Women's Studies 2016

Feminism. Just do it.

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If I knew then what I know now

“Feminism is about the equality of the sexes”

Words really can’t express how excited I was for this class. Feminism was something that I was really new to, but I knew it was something extremely important to me once I really realized what it was. I just had a basic knowledge of it; in simple terms I knew the quote above, and that was about it. I still agree with this little definition, but now I know it’s so much more than that. It is about equality, it is about empowerment, it is about support. It’s not just about fighting for women’s rights, it’s fighting for everyone’s rights. It’s simply being human

“I would say I’m a feminist”

This is still true, but I would like to rephrase it. In previous presentations, we talked about how it seems women will add unneeded vocabulary when addressing a situation to avoid seeming harsh. For some reason, we think there is always something to be apologetic for. Now I would like to apply what I learned. If I had to change my beginning essay in any way, I would change it in these ways. I will not apologize for being a feminist. I won’t beat around to bush just because the world “feminist” scares most people. I won’t undermine the importance of my message and what I believe because feminism is for everyone. What I have to say is important, and you will hear it. I. Am. A. Feminist. No apologies necessary. 

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Feminism: What’s the confusion?

Coming to UT, I felt so refreshed to finally be around a large group that, for the most part, was informed. By informed, I mean that the majority of the students have a general knowledge about society and what is going on around us. I was always surrounded by people with such a confined mindset coming from a small community and an even smaller high school. However, there is something that I’ve found a lot of college students still lack proper knowledge in: feminism. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56xLJACUhE8

Like this video says, feminism still seems to be a bad word to most people with very negative connotations. The reason I feel like the community of this university should see this is the fact that even though it seems like we are very aware of things going on, there are some people who have still not been informed. Feminism has played such a huge role in American history, but it is not taught in such a way. It is something that is really so natural, or at least should be to the general population. Equality. In order to make proper decisions and do so to the best of our abilities we must be properly informed. In order for the university to grow and be as equal as possible, the students must be informed. It’s time that feminism become a norm and not a “dirty word”. This is not only important for the advancement of UT, but it is important for the students that attend. Being well informed helps us to shape our futures and make them as best as they could be. An informed person makes a successful decision.

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What Are Women’s Roles in the Media

As human beings, we often strive to be great models for those younger than us. We also look to those in higher positions for guidance such as famous celebrities and leaders. We can often learn from their mistakes and learn the proper way to handle certain situations. I know I have looked to certain women in the media to help me shape into the person I want to be. Unfortunately, the important role women play is still overlooked. They are still used to encourage you to be prettier, skinnier, and similar to every other girl in the world. I came across this awesome TedTalk that covered a lot about how women are being used in the media, and kind of what they represent.

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

After watching this it really made me realize, even though we have made so much progress and are making a much bigger impact than before, we still have these small issues that add up to a very large problem. I also noticed that many of the women that are used in these ad campaigns are very well known celebrities. Rarely do you see a political figure unless they have had a small slip, and then the issue makes world-wide news. Rather than equalizing, we still try to categorize. Perhaps because we “know” these celebrities, we tend to have a bigger heart for them. There is a little sense of understanding. That doesn’t always stand for other important women in the media. It’s about time that we realize that internal bias we have causes a lot of issues. 

Why do you think we have higher expectations for certain celebrities than we do others?

Who are some of the iconic women you look up to, and why?

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See No One Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way (clapclapclapclap)

You know where I’m going at with this

One of my favorite shows in the world is “Friends”. I laughed, I cried, laughed some more, and thought about life. I think my favorite thing about this show, besides the wonderful sarcasm I’m inspired with, is the fact that it makes me think. The characters are all so different and face so many different challenges that I could relate to, and I think that’s what really made me bond with the show. Now don’t get me wrong, I know this show has a lot of gender stereotypes, but more times than not, it tends to challenge those stereotypes.

Like when...

