S08: GWSS 3306 Pop Culture Women

This class has been very valuable, and I have learned a lot. I was excited to take a class about pop culture because I think it is important to learn about and analyze media that is affecting the population right now. This was a different area for me to look at since my other women's studies classes have focused a lot more feminist histories or theory. Even the in Feminist Film studies class (that I enjoyed a lot), we watched some older movies. I liked looking at newer things because now I can engage in discussion with others about things they probably actually watch or have watched. I thought that the critical analysis papers were a great learning experience as well. They were both easy and difficult- easy in the way that I didn't realize there was actually so much pop culture that is negative and can be analyzed, and difficult in the way that I thought really hard about how to relate my analysis to feminism and the class readings.

I will definitely take away a greater knowledge of the good and bad of popular culture and a sharpened ability to analyze it.

Posted by stei0460 at 04:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What did I take away from this class? I learned that feminists are not just those women who are completely for women and against men. Feminism is not a negative thing and in fact quite a positive quality to have. This class has made me look at the things I watch and listen to in a different way. I now watch and can see how the women are treated in the shows or movies I watch. I pay attention to the music I listen to as well. I have enjoyed being in this class and have learned a lot about my self. I will take away much knowledge about feminisim and will feel free to share with those around me that it is not bad to be a feminist.

Posted by rote0008 at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took a lot away from this class. It helped solidify my decision to become a GWSS major, as well as an advertising one. With these two fields of interest, this class fascinated me. There's a lot of negativity in the media regarding women and the way that they're portrayed but I liked that we looked at positive examples, as well as negative examples. The media and feminism don't have to be mutually exclusive categories. I liked that this class forced me to do some self-reflection. The brainstorming papers written a few times over the course of the semester helped me figure out my ideas and beliefs regarding areas of women's studies and helped me try to express them. The conversations we had discussing 'feminism' and what exactly that word means/doesn't mean/can mean were helpful to me since I've always struggled with the definition of that. Most of all, I enjoyed the thought-provoking class discussions. It was a very open, comfortable environment that made it easy to talk in.

Posted by weise074 at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The websites that I looked at about cougars made me think about the double standards held between men and women regarding sexuality. If a guy hooks up with a lot of girls, he's considered a 'player' or a stud, whereas a girl who has sexual encounters with more than one person is considered 'easy' and a 'slut'. The same holds true for dating ages. Nobody bats an eye when an older man is dating a woman much younger than him, but if the woman is the older one in the relationship, all hell breaks loose. I feel like the media focuses way too much on the so called cougars. When Demi Moore was dating Ashton Kutcher, a man several years younger than her, I feel like I saw numerous trashy tabloid articles about the RISQUE RELATIONSHIP (!) between the two, when it really wasn't a big deal at all. I don't like the portrayal of older women as cougars, hunters or predators. This makes women who are comfortable with their sexuality seem dangerous. Just because these females are maturing in age, it doesn't mean that their sexual desires and needs are extinguished. Women should embrace their sexuality and if younger men make these women happy, so be it. There needs to stop being such a taboo on older women/younger men relationships.

Posted by weise074 at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I will take alot of things away from this class. First, i realize now that feminists aren't just man hating women. There is a lot more to being a feminist that has nothing to do with man hating. Overall it has to do with being created equal between the two sexes. I also learned how to appy the terms from the readings to things that i expierence in everyday life. The movies and television shows that we watched in class helped put the readings and discussions into perspective to make the texts easier to understand.

Posted by leit0088 at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The websites that were listed to go to made the image of the couger seem like it is a negatve thing. It portrayed the image of the couger woman to be animal like. They explained her as going to catch her prey, which meant the younger guys that she was going after. The way women get put down for being a couger and going after younger men is terrible. Men go after younger women all the time and society gives them props for it. I think why women are getting looked at negative for younger men is because it is displaying that they are being independent and are taking over their own lives. Society might look as this as negaitve because, they might think that these are only traits that male should posess which isn't true in modern society.

Posted by leit0088 at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Posted by gross330 at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there was one thing I am going to take away from GWSS3306 it would definitely be the term feminist. I always thought that meant something bad, like a stuck up bitchy woman who was all about girls, girls this girls that, girls for everything and nothing else, you get the idea. Now I get that it is more of a way of thinking positive, like ya I can do that, or sure let a me help you with that (coming from a girl). The class really broaden my horizons I guess. Being the one of the only guys in the class also gave me a chance to see how girls interact with one another, sometimes kinda scary, put a bunch of dudes in a class and I don’t think it would get that carried away regarding opinions and subjects. Nothing wrong with that I just think its funny, which is why I just stay hush and no one notices me. Overall the class is great, teacher provides relaxed atmosphere and is cool!, I would take it again if I failed, but iam getting an A! YIPPY!

