A LOOK AT POP CULTURE

This is Julia Shreve's blog for WGSST 2230 in order to analyze pop culture in today's society.

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Mad Men: The Seductive Show That Puts Hegemonic Ideas at the Forefront

The television show Mad Men aired in 2007 and is currently on its 6thseason. The show is a drama based in the 1960s and is about the advertising industry in New York. The industry at that time was a male-dominated world and the show perfectly pictures what the hegemonic idea of masculinity is in society. On top of that, we see how femininity is portrayed and the way in which the workplace and home life is a patriarchal set up. While it is about the 1960s, it is produced in our current culture so it creates a great platform in which to analyze and discuss hegemonic ideas.

The main character of the show is Don Draper who is creative director and junior partner of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. Throughout the show he is portrayed as being the ideal man and we see the hegemonic representation of masculinity through his character. He is tall, lean, very handsome, white, and heterosexual. Men want to be him and women want to be with him. And because of his sexual prowess he generally doesn’t have an issue winning the heart of the woman he wants. However, the most important trait that reinforces hegemony is the idea of power and dominance. Even in his home life he is the man of the house and what he says is most important. For example, in season 1 episode 2 titled “Ladies Room,” Don’s wife wants to see a psychiatrist in order to help with her hand problem. But Don points out all of the things that he has given to her and shows that there is no reason for her to be unhappy. She replies by saying, “Whatever you think is best.” It didn’t matter that this was something she had wanted or needed.

Later throughout the series Don confesses that he comes from a poor, rural family. Yet throughout the whole series he is a well put together and tough man. He is putting on a front or, as we learned, the “tough guise” for those around him so that he shows he is a man. The article, “Videogames and Machine Dreams of Domination” written by Sanbonmatsu, discusses the way in which video games teach men to be dominate, aggressive and controlling. While Mad Men obviously does not in any way relate to video games, the overall message of the article in relevant to the show. At one point the author states that these ideas, “…go back at least far as ancient Greek culture and myth, which celebrated the “cunning” of human reason in its capacity to master and dominate the world.” Throughout the show we see that the goal of Don Draper, along with many other men, is to dominate their world, which is the world of advertisements. Without that domination they would not feel as if they have truly achieved being a man because the goal of a man is to gain respect from peers. According to the show, the only way to do this is through dominance and control.

As expected, with the patriarchal set up, hegemonic gender roles are reinforced throughout the show. Along with that, women are seen as the inferior gender with the emphasis being on their bodies. The wives seen on the show, like Don’s wife Betty, are housewives. They stay at home to care for the children and the house. While this is not a problem directly, the issue arises because the women feel they have little choice. Though there are exceptions in the show, it is difficult for a woman to hold a position in the workforce, especially a prominent one. If they are in the workforce, they are secretaries. Their job is to look good and serve the men of the office. The interesting part is that the women often seem compliant and accept their fates. However, this makes sense and is supported by Lull in her article, “Hegemony.” According to Lull, “Social consent can be a more effective means of control than coercion or force.” The reason why hegemonic ideas are so powerful is because people do not often question them and this in turn makes them stronger. The women also endure sexual harassment daily while being gawked at and this reinforces the idea that a women’s only value is her body. This idea is further seen throughout the show while the advertising agency tries to sell their products to women. But not just any products, they are all products like lipstick that focus on making the women look better and more appealing to men. In the article, “You Need a Makeover!” by Gallagher and Pecot-Herbert, the authors discuss the way in society believes a woman’s body is absolutely vital to her well-being. They bring in a quote from another author Peiss, which explains the advertising industry well by saying, “Decades of advertising and advice have touted the centrality of external beauty in women’s successful negotiation of life and the role of cosmetics in enhancing self-esteem” (pg. 324). It is easy for the agency to sell cosmetic products to women because women feel as if their appearance is the most important factor. In fact, in Season 1 Episode 1, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, Joan says to Peggy, “Go home, take a paper bag, cut some eyeholes out of it. Put it over your head, get undressed and look at yourself in the mirror.” Joan says this to Peggy because she knows that being a women means her looks are vital and without them a woman will go nowhere in life or in the workplace.

Overall, there are many ways in which the television series Mad Men reinforces hegemony. While some can argue that it is this way due to it being set in the 1960s, there are still many women (and men) discussing and analyzing the way in which the show is written. And it is no surprise that it is primarily written by men. It would be interesting to see how the show would change if a larger proportion of the writers were women!

