It seems that as time goes on, there will always be an uncertainty of acceptance in some way. So many women in today's society constantly critique and judge themselves and all they have to offer, simply because of the reactions and thoughts of other people, even those who are completely irrelevant. It is easy enough to say that the reason for all of this unnecessary self-judgment has to do with the fact that any woman today can easily compare herself to anyone else through means of the Internet or social media. However, the act of self-judgment by women has been happening for over 50 years now, dating back to the time when there was no Internet; therefore, it is not just scrolling through other women's pictures that cause women to question themselves. The issue lies amongst the idea that society has so firmly developed a template for "what" a woman should be, that it has become almost impossible to break away from that template without receiving some sort unfair, negative of judgment in return. 

The fight against criticism of women and thrive for gender equality and acceptance was the hot topic from the beginning of the 1960s until the early 1980s, a period known as second-wave feminism. The movement strived for the equality of men and women throughout all aspects of life: education, employment, salary, and of course, freedom of speech. Equality cannot be achieved without acceptance, and that was the issue for women during the time of second-wave feminism. Marge Piercy, born in Detroit in 1936, grew up in a neighborhood that, as a whole, was very unaccepting when it came to race-diversity. Marge always accepted the fact that she came from a Jewish family, even though she was often bullied because of her religion. Growing up, her father would constantly try to convince Marge that she was not Jewish, in hopes of protecting the family from anti-Semitic discrimination, but he was never successful. This had an everlasting effect on Marge. As she grew up, she acknowledged the discrimination of many other minorities, one of those being women. Marge always supported the equality and acceptance of women. She was involved with several groups and organizations promoting women's equality, such as the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). In 1973, Marge wrote the poem. "Barbie Doll." The poem depicts the life a girl from birth to death and how judgment and lack of acceptance from others prevented her from accomplishing what she hoped to in life. The poem starts off describing a girl who was born into this world with nothing wrong with her. She played with the same toys any other little girl played with. It then goes on to tell how she was introduced to "GE stoves and irons" (334). To the readers, this statement demonstrates that the girl became familiar with the tools she would need in order to fit the template of what the world at the time knew women to be- housewives. Reading on, we find out how the girl's life suddenly changed forever. The poem states, "Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs" (334). This was the turning point in the girl's life. Before the comment about her appearance was made, she was happy and saw nothing wrong with herself. She had been raised just as every other girl had. The poem states that the girl was healthy and smart, but could no longer see herself for how she actually was. All she could see was her "fat nose on thick legs" (335). She tried to play it off by smiling through the pain and acting shy, but she knew she would never be happy with herself again unless she changed her appearance. She eventually cut off her nose and legs, causing her to take her own life. As she laid in her casket, people complimented her "beauty." The poem ends with, "Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending" (335). The closing line of the poem is sarcastic, yet, unfortunately, true in many circumstances. Many women do not find peace or happiness until they finally fit the role of what society wants them to be, and even then, they are still not genuinely happy. "Barbie Doll" uses physical appearance and beauty to depict the way in which feminism affected women's views of themselves. While it is accurate that beauty has always affected the way women are accepted by society, the beauty aspect of the poem is only a small representation of the effects feminism had on women as a whole, not just based on physical appearance. While we can infer from "Barbie Doll" that the main character was treated unfairly simply because her physical appearance did not meet society's expectations, we can make the relation to the fact that during second-wave feminism, women who did not meet the society's requirements for "what" woman should be were discriminated against. 

In 1971, Jo Freeman, editor of the "Voice of Women's Libertarian Movement," released her article, "The BITCH Manifesto." The article describes the ways in which assertive women, ones who did not fall under the stereotype of the "common" women, were looked down upon by society at the time. The article quotes Simone de Beauvoir, a French writer and feminist, stating, " man is defined as a human being and woman is defined as a female. Whenever she tries to behave as a human being she is accused of trying to emulate the male." This quote is the backbone of the entire article. "The BITCH Manifesto" defines what the world during the time of second-wave feminism believed a bitch to be- an "aggressive, assertive, domineering, overbearing" woman, who could not speak her mind or stand up for her own beliefs because by doing so, she was simply just mimicking men, the "human beings," and making a fool of herself and all other women in favor of equality. While "Barbie Doll" makes women feel somewhat guilty for the times they have hidden their true personality, the manifesto takes a more aggressive approach, almost sarcastically arguing that women can and should be more independent and that there is nothing wrong with being perceived as different, even if that makes one a "bitch;" in fact, being a bitch only makes one stronger emotionally. Unlike "Barbie Doll," "The BITCH Manifesto," implies that expressing confidence, regardless of hostility, is what is necessary in order to achieve what one hopes to in life without suffering in silence. 

In today's society, it is evident that there is still an issue of discrimination against women. We see this issue a lot when on the topic of salary. According to the "Institute for Women's Policy Research," "In 2014, female full-time workers made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 21 percent." While it is clear that something still needs to be done in regards to equality of men and women, many women today argue that even with such issues in play, they do not want to be a part of the fight for feminism. In July of 2014, a Tumblr page was created titled, "Women Against Feminism." The page consists of hundreds of pictures of women from all over the world holding up homemade signs stating the reasons as to why they do not need feminism. "Barbie Doll," which argues the need for acceptance, and as previously stated, uses beauty as an example of a type of acceptance, argues that without any sort of praise, many women feel as though they have no purpose in this world; therefore, they believed the feminist movement would be beneficial in creating equality. That being said, the Tumblr page demonstrates contrary beliefs to the message behind "Barbie Doll," relating more to "The BITCH Manifesto." Like the manifesto, the Tumblr page is a bit aggressive. One woman on the page is holding up a sign that states, "I don't need feminism because I believe in equality, not entitlements or supremacy." The Tumblr page expresses that acceptance alone is not necessarily the issue, as "Barbie Doll," implies it is. While equality remains the goal of both the poem and the women of the Tumblr page, the signs lead many to believe that acceptance is something that only seems to satisfy certain women- the less confident ones. Women are not asking for special treatment, and they are not asking to gain control over anyone. All they are asking for is equality to men. Fair enough. If women want to gain an excessive education or have big business office jobs, they should be entitled to do so. Lisa Sandford, a 23 year old from Australia, who came across the "Women Against Feminism" Tumblr page, commented on the many experiences she has been given in life, thanks to gender equality. She mentions that although she is currently happy as a career woman, when the time is right, she will "choose" to become a stay-at-home mother for her children. The choice to do so is the definition of equality women crave and receiving it leads to happier, more committed women in this world.  

In today's world, there is no need for self-judgment like that of "Barbie Doll," whether it be based on physical appearance or treatment and acceptance overall. Women who stand up for themselves do not need to be categorized as abnormal, as they are in "The BITCH Manifesto." While it is clear that gender equality is a work in progress, women who stand up for their own beliefs, such as Lisa Sandford and the other women of "Women Against Feminism," prove that improvement in gender equality is being made. 

