I am considering the concept of the alpha female. The alpha female seems to assume her role with the pretext that she is worthy of acceptance as one of the boys, by the “boys.” In a co-ed situation, she plays the role of the confident, edgy, and dark alpha: she is still a sex symbol, but with a tinge of dominant, somewhat dangerous energy. Simply put, she can transform, with tacit male approval, the form of a testosterone-pumped queen of the night, even in broad daylight. And, might I just add here… there is no wrong in that, per se.
Still, the circumstances morph into the following structure: the women around the alpha who remain as they began (moderately to “quite” or “very” femme) must assume their role beneath both this Alpha Her and the males in the group: they are frequently knocked to the sidelines, subject to the ever-escalating raunch of boy-humor and judgment. They must keep up, while pushing no buttons. They must be likable, but not as likable as the Alpha.
Imagine it, and from any angle, you can understand what discomfort may arise from the other women in the group. The women who remain unresponsive to the dominant behavior, coming from another woman (one who crossed the gender line and became all-the-sexier for it - and by what right?) develop a rigidity towards the alpha, her “kind” or “type.” It may sound dramatic, but the shoe fits - this is a “thinking-feeling” article, after all. I think the concept of the “woman wanting to be a man” works against feminism on various levels and makes community-building between women on an everyday level, in casual situations, almost impossible.
The “us” and “them” draw a line between women who assert themselves and those who do not feel it necessary to fight for a seat at the table, yet the concepts of the masculine versus feminine remain the main reason for this tension. In order to have community, we need a certain amount of sensitivity: why is masculine energy always considered premium over the feminine? Tonight I am faced with the idea that women can be misogynists, too. This behavior is ultimately self-destructive.
