I started watching videos made by these group of guys back in high school when my gender in america teacher showed it to the class. It's sort of an exaggerated/mockery of how men and women socialize differently (they reverse gender roles). Their (body) language and vocal selection is being played out how Lakoff explained in her article: men are distant, emotionless and statement-only speakers while women are physical, filled with emotion, and constantly phrasing sentence that demand for a follow up. How they act this out is disturbingly true (in my experience). Let me know what you think!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Women in Music
It is very stereotypical for people to think that country music is the least sexual music to listen to. I feel many parents would rather their children listen to country music vs. rap. I have heard the country music genre be called the 'safe music'. I dont know if any of you feel this way, and before taking this class I kind of did. I always thought women were represented better in country music songs compared to many other genres. However, I now see this is not the case.
I have never noticed before how negative a majority of lyrics were towards women. In pretty much every genre there is. I'm not bashing all music, because I myself listen to just about everything-- listening to various genres of music today simply made me think about how women are portrayed in most music. Even songs performed by women. What are your opinions about the music industry as a whole and how women are portrayed in lyrics?
I have never noticed before how negative a majority of lyrics were towards women. In pretty much every genre there is. I'm not bashing all music, because I myself listen to just about everything-- listening to various genres of music today simply made me think about how women are portrayed in most music. Even songs performed by women. What are your opinions about the music industry as a whole and how women are portrayed in lyrics?
Daniel Tosh Video
This video from Daniel Tosh hits on two points we have discussed in class! It jokes on 'womens punishment' for eating the apple in the Garden of Eden as well as gays finding a loop-hole in the system in order to not have to deal with women.
Although I enjoy watching Daniel Tosh on TV, I found these jokes a little offensive to women in general. Maybe I'm just overreacting. I'm very curious as to what you all think of this? Do you think jokes and things like this infulence our society in a negative way? Would stopping jokes like this help women be more respected in our society?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT0yj-6VPrU
Im a feminist . . . . now what?
One of my friends posted this on Facebook and I thought it was interesting. I personally do not think tat I am a feminist or at least i do not classify myself as one. I would just like to think that I am opinionated about things. But usually when I see feminist I see these images that are played out in the picture below. Do you see any feminist acting like the images shown or do you as a feminist believe that you display one of these actions? Or is it more that you claim to be a feminist and then don't do anything to solve the problems that you recognize are in society? How do you show that you are a feminist. I know, a lot of questions, but I am just interested in seeing how it is for others who do or do not consider themselves feminist.
I Am Not a Commodity
Here is yet another picture I came across. No questions arise for me when I see this picture, but I it goes along with the other posts about the objectification of women that you guys have posted.
Also, I think it's kind of interesting that the women in this picture appears to be of a different ethnicity. Could this go into the authors that we discussed in class that talked about black feminism and feminism of minorities versus "white girl" feminism? Also, I think that this can play into the post about Sarah Bartman. This women doesn't appear to be black, but perhaps the same objectification applies to other non-european women as well? What do you guys think?
Also, I think it's kind of interesting that the women in this picture appears to be of a different ethnicity. Could this go into the authors that we discussed in class that talked about black feminism and feminism of minorities versus "white girl" feminism? Also, I think that this can play into the post about Sarah Bartman. This women doesn't appear to be black, but perhaps the same objectification applies to other non-european women as well? What do you guys think?
The Feminism Fairy Godmother
I found this comic strip very accurate and cute as well. What else do you think feminism has and will bring about for women who accept and follow it? Well, besides a deep understanding of how unjust and biased our current societal structure is (which we all have learned).
Men Doing a "Woman's Job"? That's Crazy Talk!
Ok so I know a lot of pictures and what not, but I find that I'm better able to work off of these than I am coming up with my own topic, so bare with me...
Here's a cartoon clip that I came across. Sadly, I think it accurately portrays the way a lot of women think about society and themselves. Also, the fact that women believe this, makes me think: what does that say about society that women are led and encouraged to believe something so well, crazy? What do you guys think? What other things come to mind when you see this comic strip?
Here's a cartoon clip that I came across. Sadly, I think it accurately portrays the way a lot of women think about society and themselves. Also, the fact that women believe this, makes me think: what does that say about society that women are led and encouraged to believe something so well, crazy? What do you guys think? What other things come to mind when you see this comic strip?
Hypocritical
A previous post got me thinking about this.
So many college men have posters of half naked women hanging on their walls. And when asked why they have them I find the general excuse to be "I like the magazine" (thats usually titled at the top), or "Because thats a really nice looking car in the picture". But we all know that a poster of that same magazine or a poster featuring that same car can be found without a half naked girl posing along with it. And its usually not even that the girl is posing 'along side' the car, the car is posing 'along side' her. The girl is generally the main focus and all attention is put on her, not the car.
Now, the thing that gets me most about these posters isnt the fact that the women are the main focus. It's how I see guys who have these posters being extremely critical of girls who look like ladies in these posters. If they see a girl wearing a ton of makeup and half clothed, they are so quick to judge her as a 'slut' or 'whore' for making themselves look that way. Yet it is ok for them to have pictures of women looking exactly like this hanging on their walls?! It's extremely hypocritical! In my opinion girls dress this way to mimic how the women in these posters look because they think thats what guys like. Personally, I don't understand how some guys can have these posters hanging on their walls, yet be so critical of women who dress like these women and wear heavy makeup like them.
So many college men have posters of half naked women hanging on their walls. And when asked why they have them I find the general excuse to be "I like the magazine" (thats usually titled at the top), or "Because thats a really nice looking car in the picture". But we all know that a poster of that same magazine or a poster featuring that same car can be found without a half naked girl posing along with it. And its usually not even that the girl is posing 'along side' the car, the car is posing 'along side' her. The girl is generally the main focus and all attention is put on her, not the car.
