A DAUNTING TASK

After all the stereotypes, controversy, feminism, negative...

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:08:05 -0600

After all the stereotypes, controversy, feminism, negative portrayals, objectification, etc. I wanted to end this blog an a positive note - what better than love?

Keep in mind, blogging world, that love comes in every shape, size, and color. Love is portrayed in a small amount of ways in mainstream media - usually it is between two attractive, same sex, middle-class heterosexual partners. But love is so much more beautifully complex than that! Rather than showing a tired stereotype of the white, heterosexual couple (nothing wrong with these, I’m in this category), let us embrace love in it’s many forms.

Gender and sexuality are portrayed in society as either negative or positive, controversial or traditional, ‘proper’ or ‘wrong’; for once, let us break down these stereotyped walls and see the love. Only the love.

On that note, much love WWW. Thanks for listening.

- Toni E.

I'm Just Another Lily Potter Who Has Happily Found Her James.

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:02:05 -0600

Who are you?

Snape - mysterious, misunderstood, a dark side outshone by good intentions?

Dumbledore - crazy, wise, all-knowing, humorous, hopeful?

Or maybe Harry Potter himself, the hero of the popular saga?

In David Nylund’s article, “Reading Harry Potter: Popular Culture, Queer Theory and the Fashioning of Youth Identity,” Nylund argues that popular culture “provides materials out of which people create their identities” (13). Thus, popular culture can be used by clinicians as a therapeutic tool when interacting with youth. How youth makes sense of media around them can be a powerful therapeutic tool to use.

Nylund uses the case study of Steven, a gay youth who inserts himself into the Harry Potter textual stories. In this case, both this therapeutic tool of engaging with popular culture and queer theory are addressed. By using queer theory, Steven has been able to uncover hidden “queer” readings in the Harry Potter saga, which helped him find support for his own sexual identity.

Steven had a sense of isolation from the “effects of heterosexism and homophobia in the face of his emerging gay identity” (17). Steven said he could relate to Harry Potter himself, who had been abused and mistreated by his adoptive family as Steven had been mistreated for his sexuality. Steven found something “queer” in Harry Potter when read against the grain. “Queer” typically suggests “homosexual,” but it also has associations to suggesting ‘non-normative’ or ‘alternate.’ With this in mind, the Harry Potter series is then very queer. How non-normative can you get in the wizarding world from the muggle one? Very. The saga challenges norms.

So if Harry Potter can help a gay youth come to terms with his sexual identity - a ‘queer’ sexuality in a ‘compulsory heterosexualized’ world - what’s not to say the same for Spongebob Squarepants or The Hills?

Just some food for thought, WWW. Thanks for tuning in.

- T.E.

References:

Nylund, D. (2007). Reading Harry Potter: Popular culture, queer theory and the fashioning of youth identity. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 26(7), pp. 13-24.

Photo

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:05:06 -0600

Gendered Lives - Who are we Living For?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:11:05 -0600

What is gender in contrast to sex?

Most importantly, the author of this book insists that gender is learned. If you need a refresher in this, head to the Gender Stereotypes blog I previously wrote on how much one performs gender on a daily basis. Wood illustrates that “Gender is learned. From infancy on, we are encouraged to learn how to embody the gender that society prescribes for us. Young girls are often cautioned, “Don’t be selfish—share with others” and “Be careful—don’t hurt yourself.” They are praised for looking pretty, taking care of others (including dolls), and being nice. Young boys, in contrast, are more likely to be admonished, “Don’t be a sissy,” “Go after what you want,” and “Don’t cry.” Usually, males are reinforced for strength, independence, and success, particularly in competitive arenas” (24).

Gender is learned, and, therefore, performed. If gender is not something innate, and is rather something nurtured, than sexuality by contrast must be something natural and innate. Sex is to gender is natural is to nurtured. How then, does society persist in bashing those who are transsexual/homosexual/bisexual/anything-that-isn’t-homosexual? If sexuality is inborn, then that is something we have more the rest of our lives. It is as natural as our blue eyes or our frizzy hair. Born this way, baby. Don’t be ashamed.

