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This gif opens up some more interesting questions about Flynn’s “Cool Girl.” Flynn claims that the “Cool Girl” is a figment of society’s imagination, because women pretend to be the “Cool Girl” to get the guy (as Amy did in Gone Girl). I argue that the “Cool Girl” can exist in society, but I admit, her existence is typically in conjunction with pleasing a man. This gif opens questions about the effect of the “Cool Girl” on the man involved, not just the woman pretending. (via GIPHY)

#giphy #ben affleck #gone girl #rosamund pike

The Cool Girl

My project focuses on what Gillian Flynn calls the “Cool Girl.” Within Gay’s Bad Feminist, Gay provides an excerpt with a detailed description of this phenomenon. In my project, I utilize Gay’s conversational, informal writing style in order to open a conversation about this said “Cool Girl.” I intend to answer questions like, “Does she exist?” “Do these ‘Cool Girls’ represent the face of third wave feminism” “Who in visible society would we consider to be a ‘Cool Girl?’” In my typical Austen-obsessed fashion, I discuss Elizabeth Bennet and Caroline Bingley as not-so-recent, though still culturally iconic, examples of the “Cool Girl.” In addition, Amy Schumer provides apt social analysis, considering her openness with her sexuality and her general inclination to defy social/societal expectation; in fact, Schumer appears to be the closest living example of Flynn’s “Cool Girl.” So far, I’ve discovered that each clique (or niche in society) has its own “Cool Girl.” Being a “Cool Girl” is a lot like being queen of a clique in high school.

Bicycle to Bitch?

Initially, I started out by looking up the seemingly innocent word “bicycle.” As we discussed in class, bicycles became a symbol of the New Woman in the early 20th century. From this new symbol of feminism, I became more and more interested in how the idea of the New Woman has developed over time. I decided to track key words associated with women’s roles over time: bicycle, typewriter, flapper, the Angel in the House, housewives (which ironically, does not peak in the 50s, but in the 70s), and Gillian Flynn’s “Cool Girl.” I was already intrigued by Flynn’s paragraph describing the “Cool Girl” (see above) before reading Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist. I’m now infatuated with something that I always considered to be a positive thing, but am now realizing is a concept that sustains some pretty hefty negative connotations. In my final project, I want to explore this modern-day “Cool Girl” starting from bicycle and the New Woman to how it relates to our 21st century society, dating world, and a word that takes some heat, but I think is being reappropriated, “bitch.”

Amy Does It Again

Amy Schumer posted this photo from a Vanity Fair shoot on her Instagram today. Photography by none other than Annie Leibovitz, of course--they seem to be doing a lot together in the last year or so. I would like someone else to interpret this photo for me, because I genuinely don’t know what this image is supposed to convey.

#Amy Schumer

newgirlnamedgabby-blog

I just saw this commercial for the first time, and I wanted to give a little cheer at the end with the lady who tells her: “Do it.” I like how the commercial conveyed the nervousness she is experiencing; I feel like I would be nervous too, but we shouldn’t have to worried when asking for equality. I thought this was an awesome way to call attention to the issue in a quick and effective way!

litbywomen

Thanks for sharing, Gabby!

justhalandherthoughts-blog

This is an awesome commercial--I can’t believe it’s for deodorant. I agree with you; this is a great way to address the issue in a short, one minute video. What Secret did in the most effective way possible was talk about the issue without actually talking about it. It was brought up in a casual, funny video. They’re selling more than a product here. They’re selling an empowered lifestyle.

Okay, does he have your number? 1-800-BIOTCH

She’s the Man explores gender in complex, but still hilarious ways. The whole time, she’s just fighting to be given an equal shot with the male soccer players. I never realized this movie had such a serious undertone, and how it applies to bigger social issues.

A Day in the Life of Shadowing Me

On the first page of Rankine’s Citizen, she writes, “ When you are alone and too tired even to turn on any of your devices, you let yourself linger in a past stacked among your pillows.” If Rankine were to shadow me, she’d soon learn that this is my favorite time of day--the time when everything still seems possible. She’d also learn that morning me and nighttime me are two totally different people: one is optimistic, the other is pessimistic.

Rankine could certainly write about the effects of morning vs. night on my mental state. Oddly enough, I get my best ideas at night, but I do my best writing in the morning. She could follow me around my more or less mundane days, and truly witness and document exactly what it is that turns me from optimistic to pessimistic.

“She seems to be annoyed by all the people talking into their earbuds on her way to work. I wonder if that has anything to do with her childhood? A dad who would call her into his office just for her to stand there while he yammered into the white cord hanging from his ear.”

Also notable is how I interact with strangers on my way to work and on my way home from work. “She exchanges smiles, holds doors open for people” vs. “She avoids eye contact. Her eyes seem glued to her phone, avoiding human interaction because of all the fact checking she did at work.”