Now, the thing that gets me most about these posters isnt the fact that the women are the main focus. It's how I see guys who have these posters being extremely critical of girls who look like ladies in these posters. If they see a girl wearing a ton of makeup and half clothed, they are so quick to judge her as a 'slut' or 'whore' for making themselves look that way. Yet it is ok for them to have pictures of women looking exactly like this hanging on their walls?! It's extremely hypocritical! In my opinion girls dress this way to mimic how the women in these posters look because they think thats what guys like. Personally, I don't understand how some guys can have these posters hanging on their walls, yet be so critical of women who dress like these women and wear heavy makeup like them.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Sarah Baartman
I found this picture on Facebook a couple weeks ago by a really good friend of mine who posted this and I did further research on this woman and i was completely disgusted by the inhume treatment she received by European men. See was completely objectified because of her foreign yet "exotic" physical appearance to europeans.
The modern-day pictures show that there is a perpetuation of this accessibility and objectification to the bodies of colored women.
What do you all think?
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Dream on Dreamer
I couldn't help but do some reflecting tonight after our conversation in class today about what can be done, and if what we do will even really matter outside of our own self-gratification. The concepts of separatism, knowledge, enculturation are all ideas that I think that build upon one another. Starting with enculturation... we are raised up in our societies to believe in the values and norms that are directly around us, both on the micro and the macro levels. We experience gender reinforcement day after day, year after year in this system of enculturation. Only some of us "fall through the cracks" so to speak in terms of being exposed to the knowledge about gender constructs, gender identities, theories, ideas, ways of being... but then what do we do with that knowledge? Do we just let it sit in the back of our minds collecting dust for the rest of our lives? Do we take that knowledge, and individually apply it to our own lives, our own ways of being, and be done with it? Or do we take that knowledge, apply it to our own lives and the way we understand ourselves, and then bring that attention, introduce that 'way of knowing' to the lives of others? We have to start somewhere if we expect to change anything. Starting with ourselves is good, but communication is key.
It's sad to hear them say
let it be, things will never change-
that individually we can't do anything.
But I beg to differ.
Because I know that
one and one makes two.
And if we keep multiplying
the message, then one day
that message will come true.
Just some short hand on my own personal thoughts. "Some say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. Some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." Yes, I just pulled that card. haha
It's sad to hear them say
let it be, things will never change-
that individually we can't do anything.
But I beg to differ.
Because I know that
one and one makes two.
And if we keep multiplying
the message, then one day
that message will come true.
Just some short hand on my own personal thoughts. "Some say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. Some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." Yes, I just pulled that card. haha
Settle Down
Here is the lyrics for a song called "Settle Down" by Kimbra, that my friend showed to me when I was telling him about our blog.
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Won't you settle down with me?
Settle down
We can settle at a table..
A table for two
Won't you wine and dine with me?
Settle down
I wanna raise a child
I wanna raise a child
Won't you raise a child with me...
Raise a child
We'll call her Nebraska
Nebraska Jones
She'll have your nose
Just so you know
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Won't you settle down with me?
Settle down
Run from Angela Vickers
I saw her with you
Monday morning small talking on the avenue
She's got a fancy car
She wants to take you far
From the city lights and sounds deep into the dark
Star so light and star so bright
First star i see tonight!
Star so light and star so bright
Keep him by side!
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Baby there's no need to run
I'll love you well
I wanna settle down
It's time to bring you down
On just one knee for now
Lets make our vows
I think that this song is interesting because, I feel, that it shows how a lot of women in our society feel about marriage. They want to find a man--compelled maybe...???--and settle down; get married and have children. Some women are even consumed by this idea. As the song suggests, most women do not like other women getting near their men. I'm not sure why, but I see it happen all of the time. Women seem to be overprotective of their man, especially when other women are around. This reminds me of Compulsory Heterosexuality: women are compelled to be with men, and I guess in a sense "taught" to want to keep a man once they get one. I have seen girls utterly heartbroken and devastated when they have been broken up with. I have been in that situation too, and I understand that it is hard to like someone a lot--maybe even love them--and have them walk away from you, but is there something else being played out in this situation?
Do you think that when women are broken up they are not only sad because they liked the guy but also subconsciously are sad because they "lost the man" that they were compelled to be with by society? Do you think that women feel like failures when they are broken up with because they can't measure up to keeping a man, like they have been compelled to do?
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Won't you settle down with me?
Settle down
We can settle at a table..
A table for two
Won't you wine and dine with me?
Settle down
I wanna raise a child
I wanna raise a child
Won't you raise a child with me...
Raise a child
We'll call her Nebraska
Nebraska Jones
She'll have your nose
Just so you know
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Won't you settle down with me?
Settle down
Run from Angela Vickers
I saw her with you
Monday morning small talking on the avenue
She's got a fancy car
She wants to take you far
From the city lights and sounds deep into the dark
Star so light and star so bright
First star i see tonight!
Star so light and star so bright
Keep him by side!
I wanna settle down
I wanna settle down
Baby there's no need to run
I'll love you well
I wanna settle down
It's time to bring you down
On just one knee for now
Lets make our vows
I think that this song is interesting because, I feel, that it shows how a lot of women in our society feel about marriage. They want to find a man--compelled maybe...???--and settle down; get married and have children. Some women are even consumed by this idea. As the song suggests, most women do not like other women getting near their men. I'm not sure why, but I see it happen all of the time. Women seem to be overprotective of their man, especially when other women are around. This reminds me of Compulsory Heterosexuality: women are compelled to be with men, and I guess in a sense "taught" to want to keep a man once they get one. I have seen girls utterly heartbroken and devastated when they have been broken up with. I have been in that situation too, and I understand that it is hard to like someone a lot--maybe even love them--and have them walk away from you, but is there something else being played out in this situation?
Do you think that when women are broken up they are not only sad because they liked the guy but also subconsciously are sad because they "lost the man" that they were compelled to be with by society? Do you think that women feel like failures when they are broken up with because they can't measure up to keeping a man, like they have been compelled to do?
Covered in Style
Today in class there was a comment on middle eastern fashion while still covering the body. I follow a couple muslim fashion bloggers (and their Instagrams) and have admire their keen eye for fashion and their interpretation of it without having to compromise their cultural and religious traditions/customs.
