Final Paper - Personal Identity and Acceptance

Ian Patel

Professor Braverman

WGS 220: Gender and Pop Culture

May 9, 2016

Personal Identity and Acceptance

            With the recent legalization of gay marriage in the United States, it is clear that Americans are slowly becoming more accepting of other people’s different beliefs. Transgender people, those whose sexes do not match their genders, are gradually becoming more accepted for who they are instead of what they feel. The fact that the situation of a transgender person is not the majority still makes many people uncomfortable with the concept, but the majority of people would agree that a person should be permitted to identify as whatever gender he or she desires. In fact, society will largely allow any actions as long as it is not harmful to others. But how far will this kind of acceptance extend? Especially with the Internet these days, people are quickly generating new variants on personal identities that, at first glance, seem ludicrous to most of the population. Of the more recent, controversial personal identifications, three stand out. Transracial, a term popularized by Rachel Dolezal, is used to describe people who were born one race and feel they are actually a different race. Transableism describes people who are healthy but strongly feel they should be disabled, and are sometimes willing to damage their physical bodies to realize this sensation. Lastly, otherkin are those who claim to be nonhuman, usually in spirit but sometimes, less commonly, in body as well. Otherkin have been known to identify as all kinds of animals, including mythical beasts such as dragons, angels, and fairies. Though it is rare, some otherkin even identify as machines or inanimate objects. While most people’s gut reaction to such identities is rejection, will transracial, transabled, and otherkin people be regular any time soon in our society? I believe that, in ten years, views on people who fall into these categories will still be negative, but that they will not be as strongly rejected by society.

            “Transracial” is a term that possessed a different meaning before it was repurposed for personal identification. Previously, transracial was used to refer to families that adopted children of a different race. Adoptees in such families may feel confused as their race does not match that of their parents, leading some adoptees to identify with both races. In 2015, however, Rachel Dolezal created a new definition for the word, “transracial,” when her two white parents revealed that she was disguising herself and living as a black woman. Dolezal had decided that, although she had been born to white parents, she should have been an African-American person, and thus altered her appearance so that she could pass as a black person. She even became the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) under this guise, but resigned once her transracial identity was revealed. Today, Dolezal acknowledges that she was born as white to white parents, but identifies as black regardless.

            Society’s initial reaction to this concept of transracial was severely negative, and I do not believe that a transracial person will be seen as acceptable in the near future. The main argument against Dolezal’s transracial identity is that it is an abuse of white privilege. As much as we might desire racial equality, there is still a serious imbalance between the races in our culture. White people do not face as many hardships as black people do, and white people tend to hold more powerful positions than black people do. Society has defined a sort of hierarchy of races that is not likely to fade soon, with whites at the top and blacks at the bottom. Dolezal made the transition from white to black and was able to tan enough to pass as a black person, but the reverse transition, going from black to white, would not be so easy physically or socially. Dolezal was able to decide to be black and claim to face and understand the same oppression that a natural-born black person knows, even though she grew up as a white child with white parents. On the other hand, a black person cannot simply decide to be white and gain white privilege and escape oppression as a result.         Similarly to how gender and sex are separated, I think we might need to separate physical race from cultural race. The very idea of switching races seems illogical to begin with since a person’s race is usually defined as a biological trait that comes from that person’s parents. “Transracial” is likely a poor term for the kind of transition that Dolezal is attempting since race is usually treated as a biological trait. While she might be physically white, she wishes to be identified as part of the black culture and be viewed as a black person. Perhaps physically changing one’s skin color is not reasonable, but choosing the racial culture in which one is most comfortable is plausible. To truly make this kind of personal identity feasible, though, I believe it would be necessary to achieve complete racial equality first. In doing so, the hierarchy that classifies races and generates concepts like white privilege would be removed, allowing people to switch more freely between races. With total racial equality seeming rather far off, though, I predict that transracial people, in the new sense of the word, will remain heavily criticized and not universally accepted for the near future.

            Transability is a situation in which a healthy person has a desire to become disabled in some form. Though there is nothing wrong with these people, physically or mentally, they have an extremely strong impression that they should have a disability. A person could wish to have any kind of disability, including blindness, deafness, an amputation, or paraplegia. Transabled people will often live out their lives as if they have the disability, perhaps using a wheelchair instead of their legs or declining to use an arm that they feel should be amputated. In some cases, transabled people’s desires may be strong enough that they either disable themselves or seek a medical professional that is willing to help them attain their preferred disabilities. Most doctors refuse perform such operations on a healthy individual, but a few will agree on the grounds that it is safer for a professional to perform an operation rather than allowing the person to damage his or her own body at home.

            While there is potential for acceptance of transabled people, there are several difficulties that will need to be overcome first, including the initial, intensely negative response to transableism. Transableism is usually viewed as insane. Most people, especially people that have disabilities, cannot understand why anyone would want to give up their healthy body for a disabled one. Many also cannot help but wonder if transabled people suffer from mental illnesses that cause these seemingly ridiculous yearnings. Overcoming this almost instinctive rejection of the idea of transability would be the first step towards acceptance, but then other concerns arise. If a person decides to live as if he or she has a disability, that person puts extra, and possibly unnecessary, strain on society. Family and friends will have to shoulder some responsibility for helping a transabled person adjust to his or her new lifestyle and limitations. A disabled person will usually generate more paperwork than a healthy person, and as a result will create more work for others in situations where disabilities are significant, like with job applications and government programs. If family, friends, and society are willing to come to terms with the additional strain introduced by a person’s resolution to become disabled, then we can take a second step towards acceptance. I think achieving acceptance of those who identify as disabled is possible, but is not likely to be accomplished in just ten years. While it is possible that society can accept the possibility of a transabled person, I do not believe that all the nuances, like whether or not a transabled person should be permitted to receive disability benefits for example, will be worked out in the next ten years alone.

            Otherkin are people who believe that they are not human, to some extent. From cats and foxes to dragons and angels, otherkin can identify with or as any type of creature, real or mythical. Most of the time these people understand that they are human, but feel they possess animalistic characteristics. Many otherkin identify with a creature, and may have dreams about their respective animals and occasionally lapse into a state where they want to behave like their animals. Often otherkin believe in reincarnation and use it as justification for their beliefs, stating that they are either reincarnations of their creatures or will become their animals in a future life. More rarely, otherkin identify as a creature, and may take part in dressing up and acting like their animals. In even more exceptional cases, an otherkin identifies as a machine or an inanimate object.

            Otherkin are frequently viewed as delusional today, but I think that there is actually potential for society to accept some of the otherkin people. The otherkin community is primarily online, so most of the criticism it faces is also online. Often this criticism is very harsh, telling otherkin that they need professional help or that they are mentally unwell. If someone declares, with complete sincerity, that they identify as an inanimate object, others on the Internet like to mimic such statements with extreme sarcasm and mocking attitudes. Additionally, otherkin’s online posts often appear in so-called “cringe compilations,” collections of Internet posts that most people balk at. Outside of the Internet, most otherkin refrain from mentioning their associated creatures (or objects) due to how people are inclined to react negatively. To people who are not otherkin, the idea of identifying as an animal seems absurd, and evokes a similar kind of appalled gut reaction that transableism does. Over the upcoming years, Internet users are unlikely to be willing to give up the “fun” they have at the expensive of the otherkin, unfortunately, but I think there is still some hope for acceptance in society. The majority of the otherkin can continue as functioning members of society, and most people are willing to cope with a few quirks in a person. If a person wants to identify with or as a nonhuman creature, the person can do so freely as long as he or she is not disrupting other people’s lives. Accepting those who are more enamored with their creatures and frequently try to act as those creatures will take much more time, I think, for people will be slow to recognize this as a legitimate path in life. As for otherkin who identify as inanimate objects, I, sadly, cannot see society truly understanding these people, at least not in the next ten years. The otherkin remain on the farthest branches of unusual self-identification types, so they will probably be one of the last communities to be accepted into regular society.

