GWSS 3306: Popular Culture Women

I love 9 to 5. I have loved it since I first saw it, and for the same reasons many of you probably do. Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, women taking over the office and holding their arrogant ass of a boss hostage? Really, what more do you want? I read the article we were assigned that analyzed the film, and while I found some parts accurate, I really didn't agree with the statements she made about the film not really being a feminist flick, and about the film being more of a girl-power type thing. Let's remember, "girl power" sprouted out of feminism (AND had government funding). Just because the feminist agenda was not displayed prominently in the lower right corner of the screen does not mean that it didn't have any feminist undertone. I thought it had lots of them, actually. Dolly Parton's character is continuously hit on by her boss, who wants her to be his mistress. She loudly and without apology refuses, and goes home to her husband at night complaining about it. What more could she do? She said a couple of different times in the film, "I need this job!", so she obviously wasn't going to do anything that could get her fired. She wasn't about to tell off her boss in plain words and get herself fired, so instead she and the other office ladies got together and figured out how to make their workplace better, and how best to get it through their boss's head that they weren't about to put up with his bs. Good things happened for all of the women as a result of their efforts: Dolly Parton's character got to leave her job and become a country western singer. Lily Tomlin's character got to be promoted to a bigwig executive. I don't understand what's not to love about 9 to 5: as a comedy, it did the best job of putting feminism out there that it could.

Posted by kaylen_culotta at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Remember, your media notebooks are due this Thursday. I am reposting this link to the assignment.

Posted by Sara at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Personally, I have found that female comediennes can either be really really successful because or really really not, and I think the reason for that is that you already have a strike against you being a woman, in yet again a mans' world. Most women that are considered funny really play off the antithesis of a feminie stereotype and go balls to the walls (no pun intended. ) There is usually something really raunchy about their humor, that adds a shock value, unexpected from the docile female.
Three of my favorites: Margaret Cho and Paula Poundstone, and Sara Silverman. All of which are extreemely loud and outwardly obnoxious by your everyday standards of femininity, but fit right it on the stage trying to make people laugh. It's their disregard for the rules that makes them funny, and at the same time makes their efforts to squish those stereotypes something that can be more widely received. Often times their humor is really just relaying the facts, with a quick witted, completely hilarious delivery, that makes it funny, that in any other setting might reflect an unapproachable man-hating attitude, that is so nicely off-set by their willingness to laugh at themselves and some of this world's current situations that seem absurd when delivered by a comedienne, but in its most real form, is true.
In the end what makes most women funny is their ability to laugh at themselves, and make light of a situation that will otherwise oppress them, unless their willing to not play victim to that role. These women are strong, crazy, but most of all just really funny ladies who can hold their own in a career that isn't considered feminine.

Posted by Erin Jensen at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I remember renting this movie long before I had any idea what feminism, or women's rights had to do with orienting myself in the world. After rewatching it I came to realize that there were numerous hidden messages aimed to re-establish the working woman and also claim her place as a more than capable addition to the office, even outside her stereotypical role as a secretary. I think a lot of women have found themselves, yet not always, in job positions where they either felt objectified, as Dolly Parton was, or just ignored, as Lily Tomlin was. Mr. Hart had no regard for the women in his office, simply because they were women and he couldn't see beyond that, but interestingly enough it was the women who kept his boat afloat and micromanaged a huge company, that might have flopped without it. I find it most interesting though, that even through all that equal pay has still become an issue. I truly do believe that it was an issue and for some women still is, depending on their place of employment. And the reason behind this deviance in pay is because for so long women were not open to the same occupational opportunities, that allowed them the same salary. But as the women in 9-5 showed, the reason for that discrepancy, lay not in their own inability to perform, but in the patriarchy of the work place.
The most notable theme that could be derived from the movie, that I didn't so much appreciate, was that Mr. Hart was representantive of all male bosses, in the sense that the only interest he had in his female employess was in their bra. I think a lot of men in charge get a bad rap, and I don't think it's fair to women to say that it's inevitable to be harrassed if you're beautiful. There is, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say there was, a deeper problem than just the anatomy between men and women that situated the wokrplace as it does. It was the political, social and economic systems in place at the time, that weren't being challenged, and I though the movie could have done a better job of making it more obvious that it was more of a damn the man situation than it was a personal attack on Mr. Hart. He should have been more outwardly noted as a representation of a broader organized system, than just a sleezy old man in a suit and tie.
One last thing....not that there was any mention of it but I think affirmative action could apply at times in this movie. I felt like it wasn't necessarily denouncing the notion, but stuck to it's guns when they considered their respective positions. Lily Tomlin really deserved that job, and didn't want it for any other reason than that. She paid her dues, and not only that, she really knew her stuff, more than the new guy who took it out from under. So I think a lot of people would argue that it's a good solution to this problem, when in actuality Idon't believe it to be. Who wants a job because, by law, they need more women on their team, not necessarily for your qualifications that you have worked so hard to obtain?

Posted by Erin Jensen at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had never seen this film until it was shown in class. From the beginning to the end, the suspense and comedy keep me wanting to see more. I liked how the issue of how woman are treated in the workplace was made comical instead of dramatic. If the film was presented in a dramatic non-comical way I dont think that so many people would want to watch the film, although the message of how women are treated wrong would be there sometimes its better when serious issues/predicament are presented in a comical way. Most film viewers enjoy a laugh every now and then. Women have been mistreated in the workplace for the longest time and to show how the matter of sexual harrassment or un-noticable recognition is displayed between male and female within the office putting that hilarious twist to it appeals better. With the tv series Office Space, it is shown in documentary form so laughter is not there from the audience like most tv shows but Office Space presents some of the common problems within the workplace and make them more appealing to the audience. The characters that play within the tv series along with actress from 9 to 5 Dolly, Jane, Lily, and actor Dabney always provide greatness to the big screen. They are funny, great performs with big imaginations.
After seeing this film I have incouraged almost everyone I know expectially professional women to go out and see this film. Although it was made in 1980 some of the issues discussed in the film are still problems today!