My roommate is muslim so often times I'll have her explain the meanings and significance of islamic tradition/middle eastern culture, particularly dealing with wearing hijab. My understanding (my roommates explaination) -I state I am not a scholar on this subject nor do intend to be so if someone knows otherwise correct me- is that the purpose for this act is to cover the body from the sight of man and the public as a form of modesty, especially to avoid objectification and sexualization of women. Hair, arms, hips and legs are the main body parts covered in my observations.
There are two particular bloggers that I avidly follow and while doing so I have encountered and read criticism of their ensembles by their followers: one blogger for choosing to stop wearing hijab and another one for not wearing it "right" and being a bad example to their female muslim audience.
Fashion is a form of expression and personal interpretation to trends, and while they do not reveal as much of their body as is conventionally seen in western culture, they still wear make-up, sky-high heels, and other "feminine" accessories.
So my question is: are they still submitting to the male gaze, but in a minimized manner?
Check out this blog to see examples
Hybrid in a Headpiece
My roommate is muslim so often times I'll have her explain the meanings and significance of islamic tradition/middle eastern culture, particularly dealing with wearing hijab. My understanding (my roommates explaination) -I state I am not a scholar on this subject nor do intend to be so if someone knows otherwise correct me- is that the purpose for this act is to cover the body from the sight of man and the public as a form of modesty, especially to avoid objectification and sexualization of women. Hair, arms, hips and legs are the main body parts covered in my observations.
There are two particular bloggers that I avidly follow and while doing so I have encountered and read criticism of their ensembles by their followers: one blogger for choosing to stop wearing hijab and another one for not wearing it "right" and being a bad example to their female muslim audience.
Fashion is a form of expression and personal interpretation to trends, and while they do not reveal as much of their body as is conventionally seen in western culture, they still wear make-up, sky-high heels, and other "feminine" accessories.
So my question is: are they still submitting to the male gaze, but in a minimized manner?
Check out this blog to see examples
Hybrid in a Headpiece
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Kabul
I was watching a documentary today on HBO Go called "Love Crimes in Kabul." The makers of the doc interviewed a lot of women in this women's prison in Kabul, Afghanistan. Over half of the women were locked up for "love crimes" meaning that they either had sex before marriage, committed adultery, or ran away with a man. I noticed that almost all of the women interviewed in the doc were young (in the 18-23 range). The woman who is head over the prison stated that the prison is very full at this time with women who have committed "love crimes", but that it used to not be that way. She said that she feels that women nowadays think that they have too much freedom. That they can do whatever they want, and that they can have sex before marriage (obviously this woman was older and believed that "love crimes" were actual crimes and that these young women should be locked up for what they did).
I was very saddened to see these women get put into prison for regular things that American women do on the weekends (example: premarital sex). It got me thinking about the differences in our society, and actually, they are not so different. Aren't women in American judged for having a lot of premarital sex? I feel that our society is okay with women having sex with 1 or 2 partners before marriage, but that it is looked down upon to be a woman who sleeps around. Also, our society looks down upon cheating and adultery--so we have the same views about this as Afghanistan (we just don't put people in prison for it!). And, just like in Afghanistan, we are not keen on women running away with a man. I think that our society finds it understandable in some cases, but that generally it is seen as something that teenagers who are young and immature do.
What I am getting at is that even though in America we do not put women in prison for things like premarital sex, we still look down upon women having the same sexual freedom that men do. We let men do whatever they want (like in Afghanistan), but we do NOT want to let women have that same right (also like in Afghanistan). Even though women here have more freedoms than in Kabul, we are still "punished" for similar "love crimes."
I was very saddened to see these women get put into prison for regular things that American women do on the weekends (example: premarital sex). It got me thinking about the differences in our society, and actually, they are not so different. Aren't women in American judged for having a lot of premarital sex? I feel that our society is okay with women having sex with 1 or 2 partners before marriage, but that it is looked down upon to be a woman who sleeps around. Also, our society looks down upon cheating and adultery--so we have the same views about this as Afghanistan (we just don't put people in prison for it!). And, just like in Afghanistan, we are not keen on women running away with a man. I think that our society finds it understandable in some cases, but that generally it is seen as something that teenagers who are young and immature do.
What I am getting at is that even though in America we do not put women in prison for things like premarital sex, we still look down upon women having the same sexual freedom that men do. We let men do whatever they want (like in Afghanistan), but we do NOT want to let women have that same right (also like in Afghanistan). Even though women here have more freedoms than in Kabul, we are still "punished" for similar "love crimes."
Monday, April 8, 2013
Hawkeye Initiative!
If you haven't heard of it, here's the link:
http://thehawkeyeinitiative.com/
Obviously it's a great idea to highlight how sexist the superhero/comic book community is, and I think this is a really clever way to show it. Sometimes you'll see a superheroine in an outfit that is more conservative, but it just looks off or weird, like it doesn't fit (maybe I'm just brainwashed from years of comics). I think that to show men behaving in a feminine way better exemplifies the problem.Showing a woman in a functional costume? Duh, women want to be like men and save the day. But to show a guy posed and with clothing like the girls are posed and are wearing? The clothes suddenly look ridiculous and the poses are now uncomfortable. What do you guys think?
http://thehawkeyeinitiative.com/
Obviously it's a great idea to highlight how sexist the superhero/comic book community is, and I think this is a really clever way to show it. Sometimes you'll see a superheroine in an outfit that is more conservative, but it just looks off or weird, like it doesn't fit (maybe I'm just brainwashed from years of comics). I think that to show men behaving in a feminine way better exemplifies the problem.Showing a woman in a functional costume? Duh, women want to be like men and save the day. But to show a guy posed and with clothing like the girls are posed and are wearing? The clothes suddenly look ridiculous and the poses are now uncomfortable. What do you guys think?
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Pole Dancing
I have danced pretty much all of my year and that includes about every type of dancing except ballet and tap. I performed at games and competitions to where my school considered our dance team part of the athletic team. Much like cheerleading, which I also did, we got a lot of scrutiny from some of peers saying that we weren't really a sport, but we did as much work and more then many of the sports teams. We even had to go to cross fit with most of the time with the school's JROTC. But because dance was considered so feminine they could not see it being a real sport.