            Society’s hope is to allow anyone to do as they please as long as they are not hurting anyone else. Despite this goal, however, most people are reluctant to agree that selecting characteristics like one’s race, age, height, physical disabilities, and species is acceptable. The current young generations may welcome different kinds of genders and sexualities fairly readily, but altering these other characteristics remains abnormal. I could imagine out society becoming more willing to permit these kinds of personal identifications eventually, but total approval is still far off in the future and highly unlikely to occur within ten years.

Works Cited

The Analytical Economist. "Short White Guy Tells College Students He Identifies as Tall Chinese Woman... Their Responses Prove We're DOOMED." Allen B West. N.p., 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 May 2016.

"Dear Demi Sexual, Trans Ethnic,Trans Abled, Trans Fat and Other Fakers." Womanist Musings. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2016.

Ford, Zack. "The Real Meaning Of 'Transracial'" ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 17 June 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.

Justanotherkin. "Hell Is a Teenage Girl.: Funny/Sad Story about Acceptance of Older Generations." Just Anotherkin. N.p., 4 Aug. 2013. Web. 07 May 2016.

Lewis, Taylor. "Is 'Transracial' Identity Real? 11 Opinions That Will Leave You Thinking." Essence.com. N.p., 15 June 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.

McDonovan, Shae. "Pretending You're Oppressed: The New Internet Fad." Thought Catalog. N.p., 12 June 2012. Web. 07 May 2016.

McFadden, Syreeta. "Rachel Dolezal's Definition of 'transracial' Isn't Just Wrong, It's Destructive." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 16 June 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.

"Pretending You're Oppressed: The New Internet Fad." ONTD Political. N.p., 24 June 2012. Web. 07 May 2016.

Roberts, Amber. "Otherkin Are People Too; They Just Identify as Nonhuman." VICE. VICE Media LLC, 16 July 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.

Romano, Aja. "Meet the Man Who Wants to Become a Disposable Kotex Maxi Pad." The Daily Dot. N.p., 08 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 May 2016.

Ruth, Andrea. "What A Disabled Person Thinks About 'Transableism'" The Federalist. N.p., 08 June 2015. Web. 07 May 2016.

Tannehill, Brynn. "Do Your Homework, Dr. Albow." Huffington Post. N.p., 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 7 May 2016.

TheSandreGuy. "Otherkin - Heart of a Snowflake." YouTube. YouTube, 10 July 2014. Web. 07 May 2016.

This Exists. "Fictionkin; Or, Identifying Spiritually as Pikachu." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 May 2016.

Trendsetting Essay

            During the summer of 2015, many articles appeared in the news describing how companies were firing their American employees and replacing them with foreigners using the H-1B visa program. This program allows a company to import a foreigner to work a highly specialized position which cannot be filled by any American. However, as there is no effective way to monitor companies and verify that no Americans can work a certain job, companies such as Disney, Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Intel started to abuse the program and replace American workers with foreigners, who will often work for a lower salary. Just a few days ago, Intel even announced plans to lay off a large portion of its workforce, yet is still increasing requests for H-1B visa workers. While the H-1B visa policy is necessary, especially for the computer technology industries, the program needs some kind of reformation before it can operate efficiently in the U.S.

            I sought to raise awareness about the flawed H-1B visa program by creating a YouTube video about the issue and advertising on Facebook. My video summarized the H-1B program and highlighted the concerns it presents. I also shared the video on Facebook and on a few Reddit threads, including some additional information about the issue each time. A few people shared the post on Facebook, but Reddit posts essentially failed to generate a response. My original goal was for one hundred people to view my video but, at the current time, there are only forty-four views.

            I feel that the H-1B visa program could be a popular topic, but it is difficult for it to propagate through standard social websites. As the program is somewhat complex and its flaws usually only affect workers in the computer science fields, I think the majority of people tend to neglect the H-1B program. It seems that people do not follow controversial, in-depth issues as readily as they might follow something simple or funny. While the issue certainly could gain momentum through social media, it would likely take me a long time and a lot of work to create a substantial movement. However if someone that already had a large group of followers, like a celebrity, were to start spreading concerns about the H-1B visa policy, then a trend could very easily begin.

            I think this was a good experience. It shows how difficult it normally is to simply start an arbitrary trend through the use of social media. Although I was not particularly successful in spreading the word about H-1B visas, I am glad that at least a few people know more about the program and how it is abused at present. It may not be too well know, but I think the H-1B visa program will remain a relevant topic until the government can improve the current laws.

Works Cited

Burgess, Jean, Joshua Green, Henry Jenkins, and John Hartley. YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture. Cambridge, England: Polity, 2009. Google Books. Google. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2015, S. S.2266., 114th Cong., Https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2266/all-info (2015). Print.

Harkison, Josh. "How H-1B Visas Are Screwing Tech Workers." Mother Jones. N.p., 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Molyneaux, Heather, Susan O'Donnell, Kerri Gibson, and Janice Singer. "Exploring the Gender Divide on YouTube: An Analysis of the Creation and Reception of Vlogs." American Communication Journal 10.2 (2008): 1-14. NRC Publications Archive. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.

Neff, Blake. "Intel Lays Off 12,000 People After Lobbying For More Foreign Workers." The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller News Foundation, 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.

Preston, Julia. "Lawsuits Claim Disney Colluded to Replace U.S. Workers With Immigrants." NY Times. The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Snelson, Chareen. "YouTube across the Disciplines: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Online Learning and Teaching 7.1 (2011): 159-69. MERLOT. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

"WATCH: Fired Disney Worker Breaks Down Describing Humiliation of Training Foreign Guest Worker Replacement." Conservative Review. CR Wire, 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Week 13 – “Stressed, Tired, Rushed – Portrait of the Modern Family” Summary

             Over the years, it has become much more common for both parents of a family to work full time. This leaves any children at home alone, or with a babysitter or at a daycare service. Managing and taking care of children has not gotten any easier, but parents are having to work more and more to get by financially. In this article, a survey of parents showed some of the characteristics of parents with children, and the stress they feel.

            Interestingly, it seems that parents who have gone to college and white parents are often more stressed than other categories. Balancing the work life with the parent life is no easy feat, but it affects some parents more drastically. Most of the time, it is still on the mother to manage children’s schedules and shopping, even if both parents work. This only multiplies the stress that mothers feel. As one survey participant, Ms. Barnes puts, “You basically just always feel like you’re doing a horrible job at everything.” Many parents express concerns that they are not spending enough time with their children, and are missing out on their childhoods since they have to work. More than fifty percent of working parents report that they don’t feel they are spending enough time with their children. Additionally, when people are more stressed by the balancing act, they are less likely to feel that parenting is actually rewarding or enjoyable.

            It is still the case that the husband usually makes more money than the wife does, but women almost always do more in terms of housework and taking care of children. In 75% of families, the father still earns the same or more than the mother does. In terms of how parents spend their time at home, there has been a growing shift towards spending more time with children. Men are spending less time on their work and more time at home doing house chores and spending time with their kids. And yet, the mothers still do much more with the children. From managing schedules, to shopping for house supplies, to taking children to activities, the mother is still in charge here. Men are doing more than they used to and feel that the responsibilities are split evenly, but women continue to report that they do more. Nonetheless, parents are trying harder to work together better. The mother and father coordinate better so that responsibilities are more balanced and they can spend more time with their children. 

Week 12 - Gender Neutral Children

            Both Sasha and Storm were raised, by different families, as gender neutral children. Each of the families refused to reveal their child’s sex, and would not push their child towards either gender. For instance, Sasha’s room was colored yellow to avoid the traditional blue or pink for babies, and was offered toys that are traditionally for girls and ones for boys equally. Sasha is aware that he is a boy, but enjoys dressing up in girls’ clothes at home. On the other hand, Storm does not identify as either gender, sometimes saying “I am a boy” and sometimes saying “I am a girl.” Sasha is an only child while Storm has two older siblings who were not raised in this gender neutral environment. Storm’s parents moved toward this type of parenting after Jazz, the eldest son, seemed to enjoy more “girly” things and eventually requested to go by the female pronouns. Both sets of parents also strive to avoid normal gendered words and pronouns.

