Don't Mess With Her

This clip from Miss Congeniality is the transforming moment when agent Hart goes from a rough female to a groomed lady. Though she does not exactly embrace her femininity by any stretch of the imagination, she does use her body to get behind the scenes of a beauty pageant. Hart describes that despite the hairspray and wax, she is still armed and dangerous. No amount of beauty products will cover up her tough side. Throughout the movie, this FBI agents shows time and again that beauty is not what makes a woman. Her smarts and kick butt attitude saves the day at the Miss United States Pageant.
David Gauntlett describes the role of beautiful, aggressive women in his chapter Representations of Gender Today. He draws on the Charlies Angels movies and how they combine beauty and action in the three main female characters. Current movies make a big deal about women using their bodies for kick-butt action and sexy lore. Why is this so monumental in the film world? Haven't men been portrayed as sexual beings with some serious action? Let us take Harrison Ford for example. Even in the most action packed scenes he is able to loose his shirt. He saves the day and displays his well toned body to the public. Is it so shocking that women are portrayed in a similar manner?

van Zoonen's three feminisms

Liesbet van Zoonen defines three degrees of feminism in her chapter regarding Feminist Perspectives on the Media. Liberal, radical, and socialist are the three degrees of feminism outlined in this chapter. In the section regarding liberal feminism, van Zoonen argues that the media portrays women as either practicing the traditional roles of the gender or as a "sex-object." This view is very similar to Barker's comment on how women are either "housewives" or "sexy bodies." Both authors agree that these are the two jutxaposed viewpoints that are represented in media. As I have argued in an earlier blog, both views can be melded into one image in the media to portray an empowerment of women. However, for the sack of van Zoonen's argument of liberal feminism, we must examine this perspective of feminism. She argues that women should move towards equal opportunities within the labor world. Also, the mass media should attempt to blur the lines of gender roles and create overlapping images. By not using gender bias language and images, women will be able to gain equality within society.
The radical feminism argues the basis of biological roles of gender. Since the time of Adam and Eve, man has been summoned by God to dominate woman. This is due to the fall and sin of man. Therefore, the position of a man or woman is predetermined by the genetic make-up of his or her biological make-up. Radical feminism challenges these notions of biological domination and encourages women to fight the genetic bias. However, this is only an ideal society for women. Being radical, it implies that it focuses on the extreme end of the societal change for women's rights. Basically, there is no room for men in the radical feminist world.
The final degree of feminism is the socialist aspect. Socialist feminism hones in on the bigger picture of gender. It does not solely focus on the narrow lens of genetics or domination, but broadens its spectrum to issues such as economics and societal hierarchy. This aspect focuses on the equal distribution of labor and monetary gain so that men and women are equal at the end of the day. This allows for a more mutual platform to nurture the family. In other words, men and women work equally outside the home so that they can be equal participants inside the home. In this area of feminism, both men and women will be responsible for nurturing the children, taking care of the home, and being the outside representation of the family.

Feminism

Chris Barker describes seven angles of feminism in his chapter Sex, Subjectivity, and Representation. In his chapter there are seven categories in which to define feminism. At first this may seem a little extreme to divide the area of feminism into so many sections. However, the term is broad enough that this is an appropriate measure to take. The first subheading in the text combines two of the groupings of feminism. He links liberal and socialist feminism together to say that they can be seen as two similar angles. Liberal feminism examines the cultural and socio-economic aspects of gender instead of the biology of the sexes. Barker adds socialist feminism into the same paragraph as liberal because it contrasts the ideas of gender in a society. He says that a socialist perspective sees women as cheap labor for a culture. The next category of feminism given by Barker is the difference feminism. This type of feminism focuses on the equality of the genders within a culture. However, some have argued that this particular type of feminism does not create equality, but overcompensates for the inequality of the past. The next two forms of feminism are black and postcolonial feminism. These angles look at women from other cultures and how they have been influenced not only by male domination, but white domination. Therefore, postcolonial women are oppressed more than their white sisters. This angle of feminism focuses on the idea that postcolonial women have different desires and goals within the feminist fields than white women. The poststructuralist feminism deals with the issue of sex and gender being a “social and cultural construction.” In other words, the two exist simultaneously and therefore one cannot exist without the other. The last area of feminism to examine is postfeminism. Despite all the progress women have made throughout the years to gain equal rights, there is still much to be done. As long as we live in a society with a history of male domination, gender will live with that stigma for a long time. For now, “postfeminism stresses the ability of women to make personal choices.”

