#fr197

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Mentor/Final Plenary

I really liked this last plenary because it dealt with current events in a humorous yet informative way. Each candidate holds a unique position on issues including transgender bathrooms, the gender pay gap, and other problems recognizing LGBTQ+ rights and gender discrimination. I also learned a lot from my peers about the racism and assumptions people make about them based on their appearance. No one should be judged for something they cannot control. It is up to us to educate these people about who we are and not who they want us to be. One of the best things about being yourself is that you are completely unique. There is no one else in this world that is exactly like you, so be your own advocate! It is important for us to get involved in political issues that affect us. However, we should also care about those that affect other people who are having their rights limited or restricted by laws like the biological bathroom law in North Carolina. It hurts the transgender people who are trying to find their place in society and shocks others who see those of the opposite gender come into their bathroom. Our voice must be heard through voting and petitions for equal treatment without any form of discrimination.

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“Blurred Lines” is a Clear Disaster

“Blurred Lines” is one of those songs that seems really catchy at first, until you realize what it’s saying. The lyrics as well as the music video were both disturbing, portraying women as “animals” and objects instead of equal human beings. When starting with the lyrics, one of the most concerning sets of lines is “Ok, now he was close/ Tried to domesticate you/ But you’re an animal/ Baby it’s in your nature.” It blatantly compares a woman to a wild animal that needs to be “domesticated.” This is a step backwards in achieving feminism, or the equality of the sexes. An animal is not the same as a human. The music video is not much better, as the women are topless and use their bodies as a ramp for toy cars and other forms of objectification. The male singers are just watching the women walk by and make unnecessary sexual comments. As long as society allows songs like these to become popular hits that spread these degrading messages, equality will not attained.

[drcknowledgeandpower]

The Gaze in “If I Were a Boy”

In “If I Were a Boy,” there is a very interesting twist involving gender roles and double standards. In the beginning, it appears that Beyonce is a cop with a male cop partner. Her boyfriend has an office job and is friendly with one girl. The camera’s gaze lingers on Beyonce’s body, especially when it captures her cop partner’s gaze on her as she handles bad guys and changes in the locker room. There are many instances of fragmentation when the camera focuses on her breasts and behind. It also focuses on her face and neck when she puts on earrings. Another observation is that her uniform was unbuttoned to show off her cleavage, which is unrealistic but would be desirable for men. Her legs are also sprawled out when she takes off her earrings.

There is a very strong attraction between Beyonce and her male cop partner as they go to the shooting range together and then again at the party where they are dancing together. The camera conveys this attraction through the male cop as he stares at her and her body when she talks to him or is working. Beyonce also shows her attraction when she smiles and thinks about their interactions. On the other hand, Beyonce’s boyfriend is focused on his work, even when the girl flirts with him and invites him out, wearing revealing clothing. The boyfriend looks at rings, which symbolize love and commitment. When he calls Beyonce and she does not pick up, it represents a lack of communication and connection. They are breaking apart. The targets at the shooting range may symbolize the pain Beyonce’s boyfriend feels as she shoots feeling nothing. The boyfriend looks fondly at Beyonce, while Beyonce rarely reflects any loving emotion unless she gets a gift. From the audience’s perspective, the white man still has power over women and black people. Beyonce is undeniably attracted to him, and the boyfriend is losing Beyonce to him.

In the reversed scenario, the boyfriend is actually a cop with a female partner. Beyonce feels like she is being “taken for granted.” As a man, she would have less worries because for once, she would have control over herself and others. She says that “if [she] were a boy,” she would “put [herself] first and make the rules up as [she] goes” because she would always have her boyfriend there, “waiting for [her] to get home.” In the end, she says, “Why are you so jealous? It’s not like I’m sleeping with the guy!” This catches her boyfriend off guard. Then the scene is reflected where her boyfriend says this statement about another girl, and we see a tear on Beyonce’s face. This is the reality of double standards. We see Beyonce as unfaithful and deceptive, but the boyfriend faces no repercussions and has a “jealous” girlfriend. I really liked how this video showed sides of the coin, if you will. We see how Beyonce’s role as a “man” hurt her relationship, and we sympathized with the boyfriend. Why don’t we as a society feel this way for the girlfriend when the man really does flirt with other women and is unfaithful? We need to learn from this video and apply it to real life.

Jolin Tsai’s video was different but also put women in power. She was the doctor tending to a pregnant man. The men also wore heels. Her video was more about gender expression and sexuality.

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Plenary 2: Female Religious Leaders

I liked the second plenary because it showcased three of the world’s largest and most impactful religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I usually think of them as fighting and divided, but seeing these women come together on stage to share their struggles really painted a positive image in my mind. All of them had faced some sort of sexism and belittlng by members of their community. The instance that most stuck out to me was the Jewish rabbi’s experience of being called a “cute” rabbi. Why was she called “cute” when her husband, another rabbi, was not? It is not difficult to conclude that the people who judged the female rabbi did not take her as seriously as a more traditional male rabbi. After all, they said nothing to her husband even though he was there as well. I loved that her husband rabbi came to her support and asked the couple, “What about me? Would I also make a ‘cute’ rabbi?” Typically, I would think that the husband would just laugh it off and play it cool, but this man saw that his wife was being belittled for doing the same job that he did and did not stand for it. I respect men like him because they are not afraid of recognizing the gender gap and actively do what they can to close it. Unfortunately, many religious leadership positions are occupied by men, and those of especially older generations tend to remain close-minded to the idea of female leaders. I really did not like the older man’s comment of, “I don’t know whether I should kiss the Torah or kiss the rabbi!” This is very disrespectful and unacceptable to say to any religious leader. Belief and community should overpower sexism, we all need to stand up for words and actions that act against progress.