            I feel like the steps these parents take represent one extreme, where the opposite extreme would be making all toys, clothes, speech, and actions gendered towards a child’s sex. If we lived in a gender neutral society, then I would happily agree that the gender neutral approach to raising a child would be reasonable and logical. However, in the present day, it seems to me like these parents are working a bit too hard to ensure gender neutrality. For the first few years of an infant’s life, the parents are the main source of ideas about the different genders. An infant does not know anything about genders, since they are a concept constructed by society, so it is up to the parents to enable the child to decide for itself. Once the child has reached an age at which it is evident which the child prefers, the child and parents should probably stick to that gender afterwards. Ideally, the child would be able to continue with the gender neutral mentality, but our current society would probably find this strange. I would like to say that it is alright for any person of any age to do as they please, neglecting and standards we have for the genders. Unfortunately, this still does not seem plausible in our culture though.

            I would say that trying to find a balance between the two extremes would be best for parents today. If a child is physically a boy, then it is alright to start raising him as a boy. However, the child should have some exposure to girls’ toys and activities as well. I’d say the child should be allowed to play with whatever he wants, but, regrettably, should also decide on a specific gender for our society. Perhaps in the future, it won’t be necessary to identify oneself as a particular gender, but it still stands fairly strong today. 

Week 12 – “GimpGirl Grows Up” Summary

             This article discusses an organization, GimpGirl, and the surrounding culture, called the GimpGirl Community (GGC). The community was founded by Jennifer Cole in 1998 with the help of her mentor Len Burns. It was built as a place where disabled women could share their difficulties, experiences, and thoughts with other people in similar situations. Jennifer specifically wanted to create this community due to a desire to counteract the abusive situation she herself had encountered. She also wanted to have this community so that other people in similar situations could use it, and didn’t have to create it themselves. Most of the founding members of the website were teens that knew each other from DO-IT, or other similar programs, but the community quickly grew to accommodate more people. The website was particularly popular since it allowed any woman with a disability, medically diagnosed or self-proclaimed, to participate in the GGC. The name of the website itself, GimpGirl, spawns from the fact that many people with disabilities on the West Coast call themselves gimps, somewhat humorously. Jennifer wanted to reclaim the word “gimp” and repurpose it as a statement against ubiquitous demands for “political correctness.”

            In terms of technology, the GGC has been expanding over the years. What started out as just a website has evolved into a network of blogs, discussion boards, and websites, essentially becoming its own social network. The GGC has connected with Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, and other popular social websites to progress the community. It even joined with Second Life, a virtual world platform, to generate a place for GGC members to interact in new ways.

            The GGC still faces many difficulties, despite its success. For instance, the members are considered doubly marginalized since they are both women and people with disabilities. To help counteract this, the GGC helps empower its members by broadening their experiences through interactions with other members in similar situations. The GGC shows members that they are not alone and that they are not the only ones suffering. GimpGirl has also been criticized for its lack of face-to-face communication, and some suggest that limitations of digital communication makes the platform invalid. However, the GGC is working to overcome this limitation by encouraging a good balance between real-life and online interactions. Second Life helps to some extent, especially if avatars resemble the member’s real-life image, but members still need to understand how to manage real-life as well. The GGC helps these women with disabilities find others in similar situations and provide advice to each other, but the task of coping with and handling offline experiences still lies with each member.

Media Screening

            Traditional gender roles have long been a part of standard American and European cultures. These gender roles often favor men over women. What is more surprising, though, is that similar concepts of men over women exist across the globe, in various cultures. From the military of the United States to general society in China and India, women continue to be treated as the lesser gender, dismissing their worth and objectifying them.

            The movie The Invisible War describes the belittlement, sexual harassment, and objectification of women in United State military. The movie focuses on the numerous instances of rape, sexual harassment, and abuse of power that occurs in the military. Often, when these cases are reported, the victims are told to “suck it up” or are simply laughed at. Investigations into the reports are often shallow, and fail to produce any meaningful results. Women are often preyed upon since the traditional gender roles indicate that women are weaker, and thus more vulnerable. The vast amount of sexual harassment of women shows that the, generally male, culprits view women as people to be dominated and view them as people that are lesser than themselves. Even in the military, where the soldiers need to work well together to defend the country, women are still looked down on by their male counterparts.

            The movie It’s a Girl details an outright favoritism of sons over daughters, implying that a female child is not worth as much as a male child. In India, where a large dowry from the wife’s family is considered a necessity for a marriage, a daughter is often viewed as a liability. If a daughter gets married, the family will lose money due to the dowry, whereas if a son gets married, the family will gain wealth. In India, as well as in China, the son carries on the family name and works to provide for the family, while a daughter will just be given to another family through marriage. This system leads families to favor sons over daughters, and is especially strong in China where only one child is permitted. The tradition of giving a dowry in India and the one child policy of China have spawned this powerful preference of having a son over having a daughter. The cultures in these two countries essentially view children as commodities, and have placed a lesser value on girls. Not only does this objectify children in general, but it diminishes a woman’s worth.

            Although the environments in China, India, and the United States military are all very different, the devaluing and objectification of women is present in all of them. This goes to show the similarities that have developed in different countries due to the traditional gender roles. Many cultures around the world view women as lesser, which leads to the objectification of women and reduces women's own senses of self-worth.  

Contemporary Issues Essay

            The media tends to paint a rather negative image of women. Advertisements over-sexualize women in attempts to attract male attention and get more people to buy the products. Techniques like segmentation and subjugation only serve to further diminish a woman’s image, since they advocate that a woman’s worth is determined solely by her body. The subjugation of women, consequently, gives control over to men. Women taking back control of their own lives and bodies was a concept present in the Gloria Steinem’s discussion as well as in the Vagina Monologues.

            Gloria Steinem focused specifically on how society attempts to control reproduction, and thus control women’s bodies. Products like the pill and other methods of birth control usually put pressure on a woman to control their reproductive systems, while men are generally free to do as they please. Old cultures, like that of the Native Americans, did not discriminate between men and women. In fact, the Native Americans did not even have separate pronouns for the different genders. When the Europeans conquered the Americas, they brought over a culture in which women were considered lesser humans. The woman’s purpose in a family was to produce children, to take care of the children, and to maintain the house. The man was in complete charge of the family and was responsible for providing for the family, as well as ensuring the family name survives. Steinem advocated that women defy these gender roles that have plagued our country for centuries. We should strive for a gender neutral society, where every person has complete control over his or her life. The advertisements that subjugate women should be removed, although doing so will require significant changes in the advertising industries. The films, TV shows, magazine articles, new reports, and other forms of media that portray women as lesser than men should be phased out in favor of media that makes no assumptions and displays gender equality. Essentially, Ms. Steinem wants a culture in which women have control over themselves and their bodies.

            Of the many messages and issues presented in the Vagina Monologues, one topic was how women reclaimed control over their own bodies and lives. In general, the Vagina Monologues consisted of a series of monologues by different students, each telling a real life experience of another woman’s story and self-discovery. These monologues breached a wide range of issues, including rape, sexual harassment, female empowerment, and the media’s oppression of women. Society largely demands that women repress their sexuality, and, as a result, many women disregard their own desires completely. The monologue “The Flood” told of an older woman who, after one experience, never thought about her vagina again. Another, “Because He Liked To Look At It,” described one woman’s experience with a man who showed just how beautiful she truly was. These monologues, and others, describe society’s oppression of women and some stories of overcoming that oppression. It was an empowering experience for women, and was an event that showed how women can take back control of their own lives and bodies. 

Week 11 - Social Networks

            I think many people use Facebook to obtain a sense of self-satisfaction. They want to post about things there are passionate about or accomplishments they are proud of, hoping that others will show that they are happy for them by simply clicking a “Like” button. People post pictures from their vacation or wedding or first day at college for the world to see, because it feels good when others like your posts. For instance, one of my friends, let’s call this person Bob, makes frequent posts about various events in his life. Bob posts that he just declared his major and is so happy about it. He made another post to show off his friends in the recent event they’re involved in. I feel like such things would be better shared with close friends in person, rather than looking for approval from a crowd of people he barely knows.

