Femalepersuasion.net was conceived in 2001 as a virtual network and gallery for emerging female artists who were showing their work predominately on the web. By interpreting the theme “female persuasion”, the artists began to address (both purposefully and inadvertently) the current state of feminism– a word which surprisingly to many still evokes the mythology of 70s radicalism with a strangely persistent nagging fear. (“I’m not a feminist, BUT…”) There’s no denying third-wave feminism and it’s hard to ignore the strange mixed messages of sexy/intelligent unfiltered female artists. Many of us explore a certain narcissism that is exceedingly prevalent on the web– an attempt to forsake isolationism and objectification. Additionally almost all of us maintain our own sites on blogs with further self-portraiture. We seem to have hit a nerve. If feminism originally was born as a rejection of the objectification of women, what does it mean when we objectify ourselves? Is it ok as long as we’re in control of it, and what are the long-term consequences? With the state of current events it seems even more crucial, and at times, more difficult to answer. Our conclusion in these heady times is simply that in allowing ourselves to opinionate, we continue to make progress.