A Toronto police officer and Alasdair Thompson have caused a collective wave of feminism to rise with their remarks about sluts and rape, sick leave and periods.
The "slutwalks", in particular, have come to symbolise what third-wave feminism is all about. Unlike first and second-wave feminism, third-wave feminism tends to be more focused on expression and acceptance of cultural, ethnic and sexual orientation and diversity.
Third-wave feminism also adheres to a major philosophical point, namely that feminism is primarily about choice: The choice to wear high heels and short skirts, the choice to wear a burka, the choice to have children and pursue a career, and the choice to stay at home and raise children or remain childless altogether.
Under this approach, all female choices become, by their nature, feminist, the only necessary premise being that they are chosen by a woman.
This lacks a collective feel, which is why a public outcry, such as that witnessed by the slutwalks or the reaction to Thompson's comments, is a rarity in the third-wave era.
Individually and collectively, women have made choices in sport and recreation that have opened doors for many more women to walk, skip, jump, swim and run through.
Serena and Venus Williams, for example, have dominated the grass courts of Wimbledon for several years now, and while at the top of their game they broke down barriers, not only of what black women were capable of in tennis, but also of what was considered appropriate to wear on the tennis court.
Their brand is a fine example of third-wave feminism in action. It's an aggressive, in-your-face, highly provocative style.
Their early exits from Wimbledon may indicate a change of guard in women's tennis, which may please some of the more conservative tennis followers. But I doubt they'll be down and out for long. Serena, at least, showed signs of a fighting spirit.
Third-wave feminism is all about diversity, too, so it is appropriate that Maria Sharapova, a representation of everything Serena isn't, is still in the running for another Wimbledon title, which she first won as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Would feminists consider Sharapova and her sexy image trailblazing? Perhaps first and second-wave feminists wouldn't but young females keen to find successful female role models to admire and aspire to may do.
Just as well young women in New Zealand have a range of sporting role models to choose from. We all know about the men's Rugby World Cup coming up, but there is also a Fifa Women's World Cup happening, the New Zealand women's cricket team is involved in a quadrangular twenty/20 and one-day series, and the Silver Ferns play in the world netball championships any day now.
Flying the flag for individual sports, Paige Hareb has made it into the last 12 surfers in the women's division at the world surfing games, and Marina Erakovic has made it to the last eight of the women's doubles at Wimbledon.
From a feminist perspective, women's sport has been a success story in terms of getting more women and girls involved at social and elite levels.
Several of the Football Ferns, for instance, are contracted to overseas teams, but these same players also admit women's leagues struggle to survive due to a lack of support from spectators, viewers, and thus sponsors.
One sport that does have a huge following (in New Zealand, at least) is netball, and many views expressed by Alasdair Thompson are challenged by New Zealand's elite players.
Thompson may want to reconsider how women's sick leave patterns are influenced by synchronisation.
Is it likely, for instance, that the Silver Ferns will pull a mass sickie some time during the world championships?
In terms of taking time out for childbearing and rearing it was also revealed recently that many players in New Zealand-based ANZ Championship franchises are mothers. This proves that women in New Zealand are taking a feminist stance and choosing to have a family and continue to pursue their sporting careers.
I'd like all women to make a real feminist stance by joining forces and supporting women's sporting events and teams, rather than choosing to participate in slutwalks where the relevant message is lost behind the jokes, innuendos, and inevitably sexualised messages portrayed in the media.
Feminists, irrespective of what wave they rode in on, would see this as a triumph.