            People also like to post opinions that they might not discuss too much in real life.

For example, I have one another friend who solely posts long-winded speeches about why the current government administration is ruining the country, among other political topics. I will say I do not know this person too well in real life, but I have to imagine this is a kind of virtual personality. The person probably does not want to be known for their strong political bias in real life, but posts such things on Facebook in hopes that someone will agree.

            I can’t help but feel that a Facebook page fails to represent the creator in real life. The information on a Facebook profile is limited to certain categories. Moreover, a person’s posts do not provide an adequate representation of what a person is actually like. My one friend is deeper than just the political discussions they always post. I think people like to use Facebook because they have the option to create a different personality online. They can post about more controversial topics or life events because they won’t have to physically see people’s reactions. Additionally, Facebook has “Dislike” button, only a “Like” option, so people don’t worry about negative feedback on their opinions, feelings, or accomplishments.

            Genders are still prominent in the Facebook profiles people create. A female will likely still try to act like a traditional female on Facebook, and only like pages that a female would like. A male will likely do the same, and avoid liking things like Barbie dolls and instead like pages about sports. Although it is a constructed online profile, people will usually still act according to what society expects in terms of traditional gender roles. 

Week 11 – “Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted” Summary

            Decades ago, activism was accomplished in person. When Americans fought for racial equality, their protests had to be physical, and thus included a large element of risk. A group of four African-American college students started a sit-in protest at a local bar that refused to serve them, simply due to their skin color. Such a protest could be met with violence, and the four students put their lives on the line with this rebellion. They were lucky that no harm befell them, and that their methodology quickly spread across the immediate area, and then the state.

            Today, with modern social media like Facebook and Twitter, activism has taken a different turn. For many political events occurring worldwide, there is frequently a corresponding explosion on Twitter. For instance, when students protested in Iran, the government wanted to keep Twitter running smoothly so that the students could “feel empowered and confident to stand up for freedom and democracy.” Yet many people fail to realize that the Twitter revolution is not worldwide, and certainly has not struck Iran. The vast majority of people tweeting about the events in Iran were American, which does nothing to help the protests in Iran. Americans seem to think that participating in an event by tweeting will have a profound impact, but it actually has little effect, especially for events occurring elsewhere in the world.

            With online social media, people tend to prefer passive participation when it comes to activism. It’d be easy for me like a Facebook page or write a tweet about how I’m thinking about those in trouble because there is no risk to me. I am not putting my life on the line to help in a movement for change. The four students who sat at the bar could easily have been physically beaten, arrested, or killed. Challenging the status quo is not a task for those who are not willing to take major risks. Motivating people to get involved in such dangerous work is achieved through personal interactions. People join a movement because their friends are in the movement. The four students were all close friends, and could only protest at the bar with the support of each other. Social websites usually connect people weakly, and fail to create the close bond that motivates people to join their friends in activism.

            Social websites do have their uses, particularly for popularizing an issue. For instance, when Clay Shirky lost his cell phone and the person who picked it up refused to give it back, Shirky posted the issue online. Random people who saw the post managed to track down the stealer and generated enough publicity to force the police to get involved. Nonetheless, while social websites can be successful in situations like these, they are not very effective at countering deep-set issues. In-person activism still remains the most effective method in this case. 

Week 10 – Reality Television

            Normally I do not watch reality television shows. However, my mother loves to watch The Bachelor, and is always very excited for the show at night. The show follows a man as he tries to find his perfect match among a multitude of women. Each week, a few of the women are eliminated until the man can finally choose his future wife. The activities that occur in each episode are, to some extent, unscripted and thus “realistic.” However, it’s also obvious that some events are scripted. Additionally, there is usually one woman to play the classic “bitch” role. Even though the audience generally hates this woman, as they are meant to, she manages to avoid elimination for an unusually long amount of time, simply so that she can create additional drama.

            The premise of the show, to begin with, is already sexist. One man, Ben, is surrounded by a crowd of women who are all in love with him from the very beginning. This portrays the man as a “player” and makes the women seem interchangeable, objectifying them to an extent. Throughout the seasons, the bachelor is tall, white, fit, and is considered handsome by society’s standards. The women are shorter than the bachelor, thin, attractive, and almost always white. The women are usually not particularly intelligent or athletic.

            The show places the women at odds with each other inherently, but it exemplifies their aggression towards each other. In the second episode of season 20, one woman already said, “I will not murder Lace, but she may just tactfully disappear,” after losing one of the little activities. Later, another woman stated, “Knowing that Jennifer got to kiss him makes me aggravated,” showing the jealousy that women as supposed to feel. One of the images I linked below shows this exaggerated jealousy that the women feel about not getting to spend time with the bachelor.

            It’s easy for a viewer to root for a particular woman, as the show works to set up the ideal situations for a perfect romance. It’s also easy for the viewer to hate the “bitch” character(s). I’m fairly certain from watching this one episode that Lace and Olivia are supposed to be the villains in this season. Whenever another woman gets to talk, Lace or Olivia likes to comment about how it should have been her instead. Their expressions often show hatred or jealousy blatantly. Society’s traditional views on women dictate that women are catty and are often jealous of each other, and Lace and Olivia serve to play on that fantasy. As a whole, The Bachelor fulfills most of the traditional gender roles and works to use them to its advantage.

Jealousy: http://imgur.com/u8R4HhF

The cast for season 20: http://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/2016/01/05/972/n/1922398/cfb6847688056a60_group-bachelor-ben-main.xxxlarge_2x.jpg

Week 10 - "Drama is the Cure for Gossip" Summary

            This article, by Abigail De Kosnik, discusses some of the issues with reality television. The author focuses specifically on the classic situation where the characters discover their “true” selves through some kind of theatrical performance. First, the author talks about a popular show Gossip Girl, which takes place in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The show follows a group of rich youths who engage in frequent gossip. An anonymous Gossip Girl manages a blog on which people’s secrets and lies are revealed. Gossip essentially becomes the most valuable currency in this world, and each person attempts to use what they know to further their own goals.

            Despite all the gossip that circulates about each person, the gossip alone fails to tell the entire story about a person. The same is true in real life, where news, gossip, and rating sites tell partial information about people. These posts online about a person start to define a profile for that person. In the end, the online personae may be radically different from what the person is actually like. In reality TV shows, these fake online profiles start to affect the characters in real life, and it is only through a sudden breakthrough that a character can show his or her true self. For example, in Gossip Girl, a character Blair Waldorf is the leader of social networks in her school, and works to plan out every detail of her life. However, it is only through her unexpected performance at a burlesque club to show that she is more daring and risk-taking inside. Similar events occur in other shows. For instance, in Glee, the theatrical performance is a place where people of different races, genders, social statuses, and states of wellbeing can come together and break free of what normally holds them back.

            The author theorizes that TV shows frequently use theatrical performances as a freeing activity to counter the Internet, which also vies for consumers’ attention. The Internet has become a massive gossip culture, where people share their own thoughts on other people in attempts to be noticed. The anonymity of the Internet also makes it easier for people to speak abrasively, since they feel they cannot be tracked down and punished for their words. Due to the anonymity, though, users also have to construct their own personae so that they do not fall victim to the gossip culture. Television shows attempt to counter the appeal of the Internet by providing a fantasy world in which the characters already have constructed their fake personalities. The theatrical performances of the characters feel natural to viewers, and appeal to viewers for their dramatic effect. By doing so, the TV shows create a different world for viewers to become immersed in, thus competing with the Internet’s gossip culture. 

Week 9 - Boys, Girls, and Toys – Oh My!

I can remember times as a child when I was walking through toy aisles in stores like Toys’R’Us and Target. On occasion I’d turn into an aisle with lots of dolls and think to myself, “Oh, I don’t belong here.” I didn’t want to be in that aisle because I felt it was the girls’ aisle. I’d leave and turn into the boys’ aisle, the one filled with Nerf guns and Legos.

