In October of last year, a new youtuber became instantly popular with a series of videos about feminism and racism, in the guise of makeup tutorials. That youtuber, Sailor J, was anonymous at the time, as she was enlisted in the U.S Armed forces. Her videos were great. Sharp, funny, educational. Recently, she announced she won't be posting on youtube anymore. In this post, I'll share some of her videos, as well as talk about the reason for the departure. This is Feminism Sunday.
How To Get A Man
This is not about how to get a man. It is about the pressure society puts on women to find a man. It is very, very funny.
Contouring 101
This is the follow up to the previous video, and may be J's funniest video ever.
How To Do Thanksgiving Makeup That Has Nothing To Do With The 566 Federally Recognized Tribes
While her previous videos were about gender, this one was about race, and it was absolutely amazing.
In addition to the more politically pointed videos, J released some videos making fun of the different star signs, such as this one:
And one video each about the three non Gryffindor houses in Harry Potter. I'll put this one in, because I'm a Hufflepuff:
The hiatuses
After breaking in a huge way late last year, J's account became less and less active as 2018 progressed. As a fan, I figured that had to do with her writing her first novel, and going to auditions as an actress.
The recent announcement that she was cast in a recurring role in AMC's upcoming NOS4A2 seemed to confirm that speculation, as well as reveal that Sailor J is actually Jahkara Smith. I was delighted for her.
The Departure
However, while those may have contributing factors, they were not the deciding ones, nor the reason she is now stepping away from the platform. Smith talks about that in her latest/last video, released last week:
The reason is youtube's treatment of its trans creators: demonetizing, and in some cases deleting their videos. While Smith is a woman of color, her feminism - as discussed in previous videos - is intersectional. And as such, she decided she could not take part - and make money - in a platform that treats some of its most marginalized contributors in this way. In the info below the video, she shares links to many of the most prominent and informative trans youtube creators.
My thoughts
As sad as I am to see her go, I applaud this decision and find in it a source of true inspiration. This is a powerful way to use privilege - in this case, cis privilege - to make the world better.
I am a mostly het, kinda white, cis man in my forties. It is incumbent upon me to try and make this world a better place for those who do not enjoy my privileges, at the same time as I strive to make the world better for those who share my marginalizations (mostly mental illness and asexuality, but being Jewish and a bit bi can also have a role).
It is important to know when and how to use one's voice and platform. It is also important to know when to step away from a platform you can no longer, in good conscience, support. Both Jahkara Smith's arrival in my internet life and her departure now (from youtube, I still follow her on twitter) have been sources of inspiration and knowledge for me, and I hope they will be the same for you.
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