Posted by amri0005 at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the class comes to and end we are asked "what is the one thing you will take away from this class", usually one is forced to come up with a bull shit answer, but luckily not for this class. Coming away from this class I can now say I fully understand that it is okay to be feminist. I always thought the absolute worst of feminists. I thought they were head strong, stubborn, and just wanted everything for women. I learned other wise, I learned more about the equality and intentions of feminists rather than just what they want, not the why. Times have changed and women have come a long way, but now I am forced to wonder if it is long enough. This class has been an eye opener to myself (being a woman), and I now have a new found respect for women. The one quote I will take away from this class is from the DeJesus reading where she quotes the comic strip pretraining to the Aswag. “The histories of vampire and people are not so different, really. How many of us can honestly see our own reflection?” (DeJesus 10) Enough said.

Posted by uhlen003 at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am a GWSS major and have always wanted to take a course that focuses on media representation of women in our society. Although I think it helps to learn about the reality of life for many women in America and across the globe, I think it is just as important to study the ways in which the theme of subordinate women continues to play out. It's a continuous cycle and although it becomes obvious the more television shows we see or from the music we see, media plays a huge part in this as well. I think media only supports these sexist attitudes and I wish that more GWSS courses would put emphasis on that. A lot of things we discussed and watched in class were ideas I would have never thought of that could have been derogatory towards women. Although I have found myself to be pretty aware of what I am viewing, I know now that I need to pay attention to more details with a critical eye.

Posted by Gizelle at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I went to both of the sites listed, I was not that shocked at how the women represented themselves. When I think of the term cougar and it's connotative form, it makes me think of the movie "American Pie." Stiffler's mom was considered to be a sort of sexual conquest for the guys that he had friendships with. To me, the term cougar gets compared to the idea of sexually experienced and could teach a younger guy a thing or two on how to become a man. However, when it comes to the exact opposite where an older man dates a younger woman, it is because these men tend to be thought of as more mature. The idea of being experienced sexually does not become that much of a target focus with older men. It makes me think about why women continue being placed in these sexual based ideas while men are continued to be thought of as mature and wise.

Posted by Gizelle at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I understand how lame that title is, I just figured I needed to do a play on our class's theme of television-watching. Which is one of the many things I enjoyed during this course. This was my first class through GWSS, and I will certainly be taking more, as I have decided to be a GWSS minor. I have always found feminism, and sexuality studies in general fascinating, and this class certainly added fuel to that fire. So to speak... Mostly I will be taking the 'feminist critical eye' from this class, and sharpening my lens on the world so as to view every day activities and interactions in a new light. I also really enjoyed how open the class discussions were, and the lack of any serious censor. I hope to continue through this new door that has been opened because of this class, and I can't wait to take more GWSS courses.

Posted by gomol003 at 06:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The animal aspect of this urbancougar.com is sort of appalling to me. I understand that the post-feminist era has an aspect that is very sexualized, but it seems unnecessary to me to make the same mistakes that men have been making for centuries. Objectifying people seems like a step backwards to me, regardless of the fact that the genders are indeed reversed. Referring to men as ‘prey’ is no better than what we have all been referred to on any given day. I fully support a woman’s right to be sexually active with whatever age partner she chooses (obviously within the limitations of the law…I hope that was a given…), and I support her right to a purely sexual relationship in that as well. But this seems like we are simply trying our turn at being the jerks that men have been for years, the jerks that spurred a woman’s revolution. Step backwards indeed.
While Cougared.com isn’t necessarily a step forwards, it seems a lot more dignified than urbancougar.com. It simply seems like a dating site specific to the desires of self-proclaimed ‘cougars’ and the men that might interest them. It still seems a bit superficial, but I think for the most part it is not horribly degrading to either gender.

