About this Blog

This blog primarily addresses the issue of gender and its portrayal in the media. Throughout the course, I have read numberous articles on this subject matter and have discussed them in class. This blog serves as a way for me to express my opinions on each article and whether or not I agreed with some of the statements. In my responses I have given my honest opinions and have spoken from my point of view. This gives you the opportunity to see how a student feels about gender and the media, considering that we are usually the primary audience for most television shows, movies and advertisements. At first, this was a subject matter that never really crossed my mind. It is something we are all just use to accepting as a part of our lives. I never took the time to notice how each gender was portrayed in various forms of media. This blog has challenged me to do this and it was my goal to truly look into the variety of media and analyze the marketing tactics and see how the author of the particular media portrayed and depicted each gender. By writing my responses to these articles, I was able to sit down and express my opinions about how I analyzed the particular piece of work. I was also able to exchange ideas with fellow classmates and see how they responded to the same articles. It allowed me to "converse" with them and express ideas about the media. Blogging was something that I had never tried before. I had never thought about expressing my ideas on the internet and sharing them with everyone. However, since then it has allowed me to free my mind and truly think hard about each topic, allowing me to devote more time and thought into each article. It has helped me put my thoughts into words and coherent statements. Overall, I think its a great way for everyone to talk about the ideas and share opinions with others.

Pleasantville Analysis

Throughout the course of this semester, I have analyzed several articles on the subject of gender and the media. While learning about the general stereotypes of each gender and examples in specific areas of the media such as sports, Disney and magazines, I have been able to generate a strong foundation for my last paper assignment analyzing a visul text. The visual text I chose was the movie, Pleasantville. In a brief summary, the movie is about the 1950's woman and the transformation of gender roles to modern day time. There were a few articles that I had previously studied in class that came to mind when I chose this particular movie. For example, Barbara Welter's article titled, "The Cult of Truewomanhood," describes the four main female attributes of the time that were needed in order to be considered a "true woman." These included, piety, obedience, domesticity and purity. This ties in perfectly with my description of the life of a woman in the 1950s. Another article that helped support my paper was Aaron Devor's article, "Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender." In this article Devor describes the multitude of gender stereotypes from the past and present. He describes one stereotype about a female's posture and body language communicating and inferior and subordinate status whereas a male's posture suggest dominance and superiority. Another aspect of my paper assignment will include the feminist movement. The article, "Mediating Third Wave Feminism" by Helene Shugart talks about this issue which will help me relate and compare the two different eras. Overall, this course has helped me prepare for my final paper assignment and has given me lots of articles to help me build a foundation for my paper.

Response to "The New Man in Disney/Pixar"

"The alpha male model is thus not only present and challenged in the films but also is, in fact, the very structure on which the plots unfold. Each of these films is about being a man, and they begin with an outdated, two dimensional alpha prototype to expose its failings and to ridicule its logical extensions. The phrase "alpha male" may stand for all things stereotypically patriarchal: unquestioned authority, physical power and social dominance, competitiveness for positions of status and leadership, lack of visible or shared emotion, and social isolation."

(Gillam, Ken and Shannon R. Wooden. “Post Princess Models of Gender. The New Man in Disney/Pixar.” Journal of Popular Film and Television. 36.1 (2008): 2-8)

This statement is entirely true. In almost every Disney movie there's a damsel in distress and a courageous prince that will always save the day. Who died and made us women "damsels in distress?" Last time I checked, women are fully capable of taking care of themselves. Disney, being such a prominent name in society, should know better than to expose children to these? stereotypes. I know I'm guilty for growing up wanting to be a princess, but can you blame me? Disney made it look like the best thing on earth. The princess always gets the prince in the end and they live happily ever after. Sounds pretty good to me! However, by making every movie follow the same basic plot line, children grow up thinking this is how life really is. The alpha male is described as being the dominant and strong man whereas the women in the story are weak and fragile. The alpha male is always the knight in shining armor that rescues the town and is praised for decades. Nowadays, there's barely anyone that comes close to that. Lately, Disney has been trying to shift its traditional story plot line consisting of a princess being saved, and has tried to incorporate family members, such as The Incredibles, and strong woman characters such as Mulan. By changing up the plot, children are now exposed to more realistic movies.

Response to "Mediating Third Wave Feminism"

"The campaign in general and Moss in particular also blur the boundaries between male and female. In the first place, CK One is billed as a ‘‘fragrance for a man or a woman’’ and is marketed to both men and women.”