Check out Kevin’s post to see how Mad Men disrupts hegemony!

http://kevinbernardicius.tumblr.com/

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Preachers' Daughters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6906U_aKkr4

There are many reality shows on television which set our society back and the show Preachers’ Daughters is definitely one of them. The show follows different families that have either one or two parents that are preachers. The focus is supposed to be on the children and what their lives are like being a preacher’s daughter. But it ends up being more a game of which father can control their daughter the best.

The problem with the show is what I just mentioned..the fathers feel as if they must heavily control their daughters. Mostly because they do not want them to have pre-marital sex because to the Christian faith this is a sin and the girl would be seen as un pure. So again we see the theme of a woman’s body not being under her own control. While men are also not supposed to have sex before marriage in Christianity, it is not as big of a deal. This is because men in our society are not punished as much for having sex. It’s the good old excuse of well he’s a guy so he is more driven towards it biologically. Honestly that excuse is bogus because I know plenty of girls who want to have sex just as much as their boyfriends. But as a women, we have to be the ones to stay pure otherwise we will just be really gross and ruin everything. Also, if we think about why everyone wants a woman to be pure, it is for the pleasure of the man. Screw that….why don’t you stay pure for me!

Throughout the show it is obvious that they hope to make a point in showing that female sexuality is evil and it must be controlled. The preachers think that their daughter’s bodies are theirs to regulate. They do this by taking away her agency and telling her that they will not allow her to do anything that would even remotely lead to having sex. That’s the way to raise a kid, don’t let them experience the world for 18 years. I am not saying that these parents should be encouraging their girls to go out and have a bunch of wild sex, but the points is it should be her choice. Not her father’s choice.       

The interesting part about it is that many daughters of preachers end up becoming promiscuous despite their fathers desperate attempt to ward off all men. They feel that they must rebel against the fact that their bodies are being controlled. To one of the girls, she thinks freedom is being a stripper and a porn star. There are plenty of other occupations where she can feel free and in charge but because her body is what’s being controlled, she thinks porn star is her only option. Having sex would be a much healthier way to express sexuality and the desires you have with your body!

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Twilight Moms

http://nymag.com/movies/features/62027/

I was curious about the obsession of Twilight by mothers and went to google to find out why. I ran across this article that tries to explain why mothers love Twilight so much. The first interesting part of the article was the discovery that many of the Twilight fans are, “smart, sophisticated, well-read mothers.” That is probably not the description I would have given to these Twilight moms! The first reason of why the series is so attractive to mothers is Bella’s character. We discussed in class how Bella always feel like she must take care of others and plays the role of a caretaker. These are often seen as maternal traits so many mothers can immediately relate to her character in the series. Mothers often don’t have time to care for themselves because they are so busy with their children and the housework, etc. The thing about Bella is she does have time to care for herself, but she chooses not to. This is problematic because the books make it seem like she is incapable of caring for herself. That is why she cannot live without Edward and “needs” him so badly.

Another reason mentioned in the article was obviously because of Edward and his character in the books. While he is 17 to his classmates, he is actually over 100 years old.  According to one of the moms he is especially attractive because of, “His impeccable manners, his sense of morality, his way of speaking, they’re all old-fashioned.” I find those things attractive as well…it’s always nice to see some chivalry. But they are completely ignoring the problematic aspects to Edward’s character! He is violent, he stalks Bella, and he ignores her wishes and overpowers her physically and psychologically. It is an abusive and unhealthy relationship and it doesn’t matter that it is fantasy. It is still problematic and these mothers are not sending the right message to young girls, especially if their own daughters are reading the books. It would be easy for a young girl to think, “Well my mother approves of the relationship so it must be okay.” No, actually your mom is just an idiot.  

The final reason given is the mother’s obsession with Bella and Edward’s relationship. The fact that, “Bella and Edward’s relationship is pure, unadulterated puppy love: innocent and intense, overflowing with sexual tension and promise, and all taken life-or-death seriously.” Apparently it gives the mothers a space to feel like a teenager again and to feel that innocent love for a boy they felt when they were young. Okay I could understand that, but the mothers are taking it farther by using the books as a how-to-guide to romance. If it were a guide, here is how it would go: let your man stalk you at all times, let him control your every move, and then when he finally allows you to have sex with him let him leave bruises all over your body for you to remember the joyous occasion. These moms need to take a more critical look at the series and realize it is not one they want their daughters trying to emulate.