Posted by gomol003 at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jamie Foxx]
She take my money, well I'm in need
Yeah she's a triflin' friend indeed
Oh she's a gold digger way over time
That digs on me

[Chorus:]
(She steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas (She steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas(I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head

[Verse 1:]
[Jamie Foxx's lyrics repeated across verse]
Jenita blonde
Met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis Vuitton
Under her under arm
She said I can tell you rock
I can tell by ya charm
Far as girls you got a flock
I can tell by ya charm and ya arm
but I'm lookin' for the one
have you seen her?
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
An' I gotta take all they bad ass to show-biz
Okay get ya kids but then they got they friends
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to din and then I had to pay
If you fuckin' with this girl then you betta' be paid
You know why
Take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend say she used to fuck with Usher
I don't care what none of y'all say I still love her

[Chorus:]
(she steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas (she steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head

[Verse 2:]
[Jamie Foxx's lyrics repeated across verse]
18 years, 18 years
She got one of yo' kids, got you for 18 years
I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids
His baby momma's car crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV, any given Sunday
Win the Superbowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was supposed to buy ya shorty Tyco with ya money
She went to the doctor got lipo with ya money
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with ya money
Shoulda' got that insured, GEICO for ya moneeey(your money)
If you ain't no punk holla' we want pre-nup
WE WANT PRE-NUP!, yeah
It's something that you need to have
'Cause when she leave yo' ass she gon' leave with half
18 years, 18 years
And on her 18th birthday, he found out it wasn't his?

[Chorus:]
(she steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas (she steal me money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
but she ain't messin' wit no broke niggas (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go 'head

Now I ain't sayin' you a gold digger, you got needs
You want a dude to smoke, but he can't buy weed
You go out to eat, can't pay, y'all can't leave
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But while y'all washin', watch him
He gon' make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He got that ambition, baby look in his eyes
(Jamie Foxx comes in)
This week he's moppin' floors, next week it's the fries
So, stick by his side
I know this dude's ballin, and yeah that's nice
And they gon' keep callin' and tryin'
But you stay right, girl
But when you get on, he leave yo' ass for a white girl

Get down girl, go 'head get down
Get down girl, go 'head get down
Get down girl, go 'head get down
Get down girl, go 'head
(She take my money)
Let me hear that back

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Golddigger-lyrics-Kanye-West/455A56FFA5F48AFA482570560053ED5E
Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

I feel like walking the world
Like walking the world
You can hear she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white
Makes you feel warmer when you're trying to remember
What you heard
She likes to leave you hanging on her word

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

And she's taller than most
And she's looking at me
I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine
Oh she makes me feel like I could be a tower
A big strong tower
She got the power to be
The power to give
The power to see

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kttunstall/suddenlyisee.html

Unfortunately one of my favorite songs to sing and dance (embarrassingly so) to, "Gold Digger" also portrays women in a very negative light. This song claims women to be, as the title implies, gold diggers, and only out for a man’s money. Indeed a rap song, it also uses parts of Ray Charles’ song “I Got A Woman”, and the image created is one in which women use and abuse a man’s wallet, leaving him when she has taken all she needs. Even beyond the view of women as gold diggers, they also claim that they are promiscuous in this act, moving through many successful men. As Kanye so eloquently puts it: "From what I heard she got a baby by Busta/ My best friend say she used to fuck with Usher/ I don't care what none of y'all say I still love her". Although I’ll admit that I can recite almost every line to this song, it doesn’t escape me that this depiction of women is not in the least bit positive. Just another part of pop culture that I view with the feminist critical eye, which I enjoy with a certain amount of guilt attached.

“Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall on the other hand, made popular by it’s appearance at the beginning of “The Devil Wears Prada”, is a much more redeeming view of women. It is unclear to me whether she is talking about a woman in particular, or a more universal woman, and the beauty in womankind as a whole. “She got the power to be/the power to give/the power to see” especially seems empowering in its message, and not specific to any one woman, but to all. It is significant that most female-empowering songs come from women, and most degrading views of women come from male artists, notably of the rap genre.

Posted by gomol003 at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So i think my favorite thing about this class was that it introduced me to graphic novels. I picked up Fun Home after Allison Bechdel's reading which was awesome and Persepolis is going into my top ten for sure. The other thing, and i will tell you more about them during our presentations... Films by Jafar Panahi. I watched "The Circle" and "Offside" and I recommend them both to you. They are about women in Iran and star mostly unprofessional actors which helps to portray the realness of the situation faced by women living in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Aside from that, class has been fun. I think that we covered some interesting stuff. I wish we would've talked more about movies, music, and advertising a little more and television a little less but overall I think it was good.

Posted by goul0086 at 03:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These were very interesting websites, I'm not really sure how I feel about them. I like the idea that women are leveling the playing field with men, by dating men of a younger generation. But It's difficult to understand their lifestyle. From the forums, it seems that many of the men just think of these women as sex objects, yet many of the women think the same of the men. Something I like about this is that these women are embracing their age, and not running from it like many women do.

