On June 10, Bustle’s Lani Seelinger lambasted Ivanka Trump, claiming all feminists must “[stand] up for abortion rights” and “support Planned Parenthood.”
The media have levied heavy criticism against the eldest first daughter, Bustle foremost among them. The particular content of the criticism stemmed from Ivanka’s apparent silence on or divergence from leftist agenda. Yet Bustle’s criticisms became increasingly farfetched and, frankly, petty in Lani Seelinger’s article. Take Ivanka’s silence on pro-abortion policy, for example. “Women need . . . full reproductive rights, and advocates who will fight for them,” ventured Seelinger, apparently forgetting 41 percent of American women consider themselves “pro-life.”
According to Seelinger, the first daughter supports neither Planned Parenthood nor abortion. Wholehearted support of both is, apparently, an absolute requisite for Bustle’s version of feminism. Seelinger accused Ivanka Trump of “reinforcing traditional gender roles”, even though the first daughter allegedly exudes “girl power” and “go-get-‘em vibes” – all of which only amount to“‘atta-girl bromides.’”
Yet these particular “vibes” only contribute to the “faux-feminist veneer” Ivanka supposedly puts on. Seelinger also managed to find fault with Ivanka for not having time for massages, and – even more interestingly – for considering “passion” to be the strongest propeller toward success.
Seelinger’s final words on the first daughter’s supposed attack on feminism were especially scathing: “Ivanka’s brand of female empowerment is like a life raft with a gaping hole in it – feminists would be wise not to get on board.” Clearly, according to Seelinger, certain “Injustices” ought to occupy this gap, particularly injustices against full reproductive rights. Not only has Bustle managed to creatively and pettily critique the eldest first daughter – the publication has exemplified its own bias, implying feminism is accompanied only by a staunch adherence to abortion “rights.”
[Editor's note: In response to a NewsGuard critique, we have corrected the polling number, from 60 percent of women being "very pro-life" to 41 percent being pro-life. The poll found 60 percent of pro-life women said they were strongly pro-life.]