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The Purity Myth

The documentary titles “The Purity Myth” was not only eye-opening was also very disturbing. We live in a hyper-sexualized society, but being a virgin and being “pure” is still held up on a pedestal. Currently, this purity myth is mostly perpetuated by conservative Christians. The purity myth basically refers to the idea that if women have sex before marriage they will have given up a huge part of themselves and they will therefore be un-pure. More importantly, the purity myth judges a woman solely on their sexuality and what they have done with their bodies. So why is this problematic? It is problematic because our society is valuing women on their sexuality and telling them that their self-worth is dependent on if they have sex or not. Who cares about their intelligence, altruism, compassion, humanitarianism, etc. If you have sex before you’re married…well then you are a horrible person. I was raised in a conservative Christian household and still to this day I am pretty sure my mom does not believe my boyfriend (of 2 years) and I are sexually active. I think if I told my mom she would probably not say it, but she would think differently of me and would feel that I had become up-pure. How is that fair when I am a good student, have a compassion for helping others, and will be going to medical school to continue that passion? It’s not, but this is how society views women who have “lost” their virginity.

The most disturbing part of the documentary was discovering that things called “purity balls” actually exist (thank goodness my parents are not that insane). First of all, there are very young girls at these balls who are no way even thinking about sex! I didn’t until I reached high school and didn’t end up actually have sex until I was 19! But sure lets have our 8 year old daughter worrying about sex and fear that she will be ostracized by her family if she ever has sex before marriage. The other problem with these balls is the way in which the girl is promising her virginity to her father and he thenb vows to protect it. I think the symbol for the balls where he essentially holds the key to her vagina is the most frightening. It is again giving a man the power to control a woman’s body as if she has no choice in the matter. Personally, I do not want my dad to have anything to do with that area because that is just disgusting and creepy. The purity balls also over sexualize the young girls by having them wear dresses, getting their hair done, and wearing a lot of makeup.    

It is not easy to be a woman in our society and feel like we actually have control of our bodies and sexuality. There is the paradox that if we have sex we are labeled a slut, but if we don’t and stay a virgin then we will likely be made fun of for it. What do you want from us?!?!

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Sex and the Supernatural

I read all of the Twilight books throughout high school and at the time I very much enjoyed them. Probably because I had never had a boyfriend and was a hopeless romantic, who like most girls thought Edward was just the greatest thing ever. At the time I did not see any problematic elements to the books. But looking at the series now and looking at it critically I can see how screwed up this series truly is. I think for me, the thing I liked most (keep in mind this was years ago!) was how Edward wanted to protect her. I thought it was because he just cared for her soooo deeply. While he does care for her I am sure, the relationship is not healthy. His overpowering “need” to protect Bella leads him to be very dominant and controlling towards her. The whole time he explains it is because she obviously cannot take care of herself. She is too weak and needs his help at all times. This is problematic because it gives her no control over herself and her own body. It also reiterates the idea that a woman needs a man.

Another major problem is that Bella bases her whole life around Edward. Unfortunately our society has been raised to believe that as a woman our goal in life is to find a man. This book is basically saying that without Bella having her true love around, she is nothing and she actually tries to commit suicide because of it. What a great message…kids if your boyfriend leaves you just try to commit suicide (but don’t actually do it) and he will be sure to come back. And the ridiculous part is that Bella tries to commit suicide for a guy who is abusive. The book glorifies this unhealthy relationship. Some can argue that it is fantasy so we should be able to tell the difference. I do not agree with that argument because a reader could easily begin to associate controlling behavior with…oh he’s like Edward so he just loves me and wants to protect me. No he wants to control you, which should never be allowed. Younger girls are especially impressionable and are likely to put Edward on a pedestal and then look for their own man based on his characteristics. Despite the violence and unhealthy relationship throughout the series, it is still very popular (or at least it was).

Other supernatural books with vampires, werewolves, etc. are also very popular right now in our society. Twilight may have many problematic themes, but the genre of the supernatural does have some positives. It allows women a fantasy world where they can explore sexual desires with potentially violent creatures. Women rarely have the opportunity to discuss sex so have an escape for this is always a good thing. But it becomes problematic when the books are glorifying relationships that include stalking, sexual and physical control, etc. like the one between Edward and Bella in Twilight.