With that said, you all know about my addiction to YouTube videos and today I just happened to come across one about the National Pole Dancing Competition. These women were doing tricks that I couldn't even dream about doing that took incredible strength. Now these women competed just as we do and I now have a great amount of respect for these who participate in it. But since there is such a negative stereotype associated with it can it really be respected? I just wanted to get others opinions because it had me thinking about men participating in it also and it got awkward but that is just me.
Men in the mall
As I was walking through the mall today I noticed something that I have never noticed before. I saw MANY more men walking around pushing strollers, carrying kids and holding the hands of their children with no mother present. For some reason it gave me a very happy feeling to see all these men out with their children. They all seemed so confident and content caring for and spending time with the kids!
When I was younger (elementary/middle school age) I feel as though I never saw fathers out at the mall with their children. It was refreshing to see dads in the food court feeding a baby in a stroller or changing a diaper near the bathroom. It just kinda goes to show how our society is beginning to change and the roles of men and women are beginning to mesh!
Legends Football League.
When I was in high school we had powder puff football which was basically flag football for the girl at the school that wanted to sign up. The teams consisted of other girls in our grade, the coaches of the team were football players that volunteered, and we played on game that was either freshmen against sophomores or juniors against seniors. The only uniforms that girls would receive was a t shirt that they basically paid for when they joined the team, but for game day, girls would go out and buy the shirt sophee shorts and make their hair pretty and put on tons of make-up as if they were going out to a football pageant. Many would joke with us and say that we looked like we playing in the lingerie football league by the way people were dressed with their shirts cut certain ways sometime.
Now I do not follow the lingerie football league very much but I recently heard that there name hwas changed to the Legends Football League so that they seemed more credible. Now if you are not familiar with the now Legends Football League they are much like any other football league where it is full contact and women playing inside an indoor arena. The women play like it is a regular football game but they wear lingerie as they play (bra and panties). I was watching a video of one of the games and before the game started one of the commentators, who was a woman, was talking about how she was looking forward to "boobs popping out of the outfit, broken nails, and hair extensions lost throughout the field". Even the women who were interviewing the teams was wearing lingerie to interview them. WHYYYYYYYYYYY?! Now many of these women wanted to be respected as real athletes, but they have and support these ideas of the game being all about looking sexy. Even the players look better than the cheerleaders which is usually vice versa.
These women play football as serious as a man would play but many are distracted by their uniforms. It reminded of me when they were talking about how with many sports associated with women, like volleyball, when are dressed to show their features. Isn't there a way for women to play the game of football without having to be naked or is it just that since they are playing a male dominated sport they have to find an extreme was to show that they are women. Below is the video I watched of the game and the first 10 minutes of the video before the game even starts is very interesting to watch.
Now I do not follow the lingerie football league very much but I recently heard that there name hwas changed to the Legends Football League so that they seemed more credible. Now if you are not familiar with the now Legends Football League they are much like any other football league where it is full contact and women playing inside an indoor arena. The women play like it is a regular football game but they wear lingerie as they play (bra and panties). I was watching a video of one of the games and before the game started one of the commentators, who was a woman, was talking about how she was looking forward to "boobs popping out of the outfit, broken nails, and hair extensions lost throughout the field". Even the women who were interviewing the teams was wearing lingerie to interview them. WHYYYYYYYYYYY?! Now many of these women wanted to be respected as real athletes, but they have and support these ideas of the game being all about looking sexy. Even the players look better than the cheerleaders which is usually vice versa.
These women play football as serious as a man would play but many are distracted by their uniforms. It reminded of me when they were talking about how with many sports associated with women, like volleyball, when are dressed to show their features. Isn't there a way for women to play the game of football without having to be naked or is it just that since they are playing a male dominated sport they have to find an extreme was to show that they are women. Below is the video I watched of the game and the first 10 minutes of the video before the game even starts is very interesting to watch.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Attention Ladies
This popped up on my facebook news feeds a couple of days ago and really caught my attention! It comes from a male I attended high school with.
"Attention Ladies:
Already said it on twitter, but had to reiterate it on facebook. The way to get a real man is not to be timid, meek, or docile. Often I see girls who are dependent on others, and truth is, you need to start defining your own paths and go after your own dreams. If you do that, a real man will notice and make it a mission to team up with you. Atleast in my opinion, there is nothing more attractive than a woman who follows her passions, puts everything into it, and kills it on the daily!"
Although it's not very poetically written I enjoyed reading this coming from a males point of view. In a way, it reminded me of the last act of the vagina monologues. The act talked about how men should be standing up for the women in their lives, defending their sexuality and speaking out against violence of women. The guys that we call friend, son, brother, father grandpa, etc. should be helping women become dependent individuals and not be used and seen as timid and docil bodies. They should be helping women to achieve their dreams. And standing next to them as a teammate, not in front of them as an owner.
Topless Jihad
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/04/femen-stages-a-topless-jihad/100487/
Femen, the feminist group that Andrea introduced us to earlier, staged a topless demonstration against islamism and and attempt to reclaim their bodies as their own. While I don't necessarily think that this is the best way to go about getting the kind of legislation you need to make skin-showing legal, I think these women have passion and courage, and they should be applauded, not kicked by passersby and wrestled by police.
Also, I think that when it comes down to it, laws banning certain clothing or forcing certain groups to wear certain things are unethical not because it makes them conspicuous, but because it no longer treats them as an individual. It takes one aspect of these person's lives and makes them stay in that box for everyone to see. For women, it's a box of being owned and obedient. That man felt he had the right to kick the topless protester not because of some intrinsic ownership between the two, but because of the rules of the box she's in. She broke one of the rules, and as a man, he has every right to punish her.
It makes me sad, is all. Women should have the right to be naked or completely covered or anywhere in between on any given day. As with all things regarding her being, it should be her choice.
Femen, the feminist group that Andrea introduced us to earlier, staged a topless demonstration against islamism and and attempt to reclaim their bodies as their own. While I don't necessarily think that this is the best way to go about getting the kind of legislation you need to make skin-showing legal, I think these women have passion and courage, and they should be applauded, not kicked by passersby and wrestled by police.
