"I will no longer be referred to as Miss Steinem of Ms. magazine"
About this Quote
A small sentence with a big corrective snap: Steinem is refusing the linguistic leash that keeps women publicly legible only through diminutives and marital status. “Miss” isn’t just a descriptor; it’s a social sorting mechanism, a reminder that women are to be filed by relationship to men and judged by perceived availability. Even when it’s meant politely, it’s a label that asks the wrong question first.
The jab lands harder because it’s aimed at the media ecosystem that loved covering feminism while simultaneously shrinking its leaders into caricatures. “Miss Steinem” turns a formidable political actor into a perky mascot, a shorthand that infantilizes and domesticate her work. It also suggests a kind of ownership: the press gets to name you, and naming becomes a quiet form of control. Her refusal reclaims the power to self-define, the same move Ms. magazine tried to make mainstream with its own title - an honorific designed to let women exist in print without being triangulated through a husband.
There’s subtext, too, about tokenization. If you’re “Miss Steinem of Ms. magazine,” you become a novelty act representing “the women’s issue,” rather than a strategist with a broader critique of power. The line functions like a boundary and a dare: treat me like an adult political subject, not a branded curiosity. It’s media criticism packaged as etiquette, which is precisely why it stings.
The jab lands harder because it’s aimed at the media ecosystem that loved covering feminism while simultaneously shrinking its leaders into caricatures. “Miss Steinem” turns a formidable political actor into a perky mascot, a shorthand that infantilizes and domesticate her work. It also suggests a kind of ownership: the press gets to name you, and naming becomes a quiet form of control. Her refusal reclaims the power to self-define, the same move Ms. magazine tried to make mainstream with its own title - an honorific designed to let women exist in print without being triangulated through a husband.
There’s subtext, too, about tokenization. If you’re “Miss Steinem of Ms. magazine,” you become a novelty act representing “the women’s issue,” rather than a strategist with a broader critique of power. The line functions like a boundary and a dare: treat me like an adult political subject, not a branded curiosity. It’s media criticism packaged as etiquette, which is precisely why it stings.
Quote Details
| Topic | Equality |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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