Feminism Illustrated

Liza Donnelly is a writer, performer, public speaker, and most prominently a resident cartoonist for The New Yorker. In her presentation for TED Talks, she embraces all these roles to discuss positive feminist ideology she hopes will inspire women worldwide to challenge society’s view of them with the use of humor. In doing so, Donnelly also *draws* light towards her call-to-arms with a compelling personal story of self-discovery that drives her desire for female empowerment.

Credit to Giphy

(Probably your face after having to read that pun, for which I make no apologies. Please stay tuned; the following content is with personal belief to be more bearable)

The issue of gender equality (or lack thereof) has been debated in America for more than a century, but taken seriously for less than half that span of time. Why is this important? Women and feminist supporters still fight for equal representation in private and public sectors of work, equal pay, and the same opportunities and liberties often granted to men to live a fulfilling life overall. Donnelly is largely addressing women of many backgrounds and personal obstacles. She is also calling upon all feminists and individuals who want to make a difference, but don’t exactly know how.

In her time growing up during the 50s and 60s, Donnelly originally thought that girls had to be Typical Girls ™ who walk and talk pretty (***with features of sensitivity and thoughtfulness included). She acknowledges her mother’s approach to parenting was unique in that, instead of reinforcing those frilly images and ideas of girl-and-woman-hood often displayed in a delicate pink glow, she bought her a book of cartoons. This would fuel Donnelly’s fiery passion for drawing and humor which burned far brighter. Her portfolio, projected for the audience, illustrates humorously both the spoken and unspoken rules of what society dictates a Typical Woman ™ should follow; i.e. what we should wear, how our hair should be styled, and how we should behave in general. Donnelly also makes the point that women are policed and scrutinized by, well, other women.

Credit to Tenor GIFS

Weird, right? But it’s true. As a woman and evolving feminist, I would have to agree. Donnelly notes that women often feel like something is expected of them pretty much 24/7. As times change, so do the “rules” applied to women. And to be blunt, it sucks. However, in the lens of humor, it becomes a relatable experience. Donnelly applies this to her work and believes it is capable of igniting changes for women and their identity in society.

Living in the eras of Civil Rights and the sexual revolution rooted in the budding feminist movement, she sought to make sense of it all and unite her loved ones through laughter. The adversity of her parents’ divorce and sister’s arrest did not stifle Donnelly’s efforts, and she was able to discover her place. She observed a sort of “glass ceiling” that existed within the cartoonist industry and proceeded to shatter it, merely by asserting herself into the field. In her 40s, Donnelly took an even larger and more deliberate step forward by creating the political cartoons stirring laughter from the audience.

She notes her perspective as an American woman is not a cookie cutter mold for all women around the world, but there are still codes that dictate their behavior and dress just so in the United States. Donnelly collaborates with female cartoonists from across the globe to better understand the truths and nuances of these issues, while also discovering solidarity through the beauty—and humor—of diversity. Before the fade to black and applause followed by an expression of humble appreciation, Donnelly encourages the continuation of women’s role as tradition-keepers and belief of their ability to be change-agents “one laugh at a time.”

Looking further into Donnelly’s background flourishes with published works that have earned her a high reputation in many significant fields; two of her books are titled Women on Men and Funny Ladies. She also draws inspiration for her theories from philosopher and feminist Judith Butler, who writes on issues such as gender performativity and feminist scholar Uma Narayan, author of Dislocating Cultures. Donnelly also references famed Virginia Woolf’s novel A Room of One’s Own as “one of the most important books about women’s rights” that ignites her creativity. A Google search is inundated with her presence online and physically, including a page describing Donnelly’s support for the United Nations initiative, Cartooning for Peace.

As a feminist I can say with confidence that many of her points about feminism aligned with mine; maybe she follows a pattern similar to a lot of TED Talks, but at no point does she do the usual sort of humble-brag about her credentials and speak in an elevated way that causes a disconnect from her audience. That’s what kept me drawn in (not just the fact of it only being approximately 6 minutes long, I promise you). It’s so easy to focus on the negatives of a complex issue such as feminism, but Donnelly innovatively and gently provoked me to find the humor nestled within my beliefs that I couldn’t help but say in a typical Millennial fashion, “Same”… so long story short, I would personally rate this TED Talk as not just “Funny,” but also “Significant” and “Inspiring.”

Thank you.

*Insert applause here* (Not required, of course)