Back when I was young, toy stores would separate their products into toys that were meant for boys and toys that were meant for girls. I don’t know what the toy situation might be like in the modern day, but as many toys are still gendered, I’d imagine it’s not too much better. Girls’ toys consist of dolls, dress up clothes, toy houses, toy animals, and kitchenware. On the other side, boys’ toys consist of Legos, Erector sets, video games, Nerf guns, action figures, toy race cars, train sets, and sports equipment. Legos and Erector sets encourage boys to be inventive and build from their own ideas. Such toys likely help push boys towards the math and science fields, which are generally considered more “masculine.” Sports equipment and toy race cars teach young boys about society’s concept of a “good man,” and the kinds of things he should like. Alternatively, dolls and dress up clothes teach young girls about society’s concept of a “good woman,” and that she should enjoy fashion and shopping. Toy houses and kitchenware set up girls for the position of a stay-at-home wife. The girls’ toys also lack the inventive aspect, which likely helps push them away from math and science fields.

It seems to me that the way toys are designed for girls or for boys fits right into the normal gender roles defined by society. Boys’ toys teach boys to be strong, inventive, and keep learning. Girls’ toys teach girls about house chores, preparing them for a life as a housewife. I think the main problem is that toys are even designed with a particular gender in mind. Since the genders have been arbitrarily defined by society, the resulting toys also follow the set genders. Any toy should really be for any child, irrespective of genders. Achieving this may require breaking through the traditional gender roles, which, unfortunately, has shown itself to be very difficult.

What toys should be: http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/o-BOYS-GIRLS-TOYS-900_zpsb78b134f.jpg.html

Separate sections for boys and girls: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fe/fc/7e/fefc7e2f4c58f228703aa76af89e60a3.jpg

The girls’ aisle: http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4024/4359702274_8ebc8aea7a.jpg

The boys’ aisle: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7709/854/1600/boys%20aisle.1.jpg

Week 9 - "Pussy Riot in Translation" Summary

In Russia, a group called Pussy Riot started to take shape and begin protests about various issues in Russia, including women’s rights. One of their most famous protests occurred when five of the members illegally started a performance in a church. Three of the protestors, Samutsevich, Tolokonnikova, and Alyokhina, were arrested and later jailed for their actions. The trials and their results gained international attention, with several countries criticizing Russia for the decision. Much support came from the West, even though many people did not even know what Pussy Riot stood for. Yet, within Russia itself, the group largely failed to make much of an impact due to the oppressive climate and the government’s control.

The article describes how Pussy Riot intended to use their bodies to protest, and details similar attempts by other Russians. For example, Pyotr Pavelensky, a young artist, has sewn his mouth shut, wrapped himself in barbed wire, and nailed his scrotum to Red Square as part of his extensive protests. While Pavelensky and Pussy Riot did gain attention, often their messages fail to reach the public, and are often misunderstood in the Western world.

Some journalists, like Masha Gessen, have attempted to document Pussy Riot’s activities and the stories of the members. In her novel, Words Will Break Cement, Gessen tells the story of Samutsevich, Tolokonnikova, and Alyokhina, the three Pussy Riot members who were arrested. Although Gessen does detail the events successfully in a novel, she writes the novel so that westerns can understand the story. As the political climate in Russia is so drastically different from that of the United States, it is difficult for Westerners to understand why certain actions would be taken. In the end, Gessen produced a piece of entertainment for Westerners, and did not address controversial issues in the novel. Some important parts may have been downplayed while other details are emphasized, as a result, in order to create a story that Westerns can enjoy.

Anya Bernstein has also researched Pussy Riot, and focused more on how the government treated the arrested members of Pussy Riot. When discussing how the members should be punished, one government official stated “If I could get my way, I would spank these girls and let them go.” This shows how the government treated the three women as little girls so that the public would not take their protests seriously. Bernstein also describes how Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were strangely released from prison during the Sochi Olympics. Perhaps the government was attempting to push away the issue of Pussy Riot while the world’s attention was focused elsewhere. After their release, though, the two women suffered much physical abuse from the Russian public. They were unfazed, nonetheless, for perhaps they knew the effects of their actions would slowly and inexorably spread through the rest of the world. 

Week 7 - Gender and the Military

            Unfortunately, I do not know anyone that has been a part of the military, so I cannot comment from personal experience how gender played into a military position. In general, though, the military is an extremely male-dominated society. Joining the military is widely considered a very masculine thing to do. For any woman that joins that world, she often feels out of place and has to work particularly hard to prove that she can keep up with the men. There was some discussion of lowering the physical standards of soldiers to accommodate women. But most people in the military argued against this, saying the standards should be kept consistent for all. It will be harder for women to meet the standards due to natural differences in the human build. Nonetheless, most felt that all the soldiers should be on equal grounds, physically, without considering genders.

            Being married to someone in the military is hard, no matter who it is. The person who is not in the military will likely have to travel from base to base, trying to keep a career while taking care of any children. The person will also be waiting for his or her significant other’s return, hoping that the person will, in fact, return at all. Additionally, the long distance puts significant strain on the relationship. Media like TV shows and movies like to use the idea of a military wife, but rarely do you see a military husband. The classic military wife has a woman at home, trying to get by while worrying that her husband will never return from the military. The military husband, conversely, would be a man who stays home while the wife goes to the military. We hear stories about military wives with decent regularity, but military husbands are nearly invisible. Perhaps that is because society believes a man should be able to take care of himself and stay strong all on his own, while a woman needs comfort and friends to get through the tough times, as per the traditional gender roles.

            The media presents male soldiers as brave souls who are there to defend their country. There’s nothing unusual about a man joining the military, and in fact he is often lauded for his decision. On the other hand, a woman enlisting is an oddity, and the media will often portray her as almost an outcast. Many will highly question her decision, and wonder if she is “tough enough” for the military. If the media depicts a woman in the military, she is often striving to be better than her fellow men, so that no one can question if she’s “man enough” for the job. 

Girl Rising

Sokha from Cambodia

            Sokha was abandoned as a child by her parents. As an orphan, she ended up at a dump, sorting through the trash there, looking for pieces of metals and anything else that might be useful. She had to avoid the used needles, shards of broken glass, and other sharp objects as she walked through the garbage. All she really dreamed of was going to school and learning. Through much good fortune, Sokha made it to school and has managed to make a successful life for herself.

Wadley from Haiti

            At the age of seven, Wadley lives with her mother after her father was shot by a random customer who climbed into his taxi. Wadley was going to school, up until the earthquake hit Haiti, devastating the island. Wadley’s town was destroyed and she lived in a makeshift camp instead. As money was extremely tight, her mother could not afford to send her to the tent class being run nearby. Yet Wadley tried to go to class nonetheless. At first the teacher turned her away since she was unable to pay. But eventually, Wadley manages to stay at the class and continues to learn at school, even though her family could never pay.

Suma from Nepal

            In Nepal, many people make a bond with a master. The master provides food and shelter and is allowed to use the bonded people for work. As the daughter of two bonded parents, Suma was also bonded to a master when she was six. Her first master made her work all day, cleaning the house, washing the dishes, caring for the master’s children and the goats. Her second master had her sleep in a shack and perform other menial tasks from dawn until dusk every day. At the age of eleven, she reached her third master. Here, Suma met a school teacher who enrolled her in night classes to learn how to read and write. The teachers, aware that the bonding people is no different from slavery, pressured Suma’s master to release her. Suma eventually got away, and now fights to free other girls from their masters.

Yasmin from Egypt

            Yasmin and her friend were originally just going to get juice from a friend. A man with a donkey cart offered them a ride. But the man took them on a strange path. Yasmin’s friend ran away, but Yasmin herself stayed. Eventually they arrived at the man’s house, where he began drinking and offered Yasmin drinks. She asked to go home, and she and the man got in the cart again. This time he took her to a dark alley and said he wanted to be with her. She refused, and they fought: Yasmin, with a small knife, managed to defeat the man and spared his life when he begged for mercy. It is later explained that the man did rape Yasmin, but was never punished for it. As for Yasmin, she has never gone to school, and is now engaged to be married at the age of 13.