Also, I think that when it comes down to it, laws banning certain clothing or forcing certain groups to wear certain things are unethical not because it makes them conspicuous, but because it no longer treats them as an individual. It takes one aspect of these person's lives and makes them stay in that box for everyone to see. For women, it's a box of being owned and obedient. That man felt he had the right to kick the topless protester not because of some intrinsic ownership between the two, but because of the rules of the box she's in. She broke one of the rules, and as a man, he has every right to punish her.
It makes me sad, is all. Women should have the right to be naked or completely covered or anywhere in between on any given day. As with all things regarding her being, it should be her choice.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Feminist Works
In Women in Fiction, we just finished reading two really great books that correlate with a lot of the topics we have been discussing in this course.
The first novel is titled The Handmaid's Tale. It is set in the future after the American government has been taken down by another group that is forming. Violence toward women increased so much that a group of religious people decide to create a Theocratic Nation in the United States. Women are forced to quit their jobs, hand over their bank accounts to their husbands, fathers or brothers and belong in the private sphere again as mother, wife, sister. After awhile, women are assigned specific roles such as birthing babies for men who hold power, cooking and cleaning and so on. The entire story is written in diary form from one of the women who is paired with a married man to produce children for him. While the society is supposed to be protecting women, removing the male gaze, etc, it ends up quite differently. The main character actually longs for many aspects of the male gaze throughout the novel. It was a very interesting read while considering all we learned/are learning in this course, as well.
The second novel is titled Oranges are not the Only Fruit. This one deals more closely with some of the recent articles we have read. It focuses on an adopted, Black child forced to grow up in a very religious home. In her teen years she begins to start dating other girls, is given an exorcism by her church, and thrown out by her mother. It is written in diary form, as well.
These novels really apply a lot of the concepts we have discussed in the course but in a literary format.
The first novel is titled The Handmaid's Tale. It is set in the future after the American government has been taken down by another group that is forming. Violence toward women increased so much that a group of religious people decide to create a Theocratic Nation in the United States. Women are forced to quit their jobs, hand over their bank accounts to their husbands, fathers or brothers and belong in the private sphere again as mother, wife, sister. After awhile, women are assigned specific roles such as birthing babies for men who hold power, cooking and cleaning and so on. The entire story is written in diary form from one of the women who is paired with a married man to produce children for him. While the society is supposed to be protecting women, removing the male gaze, etc, it ends up quite differently. The main character actually longs for many aspects of the male gaze throughout the novel. It was a very interesting read while considering all we learned/are learning in this course, as well.
The second novel is titled Oranges are not the Only Fruit. This one deals more closely with some of the recent articles we have read. It focuses on an adopted, Black child forced to grow up in a very religious home. In her teen years she begins to start dating other girls, is given an exorcism by her church, and thrown out by her mother. It is written in diary form, as well.
These novels really apply a lot of the concepts we have discussed in the course but in a literary format.
Sexualizing Women
When I was home last weekend for Easter, my mom was watching The Cosby Show when I woke up. We were watching it and the episode was one that Theo, the son, and the mom were discussing what was disrespecting to women. Theo's mom saw a magazine in his room about cars and every picture of a car had a half naked women draped over the hood, the trunk, or in the car sitting seductively. She got on him and told him to throw every magazine away he had like that because it was disrespectful. I immediately thought of this class because we've discussed how they sexualize items with women in advertisements. She asked him if that's the kind of woman he wanted to end up marrying and he said he wouldn't look for someone like that, because it should be about their personality.
That just made me think that if men think that way, then why are women so sexualized all the time? I don't understand the logic there.
That just made me think that if men think that way, then why are women so sexualized all the time? I don't understand the logic there.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Box is Wrong
A little class inspiration can be recognized as the cause for this poem. As we've been discussing gender as performative/automated/essentially non-essential (if I can say that?ha), we seem to always fall back on the metaphor of being put into boxes or how our society likes to categorize everything. I know I have made my own boxes, for myself. I think we all do. I think the metaphor has to be pushed farther than just your typical boxes of man/woman, human/nature, black/white. Individually we all have our own ways of policing ourselves, we expand the boxes of man/woman in ways that feel most comfortable to us, even if we don't feel completely confident whether we are "acting" out our gender perfectly(whatever that means. I'm saying (much like Butler and Halberstam have said) what we do is who we are, who we are is not what we do. Sorry for the Yoda-ish way of wording things, but my point is we choose to keep ourselves in certain boxes by the way we act, the only way to free yourself from the boxes you don't like is to change the way you act.
I search every corner: trying to find myself.
But the box is wrong, this isn't me.
I need to feel free, but I'm trapped
in a panic, in a state of confusion.
Back and forth between corners,
but nothing feels right.
Nothing is Me.
The box is wrong, or maybe it's not.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the box is right
and I'm just not fitting to its shape.
I need to conform to the box,
or be lost forever inside this Hell of self-hate.
Become the box...before it's too late.
But it already is.
I know too much now.
I know the box is wrong.
I know I have to break free.
This box isn't me.
No box is.
I'm a person, not a thing.
I'm tired of this act,
and I'm ready to be me.
So many options to explore
outside of this box that's now empty.
I search every corner: trying to find myself.
But the box is wrong, this isn't me.
I need to feel free, but I'm trapped
in a panic, in a state of confusion.
Back and forth between corners,
but nothing feels right.
Nothing is Me.
The box is wrong, or maybe it's not.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the box is right
and I'm just not fitting to its shape.
I need to conform to the box,
or be lost forever inside this Hell of self-hate.
Become the box...before it's too late.
But it already is.
I know too much now.
I know the box is wrong.
I know I have to break free.
This box isn't me.
No box is.
I'm a person, not a thing.
I'm tired of this act,
and I'm ready to be me.
So many options to explore
outside of this box that's now empty.
"The Aggressives"
I found this "The Aggressives" Trailer on Youtube. Please watch! It is the documentary I mentioned in class the other day. It is very good and is a fantastic of queering gender roles, sexuality, etc that L.A. Harris talks about.
