This blog project was the first time I had gotten my feet wet in the vast sea that is the blog-o-sphere. I thoroughly enjoy writing on my free time, so it was beneficial to be forced to creatively combine my already established feminist critique on EVERYTHING with concepts I was learning in this class. The readings were fantastic and very informative in the context of being able to connect them to specific examples in popular culture.
A couple of problems I encountered: I am not a movie buff and I don't own a television, I watch a select few shows and documentaries on netflix and that's about it. I have spent the last three years of my life purposely keeping my intake of media and pop culture to a minimum for many reasons. This became an issue as I was writing the blog entries because I found myself needing to "catch-up" on popular culture. I wanted all of my references to be as current as possible, so I spent a lot of time searching for the latest music videos, flipping through Cosmo magazines, etc.. This led me to become really overwhelmed with the multitude of things I could write about, which I suppose wasn't all that surprising.
What I also really enjoyed was sharing my blog ( as well as readings from class) with girlfriends of mine. Some readings really flipped them on their head and made them question everything they perceive, as they did for me as well. Women and media is such a broad topic encompassing sooo many concepts, the readings and the blog writings really helped to focus in and narrow it down. In the middle of the blog writing process I decided to start my own blog on the side which includes my writing, poetry, photos, music etc... really love it.!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
#7 Rhiannas rape revenge
Over the summer, Rhianna went back to her Caribbean roots to spin a tale of rape and revenge in her single, "Man Down". The song is a confessional of someone who has just killed a man with a catchy reggae downbeat, but there is no indication as to motive in the lyrics, and the video is really what tells all. Watching this video was a stark reminder of the discussion in class on Lentz' Popular Pleasures of Rape Revenge and women's violence and victimization consisting of taking up weapons in the name of justice.
The first thing I noticed about this narrative here is that it is not done in the same way Lentz describes a 'spectacular action' of a female character transforming from the victim to the aggressor. The story starts off with Rhianna shooting a man in a public space, and goes back in time to slowly unveil her motivation. Because of the way the story line unravels I found it difficult as a viewer to really get that temporary pleasure out of the rape revenge and the violent action taken by the victim at the very start of the video. However I was very happy to see that the video doesn't work to blame the victim or make violence against women look glamorous, instead it makes the viewer fairly uncomfortable.
From Lentz on rape revenge films- "the oppressive conditions which women must endure as women offer a powerful narrative justification for the 'spectacular action' of their violence. These films thus capitalize two-fold on the transgression of a woman stepping into the perpetrators shoes" (378)
In the video Rhianna ends up going out dancing and briefly dances with a man at the club, she eventually pushes him away as he begins to get touchy with her. This scene reinforces a very important and basic point: the choice to be sexual or sensual on the dance floor should not be read as consent for future sexual activity. On another note, unlike many rape revenge films, on top of the deviation from the normal plot line, "Man Down" does not ensure that the viewer will experience the killing with pleasure. However, there is a sense of justification and a strong connection to a history of women in Hollywood taking up arms to vengefully attack.
Throughout the video we get to follow Rihanna throughout her day, she is beautiful, stylish, happy and very personable. We get the idea that Rihanna is a very independent woman, but by the end of the video we realize she is also a rape victim and she adopts the role of the independent aggressive woman who arms herself as a form of liberation and protection. What I really enjoyed about this video was that this rape revenge narrative involved a woman of color rather than the usual white female victim. The video along with the song and lyrics does a very good job of depicting the struggle of making sense out of violence and sexual assault. This is not a mainstream narrative of how to cope, it is the reality of a very common and complex issue, that in many real cases has ended in a violent altercation. Now I guess the question I really have to ask myself here is if this video is just another empowering fantasy about dangerous women. hmmm.
The first thing I noticed about this narrative here is that it is not done in the same way Lentz describes a 'spectacular action' of a female character transforming from the victim to the aggressor. The story starts off with Rhianna shooting a man in a public space, and goes back in time to slowly unveil her motivation. Because of the way the story line unravels I found it difficult as a viewer to really get that temporary pleasure out of the rape revenge and the violent action taken by the victim at the very start of the video. However I was very happy to see that the video doesn't work to blame the victim or make violence against women look glamorous, instead it makes the viewer fairly uncomfortable.