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Shamed for not wanting kids

http://shine.yahoo.com/dailyshot/stop-telling-me-to-have-kids--160017615.html?vp=1

I was browsing on yahoo and ran across this video about a comedian who has decided that she does not want children. She has written a book about it and the reasons why she has made this choice. I liked this video because I do not want children myself, but more importantly because it challenges the hegemonic idea that women are supposed to get married and make babies. I think it’s great when people have children and absolutely love the experience. However, I don’t like it when women who choose not to have kids are shamed. The problem with this is women should have the choice and should not be punished for what they decide not to do with their bodies. I personally do not want to shove a giant baby out of my vagina, so I can understand why others wouldn’t either.

She points out that most people mention that she is being selfish for not wanting children. It is interesting that someone else would say that to a woman when the choice to have children will likely have no effect on them whatsoever. Your friends and family should respect your choice because it is your body, not everyone else’s! This goes along with the idea that society doesn’t see a woman’s body as being her own. It is just an object that is a vessel for being pregnant. I hope to have a successful career as a physician and I do not want children because I want to focus on my career and other things. I am going to make that decision regardless of what society thinks, but I should not be shamed for it. I have a passion for medicine and helping others so that is what I want to spend my time doing. And what if a man says he doesn’t want kids? That is perfectly fine. It is when a woman says it that all hell breaks loose.   

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Seth McFarlane does it again

http://www.hulu.com/watch/344015

The Cleveland Show: The Whitest Black Man in America

I was watching adult swim the other night and this episode of The Cleveland Show came on. I again could not find the link to the whole episode so here is just a clip. In short the episode is surrounded upon the fact that Cleveland realizes he acts like a white man and he is then labeled the whitest black man in America. While I laughed frequently throughout the episode, on a deeper level I believe there are many problems with it. First of all, the show is about an African-American family and yet the show was created by Seth McFarlane who is a white guy. First warning flags right there. There are some black actors doing the voices, but overall the idea was conceived by a white man.

Because of this, racial stereotypes are seen constantly throughout the show. While I understand that this is the point because it is funny, I am not sure shows such as this have a positive impact on our society. Throughout the show Cleveland vows to turn into the black man he realizes he must be. He does so by trying to become a rapper, wearing gold chains, etc. Basically the show is trying to show society what it means to be African American. But who decides that? It certainly shouldn’t be Seth McFarlane, but also it could be different for many people. The other part to the show is that he is made fun of for being the “whitest black man in America.” Should people be shamed or punished when they don’t fit into the hegemonic standards society has given to a certain race? No, a person is free to be whoever they wish regardless of what they look like on the outside. Unfortunately, shows like this just push racial stereotypes in our society.

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Call Me Crazy-Film on mental disorders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ESA_EA6AQE

This clip is from the Lifetime movie titled Call Me Crazy: A Five Film. As can be seen from the trailer (I couldn’t find a link to the whole movie), the movie is about mental disorders. It discusses the hardships for the individual suffering but also for family and friends around them. The main disorders shown are PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, bi-polar, and schizophrenia. It also shows how society views mental disorders, which I thought was the more important point to mention. As we discussed in the lectures about disabilities, those who are not able-bodied or able-minded are seen negatively. For example, one woman was repeatedly raped while she was in the army and that caused her to have PTSD when she came home. She had an outburst and attacked her father because she thought he was her rapist, which led to having her child taken away. This caused her to be in worse shape than before, but because she is clearly “crazy”, she was unfit to care for her child.

The other example I thought was interesting was with a woman who suffered from schizophrenia. At one point she had tried to strangle her younger sister and since then there had been a large amount of resentment and hatred between the two. The one not suffering basically blamed her sister for being sick, as if it was something she could control. The younger sister was also embarrassed to tell her boyfriend and she was clearly ashamed that her sister had a mental disorder.

Many people suffer from a mental disorder and it comes with different levels of severity. Many of the disorders can greatly be helped with medication and therapy but because our society looks down upon those with mental disorders, people are often afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.    

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Claiming Sexuality

I will unfortunately admit that I have read 2 out of the three books in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series. By the time I finished the 2nd book I was too frustrated and annoyed to finished, which looking back I think was a good thing! Once the book series gained recognition, it immediately gained popularity among all age groups, particularly older women. The obvious question is why do women love these books? For those in the 20s and 30s it is great for expressing sexual desires especially when we live in a society that likes to police women’s bodies. For those in their 40s and 50s it is great because they feel sex can finally be discussed among their peers. Our society doesn’t like to talk about sex. Despite it being a great pleasure, we hide from talking about it like it is some dirty and gross act. But this is mostly true for women only. Men talk about sex all the time on television, with their friends, etc. But when a woman discusses her sex life she will likely be labeled a “slut” or other offensive names. How is that fair? Women like sex and want sex just as much as men! The other positive part of the “Fifty Shades” series is it explores the world of BDSM, which is not something most would want to openly discuss otherwise.   

