Ginia Bellafante

Ginia Bellafante, a writer for Time magazine, maintains in the following viewpoint that the feminist movement, once a political and social movement that sought equal rights and opportunities for women, has devolved into an elite culture of women who are interested in little else than celebrity, sex, and themselves. Furthermore, Bellafante argues, issues of true importance to American women, such as day care, are virtually ignored by feminist icons and organizations. Feminism as a political force is dead, she concludes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Bellafante’s opinion, how is the feminism of today different from that of the ’60s and ’70s?
2. Why is “the flightiness of contemporary feminism” a problem, according to Bellafante?
3. What is the “Camille Paglia syndrome,” in the words of the author"

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