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FINAL PROJECT PODCAST

Sources:

http://www.obn.org/cfundef/faith_def.html

http://twentyfive.fibreculturejournal.org/fcj-180-spotify-has-added-an-event-to-your-past-rewriting-the-self-through-facebooks-autoposting-apps/

Future of Feminism

I found the article by Kember slightly problematic. Before I get into the detail of the material, I find that this article is very wordy and it’s unnecessary. To start with that, I found it difficult to keep my mind focused on the material of the article because of how overly-articulate the writer seems to be. While the topic is overall well-written and shares a strong message, my concern is that it won’t reach the intended public.

In regards to the material itself, there appears to be a strange problem that Kember brings up when it comes to the future of feminism. I think it sounds a little ridiculous but the article specifically reads, “he apparent downsizing of contemporary science and technology from claims to artifice (machines that can think and live) to those of ambience and augmentation are deeply disingenuous and, in as far as they extend the reach of biopower.” (Kember, http://adanewmedia.org/2012/11/issue1-kember/). From my interpretation of this article, she is suggesting that AI will take over the movement of feminism, which I honestly don’t think is true. I think that overall, in society as we advance in technological ways such as more efficient washers, dryers, computers and smart phones, they don’t necessarily mean that these then IA like beings will carry on feminism. I think that technology helps spread that message well throughout the world and will continue to help bring everyone together. I don’t see technology as a detriment to any political message or movement, I see it as a tool... as we have learned within the material.

nancyasu-blog

Facebook Immaterial Labor

While reading the article by Cote and Pybus, I thought about Facebook and how it is so similar to Myspace. I would consider both Myspace and Facebook as immaterial laborers. As Cote and Pybus stated immaterial labor helped us understand how the media, culture, economy, information, knowledge, language has become connected as one in our present day social society. According to Zephoria Digital Marketing, every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. That goes to show how popular this social network is. Facebook is known for people posting about their lives and sharing important information with others. Young Facebook users can work in the digital economy, first by creating a Facebook profile, post publicly, use messenger to talk to others privately, add people to help spread the word, and stay in touch by posting on Facebook. An example of this is making a photography page on Facebook, posting something along the lines of “I am new and aspiring photographer, if anyone is wanting to get their wedding or graduation photos done please message me.” That is one way to get started and Facebook is great at spreading the word. I have a lot of friends, who always advertise on Facebook whether it is their product or business. I see online spaces for young and people in general to be empowering and exploitative. As Cote and Pybus mentioned, Myspace and all social networks have too much power. Myspace’s privacy policy stated that information that was recorded on the website can be shared with third parties. The social network has the power to allow targeted advertisements be delivered to you that they might think will be of interest to the user. This is something users have no control over and this occurs even on Facebook. Another exploitation is that Facebook has terms of service that hinders young people’s immaterial labor. It states that, the user grants Facebook irrevocable, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license, copy, publish, store, scan, edit, translate, modify and distribute any of the user’s content. So basically, everything that has been published by any user is owned by Facebook. Online spaces for young people can be a positive thing by spreading the word about their business or product and it can also be a negative thing because everything posted on the social network is “technically” not owned by you.

Source:

https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/

https://myasucourses.asu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-15628435-dt-content-rid-99490729_1/courses/2017Spring-X-WST394-30637-30636/7-1cote-pybus.pdf

smoothiesky

First of all, I would like to commend your detailed response. I think that you have made some excellent points about Facebook and how the platform itself is so incredibly large and powerful. It is because of social media such as Facebook that someone in America can communicate a message to someone in France or Japan or both! I think that because of this platform, feminism and the modern feminist has been able to thrive so quickly and gain so much support around the world. While we can quickly point out the positives of social media and Facebook or Twitter, it is also important to point out that it is a fine line between good and dangerous. As you pointed out, “according to Zephoria Digital Marketing, every 60 seconds on Facebook: 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded.” On the same token, we have to recognize that a lot of those posts, and a great percentage are negative comments. Perhaps not only about feminism, but also human rights and different opinions and for every positive image shared or positive story shared, there is someone that is going to have something negative to say about it. The reality is is that that’s the world we live in, and we can only take that bounded strength and create something powerful.

