Final Blog

This weeks blog is a chance to reflect on women’s studies 250 as a whole. Over the course of the semester I had been introduced to many new topics and artworks to help define the topic of women’s studies for me. This class allowed me to further expand on some knowledge that I already new as well as teaching me many new topics.

            I came into the class with the idea that this class was mainly going to be about fighting for women’s rights and yes, we did discuss some women’s rights but the themes of the class were much more than that. We learned how women are portrayed negatively in advertisements, the Urban Bush Women’s “Batty Moves” portrayed African Americans bodies in a positive light, women experience oppression and privilege, we analyzed art work by Gloria Steinem, the Los Hilos De La vida Project, and were became aware of violence against transgenders in Boys Don’t Cry.

            Throughout the weeks of this course the one theme that I think is touches upon in all of the quilts, films, dances, novels, and visuals arts and especially within all of my blogs is the theme of oppression and privelege. In my opinion oppression and privilege can be the reason for stereotypes created against different groups of women. For example, most recently in the film Baghdad Burning Riverbend goes from being a privileged women with many rights equal to those of males to an oppressed female who can not do anything without a male family member by her side. Oppression and privilege is seen in the film Boys don’t Cry which I touched upon in my blog, it is seen in the documentary Killing Us Softly 4, as well as the quilts and the art works we saw at the National Museum in DC.

            This blog has allowed me to reflect on the course readings and lectures and ass my own opinion into each post. This class has allowed me to learn how to analyze art and taught me the various aspects of what is considered art. The formal elements of a piece such as the color and lines, metaphors and smiles, and the placing of dancers on stage help to tell the story of each piece of art and add to the analysis of each piece. This class expanded my knowledge past what I thought feminism and women’s rights were. I really enjoyed taking this course and have definitely learned a lot along the way. 

Blog #11

For this weeks assignment we read the book Baghdad Burning. This book portrays the blog of a 24 year old Iraqi woman named “Riverbend” telling her side of what was happening during the war against America. She shares her personal experiences a long with many other stories of the horrors taking place in Baghdad. As an American I had a one sided view of the war and this book opened by eyes to the other side.

            The media was also very influential in spreading their take on what was happening during the war. This blog gave us insight into the first hand experiences of the Iraqi people instead of the power hungry newscasters and political figures points of view.

            Riverbend starts the novel by explaining her life and how she has a college degree, and had a job but that has changed and she is now unemployed. In my opinion the war with America has been the hardest on the women. Women went from having 50% of jobs to most of them losing their jobs. Women also cannot go anywhere alone, they need a male with them at all times. I feel this is unfair to women. The Iraqi people live in constant fear everyday of bombs and raids. One thing that stuck out to me while reading was Riverbend’s description of raids of troops just storming into theirs homes and taking their belongings and destroying their homes while making them leave the house. Raids can also go terribly wrong if an Iraqi takes out a weapon many can end up dead or wounded. One instance Riverbend discusses is a time where a large tank was on the main road leading to their home and her and her family were afraid the entire night that they would raid their home and take their gold or someone will be hurt. It upset me that Riverbend was nervous to even put on her pajamas in the case that the troops would come into her home. Iraq is not only having troubles of being scared of raids and bombs, they have economic issues, schooling issues, and political issues.

            It is funny to me that Americans have had views about Iraqi people that are not always true. Many Americans believe that it is a custom of Iraqi people to marry their cousins, and that all women wear “veils” surrounding their entire face and head. These stereotypes of Iraqis are changed when Riverbent describes that many Iraqi women find their husbands in school and at work and are not related to one another. Marrying your cousin was a custom of the past and the times have changed drastically. Women also do not wear “veils” around their head. Although some do, most Iraqi women wear “hijabs.”