Azmera from Ethiopia

            In Ethiopia, Azmera, her older brother, and their mother live together. Her father and the older sister died, and her mother had to bury them both. One day, a man showed up at Azmera’s home and asked for her hand in marriage. Her mother’s initial reaction was to agree, for she desperately did not want to see another child die before her. Her brother had taken over the father’s work as a farmer, even though he wanted to learn how to read and write. He foresaw a future for Azmera in which she was more than simply a wife. He told their mother no, and Azmera herself asked for a better life. Now she goes to school instead and is leaving topics like marriage for much later in life.

Senna from Peru

            Living high up in the mountains in Peru, Senna’s father, like all the men in the town, worked as a miner, searching daily for gold deep underground. After a mining accident, though, her father could never go back to the mines, and became a cook instead. Senna’s father climbed the mountain each day to pound at discarded rocks, seeking out any gold the miners may have missed. Senna’s father insisted that Senna go to school, in hope that education would grant her opportunity. Despite the family’s poverty, Senna went to school no matter what. She got a job cleaning public toilets, of which her father was extremely proud. It was a start. Soon after, Senna discovered the world of poetry and became engrossed in it. Now she writes her own poems, and is determined to become a famous poet.

Mariama from Sierra Leone

            Mariama’s biological father died when she was very young, so her mother remarried to her father’s younger brother, as is tradition. Later, the younger brother also married another woman, Hawa. Mariama was the first to go to school in her family. She also managed to get a job as a radio show host at Eagle Africa. On the show, she lets girls call in so that she can offer advice on how to solve real-life problems. However, Mariama’s step-father was receiving criticism due to Mariama’s radio show, and told her to quit. With the help of Hawa, though, Mariama managed to convince her father of the value of the show and she continued her work. She intends to start her own TV show eventually, and spread her help to the rest of the world.

Amina from Afghanistan

            In Afghanistan, giving birth to a baby boy is everything. The men are in charge in this culture, and woman are treated as property. So when Amina’s mother gave birth to her, she apparently cried from disappointment. At the age of 3, Amina had to work. She cleaned the house, fetched fresh water, washed the clothes and dishes, and had to take care of younger siblings. Amina was lucky enough to spend some time in a classroom, where she learned to read and write. At the age of eleven, her marriage was arranged for a price of five thousand U.S. dollars. The money the family received was spent on a used car for Amina’s brother. Amina was also fortunate to survive her first childbirth without any complications. But she knew that she could not stay in this oppressed situation, and was determined to escape and lead others to salvation with her.

Ruksana from India

            Ruksana grew up in a city, and went to school at her father’s absolute insistence. When she got in trouble for drawing in her notebook instead of paying attention during class, her father did not punish her. Instead, he took her to an art store, and bought art supplies for Ruksana. Even though there was not enough money to afford food every day, her father knew what was important. One day, during the monsoon season, policemen came and tore down Ruksana’s village. The family maintained hope, nonetheless, and started to rebuild. Through all of this, Ruksana’s father continued to send her to school, even when they didn’t have a place to live.

United States Girl Rising

            People often think that problems like the ones occurring around the world don’t occur in the United States. But issues like rape, sexual harassment, and a lack of education still occur, even within our country, and females are often the victims. Additionally, the U.S. is plagued by gender inequality in various situations. Politics, media, and engineering are all fields that are dominated by men, and women in these fields are often criticized. Equality is also lacking in the household, where women are generally expected to take care of children and the house while men act as the primary breadwinners in their families. The American “Girl Rising” is one that is struggling to fight these inequalities and to make a strong life for herself in a male-dominant society. 

Her Story

            In the final episode, Allie’s friend Lisa gets an article published which reads “Paige Jones, Lambda Legal’s lead attorney is also transgender, a fact that has not been disclosed in proceedings. The case should be dismissed, and Mr. Jones should be fired from his position.” Paige addresses Lisa shortly after this, and tells her off for “talking about racial inequality without a black girl in sight” and “writing economic inequality pieces but [she’s] never been poor.” This scene struck me as particularly powerful, for it revealed a few major issues with the current state of affairs. One problem is that the people who are harmed by racial inequality or gender inequality often do not get any say in the matter. The other is that people are treated differently due to various characteristics, like race and gender.

            Regardless of progress that has been made in the field of equality, the government of the United States is still primarily comprised of white, old men. Racial and gender diversity is still limited. This leads to the question, why should white men be allowed to make laws that primarily affect black people or women? Similarly, why should I, as a man, attempt to force my ideals about women’s rights on the population? If we are to achieve racial equality in the United States, we absolutely need great discussions and compromises that involve representatives from all races. African Americans, Chinese, Europeans, Indians, Native Americans, and people from many more ethnicities need to come together and agree on racial equality laws together. Similarly, if we are to have serious discourse about gender equality, men, women, gays, lesbians, transvestites, transgender people, and others who can’t, and shouldn’t, be categorized need to all be involved.

            Many people have a habit of treating others differently based on their cultures or physical characteristics. In the show, Lisa argued that the court case should be dismissed for the sole reason that Paige was a transgender. One of the other friends makes the accurate statement that “I don’t think it matters that the attorney is trans.” The truth is that it really should not matter. A person is, first and foremost, a human. A person can be a woman or a man, heterosexual or homosexual, transgender or transvestite or neither, but the person is a person first. I think many people forget that simple fact and treat each other differently due to race or gender. I know that I am guilty of acting differently in front of certain people due to their race. The subtle changes people make in their behavior is not something most people are generally conscious of, though. I think this is something we need to become aware of so that we can recognize our own behaviors and work to correct them. 

Week 6 - Intelligence vs Icon

Marilyn Monroe was constantly characterized as a “dumb blonde” throughout her life. Yet in actuality, she was extremely curious and was always seeking to learn more. She spent much of her time reading and would enjoy conversations with intellectuals whenever she had that chance. Society and the media, though, found it easier to ignore her intelligence. I don’t think Marilyn Monroe explicitly try to hide her intelligence, but it also wasn’t something she advertised. In her heyday, the 1950s, it was probably easier for a woman to become popular simply by being a “pretty face.” If she tried to show off her intelligence, it is possible that she might not have been successful. Men generally want to feel dominant over women and among their peers. An intelligent woman would pose a threat to a man’s dominance. I think Monroe likely hid her intelligence because it was easier for a woman to use her beauty to become popular rather than her intelligence.

I think Scarlett Johansson is hiding part of her intelligence in order to become more popular and successful. She is often casted in Hollywood movies as some sexy female character, so it is clear that Hollywood wants her to be a modern sex symbol. However, I think she manages to keep her true self separate from the roles she plays. While her characters are generally sex symbols, Johansson does not seem to desire that lifestyle. Yet it is easier for a woman in today’s culture to be successful in the movie industry by playing mindless characters that let the men take charge, simply because that is what we are used to. Back in 2013, it was apparently a big deal when she announced her SAT scores were “above average.” The fact that this surprises our culture just exemplifies our mental image of her as another “dumb blonde.” Johansson manages to play the part of a “dumb blonde” very well for the most part, but it is likely still an act. She probably understands that Hollywood directors and producers are trying to sexualize her, and tries to use this to her advantage. Her roles in movies often have a surprising amount of control over men, which shows that she is conscious of her influence on society.

Website Sources:

http://decider.com/2014/11/22/scarlett-johansson-not-sex-symbol/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2637957/Heavily-pregnant-Scarlett-Johansson-says-shes-happy-away-object-desire-turns-30-year.html

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/02/johanssons-scholarship-intelligence/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2440043/Scarlett-Johansson-reveals-SAT-grades-average.html

Week 6 - "Deadly Love: Images of Dating Violence in the 'Twilight Saga'" Summary

This article begins by describing some statistics about dating violence and how it is still a serious problem in today’s culture. Females are notably more often the victims than males, and many girls are more afraid due to their experiences with dating violence. In this article, the author hones in on one series, the Twilight Saga, and describes how it portrays violent relationships.