Thanks for your input!

Week 12 db

With reference to our previous discussions of affect online, as well as the possibilities and limitations that online spaces present for marginalized groups (and feminist activism), what did you think of this film? What did it help you understand? How / does this film help us understand digital and sexual economies? Please use specific example(s) from the film to consider these questions, and be sure to cite our course material specifically.

I thought that this film was very unique, for a lack of better word. I come from a very strict Christian household. Pornography has always been heavily frowned upon and it has been that mindset that I carried into adulthood. The film, Cam Girlz gives a narrative to the women behind the screens that so many watch from the comfort of their laptop and safety behind a screen. I have a bias towards explicit material for many reasons, but one of the most shocking factors for me was that most of these women are either married or engaged. They find others that are as open-minded about their sexuality to be in a healthy relationship with. I think that a similar mindset is probably very essential in order for the partner to understand that there are people in the rest of the world that is watching them be a part of something so intimate.

This film is the definition of sexualizing women and women sexualizing themselves. They are a part of something that they choose to do and according to a lot of the women, they do it because of how confident they are in their bodies and themselves, and frankly because of the money.

While I see that these women are doing it at their own free will, I look at a different documentary such as Hot Girls Wanted. It’s available on Netflix, as least it used to be and I think that it is worth a watch. It’s the other side of pornography and the downside of the pay and the after effects of porn and what it does to the self-esteem of those that are in the business that are doing it for the money and end up feeling like objects. Sex, sexuality, and pornography are such hot topics that it is very difficult for society to agree on and even as we evolve, there is not much that we can see coming together when there are such different points of view that aren’t on the same side.

Computer Love

Digging deeper into exploring emotions and how we affect each other, dating sites are the utmost definition of emotions being evoked through the internet. As the article reads, computers were referred to as “giant brains”. If we keep the same model, and the computer is a giant brain, within a giant human body, one can say that it just as much feels as though one person feeling any emotion greatly. Back to dating sites, “The most popular entry point into the history of computer dating is the Operation Match program,” (http://adanewmedia.org/2016/10/issue10-hicks/). There are different methods that are being used to back up how and how not two people should interact. With that come models of what creates compatibility, and how revolutionary the computer has been in helping people find a life partner. Specifically in dating sites, building a profile with your interests and personal information in order to match them with others, that have also created profiles. Dating online gave people all over the world a chance to connect. With the world population at over 7 billion, people of Arizona are no longer limited to just meeting people in Arizona and it never ends. That is one of the beauties of the internet, and how it has connected people. While online dating is the main focus of the article, online friendships have united many. Personally, I have met people in other cities and developed friendships over common interests, (not on dating sites) and have come to be connected with talented photographers in New York, environmental activists in Portland, and the list goes on and on. I firmly believe in building one’s network because I believe that having a vast network allows for opportunities that one could only dream of.

Back to online dating, these sites meant to match people to find them a suitable partner evoke such strong emotions to where people that would have otherwise not met had there not be such a wide network available to all.

ajonesy4791-deactivated20171128

Comments

Todays society revolves around the use of social media. Sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc have allowed for people to create situations and openly voice their opinions. When I personally view the comments section on things such as a YouTube video, a majority of the time I find them to be extremely vulgar, degrading, and most of the time unnecessary. This is one of the main reasons I tend to not frequent the comments section on certain sites. With the internet being as popular as it has been for the past 8-10 years, we have grown accustomed to feeling entitled to accessing other peoples information (Avedisaian, 2015). This has eventually evolved to others thinking it is their place to trigger very real emotional responses. After reading through these articles, I immediately though of Lauren Bushnell, the winner of last season “The Bachelor”. I have often times visited her Instagram page and seen comments in regards to her body and what they thought of it. For example, in this video (https://www.instagram.com/p/BRJ1ciejJoM/?taken-by=laurenbushnell) there are comments left on her page such as “she has become disgustingly thin. People can defend it and pretend it’s something else but pretty obvious to me as to what’s going on”, “don’t lose anymore weight!!!!!!!!”, and “someone give her a damn cheeseburger and fries”. These people are expressing their emotions towards the video posted and how she was not fitting to their ideal body.