Posted by M. at 01:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This class was different from other GWSS classes that I have taken and that was refreshing. Although we did go over a lot of the same themes as other classes, that is expected and we did so in a way that was unique and fun because we got to watch some of my favorite shows. This class has made me analyze shows I watch everyday with a critical feminist eye in a way I probably wouldn't have don as much before. I never really realized until now that most of the shows that I do watch the most and love are shows with prominent female lead characters. This class introduced me to graphic novels and I am interested in reading a lot of them over the summer. This is an interesting blog that I found about different graphic novels with strong female lead characters. check it out.

http://www.blogher.com/where-my-ladies-strong-women-graphic-novels-part-one

Posted by konk0026 at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I will take away from the class......
I think there are many things I will take away from this class. Particularly, as I am not a GWSS major or most of my studies have not involved women's studies - I've learned a lot about feminism, the different kinds of feminism, meanings, etc and applying/seeing in everyday relation to pop culture. One of the sites I went to to help further elaborate on the history/meaning of feminism was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism.

Posted by croft021 at 03:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was hard for me to think of just one thing. Before this class I didn't really realize the potential that certain shows have for feminism (Buffy, Desperate Housewives). With my groups' project in mind I looked up the author of our graphic novel, Ellen Forney. I really like her book "I Love Led Zeppelin" and urge all of you to take a look at her website and see the work that she has done. She also has a blog that is interesting and fun!

Posted by hilk0018 at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I remember seeing some of the episodes for Age of Love when it was on, I believe last summer? Anyway I thought the show was tacky just because they set up a good looking guy with 20 somethings and then 40 somethings. I think the guy was in his late 20s, early 30s. The older women looked just about as good the younger but you could tell that he wanted someone a little bit younger that could keep up with his lifestyle. I thought the 20 somethings looked like idiots compared to the older women but he ultimately picked the younger girl. The two websites we had to look at were also a bit tacky. I'm not against older women dating younger guys I just think the websites are set up so the women are being exploited. They have to sell themselves through their bodies. Regardless of what kind of educational background they may have, their implants are still the things being focused on. If women want to get younger guys and maybe not have a committed relationship I think they should just go the club or the bar and find some guy. I'm sure there will be someone out there for them.

Posted by hilk0018 at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

when I viewed this I couldnt believe it!, Thats pretty sad that women in ther forties feel as though they need a label? why would you want a label to define you? dont you want to be in your own category? I dont mind that older women act like they are younger, because when I get older im not saying I will act younger, but I will still dress young, and try to keep myself from aging. I know once we are older, the same thing will happen to us thats why I dont feel I need to judge. I feel as though all these myths arent a way to define women and men. Its funny how people do this for fun, and for me it is great to see the creative and fun things they say about your gender, and see how accurate they can be. I dont disagree or agree, I just think that its interesting.

Posted by gross330 at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I enjoyed looking through the websites, and I actually found them pretty funny. Maybe that's because I find theme writing funny- "Today's urbancougar is a dynamic animal kingdom made up of countless genus and species."
Anyway, I was familiar with the idea of the "cougar" because I had seen some of the episodes of Age of Love. I remember as I was watching this show, I was both pleased and annoyed. I enjoyed how the man constantly acknowledged the fact that the older women, or "cougars," were stable, confident, passionate and intelligent." In contrast, he basically said the young girls were silly, unstable and unsure what to do in life. However, in the end, he went with the young girl, so who knows.
In regard to the websites, I really felt like they were a form of a "support group." In a male-dominated society, it has always been more acceptable for an older man to date a younger woman. That's of course because women are considered inferior, passive, subordinate. Accordingly, older women dating younger men would put women in the seemingly dominant position, and this scares some people in our patriarchal society. I think to try to get around this social stigma, the term cougar and websites like these, were developed to attempt to make everyone feel more "comfortable" with the whole idea. Seems silly to think it is a negative thing in the first place, if you ask me.

