Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk on Feminism

 In today’s society, the word “feminist” is usually used in a derogatory way. If someone were to say that they were a feminist, most would automatically assume that this person hates males or thinks that women should be treated in a superior manor. In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk entitled, We should all be feminist, she combats the negative image of a feminist in a calm, conversational, and funny matter. Adichie opens up the door into her life and lets the audience see the horrors of gender inequality. 

Adichie’s main goal in giving this talk is throw out and let go of all the heavy baggage that the word “feminist” brings along with it and focus on how this idea can eliminate gender inequality.  Adichie talks about her family and how humble she is to be giving another TED Talk. She tells stories of how a waiter did not acknowledge her at the table, how the valet she tipped thanked the man she was with instead of her, and how her dreams of being class monitor as a child were crushed because she was a girl. All of these personal examples demonstrate her first-hand experience with gender inequality. Experiencing this first-hand makes Adichie more credible. The audience has to believe that she knows what she is talking about before they begin to actually listen to what she is saying. These stories also help draw the audience in emotionally. People relate to and sympathize with these personal stories. Making herself relatable aids her in making herself likeable, which directly refutes the idea that feminist are harsh and bitter. 

The way Adichie arranges this talk kept the audience engaged and alert. Adichie would tell a personal story, have a serious moment, and then throw in a joke. This kept the talk light and interesting. Structuring the talk in this way aided in Adichie’s goal to change the ideal of what a feminist is and made it focus on the goal of feminism. This also made the talk easy to follow and not complicated. Adichie’s main goal in giving this TED Talk was to demonstrate that the old ideas of what a feminist is or what feminism is, should be thrown out the window and the actual idea of what feminism is should be embraced