smoothiesky

Hello! I thought it was very interesting that you bring up The Bachelor because I actually watch the show and I agree that there are different types of criticism that are broadcast upon these women. Take for example the most recent season, and just like in any season, before being on the show, these men and women lead normal lives. Some are dental assistants, mental health counselors, even lawyers; and they put their lives on hold on the “quest for love.” While the show may have its gimmicks, the point stands that with something so trivial as a show about finding a significant other, the contestants end up being famous for being on the show and in turn are now in the “light” for the foreseeable future. Take for example this article, and how they explain that by stirring up the show, they gain their own following and stay in the light by being sponsored by companies such as SugarBear Hair and FitTea.

Going back to the idea of emotion and the online presence, nowadays there is no way to get away with an opinion of yours without having someone else online disagree and/or be hostile towards your said stance. With social media outlets such as Twitter, one tweet that you send out to your followers can potentially reach millions if your account is public and your tweets are “retweetable.” The point here is that no opinion goes unnoticed and/or rebutted. Everyone has something to say about everything and in reference to some of this week’s readings, we are “accustomed to feeling entitled” and we do so with the security of a screen and keyboard protecting our identities. Think about how different it would be if social media commentary was done live face to face... think about how different that conversation might be.

Thank your for your post!

Midterm Visual

I decided to address the issue of equal rights, across the board. I tried something new, with being a little creative and used an online paint tool. I am not a very artistic person, I am definitely more “logic” based but I really liked the way it turned out. What I was attempting to represent was how strong and vibrant the colors are in comparison to the darkness behind it. I tried to use brighter colors but kept within a rainbow theme in order to show that all colors can shine and overcome the darkness that is suppression and negativity within our society today. Most of my posts have been slightly political and there is a reason for it. While I don’t identify with any one political party, I alongside many across the world disagree with the policies that have come into place and the ideas that have been shared and deemed okay.

In recent history, referring to the past six months, a lot of negativity has been circulating amongst the people in the United States. Women, people of color, and those a part of the LGBTQ community have been targeted more and more as ideas that suppress people for their personal choices become more acceptable. As new bills and travel bans on certain people are issued, the message that one actions sends is a lot louder than the message itself’s purpose. Telling the world that because you are of a certain place or look a certain way, you are not allowed to be somewhere, while the message is specific and directed at one group, the message here is that this type of behavior and rationale of thinking is acceptable. This is what causes the problem with what is happening. There is a difference between allowing those under the age of 18 into a bar, than those of a certain nationality to enter a country. While an age restriction applies to all universally, it is the fact that because someone is a certain way, they are being denied entry and access to resources for no other reason other than something that is out of their control, and that is unfairness that cannot be tolerated in the 21st century.

In my opinion, having such strong ideas that impact another’s life and their freedoms is a problem that we are facing. Take for example a lesbian woman of color. The amount of negativity that is being aimed at one soul is far too much to even fathom. To imagine that any hate is being received because of personal choices that others don’t agree with is something that should not be an issue. With the newly elected POTUS, there are a lot of characteristics about a person that can now identify them as “minorities”. With the articles that we have been reading and the material that we have been discussing, the trend is that women are strong and that those that identify within the LGBTQ community are like everyone else... the fact is that they are. But the problem is that we need to be constantly reminding one another of the fact that we are all human, as if we forget to treat one another like human beings simply because of the differences in our personal choices and lifestyles.