So there are positive aspects of the series. But, there are also many areas of the book that are problematic. The most glaring problem is that of consent and abuse. In the books, Ana’s consent is a shady area and because she never actually signs the contract it is hard to tell if she has truly agreed and consented to Christian’s wishes. In real life, consent should NOT be a shady area. Yes means yes and no means no. Period. While Ana pursues sexual acts with Christian often times in the book, the consent is unclear. Consent is very important in a BDSM relationship and “Fifty Shades” does not clearly send that message. The other problem is that the relationship Ana has with Christian is not healthy in many aspects. For example he is very controlling, especially with money, her car, food, etc. He has a temper and is very possessive, which according to the media made by the National Domestic Violence Hotline are both signs of an abusive relationship. Without her full consent, the relationship is likely to be seen as controlling, oppressive, or even violent. This is frustrating for the BDSM community because it is about consent and sexual pleasure. The person in the relationship should actively want to be submissive, not forced.

It is easy to see why the book series is popular, but as mentioned in class there is probably much better erotica out there. And potentially ones that are not so problematic. The fact that women are feeling more comfortable talking about sex is a positive outcome. However, I would be curious to see if these same women continue to discuss sex even after they have finished reading the book series.

[jazzylittledrops]

Why Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" Video Makes Me Uncomfortable... and Kind of Makes Me Angry

So this video started going around my facebook today, with about a dozen of my female friends sharing the link with comments like, and “Everyone needs to see this”, and “All girls should watch this,” and “This made me cry.” And I’m not trying to shame those girls! I definitely understand why they would do so. And I don’t want to be a killjoy. But as I clicked the link and started watching the video, I started to feel a slight sense of discomfort. I couldn’t put my finger on why that was, exactly, but it continued throughout the whole thing. After watching the video several more times, I have some thoughts… 

Read More

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I wanted to re-blog this, not to be a debbie-downer, but because it shows viewpoints that I had not thought about. But after looking again at the video, the points this person makes are absolutely true and very in line with what we have been discussing the whole semester. The first key point she makes is the lack of diversity in the video. There are a few black women but they appear for a whole 10 seconds or the back of their head is shown. Most of the participants are white women who are thin with blond hair and blue eyes. Also they are young with the oldest maybe being 40, because remember our society hates old people and aging. So this just further perpetuates the hegemonic idea of what we think is beautiful in our society. They don’t do enough to challenge those ideas by showing someone outside that little box of beauty standards out society holds.

The next great point she makes is that the traits the women say about themselves are shed in a negative light. So they continue to push the idea that being older, having a rounder face, not being thin, having freckles, etc. is not beautiful. So what about the women who do have these traits and look like the women in the left sketch? They aren’t beautiful? The video further enforces the belief that beauty means being thin, young and without imperfections. Another problem with the ad is it focuses on the physical appearance and makes it seem like if we aren’t beautiful (physically) we have nothing or we are worthless and should obviously hate ourselves. The author of the blog post points out a quote that I think we should all note: “I should be more grateful of my natural beauty. It impacts the choices and the friends we make, the jobs we go out for, they way we treat our children, it impacts everything. It couldn’t be more critical to your happiness.” So basically the video is allowing us to further believe that everything we do depends on our outer beauty, which is not okay. Our happiness should not stem from our bodies and our appearance. Beauty means more than just a thin chin or blue eyes, and that is not the message this DOVE campaign puts across. DOVE should be applauded for their effort because it is absolutely true that we are harder on ourselves when it comes to appearance. But it still pushes the idea that appearance is the most important factor for us to be happy and live a great life. (I know this is longer than the word limit but I really wanted to post this all!)    

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Fandoms

While the topic of Fangirls, Fanboys and Fandoms was a new to me, it was one I thoroughly enjoyed learning about. A fandom is a community of people that are fans of and heavily follow a movie, comic, book, etc. But they take things to the next level by reading, watching and discussing every aspect of the primary text. Common fandoms people think of are the ones associated with Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc. The terms fanboys and fangirls then refer to the men and women who consider themselves members of the fandom. Many would say that it’s for weird nerds who live in their mother’s basement. In actuality, fandoms have members from all walks of life that all share the same passion. So why would someone be a part of a fandom?