Television - the leading model

In episode 7 of the first season of Desperate Housewives, Lynette throws a dinner party for her husband and his co-workers. She does this so Tom can pitch a proposal in the comfort of his own home. However, since Lynette was also a successful business woman in the advertisement field, she begins to take over and wow the guests with her ideas. This particular scene demonstrates that Lynette was a successful and powerful woman in the career field. Now as a mother, she is trying to keep up with the "Bree VanDacamps" of the housewife world. (Bree is another character on the show who is the "perfect" woman with the pristine home.) Lynette discovers that she was more successful as a career woman than as a mother. She is frustrated that she is failing in the role of a mother and woman.

David Gauntlett describes how it was accepted in the 60's - 80's for women to work until the birth of their first child. When the woman and her husband began a family, it was the cultural norm for her to quit her job and be a full time housewife. Therefore, there are certain expectations of women as soon as they becomes mothers. Many women, including Lynette in the show, feel they are failures when it comes to the job given to them by nature. Later on in this same episode Lynette breaks down because she believes she has failed as a mother. She sees her friends with the perfect home and perfect children and wonders why she cannot have the same. She feels alone and incompetent in a role so many other women make look easy.

In looking at this scene with Lynette and two other characters, why is it that women have this heavy expectation on them as mothers? Gaye Tuchman, in her book The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media, describes how while other forms of media like magazines have evolved with the time as far as the female image, television still remains the leading depiction of the model housewife. Television bombards women with a powerful housewife image that they are expected to uphold. Like the show Desperate Housewives, all of the women represent different approaches to the same message - women ultimately become housewives. Will this image ever fade from our television? Will this medium eventually show women as men's equals in the business world?

He's the Man

For the most part, it is the women of society who have gotten most of the attention in regards to media influence. As many of my blogs have shown, gender (mainly the female sex) is one of the hot topics in the media. But what about the men? What does their identity look like now? With the feminist movements, women have gained the right to vote, a higher education, and therefore jobs that can provide for the family. The traditional roles of gender has been that the woman is the bearer and nurturer of children and the man provides for the family. Now that woman's role has been redefined, has a man's roles been altered? Do the men in our culture have to adjust their societal expectations? Who really has the authority to decide on the roles of gender? David Gauntlett, in his book Media, Gender, and Identity describes the "male crisis" in the first two chapters of his text. He also discusses who has the power - the media or the people? Is it really the media who decides the roles of gender or is it really a creative reflection of the culture? I have asked mostly questions in this blog, but isn't that where a conversation starts? With all of these questions, I am really aiming at the evaluation of a particular advertisement. Really look at this advertisement for absolut vodka. What are they really selling? - alcohol or a lifestyle? Who are they selling to? What does this say about the media's relation in regards to the "male crisis" discussed in Gauntlett's book. How dramatized is this ad?

http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/Absolutpregnant.jpg
Personally, as amusing as this ad is, I think it is very dramatized. Looking from a female perspective, what woman wouldn't like to give up some of the physical inconveniences of pregnancy? Ladies, let's be honest, men get the better part of the whole birthing process! Is this advertisement a fun spin or a commentary to illustrate how far women have gone from the maternal environment? I am not an anti-feminist by any means. I am currently a college student seeking a professional degree myself and hoping to secure a full-time job. However, I also realize that biologically I am the one who is able to carry the children who will one day create my family. My husband is unable to fulfill that part of our marriage. That is just nature; there is no qualms, just facts. As women, we need to pursue great things, but also honor and cherish the men in our lives when they fall under the "male crisis."

Belle and Mulan ...Disney's Heroines!