The point of this simple graphic is to try to show that the darkness is no match for the color that is far more vibrant. The text, is a simple message that I thought would further show the point that I am trying to get across. That point is that no matter what darkness one may face, the negativity that is the darkness will never be brighter than the colors within the people it represents.

Week 7 Discussion

I believe that feminist activism has been shaped by the internet in a way that is too vast for any one of us to fully comprehend. Because of the internet, there is a widespread of idea like never before. Thinking back 50 years, news didn’t travel as quickly, if at all. Nowadays, anyone can use a platform within the internet, such as Twitter and use it to express an idea. By sending that message out, it travels to vast audiences by others retweeting it, sharing it on other platforms such as Facebook, Tumblr, etc... all within the internet. The example provided here is an image that I found particularly captivating.

The message on the sign lets women know that all across the world, this movement is being represented. These ideas are only spread through a universal platform, the world wide web and we don’t realize just how easy it is to send a message and the audience it reaches is unthinkable. It is so vast, and with a movement like this, where the world is standing in solidarity, it is undeniable just how powerful the internet has been in bringing women together to stand for what they and we all believe in.

Week 5 Discussion

In Abi-Karam’s Glitch the Cis-tem, we see that gender is breaking norms with today’s society. If we think about the perspective of men and women and see how it has evolved, we see that Abi-Karam’s model of taking one’s own body to break the models set in place and be a catalyst for that change. While gender is not “over” as stated in the article, a more progressive way of thinking is becoming more prevalent amongst the newer generations. I look at articles like this that full on support and are written by people a part of the change and people that are making the change themselves and I see them as warriors. It is within a fight that is more and more becoming as we see the laws that are attempted to be passed and the way that many are stuck in their ways. It’s hard not to be political in this topic, because I look at the election and how black and white many people see the world. While the article here, is months old, the fact stands. That no matter how many people decide to live their lives in any given way, there are others that will have standing opinions even though it doesn’t affect them in any way. Some may say that progressive thinking is not the way, while other’s say that sticking to traditional “values” is not the way. The point here remains, that there are many reasons why these laws are attempting to be in place and there are also reasons why they aren’t being passed.

Certain laws target certain people, while things such as legislative decisions should be reserved for things such as what defines a crime, things that affect all of society directly, like death penalty laws, sentencing regulations and so on. Abi-Karam’s point about the body is that capitalism has shaped the way we think of ourselves and the way we treat others. The lesson to take from this is to not let it shape us, but to let it make us aware of what is happening to society and how quickly one’s opinion of one’s self can change and be affected by the opinions of others. Embracing yourself as who you identify as is something that only you can decide and Abi-Karam enforces it within the article and using one’s self as the example.

ajonesy4791-deactivated20171128

Week 4

In the article Feminist sexualities, race and the internet: an investigation of suicidegirls.com by Shoshana Magnet, she portrays the resistance online through women who do not fit ones typical image when envisioning sexual, nude photographs. However, these women display the image of punk women with a great deal of tattoos and piercings. The twist to the website is these explicit photos are not simply put for ones viewing pleasure, but have a more in depth meaning placed behind them by attaching a blog to the photo about life experiences they have endured (Magnet, 2007). Ultimately, this website is exclusive to a specific “type” of woman and is not equal to all. We see this all around — from websites to big name companies. While others are welcome to view the site, an individual must fit a certain image to be exclusively involved. Another example of this is Victorias Secret. Victorias Secret promotes women being sexy in their product, however, there is huge lack of diversity amongst their models. While anybody can purchase VS products, the representation of their products can be misleading. The models consist of tall, toned, light skinned girls. To me, this is the same concept that surrounds the idea of suicidegirls.com On the flip side of Victorias Secret, is Aerie. Aerie is the lingerie brand for American Eagle that launched a game changing campaign with real models that were not airbrushed. They advertised flaws amongst girls with all different body types. While many girls fantasize about achieving the looks of a Victoria Secret model, it is not real. I feel that within society we need to normalize normal again. Varying body types, stretch marks, cellulite, different skin colors, acne, etc., is all normal! Yet we have these sites that are exclusive to girls that only fit a certain image. What type of company would you want to represent?