References:

Wood, J. T. (2009). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture. (8^th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

An Analysis of Kalof's "The Effects of Gender and Music Video Imagery on Sexual Attitudes"

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:18:06 -0600

This blog will be addressing Linda Kalof’s 1999 study, which examined “the influence of gender and exposure to gender-stereotyped music video imagery on sexual attitudes” (378). She explores different types sexual attitudes, including sexual beliefs, acceptance of rape myths and interpersonal violence, and gender role stereotyping. 44 U.S. college students participated and were randomly assigned to a group that either viewed a stereotyped sexual imagery video (“The Way you Make me Feel” by Micheal Jackson) or one that had no sexual images whatsoever (“The Stand” by REM).

American sexual beliefs are strongly traditional, resilient, and patriarchical. Heterosexual gender stereotypes are strongly reinforced in music videos, portraying the man as the dominator and the female as dominated.

Past research has documented that young female girls strongly associate with their female counterparts in music videos, therefore taking on those sexual attitudes in their own lives. On the other hand, male viewers tend to increase acceptance of sexual violence due to the overexposure of such violence in the media (without any negative consequences).

Exposure to popular culture can literally shape audience views. The encouragement of gender stereotyping and acceptance of interpersonal violence in relationships is a disturbing reality found in young audiences.

Kalof set out to specifically to “clarify the effects of exposure to gender stereotyped music video imagery on the sexual attitudes of male and female viewers” (379). She used a questionnaire to determine sexual attitudes measuring rape myth acceptance, adversial sexual beliefs, gender-role stereotyping, and acceptance of interpersonal violence.

The results of Kalof’s study provides interesting imformation on each of the sexual attitude scales. Men had greater endorsement of adversarial sexual beliefs (i.e. hostile), gender role stereotyping, and rape myths (i.e. “she deserved it”). Women scored higher on a scale that measured the acceptance of interpersonal violence, especially the women in the group that watched a gender-stereotyping music video. Kalof concludes her article with a warning: “In particular, wide exposure to stereotypical images in music videos could exacerbate gender opposition and antagonism in relationships among young people [the target audience of music videos]” (384).

Although this study was conducted in 1999, Kalof’s cautions about the effects of music videos should not go unheeded. It’s a difficult task to find modern-day music videos, produced with a record company, that do not contain any sexual imagery. Whether it is enforcing gender stereotypes or dressing girls up ‘like they “deserve” to get sexually abused’ (i.e. “she was asking for it”), music videos are filled with sexual imagery. Especially those in the genre of pop-music/rap/top 40. However, other types of music such as country do very often typically reinforce the stereotypical heterosexual relationship.

All in all, WWW readers, watch with caution. Don’t get carried away by the images you see, and think for yourself as you engage in popular media.

-T.

References:

Kalof, L. (1999). The effects of gender and music video imagery on sexual attitudes. The Journal of Social Psychology, 139(3), 378-385.

A class discussion of Lady Gaga’s (fea. Beyonce)...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:06:00 -0600

A class discussion of Lady Gaga’s (fea. Beyonce) “Telephone.” (October 25, 2011). Extremely interesting, have a look:

What types of media appear in the video?

A telephone; a specific medium of technological communication. Part of the song includes lyrics that do not want the interruption of this technology into the human life. However, the telephone allows for non-face-to-face communication. It extends the human being into technology. The telephone removes us from immediacy and allows us to be in touch with an ‘outwhere;’ it prevents us from being in the moment where we really are. This technology takes us outside of ourselves and puts us in another dislocated space.

Within this video, a telephone is also a means to escape. It is, in some sense, a microphone; the telephone broadcasts and extends the voice into mainstream music. It is also that which enables conspiracy; it is an agentive extension and interruption of the self.

Internet is also portrayed in the video, amongst video, surveillance, photography, print media (subtitling), and the news.

What is the purpose of the staging of this media? They are producing the spectacle of the media. Gaga stands as the “architect” within this video.

What kinds of gender and sexual subjects are featured?