Rankine would get a good sense of my personality from observing me at these times of day. She’d see me at both my highest and lowest points. What’s that saying, “If you can’t handle me at my worst, then you don’t deserve me at my best?”

youcanthaveadoll-blog

Ms. Sittenfeld discusses how she came to write her new novel, “Eligible,” an updated reimagining of Austen’s 1813 classic, “Pride and Prejudice.”

Sittenfeld’s humor in this piece is apparent: facing claims from critics that she’s no Jane Austen, she responds, “Clearly.”

Fan-fiction for the science-fiction and fantasy genres has been roaring for the past decade, seemingly. Why shouldn’t this same trend extend to more traditional fiction, to “classics” like much of Austen’s work? I suppose critics want to uphold the sanctity of the original works, but when renditions of these classic novels come out and perform well, those critics are quickly hushed.

I can’t claim to have read any of Austen’s work (a certain family member of mine has read one or two of her works, though!), I love seeing today’s writers use classical blueprints to frame the issues plaguing modern society.

justhalandherthoughts-blog

I’m not surprised Sittenfeld’s retelling of Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is already receiving backlash. The thing about Austen’s books and characters is that her followers are very loyal and protective of her work--not necessarily a bad thing. They also hate it when someone has a different interpretation than they do of their favorite character. But I was so pleased to read about the Austen Project--something I hadn’t heard about until Jake sent me this link. I welcome any interpretations of Austen’s works. It only means that her influence as an author and storyteller will grow. I myself am anxious to get my hands on this book (cough, cough, potential birthday present from another certain family member)--and hopefully (if it turns to cinema), they’ll get Colin Firth to play another modern Darcy, like in Bridget Jones’s Diary. Maybe satisfying fans craving for Colin Firth’s spot-on portrayal of Darcy will stifle any disgruntled feelings fans have towards this modern rendition of Pride & Prejudice.

As I was scrolling through my Instafeed, I came across this book, and was immediately struck at how well the title played into our class discussion last week about the word “bitch” being reappropriated. Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl--a Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship is written on a fascinating premise. The author Sherry Argov delivers a unique perspective as to why men are attracted to independent women who stand up for themselves rather than “yes women,” who live to serve their men.

In the synopsis, she changes the title’s “bitches” to “independent women” because they’re often the same thing. I’m left wondering how much the title had to do with the book’s sales. It’s certainly eye-catching. Why Men Love Bitches is a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and has sold over 1 million copies. Undoubtably, most of the sales were to women. When thought of in this light (with a female-driven audience), the title becomes even more interesting. There seems to exist a desire for women to take charge of the word “bitch.” Maybe by taking the word back, women are removing the power from the men who use it.

The Dreaded “F” Word

When I consider how my circle of friends and family react to the word “feminism,” I immediately come up with a recent situation with one of my long-time friends. This past semester, she declared as a Women’s Studies major, something I was thoroughly surprised at. We had a long talk about her decision, and I quickly took away from the conversation that she considers herself to be a feminist.

I’m still confused when I think about her in a feminist capacity. This is a girl who forced her boyfriend to get his license because she and her mom were uncomfortable with the reversed gender role (her having to pick him up for dates in her Jeep, rather than the other way around). But to the best of my knowledge, she is only one of two of my friends who would openly state that they’re a feminist. I myself had never considered myself a feminist until I read my own writing. (And a friend asked how long I’d been a feminist.)

I think what constantly surprises me about feminism is the different types of feminists, and that it can mean taking on a problem or concern at many different levels. Being a feminist doesn’t have to mean that you picket and campaign loudly. It can mean something as subtle as correcting someone’s use of derogatory slang. What’s great about that is that the power to change is in everyone’s hands; not just the ones with the loudest voices.

Whitney Houston once said, "I believe that children are our future." That scares me.

First of all, I have to say only on Buzzfeed would you find this article. But I think this plays into some of the conversations we’ve been having in class about how the youth grow up in a world dominated by social media. To see the sort of extremes that youth superfans have turned to in order to get the attention of a celebrity speaks volumes about the effect of social media.

The knowledge that something you post on Instagram could potentially be seen by someone you idolize is a dangerous piece of information to behold. In many cases (as depicted in this article), it turns fans more or less crazy. And the idea that the celebrity could find their photo or tweet so interesting or good that they give them a “like” or retweet fuels the fire that is the fan’s unquenchable obsession. The only difference between the “then” and” now” photos is that “then” we didn’t have direct access to our idols, and now we do.

