Feminist Irony

One part that really stood out to me in Mr. Burke, Meet Helen Keller, was when Keller claimed “Very few people open fresh, fearless eyes upon the world they live in. They do not look at anything straight. They have not learned to use their eyes, except in the most rudimentary ways” (George, 341). For some reason, as I was reading this particular quote, I kind of had an epiphany about the nature behind gender theory: it is one giant irony.

I know this sounds really vague and far-fetched, but I think that gender theory is just another terministic screen that we see the world through. What makes women any different from men other then the obvious physical and hormonal differences? Why is it that society has created this masculine hegemony, dominating over women in society? In Mr. Burke, Meet Helen Keller, they are trying to explain how this man and woman both had similar theoretical views and both had goals that included finding effective ways to advocate radical change. What is ironic here, is that a man AND a woman had similar views, but yet we would consider the man’s to be more “right” or “effective” because he is a man? Why has society created this terministic screen for us to classify information into?

“Feminist theory has assumed that there is some existing identity, understood through the category of women…representation serves as the operative term within a political process that seeks to extend visibility and legitimacy to women as political subjects: on the other hand, representation is the normative function of a language which is said either to reveal or to distort what is assumed to be true about the category of women” (Butler, 2). Where did this identity come from? “The development of a language that fully or adequately represents women has seemed necessary to foster the political visibility of women” (Butler, 2). Why is it that women had to have this language? I think it is ironic, because a lot of women in the world have fostered incredible change and created incredible contributions to the world, but because they are a woman, it is such a shock that it was created? Men as dominant seems a bit ironic; if women are just as capable of creating what men are, does it make men sweat that much? 
The Always commercial Sam O. posted in her blog is one of my favorite commercials, because it shows how serious the implications society has in terms of feminist ideas. These young girls showing they are not what society deems them as in my eyes highlights the irony of the feminist theory. If women are aware of how society categorizes them to men, then how can men and society keep these categorizations alive. Women can do what men can do (despite the view that men can do it better). Just check society, it's evident. 

Feminist theory, to me, is just irony. The creation of language as universal seems to not apply to women in this screen.