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Black Movements

The Black Power movement was different from the prior civil rights movement in a few ways, but the most visual way is violence. The civil rights movement was organized with peaceful protests and civil disobedience, including boycotts and marches. Many groups were involved, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was led by religious leaders like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and was popular with the Black churches of the South. This movement wanted to achieve basic equality rights for colored people and successfully passed legislation. The Black Power movement was like a response to the civil rights movement because young black Americans were dissatisfied with the slow pace of the prior movement but still wanted racial equality. This group did not believe that peaceful demonstrations were the way to achieve racial equality, so they used violence to make their points. There was also two sides to the Black Power movement. There were those- pluralists- that believed that whites and blacks could share a society, but then there were nationalists who believed there needed to be separate white and black societies within America because white culture would always oppress those of black people. Black supremacy had to stand out against white supremacy. Groups like the Black Panther Party followed people like Malcolm X, who advocated for the latter viewpoint.

Today’s Black Lives Matter group is like the Black Panther Party because both are aggravated by the unjust police brutality committed against black people. The BLM movement was created after the shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, and the BPP movement was created after the shooting of unarmed teenager Matthew Johnson. However, the Black Panther Party was focused on achieving racial equality civil rights while the Black Lives Matter members want social equality and fair treatment of black people in today’s underlying racially biased society. Visual documentation of police brutality has helped spread awareness of both groups, but the BLM movement has the advantage of viral social media. The BPP had to rely on newspapers and slower forms of media to get stories out. 

Beyonce’s “Formation” video has gone viral on social media and supports the Black Lives Matter movement. It pays homage to the Black Panther Party through the dancer’s costumes, includes scenes of white police and a small black boy, a police car drowning in Hurricane Katrina flood waters while Beyonce wears a (blood) red dress, Civil War era dresses, black funeral attire, and Martin Luther King Jr. and a black church congregation. Even the title “Formation” is a call to black people to stand together against the injustices of police brutality. Another effect Beyonce’s “Formation” performance and video had was bringing awareness to the struggles black people are facing in today’s society and creating a debate about whether this is “appropriate” or “acceptable.” Some people, especially white people, feel like they cannot relate and do not support Beyonce’s solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. In other cases, black people support Beyonce and her video’s messages, advocating for racial equality and the freed black culture expression. People need to talk about these issues and not need a video to be prompted to do so. We need clear communication and understanding to drive future discussions on race, equality, and acceptance in this country.

[drcknowledgeandpower]

Racial Caucus

The Racial Caucus felt like we finally visualized the separation of race that occurs throughout this country. This is not necessarily a bad thing because each group has their own problems that need to be directly addressed by people in those groups. I was in the Asian group, and being able to talk to others of the same race really helped me see that I was not going through discrimination and related issues alone. They had all or mostly experienced some similar instance of prejudice, discrimination, or stereotyping. It was really surprising, however, that some had felt it since elementary school. I feel like I became more aware of my different skin color when I was ending elementary school and entering middle school. I had always had a mixed race friend group, but then I started being able to only have long discussions and felt comfortable around other Asians. I feel like many of us, especially those that are colored minorities, feel this transition in where we belong and who we are. The war, knowledge of hate groups like the KKK, and history even in the classroom all contribute to our awareness of being a different race. Now that I am in college, I want to re-diversify my friend group and see different perspectives instead of avoiding them.

For instance, I have friends that are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern, and we all get along. We see past our different skin colors but also respect that we will never be the same. My white friends cannot empathize about being “randomly checked” at the airport or being questioned about where I was “really” from. But they will stand up for me if others try to treat me this way. My black friends have taught me more about their culture by talking about their family history during slavery, the differences in the North and South, and the continued police violence against them. My Hispanic friends are currently concerned about Trump and his plan to “build a wall.” They feel like they are being heavily targeted today and do not know what their futures will be like in this country. My Asian and Middle Eastern friends are tired of being called “terrorists” and questioned about their culture, especially those that are Muslim.

People simply do not take the time to learn about various cultures and what they stand for. By separating into these racial caucus groups, we did exactly that and educated ourselves about what each of us has experienced due to our race. I really liked this activity and hope to further develop my understanding of different races through this class and my experiences outside of it.

[drcknowledgeandpower]

A Day Without Feminism

“If a girl gets herself pregnant, she loses her membership in the National Honor Society (which is still true today) and is expelled.”

This quote really struck me because I was in the NHS and I remember reading this when signing my acceptance. This rule is so outdated and completely ignorant. Are pregnant girls unworthy of being in the NHS, but were somehow worthy when they did not have a baby inside of them? A disadvantage women faced in education was being unable to join certain elite colleges like the Ivy League. Women during the ‘70s, with thorough schooling, could undoubtedly have been smart enough to get into these colleges. However, being the “wrong” gender prevented them from getting the recognition and respect they deserved in the academic world. There were many observations from the 1970s that made me feel like this time period was from centuries ago. Women were treated as sexual objects that tempted men instead of telling men not to target women. This essay could have included men that fought for women’s rights at the time, if there were any. It is important to recognize those who do not fit a generality. We are still working to resolve the NHS issue, abortion, and the jobs that women are expected to do versus what they want to do. Many women want to be able to have abortions, yet state laws prevent them from doing so. Furthermore, women are in professional fields but in not as many numbers as men, especially in the sciences. Race issue education is also a prevalent issue in today’s society, and not enough schools are focusing on teaching students about various cultures and their gender issues.