Today I saw the Forbes list of POWERFUL WOMEN who “run the world” (speaking of which, happy b-day Hil!). So, that’s cool, but… you may have also noticed their list of Richest People is still made primarily of white men, and women who inherited money and/or are in the Walton (that’s Wal-Mart) family.
Yesterday I saw Hyperallergenic’s list of the most POWERLESS people in the “Art World”. I would like to point out that this list is talking about the “commercial Art World”, whose perspective represents a few high-roller/internationally franchised galleries and fairs. And yes, I could be lumped into more than one of their top 20, corroborated by that ELF Audit I mentioned in the previous post.
While I agree with their statement about the unfortunate state of affairs for real Gallery Girls, due to the “reality show of the same name [that] set [us] and feminism back at least 30 years.” Clearly, Bravo is the one with real power, at least when it comes to one’s 15 minutes of fame. (Note: this concept of your ‘moment in the sun’ came from Andy Warhol, btw, so – there’s that.)
However slighted, I was intrigued by this list, so I looked into their archive… Most of it is tongue-in-cheek, and funny-because-it’s-true, but then I came across their list from 2009 (I know, I know, people don’t even care about stuff that happened online an HOUR ago, but…) hear me out:
“#19 – Rosalind Krauss – we included her on this list because we couldn’t remember who she was and we were too lazy to Google her.”
WHAT?
So, first of all – a profound thank you to whomever programed that, oh, so cheeky site, Let Me Google That For You.
Secondly, these lists just re-affirmed that ALTHOUGH some of us want to live in a world that treats women, in fact all people, with the respect they deserve, the fact of the matter is we need to keep an eye out for traces of inequality all around us, and name it! #CTSummit
Maybe we have tried to WILL this into reality by practicing the power of positive thinking, to avoid seeming like bitter old maids or irrelevant hippies, but we’ve gotta be willing to sound an alarm and speak honestly when we see incidences of injustice. In a sense, that is exactly what this “powerless” article did. They just didn’t provide any solutions.
If we neglect to defend ourselves, and each other we can wind up in a backslide, nay, a reverse avalanche real quick. And who will we have to blame? No one, but ourselves, for the naiveté that tells us that women, men, and people of all races and creeds are treated the same. All we have to do is ride on any form of public transportation to see that inequities are all around us.
However, we do have tools to advocate for the powerless, and opportunities to name our own power.
It is JUST as important to be honest about the inequalities that are pitted against us, as it is to look into the faces of those who have it worse.
I just have to say a quick shout out to Pat Mitchell, who certainly has more power than I do, but is such a rock-star in her keynote address, below, where she urges women to acknowledge their own power, and open their eyes to the powerless around them.
Do you feel like a strong, empowered woman who wont be stopped by negative stories told in media, or even propagated by other women? Well, if that is the case, I’d say: Put your money where your mouth is, and HELP a sister out. There are women all around us who need more power imbued upon them…
…And that is also why we should support PBS.