            Americans do not understand the struggles that took place in Iraq during the war until reading this blog. At the end of the novel I was intrigued when Riverbend stated “We have 9/11’s on a monthly basis. Each and every Iraqi person who dies with a bullet, a missile, a grenade, under torture, accidently—they all have families and friends and people who care. The number of Iraqis dead since march 2003 is by now at least eight times the number of people who died in the world trade center.” (p.286)

Blog #10

For this weeks class we watched the movie Boys Don’t Cry. This movie portrayed the life of a transgendered individual. Famous actress Hillary Swank plays the role of Brandon in this film. Brandon who is originally named Teena Brandon is a women with the gender identity of a boy.  Brandon finds himself in a small town in Nebraska where he finds a group of friends and falls in love with Lana. Brandon fits right in with the guys while drinking, smoking, and fighting with them. For once in Brandon’s life he has people that love him for who he believes he is an do not know that he is actually a woman. When his friends found out his life was changed forever. He was raped, beaten, and eventually murdered. In my opinion, this film embodied not only the story of Teena Brandon but the larger issue of gender identity crisis many are facing. This film opened my eyes to the reality that many are not accepted for who they believe they are. Brandon’s friends John and Tom were the ones who shot him after finding out about his true identity. They were not only upset that Brandon had lied to them but they were not accepting that Brandon had female body parts. One scene that really caught my attention was the rape scene. Brandon was brutally assaulted after exposing himself as a transgender. Although there were many scenes in this movie that made me feel uncomfortable when watching this scene portrays the bigger picture. Hate crimes occur often in our society and something needs to be done to prevent another murder like Brandon’s from occurring again.

The story of Boys Don’t Cry is based off of the true story of the real Teena Brandon. In the article written by Anderson we read about another film created to share the story of Teena Brandon. The documentary titled The Brandon Teena Story shared many interviews with those who dated Brandon during his life. One ex-girlfriend described Brandon as “Brandon was every woman’s dream- he knew how to treat a woman.” Brandon displayed all aspect of being a man and when girlfriend Lana found out he was actually a woman she still loved him for who he was. These two films are examples of hate-based violence.

Another article read this week was one written by Judith Halberstam. This article opened my eyes to what terms such as “transgendered” or “queer” really mean. It also opened my eyes to the realization that there are other ways of identifying yourself rather than a male, female, straight, gay, lesbian, or bi. Everyone has a way of defining themselves and we need to learn to be more accepting of this in our society.  This article also depicts Brandon Teena’s story and helps to explain the way Brandon presented himself as a man and how women chose him over men who women typically chose to be with. 

Blog 9 Response to Abby Moran

I agree with Abby that the museum gave me a better understanding of a wider variety of art work. I also do not understand who gets to choose what is appropriate and what is not. I also agree that artists should be able to express themselves and their feelings on controversial topics in our society. I also feel that there is a certain extent to which artists can go to not offend people but you can not always satisfy everyone. I am also in agreement that taking away the funding for these artists goes against their First Amendment rights which is not fair to these artists. censorship was also a main topic in our lecture this week and I agree with Abby that censorship shelters people from the truth. Censorship does not give everyone the diversity they should be exposed to in the world.

Blog #9

This week’s lecture focused on The Culture Wars, sponsorship and censorship in the United States. The Culture Wars deal with various pieces of artwork and artists. Many artists do not make enough money to cover their expenses and therefore are funded by wealthy individuals. Also many of the artists that we have focused on in women’s studies 250 receive funding. Art and politics are closely relates. They are connected through the flows of money. Art portrays topics that are political in society and conflicts arise over the funding of these types of artwork.

The “Culture Wars” are a series of debates about the politics of art. Many believe that there should be no funding of art that is offensive, pornographic, or against their religion. Artists retaliate by saying that taking away this money can be considered censorship. One specific instance in the culture wars that caught my attention was the NEA Four. John Frohnmayer, chair of he National Endowment for the arts, vetoed the grants to four artists Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, Tim Miller, and Jon Fleck. These artists are criticized for expressing themes of sexuality, promoting gay pride, and challenging social taboos. Art is a form of expression and while I feel that sometimes it needs to be regulated the funding for these artists to express their emotions and opinions should not be taken away because of censorship. In my opinion, censorship does not always allow us to have a diverse perspective if we are not exposed to other cultures and political topics through art and various other learning devices. I also really enjoy that our women’s studies class in particular embraces diversity and includes artists who are under the radar and not in the category of “great” and well-known artists. As a student, I feel this exposes me to more that there is in the world and allows me to grow and expand on that knowledge. A second part of the lecture I found very interesting was the article about Texas A&M students being able to opt out of funding the university’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered resource center if it conflicts with their religious beliefs. I do not agree with this law and I feel that all students no matter their sexuality deserve a place to get help and feel comfortable and that is what this resource center is for.

