturally, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and yet this no way takes away from my strength and abilities.  In fact, this adds to it.

I think an attack of feminism now comes in the idea that one cannot be a feminist if one falls into the categories of femininity enforced by society, or rather what we view as societal womanly roles and actions.  Yet, I feel completely comfortable and even whole dressing up, making myself pretty and girly.  I also feel completely comfortable in sweatpants, jeans, t-shirt, no make-up.

The point is, being a girly-girl in the exterior in no way takes away from my strength and ability to fight for women's rights inwardly.  In fact, being the way I am is another way I can help to bring equality for woman everywhere, by saying, I'm pretty and sexy, yes, but I also have brains, talent, a sense of humor and I'd rather use those to assert myself than anything else.

So, the answer to the question on the title is: Yes, I am a woman.  And proud.

So, to all of my women-kind out there, whether you are cis, or trans, or tomboy, love yourself, be proud of who you are both inside and out, because its in that way we make a difference, its in that way we fight inequality, continue the quest for gender equality, and, in fact, win.  By truly knowing ourselves and having pride in who we are, we finally win!

This PSA brought to you by Lia Rose Dugal, Inc.