Admitting Privilege

Kylie Gillette

Professor Melissa Santos

ENGL 199-003: Women In Pop Culture

3 April, 2015

Admitting Privilege

In “You Go, Girl,” taken from Susan J. Douglas’s The Rise of Enlightened Sexism, she discusses women’s representation in television, specifically regarding women of color. In this chapter, she calls to attention the fact that she is privileged over other women of color because she is white. Douglas goes on to say, “Now, as (a) a white women and (b) an aging white women (rather unlikely to be gettin’ jiggy wit’ 50 Cent) and (c)  a white female baby boomer feminist, I know that I am entering treacherous terrain. What right do I have to comment on these images?” (132). She is pointing out that her background has allowed her some privilege over women of color, and it is important that she did.

More often than not, people are uncomfortable admitting their privilege. There are countless times I can recall pointing this privilege out to other just to have it rejected. All too often, its either men, whites, or straight people that reject their privilege over others, which just so happen to be the main oppressors of those less privilege. I believe that the privileged are so comfortable in their life styles, that they refuse to understand or acknowledge the advantages they have in life. Admitting that you benefit from the oppression of others isn’t necessarily easy but it is necessary nonetheless. It is important that we, as a society, make a conscious effort to acknowledge our privilege and maybe use it to speak out against such social/political/economical order.

While those who are privileged should be encouraged to use said privilege to speak out against these injustices, it is important to understand when their voices are truly necessary. For example, white people, including myself, but be careful not to overstep our bounds and speak over people of color. It is incredibly easy to use your voice to silence the same group of people you are trying to advocate for, and it is something we must be extremely careful of.