Q&A

These are some questions I answered for a “Sociology of the Women’s Movement” class. They were doing presentations on alternative cultural productions that have risen out of the women’s movement.

1) What age group are your products geared towards?

I always say I've got stuff for girls of all ages. A lot of my stuff is geared towards young girls (elementary school age), but some things like the "This Insults" stickers are geared towards teenage girls and adults. Sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint the exact age groups though. I made the "Brave girl-aids" for little girls, but I use them and so do many of my friends (I'm 24). And I have a customer in her 50s who's a quilter and constantly nicking her fingers. She buys the "Brave girl-aids" in bulk and is practically always wearing one. So this question is tough!

2) Do you think that youth today are more aware and supportive of feminist
goals? If yes, do you think this is an important step for feminism?

It's hard to generalize young people as a whole. I think people are more aware of the term feminism these days, but don't necessarily know about the goals/movements behind the word. I'd like to think that most people are supportive of the idea that men and women should be equal. But equality is a vague, safe idea. And I see it as only one small part of feminism. I like bell hooks' definition that "feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." But I don't think that notion is all that popular with youth (or people in general) today.

3) Your products both advocate feminism and are sources for creating feminist activism. Do you see your products more as a tool for advocacy or for activism, or perhaps both?

I definitely see my products as advocating feminism as well as being tools for feminist activism. I think these excerpts from a piece I wrote for the book "We Don't Need Another Wave" give examples of both:

A lot of the time it’s hard to speak up. But you can still say "action not glamour" or "my body is mine" with a well-placed sticker until you work up the courage to yell it in the streets.

Magnets and stickers give big sisters, aunts, and mentors tools to help girls speak up and be strong. One young woman used one of my "A Feminist Was Here" stickers to bring up feminism with her teenage sister. The stickers broke the ice, and led to a long discussion about body image and being a feminist.

There’s a long tradition in political movements of using stickers and buttons to make opinions known and start discussions. Stickers aren’t going to change the world on their own, but when girls feel strong and connected with each other, they’ll make improvements and demand respect.

New Book: We Don’t Need Another Wave

I’m so excited! A chapter I wrote about Sticker Sisters called "Sticking it to the Powers that Be" was just published in a new anthology.

The book is…
We Don't Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists

Edited by Melody Berger. Seal Press.

Here’s what people are saying about the book:

“In this exciting collection of essays, a whole new crop of talented and fiercly political writers make the case that while each new ‘wave’ of feminists (suffragists, women’s liberationists, riot grrls, etc.) may pass like so many political or cultural trends, as long as there’s a need for revolution, *feminism* is here to stay.”
—Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, co-authors of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future


At the book party with other LA contributors.

“We Don't Need Another Wave self-confidently flips the bird to those folks who might protest, as they so often do, that feminism isn’t relevant in the lives of young women. The voices collected here are simultaneously outraged, snarky, hopeful, and lusty—and each one proving that political idealism lives on, as long as you know where to look.”
—Andi Zeisler, co-founder, Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

“Melody Berger has assembled a raucous rebuke to anyone who thinks that feminism is a thing of the past. This collection demonstrates that it is very much a part of our future.”
—Rebecca Traister, Salon.com

“Only one f-word (besides fat) has the power to strike confusion in the hearts of women and panic in the minds of men: feminism. Just when we need it most, here’s a collection of compelling viewpoints from fearless young feminists writing with equal parts passion, concern, opinion, analysis, and humor. Berger is right: We don’t need another wave when this one is just beginning to roll.”
—Wendy Shanker, author of The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life

“These stories are a testament to the fact that there are still many battles to fight; and that today’s women are not comfortable with being almost equal. We Don’t Need Another Wave gives women a shot of inspiration and the knowledge that sisterhood is still powerful. Indeed, we don’t need another wave; we just need to win every war.”
—Dyann C. Logwood, Founding Publisher of HUES Magazine, Activist, and Educator

“We Don't Need Another Wave reanimates feminist pride, encourages unity, and fosters a momentous rallying cry. For those of us invested in words, but bursting toward action, Berger’s collection of myriad and strident voices authenticates radical feminism as a movement-in-motion.”
—Pamela Means, singer-songwriter