Posted by stei0460 at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I visited these sites I was pretty shocked at what I saw. Porn right! Iam a dude… Old women are cougars? They hunt younger men for satisfaction? Whatever it means from the sites, it seems like it has become appropriate for older women to land a young man. Is a cougar a hot older woman? Like a MILF. Same idea right except it’s the other way around as far as who would like to F who. In my opinion I do not think it’s a big deal. If an older woman can pull a young man well than that’s great. Some of the other sites promoted some interesting ideas, like older married women seeking young men, nothing too shocking to me in today’s society. I do think it is pretty funny that there are actual websites that relate to this idea, but I guess you can truly find anything on the net. I also thought the handy list at cougared.com was funny, the criteria sounds great in the advertisement, but when it all comes down to it I am sure it is just a mess

Posted by amri0005 at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm pretty confused actually. I read the "Cougar-of-the-Month" on Urban Cougar and was pretty sure it was written by a twenty-year old. She used LOL :) many grammatical errors and abbreviations that are unnecessary when writing something like this. It was awful. She kept comparing herself to kittens but she acts like one of them. Isn't the point to be mature? If you're going to "overcome" the inhibitions of twenty-year olds then act like someone who is in their forties. These websites are no different than any other flesh-selling site. They say what people want to hear and show some skin.
At cougared.com there is a handy list of what a cougar is:
self-confident, able to land a younger man, tanned and toned, cannot be involved in a serious realtionship, doesn't take herself too seriously, has light and playful emotions, it helps to be wealthy and have a large divorce settlement.
Yes, I too stared blankly at the screen trying to define how I felt about this nice sum-up. I think it's revolting. One woman had posted underneath that she did not fit many of the requirements but hoped she could still be considered a cougar. Why would you want to? Do we need labels for everything in this society? Just go sleep with younger men if you want to.

My main point is why do women in their forties feel the need to justify their actions? Why do they feel like they need to act like twenty-year olds when the idea is to be a mature, adult alternative to that? It's like one huge oxymoron.

Posted by fernx012 at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I first started to look at these sites, I thought that maybe I should not be looking at things like this at work. Then I realized what I was seeing. The idea of older women being considered animals because they are looking for younger men seems a bit degrading. There is much more to women than their goals of finding or having relations with men, but it this site doesn’t really talk about that. If you look at the Cougar of the Month section you see all of these older women posing in very sexual positions barely dressed in anything. First off, are there no older women who don’t have plastic surgery to look like they are 20 who are cougars? This site makes it seem like older women who are looking for younger men are all good looking. If you look at the site there are advertisements all over for certain skin creams or bronzers. Capitalism and the push for buying things seem to be one of the forces behind this whole thing. You have to keep buying products to look young so you can be a cougar! I hope that this is not a for real thing and just a ploy to get people to buy things….

Posted by joh02184 at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My initial reaction to these websites was almost disbelief and humor that these sites exist. Even after viewing it a few times, I kept thinking that this was a joke (people can't really take this site or use seriously) especially with the very corny lines they have up. They've got "hunting tips," den locations, stories, etc. It was odd to see a site for and used by females that refers to themselves and their activities in animal ways. If you also check out the Cougar of the month - they have very sexual pictures of half naked women flaunting their looks comparing themselves to playboy/penthouse but real life women which seemed to exploit or focus only on physical characteristics of women. The only upside or positive thing I could reference is that the women seem very strong/confident, one lady said, "We all seem to have this need to be in charge and in control in all areas of our life including our sex lives which of course is attractive to men of any age!" Many refer to having their own careers, being independent and not looking for a man to depend on.

Example of wording from site.
Ahh, the elusive Cougar. Darting from Tree to Tree, Bush to Bush, stealthily stalking their prey. They remain out of sight... Most of the time...whether on the street or in the movies, have you spotted one of these Beautiful Creatures?.

The urbancougar.com site was much more "entertaining" and elaborate in celebrating cougar women/lifestyle. The cougared.com seemed more like any other dating site (with a theme)

Posted by croft021 at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wanted to tell everybody about a podcast that might be of interest for some of ya'll.

NPR: Pop Culture Podcast 03-09-2008
you can download the podcast for free on Itunes under Podcasts.

It's about Barbie and a feminist look at the iconically pop doll. It's a pretty fantastic 10 minutes.

Check it out.

Posted by cici at 04:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first thing I noticed while visiting the sites, was the fact that these older women are being referred to as animals, cougars, and their prey is younger men. I started to think of why these women were labeled cougars, but it came to be that people probably do not think it is acceptable for older women to be with younger men. It is as if they have to hunt for their prey, who are very helpless and are targeted as victims. I personally do not think it as such. I believe that if an older woman wants to be with a younger man, more power to her. There are many helpful links and services provided, but one struck me as crazy. Cougar wives is a link that brings you to all sorts of websites that are all about wives that cheat and are looking for others to cheat with. Overall, I think that it is great that these "cougars" have someplace to go to organize and support each other.