rvbyx

I think it is so important for women to see the difference between reality and photoshop. This comparison is an excellent way to put it because there is this image of a “perfect woman” that is different to so many people, yet we all think of it as a collective image. While these types of images encourage women to be themselves and break the mold of thinking that skinny and light-skinned is what is perfect, I found the article about Sad Girl Theory to be a great contrast example that follows the same model. Audrey Wollen talks about how the sadness of girls should be taken as a sign of resistance. Women should embrace their womanly “ways” and use that as a sign of strength because there are often times those reasons such as emotion that are seen as weakness. What Wollen is suggesting is that we take those qualities and use them to our advantage and use it as a way to show that we are equal. Within the qualities that men, women and all alike share and the differences we have should be what brings us together.

smoothiesky

^^ to continue (sorry, I reblogged from my other blog)

but I think that using Sad Girl Theory and the suicidegirls model is what being a woman can be about. We embrace all parts of what it takes to be a woman and kick ass with it. An example I found to be a great portrayal was this image.

Not only do women here have to unite, it’s a worldwide movement that needs to be recognized by all in order to create change and build a better future for the next generations.

Week 2 Discussion

There was a particular quote within one of the readings this week that spoke to me. “We don’t know how to live outside of oppression because it is like the weather, ever-present and so we replicate it, all the time.”, (Interlopers on Social Media: Feminism, Women of Color and Oppression. By Mariame Kaba and Andrea Smith, Prison Culture. http://www.truth-out.org/) There is a message within this article from the authors urging all of those who read it to take a stand and do their part in ending white supremacy, settler colonialism, capitalism and patriarchy. As a woman of color myself, I find it interesting that Twitter was the venue in which this article was using to show just how the internet as a platform has changed society’s way of thinking and behaving. Twitter has taken over social media’s popularity, unofficially we as a society have used it for many things. While other platforms such as Facebook or Snapchat are doing their part, Twitter gives people a fast and easy platform on which to communicate on. With their 140 character limit, it gives users limited space to get their message across and can be used as a summary platform for reading news, breaking stories, sharing other forms of media as well as sharing hate and discrimination. This safe zone, is for all people. Those that are attacking and those being attacked all, in a sense protected by a screen. But the difference here is that the victim is left defenseless without a voice. With the recent election, this country saw more racism and oppression than I have ever seen be a part of a political event of our time. The divide has never been more clear within the people of this country and where we all stand. “One nation .... indivisible and justice for all” is not something that Americans can proudly chant in unison because the fact is that we are further divided than ever before.

Just yesterday, (Sunday, January 21, 2017) there was a Women’s March where people across the nation marched together to fight for women’s rights in light of the inauguration. Going back to we as a people not knowing how to live outside of oppression, the election has brought to light where the general public stands. It is the time of the oppressed to come together and stay strong in light of the next four years and what the future hold for the oppressed. Last night, Aziz Ansari hosted Saturday Night Live and gave all of those in fear, a message of hope that spoke to me. If we stand united, we can overcome the oppression together and promote change for the equality of all men and women, genders, and races as one.

#week 2

pinkkasfuckk

He is Not My President

theycallmethechosenone

It’s Inauguration Weekend: Stay loud, strong, and safe y’all

This week I’m looking at cyberfeminism through how drag queens utilize the internet and social media to bend the lines of gender. Specifically, I’m looking at PhiPhi Ohara’s 365 Days of Drag. In her article, Claire L. Evans describes cyberfeminists as “thinkers who saw technology as a way to dissolve sex and gender divisions.” Ohara utilized their Instagram account as a means of sharing images of their drag looks. Ohara also transformed many iconic female cartoon characters into works of drag art. Ohara saw technology, and concrete images that technology gave them access to, and “dissolved” sex and gender into art pieces. My personal favorite cartoon renditions were Eliza Thornberry (from The Wild Thornberrys) and Betty DeVille (from Rugrats).

