One of my favourite cartoons was Avatar the Last Airbender. I watched the whole four seasons three freaking times on tv! It was legit
the most epic cartoon series
ever! (Hi five to those who think the same. You guys rock!). My favourite character of all time is by the name of Toph. It's this kid right here:
She's a blind orphan who mastered earth bending from badger moles and could actually 'see' her surroundings by feeling the ground using here bare feet. She was exactly the girl I wanted to be: tough, independent, and carefree. She was also famous for her crankiness and short temper. She likes her name - Toph - because it sounds exactly like tough.
Now let's move on to one of my favourite Disney movies (after Monsters Inc.): Mulan. I think almost everyone my age out there have seen this movie at least once in their lifetime. It's the story of Mulan who goes to fight the war by dressing up as a man, since only men were allowed to go to war.
What do these two have in common? They're fighters. Independent female figures who defy the stereotype against women and show others what they're really capable of doing. As a child, I was fascinated by that idea. Not only that. I also grew furious every time I watch a drama portraying a female getting abused by a male. I disapproved of such symbolization of women; that we are weak and easily manipulated and unable to have our say in a given hierarchy.
But that was long before I knew the term feminism existed. It was just in my instincts that women should be portrayed as a strong and important figures, capable of so much more than merely the dependence on men. Sure, men and women have different roles in society. The only way feminism can work is if men receive the rights of men and women receive the rights of women. But I believe that if women do not need to be protected BY men and FROM men, the world would've been a more peaceful place.
Bottom line: Go watch Avatar the Last Airbender!
"You educate a man, you educate a man. You educate a woman, you educate a generation." -Brigham Young
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