Posted by Rachel Kyllander at 12:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So I went to these sites and I have to say I felt as if I was going to enter a porn site. Urbancougar definatly flaunts the fact that they have hot and well fit olfer aged women to look at and contact. The thing that got me was these women commented about the men they had been with or dated and refered to them as prey. For how long have women struggled to rise above being an object to men and now we do the same thing? Well, these cougars do the same thing not all of us. I would like to know if these women, who continually call their men the prey and themselves the hunter, ever took offense to being described as a piece of meat the guy(s) wanted to sleep with.
Now off my soap box, I think that women who are into older men should be allowed to do so and why not promote it? There is a website for everything else on this planet and apparently it is working for them otherwise the websites would no longer exsist. I don't feel that these websites present the best image for women looking for anything but a sexual encounter but I read a few things and they didn't seem to mind not having a relationship after their sex. All in all I say good for them as long as both parties agree to the terms and are satisfied with how things are then I say what is the harm in that?

Posted by rote0008 at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I think of motherhood I think of Carol Brady from the Brady Bunch. She was a mother who could easily help her children with their problems and solve them within thirty minutes or less. She was the typical stay at home mother who kept a house all the while keeping her husband and children happy. Most of her concerns revolved around her home and not else where. When I think of how motherhood has changed I can't help but think about Roseanne, Grace from Grace Underfire, and Reba. Like we talked about in class Roseanne helped change the look and appeal of mothers for the newer generation. She was the first woman I saw who I could kinda relate to. I used to watch the Cosby Show but Claire was a laywer and no one in my family was near that. The first few episodes of Roseann I watched she worked in a factory, my aunt and grandmother were working in a shoe factory at the time. Both of our familes yelled when in disagreement and talked about things that most other families neglected to talk about on tv. Grace from Grace Underfire was a single mother as was Reba, I was raised by a single mother. They took on the working world all well still raising kids, you never saw that in the past. Pop culture has changed women in many ways including motherhood. Women went from the stay at home domestic queen raising children and keeping their husbands happy to the working world juggling relationship, marriage, dating, homosexuality, bearing and raising children and in some cases going to school on top of all of it. I think these sitcomes in the ninties and early 2000's showed a new stronger woman who could stand on ther own two feet and take on the world. With a few of the newer shows on tv such as Real Wives of Orage County women are displayed as objects to stare at, They work that is true, or at least most of them do but they are still overly concerned with appearance and their latest surgeries and or purchases. This does not show the best picture to represent motherhood but if you can look past these shows you can still see how much women have matured into working and still loving, family oriented people.

Posted by rote0008 at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first thing I noticed when I went to urbancougar.com was that there was an advertisement for some product that is similar to botox, some age defying cream. It is interesting that these women have "overcome the sexual stigma of older women having sex" but are still targeted by age defying products. You'd think they would strive not to have advertisements like that on their website because it perpetuates the stereotype that they are old and that is something they need to "fix." I also noticed that a lot of the pictures that were up didn't look like very old women, most of them seem to be in their 40's maybe. There are no pictures of actually old women. I also found it interesting that they kept talking about younger men as their prey, as if the only way they would be able to have sex with them is if they hunted them down. cougared.com talked about how not all cougars need to have money to be a cougar. I found this interesting that this stereotype is prevalent and it reminds me of sugar daddies. I couldn't find anything about the defunct age of love on nbc.com. Did anyone else have troubles finding that?

Posted by konk0026 at 07:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maybe I won't appreciate what it takes to be a cougar until i am of cougar age but these women are kind of nasty. All the power to them if they wan't to go to the gym and take care of themselves, look good and whatever, but if the reason they are going to the gym is to hook up with guys in their twenties- they've got their priorities crooked. The one thing that strikes me from urbancougar.com is that is only about the hunt and kill and not about forming relationships. This was made very clear in one of the "hunting tips" that mentioned going to dive bars was great because there were tons of college kids it was like "shooting fish in a barrell". From the show age of love it seems that the guy picked a younger one... which could be because they have more in common- are at closer places in their lives- or that cougars are just for sex and not for relationships. I don't know- it just seems like there is very little room for respect within cougar/cub relationships and not really any want for it- which disturbs me just a little.

Posted by goul0086 at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out the websites urbancougar.com , cougared.com and the site for the now defunct Age of Love on NBC.com. Post a your reactions.

