Tyler's Media Journal

Baywatch:Ten Years Later

2007-04-05T04:13:50Z

Pictures of Pamela Anderson frolicking on the beach with her dog hit the web with titles like, "Pamela Has Expired", "She'll Never Get Back in the Red Bathing Suit" and "No More Sex Tapes for You".

]]> One particular blog entry that shocked me was on the site idontlikeyouinthatway when commented by saying:

I have no shame in saying that I would have hit this like the Tar Heel mascot ten years ago, but these new pictures of Pamela Anderson at the beach are just depressing. I'm sorry if my penis is a little nostalgic, but how did the blonde ideal turn into this mess? She looks like she was cursed by a gypsy. It's sad when the star of Baywatch is the second thing in these pictures I would have sex with. At least the dog doesn't have Hepatitis C. And let's be honest, I've had worse.

I don't know what picture this author was writing about, but for someone who mothered a couple children I would say her body is pretty nice. I think she looks completely healthy and gorgeous. This is a woman who is just having fun on the beach with her dog, she's not looking to impress anyone. Pamela has nothing to hide, and she's proud of her body. Why must our society hold beauty at one strict standard of thin, blonde and bearer of a flat stomach?

Only the Third?

2007-04-05T03:57:08Z

When I heard Jennifer Hudson made the cover of the American Vogue magazine, I was surprised. I happen to be a avid reader of the magazine and as hard as I tried I could only remember two black women celebrities being on the cover: Halle Barry & Oprah Winfrey. I also thought, has there been black singers? The answer is: no. I did some research and discovered that Jennifer Hudson is only the third black woman celebrity and the first black woman singer to be on the cover.

]]> Vogue has always mixed a blend of waif-thin, European models and a mix of young and old Hollywood. Stars like Scarlett Johannsen, Renee Zellwegger and Sandra Bullock come to mind as recent cover models. I give major props to Anna Wintour, notorious editor-in-chief of the magazine, for selecting Hudson for the cover. Hudson has had an amazing year in the industry, with the success of Dreamgirls and her slew of awards. She is destined for greatness, and it's amazing Vogue broke their Caucasian mold of the cover model.

When i think about the Industry, I am surprised that only Oprah and Halle were previously on the cover. There are many multi-talented, beautiful women in the entertainment world that could easily grace the cover of the magazine. Such personalities like Beyonce and Alicia Keys are examples of this type. Hopefully this cover will push Vogue to modify their selection of cover models. It's good to diversify, no one wants to see a under-eating, overpaid model on the cover of every issue.

On Display: Feminist Art

2007-04-05T03:42:06Z

Feminist art center opens at Brooklyn Museum
By Deepti Hajela
Associated Press

April 2, 2007

NEW YORK — Finally, feminist art has a gallery of its own. And then some.

The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, an 8,300-square-foot space specifically dedicated to examining the effect of feminism in the art world — said to be the first museum space of its kind — has taken up residence at the Brooklyn Museum.

The center, which opened March 23, is the brainchild of Sackler, who said that when she thinks of feminist values, she envisions "equality, equity, justice."

"I see those values in feminism; those are part of what feminist art addresses," she said in an interview.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity to work with the public, to engage in subjects in and around the history of women and the impact of women," said Maura Reilly, curator of the center.

Sackler decided the centerpiece of the space would be an iconic work of feminist art, Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party," from 1974-79. The large-scale installation has 39 place settings around a triangular table, with each setting representing a woman of historical note, from ancient goddesses to Georgia O'Keeffe. Tiles on the floor below the table are inscribed with the names of 999 women of significance.

The work, which has been displayed at the museum twice before, now takes up a permanent space in the center. A 300-square-foot "herstory" gallery is meant to work as an addendum, hosting exhibitions that focus on the women mentioned in Chicago's work.

The first exhibit, "Pharaohs, Queens and Goddesses," uses items from the museum's extensive Egyptian collection to look at Hatshepsut, one of the few women to become ruler in Egypt, as well as other females in Egyptian history.

Another space is meant for changing exhibitions. The first one is "Global Feminisms," a survey of contemporary feminist art featuring women from around the world.

