This is interesting because it's an example of a product that reiterates "common place" beliefs about natural/normal biology. I imagine many of us in this class have once looked through a chapter on reproductive anatomy in a middle school health book, once upon a time. Of course, the images you see will be of a "normal' male and female, the surrounding text reiterating Judith Butler's heterosexist hegemony. It will not include text concerning hermaphroditic, transsexual, gender-neutral identified or other "deviant" anatomies/bodies/identities. Even if it did, that text would still be likely to be placed as an other in opposition to 'normal' bodies. This product reinforces beliefs about the 'normal' biology of gendered bodies who identify as women: not only that they posses text book anatomy, but that women who do posses this anatomy cannot pee standing up. It poses much the same position for gendered subjects who identify as other than women, that they can pee standing up and posses a textbook male anatomy. It also introduces a hierarchical value to the act of peeing while standing up. "We've [women] all popped the squat too many times," complains a woman in the video. But really, how terrible is it to have to squat to pee without a toilet (and I would still maintain that that isn't really necessary for anyone)? Maybe everyone should start squatting, to get more exercise and also to reduce the problem of walking into a bathroom stall only to find the toilet seat covered in urine.
This is interesting because it's an example of a product that reiterates "common place" beliefs about natural/normal biology. I imagine many of us in this class have once looked through a chapter on reproductive anatomy in a middle school health book, once upon a time. Of course, the images you see will be of a "normal' male and female, the surrounding text reiterating Judith Butler's heterosexist hegemony. It will not include text concerning hermaphroditic, transsexual, gender-neutral identified or other "deviant" anatomies/bodies/identities. Even if it did, that text would still be likely to be placed as an other in opposition to 'normal' bodies. This product reinforces beliefs about the 'normal' biology of gendered bodies who identify as women: not only that they posses text book anatomy, but that women who do posses this anatomy cannot pee standing up. It poses much the same position for gendered subjects who identify as other than women, that they can pee standing up and posses a textbook male anatomy. It also introduces a hierarchical value to the act of peeing while standing up. "We've [women] all popped the squat too many times," complains a woman in the video. But really, how terrible is it to have to squat to pee without a toilet (and I would still maintain that that isn't really necessary for anyone)? Maybe everyone should start squatting, to get more exercise and also to reduce the problem of walking into a bathroom stall only to find the toilet seat covered in urine.