This video displays various forms of sexual minority life, and the stereotyped portrayals of those sexual minorities. Why? It fulfills the function of producing a world wherein straight/bisexual women are “lesbian avengers,” escaping into the countryside where same-sex desire is central. Transsexuality/gender representations are, therefore, important to the narrative development of Gaga and Beyonce.

The suggestion that Lady Gaga doesn’t have a (pardon my bluntness) dick is a direct stab at the speculations that Gaga was trans. The response, “Too bad,” is an affirmation of the positive light that transsexuality/gender is portrayed in the video.

Where is the “real” in this landscape?

This entire video is about being “cyborged.” One’s relationship with medium extends the self in various directions (i.e., brands and labels).

How do we figure out what is real vs. what is fantasy and spectacle? The spectacle and performance is more meaningful than whatever stands behind the performance. This world of simulation is more desirable and interesting than the “real” anyway.

Is this positive representation?

The becoming of meaningful cultural signifiers (i.e. Wonder Woman/Micheal Jackson) is… ironic? meaningless? subversive?

What are these moments like for us, as viewers? Does it capture or revolt?

Ladies… fishes don’t need bicycles to be happy.

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0600

Ladies… fishes don’t need bicycles to be happy.

majedhs: “WE’RE A CULTURE, NOT A COSTUME.” STARS, A STUDENT...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:05 -0600

majedhs:

“WE’RE A CULTURE, NOT A COSTUME.” STARS, A STUDENT ORG AT OHIO UNIVERSITY

Talk about stereotypical images of gender/culture in society. Dress smartly and courteously this Halloween, for the sake of being respectful to our fellow human beings.

See blog below. :)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:00:05 -0600

See blog below. :)

“YOU NEED A BOYFRIEND!” Although this YouTube video...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:06 -0600

“YOU NEED A BOYFRIEND!”

Although this YouTube video is a parody and meant to be comical at best, it accurately reflects how women are traditionally portrayed in mainstream media - helpless, a ‘damsel in distress’.

And people wonder how feminism came to be? Yikes. Just look at our society. As my wise prof asked last class, “How many movies can you think of that feature a female protagonist who do not receive a makeover (or transformation of the like) or come to rely on a man?”

I guessed Pochahontas. Apparently there is a Pochahontas II where she ends up with John Smith in Europe - fail.

But honestly, Disney classics aside - can you think of any? Maybe Alien. I don’t know, I’ve never seen them. But for the whole, any genre encapsulates this ‘damsel-in-distress’ feminized portrayal of women. No kicking butt without a man.. always needing that make-over to get the man (read: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Pretty Woman, all Disney classics, etc…).

This YouTube clip mocks the ridiculous late-night infomercials that grace our TV. What it is also doing, however, is presenting a sad and true commentary of how women are portrayed in mainstream media: helpless without a man.

So the next time you think you can’t open that pickle jar without the burly, muscular arms of a boyfriend, pause and think: YES, I CAN! I AM WOMAN!

Photo

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:06 -0600

Humans: The Sex Organs of the Machine World

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:57:00 -0600

“The medium is the message.” - McLuhan

Every medium extends human senses. When McLuhan talks about media, he is not just referring to popular media (i.e., the TV, the radio, the newspaper, etc), but all types of media - cars, paper, etc.

According to McLuhan, the media is more important than any message it could output.

The radio transmit the messages you hear. The automobile changes how one’s body moves from place to place. Media does the work in shaping our bodies in various ways.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

He also thinks we have become the ‘sex organs’ of the machine world. Yep, the sex organs. Technology has become both useful and inhibitory to human life. Humans perpetuate the creation of technology, pushing it ever forward for the betterment of human life. Thus, humans act as the reproductive ‘sex organs’ of the technology world.

Matrix anyone?!

Sex organs of the machine world? Technology taking over the world that humans left to shit?