Also for this week we read an article written by Neil C. Patten. The first line caught my attention, “Political and artistic expressions are both ancient and symbolic endeavors.” Patten compares and contrast art and politics. The differences between the two are not very clear. Art is a form of expressing political actions and ideas. Another part that stuck out to me was, “It is said  [*562] that everything is political;  ⁿ¹¹ some critics, moreover, hold that anything is art.  ⁿ¹² If there is a difference then, this is it: all art is political, but not all political expression is artistic. Art and politics are very closely related. Patten also discusses our first amendment rights and that we should have the rights to express ourselves in any way and the government should not be able to take away those artistic rights through censorship. 

Response to Jaimee Schuster blog # 8

I agree with Jaimee that the painting "Portrait of a Young Boy" follows the theme that men are strong and violent. The young boy holding a rifle reiterates to young boys that they need to be strong. I also agree with Jaimee that Anna Ancher's painting "The Maid in The Kitchen" was different from most of ther other paintings. I also got the same message out of the painting that the women in the painting did not have time for herself but had time to take care of someone else's family. A last point I agree with Jaimee on is that the A World Apart exhibit was very easy to navigate through and each painting told a different story. This museum really helped to show the talents of women's artists and gave me a better interpretation of women's art rather than seeing it on the computer or in a brochure.

Blog 8

Our assignment for the class this week was to take a trip to the Women’s National Museum of Art in Washington, DC. This was a very intriguing experience for me and I enjoyed seeing many different pieces of artwork made my various artists come together to create an entire exhibit. This was not my first time going to this museum but each time I went I felt that I learned something knew and saw each piece of art in a different way.

            There were various pieces of art that stuck out to me while looking at the permanent exhibit but one in particular really caught my eye. This painting was A stroll on the beach by Michael Ancher in 1896. This painting seemed very simple to me as it used light pastel colors and the artist used shadows in the sand. It was not until I read the wall plaque that I discovered that this painting was made to perpetuate the new view of Skagen life by showing middle-class women enjoying the bucolic scenery.

            The current exhibit on display at the museum is A World Apard: Anna Ancher and the Skagen Art Colony, which is on display from February 15- May 12, 2013. While reading the brochure I learned that this exhibit was influences by the European art movements of Impressionism, Realism, Naturalism, and symbolism. They portrayed the lives of the people around them. One painting that I particularly noticed was A Field Sermon, 1903 by Anna Ancher. This picture in particular seemed to have darker colors than most painting which caught my attention. I originally thought that this painting depicted a religious ceremony and the facial expressions on the people seemed sad. My first interpretation was off and I learned that this painting was a depiction of a meeting of the Home Mission, a Lutheran evangelical movement that had many followers in Skagen, including the artist’s mother and sisters. Also while reading the wall plaque I learned that this was her largest painting and was awarded a silver medal from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1904. I also found it interesting that previously Ancher was not allowed to attend the Academy as a student because she was a woman.

            A third piece I found interesting was A-E-I-O-U and Sometimes Y by Mickalene Thomas. This piece was different than the ones featured in the exhibit because it was not done on an oil canvas. The artist of this painting used rhinestones in order to create an image to portray female beauty. The rhinestones help to draw attention to the features of the woman being portrayed. The pink background of the painting also reiterates the femininity of the piece. The artist of the piece liked to portray the identity of African American Women. Andy Warhol’s photo booth portraits also inspired this piece.