In his article Are Disney Movies Good For Your Kids?, Henry Giroux tears apart Disney's animated movies to prove how they are inappropriate for children in regards to race and gender. Though he makes many fascinating and provoking points, I have to disagree with him on a few areas regarding Disney's female characters. In the previous blog I referenced three women who may not be the best role models. Now I am going to defend the overarching theme of Giroux's article by providing my thoughts on two great women in the Disney films.
In the article, Giroux provides excellent examples that elevate Belle as a model heroine for young girls. However, to keep to his article I believe he takes a few low blows. He does give her credit for looking beyond Gaston's manliness and seeing the true beauty in the beast. However, even with his strong statements about this lady, he concludes that "Belle simply becomes another woman whose life is valued for solving a man's problems." Ouch! That is a bit of a stretch (in my humble opinion of course). This was a particular jab for me since Belle has been my hero since the movie was released in theaters. I believe she is one of the strongest examples of a Disney woman because she rejects the attractions of a masculine suitor and denies herself what most women would consider a wonderful life. If she had married Gaston, she would have been well provided for and have the town's "best man" as her husband. However, she would not settle and instead saved a spoiled man from a lifetime of captivity as a beast. In return she marries a prince who adores her for who she truly is. Now the happily-ever-afters don't get much better than that! (In my humble opinion of course). What did Giroux expect Belle to do after she save the beast by loving him? - reject him and live a life on her own? That is even less realistic than singing teacups.
Now for Mulan. She basically single handily wipes out most of the Hun army with an avalanche. All of this was so her father, who was very old at the time, would not have to fight in the war. Can we say kick butt heroine? The female warrior does not really get much better than that! Mulan is a woman who defends her father, her family honor, and saves the emperor from the Hun leader. I believe she deserves to 'get the guy' in the end. Yes we can chalk it up to another Disney happily-ever-after, but it is not like she ate a bad apple or pricked her finger. She actively saved not only her own life, but defended all of China.

Gender in Disney

For the most part, we have all grown up singing "Be Our Guest" and "Hakuna Matata." However, what do these animated films teach us about the roles of gender? Though this question could be applied to every Disney movie, I will stick with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves for the sake of space in this blog entry.

The Little Mermaid can be misleading in its value of the heroine. Ariel's fight for freedom can be seen as a typical teenage rebellion. However, if one looks closer to the film, they will see her constantly in the shadow of a male figure. In the beginning it is her father who dominates her surroundings. He is the king of the merpeople, her father, but most importantly a man. He has control over her and sends another male (Sebastian) to watch over her. Ariel wishes to see the surface. However, she becomes more persistent in her quest to be human when she meets Prince Eric. It is because of this man that she pursues her desire for the surface. So in reality she is really jumping from one male figure to the next.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is another example of a female solely dependent on a male figure. First, Snow White is saved from the evil Queen because of the sympathy of a man. He refuses to kill an innocent princess and risk his own neck. It is because of his generosity that she is able to escape into the woods and into the mercy of another race of men. The dwarves take in the scared princess and attempt to defend her from the evil Queen. However, when that fails, it is the handsome prince who saves her from death by poisoned apple. Let’s say Snow White is not exactly the model heroine for today’s girls.

The last example that I will examine in this blog, though there are so many more to be discussed at a later time, is Aladdin. Like Ariel, Jasmine is another example of a girl rebelling against her father for freedom from a sheltered life. She escapes the confines of her palace life only to find herself in danger with a male merchant. Aladdin rescues her in the market place. When she returns to the palace, her father attempts to force more suitors upon her. Though she bravely denies them to gain her own free will, she ends up in the arms of Aladdin for a happily-ever-after. Though I personally believe Jasmine to be a fairly courageous heroine, Henry Giroux agues in his article Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids? that Jasmine is just another example of a woman whose life is defined by a man. However, my argument on the case will be saved for another entry.

homosexuality in the media

One of my college friends made a comment that ABC was attempting to up their ratings by incorporating homosexuality. Just this past season (2008-2009) Grey's Anatomy altered the sexual orientation of a main character. Originally, she was married to one of the male interns. However, after her divorce, she began to have a homosexual relationship with another female surgeon. The show Desperate Housewives featured a single episode where the women on wisteria lane shared their encounters with homosexual fantasies or interactions with homosexual co-workers. What was the purpose of these choices by the directors? Was it really to "up ratings" like my college friend claims, or is it a true reflection of the cultural acceptance of homosexual orientation. The media attempts to keep up with our changing society. Is this their interpretation of our culture? Is it because homosexuality is a hot topic to boost ratings or simply a display of more accepted lifestyles? I will leave that for you to decide.

How is the family unit portrayed in media?