The Matrix trilogy is the first thing that came to my mind when I heard “sex organs of the machine world.” For those who haven’t seen this great saga (highly recommend it), here is a quick [SPOILER ALERT] plot summary: (special thanks to Wiki)

In the dystopia the series depicts, Earth is dominated by sentient machines, who have turned on humans and forced them into slavery. At one point, humans believed they could wipe out the machines by “scorching the sky,” as they thought solar energy to be the life source of the machines. However, the machines devised a way to extract the bioelectricity and thermal energy from the human body by growing humans in pods connected by cybernetic implants to an artificial reality called the Matrix, which keeps their minds under control.

The virtual reality world simulated by the Matrix resembles human civilization around the turn of the 21st century (this time period was chosen because it is supposedly the pinnacle of human civilization). The majority of the films and games of the Matrix franchise take place in a vast unnamed megacity, although it is not the only city within the Matrix, as other familiar locations are mentioned and visited by the characters during the trilogy and the Animatrix. As this environment is practically indistinguishable from reality, except when a slight green tinge appears (becoming more prominent as the series continues), the majority of humans connected to the Matrix are unaware of its true nature. Most of the central characters in the series know that it is not “real” and as a result can partially bend the simulation’s physical laws in order to perform superhuman feats within the simulation.

GAH…. SUPER COOL!

Ahem.. sorry, my nerd was showing.

Anyways, many connections can be made between McLuhan’s hypothesis of humans as sex organs to machines and the Matrix trilogy. The neural-active simulation of the Matrix is created by technology to serve (and cage) humans in a false reality. Ironcially, humans were the ones that furthered technology to this turning point of the created to the dominator. Thus, humans become subservient to technology, becoming the food to fuel the machines… literally. In The Matrix, humans are grown in forests of pods and plugged in to the Matrix, a complex simulation of reality. These humans feed the machines through the harvesting of their blood/bodies after death. In relation to McLuhan’s statement then, humans are the ‘sex organs’ of this machine world, enabling it to reproduce and create the Matrix.

Interested?

Visit deoxy.org/media/McLuhan#The_LawsOfMedia for more information on McLuhan, and browse the net for tons of interesting info on The Matrix Trilogy.

Take a Note from Heyes, Ringrose, and Walkerdine- Feminists Kicking Media Butt.

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:17:00 -0600

Why is our society so obsessed with presenting us “the perfect woman”? Moreover, why doesn’t our society pressure men equally to have the perfect body? Women are pressured more and more to look, act, and ultimately become the perfect woman - the socializer, the wife, the professional, the mother. Each role comes with its specific requirements: sexy, friendly, compassionate, loving, sophisticated, beautiful, dignified - and all equipped with a beautiful face and physique.

Coming from an average woman - how the hell are we supposed to do this, ladies? I, for one, do not look the most dignified when I’m studying in my PJs for a final. I don’t exactly feel sexy during Aunt Flo’s visit. And I sure as hell cannot be the perfect lover when I am sick with the flu.

Society places unreasonable standards on the modern-day women, that we (women) seemingly cannot escape. These standards are pushed on us through every media outlet available. Not only are we shown what we ‘should look like’- men are also shown what the perfect woman looks like. Advertising specifically for men often features the skinny, beautiful, mysterious woman. And advertising for women also shows the domesticated, loving, perfect housewife. I feel like these are much too many roles to fill.

So how is the modern-day woman to become the “perfect” woman of society’s standards? Ringrose and Walkerdine suggest that make-over television has transformed the feminine into “a new site of limitless possibility and endless consumption” (227). The make-over consumes the ‘normal’ woman and turns her into the ‘perfect’ woman through cosmetic surgery. Make-overs present abject subjects and mystifies the audience with their transformation. Abject, in this case, is something to be mocked or humiliated; an act that is degrading and shameful. So, the abject is the imperfect woman needed to be rectified, via make-over TV. Ringrose and Walkerdine go on to suggest “the central premise of contemporary make-over programs is… the working class woman who fails both as a subject/object of self-reflextivity, desire, and consumption” (227). Both the body and the mind are sites of abjection needed to be made-over into something to be desired, not laughed at.

The modern-day woman commodified = the perfect woman.