We learned it was okay to take naps together. This episode really kind of focused on the idea of homophobia. Joey and Ross started off ashamed and almost mortified of the idea that they actually fell asleep together. What’s the big issue? For them, it was that they might seem gay. This is still a big problem that men today face because they have such homophobic tendencies for no decent reason. This episode challenged that idea, and the guys became more open with each other. A good nap, is a good nap! 

Or what about when...

We learned how to be unagi! For those who don’t watch the show, Ross stated that Rachel and Phoebe lacked unagi (a state of awareness) which suggested that they were not capable of protecting themselves. This whole episode showed women how totally capable we are of defending ourselves if we choose to do so, and we can do it very well. 

And last but not least...

We learned it was okay for guys to cry! I thought it was awesome that this issue got brought up in a episode because I had never seen it addressed in an actual t.v. show! It completely opened the door to the idea that we actually want men to feel open about crying rather than being stone cold. 

“Friends” may not tear away at gender stereotypes or social norms at an alarming rate, but I think it’s awesome that they make an effort to bring about change. Most shows around this time didn’t even touch on these issues which is why this show is very refreshing to me. 

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Blog 3: Media Consumption

How much does media have a hold on us?

For this moment, take a second to think how often you check your phone. How often you check your computer. How often you check social media. Chances are you probably even checked it as you finished that thought. From my personal analysis, it is shocking how consumed I am by media. I will wake up in the mornings, and the first thing I do is check my phone (as if something relevant to my well-being has taken place in the middle of the night). I get sidetracked in class, I glance to my phone checking Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. I am willingly allowing myself to be controlled by the media around me on a regular basis. 

How do I contribute?

The media has its guidelines of what is good and bad in the world. This is hot, this is not. As much as some of us would like to think we strive for originality, originality seems to even has its tight structure that you must fit. What gets more likes on a picture? What topic gets reblogged the most? It is a cycle we become obsessed with. I’m surrounded by images of women I have no chance of being, yet I strive to be like them. I’m shoved ideas that I don’t believe are correct, yet the world agrees so I seem to shift my opinion. The sad part is, I don’t  seem to do it for myself, but in an attempt to please others. That’s likable, I want to be likable, and it seems to make sense in the messed up cycle. I consume and regurgitate the media I am provided without even realizing it. How awful is that? The media says find your identity but only from the ones we provide you. Media is our life as of now. Does it have to stay that way? 

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This is a Man’s World

BUT only if you are a male meeting the following criteria...

What do you envision when you think masculinity and male? What type of person comes to your mind?

I thought I would see what the internet thought, so I googled “masculine male lead roles”

.https://www.google.com/search?q=male+lead+roles&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=731&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHzqX3-P_KAhVngYMKHY4vDZ0Q_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=masculine+male+lead+roles

That’s how it is, right? Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have this imbedded checklist in our mind defining what a true man is with males sometimes being the toughest critics. Masculinity is key to acceptance in the male population. Anything that falls outside of the designated checklist poses as a threat, much like this interesting commercial I came across...

What are some of the things that you think represent masculinity?

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

This is a well known commercial done by Summer’s Eve for their feminine hygiene products, but plot twist it isn’t the female using it. The focal point of this commercial is the manly man that, unknowingly, uses the feminine product. CODE RED! HE USED A LADY PRODUCT! MASCULINITY DEATH IS SOON TO FOLLOW! In order to replace the masculinity that was lost, he goes through a process that seems to define his man checklist as chopping wood, drinking, yard work (but not that lady yard work like weeding the garden, mowing that big manly yard!); as you can see, these works are mainly very physical. This sends such a small minded message to the public that if you don’t do the majority of these things, you probably aren’t considered a real man. So where does that leave the little boy that loves ballet? Or the boy that loves to sing in choir? Or the boy with the smaller build? They are made to feel like misfits. They obviously aren’t female, but they are made to believe they can’t be a true male without meeting those qualifications. Imagine the kind of damage that could do. The worst thing is messages like that stick in your mind. Damage it hard to fix, so we can do anything to reverse it, it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