The Twilight Saga, written by Stephenie Meyer, is a series of four novels about the romantic relationship between a 17-year old girl, Bella, and a 17-year-old vampire, Edward. Many people have praised this series for displaying a traditional relationship with a positive light on abstinence. As Bella and Edward refrain from engaging in sex until after marriage, even Christian media promotes the series. However, a closer look into the series shows that the relationship between Bella and Edward is a controlling one with serious undertones of sexual and dating violence.

The author creates three categories of dating controlling behaviors: physical control, verbal orders, and emotional control. The article then describes various instances of these three types of violence or control. For instance, the analysis identified eighty examples of physical violence. These range from Edward’s inherent desire to drink Bella’s blood throughout the entire series to Edward defending her from other characters. The cases of explicit sexual violence are less common, but still significant. While Bella and Edward do wait until after marriage to have sex, the sexual relationship they do build is certainly violent. After sex, there is a passage describing the various bruises Bella incurred during the experience. In a different instance, Jacob, Edward’s rival for Bella’s affection, forcibly kisses Bella. Yet Bella’s suffering in this regard is largely overlooked and laughed at. Several times during the series, Bella is physically restrained, leaving Edward completely in charge. Stalking is also a prevalent issue in the novels, but it is often overshadowed and even romanticized, as if it is a good thing. Acts of jealousy, male aggression, and references to self-harm or suicide also appear regularly in the Twilight Saga.

As a series with the target audience of teenage girls, such relationships and violence are quite troubling. Moreover, the series as a whole portrays Bella in the standard female gender role, as a weak woman who relies on a man to fight for her. Meanwhile Edward and Jacob are the strong ones that go out to fight the battles and protect Bella, thus fulfilling the male gender role. Yet the series was very well received and is highly praised regardless. The author concludes by suggesting that scenes from these novels be used as examples of dating violence in an attempt to show young people situations and behavior to avoid in real life. 

Week 5 - Gendered Slang/Language

So many random words and English phrases either imply a gender or have taken on gendered meanings over the years. For instance, words like king, queen, actor, actress, steward, and stewardess all refer to either a man or a woman exclusively. One does not call a woman an actor or a man a stewardess, simply because these words have a specific gender attached to them. Such gendered words, along with the traditional “he” and “she” pronouns, can cause additional upsets. Additionally, society’s generally defaults to a masculine variant of words. Congressman, postman, weatherman, and even freshman are all words that refer to men specifically, yet we use them without thinking twice.

Human genitalia in particular has taken on all kinds of alternate names over the years. Wood, rod, junk, shaft, member, and meat are all common words that have also come to refer to the penis. Downstairs, pussy, snatch, gash, and muff have all been used to describe the vagina, although that was never their original meaning. Even using some of these words in everyday conversations now feels awkward since their alternative meanings have become so prominent.

Other phrases, like “man up” or “throw like a girl” make implications about each of the genders. When a young boy cries, he may be told “man up,” because our culture considers the ideal man to be one that strong, stable, and rarely shows emotions. Crying is not something men are expected to do, especially not in front of others. If a young girl cries, on the other hand, she would be comforted and helped through whatever the problem is. Similarly, if a guy can’t throw a ball well, he might be told he “throws like a girl,” implying that all women are weak and that men should be strong. Yet if a girl is athletic, she might be called a tomboy, which simply suggests that only boys, not girls, should be athletic.

Of course, eliminating gendered speech completely would be ideal. However, these phrases and words are so ingrained in our minds already that simply changing may be too difficult. To remove the gender bias towards masculinity that we are used to would take quite a significant change. I believe that such a change is possible, but will take years of work and serious changes in the media to accomplish. 

Week 5 - "Inventing the Cosmo Girl" Summary

This article discusses the origins and effects of Cosmopolitan, a magazine that became hugely popular in the 1960s and 1970s and has had a profound impact on our society. The concept of Cosmopolitan as we know it today began when Helen Gurley Brown wrote her novel Sex and the Single Girl in 1962, which quickly became a wild success. The book told the story of a common girl, who has very little going in her favor. It described how such a girl can flirt with eligible men, go on dates, and eventually marry the most suitable candidate. While the book was highly criticized by intellectuals, it still became extremely popular among the American girls. Brown took the ideas she presented in Sex and the Single Girl to the magazine Cosmopolitan and quickly became the new editor-in-chief. She radically changed the magazine’s content to target single girls with jobs. It described, in extremely simple and straightforward terms, how women without college educations can get jobs and continue to maintain their appearances. Brown’s goal with this magazine was to allow women to see the description of the “Cosmo Girl” and say “That’s me.”

Cosmopolitan advocated that girls should change their appearance and create an image for themselves in order to make themselves more marketable in the dating environment. It advised using all kinds of beautification devices, including wigs, fake nails, fake eyelashes, makeup, and even padded bras to complete this fake image. Some articles even addressed the worry of a significant other seeing the girl in the shower without this fake image, and presented strategies to prevent such a situation. Articles like these began to instill in women that beauty and image are everything and that women needed to be pretty to be successful and happy. In an already male-dominant society, this only helped to further subjugate and objectify women. Cosmopolitan gave women the idea that their worth was defined by how desirable they were.

The magazine also told women to use their attractiveness to get what they want and further their own goals. Brown encouraged young women to trade sexual favors for material gains and presents. She also almost seems to suggest using sexuality to secure jobs in the clerical and secretarial fields. She even said “Sex is a powerful weapon for a single women in getting what she wants from life” in an interview (Ouellete 266). Many women found Cosmopolitan’s messages more appealing than the traditional feminist movements since they felt more relatable and easy to follow. It does feel good to be “wanted,” but this message took that a step farther and made desirability the definition of a woman’s worth. 

Week 4 - All in the Family

The nuclear, or traditional, family is one that consists of a mother, father, and usually some amount of children. The father is the breadwinner of the family, and the mother stays at home to take care of the children and do housework. This type of family adheres to the standard gender roles, strongly placing the man as dominant, since he makes the money, and the woman as subservient, since she is supported by the man. As the modern family has evolved, we have shifted towards an arrangement in which both parents work, in order to make money enough to survive. As a result, the care of a child is almost neglected, and often pushed off onto the school or a daycare system. Regardless, even if both parents are working, the mother is usually expected to take responsibility of household chores like cooking meals and cleaning. This is due to the lingering standard gender roles which categorize women as primary caregivers and men as the workers. In a perfect modern family, the mother and father would be able to work together to take care of the children and do the housework. Men, however, often have trouble accepting responsibility for these tasks, which society often views as “feminine.”

In some cases, the classic roles of the mother and father get completely reversed, and the woman becomes the breadwinner while the father stays at home to take care of the children and do house chores. When placed in this situation, many men find it difficult to accept their new role. Transitioning from a high-paying job to a stay-at-home father can be particularly troubling for men. Even if they are not the primary money-maker, many fathers still feel that it is the woman’s responsibility to take care of the children and perform house chores due to the traditional gender roles ingrained in our minds. Ideally, though, the parents would be able to work through the change together. There are multiple cases in which the man becomes quite satisfied as the stay-at-home father, and can appreciate all the work the mother does on a daily basis. In such situations, sometimes the mother even starts feeling jealous as the children develop a closer attachment to the father. This just goes to show that relinquishing the traditional gender roles is difficult for both parents.

It is also worth noting that, with new laws about homosexual couples, a modern family may consist of two men or two women as the parents. I would guess that such couples are actually very good at maintaining a fair balance between the two parents in terms of house chores and taking care of the children. As these types of parents already defy the traditional gender roles, it is probably easier for them to transition between working and taking care of the house.

I think that the changes we see in the modern family are generally positive. The fact that both parents need to work to support a family is unfortunate, but men’s increased helpfulness at home is definitely a good thing. Stay-at-home fathers break through the traditional gender roles, which helps push society as a whole closer towards gender equality. 