Television shows attempt to portray what an American family looks like. Though there are some exceptions, television attempts to be a lens for American families. The nuclear family (i.e. a male parent and a female parent with children) is the norm for a family unit. This is truer for older television shows such as Seventh Heaven, Meet the Beavers, and many others. However, television is becoming more risque within their portrayal of the family unit. My question when I read this idea is this - Is television really breaking the mold of the "normal" family or molding into the family units of the twenty-first century. During a survey of middle school and high school students, a study has shown that only approximately 5 percent of children live in a family made up of two people who are their biological parents. In other words, only 5 percent of American families consist of two parents and two children. Wow! Think about that. Can we really condemn television for portraying the "family unit" that is indeed a fair reflection of the twenty-first century? A few examples: Two and a Half Men - two brothers raising a young boy and the father sometimes attempting to hook up with the woman he divorced. How about Everybody Loves Raymond. Though it does show a man with a wife and children, it also portrays a man who has not followed the culturally accepted lifestyle of marriage and family because he lives at home with his parents. What about the media's interpretations of the "normal nuclear family?" Two that come to mind are the Simpsons and Family Guy. What do these television shows reflect in regards to the family unit? Is there any values left, within the lens of media, in regards to a nuclear family?

Langauge as a foundation for culture

Language is the fundamental resource of communication between cultures. Rather the medium be through vocal presentation (speech), body language, writing, or sign language; communication, in one form or another, is crucial for a community of human beings. Barker outlines two central themes that outline the basis of language within a culture. The first is that language is the formation of meaning through a particular medium or mediums. The second is that this meaning, formed through language via a certain medium, creates a knowledge to be gained by the members of a community. It is up to the people of the culture to determine the set rules for a language and its meaning. The development and the medium of language are crucial for communication to be successful. Language is a defining element that separate humans from most animals. Though all animals have forms of communications, it is arguable that humans have the most sophisticated and developed language. Basically, the core of human communication and meaning is rooted within the foundations of language.

What do advertisements really sell?

Only the first 3 minutes and 11 seconds are going to be important in this blog.

For those of you who are not familiar with this file (Mona Lisa Smile), it is set in the 50's at Wellesley College (An all women's college in Massachusetts). Julia Robert's character makes two crucial points within this scene. The first is that history/ time has a powerful influence on the roles of gender. Second, Julia Robert's character illustrates the power of media as a lens for gender as well as how it assists the recording of the anthropological ideology of the culture. In Chris Barker's chapter on "Questions of Culture and Ideology," he reference's Raymond William's views on "cultural materialism." The specific idea that I am referring to is that "the purpose of cultural analysis is to explore and analyze (sic) the recorded culture of a given time and place.... At the same time, we need always to be aware that cultural records are part of a selectively preserved and interpreted 'tradition'." Basically, Williams is saying that the identity of culture depends greatly on the time. The cultural ideology of the Middle Ages is going to vastly differ from our own due to the time and location of the two cultures. In the movie Mona Lisa Smile, the ideology of women was slowly shifting from the rigid housewife roles to allowing a woman to expand her potential within the guidelines of society. During the time of the movie, it was a rather significant opportunity for women to be able to attend an institution of higher learning. However, Julia Robert's character, Miss Watson, expected a greater progression for women in this conservative New England culture. Throughout the film, this character is constantly fighting the confines of tradition.

The second and dominant point in this particular clip is the anthropological ideology associated with women in the fifties. Barker describes the influence of advertisements on the culture. "Textual and ideological analysis of advertising stressed the selling not just of commodities but also of ways of looking at the world. The job of advertising was to create an 'identity' for a product amid the bombardment of competing images by associating the brand with desirable human values. Buying a brand was not only about buying a product. It was also about buying into a lifestyle and values." Is not this quote true regarding the clip as well as our own culture? What is an advertisement really selling us - the product or a lifestyle? We buy the product with the hope that the 'good' connotations associated with the desired object will enhance our identity within society. Essentially, we are really 'buying' the connotations with the perk of the product. For example, in the film clip the first advertisement shows a women and a canned product. What is the advertisement really selling - a product or the image of women? Miss Watson describes how these advertisements stand as a record of women during that era. Therefore, advertisements not only reinforce gender stereotypes, but also embed historical representations of cultural ideology within the confines of media.