            Overall I had a very positive experience at the museum and I truly enjoyed interpreting and discovering the stories behind each piece of art work. 

Blog #7

In this weeks lecture and readings we focused on the art of dancing. Dance tells a story through the movements of ones body. The music, costumes, and moves all work together to share the stories of the Urban Bush Women. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar started the Urban Bush Women in 1984 with the sole purpose of sharing the stories and the history of disenfranchised people to light. The stories being told come from a woman’s perspective and aim to validate themselves as women, find social change, and build trust through dance.

            The first two videos I watched of the UBW were “Walking with Peal-African Diaries” and “Walking with Pearl-Southern Diaries.” Each of the videos had a different meaning. The women in the African diaries were all wearing colors and what seemed to me to be tribal costumes. There also seemed to be more talking in the background than loud music. Through the dance moves of the women you can see the emotions and the stories they are trying to get across. The women in the Southern diaries were all wearing dark brown costumes and dances more in unison. They also made louder noises with their movements using stomps and claps. The music was loud and the dance was at a much faster pace. Both of these videos expressed their own stories confronting stereotypes and prejudice through movement. One can see the pain and anger the women feel in both of the dances.

            Another video we focused on in the guided activity was “Batty Moves.” This video stuck out to me because the costumes seemed to be much different than the ones in the other videos. The women were dressed in tight black shorts, black tank tops, and a sweatshirt around their waist. The meaning behind this dance was explained in the article “Memory Walking with Urban Bush Women’s Batty Moves” The costumes they wore intended they were going to “kick butts!” One thing I found very interesting was that how each dancer elaborated on the basic deign of the song by interesting their own lyrics until the next one joined in. This allowed them to share their African heritage and also make their own identities clear.

            A second article we read this week was “Sexual Politics” This article focuses on how women are the main figures involved in dance and how many view it to be weird for a male to be a dancer. The article discusses how dance is a female rather than masculine pursuit. One quote that stuck out to me was one said by Isadora Ducan stating her art was “symbolic of the freedom of women and her emancipation from the hidebound conventions that arc the warp and wood of New England Puritanism.” Dance was a way for women to have something of their own. Dance was a way for them to express themselves and speak what they were thinking without having to use any words. Dance showed that women were free. Instead of women now being the underdogs, women were known for dancing. 

Response to Abby Moran blog #5

I agree with Abby that I didn’t understand the message of the song born this way until after listening to it again and reading this weeks lecture. I also agree with her that this song exemplifies the political philosophy that is used in today marriage equality debates. Lady Gaga is a very important figure in gaining gay civil rights. When Abby was explaining Alison being nicknamed “Butch” I realized that if this novel was not a graphic novel I would not have fully understood the way that Alison looked and dressed throughout her life. I also agree with Abby that the letter that Alison’s father wrote to her what in some what a way of him coming out of the closet to her. I also felt that Alison was not afraid of who she was and she was okay letting the world know that she was a lesbian.

Blog #6

In this weeks lecture and in the story “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel a common theme is noted in both. This theme is homosexuality. Being LBGTQ in our society has always been a controversial topic. Gay marriage is one of the largest debated issues in our country. Many people in our country feel that it is wrong to have sexual relations with someone of the same sex and are homophobic.

            Singing sensation Lady Gaga is one of the biggest and most well known icons for gay rights. Her song “Born this Way” exemplifies the common misinterpretation that people choose to be attracted to the same sex instead of being born with those feelings. The message I received from this song is that no matter what your sexuality might be you were born the way you are for a reason and deserve the same respect as those who are straight. One line that stuck out to me in the song was “Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied or teased. Rejoice and love yourself today 'Cause baby, you were Born This Way.” This line grabbed my attention because I realized the scrutiny that many LGBTQ people are receiving and that the world needs to change. We are all human beings and just because they are LGBTQ does not mean that they are an alien. The graphic images seen within the music video also grabbed by attention because it reiterated that lesbians and gays were born as fighters they are prepared for the hatred they are going to face and they a prepared to fight it head on.

