4B movement symptomatic of larger societal issues

If you’ve been online any length of time lately, particularly in the days right after the election, you’ve probably seen videos or news articles referencing the 4B movement.

4B is a radical feminist movement originating in South Korea in the mid- to late 2010s. The prefix “bi-” translates roughly to “no” in Korean, and the four principles of the movement are biyeonae (“no dating [men]”), bisekseu (“no sex [with men]”), bihon (“no [heterosexual] marriage”) and bichulsan (“no childbirth”). South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates, at 0.78 as of 2022, well below the replacement rate of 2. In Korea, the movement has been an understandable reaction to cultural and legal standards that greatly disadvantage women, as well as high rates of gender-based violence and digital sex crimes.

However, in the wake of Trump’s winning the election, 4B has taken a new turn and spread to the U.S. Several female social media influencers have posted now-viral reaction videos on TikTok or other platforms, declaring they are deleting their dating apps, swearing off men for at least the next four years or even refusing to talk to men entirely. They urge other women to do the same because “f*** the patriarchy.” One influencer encourages women to not only stop having sex, but also to break up with their boyfriends or divorce their husbands if they’re married because “they don’t give a s*** about you.”

The reason? These women claim to be doing this in protest of Trump’s victory, which is supposedly going to strip them of their rights, namely their right to have an abortion. This is not true, as the abortion issue has been put back in the hands of the states. However, these influencers don’t seem particularly concerned with the truth.

Swearing off men is one thing, but these influencers took it a step further and in a show of “solidarity,” several decided to shave their heads. In all likelihood, they want people to notice them and want to make a spectacle. That’s why they took the time to set up their phones to film themselves ranting, probably filming multiple takes until they got just the right one. As Daily Wire commentator Brett Cooper points out, the general sentiment is “I’m unhappy and insecure so I want you to be unhappy and insecure too.” It comes across as a cry for attention.

Cooper also makes the point that these women are trying to act like they are oppressed, but they stand in stark contrast to the many girls and women across the world who are actually oppressed.

A user by the name of “ThatValleyGirl” wrote on X: “Women in Afghanistan are forbidden from going to school, visiting places of worship, going to gyms, salons or even national parks. They can’t work, leave their homes without a man present, or even choose their own clothing. Their basic rights and safety are literally under threat everyday of their lives. They do not have the freedom to LEAVE an abusive situation.

“Meanwhile, some liberals in America are shaving their heads to ‘make a point.’ Do you think about donating that hair to Locks of Love? Do you realize you’re trivializing the experiences of women with cancer and alopecia?

“You rail against the system, yet it’s because of capitalism and your right to free speech that you can vent on social media — and even profit from it… The 4B movement is a mockery of the real horrors that women worldwide are facing. It’s embarrassing and tone deaf.”

Some may make the point, “Well, it’s just a video of a random person online doing something crazy. It’s another passing trend.” If you think that, you are probably right. These videos of ladies shaving their heads aren’t going to affect the majority of the American people. However, the videos have negatively impacted women who for whatever reason have lost their hair.

One TikTok influencer, @XLaurynAlexis, who is bald due to alopecia, posted this: “You say you’re shaving your head so ‘men won’t want you’ but does that mean that men shouldn’t want women that have struggled with hair loss due to alopecia or chemo? Your actions are very selfish and it’s only effecting [sic] women that have struggled with hair loss. Should we not be able to feel loved by a man? Should men not want us because we’re bald?” While the shaving their heads part is pretty ridiculous and insensitive to those struggling with hair loss, the women making these videos don’t have it all wrong. One of the more popular videos is captioned, “If men won’t respect our bodies, they don’t get access to our bodies.” This is actually a good mindset for women to have; they should respect themselves enough not to have sex with someone who is not willing to commit to them and make them a priority. Less casual sex means less unwanted pregnancies and fewer abortions.

Hookup culture has permeated our instant gratification society where sex is treated as a cheap commodity. The chief goal is to gratify one’s own desires or do whatever makes one happy. But when sex is engaged in flippantly, outside the protection of marriage, it will lead to a lot of people getting hurt along the way and feeling misused and abused. Until our culture changes its view on sex and intimacy, movements like this will continue to rise up as a response.

The battle of the sexes is not a new thing; it has raged ever since the first human beings walked the planet. There is no perfect solution, as all women and men are fallen and sinful. However, part of the solution is each side needs to stop vilifying and mistreating the other side. As much as it may pain some to admit it, men and women need each other. Both are meant to complement and support the other. “Women have a responsibility to be the nurturing and moderating influence on men the same way men have a responsibility to channel their aggressive tendencies to provide for and defend women,” Mark Hemingway writes for The Federalist.

Men and women both have an important role to play in building a happy, healthy society. Everyone, regardless of gender, ought to be treated with dignity and respect, not objectified. And it has to start on the individual level to lead to real societal change.

Just my two cents. Have a great week!

Striking a

Chord...