Posted by M. L. H. at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motherhood is portrayed in different popular culture mediums in many ways. I feel as though a mother plays an important role in her daughter's actions. I find it very common to find daughters who are just like their mothers. I know this doesnt apply to everyone, but in many cases this is the truth, and relevant. For example Britney Spears. Her mother seems like the kind of mother that allows her children too much freedom. As you can tell for that, because she allows her other daughter Jamie Lynn SPears to date, and now she is pregnant. I remember at that age, I wasnt allowed to have guys over if they werent part of my family. The stricter you are on your children, the more they will become successful, and I have learned that the hard way, because my mother is very strict, but I feel like I have benefited from her a lot. Some pop culture women who are influenced by the media, might be more of the women who get plastic surgery, etc..and their daughters watch and see, and think that it is perfectly fine to get a tummy tuck, or breast implants. Race, class, and sexuality influence these portrayls because your social hierarchy is so important in many ways, and has relevance to this issue. It is all about social status in the media. Your sexual orientation is also a key factor, because society will view you in a different way because you might like the same sex, etc. and you might be judged for that in the long run. Race plays a major role because different races have their own way to handle certain situations when it comes to motherhood. I feel as though(in my opinion) that African American mothers are more harder on their children moreso than Caucasiaon mothers, or more than any other race period. In different cultures women might be looked at as an important mother factor, and not so much for others.

Posted by gross330 at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motherhood is portrayed in different popular culture mediums in many ways. I feel as though a mother plays an important role in her daughter's actions. I find it very common to find daughters who are just like their mothers. I know this doesnt apply to everyone, but in many cases this is the truth, and relevant. For example Britney Spears. Her mother seems like the kind of mother that allows her children too much freedom. As you can tell for that, because she allows her other daughter Jamie Lynn SPears to date, and now she is pregnant. I remember at that age, I wasnt allowed to have guys over if they werent part of my family. The stricter you are on your children, the more they will become successful, and I have learned that the hard way, because my mother is very strict, but I feel like I have benefited from her a lot. Some pop culture women who are influenced by the media, might be more of the women who get plastic surgery, etc..and their daughters watch and see, and think that it is perfectly fine to get a tummy tuck, or breast implants. Race, class, and sexuality influence these portrayls because your social hierarchy is so important in many ways, and has relevance to this issue. It is all about social status in the media. Your sexual orientation is also a key factor, because society will view you in a different way because you might like the same sex, etc. and you might be judged for that in the long run. Race plays a major role because different races have their own way to handle certain situations when it comes to motherhood. I feel as though(in my opinion) that African American mothers are more harder on their children moreso than Caucasiaon mothers, or more than any other race period. In different cultures women might be looked at as an important mother factor, and not so much for others.

Posted by gross330 at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motherhood is portrayed in different popular culture mediums in many ways. I feel as though a mother plays an important role in her daughter's actions. I find it very common to find daughters who are just like their mothers. I know this doesnt apply to everyone, but in many cases this is the truth, and relevant. For example Britney Spears. Her mother seems like the kind of mother that allows her children too much freedom. As you can tell for that, because she allows her other daughter Jamie Lynn SPears to date, and now she is pregnant. I remember at that age, I wasnt allowed to have guys over if they werent part of my family. The stricter you are on your children, the more they will become successful, and I have learned that the hard way, because my mother is very strict, but I feel like I have benefited from her a lot. Some pop culture women who are influenced by the media, might be more of the women who get plastic surgery, etc..and their daughters watch and see, and think that it is perfectly fine to get a tummy tuck, or breast implants. Race, class, and sexuality influence these portrayls because your social hierarchy is so important in many ways, and has relevance to this issue. It is all about social status in the media. Your sexual orientation is also a key factor, because society will view you in a different way because you might like the same sex, etc. and you might be judged for that in the long run. Race plays a major role because different races have their own way to handle certain situations when it comes to motherhood. I feel as though(in my opinion) that African American mothers are more harder on their children moreso than Caucasiaon mothers, or more than any other race period. In different cultures women might be looked at as an important mother factor, and not so much for others.

Posted by gross330 at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Motherhood is portrayed in different popular culture mediums in many ways. I feel as though a mother plays an important role in her daughter's actions. I find it very common to find daughters who are just like their mothers. I know this doesnt apply to everyone, but in many cases this is the truth, and relevant. For example Britney Spears. Her mother seems like the kind of mother that allows her children too much freedom. As you can tell for that, because she allows her other daughter Jamie Lynn SPears to date, and now she is pregnant. I remember at that age, I wasnt allowed to have guys over if they werent part of my family. The stricter you are on your children, the more they will become successful, and I have learned that the hard way, because my mother is very strict, but I feel like I have benefited from her a lot. Some pop culture women who are influenced by the media, might be more of the women who get plastic surgery, etc..and their daughters watch and see, and think that it is perfectly fine to get a tummy tuck, or breast implants. Race, class, and sexuality influence these portrayls because your social hierarchy is so important in many ways, and has relevance to this issue. It is all about social status in the media. Your sexual orientation is also a key factor, because society will view you in a different way because you might like the same sex, etc. and you might be judged for that in the long run. Race plays a major role because different races have their own way to handle certain situations when it comes to motherhood. I feel as though(in my opinion) that African American mothers are more harder on their children moreso than Caucasiaon mothers, or more than any other race period. In different cultures women might be looked at as an important mother factor, and not so much for others.