Commercial
I was watching TV the other day when a commercial came on, but I don't remember what the advertisment was for. I always see commercials with the mother and child and how she is doing the household duties and watching the kids, but this commercial had the father doing the household duties and showed him with the children. It was really surprising because this was the first one I've seen like this. It was crazy but made me think that maybe things are beginning to change in society. If this commercial has changed, maybe there will be others. What do you think?
5th graders conspire to rape & murder classmate
From Jezebel (which is a feminist blog):
Precocious Fifth Grade Psychopaths Conspire to Rape And Murder Female Classmate
Two fifth grade boys, aged 10 and 11, have been ruled competent to
stand trial in juvenile court for conspiring to rape and kill their
female classmate, and possibly murder other students as well. They were
arrested after a classmate saw them playing with a knife on the school
bus and reported it to a teacher.
Normally, state law specifies that children between the ages of 8 and 12 do not have the mental capacity to commit crimes; however, the pair exhibited an absolutely horrifying and soul-crushing awareness of both the nature and consequences of what they had planned to do. In addition to the knife, they had brought a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol (taken from an older brother) and ammunition to school and had hand-written a seven step plan outlining the events leading up to the horrific crime. Both explained to a local police officer that they'd been plotting for two weeks. When asked if he knew that murder was wrong, one boy responded, "Yes. I wanted her dead."
In the mental capacity hearing, a psychologist testified that one suspect planned to rape the female classmate while the other stood guard. The boy knew that rape meant "having sex with someone when they don't want to," and, according to the case's prosecutor, Tim Rasmussen, he understood it as "a display of strength and power — not sex." When asked why they wanted to brutally assault and take the life of their classmate, one of the boys explained, "She's rude and always makes fun of me and my friends."
There are no words to describe how abjectly depressing, terrifying, and infuriating it is that we live in a world in which a pair of fifth graders is capable of planning — and arming themselves for — a potential mass murder, in which two boys aged 10 and 11 have already learned to value girls' lives, bodily integrity, and dignity so little that they have no qualms about violating and murdering a girl for being "rude." While I understand that they're too young to fully appreciate the gravity of what they had planned, that doesn't diminish the atrocity of the fact that a 10 year old was able not only understand the gendered power dynamic inherent in rape, but also to plan to use it as a punitive measure against another child.
It should be unimaginable that someone so young could internalize such an extreme, hyper-aggressive, and violent understanding of rape culture. Tragically, it is not. Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to the insidious ubiquity of patriarchy and rape culture, in which violence is eroticized, male sexual agression is affirmed, and assumed male access to women's bodies is normalized. Lacking the discursive tools to understand that these things are not "just the way the world works," they can easily absorb misogynistic values, which they re-circulate and reinforce through seemingly "mild" actions such as slut-shaming, victim-blaming, homophobic remarks meant to denigrate boys who exhibit feminine qualities, body shaming, etc., as well as through committing sexual harassment and assault. All of this behavior reflects and reinforces sexual attitudes that are toxic and degrading to women and men alike. Thus, although this case may be the most sickening, severe case of an adolescent absorbing and acting upon misogynistic values in recent memory, it's far from an isolated incident.
"Colville boys, 10 and 11, will stand trial in murder conspiracy" [The Spokesman-Review]
"Fort Colville students plead not guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder" [Krem.com]
Normally, state law specifies that children between the ages of 8 and 12 do not have the mental capacity to commit crimes; however, the pair exhibited an absolutely horrifying and soul-crushing awareness of both the nature and consequences of what they had planned to do. In addition to the knife, they had brought a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol (taken from an older brother) and ammunition to school and had hand-written a seven step plan outlining the events leading up to the horrific crime. Both explained to a local police officer that they'd been plotting for two weeks. When asked if he knew that murder was wrong, one boy responded, "Yes. I wanted her dead."
In the mental capacity hearing, a psychologist testified that one suspect planned to rape the female classmate while the other stood guard. The boy knew that rape meant "having sex with someone when they don't want to," and, according to the case's prosecutor, Tim Rasmussen, he understood it as "a display of strength and power — not sex." When asked why they wanted to brutally assault and take the life of their classmate, one of the boys explained, "She's rude and always makes fun of me and my friends."
There are no words to describe how abjectly depressing, terrifying, and infuriating it is that we live in a world in which a pair of fifth graders is capable of planning — and arming themselves for — a potential mass murder, in which two boys aged 10 and 11 have already learned to value girls' lives, bodily integrity, and dignity so little that they have no qualms about violating and murdering a girl for being "rude." While I understand that they're too young to fully appreciate the gravity of what they had planned, that doesn't diminish the atrocity of the fact that a 10 year old was able not only understand the gendered power dynamic inherent in rape, but also to plan to use it as a punitive measure against another child.
It should be unimaginable that someone so young could internalize such an extreme, hyper-aggressive, and violent understanding of rape culture. Tragically, it is not. Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to the insidious ubiquity of patriarchy and rape culture, in which violence is eroticized, male sexual agression is affirmed, and assumed male access to women's bodies is normalized. Lacking the discursive tools to understand that these things are not "just the way the world works," they can easily absorb misogynistic values, which they re-circulate and reinforce through seemingly "mild" actions such as slut-shaming, victim-blaming, homophobic remarks meant to denigrate boys who exhibit feminine qualities, body shaming, etc., as well as through committing sexual harassment and assault. All of this behavior reflects and reinforces sexual attitudes that are toxic and degrading to women and men alike. Thus, although this case may be the most sickening, severe case of an adolescent absorbing and acting upon misogynistic values in recent memory, it's far from an isolated incident.
"Colville boys, 10 and 11, will stand trial in murder conspiracy" [The Spokesman-Review]
"Fort Colville students plead not guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder" [Krem.com]
Fifth Grade Psychopaths
I saw this article online this morning and it really bothered me:
http://jezebel.com/5993282/precocious-fifth-graders-conspire-to-rape-and-murder-female-classmate
Apparently, these 2 FIFTH GRADE boys (ages 10 & 11) were caught on a bus going to school with a knife, a gun, and a rape/murder plan. They confessed to the police (after being caught) that they were going to rape and murder another fifth grade student--a girl--because she had made fun of them and their friends and this made them angry. The police were very shocked, and as the story states "state law specifies that children between the ages of 8 and 12 do not have the mental capacity to commit crimes." I would say that before I read this article I would have believed that but it is obviously not true anymore. The police also asked the boys if they understood that rape is not about sex but that is it about a display of strength and power, and both boys said that they fully understood that!
