There are so many other things I could write about, but have run out of time... so I decided to recognize these pop culture icons by giving out Raunchy awards. I'm sure I would make Ariel Levy proud! :)
The nominees for Raunchiest Christmas Song are:
Merry Christmas Baby by Christina Aguilera
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
And the Raunchy goes to.....
The nominees for Raunchiest TV Show are:
The Bad Girls Club
The Girls Next Door
The Bachelor
(Notice how they are all reality TV...hmmm
And the Raunchy goes to.....
The nominees for Raunchiest Movie are:
Wild Things
The Girl Next Door
Austin Powers (any of the three)
And the Raunchy goes to.....
The nominees for Raunchiest Song are:
Don't Cha by The Pussycat Dolls
I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry
I'm a Slave 4 U by Britney Spears
And the Raunchy goes to.....
I feel like this one needs some explanation. It's actually more mild than the other two, but I really feel like it is the epitome of raunch culture. Girls hear it at parties, and feel the need to put on a show, just like Ariel Levy states so many times.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Raunch Culture and Vegas
In her conclusion to Female Chauvinist Pigs, Ariel Levy states:
"We have to ask ourselves why we are so focused on silent girly-girls in G-strings faking lust" (Levy 198).
I have to admit I have fallen into this trap before. My husband and I went to Las Vegas this summer and decided we would be all risque and go to one of the typical Vegas shows. Obviously, my husband was pretty excited for it. He even researched which one we should go to. We ended up going to a show called Fantasy at the Luxor. One of the guidebooks voted it the best show for couples...which made me wonder how much more male-centered the other shows could even be, because this one seemed to be pretty much geared toward men.
Anyways, back to my story. Even though my husband was more excited for it, I can't say I was dreading it. I figured it would be a fun Vegas thing to do. Little did I know...
We paid about $100 for our two tickets. Both of us left the show knowing it had not been worth the money. I couldn't quite put it into words that really explained how I felt about it until I read Levy's book, and specifically the sentence I quoted at the beginning of this post. I knew it wasn't as sexy as I thought it would be, but I couldn't explain why. Now I know it is because even though the "dancers" were extremely good looking, it was fake lust. It is all just so fake. Of course, I don't know why either one of us expected any different. The older I get, Vegas seems to be the city of "fake"- fake wealth, fake history (the Luxor and the Paris buildings to be exact), fake glam, etc.
"We have to ask ourselves why we are so focused on silent girly-girls in G-strings faking lust" (Levy 198).
I have to admit I have fallen into this trap before. My husband and I went to Las Vegas this summer and decided we would be all risque and go to one of the typical Vegas shows. Obviously, my husband was pretty excited for it. He even researched which one we should go to. We ended up going to a show called Fantasy at the Luxor. One of the guidebooks voted it the best show for couples...which made me wonder how much more male-centered the other shows could even be, because this one seemed to be pretty much geared toward men.
Anyways, back to my story. Even though my husband was more excited for it, I can't say I was dreading it. I figured it would be a fun Vegas thing to do. Little did I know...
We paid about $100 for our two tickets. Both of us left the show knowing it had not been worth the money. I couldn't quite put it into words that really explained how I felt about it until I read Levy's book, and specifically the sentence I quoted at the beginning of this post. I knew it wasn't as sexy as I thought it would be, but I couldn't explain why. Now I know it is because even though the "dancers" were extremely good looking, it was fake lust. It is all just so fake. Of course, I don't know why either one of us expected any different. The older I get, Vegas seems to be the city of "fake"- fake wealth, fake history (the Luxor and the Paris buildings to be exact), fake glam, etc.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sex Sells
This ad is offensive in so many ways. It's been known as the Dolce and Gabbana "gang rape" ad, and eventually got pulled from print when the National Organization for Women protested against it.
The designers never admitted any fault: The designers maintained even as they pulled the ad from print that they "do not feel [they've] ever gone too far." On this ad, Stefano Gabbana said, "it does not represent rape or violence, but if one had to give an interpretation of the picture, it could recall an erotic dream, a sexual game."
This obviously represents violence. She is being held down even as she is attempting to escape. The gaze we spoke about in class is definitely in play here. He is looking at her, and therefore has the power, as she is looking elsewhere.