From Lentz on rape revenge films- "the oppressive conditions which women must endure as women offer a powerful narrative justification for the 'spectacular action' of their violence. These films thus capitalize two-fold on the transgression of a woman stepping into the perpetrators shoes" (378)
In the video Rhianna ends up going out dancing and briefly dances with a man at the club, she eventually pushes him away as he begins to get touchy with her. This scene reinforces a very important and basic point: the choice to be sexual or sensual on the dance floor should not be read as consent for future sexual activity. On another note, unlike many rape revenge films, on top of the deviation from the normal plot line, "Man Down" does not ensure that the viewer will experience the killing with pleasure. However, there is a sense of justification and a strong connection to a history of women in Hollywood taking up arms to vengefully attack.
Throughout the video we get to follow Rihanna throughout her day, she is beautiful, stylish, happy and very personable. We get the idea that Rihanna is a very independent woman, but by the end of the video we realize she is also a rape victim and she adopts the role of the independent aggressive woman who arms herself as a form of liberation and protection. What I really enjoyed about this video was that this rape revenge narrative involved a woman of color rather than the usual white female victim. The video along with the song and lyrics does a very good job of depicting the struggle of making sense out of violence and sexual assault. This is not a mainstream narrative of how to cope, it is the reality of a very common and complex issue, that in many real cases has ended in a violent altercation. Now I guess the question I really have to ask myself here is if this video is just another empowering fantasy about dangerous women. hmmm.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
#6- Katy Perry - product of raunch culture
While discussing the concept of Raunch Culture to a few girlfriends of mine, one of them recommended I watch Katy Perry's music video "California Gurl's" and said "just a head's up, its gonna make you nauseous," HAH. Well, I didn't vomit but it certainly made me uncomfortable and really upset. Besides the fact that its a chirpy tune about being a girl, wearing bikinis and being so hot that you melt popsicles, the video is set in a futuristic candy-land (kind of like that awesome board game you played when you were a kid)
From Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs and the rise of Raunch Culture-
"Because we have determined that all empowered women must be overtly and publicly sexual, and because the only sign of sexuality we seem to be able to recognize is a direct allusion to red-light entertainment, we have laced the sleazy energy and aesthetic of a topless club or a Penthouse shoot throughout our entire culture"(26)
Katy perry is a walking representation of raunch culture and this over-sexualized video is a wonderful confirmation of this. There are parts of the video where Katy is laying naked on a sugar coated cloud, licking herself while her cleavage and crack are just barely obscured by a whisp of spun sugar. Following this, her and her female dancers begin dancing in sync in beach cut-off shorts and giant cupcakes over their breasts. Oh I don't want to forget the dominating presence of the sugar daddy ( Snoop Dog) in the video- more like the pimp? The best part of the sleaze comes in when Katy imitates a climax by fondling her boob guns and letting cream spurt out uncontrollably.
but wait, is this not girl power??? This video appeals not only to horny men who find this candy-filled fantasy comparable to soft-core porn, but also to little girls and young teenagers who actually look to Katy Perry as a role model or someone who is really cool in mainstream pop culture. So no, this video focuses on what it means to be a girl, a hot girl, to be precise, and being hot means you should project the slutty stereotype - dance in daisy dukes and you'll make any guy climax!! This video reminded me a lot of The Girls Next Door and the "Thats So Fun" article by Karen Boyle about the commercialization and glamorization of sex in popular culture. There is a very similar and horrifying tone in both of these- "with a bit of work, some shopping, and the right girlfriends, any young girl can be this beautiful. No special skills are required" (297). The skills required to be a fun beautiful girl are dancing and/or posing naked or in daisy dukes.
Another quote I enjoyed from Levy when connecting Raunch Culture to "California Gurl's"-
" Raunch culture isn't about opening our minds to the possibilities and mysteries of sexuality. It's about endlessly reiterating one particular-and particularly commercial-shorthand for sexiness."
From Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs and the rise of Raunch Culture-
"Because we have determined that all empowered women must be overtly and publicly sexual, and because the only sign of sexuality we seem to be able to recognize is a direct allusion to red-light entertainment, we have laced the sleazy energy and aesthetic of a topless club or a Penthouse shoot throughout our entire culture"(26)
Katy perry is a walking representation of raunch culture and this over-sexualized video is a wonderful confirmation of this. There are parts of the video where Katy is laying naked on a sugar coated cloud, licking herself while her cleavage and crack are just barely obscured by a whisp of spun sugar. Following this, her and her female dancers begin dancing in sync in beach cut-off shorts and giant cupcakes over their breasts. Oh I don't want to forget the dominating presence of the sugar daddy ( Snoop Dog) in the video- more like the pimp? The best part of the sleaze comes in when Katy imitates a climax by fondling her boob guns and letting cream spurt out uncontrollably.
but wait, is this not girl power??? This video appeals not only to horny men who find this candy-filled fantasy comparable to soft-core porn, but also to little girls and young teenagers who actually look to Katy Perry as a role model or someone who is really cool in mainstream pop culture. So no, this video focuses on what it means to be a girl, a hot girl, to be precise, and being hot means you should project the slutty stereotype - dance in daisy dukes and you'll make any guy climax!! This video reminded me a lot of The Girls Next Door and the "Thats So Fun" article by Karen Boyle about the commercialization and glamorization of sex in popular culture. There is a very similar and horrifying tone in both of these- "with a bit of work, some shopping, and the right girlfriends, any young girl can be this beautiful. No special skills are required" (297). The skills required to be a fun beautiful girl are dancing and/or posing naked or in daisy dukes.
Another quote I enjoyed from Levy when connecting Raunch Culture to "California Gurl's"-
" Raunch culture isn't about opening our minds to the possibilities and mysteries of sexuality. It's about endlessly reiterating one particular-and particularly commercial-shorthand for sexiness."
Sunday, October 23, 2011
#5 Hipster Headdress
Since the class has been discussing the concepts of cultural appropriation and colonization in connection to feminism, I immediately knew that I wanted to use this weeks blog post to delve deeper into the appropriation and over-sexualization of Native American culture in the media. Because this is a fairly broad topic I will specifically mention a performance by the singer Keysha in 2010 on American Idol where she wears a headdress and warpaint and sings a song about getting wasted and naked.
As a girl who grew up in New Mexico and was fortunate enough as a child to learn and be surrounded by Native American culture, there has always been a very deep and sacred place in my heart for these people (as I am one of them). I have noticed more and more over the past couple years that Native American style has become increasingly popular and trendy among my group of peers. By Native American style I am referring to headdresses, warbonnets, feathers, painted faces (war-paint), turquoise jewelry, etc.
the above left photo is of Kesha at the American Idol performance in 2010. Kesha along with many other models and singers in popular culture without knowing it or not, are becoming representations of a culture of women. When looking at these photographs I am reminded of the discussion we had in class about colonization from Mohanty's article Under Western Eyes and cultural appropriation from Gopal and Moorti's Bollywood in Drag. This cultural appropriation or borrowing from another culture comes in the form of the Native American feather headdress, which I believe is most widely worn by my peers and seen in popular culture.
Not only is the headdress of cultural and spiritual significance to many Native Americans who still use them for sacred ceremonies, but it is also being worn primarily by white women who are scantily dressed. As you can see in Kesha's photo she is wearing the headdress with fishnets and a small sparkly top while singing "Blah Blah Blah" a song about getting wasted.
This representation of Native American women by predominantly over-sexualized white women is incredibly harmful. I also feel this argument is especially relevant now as Halloween is fast approaching and ladies love going for that " sexy indian" look. How could they not? Native Americans are savage, sexy, and exotic right?
here is a horrifying statistic on violence and sexual assault against Native American women.
"Over the past decade, federal government studies have consistently shown that American Indian and Alaska Native women experience much higher levels of sexual violence than other women in the USA. xxData gathered by the US Department of Justice indicates that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the USA in general. A US Department of Justice study on violence against women concluded that 34.1 per cent of American Indian and Alaska Native women – or more than one in three – will be raped during their lifetime; the comparable figure for the USA as a whole is less than one in five.
this type of objectification and appropriation is NOT in any way, honoring or respecting this culture and their history and values. A drunk girl dancing around half naked with a headdress on is not a form of being honorable or fashion forward. IN FACT it is almost a very sloppy representation of oppression, colonialism and racism in this country. Shouldn't there be some social responsibility for this kind of ignorance??