Week 4 - "Sex, Lies, and Advertising" Summary

This article is written by Gloria Steinem, one of the co-founders of the magazine Ms. This magazine first appeared in 1972 and was written by women primarily for female readers. One of the hardest issues the magazine faced was actually finding companies that would be willing to advertise in the magazine. As the audience was primarily women, Steinem wanted ads that broke the tradition of sexualizing women and were actually geared towards women instead. Repeatedly, she and other staff members would present evidence that the magazine’s audience was primarily female and that women needed to buy commodities just as much as men. In this article, Steinem describes several of the struggles she went through to get appropriate advertisements and the rejections she faced.

Multiples times, the magazine staff attempted to appeal to car manufacturers, arguing that a car is a major investment and important purchase for a woman. Yet many American carmakers failed to understand, or didn’t even want to talk at all. They refused to believe that they needed different ads to appeal to women. The magazine did get support from foreign car companies, but American companies remained stubborn. Similar difficulties were met when trying to get electronics companies to advertise to women. A few companies would accept, but the majority still seemed to feel that women and technology simply did not go together.

One of the hardest areas to breach was the food industry. Ms. had decided that it did not want to include recipes, since that would breach into the editorial content which they wanted to keep under their control. Most big food companies, however, wanted advertisements of their products to be accompanied by recipes, preferably ones that featured the product being advertised. Ms. staff tried to explain that, to women, a recipe symbolizes work, which will work against the ad itself. Except for the occasional ad, this methodology kept almost all food companies away from the magazine. Alcohol producers were similarly reluctant to advertise in the magazine, since alcohol ads were almost exclusively meant for men. It took eight years before any beer company placed an ad in the Ms. magazine.

This article describes similar struggles when facing other markets. The magazine staff tried to get Lionel to advertise toy trains to girls and airline industries to cater to women, among others. Due to such difficulties, Ms. has faced financial problems throughout its existence. Even so, it has gotten very good responses from its consumers and has made a large impact on our culture. 

Week 4 - Miss Representation

Miss Representation is a movie that comments on the gender inequalities in modern society and raises awareness of serious problems with our culture. It certainly does a good job of grabbing my attention with statistics like “65% of women and girls have an eating disorder” and “17% of teens engage in cutting or self-harm activities.” With computers and image editing software these days, the basis for the ideal human beauty has become literally unattainable. Yet girls and women still strive for this impossible ideal because the media has taught them that beauty is everything, and that they should worry about their appearances. I found it interesting how the movie connected the media’s preoccupation with women’s appearances to the lack of women in politics.

When the movie was created, Hillary Clinton was the biggest female political figure, and we are at a convenient time in which she is once again playing a big role in politics. Back then, Clinton received much animosity, and even had people following her around shouting “Iron my shirt.” The media, and society in general, still refuses to grant her equal treatment as a politician, and instead focuses on appearances because she is a women. I think the media has improved, somewhat, in regards to that issue, but there are definitely still articles solely discussing Clinton’s attire. Conversely, the media has no interest in discussing the wardrobe choices of the male politicians and male presidential candidates. Yet other articles protest this injustice, such as this one, showing that we are successfully moving away from the media’s obsession with female leaders’ clothing choices.

I particularly liked how the movie never forgets that the issues with the media affect men too. From a young age, boys are taught by the media that they must be strong, that they should not cry, and that they should be and feel superior. A man that shows weakness is looked down upon, and becomes emasculated. As a result, many young boys strive to separate their feelings from their actions, which can potentially lead to ultra-violent behavior. What’s worse is that adult men send the same messages as the media. By trying to assert their dominance among other men and over women, adult men provide an example for young boys that being the strongest is equivalent to being the best. One thing I have noticed, as a peer tutor, is that more girls tend to come in for tutoring than boys. I would wager that some guys do not want to get a tutor simply because it would make them look weak. It is this kind of mentality, instilled in men by the media and other adults, that sets them up for failure later in life. Teachings like these, which limit children's opportunities, need to be eliminated from our culture if we want to achieve gender equality. 

Week 3 - Modern Love

If you love someone, then their life is more important to you than your own. You would willingly go back into a burning house to attempt to bring out someone you truly love. That is how I would define love. Pop culture seems to have a similar definition of love itself, but reaching that state of loving someone has changed greatly over the years. These days, it feels like hooking up with someone is the primary objective, while things like dating come later, almost as an afterthought. Personally I am quite against that policy, and feel that people should really get to know each other through dating and spending time with each other first. However, it today’s world, sex has largely lost its meaning and importance as an act of love. Many people will engage in a one-night stand with another and then may never talk to each other again. Media tends to embrace this new methodology, portraying sex as just another way to have fun, with little meaning attached. I feel that sex should be an act you only do with someone you love, but perhaps that sentiment is old-fashioned these days.

On a different note, the evolution of online dating has spread wildly over the past few years. Before meeting people and talking with them was always done face to face, person to person. Now we attempt to remove the human connection by talking to each other through electronic forms of media like Facebook, texting, Skype, and various online dating sites and apps. Searching for people you may like has become a kind of game, where you categorize people based on limited information. Additionally, communication through electronics seems hollow at best, since emotion can’t be conveyed through plain text easily. As a result, electronic communication likely increases the chance of misunderstandings, which makes forming strong bonds harder.

All in all, I don’t like where media and pop culture’s views on love and dating are headed. I wish it were a more personal experience, but we tend to be moving away from strong interpersonal relations and moving to more detached forms of communication. Regardless, I cannot deny that dating sites have fairly good success rates in matching people. They probably also encourage meeting people without considering distance constraints. The search range that online dating gives people greatly increases the chance of finding a successful match. So while I don’t like the impersonal aspects of online dating, it does have some positives not possible in regular face-to-face dating.

Week 3 - "When in Rome" Summary

“When in Rome” is a discussion about the popular Jim Rome Show, a radio sports talk show that has become quite controversial due to some of the action the host, Jim Rome, takes and the topics he discusses. Many people view Jim Rome as the epitome of the truly masculine man, as he is extremely knowledgeable about sports, confident, and leads an important talk show. On the show, Rome discusses topics of choice for the day and allows people to call in to make their comments on the current topic. If Rome does not like the caller’s comments, he will simply end their call, cutting them off and showing that he is dominant in the situation. From the comments he does like, on the other hand, he “racks” them and picks one to be the caller of the day at the end of each show. For the callers, being chosen as the caller of the day would be the ultimate success, for it would mean that Rome thinks highly of the caller. Conversely, getting cut off by Rome is almost a strike against the caller’s masculinity.

Jim Rome is very willing to discuss controversial topics and make questionable comments about the sports players. For instance, he discussed Patrick Ewing, Terrell Davis, and Dekembe Motumbo, who have all claimed to have visited a strip club regularly and apparently received free oral sex. In doing so, Rome indirectly “reinforces women’s subjugation as they become defined as existing solely for men’s pleasure” (Nylund 230). The caller of the day also used terms such as “skanks” and “crack whore,” both of which are offensive and sexist. By picking this as the caller of the day, Rome implies that he supports this kind of language and offensive humor. On another show, Rome had Jim Everett, an NFL player, on his show. Rome, however, wanted to jab at Everett’s masculinity, and repeatedly called him Chris Everett, the name of a female tennis player. Everett refused to take that taunting, and even attacked Rome on the show. As an NFL player, Everett wanted to maintain his masculinity, least he look feminine and weak to the other players.

On a similar, note, the author also discusses Rome’s discussions with Eric Davis about Brendan Lemon, who had recently announced that he was homosexual. Lemon as a Major League baseball player, and coming out as homosexual was very controversial at the time. Other athletes, like Eric, felt that it would be very uncomfortable to know that their fellow teammates that they share locker rooms and showers with were gay. After Eric’s comments, Rome changed the topic immediately since he didn’t agree with the opinion and wanted to maintain his relationship with Eric. Later, though, Rome denounces another commenter and takes a strong stance against homophobia. Rome recognizes the injustices against homosexuals, which shows an unusual break in the male hegemony. The author discusses this a bit further, but concludes that Rome’s show primarily designed for heterosexual men.