To me, advertising seems to be an area where feminism loses ground. Of course, this is partially because of the old adage "Sex sells," but there are so many ads that show women in a degrading way. I took a Gender Studies class where we all had to bring an ad in over the course of the semester. I think that in addition to sex selling, this is also one of the causes of raunch culture. Because so many women believe that feminism has achieved its goals and we are now equal, they fail to see the things that oppose their ideas.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Empowerment or Raunch Culture?
Jennifer Aniston is featured in the current issue of GQ and when I saw it, I immediately thought of raunch culture. Truthfully, it made me a little sad, because I used to love to TV show Friends. I just couldn't deny it though. Some of the pictures and some of her quotes seem to be the epitome of what Ariel Levy is talking about when she describes raunch culture. In bold are sections from the article that related to our discussions in class.
That body—well, as you can see, it defies both time and nature. I ask Jen how she felt about this cover shoot. “There is a moment when you walk in and see the wardrobe—it’s basically a tie—and you think, Where’s the underwear?” she replies with a laugh. “But it felt really good to be that comfortable with myself—and to lie on men as furniture.”
You know, it's great that she feels comfortable enough to be so open. And I can fully admit that she looks amazing! However, it's interesting that she is wearing men's clothes in all of the pictures. If you click on the link to GQ, the other pictures include her just wearing a men's dress shirt, or just men's dress pants. I know the magazine came up with the wardrobe, but it's interesting that she seems all for it because she feels it is empowering.
As we finish lunch, she talks about the project she seems most excited about: a movie she’s developing called Pumas, in which she hopes to star with Elizabeth Banks.
“It’s sort of a female Wedding Crashers,” she says. “It’s these two girls who are aspiring cougars. It is so a comment on the sexual double standard—and what’s been ironic is how hard it’s been to get this movie made. Studios want it, but they’re afraid of Middle America. They’d want to change it; they’re saying, Oh, you can’t do that, people just can’t imagine you…” She’s alluding here to Hollywood’s formula for romantic comedies and her default character within them—offbeat, likable, and unlucky in love. As she talks about Pumas, you get the sense that she’s feeling a little hemmed in by the tabloid über-narrative that frames her life—the one in which her failure to remarry and procreate is a cause of Deep and Lasting Sadness—especially when that false story line gets in the way of her career.
“Look, I think all women at some level just want to rage against the machine,” she says. “There are just too many movies out there that don’t empower women—movies in which their only way of being happy is finding a man. And you know, that’s not my favorite theme.”
I hadn't heard of this project she is working on. It does sound interesting, and I'm not surprised they've had a hard time getting it made. Not many comedies have female leads- there's been a few lately (Juno and Baby Mama), but most are centered around men. But when she says that this will be a movie unlike all the movies out there that don’t empower women—movies in which their only way of being happy is finding a man," I feel like she is lying. If this is a movie about "aspiring cougars," it probably is a romantic comedy with a twist, but still a romantic comedy where people are coupled up by the end of the film.
So what to make of “The One Where Jen Lashes Out for the Second Time in the Six Weeks Leading Up to Her New Film!”? Well, for starters, consider that “what Jen really thinks” is a commodity worth millions in pre-opening box-office publicity.
This quote is talking about things she has said recently about Angelina Jolie and the lead-up to her divorce with Brad Pitt. While it doesn't have anything to do with feminism, it stood out to me because this is what our whole class has been about- learning how pop culture has been a commodity. Therefore, all pop culture icons, like Jennifer Aniston, are commodities as well.
That body—well, as you can see, it defies both time and nature. I ask Jen how she felt about this cover shoot. “There is a moment when you walk in and see the wardrobe—it’s basically a tie—and you think, Where’s the underwear?” she replies with a laugh. “But it felt really good to be that comfortable with myself—and to lie on men as furniture.”
You know, it's great that she feels comfortable enough to be so open. And I can fully admit that she looks amazing! However, it's interesting that she is wearing men's clothes in all of the pictures. If you click on the link to GQ, the other pictures include her just wearing a men's dress shirt, or just men's dress pants. I know the magazine came up with the wardrobe, but it's interesting that she seems all for it because she feels it is empowering.
As we finish lunch, she talks about the project she seems most excited about: a movie she’s developing called Pumas, in which she hopes to star with Elizabeth Banks.