            For this weeks class we were also supposed to read “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel. This book tells the story of her life growing up with her mother, father, and two brothers. They also live in a small town where the rest of the family lives and where her grandparents live at the family business, which is a funeral home. Alison describes her father as being abusive and demanding when she was a child and loved decorating the house. She also described his love for young boys. Alison later goes on to explain how she came out of the closet to her parents when she was in college and a few weeks later her father had “killed himself.” Alison could not help but to put blame on herself for her fathers death but later found out that her father had been having affairs with other men her entire life and his death could not possibly have been her fault. On page 85 she notices the resemblance between her father and Fitzgerald’s life and could not help but think that her father planned his death to parallel that of Fitzgerald’s. On page 86 she states, “But that would only confirm that his death was not my fault. That, in fact, it had nothing to do with me at all.” Alison described her troubles as a child having severe OCD and realized that she had been struggling with being a lesbian from the time she was 4 or 5. When she decided to come out she was very open about it and was able to come out so easily. Her father had been gay almost his entire life as well but never had the courage like his daughter to come out and say it. This graphic novel helps to reiterate what life is like for those who are LGBTQ and the images help to make the novel send a stronger message. It is ok to be gay, everyone is born the way they are for a reason. 

Response to Nicole Kloorfain's Blog #5

I really connected with Nicole's blog post this week because just like her photography I express myself through scrap books. Art helps to tell a story that sometimes you can not express in words. This also ties into the quilts that the women from Mexico made to tell the stories of their journeys crossing the border. Art is a form of self expression. I agree with Nicole that they poured their energies and frustrations into their quilts. Crossing the border was a struggle for them and the express their pain and hardships in their quilts. When I make my scrap books it is a way for me express my feelings and stories and memories that i want to keep with me forever. For me scrap booking is a positive experience but for the Mexican immigrants this art work is of terrible memories that they would not want to relive.

Blog #5

In this week’s lecture and readings there is a common theme amongst all. This theme is the struggles of immigration. Another common theme is the strive for a better life. After doing this weeks activity and reading these articles I have formed a better grasp on why America is considered a melting pot. The Mexican and Latino people have brought their own creativity and heritage into America and fitting themselves right in to help create the America we have today.

In the Los Hilos de la Vida I was introduced to the creative artwork of the Mexican people that helped express their journey into America and the struggle they faced along the way. In the three quilts I analyzed one common theme stuck out to me. This theme was, there is no turning back. In the two quilts “Death Lives in the Desert” and “Mexican/American Dream” a common image was the image of death. In both quilts death was shown as one of the struggles in crossing the border. Many knew that death could be an option when approaching the border but many fought through it and ended up living the American Dream. In “Death Lives in the Desert” death is portrayed as a figure in the desert that was bigger than everyone else and in “Mexican/American Dream” death is portrayed in the river where many dead bodies were floating. I found it very interesting that these quilts could express such amazing stories through the colors, images, lines, and shapes these artists used. The persistence and determination for a better life for their families is truly displayed in these quilts.

The activity Los Hilos de la Vida and the article “Everyday Use” have a common theme of quilting. This article shows how women struggling for a better life after immigration found hope when quilting. Quilting was something that could be done by people from all different classes, races, and levels of education. On page 16 of the article it states “as such, it asserted and conveyed values of continuity, stability and tradition- all useful values in a country of immigrants and of geographic mobility.” These quilts were bigger than just the individual stories of each person or family. These quilts connected all of their stories and expressed their hardships as a united group of people.

