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Andi Zeisler

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Andi Zeisler is a co-founder and creative/editorial director of Bitch Media, a nonprofit feminist media organization based in Portland, Oregon. Zeisler's writing, which focuses mainly on feminist interpretations of popular culture, have been featured in a variety of publications including Mother Jones, The San Francisco Chronicle, Utne Reader, The Women's Review of Books, and Ms. She is a former pop-music columnist for the SF Weekly and the East Bay Express, and also contributed to the anthologies Young Wives' Tales, Secrets and Confidences: The Complicated Truth About Women's Friendships (both from Seal Press), and Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit (Crown). She is the coeditor of BitchFest: 10 Years of Cultural Criticism ...more

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Is marketplace feminism a necessary evil in order to raise the profile of the feminist movement, or feminist ideals?

Andi Zeisler It's hard to say whether it's a necessary evil, because for as long as there have been feminist movements, there have been industries trying, with var…moreIt's hard to say whether it's a necessary evil, because for as long as there have been feminist movements, there have been industries trying, with varying amounts of cycnicism, to cash in on them. It's almost impossible to think of feminist movements without also thinking of the mediated, consumer images that have always gone along with them—I'm thinking about Virginia Slims ads, or the Spice Girls, or any of the number of products and celebrities that have aligned themselves with the words "feminist" or "empowering."
I certainly think that marketplace feminism has a role to play in raising the profile of feminist movements and amplifying concerns. The trick is to make sure marketplace feminism can also be harnessed to draw attention to feminist issues that don't get much play in the marketplace or the mainstream media. The endgame of, say, something like the Bechdel Test isn't to just have more movies squeak over a very low baseline—it's to foment systemic change wherein we value, and fund, and amplify women as creators in places like Hollywood where the institutions tend to be very gendered and very entrenched.(less)

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What's the most ridiculous example of marketplace feminism that you found while researching for your book?

Andi Zeisler Oh my gosh, there are so many good (terrible) examples. There's an ad from the 1970s for Massengill douche that's definitely extra-special (I can't fi…moreOh my gosh, there are so many good (terrible) examples. There's an ad from the 1970s for Massengill douche that's definitely extra-special (I can't figure out how to post a photo, or I would). But suffice it to say that Massengill branded its douche as "Freedom Spray" and included a sort of campaign-style button in the ad. (less)

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Andi Zeisler’s books

Average rating: 4.01 · 8,049 ratings · 744 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine by Margaret Cho (Editor), Lisa Jervis (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Andi Zeisler (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 4.04 avg rating — 3,334 ratings — published 2006 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement 4.11 avg rating — 3,253 ratings — published 2016 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Feminism and Pop Culture 3.83 avg rating — 930 ratings — published 2008 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Big Feminist BUT: Comics about Women, Men, and the IFs, ANDs & BUTs of Feminism by Shannon O'Leary (Editor), Joan Reilly (Goodreads Author) (Editor), MariNaomi (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.15 avg rating — 373 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by Alison Piepmeier, Andi Zeisler (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 201 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	[Bitchfest: 10 Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of andquot;Bitchandquot; Magazine] [Author: x] [September, 2006] by Andi Zeisler (Goodreads Author), Danya Ruttenberg (Goodreads Author), Laura Barcella (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	[Bitchfest] [By: x] [August, 2006] by Andi Zeisler (Goodreads Author), Danya Ruttenberg (Goodreads Author), Laura Barcella (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Andi Zeisler…

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Andi Zeisler is currently reading

Mad Men Carousel: The Complete Critical Companion

by Matt Zoller Seitz

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Apr 26, 2016 10:53AM

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American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers

by Nancy Jo Sales

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Apr 26, 2016 10:52AM

Quotes by Andi Zeisler (?)

“Treating feminism like it's a personal accessory that just isn't appropriate anymore obscures the places where feminism hasn't made strides for people who still need it.”
― Andi Zeisler, We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement

tags: feminism, marketing

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“Equality makes way for an increased number of free, considered choices, and an increased number of people with access to them. But choice itself isn't the same as equality...”
― Andi Zeisler, We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement

tags: choice, equality, feminism

5 likes

“The rise of feminist underpants is a weird twist on Karl Marx's theory of commodity fetishism, wherein consumer products once divorced from inherent use value are imbued with all sorts of meaning. To brand something as feminist doesn't involve ideology, or labor, or policy, or specific actions or processes. It's just a matter of saying, 'This is feminist because we say it is.”
― Andi Zeisler, We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement

tags: feminism, marketing

5 likes

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