As a girl who grew up in New Mexico and was fortunate enough as a child to learn and be surrounded by Native American culture, there has always been a very deep and sacred place in my heart for these people (as I am one of them). I have noticed more and more over the past couple years that Native American style has become increasingly popular and trendy among my group of peers. By Native American style I am referring to headdresses, warbonnets, feathers, painted faces (war-paint), turquoise jewelry, etc.
the above left photo is of Kesha at the American Idol performance in 2010. Kesha along with many other models and singers in popular culture without knowing it or not, are becoming representations of a culture of women. When looking at these photographs I am reminded of the discussion we had in class about colonization from Mohanty's article Under Western Eyes and cultural appropriation from Gopal and Moorti's Bollywood in Drag. This cultural appropriation or borrowing from another culture comes in the form of the Native American feather headdress, which I believe is most widely worn by my peers and seen in popular culture.
Not only is the headdress of cultural and spiritual significance to many Native Americans who still use them for sacred ceremonies, but it is also being worn primarily by white women who are scantily dressed. As you can see in Kesha's photo she is wearing the headdress with fishnets and a small sparkly top while singing "Blah Blah Blah" a song about getting wasted.
This representation of Native American women by predominantly over-sexualized white women is incredibly harmful. I also feel this argument is especially relevant now as Halloween is fast approaching and ladies love going for that " sexy indian" look. How could they not? Native Americans are savage, sexy, and exotic right?
here is a horrifying statistic on violence and sexual assault against Native American women.
"Over the past decade, federal government studies have consistently shown that American Indian and Alaska Native women experience much higher levels of sexual violence than other women in the USA. xxData gathered by the US Department of Justice indicates that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the USA in general. A US Department of Justice study on violence against women concluded that 34.1 per cent of American Indian and Alaska Native women – or more than one in three – will be raped during their lifetime; the comparable figure for the USA as a whole is less than one in five.
this type of objectification and appropriation is NOT in any way, honoring or respecting this culture and their history and values. A drunk girl dancing around half naked with a headdress on is not a form of being honorable or fashion forward. IN FACT it is almost a very sloppy representation of oppression, colonialism and racism in this country. Shouldn't there be some social responsibility for this kind of ignorance??
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Blog Entry #4 Gaga in Drag
When thinking about the definitions of sex and gender and how they relate to transgender issues I felt inspired to write about (and critique) Lady Gaga and her alter ego Jo Calderones' latest appearance at the MTV video music awards.
Lady Gaga's gender-bending performance proved to be one of a kind and very powerful as gender issues in mainstream media are seldom demonstrated. This is only one of many examples of Lady Gaga making her audience challenge hetero normative assumptions of sex and gender. From Transgender History by Susan Stryker when describing sex and gender, "Gender is generally considered to by cultural, and sex biological" (pg 11) and when describing history and transgender politics Stryker says "the sex of the body does not bear any necessary or deterministic relationship to the social category in which the body lives."
This determination of what makes someone a man or a woman in our society is based off of sex and secondary sex characteristics. Trans persons do not fall into these created dominant patterns or gender roles.
Although I am extremely happy to see transgender and genderqueer exploration on mainstream television, I also want to argue that Lady gaga's alter ego Jo falls into the gender comportment of how a man is socialized to dress and behave. Also, this is definitely not a true representation of the trans community, as trans folks don't just dress up as the stereotypical opposite gender and then that's it. What it comes down to is Lady Gaga is a straight wealthy privileged white woman in the music business, and playing dress up is not accurately identifying or representing oneself with an oppressed and very marginalized group of people.
is this performance or spectacle more about shock value or a genuine love and concern for the trans community? Is she really growing the activist role she has adopted or putting out a message that is counter productive?
Lady Gaga's gender-bending performance proved to be one of a kind and very powerful as gender issues in mainstream media are seldom demonstrated. This is only one of many examples of Lady Gaga making her audience challenge hetero normative assumptions of sex and gender. From Transgender History by Susan Stryker when describing sex and gender, "Gender is generally considered to by cultural, and sex biological" (pg 11) and when describing history and transgender politics Stryker says "the sex of the body does not bear any necessary or deterministic relationship to the social category in which the body lives."
