WHILE IT maintains that it offers the best of everything and values individual choice, our feminist society actually glorifies and celebrates only certain choices. All societies glorify and celebrate certain choices. It is not possible to reward pure freedom or to approve of choices that are inherently opposed. If being a Vitalist Woman who does everything is good then being a woman who adopts a a traditional role is necessarily not good.  

Here, in illustration of the ceaseless glorification of the Vitalist Woman, are the three categories in 5th Annual Spirited Woman of Baltimore Awards, which might be renamed the 5th Annual Exhausted Woman Awards or the 5th Annual Charlotte Perkins Gilman Awards, named after the famous feminist who was one of the world’s worst wives and mothers:

Spirited Woman Rising

This award will honor an up and coming, young woman who is starting to make her powerful mark on the Baltimore community and/or the business world. Nominations should focus on women who are giving of themselves, active in their careers and communities, and having an influence on society already. Nominees should be ages 21-35 and from the Baltimore area.

Spirited Woman in Balance

This award will honor a working mother who is successfully juggling all that life brings her – family, career, all the while engaging in spirited endeavors such as community service, mentorship and philanthropy. Nominees should be employed full-time and from the Baltimore area.

Spirited Woman of Baltimore

This award will honor an accomplished, spirited woman who acts as an example, leader and mentor in her community and profession and has done so for some time. This woman encompasses a variety of ideals including volunteerism, generosity, sacrifice, preparation, compassion, sensitivity and humility. Nominees should be women in the prime of their lives and from the Baltimore area.

                                          — Comments —

Jill F. writes:

” This woman encompasses a variety of ideals including volunteerism, generosity, sacrifice, preparation, compassion, sensitivity and humility”…gee.. that sounds like the description of a loving wife and mother to me.

 Roger G. writes:

While I think beauty contests are obnoxious, at least they celebrate female attributes. This is perverse. It’s a nihilist beauty contest.

Laura writes:

Beauty contests used to celebrate more than just beauty but a feminine way of being. Now they too celebrate Vitalism, embodied by the sort of women who in addition to being beautiful is also solving poverty in Africa.

Karen I. writes:

I think it would be interesting to follow up on the winners of the Spirited Woman awards in five or ten years to see how things turn out in the long run. 

I noticed that the Spirited Woman awards have a number of sponsors and tickets to the event are $50 to $60. Working women are more valued by society because they tend to have more money to spend, plain and simple. Entire industries depend on women continuing to work outside the home and they know it. Of course, those industries are going to flatter them and do things like sponsor awards ceremonies to honor them. It is interesting that one of the sponsors is a steak house and a 2008 winner was from a cleaning service. Another previous winner was from “Womans Wine and Dine.” Of course, restaurants and cleaning services are among the industries that make a lot of money off women who work outside the home.

Laura writes:

Great point.

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