The center also has space for public and educational programming.

Having a dedicated, permanent space for feminist art is a huge step forward from the occasional survey show or retrospective of a particular artist that museums have done, said Peggy Diggs, a senior lecturer in arts and humanities at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.

"Shows have been good, but they come and go. They seem to always carry their hat in their hand, or else they look so retrograde, this kind of glimpse into the weird, weird past," she said. "I'm hoping this will provide a much richer, deeper view."

Sackler said she hoped the center would be a model that other museums would follow.

"For me, both feminism and feminist art is not the goal — it's the means toward an end. The end is equality," she said. "Whether it's equal pay or equal wall space, that's the end."

]]> I think it's great that feminist art can be showcased in a space dedicated to it's belief. This isn't just a week long special at a local museum, or a one night art gallery showing. This is a space that will be around for years to come, where people can come and experience a different perspective of art.

Pregnancy: The End

2007-04-05T03:25:43Z

Pregnancy Discrimination Complaints at Record High

A record 4,901 pregnancy discrimination complaints were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2006. However, the actual number of pregnancy discrimination cases may be higher, as many women see filing complaints as a “career killer,�? said EEOC spokesperson David Grinberg, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The most common discrimination complaints from pregnant women are unlawful demotions, firing, and not being hired in the first place, according to the Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report. Maria Salacuse, an EEOC attorney in Baltimore, said that as more women become aware of their rights under the law, more are willing to file complaints, according to the Sun.

According to the EEOC, about 27 percent of the pregnancy discrimination cases closed during 2006 had favorable outcomes for the women. Not counting monetary awards obtained through litigation, the EEOC recovered $10.4 million on behalf of the pregnant women filing complaints in 2006, according to the Sun.

]]> This seems to happen time and time again in the workforce with women. Once she becomes pregnant, she is seen as "fragile". It seems like companies are reverting back several decades where pregnant women stayed at home on bed rest so they couldn't "overwork" themselves. Seriously? If a woman wants to work during her pregnancy, why shouldn't she? Isn't it the woman's choice if she wants to take time off or not? By telling a woman she can't work, it's like telling her she's not capable of working. It's like the second that pregnancy test turns positive she enters a completely different world where it's a necessity to isolate oneself from anything that may cause one's brow to sweat.

This situation makes me think of an episode of Sex & The City when the character Miranda, a high powered lawyer, found out she was pregnant and refused to tell her firm. Her reasoning was that if they found out, the likelihood of her working on bigger cases would decrease so they wouldn't overexert her. She said pregnancy is the death card for work.

If I was a woman and realized my company has unfair practices towards pregnant women, i find that it might discourage me from wanting to conceive. This also makes me think, is there a point where men are told to take time off of work? Probably not, because they are the ones telling the women to leave.

Hold the Fries, Please

2007-02-15T18:24:26Z

In a recent interview Liv Tyler stated she has "been on a diet" her whole life since she was 14, because she was started as a model and actress. According to Tyler, the only time she wasn't on a diet was when she was pregnant.

]]> In the interview, Tyler also comments on the sizes of models today in comparison to those from the 90s, "I’m friends with Helena Christensen and Linda Evangelista, and I remember Linda telling me that when she was a model [in the ’90s], a sample size was a 6 or an 8. Now a sample dress size is a 0 or a 2. That’s pretty alarming. There’s a lot of pressure on [the models]. It’s not healthy. I can’t even imagine what that’s like."

Tyler raises a good point, why has the expected sizing of models gone down? Some designers have defended the current sizes of models by saying that models are supposed to be strictly hangers for the clothes they are wearing, and that the clothes should be the focus of attention NOT the models. Okay, but why do they need to be size zero or less? There have been several deaths this year involving models who were too thin. It seems standard that you are not let on the runway unless you can see your ribcage. There are acceptable levels of being thin, but sometimes the modeling industry crosses the line by becoming TOO thin.

There Goes His Contract

2007-02-15T17:46:51Z

Basketball player Tim Hardaway was recently interviewed by a sports radio station about the situation involving John Amaechi, a former teammate who came out of the closet. Hardaway's comments are degrading and pathetic, further distancing any respect of homosexuals in male sports.

