Eyewitness News on 28 September 2015

My friend Mvelase often makes an incredibly relevant comment when someone enters a discussion or opines on the internet without any regard for facts or research on a matter: “Google is full and free”. It means that there is no excuse for ignorance or a lack of knowledge when you have a wealth of information at your fingertips – when simple googling would disprove, shift or broaden your knowledge, thoughts and opinions. He is quick to use it on himself, too, introspecting when he falls into a similar trap, reflecting a commitment to doing better, thinking harder and doing the research.

I was reminded of this phrase when I read a recent piece on feminism that drew on tired, problematic tropes, repeating the idea that feminism can be defined as angry ‘bra-burning’ and ‘man hating’ and containing the idea that women in powerful positions are naturally feminists. I found myself questioning how, in 2015, with so many resources at our disposal which would disprove these claims, they still persist. As my eyes flicked upwards to the by-line, Deborah Cox’s 1998 hit played on a loop in my head, as I wondered: “How did you get here? Nobody’s supposed to be here”.

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