A second article we read this week was “Ana’s Choice” by Patricia Zavella. This story connects to the other readings and the activity because it discusses a story of a Mexican family migrating to America by crossing the border. Ana and Jose Garcia wanted to get away from their lack of job opportunities and the poverty they were facing in Mexico. They knew it would be too long to wait for legal immigration because “since the waiting list for Mexicans seeking U.S. immigrant visas can be as long as 20 years, the couple couldn’t wait for authorization.” They were scared and afraid but knew what had to be done. While reading this article it reminded me of the two quilts from the activity because Ana’s mother says to her “these eyes that see you now will not see you return.” Ana’s story along with the two quilts have a common theme of there is no turning back and those that you love you may never see again. This article also opened my eyes to the difference between family stage migration and mixed-status migration. This article helps to strengthen the idea that immigrants only come to this country illegally in hope for a better life for themselves and to be able to support for their children.

A final article read this week was “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” by Alice Walker. This article also connected with the rest of the reading this week and the activity. This article focused on what life was like for black women in the post-reconstruction era in the south. This article focused on how black women were slaves and had no rights to freedom and creativity. This article focused on the struggles of the black women. 

Response to Jaimee Schuster Blog #4

I agree with Jaimee on various of the points that she made in this weeks blog. I agree with Jaimee that a disability is what everyone makes out of it. It does not just effect the person with the disability it effects everyone around them. Everyone in the world is perceived in a different way. I also agree with Jaimee that if Barbie was a real human that her body would not be a normal human body. It would not be healthy to look the way Barbie does in real life. I also agree with Jaime that just because someone has a disability does not mean they are dependent on another person. A disability is something that many people can handle on their own and those that care about them and support them are usually the ones who help to take care of them if they need it. Women can survive without men. Women do not need to be seen as disabled because they do not have a man in their life. Frieda is a great example of not letting a man take over her life. Frieda stays true to herself even through the hard times of her husband always cheating on her. I also agree with Jaimee's point that Frieda is the perfect example of a disabled woman. She proves that she does not need a man in order to be strong.

Blog #4

Instead of reading a lecture for class this week we were assigned to watch the movie Frida. In many art classes and my Spanish class in eleventh grade I have seen and heard about the paintings of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera but, I did not know their story. I was very interested in this movie to see the story of Kahlo and Rivera. Frida Kahlo is a prime example of a woman who strives for what she believes in and does not let her disabilities stop her from achieving her dreams. Frida had a love for drawing and painting and even after her tragic trolley accident that left her stuck in bed for long periods of time she was able to create images that expressed emotions that many were feeling but not able to express. Frida was exemplified a strong woman. Frida knew her husband what not being faithful to her but she kept her head high and stuck by his side in New York City. It was not until she found Diego sleeping with her sister that she had the courage to leave him. Her strength, courage, and emotion, and her disabilities allowed her to create more and more images that would later become very well known.

There is a clear connection between the movie Frida and the article “Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory,” by Garland-Thomson. The connection between the two is the theme of disabilities. On page 75 of the Garland-Thomson article it is stated that, “Feminist disability theory addresses such broad feminist concerns as the unity of the category woman, the status of the lived body, the politics of appearance, the medicalization of the body, the privilege of normalcy, multiculturalism, sexuality, the social construction of identity, and the commitment to integration.” Many of these topics are addressed in the movie Frida. A few examples are Frida is physically disable after the trolley accident and has to undergo many surgeries throughout her life, she is unable to have children and miscarries during her pregnancy, she is also not very attractive and has a uni-brow which is considered a disability, and sexually she had the disability of cheating on her husband with other men and she is also attracted to the opposite sex which in that period of time is considered to be a disability.

One part of the article we read that I found to be very interesting is on page 78 where it states woman are “mutilated males.” Woman are always seen as second class to men. The article also discusses how woman are considered physically disabled compared to men and men who “throw like a girl” are also considered to have a disability. This is something that always angers me because I played three varsity sports throughout high school and as good as my teams were or no matter how much better shape I was in compared to a lot of the guys I was friends with, the girls teams were still seen as lower and not as important as the guys teams. I feel that stereotypes against genders shouldn’t also be considered disabilities because women are just as able to play physical sports as men and are sometimes even better then them at various sports. 