Phi Phi Ohara’s work also pulls from VNS Matrix. In their article, Tully Barnett claims that VNS Matrix’s manifesto serves their agenda of “rupturing the symbolic.” The series 365 Days of Drag ruptures the symbolic in regards to gender roles and gender expression stereotypes. Ohara takes the symbolic dress, makeup, and body language of femininity and intensifies it. By intensifying femininity on a male body, Ohara makes the claim that femininity is a performance or an art, not a gender. Their example proves that anyone can take on a feminine appearance, or costume, and customize it. Ohara makes the statement that femininity does not belong to a gender; rather, Ohara actively ruptures the symbol of dresses and makeup and instead makes it a symbol of change and artistry.

Phi Phi Ohara’s series is a perfect example of modern cyberfeminism because it doesn’t focus on just the female body or experience. Their series brings in modern concepts of feminism through its broadening of concepts and wider understandings of injustice. It does this while utilizing modern technologies and keeping things nostalgic and light by featuring cartoon characters from our generation’s childhood.

Ohara’s series 365 Days of Drag can be viewed here on their Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/phiphiohara/

smoothiesky

Hello,

I couldn’t help but think of Jefree Star while reading this post. Beyond the fact that drag queens have used the internet to break these gender “norms”, I think about the men in makeup that break this barrier and Star is one that comes to mind. I came across Star’s Youtube channel a few months ago, and was intrigued by the content. While I am not a makeup expert, I found it fascinating just how powerful makeup can be. And while many people either love or hate Star, I respect the voice that is channeled through the videos. There are so many men in makeup today, and I even think of, as a woman how their confidence blows me away. As teens grow up, and they see men and women alike embracing their inner selves using for example, make up, and seeing just how popular it is to be a work of art, many are taking it to the next step. Without the internet, this type of message would be nearly impossible to share. Just as Ohara uses Instagram to spread the word, Star uses Youtube (among other social media as well) to share the idea that makeup has no gender. Great input, I loved the article. Thank you!

Introduction

Hello! My name is Ruby, I prefer she/her, and I am starting my first semester of my senior year now so I’m really excited to graduate soon! I spend a lot of time online. I work full-time so all of my classes are online and I access a lot of my material through my laptop. Not only that, but I am constantly using the internet at work, on my phone, and it’s kind of disturbing just how much of my day is spent staring at a screen. My relationship with the internet has changed as far as what I post, what I share, and what I use it for due to the nature of my work. I am very limited as far as how I interact with others on social media and weary of what I am posting. I love the internet because you are able to reach such large audiences from the comfort of your home. While that is a great thing, as technology evolves, there are also more ways to become a victim of hacking, cyberbullying, etc. because of how expansive the internet is.

I am taking this class because I want to widen my perspective of feminism and understanding how the internet as a medium has taken this movement, like many others and created a worldwide phenomenon. I think it’s fascinating how because of the internet and technology, more people are involved in things that they believe in, they are active politically, socially, and are eager to be a part of a change. Having this kind of access to information at our fingertips is something that people of the past could only possibly dream of, and it is our reality today. I think that while, there are some setbacks because of it, society as a whole should use it to come together to find a way to have it be a tool and catalyst for positive change rather than as a weapon to attack or harm others.

Videos like this that go viral go viral because of the internet and it raises awareness about topics and events that many would otherwise never know.

The link is a story, but the video attached breaks my heart. I just want to make a difference in the world and the internet has provided a platform where many can reach out in any way they can.

Images like this are only available through media and shared through the internet:

(source: newsweek.com)

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