Fandoms are a place for creativity to blossom and a place where a text/movie can be re-imagined in a community setting that allows for input from multiple people/points of view. I would bet a lot of money that everyone has read a book or seen a movie that they were unhappy about. Maybe you didn’t like the ending or a particular scene. Well that is where fandoms come in with the creation of fanfiction fans can explore and create that certain scene they had always hoped would happen. It also allows for a place where fans can bring their own experiences and desires into the story. It is possible that someone may not feel represented in the movie/book. For that, many people have gone on to create fan art as well so that they can insert themselves into the work and feel more connected. These are the awesome parts about fandoms that are obvious, but it also has an impact on a deeper level.

Fandoms allow for a platform to discuss issues or race, sexuality, love, gender etc. in a community of people who share the same interest. As mentioned above, people may not feel represented in the primary text. If you look at Star Trek, the characters are almost all exclusively white and they are, at least on the surface, heterosexual. So what about someone who is not white or someone who is homosexual. How will they relate to the text? They can create their own fan fiction where they find themselves represented that others will be able to read and understand how they are feeling. Many times, fan art is used in order to make a male character a female or show a non-heterosexual relationship. We also saw pictures of people dressed up for a comic con that showed females dressed as male characters. Generally, a male is the lead character but by dressing up it allows people to explore other options. Many people argue that fan fiction is essentially plagiarism. While it is easy to agree when people like the author of “Fifty Shades of Grey” make a lot of money off of a story they took from another text, I think for the most part fan fiction should be allowed. It is a great outlet and most of the people writing it are doing it purely for pleasure not to make money.   

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Accidental Racist-Mini Media

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/04/accidental_racist_brad_paisley_ll_cool_j_song_has_good_intentions_but_terrible.html

  The article above is analyzing the song written by Brad Paisley. It is titles “Accidental Racist” and is collaboration with rap artist LL Cool J. First of all, the title of the song itself is an immediate problem. Not only that, it is an oxymoron as well. The song is sending the message that racism isn’t a choice, it is just by accident. That is completely false. Racism is an active belief that other races are inferior to you and includes actions and practices to show your belief. Last time I checked, an action or practice is not an accident. For example, you don’t just accidentally tweet a slur about Obama. It is one thing to have a belief or idea that you are better than someone, but racism is when a person acts on their belief and that is a conscious effort. As you could have guessed by its title, the song contains problematic lyrics and this article challenges them. I have posted this mini media under race and cyberspace because the song was posted online and has seen a lot of comments both for and against it. Without having consequences, people can agree with it all they want without fear of backlash from those around them for encouraging racism.

The first example is the lyrics that say “To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand when I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I'm a Skynyrd fan”. In the song, he is proudly wearing a confederate flag on his shirt and he sees no problem with this. I would heavily disagree. Because of the history of the flag and the symbolism it holds, it should not be worn or displayed AT ALL. The people that wear or display the flag are well aware of its meaning and in the song he acts like he didn’t get it because he was just a Skynyrd fan. The author makes a good point and says that many instances in the song, it makes it seem like Southerners are just a victim of circumstance. It’s not his fault he is white and from the South. No that isn’t his fault, but when a person is acting on the racist legacies left in that area, that is their fault.    

Another ridiculous line is one said by LL Cool J. It says “If you don’t judge my gold chains/ I’ll forget the iron chains”. Awesome, that’s all I have to do to get rid of racism?! The author makes another good point when she says, “LL Cool J is apparently on board with the idea that the problem between whites and blacks today is based solely on a grudge, as if there aren’t any legitimate reasons these tensions would exist today”.  It is not simple, but instead a very complex issue and the song is suggesting that it is an easy problem to solve. Also, it is basically saying slavery should just be forgotten and that is not okay.

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Race and Cyberspace

The issues of race and cyberspace are apparent before a webpage is even opened. Having access to internet requires the money to pay for the service and a computer. Both can be expensive so it makes sense that only certain classes can afford it. For most people, including myself, the internet is a necessary part of life. I cannot deny that I would struggle without it! But it isn’t like water or heat because we could live without the internet. Despite the fact that it is not a right to have the internet but instead a privilege, people still choose to abuse its power to victimize others. Often this is done through the use of racism. In our society racism is frowned upon, as it should be, but on the internet we don’t see the same idea.

