This Year’s Top Feminist Pop Culture Moments Show Artists, Storytellers, and Creators Faced Regressive Politics with Imagination, Joy, and Anger
Another year of feminist struggles, another year of feminist triumphs. 2025 is no different—despite opening on a new presidential administration determined to reverse the progress made on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, equity and inclusion, and a multiracial society built on a nation of immigrants. Our pop culture nonetheless pushed back against this political backlash and provided more than a handful of glimpses into feminist resistance throughout the culture. Even when the moments weren’t specific to feminism—think Sinners, a male-driven story that nonetheless had a stellar cast of women, or Wicked: For Good, whose female friendship contrasts with the problematic ending—they contributed to the cultural pushback. Here is our annual list of the top 10 feminist moments of 2025.
10. Ms. in the Culture
This year, Ms. entered the cultural conversation in two milestone ways. First was HBO’s documentary, Dear Ms. A Revolution in Print, which provided a historical overview of the magazine’s impact on the feminist movement and culture throughout the decades. Months later, Bess Wohl’s memory play, Liberation, about 1970s women’s consciousness-raising inspired by Ms., debuted on Broadway to critical acclaim. In film or theater, Ms. continues to prove its relevance and staying power to shape and influence the wider culture on feminist dialogue.
9. Women Holding Up the AI Mirror
Consider how women’s roles may be used to advance AI technology in ways that enhance—rather than replace—creativity and our all-around humanity. This year, two women creatives—Dutch technologist and actor Eline Van der Velden, and Mississippi native and poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones—demonstrated the great potential of AI with their respective creations, Tilly Norwood (in acting) and Xania Monet (in singing). They have already faced backlash from those in the movie and music industries who recognize how AI “artists” could take over their jobs and likeness. Nonetheless, given the way that these women constructed their AI avatars to project their own ideals, we may recognize the technology as a useful cultural mirror.
8. Expanding Beyond Humanity
Speaking of humanity, sometimes our comprehension of what makes us human expands beyond our species. This year, two documentaries shined a spotlight on the incredible diversity of and sacred bonds we share with those in the animal kingdom. The world premiere of Drew Denny’s Second Nature: Gender and Sexuality in the Animal World, based on Dr. Joan Roughgarden’s book, explored the presence of same-sex couplings in nature and other aspects of gender and sex diversity. Adding a different voice is Oscar nominee and Native actor Lily Gladstone narrating the PBS documentary, Bring Them Home, about the efforts of Blackfoot people to restore wild buffalo on tribal land. Both Page and Gladstone serve as executive producers for their respective films and remind us of the importance of diversity not just among humans but across all life.
7. Ode to Black Girl Joy (and A’ja Wilson)
WNBA athletes have lately been getting their shine, thanks to popular players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. However, it was A’ja Wilson who really stepped out in 2025, not just as MVP player of the year, but also with her first Nike shoe endorsement and a commercial directed by Malia Obama. The Nike commercial stands out as a tribute to Black girl joy and play, featuring a young Black girl teaching A’ja Wilson a handclap game on a porch. Black girlhood is both a memory and a site of innocence, creativity, prowess, and play, celebrating the promise they represent and the triumph that they already are.
6. Anxiety, Mayhem, and Rage: What the Music Said
From Doechii’s unnerving music video for her catchy “Anxiety” to Lady Gaga’s gothic vibes reflected in her Mayhem era, pop women artists captured the general mood and angst of the year. With increasing technological surveillance and hostility from higher-ups over diversity, equity, and inclusion, 2025’s pop music gave us a space to vent. Lady Gaga’s “Dead Dance” became a resistance anthem, while other artists like Olivia Dean and Sabrina Carpenter pushed beyond anxiety to express their “rage against the machine.” The times may be uncertain, but the music still has something to say.
5. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter World Tour
After the spectacular debut of her eighth solo album, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé continued to shape the national conversation on country music and who gets to define American culture. Following her historic Grammy wins, she set off on another record-setting world tour. Demonstrating her mastery of audio-visual storytelling, Beyoncé curated a rich and Black-infused reframing of Americana. By wrapping the American flag around anthems of Black power, feminism, and queer liberation, she made “reclamation” a subversive art form.
4. Women Filmmakers Reframing History
Women filmmakers continue to make strides in 2025, premiering powerful stories that place women at the center or showcase new perspectives. The documentary Prime Minister, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, revisits the leadership of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, exploring how a progressive woman tackled difficult struggles. Meanwhile, Hamnet, directed by Chloe Zhao, focuses on Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and the grief over their son’s loss, offering a fresh perspective on familiar narratives. These films exemplify the power of feminist filmmaking to reshape our understanding of history.
3. The Diverse Women of The Gilded Age
HBO’s The Gilded Age took three seasons to find its footing, but the latest season stands out with fierce women protecting their daughters and advocating for suffrage. Strong-minded Black women like Peggy Scott pursue both politics and romance, showcasing the involvement of Black women executive producers in expanding the narrative. The series addresses class, race, and gender issues, providing a more nuanced portrayal of historical dynamics than other shows.
2. Teaching Gender Lessons Through Youth Culture
Netflix has made significant cultural moves with its subversive depictions of gender issues. The limited series Adolescence explores violent masculinity and the dark misogynistic online world, while Forever offers a moving exploration of first-time love and sexual awakenings. The popular series Stranger Things subtly explores same-sex awakenings and self-acceptance. From toxic masculinity to first love, these narratives provide multifaceted lessons for youth.
1. The Fierce Feminism of K-Pop Demon Hunters
Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters permeated global culture, becoming the most popular film for the streaming company. Co-director Maggie Kang delivered a tour de force of K-pop music and feminist empowerment, exploring pop girls fighting demons with the power of their voices. The film offers an honest depiction of young women in friendship, integrating catchy songs with lessons in character flaws and solidarity against evil. Its success serves as a powerful rebuke to companies that would reject non-white woman-centered storytelling.
Here’s to all of us who “broke into a million pieces” and can now “find beauty in the broken glass.” The girls are all right!