#what

katiesliterarythoughts-blog

♫ All the women who are independent, throw your hands up at me. ♫

So I was talking to my friend about our class discussion about the word “bitch” being re-appropriated or otherwise used in a more positive manner and she responded with, “Oh! Well then you should go check Buzzfeed’s snapchat story. That’s their theme today.” And lo and behold, this was one of their posts! Not all of the songs actually have the word “bitch” in it but from what I can gather Buzzfeed’s writer, Anna Kopsky, is re-appropriating “bitch” in “Bad Bitch Anthems” to mean songs that showcase women being confident and independent.

litbywomen

An interesting follow-up to our discussion of the word “bitch”–and whether the word can or should be reappropriated by women.

Thanks for sharing, Katie!

justhalandherthoughts-blog

I’m so glad you shared this, Katie. As I was scrolling through the list of songs and female artists re-appropriating the connotation of what it means to be a “bitch” in these anthem type songs, I was surprised at how many I knew, which was all but a few. I think that having these female icons, such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Christina Augilera, who are openly empowering women through songs about independence speaks volumes in comparison to more common “bitch”-flavored rap that dominates the music charts. It would be interesting to consider how the ideas expressed by these female icons could translate into something more male artists could infuse into their own work. Maybe it would be a way to start changing the conversation.

litbywomen

For as long as women have been sewing, they've been using embroidery to tell their own stories—often in societies that refuse to hear them otherwise.

Poem dresses!?! Wow: so much interesting material here.

justhalandherthoughts-blog

I had not given much thought to women using needlepoint as a means to write. Surely, needlepoint and embroidery could serve as a mean of self-expression, but to take the time to painstakingly stitch every word is quite incredible.

The fact that I’ve never given any thought to thread being used as ink is quite puzzling, considering we spend a great deal of time exploring the various ways women’s voices were stifled in the past. I love how underhanded it is. Needlework is incredibly feminized, but these women were able to work their way around it. And the lengthly process to create such an article of clothing serves as emphasis as to the extent women’s voices were silenced.

Beaches. Anne of Green Gables. Thelma and Louise.

This is a very quick, fun read about an under discussed topic: How and why female friendships end.

This is a short clip from the episode "The One With The Soap Opera Party" To see all my videos visit my website at https://sites.google.com/site/mrthomaschannel

Friends is one of my all-time favorite shows. Throughout all of its seasons, there are certainly instances when it passes the Bechdel Test and others (as demonstrated above) when it doesn’t. Monica and Rachel are indeed two women who are friends. But they fail the test because all they do in this scene is talk about Joey, who Rachel has a crush on.

I think there are a lot of cases, in sitcoms especially, when it’s a good thing that the show doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. I think it would be unrealistic if every single episode passed, indicating that there was no romantic interest/drama in the show worth mentioning between girl friends. And as TV has proven over the years, sex sells--just look at Sex and the City. (Now, that is a show that would not pass the Bechdel test.) And when two women get together to discuss a romantic interest, the female viewers are able to better identify with the characters, possibly putting themselves in the character’s place. I think it would be impossible for every TV show or movie to always pass the Bechdel Test, because it wouldn’t quite be an accurate representation of the everyday--something that appeals to viewers.

#friends

My relationship with food has always been shitty. I’ve gone through many shapes and sizes on my own body, and I’ve also pretty much tried every single diet and eating fad out there. Cabbage soup? D…

This is a great read about the struggles girls go through to feel confident about their bodies. I found the author’s honesty very refreshing. When she writes “skinny, skinny, skinny = fulfillment,” I recognize that same thought process in myself and in my friends. The mental side of fat-shaming is a huge problem. Photoshop and social media are surely contributing factors, but from there it becomes part of your daily mentality to the point of which it’s all you think about. I love how this article stresses balance. Not eating a whole loaf of bread and running 10 miles to burn it off, but living healthfully.

#body shaming

wlmgalush-blog

"My boob is the size of her head." Check out more awesome BuzzFeedYellow videos! http://bit.ly/YTbuzzfeedyellow MUSIC California Soul, It’s The Summer, Lakes...

In honor of spring break I thought this would be a good video to share. Women are constantly subject to media telling us what our bodies should look like. Well, whether you’re the typical “Victoria’s Secret body type” or not, our bodies are something to be proud of, embrace them! Have a great break everyone.

justhalandherthoughts-blog

I saw this when it came out a while ago. Buzzfeed always has good videos like this. There have been more and more ad campaigns appealing to the masses in regard to bodies and figures. Dove does a good job with their campaigns. I posted something a while back about Aerie promoting an unretouched campaign with Emma Roberts. While I can appreciate the intention, they used an actor/model with very little of the flaws that typically need to be airbrushed. I don’t think there can be a win/win situation for such campaigns, if they were to use real women who “need” to be airbrushed. If the agency picks a normal looking woman and they don’t airbrush her, I think they would be met with the same criticism, just coming from the other side.

#realtalk

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