Blog #3

After this weeks lecture the social classes in the United States became much more apparent to me. I was intrigued by the concept that we have the highest income inequality among first world nations. There are many people in our society who do not have any money at all and are living in the street while those in our society who have a lot of money just keep on getting more. I feel there needs to be a better divide between income and those that are poor who try hard to find work and gain an income should be rewarded. Another thing that caught my eye was that in the terrible economic problems our country is having those who have the money seem to be getting richer while the poor seem to be getting poorer. Why is this happening? I also feel that our society mirrors that of what Marx-Engels wrote about the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie had power over the proletariat and they did not pay them the full value of their labor. I feel that is also happening in our society today where business owners and managers are making a lot of money while their workers are making just above minimum wage when they should be getting more. I can connect this to my summer job as a lifeguard. For an 18 year old girl I am definitely being paid a decent amount to be a lifeguard at the beach but I sometimes feel that I am not being paid enough. My salary is based on a weekly basis for working 6 days a week an not on an hourly wage when I work 8 hours a day. My salary ends up being slightly above minimum wage when it should be much higher for the amount of work that I do. I think many businesses are trying to get away with paying their workers less than they deserve.

I understand that in the topic of gender women are seen as lower and less important compared to men, but women are also experiencing this in the economy. One part of the lecture that really grabbed my attention was about the deserving and undeserving poor. Who is responsible for deciding if someone is deserving or undeserving of being poor? I believe that no one deserves to be poor but the division of making someone deserving and undeserving should not be based on race, ethnicity, and gender. The image of the Migrant Mother With Three Children in fact does help make a clearer understanding of the deserving poor. This mother left the Great Plains during the time of the dust bowl in order to find work in California to support her children. This image helps to express that there are many single women in our society and during the time of the dust bowl that are desperately trying to support their families they just might need a little help from others in order to do so.

This weeks reading Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, takes place in 1937 in New Hampshire. The novel relates to this weeks lecture because it focuses on different social classes within society at the time. The novel focuses on Selena a character considered to be in the lower class and Allison Mackenzie a character considered to be in the middle class. Not only does this novel help to paint a picture of what is going on socially at the time it also focuses on many topics relating to women such as rape and violence. 

Response to Nicole Kloorfain Blog #2

Similarly to Nicole, One Tree Hill is one of my favorite televisions shows and I completely agree that Brooke Davis helps to show that women can become successful. Brooke Davis exemplified the stereotypical popular high school girl that many aspire to be but what most young girls do not realize is that even popular people have difficult lives. The later seasons of this show can connect to the article we read called Feminine Mystique because Brooke Davis does not want to be a full time stay at home mom that does not work. Brooke is passionate about her work and finds a way to be there for her new born sons and be able to maintain her fashion line that she is so in love with. I find it great that television shows help us to understand many aspects of what goes on in society and while some televisions stick to the social norms and the usual stereotypes of males and females, other shows help to show that it is okay to not fit these stereotypes.

Blog #2

As a woman in today's society it is very interesting to me to see what women in our past have done to gain us the rights we now have. The different waves of rights also caught my attention. It is crazy for me to think that at one point in time women could not even speak up for what they believed in. It is because of the waves of women's rights that have happened in our past that bring women to what they are today. I could not even imagine a time where women could not speak publically and be able to get their point across. In today’s society most women speak publically for their profession and there are many women who are also in the public eye.

After the past few lectures and all of the readings there is one book that always seems to pop into my mind, which is The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynn, the main character in the book is exiled from society and has to walk around with a scarlet "A" pinned to her chest. I feel it is always the woman who gets criticized for making a mistake with a man rather than a man making a mistake with a woman. A Woman is usually the one to lose their friends while men are cheered on by theirs and their mistake is easily put in the past. This story follows closely to the stereotypes that are given to men and women in our society. In this scenario women can be seen as the oppressed citizen in society.