This determination of what makes someone a man or a woman in our society is based off of sex and secondary sex characteristics. Trans persons do not fall into these created dominant patterns or gender roles.
Although I am extremely happy to see transgender and genderqueer exploration on mainstream television, I also want to argue that Lady gaga's alter ego Jo falls into the gender comportment of how a man is socialized to dress and behave. Also, this is definitely not a true representation of the trans community, as trans folks don't just dress up as the stereotypical opposite gender and then that's it. What it comes down to is Lady Gaga is a straight wealthy privileged white woman in the music business, and playing dress up is not accurately identifying or representing oneself with an oppressed and very marginalized group of people.
is this performance or spectacle more about shock value or a genuine love and concern for the trans community? Is she really growing the activist role she has adopted or putting out a message that is counter productive?
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Blog Entry #3- PETA launching a porn site
In August PeTA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) announced that they would soon be launching an XXX porn site as their next clever marketing endeavor. It is well known that PETA has been using sex to get peoples attention about animal rights for a long time. With the help of a plethora of celebrities, PeTA has managed to become both controversial and very popular in the media for this reason.
I have always struggled with supporting PETA because they continually objectify women in the name of animal rights. Being a vegetarian for six years I have to admit that PETA has been a reliable source of all things vegan and vegetarian, but really?? As a feminist and an animal rights activist this is complete bullshit and quite embarrassing. Will watching porn followed by images of animal cruelty really want to make you touch yourself while simultaneously re-evaluate your choice to eat meat/wear fur etc.? Trying to make the public aware of the exploitation of one species by heavily exploiting another is pretty hypocritical in my book.
This continuous sexualization of vegetarianism brings about some harmful ideologies presented in the campaign. Ideology as explained in Viewers Make Meaning pg 52 "is the necessary representational means through which we come to experience and make sense of reality." In PeTA's case, a harmful reoccurring ideology is if you become a vegetarian you will have a hot bod, or becoming a vegetarian means becoming sexy or sexualized, especially now that viewers have the option of watching XXX porn and animal cruelty videos at the same time? Attractive photo-shopped celebrities, models and unrealistic looking women and men are the only ones to grace the covers of PeTA's advertising campaign, will these types of people also be involved in the X-rated videos? Midriff advertising also plays a large part in this, as there is a HUGE emphasis on the body to sell PeTA's messages, and definitely a pronounced discourse of choice and empowerment. The women depicted in these images and probably on the XXX site are oversexualized because they choose to be, for a greater cause. Also, many of them are considered to be pretty powerful women, celebrities who are wealthy and successful.
There is also this equating of women to animals being tortured and caged that really bothers me. Why are men never shown shackled and tied to bed posts or caged? No doubt a strong message, but what exactly is the direction here? I think it's safe to say PeTA is reiterating the oppression of women on many many levels. Because of this they are probably going to alienate and offend a lot of their supporters (like myself!) interested to see how this XXX business will turn out.
I have always struggled with supporting PETA because they continually objectify women in the name of animal rights. Being a vegetarian for six years I have to admit that PETA has been a reliable source of all things vegan and vegetarian, but really?? As a feminist and an animal rights activist this is complete bullshit and quite embarrassing. Will watching porn followed by images of animal cruelty really want to make you touch yourself while simultaneously re-evaluate your choice to eat meat/wear fur etc.? Trying to make the public aware of the exploitation of one species by heavily exploiting another is pretty hypocritical in my book.
This continuous sexualization of vegetarianism brings about some harmful ideologies presented in the campaign. Ideology as explained in Viewers Make Meaning pg 52 "is the necessary representational means through which we come to experience and make sense of reality." In PeTA's case, a harmful reoccurring ideology is if you become a vegetarian you will have a hot bod, or becoming a vegetarian means becoming sexy or sexualized, especially now that viewers have the option of watching XXX porn and animal cruelty videos at the same time? Attractive photo-shopped celebrities, models and unrealistic looking women and men are the only ones to grace the covers of PeTA's advertising campaign, will these types of people also be involved in the X-rated videos? Midriff advertising also plays a large part in this, as there is a HUGE emphasis on the body to sell PeTA's messages, and definitely a pronounced discourse of choice and empowerment. The women depicted in these images and probably on the XXX site are oversexualized because they choose to be, for a greater cause. Also, many of them are considered to be pretty powerful women, celebrities who are wealthy and successful.