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Blog 2: Personal Reflections and Media Misconceptions

High School struggles and realizations

Looking back at my high school years, I realize how much I really didn’t know about the world and what was going on around me. The sad part is that was hardly one year ago. I had in my mind that I was independent, strong, and intelligent, but that was so far from the truth. My whole life (literally this started at like age 5) I remember myself having a boyfriend or looking to have a boyfriend. That was something that I always felt I needed; I was the “relationship type” out of all my friends. The media around me always made it seem like in order for me to be happy, I needed a significant other. It must be the true key to happiness. That was my first problem. I also didn’t educate myself like I should have. I didn’t even learn the actual definition of feminism until I was a senior! (awful, I know) I really began my growing process once I learned what feminism was, and one of my wonderful teachers gave me questions to make me think. I remember one day in class the topic came up about feminism, and my teacher asked me what my opinion was on the topic; my reply was that I think women get mistreated and should definitely be treated better, but I don’t think women should take over the world and rule over men. Little did I know, right? From that point on my teacher would send me articles on feminism, and it was like once I came to understand that, the more I came to understand other things because now I searched for the correct answer.

Why did I have this image of feminism in my head already?

Feminism had never been a topic of discussion, which now I think is ridiculous. It is such a huge part of history now, I don’t understand why it still remains so negative. The more I look at the media, the more I understand why it has such negative connotations. There are so many misconceptions in the media on what feminism is, that no wonder no one knows what it truly is! Negative images and posts like this misrepresent the true meaning of feminism

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/caucus/2016/01/31/anna-senneff-15-reasons-why-m-not-feminist/79607024/

How to make a change

Unfortunately, nothing on the internet ever goes away. These images and blogs will always exist for future generations. There will always be a fight. However, how we react to things such as these will make all the difference. Anna Senneff (author of the first blog) has been fed what many people around the world are being fed. She even said that she is even aware of the textbook definition of feminism, but is against it because she rarely sees it. It is now our jobs to show what true feminism is about. We have to properly inform people, especially our younger generation. Let’s be the group that makes a difference.

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What are Representations of Gender in Media?

Representation of power?

In most scenarios of women in power in popular television and movies, we see two dominant archetypal characters: 

1. The cold, power-hungry “dominatrix” who has clawed her way up into the current positions she holds within a company or office

and 2. A woman who possesses much intellect and charisma, but spends most of the film or series between a constant struggle of whether she should place her time more in her personal or public (power) life. 

@katsfeminism @mricha41 @heatherdoesgender 

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Miss-Representation

Miss-Representation brings to the surface many of the pushed-to-the-side topics of women’s roles in society today. Some’s of the country’s most prominent female figures, as well as some strong young girls, discuss the issues that face the common woman. 

Necessary Companionship

Lisa Lang made a point that in our culture women are brought up to constantly seek companionship; however, the sad actualization that comes with that is that men are not taught the same thing. Studies have shown that 23% of men 25 years and older have never been married compared to the 17% of women. Men are constantly seen as independent, but for what reason? Is it simply because they are man?Women prove every day that they are capable of independence; take Oprah, for example. She has created an entire empire around her, and she did it without a husband leading the way.

Companionship is not the problem, though. The problem is that this is only taught to women; we get told, “Oh don’t worry honey, you’ll find a man one day.” Why is it that we are pushed to be a codependent, but little boys aren’t told, “Oh don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find a girl some day.”

Take a Stand

One quote from this movie that resinated the most in my mind was one that seemed to have popped in by chance. “How long is it going to take someone to take a stand.” This quote was said by a young girl, just in high school; her sister was bullied, called fat, and because of that, her younger sister inflicts harm to herself. Why do we do this to each other? In such a sad world, why do we tear each other down? If someone is to come together, why not us?