Continuing on with the theme of televisual makeovers redeeming the imperfect woman, Heyes outlines cosmetic surgery as the “contemporary manifestation of normalization” (17). TV makeovers use cosmetic surgery to butcher the modern-day “normal” woman into the “perfect” woman. This normalization brings woman who deviate from the perfect-woman-norm up to par with the beauties of society. Why do women agree to participate in these kinds of makeovers? Has society put such pressure on us that we are willing to butcher our given bodies into a fairy tale persona?

Just some feminist food for thought on a sunny October day.

For more information on the subject, please see:

Ringrose, J. & Walkerdine, V. “Regulating the Abject: The TV Make-Over as Site…”Feminist Media Studies. 8(3). 2008: 227-246. Online.

and

Heyes, Cressida J. “Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makover: A Foucauldian Feminist Reading” in Feminist Media Studies. 7(1). 2007: 17-32. Online.

Call on Me: One of the most sexist [sexualizing] music videos of...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:40:00 -0600

Call on Me: One of the most sexist [sexualizing] music videos of all time.

The video consists of Eric Prydz, the only man in a all-woman aerobics class. The women dance (read:writhe) around in skin-tight leotards (some assless) for the full 2:52 until the instructor just cannot keep her hands off of Prydz any longer.

Eric Prydz decided to portray women as tanned, toned, long-haired, make-up’d, and ultimately sexualized objects.

To borrow a line from Fight Club: “Is that what a [woman] looks like?” “Fuck no.”

Can you think of a mainstream music video that doesn’t feature a larger-sized, less-dramatically made up, “normal” woman in a positive light?

I certainly can’t, be here are some more versions of the sexualized female that jump out from memory:

Candy Shop - 50 Cent
Sexy Bitch - David Guetta
Misery - Maroon 5
And those are just off the top of my head.

Even the female lead singers sexualize themselves. Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Fergie, Britney Spears, XTina, Rihanna, J-Lo all embrace their inner sexualized naked object for pleasing the masses, to name just a few. When is the last time a singer left some clothes on AND actually became a successful artist? … Led Zeppelin?! Wait, those were dudes. Doesn’t even count.

C’mon ladies, can’t we be successful and also keep our clothes on? Not to generalize that all female artists take this route (many certainly don’t), but the ones who get mega mainstream media attention are those willing to sell sex.

Your blog is fuckin' great. Keep it up. I guess that's not a question, but I don't have a question this time, haha

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:34:12 -0600

Thanks mobilehome :)

The “Pornification” of Culture Yes, that is a word. And not just...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:05:00 -0600

The “Pornification” of Culture

Yes, that is a word. And not just an urbandictionary word either! That is a genuine university used scholarly word. Anyone heard about the pornification of our culture?

Short and sweet to those innocent minds of the internet world (is there really such a mind?), the pornification of our culture has to do with porn, you guessed it, infiltrating our everyday culture.

Think: condom ads for “THE MOST NATURAL FEELING SEX POSSIBLE WITH A CONDOM!” on school busses.

Think: phallic imagery 101.

Think: … uh oh, world is porno.

So what do you all think? Is it a problem that there are little high heeled red shoes for babies being marketed? Does it matter that 12 year old girls are dressing like 19 year old bar stars? Who cares if viagra ads are played during commercials in between “Desperate Housewives”?

Is it a problem that young boys are beginning to learn sex education from porn rather than little old ladies throwing out Dubble Bubble gum during 5th grade?

Does it matter than viewers of pornography have become so desensitized to “traditional” porn (read: missionary, simple, uncomplicated, one-thing-at-a-time) that more vicious and violent porn must be produced to satisfy the consumer?

Leave it here - the pornification of culture: a problem or an inevitability?

