Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Reinvigorating the Traditions of Second-Wave Radical Feminism: Humor and Satire as Political Work

2019; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 6; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/23293691.2019.1619051

2329-3713

Breanne Fahs,

Critical and Liberation Pedagogy

This is a commentary on Gloria Steinem’s (1978 Steinem, G. (1978, October). If men could menstruate: A political fantasy. Ms. Magazine, p. 110. [Google Scholar]) “If Men Could Menstruate,” which is reprinted in this issue. Here I situate Steinem’s essay in the context of other second-wave feminists (e.g., W.I.T.C.H., Flo Kennedy, Valerie Solanas) who used satire as a weapon against the patriarchy in their fight for radical social change. Although today we recognize that some men do menstruate, Steinem’s humorous approach remains relevant today, and I discuss ways to use her work in teaching courses on feminism and social justice.