(Shugart, Helene, Catherine Egley Waggoner, and D. Lynn O'Brien Hallstein. “Mediating Third-wave Feminism: Appropriation as Postmodern Media Practice.” Critical Studies in Media Communication. 18.2 (2001): 194-210)

This quote is in regards to the CK One advertisement where Kate Moss is seen dressed in men's clothing, looking very skinny and boyish. I personally have never seen this ad before but hearing about it made me wonder, why is it that the female model (Kate Moss) is the one having to dress and appear to be a member of the opposite gender, where as the male models in the background are still seen wearing masculine clothing. Why don't the men in this ad dress more "metro" or feminine? The purpose of the ad was meant to advertise a perfume that is unisex where both men and women can wear it. The slogan clearly states this in the ad, however it seems to me like everyone in this ad appears to be masculine or male like. Once again, it is the women who have to alter their appearances instead of the men. It claims to blur the boundaries between both genders, yet I still see a clear line, one that has everyone looking the same gender. I think this ad is deceptive and incorrect because the only gender in it being portrayed is the male gender.

Response to "Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton"

“As Hilary Rodham Clinton’s image shifts from a strong, independent feminist to a good mother and sympathetic wife/victim, her public opinion ratings improve.”

(Parry-Giles, Shawn J. “ Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton: Television News Practices and Image-Making in the Postmodern Age.” Visual Rhetoric: A Reader in Communication and American Culture. Eds. Lester C Olson, Cara A. Finnegan, and Diane S. Hope. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2008. 375-91.)

I found this statement very surprising. I thought the opposite effect would happen once Bill Clinton’s affair was made public. The fact that Hilary Clinton stood by her husband throughout the entire ordeal is a little bit pathetic. I mean, the man had an affair! Why would stay with someone after that? For being such an important feminist figure and standing up for women’s rights, I feel like she dropped the ball on this one and went back on your words. I understand that her husband was a very important figure, but how can you let someone make a fool out of you in public to the entire United States? People say that by shifting roles to be more of a mother and wife, she helped her ratings when it came time to run for president. I was surprised by this. I expected most women to be appalled to the idea that she accepted to be treated that way and have her husband cheat on her. However, the ratings proved otherwise. After that incident I lost all respect for her. Women are not people that can be taken advantage of and be expected to remain by your side at all times after doing such a dishonest thing. I think that if she was really the independent feminist that she claimed she was, she would have left her husband.

Response to "Television's World of Work in the 90s"

“A primary concern is that television’s lessons and imagery may not reflect the real world. Some viewers, especially young children and those who watch more television, may not distinguish between symbolic and social reality.”

(Signorielli, Nancy, and Susan Kahlenberg. "Television's World of Work in the Nineties." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 45.1 (2001): 4-22.)

I believe that this statement is entirely true. Nowadays the typical “American” family consists of a father who has a typical nine to five job, a mother who stays at home to clean the house and raise the children and the children go off to school during the day. However television does not portray and represent the families with single mothers, divorced parents, and families of different ethnicities. It wasn’t until the 1990s that we began to see a change in the family representations in television. Children today spend a lot more time watching TV instead of interacting with the outside world and other children. Therefore, the television is their only outside source of how the world is. If the families on television shows are not representational of real life, then they are going to believe something different to be the truth. This can lead to children to have a distorted view of what life really is. The majority of families do not live the typical “American dream” that you see on TV. Every family has their issues and discrepancies. Children who feel like their families do not live up to the standards of a typical family, may feel like something is wrong with their family or that theirs is dysfunctional.

Response to "Harry's girls"

“The Harry Potter novels, like other cultural artifacts, work to organize our desires. They teach us what is normal. They make it possible for us to desire what other members of our social categories desire. Among other things, they teach us gender, and they work to organize our sexual desires.”

(Cherland, Meredith. “Harry's girls: Harry Potter and the Discourse of Gender.” Journal of
Adolescent and Adult Literacy 52.4 (2008): 273-83.)