]]> Tim was quoted as saying, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States."

Then, Tim was asked about what he would do if he was ever on the same team as John Amaechi, and his response was shocking, "First of all, I wouldn’t want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would really distance myself from him because, uh, I don’t think that is right. I don’t think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room. But stuff like that is going on and there’s a lot of other people I hear that are like that and still in the closet and don’t want to come out of the closet, but you know I just leave that alone.�?

Tim's words speak for themself. I wouldn't be surprised about the repercussions that come from these comments. It's obvious this won't bode well with the team, fan base, other players and especially John Amaechi. Maybe he will be forced to go to "rehab" and participate in PRIDE events, like Isiah Washington on Greys Anatomy? Either way, this shows the fear many people have with homosexuality. Who really cares? Our sexuality does not define us, now should we let it. There are so many other ways to represent ourselves and ways to let ourselves be known to others. The choices we make about attraction should not be judged nor used as a vehicle for fear by many.

It's About More Than Power

2007-02-11T00:13:15Z

In an episode of HBO's popular series Sex And The City character Miranda Hobbes, played by Cynthia Nixon, says, "I know how to keep a man, you just give up all your power."

]]> In a series that promotes the power of a woman, this line contradicts it all. Why would a character who is known for being independent, powerful and against any susceptibility to men say such a line? It imposes any bearing of thought for an independent women. It goes against Miranda's power complex, stating her willingness to succumb to the power of men. And it goes against her continuous mantra of preferring to be solo and not letting the ideologies and rules of relationships get to her.

This line is very discouraging to any female viewers. I know many females who consider this show a living bible. They refer to it in daily conversation and compare their relationships, daily nuances and random anecdotes to things from the series. They never go against anything set in stone on the show. On the show, if Charlotte says it takes half the time of a relationship to get over it, then it's true. If Samantha says that it's easier to sleep with people like a man and live like a woman they will do it. If Carrie believes the most important relationship a girl has is with her shoes, they will adapt that mantra. But with the suggestion Miranda makes, can it be possible that these females , and many others, will also choose to submit themselves to men in the power equation? Why is the power equation in a relationship such an issue? Must we revert back to the times of Ozzy and Harriet?

Did someone skip a breakfast, or two?

2007-02-10T23:53:13Z

Looking at this this picture makes me wonder, what is so desirable about a 16 inch waist? It looks pretty painful to me.

]]> Just looking at this image of famous Burlesque performer Dita von Teese makes me hungry. Offstage the performer holds down a 24 inch waist, but on stage slims it down 8 inches into a corset that shrinks her to a minuscule 16 inches. That's like the waist size of my 5 year old cousin. What is so desirable about having this small of a waist size?

We already have unreachable images of beauty in the media. Is this helping that?

Afraid of the F-Word?

2007-02-10T23:26:24Z

In a recent issue of Bust Magazine, Gwen Stefani was asked her position of feminism.

]]> Do you consider yourself a feminist?

Well, I'd have to get a definition of it, first. I mean, I'm pro-woman, and I feel like I'm in an exceptionally lucky position being in an all-guy group and being able to do music. And clearly, I work with alot of women -- my video directors, my stylists, my management. Working with L.A.M.B. and all the people around me, I definitely have been able to see the power of my position. So I guess I don't want to say I am a feminist because nobody will ever define it for me.

Stefani's response is interesting, because she concedes that she needs a definition of what feminism is before she is able to admit her stance. Then why would Stefani agree to be interviewed by a magazine like Bust? She skirts and dances around the question. It seems that she is quite afraid of the F-Word and is afraid of being labeled. Many figures in pop culture seem very afraid of being labeled as anything whether it be a feminist, gay and so forth. By steering clear of any sort of labeling they are able to reach more audiences without hesitancy. She makes that clear by saying she is able to "see the power" of her position.

It's obvious her PR rep was either not next to her in this situation, or was whispering "Career Suicide, avoid a clear answer at all means" into her ear.