An Example of FanFiction - Buffy Vs. Edward

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:44:00 -0600

An Example of FanFiction - Buffy Vs. Edward:

“In this re-imagined narrative, Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s an example of transformative storytelling serving as a pro-feminist visual critique of Edward’s character and generally creepy behavior. Seen through Buffy’s eyes, some of the more sexist gender roles and patriarchal Hollywood themes embedded in the Twilight saga are exposed - in hilarious ways. Ultimately this remix is about more than a decisive showdown between the slayer and the sparkly vampire. It also doubles as a metaphor for the ongoing battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century.” - rebelliouspixels

Slash Fiction Meets Reception Theory

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:42:00 -0600

For those of you unaware (as I was before today’s WGST lecture), slash fiction consists of fictional pieces of literature involving two main characters of popular culture, characterized by the punctuation joining them (i.e. Han/Luke, Kirk/Spock, Batman/The Joker, Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy)… usually erotically. You get the idea.

But Toni, you may ask, why did you give examples of only male/male characters?

Well avid blog reader (read: mobilehome306), slash fiction is most traditionally written by middle-aged housewives. You betcha, females writing erotic fiction about two subtextually eroticized popular culture (usually fictional) characters.

Why would straight women write erotic fantasies about two [turned] gay men for other straight women to enjoy?

As Noy Thrupkaew highlights, “Slash enables its writers to subvert TV’s tired male/female relationships while interacting with and showing mastery over the original raw material of a show (key for all fanfic). Writing male characters as lovers allows a richer sense of possibility than duplicating the well-worn boy/girl romances coughed up by most TV shows.” (See end of blog for website).

So in other words, women get a kick out of this feminist typing of the male in a relationship. Rather than being stuck with the male (dominator) and female (dominated) view of a relationship, these slashfic writers are free to abolish traditional gender roles and set their imaginations wild. “Slash lets women assert power over men the way the patriarchy asserts power over women. Slash lets women humanize and redraft masculinity.” (Noy Thrupkaew).

Interestingly enough, slash fiction provides an outlet for feminism through a very erotic textual media. Transforming the male gender role of ‘tough’ into somehow more recognizable to the female gendered role of ‘sensitivity,’ women are empowered to mold the masculine into slightly more feminine.

Noy Thrupkaew elaborates: “Sometimes slash writers err in the other direction, writing reams about stoic, uncommunicative hot men having sex. And while that can be fun for a while, the stories that have received the most acclaim in the slash world are ones that show why these men are with each other and what’s behind the sex. They also flesh out their heroes with qualities that are a combination of traditionally male behaviors (assertive, confident) and female characteristics (nurturing, communicative). In other words, the best pieces feature players who are more like real people than the characters you find on TV.”

Combining now slashfic in with reception theory, one can see clearly how much audiences twist and encode the cultural message into different ways than intended by the producer. Stuart Hall, a cultural theorist, proposes an idea of “encoding” by the producers and “decoding” by the consumers. Any type of media text is not simply passively accepted by the audience; it is interpreted in different ways. A prominent and obvious example of this reception theory is demonstrated in slashfic or fan fiction. Consumers of popular culture shape the media into their own interpretation, presenting it as something the producer never intended.

If you’re interested in more on this topic, see: http://bitchmagazine.org/article/fan-tastic-voyage for a great article by Noy Thrupkaew on the “Fan/tastic Voyage” of slash fiction.

Hooray for advertising convincing young women to be/act...

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:20:00 -0600

Hooray for advertising convincing young women to be/act stupid!

(Much sarcasm in my voice).

On "performing" gender

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:31:18 -0600

Interesting post! Raises a good point about the dualistic nature of our society. Putting on make-up makes you a girl, not putting on make-up makes you a guy. It’s strange, isn’t it? How doing or not doing an action classifies what you are. I suppose my ultimate concern would be that this whole guy/girl gender identity thing takes away from what we truly are: human beings. It’s just another way that we are conditioned, making it easier to market products to us: blonde or brunette shampoo (or red-head!), fat or skinny; girly or manly.

It’s just my opinion, but we should realize that we are all just humans; that this whole “identity” thing tears us apart. We are one.

In the words of Sagan:
A new consciousness is developing which sees the earth as a single organism and recognizes that an organism at war with itself is doomed. We are one planet. One of the great revelations of the age of space exploration is the image of the earth finite and lonely, somehow vulnerable, bearing the entire human species through the oceans of space and time.

-mobilehome306