I found this statement to be quite accurate. In today’s society, we have little or no control over what is considered “normal.” Society is what decides what is in style, how to act towards certain people, what to believe etc. It seems like nowadays we don’t even have a say in it. The fashion world dictates what’s “hot” for each season and determines what we will wear. Pretty much society decides what is the norm to follow. Whether its in magazine ads, television commercials, or specific TV shows, we are bombarded with thousands of images of what we are expected to look like, how to act and basically how to live our lives. These images may be very blunt or may be more discrete. Women are considered to be dependent on men, while men are considered the dominant heroes. These images are evident from the very start of our lives. They can be seen in fairy tales with a damsel in distress being saved by a prince, or even in the toys we grow up playing with such as Barbie dolls or toy cars. I’ve always wondered who exactly is in charge of dictating how society will act. Is it just one leader or maybe a council of people that gets together to decide? Either way, why should they have the power to decide something so important? Why should anyone have that power at all?

Response to "Two Ways a Woman can get hurt"

"If a man is drunk when he commits a rape, he is considered less responsible. If a woman is drunk (or has had a drink or two or simply met the man in a bar), she is considered more responsible."

(Kilbourne, Jean. “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence.” Rereading America. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004. 455-75.)

This quote truly upset me when I came across it. This wasn’t the first time I heard this. It truly outrages me that men are considered off the hook just because he was under the influence. What gives men the right to get off easy but women do not have that same privilege? Why do women get the blame just because they had maybe one drink? Women do not ask to be raped. Men are the ones who commit the crime; therefore, they should hold full responsibility for it. Alcohol does not give them a free “get out of jail” card. Women are the victims in this situation. In today’s society, having this mentality or this way of thinking is how men get off easy. So many women are victims of rape and have to live with that for the rest of their lives. There is an irreparable damage done onto them. Some will have intimacy issues for the rest of their lives and trouble with committing and just an overall fear of being with a man again. This also goes along with the other idea that men can be with as many women as they want and be considered popular or a player and looked up to, whereas women who have been with a multitude of partners are considered whores or sluts.

Response to "Center of Attention"

“Men are foregrounded in commercials. The gender composition and imagery in commercials reinforce the idea that sport is a man’s world. Women almost never appear in commercials unless they are in the company of men. Though women are mostly absent from sports commentary, when they do appear, it is most often in stereotypical roles as sexy, masculinity-validating props, often cheering the men on.” (479)

(Messner, Michael A. “Center of Attention: The Gender of Sports Media.” Rereading America. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004. 477-87.)

Its no surprise that sports is stereotypically associated with males. Every little boy is exposed to some type of sport at a young age and are introduced into the world of balls, bats, courts, fields etc. Boys play sports and girls do ballet. It is a stereotype in American since the beginning of time practically. Therefore, everything associated with sports is directed towards the male population including commercials and logos. Almost always you will hear or see a male sportscaster delivering the latest stats of a player. Rarely will you hear the voice of a woman delivering the same message. During a football or baseball game will you rarely see a commercial for any female product. Some think this is sexist and discriminatory. However, advertisers are just going to promote their product to the targeted audience watching that program at that time. Beer companies are known for advertising their drink during a sports game. Sports are a way for most men to relax and drown out the rest of the world. They don’t want to be interrupted from their “zone” by a commercial for birth control pills. Coming from a female perspective, I don’t think its sexist or discriminatory that there is rarely a female sportscaster. I just see it as a common thing and just as another fact of life.

Response to "From Beauty Rediscovers Male Body"

“We live in an empire ruled not by kings or even presidents, but by images. The tight buns, the perfect skin, the firm breasts, the long, muscled legs, the bulgeless, sagless bodies are everywhere. Beautiful women, everywhere, telling the rest of us how to stand, how to swing our hair, how slim we must be. Actually, all of this flawless beauty is the product of illusion, generated with body doubles, computers, artful retouching.” (Bordo)

(Bordo, Susan. “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body.” Ways of Reading. Eds. David
Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005. 151-68.)

Bordo hit the nail on the head with this quote. Society doesn’t care about what is going on in the world. It is too involved with images and fitting in with everyone else. Everyday we are consumed with advertising and subliminal messages in magazine ads, billboards, and TV shows on how we should look and act. Society displays a perfect image of a woman with the perfect body, skin, hair, clothes etc. Everyday we are faced with these images that subconsciously take a toll on us. We are brainwashed with these images that we eventually try to imitate them. Usually this just leads to women trying to copy a certain style or get the hottest haircut. Sometimes unfortunately it can lead to negative consequences. Some women take it to the extreme and can hurt themselves. Eating disorders develop in women who take the idea of being skinny and looking like models very seriously. What women do not understand is that even the models have some work done on their photographs. There is no such thing as a “perfect” model or body. Women are constantly striving toward this unattainable goal and can spend their entire lives trying to obtain it.