LIKE WHAT THE FUCK?! As the author of the article wrote "While I understand that they're too young to fully appreciate the gravity of what they had planned, that doesn't diminish the atrocity of the fact that a 10 year old was able not only understand the gendered power dynamic inherent in rape, but also to plan to use it as a punitive measure against another child." I, personally, never knew that young kids knew what rape was/what it really means, but I guess that children are more and more seeing images of it on television and in movies. The author wrote "Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to the insidious ubiquity of patriarchy and rape culture, in which violence is eroticized, male sexual aggression is affirmed, and assumed male access to women's bodies is normalized." It is just like we talked about in class, with Mackinnon's article on sex. Everything in our scoiety--especially sex--it centered around this assumed male access to women's bodies. So much so that now even little kids are starting to understand it at a younger age. It just makes me sad because I feel that as a woman (and just as a person in general) that there is hardly anything that I can do to change this mindset. How do we keep our children from becoming like this? How do we teach people that others are not there simply for sexual access?
http://jezebel.com/5993282/precocious-fifth-graders-conspire-to-rape-and-murder-female-classmate
Apparently, these 2 FIFTH GRADE boys (ages 10 & 11) were caught on a bus going to school with a knife, a gun, and a rape/murder plan. They confessed to the police (after being caught) that they were going to rape and murder another fifth grade student--a girl--because she had made fun of them and their friends and this made them angry. The police were very shocked, and as the story states "state law specifies that children between the ages of 8 and 12 do not have the mental capacity to commit crimes." I would say that before I read this article I would have believed that but it is obviously not true anymore. The police also asked the boys if they understood that rape is not about sex but that is it about a display of strength and power, and both boys said that they fully understood that!
LIKE WHAT THE FUCK?! As the author of the article wrote "While I understand that they're too young to fully appreciate the gravity of what they had planned, that doesn't diminish the atrocity of the fact that a 10 year old was able not only understand the gendered power dynamic inherent in rape, but also to plan to use it as a punitive measure against another child." I, personally, never knew that young kids knew what rape was/what it really means, but I guess that children are more and more seeing images of it on television and in movies. The author wrote "Children and adolescents are constantly exposed to the insidious ubiquity of patriarchy and rape culture, in which violence is eroticized, male sexual aggression is affirmed, and assumed male access to women's bodies is normalized." It is just like we talked about in class, with Mackinnon's article on sex. Everything in our scoiety--especially sex--it centered around this assumed male access to women's bodies. So much so that now even little kids are starting to understand it at a younger age. It just makes me sad because I feel that as a woman (and just as a person in general) that there is hardly anything that I can do to change this mindset. How do we keep our children from becoming like this? How do we teach people that others are not there simply for sexual access?
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Boy Scouts breeding the right or wrong?
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739587-boy-scouts-close-to-ending-ban-on-gay-members-leaders?lite
Above is a link to the news article pointing out progress on the policies of the Boy Scouts of America.
The BSA is supposed to be an organization which promotes personal integrity and Christian values. In this country that can mean different things to a lot of people. However, I am happy to post this article in light of some progressive thinking on behalf of one of the more conservative organizations for youth men in this country. While the policies aren't perfect (whose are?), I am often troubled in identifying with the organization whose values don't reflect mine but that I am also a member in high standing with the organization.
As an Eagle Scout, many of the most defining aspects of my youth were based upon the policies and requirements set by BSA nationals. In these days I often question whether or not to tell people of my rank and of my achievements because I'm embarrassed of the Scouts' policies on gender discrimination. Now that progress is being made towards recognizing peoples' equality I am becoming, again, more open with my endorsement of the organization.
What do you all think? I won't be offended. Do you think we should continue to run youth programs like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that clearly limit members based on gender but that also have the intent of performing charitable works and good deeds and character development?
Above is a link to the news article pointing out progress on the policies of the Boy Scouts of America.
The BSA is supposed to be an organization which promotes personal integrity and Christian values. In this country that can mean different things to a lot of people. However, I am happy to post this article in light of some progressive thinking on behalf of one of the more conservative organizations for youth men in this country. While the policies aren't perfect (whose are?), I am often troubled in identifying with the organization whose values don't reflect mine but that I am also a member in high standing with the organization.
As an Eagle Scout, many of the most defining aspects of my youth were based upon the policies and requirements set by BSA nationals. In these days I often question whether or not to tell people of my rank and of my achievements because I'm embarrassed of the Scouts' policies on gender discrimination. Now that progress is being made towards recognizing peoples' equality I am becoming, again, more open with my endorsement of the organization.
What do you all think? I won't be offended. Do you think we should continue to run youth programs like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that clearly limit members based on gender but that also have the intent of performing charitable works and good deeds and character development?
Pink is OFFENSIVE???
Today in my lab I was learning all about the joys of making a good scientific presentation (fun...). When suddenly the professor, who certainly is no bigot, says something that catches me completely off guard.
He had brought up several power point slides with things going wrong on them when he pulls up one that looks fine to me and asks the class what's wrong with it.
After the standard silence following a science professor's question to the class, he says, "Pink font is offensive! Never use it in your presentations!"
I am left asking myself how a color of all things is offensive to something as (supposedly) objective as science. Clearly pink has a less than subtle feminine implication in our society and so I wonder immediately if this is a feminism issue.
After later prying at the issue, apparently he was yelled at by a grad school professor of his that pink was offensive in science.
WHY? HOW? WHAT!? Does anyone have any idea why this could be even remotely true?
Oddly enough, I have a power point assignment which I have to turn in to him. I was thinking about making the whole thing pink and seeing if he flunks me on the assignment (he wouldn't). Any thoughts?
He had brought up several power point slides with things going wrong on them when he pulls up one that looks fine to me and asks the class what's wrong with it.