There is also this equating of women to animals being tortured and caged that really bothers me. Why are men never shown shackled and tied to bed posts or caged? No doubt a strong message, but what exactly is the direction here? I think it's safe to say PeTA is reiterating the oppression of women on many many levels. Because of this they are probably going to alienate and offend a lot of their supporters (like myself!) interested to see how this XXX business will turn out.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Blog Entry #2- Vogue Italia
In the month of June 2011, Vogue Italia came out with a curvy ladies issue, with "plus size" models gracing the cover, as well as having their own sexy black and white spread. Although this is Italian and not American, it is definitely an awe inspiring step up for curvy women in the high fashion industry. The models are depicted in a lush surrounding, posing in Dolce and Gabanna lingerie, or no clothes at all. Although beautifully photographed and very aesthetically pleasing in regards to seeing voluptuous women in a high fashion magazine, I couldn't help but ask, where is the fashion???
There was definitely a process of negotiation as I interpreted these images, from Viewers Make Meaning pg 57 "negotiated reading is interpretation being a mental process of acceptance and rejection of meanings." The first conflict I had was that the models were stripped down to lingerie for the cover, with one model even being strategically posed so her legs could be spread open. The images inside the magazine are very similar, the models lounging nude or mostly nude, straddling a chair, bending over on top of a table, etc..so once again, where is the fashion?
okay, perhaps there were good intentions in wanting to include "plus-sized" women in the fashion industry, but there is no doubt that these models have been styled for the male gaze, with an emphasis on the body and sexiness being the only way "plus size" models can be portrayed. I put "plus size" in quotations because these women look normal and healthy to me- curvy and beautiful. The ideology in our culture that skinny=beautiful is being challenged here, but I don't think it is quite enough.
why does a certain minority group or body size always need a special photo shoot or chance to be seen and appreciated in the fashion and advertisement world? Don't get me wrong, I was really happy to see this spread, it is an excellent start, but I hope women of all colors shapes and sizes can start being incorporated into all aspects of the media/advertisements/fashion idustry ( without objectification OR sexual subjectification)
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Blog Entry #1 GQ and the male gaze
When coming across this ad in GQ the other day (I NEVER read GQ or any magazines for that matter, but I was on the search for something juicy to criticize), I couldn't help but be disgustingly reminded of the male gaze and the quote from Ways of Seeing pg 47, "Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at." Which further led me to delve deeper into women objectification and the male gaze, particularly when picking apart this ad.
This photo made me feel uncomfortable for a number reasons, the first being that the female model (Kate Upton) looks as if shes been thrown in the dirt by this man who is aggressively standing over her and seems to be angrily ripping his shirt off. She appears submissive, her legs slightly opening, her body is arranged for the man standing over her. He is active, she is passive (look familiar?!) Another thing to point out is that she is looking over her shoulder staring back at the spectator, her expression rather barren, while the man is only focused on her. She is responding to the spectator as an object being acted upon.
The male gaze is very apparent here. The females sexual passion is minimized, as she becomes just a hot blonde in a tiny bathing suit laying in the dirt and waiting to be sexually dominated.
This photo made me feel uncomfortable for a number reasons, the first being that the female model (Kate Upton) looks as if shes been thrown in the dirt by this man who is aggressively standing over her and seems to be angrily ripping his shirt off. She appears submissive, her legs slightly opening, her body is arranged for the man standing over her. He is active, she is passive (look familiar?!) Another thing to point out is that she is looking over her shoulder staring back at the spectator, her expression rather barren, while the man is only focused on her. She is responding to the spectator as an object being acted upon.
The male gaze is very apparent here. The females sexual passion is minimized, as she becomes just a hot blonde in a tiny bathing suit laying in the dirt and waiting to be sexually dominated.
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