“It’s sort of a female Wedding Crashers,” she says. “It’s these two girls who are aspiring cougars. It is so a comment on the sexual double standard—and what’s been ironic is how hard it’s been to get this movie made. Studios want it, but they’re afraid of Middle America. They’d want to change it; they’re saying, Oh, you can’t do that, people just can’t imagine you…” She’s alluding here to Hollywood’s formula for romantic comedies and her default character within them—offbeat, likable, and unlucky in love. As she talks about Pumas, you get the sense that she’s feeling a little hemmed in by the tabloid über-narrative that frames her life—the one in which her failure to remarry and procreate is a cause of Deep and Lasting Sadness—especially when that false story line gets in the way of her career.
“Look, I think all women at some level just want to rage against the machine,” she says. “There are just too many movies out there that don’t empower women—movies in which their only way of being happy is finding a man. And you know, that’s not my favorite theme.”
I hadn't heard of this project she is working on. It does sound interesting, and I'm not surprised they've had a hard time getting it made. Not many comedies have female leads- there's been a few lately (Juno and Baby Mama), but most are centered around men. But when she says that this will be a movie unlike all the movies out there that don’t empower women—movies in which their only way of being happy is finding a man," I feel like she is lying. If this is a movie about "aspiring cougars," it probably is a romantic comedy with a twist, but still a romantic comedy where people are coupled up by the end of the film.
So what to make of “The One Where Jen Lashes Out for the Second Time in the Six Weeks Leading Up to Her New Film!”? Well, for starters, consider that “what Jen really thinks” is a commodity worth millions in pre-opening box-office publicity.
This quote is talking about things she has said recently about Angelina Jolie and the lead-up to her divorce with Brad Pitt. While it doesn't have anything to do with feminism, it stood out to me because this is what our whole class has been about- learning how pop culture has been a commodity. Therefore, all pop culture icons, like Jennifer Aniston, are commodities as well.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
If I Were a Boy
I heard a song last night I thought would be interesting to examine for this class. It's actually a bit confusing to me. It definitely sends mixed messages about gender in my opinion. The song is called "If I Were a Boy" by Beyonce Knowles. In the past, she's been known for singing empowering songs such as "Survivor" (when she was in the band Destiny's Child) and "Irreplaceable." I can see why some people would argue that this new song is also empowering, but I don't think it is. Here are the lyrics:
If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it
Because they’d stick up for me
Chorus: If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they think
that I was sleeping alone
I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home
Chorus
It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake
Think I forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
But you're just a boy
You don’t understand
How it feels to love a girl
Someday you’ll wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you've taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
But you're just a boy…
I think there are a lot of problematic things with this song. Just like so many other things, it falls into the trap of gender stereotypes. Not all men are the way she describes them. Not only that, women cheat too, not just men.
I think the chorus is where she is trying, in a weird way, to be empowering. I think she's trying to teach men to be better and to appreciate the women in their life more. But the rest of the song appears to be a mixed message to women to act like men in order to teach their partner to appreciate them more.
The video was also problematic to me. Until the end of the video, it's showing her as this strong woman acting like a man. Therefore, her partner makes her breakfast and she doesn't thank him. She goes off to work being a cop. She teaches her partner at work how to shoot better. None of these images seem wrong to me, but she is using them to show this world where women act like men. Therefore, traditional women can't be cops or have their husbands make breakfast for them or for that matter, be a better shot than a man.
If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it
Because they’d stick up for me
Chorus: If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they think
that I was sleeping alone
I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home
Chorus
It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake
Think I forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
But you're just a boy
You don’t understand
How it feels to love a girl
Someday you’ll wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you've taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
But you're just a boy…
I think there are a lot of problematic things with this song. Just like so many other things, it falls into the trap of gender stereotypes. Not all men are the way she describes them. Not only that, women cheat too, not just men.
I think the chorus is where she is trying, in a weird way, to be empowering. I think she's trying to teach men to be better and to appreciate the women in their life more. But the rest of the song appears to be a mixed message to women to act like men in order to teach their partner to appreciate them more.