After the standard silence following a science professor's question to the class, he says, "Pink font is offensive! Never use it in your presentations!"
I am left asking myself how a color of all things is offensive to something as (supposedly) objective as science. Clearly pink has a less than subtle feminine implication in our society and so I wonder immediately if this is a feminism issue.
After later prying at the issue, apparently he was yelled at by a grad school professor of his that pink was offensive in science.
WHY? HOW? WHAT!? Does anyone have any idea why this could be even remotely true?
Oddly enough, I have a power point assignment which I have to turn in to him. I was thinking about making the whole thing pink and seeing if he flunks me on the assignment (he wouldn't). Any thoughts?
Monday, April 1, 2013
End Human Slavery
There is a group on campus working to get enough signatures to so that, by law, the government will have to read the petition.
Here is the blurb that was posted on Facebook:
What if you, your daughter, niece, mother, aunt, or any female in your life believed they were making a perfectly harmless decision yet were sold into sex slavery? What would this mean for you? What do you think it would mean for them? Most never make it home. Put an end to it. Shine a light on it. Stop it. End it. Sign the petition and help Hanover bring this issue to light!
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-provisions-end-human-slavery-and-trafficking-within-united-states-and-worldwide/hR4Wx16W
Here is the blurb that was posted on Facebook:
What if you, your daughter, niece, mother, aunt, or any female in your life believed they were making a perfectly harmless decision yet were sold into sex slavery? What would this mean for you? What do you think it would mean for them? Most never make it home. Put an end to it. Shine a light on it. Stop it. End it. Sign the petition and help Hanover bring this issue to light!
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-provisions-end-human-slavery-and-trafficking-within-united-states-and-worldwide/hR4Wx16W
Aging
Here is the trailer for this documentary that I was watching on HBO, called "About Face." Its about supermodels, and how they got started, what they think about modeling, etc. All of the models who were interviewed were popular model who are all older.
http://youtu.be/bmFhOLGL204
The most interesting thing that I noticed during the documentary was that the models felt that it was something GREAT to grow older and to age. Some were also into plastic surgery, but most were not keen on it. Jerry Hall, one of my most favorite models (who is wearing a leopard print top in the video), said that she felt that it is a privilege to grow old and it is something that should be celebrated! She said that she was so happy when she turned 50 because she felt accomplished--because a lot of people do not get to live that long and she had. She said "People are living longer, they are healthier longer, they are having sex longer. Why we shouldn't we be allowed to age? And why shouldn't we be respected for it?"
I have to agree that aging should be respected, but as another model pointed out--when you get older you are left out and you don't count anymore in our society. It is our fear of being left out and not having anymore fun that makes us afraid of aging--when we really should be happy and feel accomplished.
Do you feel that we celebrate aging in our soceity? Or do we feel that only the young and the beautiful count for anything?
http://youtu.be/bmFhOLGL204
The most interesting thing that I noticed during the documentary was that the models felt that it was something GREAT to grow older and to age. Some were also into plastic surgery, but most were not keen on it. Jerry Hall, one of my most favorite models (who is wearing a leopard print top in the video), said that she felt that it is a privilege to grow old and it is something that should be celebrated! She said that she was so happy when she turned 50 because she felt accomplished--because a lot of people do not get to live that long and she had. She said "People are living longer, they are healthier longer, they are having sex longer. Why we shouldn't we be allowed to age? And why shouldn't we be respected for it?"
I have to agree that aging should be respected, but as another model pointed out--when you get older you are left out and you don't count anymore in our society. It is our fear of being left out and not having anymore fun that makes us afraid of aging--when we really should be happy and feel accomplished.
Do you feel that we celebrate aging in our soceity? Or do we feel that only the young and the beautiful count for anything?
Plastic Surgery
I recently watched a documentary about models on HBO, and it had me thinking about plastic surgery (which was discussed a lot in the doc). Some of the models felt that plastic surgery was okay if you were doing it for you, and if it made you feel better about yourself and enjoy life more. However, one of the models said that she sometimes feels like "Oh look! A new surgery to fix [whatever]! Maybe I should check that out" but then she thinks to herself "Is this just a fad? Is this really something that I want to do, or do I think it sounds interesting because I have grown up in a society that is all about looks?"
I have to agree with this model that it is hard sometimes to really look and evaluate why you want to do something? Is it just a new fad that will die out soon, or do you want to fix a problem that you feel is weighing you down and making you unhappy? It is also hard at times to understand what is the male gaze pressuring us to do and what is it not? This same model said that she sometimes thinks of new procedures in a questionable way, like "Is this the new foot-binding? Why is this procedure so popular? Is it something else that society is pressuring women to do that they don't really need to do?"
I think that if you have some sort of issue with something about your body, and it is making you depressed/anxious/unhappy, then by all means get it fixed if you want. But I also feel that we should look at these procedures that we are getting done to ourselves and REALLY think about why we are getting them done. Is it for us? Is it because we want to look like [insert celebrity name here]? Is it because society tells us that we need to look a certain way, and so we feel inadequate if we do not?
If we take the time to really think about what we are doing, then we might actually stop (if we are doing something for society) and begin to look at ourselves in a more accepting light.
I have to agree with this model that it is hard sometimes to really look and evaluate why you want to do something? Is it just a new fad that will die out soon, or do you want to fix a problem that you feel is weighing you down and making you unhappy? It is also hard at times to understand what is the male gaze pressuring us to do and what is it not? This same model said that she sometimes thinks of new procedures in a questionable way, like "Is this the new foot-binding? Why is this procedure so popular? Is it something else that society is pressuring women to do that they don't really need to do?"
I think that if you have some sort of issue with something about your body, and it is making you depressed/anxious/unhappy, then by all means get it fixed if you want. But I also feel that we should look at these procedures that we are getting done to ourselves and REALLY think about why we are getting them done. Is it for us? Is it because we want to look like [insert celebrity name here]? Is it because society tells us that we need to look a certain way, and so we feel inadequate if we do not?
If we take the time to really think about what we are doing, then we might actually stop (if we are doing something for society) and begin to look at ourselves in a more accepting light.
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