It's hard not to feel humorless, as a woman and a feminist, to recognize misogyny in so many forms, some great and some small, and know you're not imagining things. It's hard to be told to lighten up because if you lighten up any more, you're going to float the fuck away. The problem is not that one of these things is happening; it's that they are all happening, concurrently and constantly.
In her work "Bad Feminist," Roxane Gay discusses the pervasive nature of misogyny that women, particularly feminists, encounter daily. She expresses the struggle of navigating a world filled with both overt and subtle forms of discrimination, which can make adhering to a sense of humor difficult. Gay conveys the frustration of being told to "lighten up," highlighting that this request dismisses the seriousness of the issues at hand.
Gay emphasizes that the challenge lies not just in isolated incidents of misogyny but in the constant and simultaneous experiences that women face. This ongoing struggle can feel overwhelming and isolating, as it becomes hard to maintain a lighthearted perspective when confronted with the reality of gender-based discrimination. Through her reflections, she sheds light on the heavy burden many women carry while navigating a society rife with misogyny.