"Housewives or sexy bodies"

"Representations of gender in advertising, which depict women as housewives or sexy bodies alone, reduce them to those categories." Chris Barker, in his book Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, reflects on the portrayal of females in "popular culture." He analyzes the importance of power in society and who has the authority within that culture. The majority of cultures revolve around a patriarchal society. Therefore, Barker's statement of women's portrayal in media parallels the reality of the patriarchal mindset and attitudes. Women are forced to submit to their husbands within the context of these traditions and become confined to Barker's concept of a woman being either "housewives or sexy bodies." The question becomes is Barker correct? You could find several examples of the media breaking that female mold, but for the most part the account is accurate. The specific example that came to mind when I first read this statement by Barker was the current television show Desperate Housewives. Mark Cherry, the director of the show, creatively combines both of Barker's opposing elements of femininity into a sassy season of witty women. These ladies use their domestic and sexual natures to manipulate the men around them and therefore reverse the possession of power. Each woman represents a different stereotype of the gender. One is a prim and proper housewife, another is a promiscuous middle aged lady, another is a clueless women always between men, another is a spoiled city supermodel, another is a power-hungry business woman, and another is a perky perfectionist. These six women tamper with the distribution of power in a comical way through the lens of the media.

Later in his book, Barker goes on to say that "... feminism is centrally concerned with sex as an organizing principle of social life where gender relations are thoroughly saturated with power." (This quote is taken from his section on feminism describes the struggle of gender and power.) Though this is not a new issue by any means, women have obtained the freedom to speak more openly in regards to equal authoritative distribution. However, before Barker explores the area of feminism and media relations, he presents a fascinating section on the Freudian analysis of sexual maturity and subconscious gender tendencies. As I approached this section of the text, I considered this question: What determines our sexual nature? Freud argues that it is the natural bond between a mother and her child. The first object in a child's life is his or her mother. Therefore, that is the first and strongest attachment a baby makes after leaving the womb. The first step is adapting an identity. Consequently, identities are formed around concepts that are the most familiar to us. In other words, a child identifies with its mother before any other being. The infant's desire for the maternal figure is so strong that the child will grow to obtain that being and the identity that goes along with that person. Barker says that, "the child wants to 'be' the mother and to 'possess' the mother." For instance, a boy child will develop with the fundamentals of the characteristics of the mother. After a period of time, he will realize his place as a man in society. However, he will still yearn for his mother even though it is culturally taboo for the child to desire anything more than child-like affection. Therefore, the boy turns to the father for guidance as he becomes a man. His identity has now transfered to the father even though he still embraces the ideals of a mother's love. Also, the male child realizes that it is the man or nature of the Phallus to possess power. The child is drawn to that desire for power and so follows the example of his father as he matures. However, the sexual maturity process for female children does not shift as much in terms of identity. The girl cannot 'be' her mother nor can she shift her identity to the masculine. Therefore, the female is caught between the parental identities and must find a compromise. A female realizes that she cannot possess the power because of her lack of a Phallus. Therefore, she seeks to regain some power by conceiving a male child through the Phallus of another man. She earns her power through a child - usually a boy. Now this Freudian analysis may seem rather outdated, but these principles are very prominent in other countries and still remain true in our culture's subconscious. Returning to the illustration of the show Desperate Housewives, the women use their sexuality to control their men. Just because they lack a Phallus does not mean they cannot use their sexuality to gain what they want. These housewives use their sexuality to gain the power of the Phallus. Also, these women on Wisteria Lane nurture the children that they have conceived from their husbands. The offspring represent the bond of marriage and their ability to identify with their mother by begetting a child of their own and then becoming the object of their child's love. Basically, they are repeating the cycle.

Though Freud makes a fascinating case, as it is presented in Chris Barker's text, I wonder if our culture does not encourage these behaviors by predisposing the children to set gender characteristics. Let us consider for a moment a couple who is expecting a child. Do they not prepare a child's room a certain way after finding out the sex of the child? If it is a girl, the couple is likely to paint the nursery pink with frilly blankets and a princess border. A boy would never have such a room in this twenty-first century society. His room would be blue with sports or sail boats. Though these ideas may seen extreme, you understand my point. Our society sets certain expectations of gender from an early age. The media just reflects and accentuates on these standards.