Ronda Rousey

edit

Rousey demonstrates feminist perspectives through her words and actions. For example, Rousey has discussed how she dealt with body image in the past and her struggle with it. She explained, "When I was in school, martial arts made you a dork, and I became self-conscious that I was too masculine. I was a 16-year-old girl with ringworm and cauliflower ears. People made fun of my arms and called me "Miss Man." It wasn't until I got older that I realized: These people are idiots. I'm fabulous."[1] Rousey has not only learned to accept her athletic physique, but to also take pride in it. Rousey stated “I’m just like, listen, just because my body was developed for a purpose other than f***ing millionaires doesn’t mean it’s masculine. I think it’s femininist-ly badass as f**k. Because there’s not a single muscle on my body that isn’t for a purpose. Because I’m not a do-nothing bitch.[2]" Rousey describes a do-nothing bitch as some one "who just tries to be pretty and taken care of by someone else"[3]. With that in mind, Rousey began the Do-Nothing Bitch (DNB) campaign to send a message to women about owning their own bodies and taking control of their lives by being self-sufficient[4]. The DNB campaign is now shifting society's perception of what it means to be a confident woman from body image and physical appearance to work ethic and being independent. The main aspect of Rousey's campaign is selling t-shirts with her DNB quote on them, "Don't be a #DNB". The proceeds of the t-shirts sold are donated to the charity, Didi Health Mental Services. Didi Health Mental Services focuses their work towards "mental health services and for women with body image issues."

Furthermore, Rousey has challenged the MMA's rules on banning women from professional fighting. She argued, "There are so many ridiculous arguments that MMA is somehow anti-woman. Fighting is not a man's thing, it is a human thing. To say that it is anti-woman is an anti-feminist statement.[5] Moreover she states, "I'm the biggest draw in the sport and I'm a woman. How is it anti-woman?[5]" Additionally, Rousey demonstrates a lot of feminist ideals through her actions and the way she lives. Fightland Blog touched upon this topic, writing that "Ronda embodies a particular brand of feminism by not actualizing the ingratiating and conciliatory woman idealized in our culture. She isn't following the recommendations of Emily Post or the storyline of a heroine in a chick flick. Instead, she follows the narrative of the bad-boy athlete.[6]" In other words, this article argues that Rousey is redefining femininity and society's standards of beauty by just being herself and a role model for others[7].

  1. ^ "Bustle". www.bustle.com. https://plus.google.com/+bustledotcom. Retrieved 2015-11-04. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ ""Do-Nothing Bitch" Is Not Just A Shocking Slogan - Women's Running". Women's Running. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  3. ^ "Ronda Rousey sells over 13,000 'DNB' shirts in first 24 hours for charity". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  4. ^ "See why Ronda Rousey's charity T-shirt is stirring controversy". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  5. ^ a b "Ronda Rousey on Good Morning America: To say that fighting is anti-woman is an anti-feminist statement". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  6. ^ "Ronda Rousey and the Feminism of the Bitch | FIGHTLAND". Fightland. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  7. ^ "5 Reasons Ronda Rousey Is The Biggest Badass EVER". www.yourtango.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.