For some people the internet is a platform for them to spew racist remarks without any consequences. An example of this can be seen with the racist tweets about Obama’s reelection or the “I’m not racist but” remarks. I doubt any of these people would actually say those things in public, but because it is the internet where there are no consequences they feel like it is an okay thing to do. Also, many have argued that it is free speech. Honestly if someone said that to me I am not sure what I would say…I mean I suppose that’s true. But after hearing Jackie explain that victimizing people is not freedom of speech, I realize that these people are taking advantage of this and using their speech to laugh at and insult someone. Most of the people that use this argument are white men who probably feel threatened when hegemony is disrupted. They need to realize that we live in a world that is diverse and is no longer ruled by just white men (though there are still problems of course).

 Another interesting concept related to the internet is the disembodied voice. This allows us to explore other identities that we wouldn’t in real life. I am friends with my mother, my aunt, and my grandmother on face book. While I post what I want, it is obviously going to be altered. I would never throw down an F bomb in a status because that would probably give my mom a heart attack. However, with the disembodied voice it is still usually a white experience and it replicates many ideological norms. The disembodied idea is the great part about the internet but it should not be used so people feel safe posting racist slurs, etc. I also think websites need to be harsher with people who post racist comments. Some don’t do anything and that sends the message that it is an okay thing to do. Tumblr is a good example of a website that is cracking down on users who are making inappropriate comments. Other websites can learn from this.     

[julia0914-blog]

Sexism in Video Games

I am not really a gamer myself (besides the occasional Guitar Hero) so this topic was particularly interesting to me. I was completely unaware of the way women are being treated in the gaming world. Video games are unique in the way that they can create a world within our own that one can participate in actively. Also, it allows one to play out roles that are not seen in their usual life. But within this virtual world there are many problems. Most notable is the problem of sexism in online gaming. Why does this happen and why is it allowed to go on? Well, the main reasons are because on the internet your identity is not known (although this can be figured out) and there are no consequences for your actions. Making sexist remarks in the workplace is not acceptable, but online it is done all the time. While there are ways to police these remarks, it is difficult to stop everyone and most companies do not care enough to do it. Mostly this is because the companies are being run by men and sexism is often even written into the code. So sexism is seen right from the get go with video games. The gaming industry is also a multi-billion dollar institution that has capitalist goals like all other companies. And what sells? Sex. So of course they are going to have the women in the video games dressed in practically nothing with insanely large breasts and butts. This needs to be changed so that women are not seen as objects in video games for one, but more importantly so that women feel comfortable playing an online game without the fear of being harassed.

The way in which people were harassing women playing video games was what especially got to me. I can understand the typical trash talk, “you suck at life, you’re going down,” etc. but these comments go way beyond that. The website Fat, Ugly or Slutty was especially eye opening because we saw real comments people have made. First of all, women that play video games always have a stereotype associated with them. People assume that women who play video games are weird, ugly or fat. That is obviously not true considering almost half of the online video gamers are women and it is a diverse group! I also find it interesting that they are constantly bashing on appearance when they cannot even see the person. They could be calling Megan Fox an ugly whore for all they know. But the worst comments in my mind are the ones that revolve around rape and/or murder. It is NEVER okay to say that you are going to rape someone or you are going to murder them. It is awful to realize that we live in a society that thinks this is okay and thinks rape is a joke. Even with the eye-opening statistics about rape, it is still not taken seriously by boys and men in our culture. If these parents were trying to raise even somewhat decent human beings, they failed miserably. And the older men that are saying these things? Grow up and realize you are an immature bastard who is setting a horrible example for younger boys.   

[julia0914-blog]

"What Disney Taught Me"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rT28Z0xM88

The YouTube video above is by Jenna Marbles and she discusses what Disney movies have taught her. NOTE: THIS HAS EXPLICIT CONTENT. While I do not agree with everythingshe says, I was recently shown this video and I think it is quite relevant to our discussion of Disney. Most people grew up watching Disney and have very fond memories of it. However, as we get older we begin to realize that there are many problems with our beloved Disney movies. Jenna discusses many aspects of the movies, but I want to focus on the way gender is portrayed. The major problem with Disney is that they make movies with the same plot. The girl is a princess and she usually needs saved, but also her goal the whole entire movie is to fall in love with a prince. Hm, no wonder as women we constantly worry about and finding “the one”! Jenna makes a good point about how maybe in Cinderella she could have moved out and found a job thereby finally getting away from the evil stepmother. But no, instead she falls in love with a prince. So why does Disney continue to make these types of movies?