Masculinities in Teen Magazines: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Response

The article by Diane Prusank titled “Masculinities in Teen Magazines: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” is about a study done of numerous generations that looked into the different types of male personalities by comparing them to articles found in typically female oriented magazines. Prusank found that “masculinity is a social construction, therefore, there are many forms of masculinity present in any culture at a given point in time and those masculinities may not be the same as the ones which existed in the past or may exist in the future.” In one of the magazines that they followed over the years, Seventeen magazine, they can across numerous articles consisting of ways to deal with a break up, what he really means when he says… and how to keep a guy. All this articles portray the image that it is a female’s responsibility to get a male companion instead of the other way around. The articles had a tendency to instill girls with the message that physical appearance and romantic relationships were critical aspects of life. Nearly all of the articles portray girls in traditional ways assigning them the role of keeper of romantic relationships. The study conducted over a series of decades divided males into categories such as the new man and the bad and the ugly. The “new man” in these texts refers to the “feminized male” and the “new man-as nurturer” image. The “new man” experiences and expresses emotions, values personal relationships and can be viewed as vulnerable. Women are typically associated with being the fragile and delicate sex. However, now studies have discovered that some men may be more in touch with their emotional side. The typical male is seen as being dominant, muscular and the protector of the relationship. Nowadays a new type of man is emerging into the scene, one that is more realistic. Most magazines make out guys to be jerks and only having sexual desires on their agenda. They stereotype the male gender and categorize the so called “nice guys” into this category as well, when in reality they are nothing of the sort. In men’s magazines there is a similar stereotype for women. Most articles are on “how to get a girl” or “top ten things she likes in bed.” The targeted audience for these articles are for the men that fulfill this stereotype.

The Cult of True Womanhood Response

After reading “The Cult of True Womanhood” I realized how grateful I am for living in today’s world and not back in the nineteenth century.  One quote that stood out to me while reading the article was "The attributes of True Womanhood, by which a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors and society could be divided into four cardinal virtues - piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. Put them all together and they spelled mother, daughter, sisters, wife - woman." Women during the 1860s were expected to live out these virtues. If they failed to do so, they were not considered a “true woman.” Times have changed tremendously since the 19th century. A woman’s place in the home was considered to be in the kitchen and making her husband happy. Nowadays a woman has options as to where she wants to be, whether it be at home or at a job. The entire article describes the culture of that time. It goes to show you that culture is never permanent and can change every year. Women lived out their culture just like women today do. Culture is similar to fad and trends. At that time, it was normal and expected for women to live their lives as obedient women. In today’s culture it is normal for women to be independent from men and have their own careers. After reading the entire article, I was outraged. Knowing that my gender lived that lifestyle truly astonishes me. Women had a strict outline of how they were expected to behave. These days women do not have to be submissive nor fulfill domestic duties in the home, however, women will always have to endure the gender stereotype of women being a housewife.

Devor Response

“The dominant gender schema in North American society […] leads us to believe that female and male behaviors are the result of socially directed hormonal instructions which specify that females will want to have children and will therefore find themselves relatively helpless and dependent on males for support and protection. The schema claims that males are innately aggressive and competitive, and will therefore dominate over females. The social hegemony of this ideology ensures that we are all raised to practice gender roles which will confirm this vision of the nature of the sexes.” (Devor 431)

I find myself in a disagreement with this statement said by Aaron Devor. I do not believe that we were all brought up with this mentality. The above stereotype of men being aggressive and dominant and women being feeble and domestic is not true for many people. Although society pushes these images as being the norm for us, not all people grow up this way. Some men are not raised to be the competitive and dominant male we may see in television shows or movies today. There are some men who may even be a little bit more on the feminine side and some who believe in equality. On the other side of the spectrum, the purpose of females according to society is to reproduce, raise the children, and complete the domestic duties of the house. However, women do not need to follow this path. Nowadays, women have the right and freedom to decide how they want to live out their lives. Women should have the right to determine if they want to have children or not. I, personally, at the moment do not have any intentions of having children in the future. This does not mean that I should be looked down upon for not fulfilling the stereotypical roles of a wife. Women today can also sustain themselves without any assistance from a male. They are fully capable of being independent from a man. This social ideology is completely false and could have maybe described the lifestyle of a couple from the 1950’s. However, today in the year 2009, men and women can live freely as they chose and live in equality.