Posted by gross330 at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think, at the very least the way motherhood is portrayed in the media has evolved since the Leave it to Beaver days. By how much? I'm not sure. Today, however, you see mothers like Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, the only strong woman in a family of 5 boys and one overly sensitive husband, keeping everyone afloat. Despite her reputation for being an unfeeling nazi, and the center of the show revolving around the family's dysfunctionality, it's clear that without Lois, there would be no family at all. And mothers such as Lorelai Gilmore, who raised a brilliant daughter, started her own business, and thrived as a two-component family in small town Connecticut.

Then again, you have mothers like Samantha Newly's mother on the new series, Samantha Who. Her sole existence seems to revolve around finding Samantha a decent husband, convincing her husband to redecorate the house, and hosting luncheons at her house. To me, this seems to be a step backwards, a step back towards the days of mothers entire lives being based in the house. This would be a fine choice, but the mother on this show has very little integrity with which to back up such a decision. Just a "stereotypical housewife".

It seems to me that you see very few stay at home mothers outside of the realm of sitcoms. And within sitcoms, you get the occasional african-american family, or african-american next door neighbors, but overall it seems every sitcom is based around a middle class suburban white family, and their trials and tribulations. Extremely rarely are any issues of sexuality or class dealt with. Race is slightly more common, but even then it is sparse.

I believe that there has certainly been some sort of improvement in the media's portrayal of mothers in and out of the home, but as it seems to be with most of these portrayals, we still have a long ways to go.

Posted by gomol003 at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like most of the other people in the class, when I think about portrayals of mothers in the media, the picture of the typical 'domestic goddess' pops into my head. These women cook, clean, usually stay at home, and are the backbone of the entire family. They're usually white, polished, middle class and heterosexual. Basically, a whole sitcom world full of perky Pleasantville moms who seem to put their family's needs and wants ahead of theirs. However, I think recently tv has begun to steer away from this stereotype and concentrate more on women with careers. There are shows like Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle that showcase high-powered corporate women who still have kids and don't stay at home and do the traditional housewife chores. Nancy on Weeds runs her own business and is tough and independent, two qualities that you don't see all that often. On Grey's Anatomy, Miranda has a child, but there are frequent conflicts about her not spending enough time at home with him. I think tv has gotten better at showing mothers in the workfield but I also think that there is an emphasis on these women not being home enough for their families. I think there need to be more shows that get across the message that mothers can have both a career and a life while also balancing their family and at-home duties.

Posted by weise074 at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I tried to think of a show that incorporates the "working mother" theme into their show and it became evident to me that not many exist. This could be mainly due to the fact that I do not get the chance to watch much television or follow a specific show in particular, but I remember one that I watched on a consistent basis when it premiered for it's first season.

As much of a guilty pleasure as it was, I can admit I used to watch "Desperate Housewives." The way I can relate this to the topic of this blog is that the show highlights all these issues dealing with the working wife, race, class and sexuality and how they portray women.

Lynette Scavo represents the working mother within the context of the show. Before she had children, she was a top executive in her firm. She was financially well off and was better at the job than any of the other male executives there might have been. Her and her husband eventually had 3 boys I believe and she was ordered by her husband to stay home and care for them. Eventually, Lynette found her voice and demanded that her husband, Tom, take leave from his job and be a stay-at-home dad and as a result learn to be more involved. It made sense because she made more money working than her husband did. However, Tom was upset about this decision because it appeared to be a threat to his masculinity and stripped him of his role as the breadwinner for the family.

When I relate race and sexuality to the show I can think of Eva Longoria's role as Gabrielle Solis. She is the only minority represented in this series. As a result, she is overly sexualized falling into the stereotype of the exotic Latina who is sassy enough and daring enough to take full control of her sex life. She becomes dominant with both her husband and the high school gardener who she sleeps with on a regular basis. The portrayal of women being sexually liberated falls behind because the overall message that this show presents is that it perpetuates the stereotype of the exotic other in relation to Gabrielle's white counterparts within the show.

Posted by Gizelle at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)