The main reasons are because it is an easy plot to write and because it is making them billions of dollars. I understand that we live in a capitalist society and the goal for most people is to make money. But what about at the risk of creating children who are not reaching their full potential because they think all they have in life is to fall in love with a man? The princesses are also all especially good looking as Jenna points out many times. They are all the same body type and in real life their body would not be able to hold their head. They also all have beautiful, flawless skin and hair. Oh and I also want to mention that some of them are wearing some pretty skimpy clothing (ie. Jasmine, Ariel, etc). And what about the fact that they are all so young? They are marrying the “love of their life” at age 16? That isn’t even legal in most states! And obviously at the age of 16, you have found yourself and know exactly what you need in a partner because you are so mature. Overall, the Disney movies teach little girls that they should care about their looks, prance around and sing, do something to get in jeopardy so a man must save you, and then fall in love with him so you can live happily ever after.

Disney is making some progress, but it is still not at the level it should be. Ideally, Disney will create a movie where the girl is NOT a princess and does not fall in love/need saving. How about a girl who meets a dragon and she raises it, teaches it to fly and then they go on special missions together? Bam, a movie. I’d watch it. Come on Disney!   

[julia0914-blog]

Child Socialization

The socialization process for a child is an important part of the life cycle. However, the way in which our society does it can be problematic in many ways. The primary problem is the obsession with consumerism and the idea that money can buy happiness. Because of this, companies are now marketing directly to children who can be easily persuaded. Also, children cannot tell the difference between an ad and the actual television show. Not all parents and children will fit into this category, but it is quite difficult to avoid advertisements in our society. The other problem is the way in which ads are shaped and presented to children. It is guaranteed that in a children’s advertisement, a racial or gender stereotype will be seen. With advertisements being seen daily by most children, it makes sense that they will be influenced and affected by them.

In class we looked at a series of toy advertisements for children. Two key things can be noticed. First, toys being sold to boys are meant to stimulate the brain and allow them to be creative by building. But for girls, the toys are about homemaking and cooperation with no room for creativity. Second, even when the toys are presented by a girl and a boy, differences such as color and positioning of the children is typically seen. For example, in the scooter ad the boy looks like he is active, having fun, and ready for an adventure. The girl on the other hand looks posed and of course has a pink scooter and pink protective equipment. Another ad that was really displeasing to me was the one with the barbies in the car. Even with toys for young children, our society is forcing them to worry about looks and being the typical girl. Those barbies are likely going shopping or going to a dance party. However, the boy’s toy we compared it to was the ninja turtles. They are ready for action and are going to save the world! Why can’t girls save the world?

According to the toy industry, girls are supposed to stay home and iron clothes, make the food, and care for the baby. But only boys are allowed to race each other, be active, and go save the world. This is so problematic because we are teaching girls at an early age that we are meant to be housewives. Some people truly want to do this and if you do more power to you! But when girls feel like it is their only choice and that they cannot be creative and use their brain to become engineers, doctors, etc that is when it becomes a problem. While I am not directly discussing Disney, it is also important to note that girls only have princesses to look up to. We need movies that show women as being the main character and one that does not need to be saved!

[julia0914-blog]

"Eating less is a beautiful thing"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5JoKRUjsYs

WTF. That is the first thought that comes to my mind after seeing this commercial on television. No wonder our society is so afraid to eat the pasta or that cookie at the end of their meal. We are taught that we should barely be eating because we need to lose weight or have a constant fear of gaining weight. I am very upset with this company because I do not think that is the right way to convey the message. When young girls or even adults see this commercial it will cause them to think twice about everything they eat and how much they are eating. How many times have you heard someone say, “omg I ate so much yesterday, I majorly need to work out”. So what if you ate too much yesterday? It is not the end of the world and it certainly doesn’t make you any less great of a person. Now, I have to point out that I have an amazing talent of being able to preach to the choir, but not always truly internalizing it within myself. I do struggle with this issue, but seeing those types of commercial on television certainly do not help. It is tough because obesity is a problem in the US so there has to be a weight loss industry. However, the obsession and the way the products are advertised make women, who are healthy but don’t look “perfect”, feel guilty and ashamed about themselves. It is pushing the hegemonic idea of what we think a woman should look like. Instead, these types of commercials should say things that involve the idea of becoming healthy so we can reach our full potentials and appreciate all the amazing things our body can do for us.