She’s not the Charging Bull on Wall Street, but “Fearless Girl” is guilty of a little bull herself.

The acclaimed statue — unveiled in March as a symbol of defiance in the face of a predominantly male business industry — has come under fire for perpetuating pseudo-feminist propaganda. State Street Corporation, the company that financed the statue’s creation, recently settled a lawsuit for paying female employees lower salaries than their male peers.

The company settlement is the latest example of the dangers of popular feminism and its misleading implications on corporate industries. After sexual assault allegations against film executive Harvey Weinstein left Hollywood riling, it’s time we start thinking more critically about corporate-sold feminism and the deceptiveness of its intentions.

Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor

While gender inequality on Wall Street isn’t exactly a revolutionary injustice, the “Fearless Girl” debacle is a swift punch in the gut to women who had been inspired by her message of resilience and femininity in the corporate worksphere. And it shows how common it is to find sexism hiding under a pseudo-feminist mask.

Allison Raymond, a senior advertising major at Syracuse University who spent the spring 2017 semester working in New York City, stopped to take a picture with the iconic statue. But when she heard about the company’s sexist actions, she wasn’t taken aback.

“Sadly, it didn’t surprise me,” she said in a Facebook message. “Advertising is one of those fields where there are a ton of women in low to mid-level positions, but a serious lack of diversity in boards and higher positions.”

Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor

State Street Corporation isn’t alone in this diversity debacle. In an August 2015 data analysis conducted by Business Insider, 66 to 81 percent of executives at corporations including Goldman Sachs and Citibank were men. While the “Fearless Girl” statue may have riled up the most recent controversy, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor

The “Fearless Girl” controversy and the allegations against Weinstein depict the problem with popular feminism. It’s more about a superficial act of saving face rather than saving women from microaggressions ingrained in popular culture.

When we still consider women Hollywood props instead of employees or think they’re incapable of running a corporation solely because of their gender, we aren’t progressing. You can swear up and down that you love the TV show “Girls” or that you voted for Hillary Clinton, but actions speak louder than words.

Still, despite the issues surrounding the statue, many women are still supportive of its concept. Raymond argued that while the execution of “Fearless Girl” wasn’t flawless, her message still stands.

“It was really empowering,” she said. “The statue being a little girl and still standing up straight, hands on her hips, facing down this huge bull made it so much more powerful. It was awesome seeing so many people taking pictures with it and leaving flowers.”

State Street Corporation has had its own problems walking the walk when it comes to gender inequality, but that shouldn’t take away from the message “Fearless Girl” represents. The statue is a significant piece of social currency that encourages people to reflect on its meaning and consider their roles in the workforce.

The little girl also stands as a symbol of a concept too many men and women belittle and shy away from: femininity. Unapologetic, radical femininity.

“Fearless Girl” is not the perfect statue. She is a byproduct of sexism and misogynistic propaganda, which she has withstood with courage and grit. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the point.

Kelsey Thompson is a junior magazine journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at katho101@syr.edu.

Published on October 22, 2017 at 10:04 pm