Welcome To The Pop Feminist: The Intersection Of Popular Culture, Art, Feminism And Faith

Hello, Patheos! It’s a thrill to be here with you. My name is Emily C. A. Snyder, and I’ll be your guide through the intersection of popular culture, art, feminism, and faith.

Getting to Know You

For those of you who may not know me yet, allow me to introduce myself. I’m a graduate from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a joyful Catholic, and a theatre artist in New York City.

Some of you may have followed me from my previous blog where we tackled such subjects as the purpose of failure in The Last Jedi, treatment of “the other woman” in The Greatest Showman, the question of whether we can enjoy art made by problematic creators such as Joss Whedon and Woody Allen, and a rather humorous dissection of a particularly unfortunate essay defending Roy Moore by a (sigh) professor at my beloved alma mater.

I’ve started talking about toxic masculinity and positive masculinity, and you may have caught my little article on Howlround about how we view smart women.

Or you may know me from my high fantasy novels, Jane Austen satires, and like a gazillion plays I’ve written. Or maybe I taught you during my ten year stint as a high school educator, teaching theology and theatre. Or maybe I’ve directed you in a Shakespeare play. Or you’ve been to one of my theatre company’s plays. Or maybe we’re just best friends.

Or we’re about to be. Welcome!

Catholic? Feminist?! Balderdash.

So, let’s take a second to define our terms. What in the world does “Catholic feminist” even mean? And for that matter, what do I count as “pop culture?”

Catholic: I believe in God, the Father, the Almighty… This isn’t just flippant. One of the things I appreciated about my Catholic upbringing and my years at Steubenville was the way that you can breathe the faith. I love being in full communion with Rome. But I also strive not to politicize my faith. Christ was not a member of any two party system. So when I speak about my Catholicism – especially in intersection with culture – I aim for catechetical Truth, not the political party line.
Culture: Largely, I’ll be talking about American and Western culture – those being the ones I grew up with. I especially welcome insight into culture that isn’t mine.
Pop Culture: We’ll be talking primarily movies, TV (so much TV), theatre and literature here. If there’s something you’d like me to review, become my patron on Patreon and tell me what ticket I should be buying!
Feminism: I am a feminist. This doesn’t mean I refer to God as “she,” or that I’m advocating for female priests, or that I’m like “Yay! Abortion!” It means that I see, and have profoundly experienced, the prejudices and inequalities against my sex, and I object to that objectification. If you’re worried about feminism, or have had bad experiences with Feminists You Have Known™ I welcome you to follow this blog and learn more.
Catholic Feminist: I am a Catholic. And I am a Feminist. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Art: The “art” part of my descriptor here refers to both giving you a peek behind the curtain of how Art Actually Happens (aka, why did all those women agree to meet with Weinstein professionally in his hotel room?), as well as more esoteric considerations of what Art is and why it’s important. (And yes, why a lot of recent Catholic “art” has failed.)
Faith: Naturally, much like Culture, I’ll be speaking almost exclusively from the point of view of a Roman Catholic. (Gasp! Shock! What? On the Catholic Patheos channel? Absurd.) However, since we’re talking about intersection here, and since the arts aren’t currently funded by the Church, I will be speaking a bit more broadly to those of every and no faith as well. (Since those are many my friends in real life. Heya, real life friends!)

Friends, Romans, and Countrymen – Lend Me Your Eyes

So welcome, old friends and new. Welcome Roman Catholics, and those on the other side of the Tiber. Welcome, my fellow Americans (and Canadians, and New Zealanders, and that one guy from Brussels). Welcome lovers of pop culture, and welcome those suspicious of secular art. Welcome my fellow feminists, and welcome those who’ve been burnt by a particular brand of feminism.

Which is to say: you. I welcome you.

Thanks for welcoming me, too.

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Image credit: Tessa Flannery Photography