One hundred women: Did you burn a bra that year?

Today, many feminist movements, such as liberation and #metoo, are in full swing all over the world, and the social awareness of gender equality is increasing. Some people say that the events in New Jersey half a century ago were the starting point to ignite this series of movements, but those female athletes in those years had a rather unpleasant title, "Feminists who burned bras".

Half a century ago, 1968, an event happened in New Jersey, USA, which later became a landmark event and was recorded in the history of civil rights and feminist movements, but it has been shrouded in fog for 50 years.

It was the Miss America contest. A large number of women's rights activists gathered outside the venue, waving brooms, mops, lipsticks, rouge and high heels, shouting slogans and throwing these "women confinement" objects into a big bucket called "free trash can".

In the old photos, at that time, the scene was very lively and the mountain was called tsunami. Those feminists are called "feminists who burn bras".

Their behavior, like performance art, is indeed symbolic: get rid of imprisonment and fight for freedom. * * * also warmly invited passers-by to join.

Robin Morgan is one of the organizers of the "burning bra" movement. She recalled the scene of BBC's100 Women 50 years ago: "I remember a young woman unbuttoning her bra, taking it out from under her shirt and throwing it into a bucket, which won cheers."

This move pushed the activities of a group of feminists "Miss America" in New Jersey to the headlines all over the world and occupied a place in the history of feminist movement.

According to Morgan's memory, most of the participants in the "free trash can" activity participated in the American civil rights movement or the anti-Vietnam War, but none of them were feminists.

She said: "We are a group of radical cynics. We can't stand the situation that we can only make coffee without making policies. We have just come into contact with feminism. " They also realize that this is a battle, and they must go into battle in person. This is their own fight.

"We already know that male chauvinism is not our friend. We thought that the left-wing male chauvinists and we were brothers in the trenches, but when it comes to our own rights and interests, we find that this is not the case. " Feminists who burned bras did not foresee that their behavior would still attract the attention of * * * after half a century.

Some historians of feminist movement believe that the * * * activity of 1968 started the feminist wave that continues to this day.

However, Morgan believes that this kind of evaluation "makes people feel happy and happy, but it is not true." There have been some groups before, such as the All-China Women's Federation (now). However, it is the image of "a feminist who burns bras" that has left a deep impression on the collective memory of the public.

But burning bras didn't really happen. At that time, some women threw underwear into the "free trash can", including bras, but "it didn't set fire to it after all."

Looking at the background of the times more deeply, I found that a female reporter wrote such a sentence at that time: "The man burned the conscription card, and then what?" Can women burn bras? " Some local reporters said that they remember that the "free trash can" was set on fire, but "the fire was not big and was quickly put out".

But Morgan was very sure, but it didn't burn. She said: "We have been trying to clarify this myth for many years." She obviously felt that this symbol usurped the role of the host and turned the seriousness of that * * * into trivial lace.

As early as 1968 Miss America contest, there were very specific provisions on "female beauty".

The rule that contestants must be "healthy white" was abolished as early as 1940s, but no colored Miss America has ever been elected.

"Since 192 1, no black man has entered the final of the beauty contest," wrote the press release of the "trash can" campaign. Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and mexican american didn't make it to the finals. Moreover, there has never been a real Miss America-an American Indian. "

Racial discrimination is one of the 65,438+00 "accusations" listed in the press release of the Miss America beauty contest.

Article 4 of "Crime 10" involves "fraudulent tactics against consumers" and calls Miss America a "live advertisement of beauty pageant sponsors".

* * * Item 8 on the list, "The crown of irrelevance on the throne of mediocrity".

"Miss America represents what women should look like: weak, helpless, boring and indifferent to politics. If the height and weight are higher or lower than the standards set by men, then forget the beauty contest. "

Morgan said that this "trash can" should have been "more interesting than meanness", but in retrospect, she thought there were still some areas for improvement.

"We criticize beauty pageants too much. In the final analysis, it is a working-class woman who wants to take shortcuts. "

That year, Judith Nash (now Judith Ford), who was 18 years old, won the title of Miss America from Illinois.

In an interview with Northwest Quarterly on 20 14, she admitted, "Not everyone accepts beauty contests. Someone once told me that it was a cattle race and that I was exploited. However, the purpose of the Miss America contest is to promote women and provide them with opportunities and scholarships that are only possible by participating in beauty contests. "

Nash later went to college with the prize money won by Miss America and got a diploma in physics.

She said: "For me, the experience of participating in the Miss America beauty pageant is extremely beneficial."

Today, 50 years later, women's rights and interests have once again become the focus of American media attention, and "Women's Big * * *" and the #MeToo movement continue to occupy headlines. The number of women running for public office all over the country is unprecedented.

Morgan said that the situation is too good to be described in words.

"These women have never been keen on politics before. Most of them are housewives, teachers, cashiers and luggage packers. They can't stand it, they say' enough'. " So, if there is a "trash can" today, what will Morgan throw into it?

She replied: "all religious symbols and symbols, because they all represent male domination."

"I thought of high heels and body-shaping underwear-basically ancient corsets-and pornographic publications full of violence. I will also throw drugs such as opium and diet pills. "

"I am essentially a poet. Symbols, symbols and metaphors, I know their power and the power of the' free trash can'. "