One reading from this week that truly caught my attention was “Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan. This reading talked about what it was like for women to be considered feminine in society. Women who were feminine were housewives and did not aspire to have a career. It amazes me that women did not live for themselves back then, they lived to get married at a very young age and were taught how to be the perfect housewife. Women then could not do anything for themselves. When I was younger my mom was a stay at home mom and was always there to be the typical “house mom” but now in the bad economy I am grateful that she was able to get a great education and be able to go back to work to help provide more for my family than she was already providing. Why is it that there is this stereotype that women are meant for the house and not to be out in the work force? Women are completely capable of doing the same jobs as men and men should also be able to take care of their families and help with the house hold chores. Another aspect of the article that I found interesting was that women refused to do things that were unfeminine to them. If women then were worrying about what made them appear unfeminine then the actions taken by women today are to an entire new level. 

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The video Still Killing Us Softly 4, by Jane Killbourne is a reminder for most women that controlling images do exist. Although these images and stereotypes are extreme they appear in pretty much all advertisements in our every day lives. The video by Jane Killbourne truly displays the differences in how males and females are portrayed in advertisements and movies. Women are portrayed as skinny beautiful girls. I feel that you don’t need to be anorexic with a face full of make up to be beautiful but most young girls in today’s society feel that they have to because of what they see in advertisements. These advertisements are selling more than just the product there are trying to promote there are selling an image. I find it interesting that while you may think many celebrities love the way they look in advertisements, they don’t. They feel that the advertisements are giving a false image of themselves and they are ashamed of that. They love what they look like naturally and not they way that Photoshop portrays them to look. I don’t understand what the creators of these advertisements have in mind when they create the “perfect” woman on these advertisements. Do they realize they are causing young women to become something they are not? I hope that one day advertisers will realize some of the damage they are creating.

Another article that really caught my attention was “How Big is Big Enough.” Usually women are the ones spoken about as objects to men but in the television show Sex and the City it is the opposite. Four females are the main characters of the show and talk about men in the same way that men talk about women, which most people would have thought was unusual. This television show draws on the topics of privilege and oppression. The men in this show are ranked based on their class, race, economic status, their sexuality, and many other things. This show portrays that there are many different men in our society and there are different ways to view someone as manly or masculine. 

Also in the readings and in class we discussed the controlling images surrounding men. Men are portrayed as strong and powerful. They are many stereotypes surrounding men. One article that really fascinated me was the article about the Newton school shooting. Most school shootings occur when a white young male is angry. A stereotype for males is to be violent and the school shootings that occurred in Sandy Hook and in Columbine help to confirm this stereotype. But also in a way it makes us believe that all white young men are angry and violent when in fact they probably aren’t. From a young age boys believe they are supposed to be strong and most that are emotional hide their emotions until it is too much to keep inside and they become angry and could take that anger out on their peers with a gun. I feel that men should know it is okay to be emotional and they do not always have to be so tough.

Edited/Commented by Alexis Levy:

I agree strongly with what you had said about the Still Killing Us Softly 4 movie.  I also wonder if the creators of these advertisements realize the impacts it has on people, especially women.  They should definitely re-evaluate their definition of "beauty."  In addition, men shouldn't be portrayed as superior to women.  These thoughts are subconsciously drilled into boys heads starting at a young age and sometimes its effects are negative.  Just like you had mentioned, the article, "Why Won’t We Talk about Violence and Masculinity in America?" discusses how young boys believe that they are supposed to be strong and hide their emotions, which should not be the case.  Releasing those emotions in a healthy way can be a positive thing and they should learn that instead.

Comments from Abby Moran: 

Jenni,

I agree with your statement that controlling images do exist in our society. Because of the images seen in magazines, women believe that it’s necessary to be perfect. However, I believe that there is no such thing as perfect. Everyone has flaws and these flaws should be embraced, not hidden. The Dove Evolution commercial proves that the images of the women portrayed in advertisements aren’t real, they’re photoshopped. You also commented on the issue of weight. In today’s society, we are only taught that skinny is beautiful. I did a psychology project last year about beauty and I focused on the aspect of weight. After the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, twitter was filled with posts about having to go to the gym and not eat in order to look like the women in the fashion show. It’s a shame that this is what our society has come to.