The video was also problematic to me. Until the end of the video, it's showing her as this strong woman acting like a man. Therefore, her partner makes her breakfast and she doesn't thank him. She goes off to work being a cop. She teaches her partner at work how to shoot better. None of these images seem wrong to me, but she is using them to show this world where women act like men. Therefore, traditional women can't be cops or have their husbands make breakfast for them or for that matter, be a better shot than a man.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Gender roles in marriage
Along with having a section on feminism in this class, I have been taking a Gender Studies class this semester, so I've put a lot of thought into gender roles. The more I think about it, I really do believe that gender is a cultural thing. People "act" their gender. I do it all the time in public. I act like a girl. If you don't act your gender, you're seen differently right? One of the things I'm usually not open about is my marriage. I don't lie to anyone, I just usually don't let other people, especially our families, see how our marriage really works. In a lot of ways, my marriage isn't traditional. My husband didn't work the first year of our marriage. He went to school full-time, and did most of the housework. Right now, we both work and go to school. Usually, we split housework pretty evenly when we're both working. I'm in my first trimester of pregnancy, however, which leaves me tired and sick a lot, so he's picked up the slack. It's been interesting, though, because we are currently staying with my mother-in-law. In a way, it makes me feel like I need to be doing it, or she'll think I'm failing Adam as a wife. I don't believe that myself, I'm just afraid that my "raised in the 1950s" mother-in-law will. I don't really see the point of doing the traditional gender division of jobs. I'll take the trash out sometimes, I'll even mow the lawn sometimes. I think whoever has the time should do it. When we have our baby next year, I don't plan on either one of us making enough to live on one income, but I do plan on one of us only working part-time. If I happen to make more than my husband, he can be the one that only works part-time. I have no qualms about him taking care of the baby or the house. I can see a lot of ways that he will be a better parent than me.
After all that seriousness, I do have something funny to say about gender roles: I always joke and tell Adam that he's the girl in our relationship because I always am ready before him and end up waiting for him. :)
After all that seriousness, I do have something funny to say about gender roles: I always joke and tell Adam that he's the girl in our relationship because I always am ready before him and end up waiting for him. :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Female Chauvinist Pigs
After listening to our discussion in class about this book, I have a lot to say. I think the question that had the most deviations in answers was "What are women getting out of this?" Some of the people in our class tended to disagree with Levy and contend that raunch culture truly is an empowering thing for women. I'm with Levy. I don't think it is. And I think that is the basis of way this third wave of feminism seems so weak compared to the other two. The other two waves of feminism had goals about getting equality for all women. This new raunch culture seems to be about getting empowerment for yourself. According to Levy, many women are doing this by acting like men. Well, that might make her more powerful or equal to men, but it is not a step forward for all women everywhere.
In fact, that reminds me of something Gloria Steinem said during the campaign this fall. She wrote an Op-Ed piece for the LA Times about Sarah Palin. What she said about McCain's pick of Palin also, in my mind, fits in perfectly with the idea of raunch culture as a whole. She said "Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere." I have actually thought about this idea on and off for quite some time. Back when I took English 3703, I read Gertrude Stein's The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. I got the same feeling from her. She acted like a man, and was generally treated equally, but I wouldn't consider her a feminist. Just like I wouldn't consider Sarah Palin a feminist, or most of the women Levy uses as examples in her book for that matter. Even if this raunch culture continues, which I'm sure it will, it will not lead to the true empowerment of women. If you think otherwise, take a second look at Levy's chapter Pigs in Training. I highlighted so many quotes that just made me feel terrible. Here are some of them:
"I asked Talia if most girls expected any kind of reciprocal sexual gratification for their services. "I don't think most girls are expecting to have orgasms in high school," she concluded, "but most guys are. Oh, definitely.""
"Sex was something you did to fit in more than something you did for pleasure."
"About a quarter of girls between ages fifteen and nineteen describe their first time as "voluntary but unwanted."
"The only message that seems to be successfully transmitted to girls about sex and sexiness is that it is something they need to embody to be cool."
"Whether or not they had had sex, the girls had remarkably difficult times experiencing or expressing sexual desires."
I agree with Levy that a more comprehensive sex-ed program would begin to help. Like she said, we shouldn't just tech kids not to have sex. We should teach them why they should, because basically all teens will eventually have sex. Girls are growing up thinking that sexuality is about being seen as sexy, which is not true.
Just a quick P.S. if anyone watched the clip. I loved it! Colbert coming out in high heels was hilarious, but I loved Levy's statement about how messed up the idea of women imitating the "fake lust" of porn stars and strippers is, rather than finding women who truly enjoy their sexuality on their own terms.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