Posted by Diamond Smith at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9 to 5 is a film about women in the work place being put down and treated without respect by supervisors. Each of the three main characters played a specific "type" of woman trying to climb the corporate ladder in the workplace in the eighties. I don't appreciate these pigeon-holes, but I suppose at the time this film was made, the only way to begin to address gender inequality in the workplace was through the use of humor and sterotyping. That isn't correct, but we see that now in films as it relates to racial sterotyping and inequalities. The types I noticed are as follows:

Dolly Parton - "Sexy secretary" who is not having an affair with the boss, but everyone thinks she is. This "type" of charater is not respected by authority because of her good looks, and other employees do not take her seriously. This woman is quirky and uses humor to deal with her sexist boss.

Lily Tomlin - "Management-wanna-be". This "type" wants to climb the corporate ladder, and wants to be respected for her hard work and dedication to the company that continues to put her down and promote men over her. This "type" of working woman is smart and efficient, and her boss often takes credit for her work.

Jane Fonda - "The never-worked-before-Divorcee". This "type" of woman in the workplace has often never worked before outside of the home. She often is easily overwhelmed by the stresses in the workplace, and is still sometimes pining for her ex-husband.

I appreciate the way this film showed the main characters taking over the business and being successful with it while Mr. Hart was "kidnapped". The main characters were validated by the chairman of the board who approved of their work but yet recognized Mr. Hart for it. So, in the end, the characters were personally validated but within the eyes of the company, Mr. Hart was responsible for all the positive change within the company.

Posted by Nicole Balistreri at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9 to 5 is a film about women in the work place being put down and treated without respect by supervisors. Each of the three main characters played a specific "type" of woman trying to climb the corporate ladder in the workplace in the eighties. I don't appreciate these pigeon-holes, but I suppose at the time this film was made, the only way to begin to address gender inequality in the workplace was through the use of humor and sterotyping. That isn't correct, but we see that now in films as it relates to racial sterotyping and inequalities. The types I noticed are as follows:

Dolly Parton - "Sexy secretary" who is not having an affair with the boss, but everyone thinks she is. This "type" of charater is not respected by authority because of her good looks, and other employees do not take her seriously. This woman is quirky and uses humor to deal with her sexist boss.

Lily Tomlin - "Management-wanna-be". This "type" wants to climb the corporate ladder, and wants to be respected for her hard work and dedication to the company that continues to put her down and promote men over her. This "type" of working woman is smart and efficient, and her boss often takes credit for her work.

Jane Fonda - "The never-worked-before-Divorcee". This "type" of woman in the workplace has often never worked before outside of the home. She often is easily overwhelmed by the stresses in the workplace, and is still sometimes pining for her ex-husband.

I appreciate the way this film showed the main characters taking over the business and being successful with it while Mr. Hart was "kidnapped". The main characters were validated by the chairman of the board who approved of their work but yet recognized Mr. Hart for it. So, in the end, the characters were personally validated but within the eyes of the company, Mr. Hart was responsible for all the positive change within the company.

Posted by Nicole Balistreri at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"9 to 5" depicts an office situation where women strive to find equality where it is lacking. The movie depicts this messge through the alternative medium of humor. This movie is not only humorous but is completley over the top. I found this movie to be entertaining but in some ways too goofy. It was almost too goofy that it downplayed the really important messages in the film such as equality between all people. I found myself leaving the movie and remembering the rediculous aspect rather than the more serious aspect. I dont believe that all humorous movies give me the same feeling. There are many movies that are humorous which also do a good job of relaying a message, such as "But, Im a Cheerleader". This film does a very good job of relaying an important message and simultaneously being very intertaining and funny. Despite the fact that this movie was a bit too rediculous, I admire "9 to 5" for addressing serious issues like equality in the workplace in the era it was made. The world was very different in 1980. I think it is admirable to adress issues that were more prevalent and needed to be adressed. I think the film probably had a much different affect on their generation than to our current generation. Overall, I enjoyed the movie but thought that it could have done a better job at relaying some important message.

Posted by Alana Riemermann at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think it was a good idea to film this movie as a comedy rather than a drama. It was more effective as a comedy. I think that people are more open when they laugh. They are more open to hear the issues being addressed in the film. It allows the audience to see the situation as a whole, rather than as a isolated event. By that I mean had the movie been filmed as a drama, it would have been easy for the audience to pass it off as individuals with personal issues, rather than as a situation that can be generalized to a good portion of the population it represents. I think that it being a comedy allowed for the exaggeration of situations in order to demonstrate the ridiculous manner in which women were being treated. For example, the scene when Dolly Parton’s character tells of her fantasy of putting the boss in check by treating him how he had been treating the women in the office. This scene allowed the audience to see it from a woman’s point of view. It did play into probably every man’s fantasy of Dolly, but it was an attention grabber, it opened the door for contemplation about the issues at hand.

Posted by Alicia Sims at 1:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I agreed with a lot of things said in Slingo's article about the movie 9 to 5, though I don't feel it had no positive value. I agree with the fact that the three women are portrayed as pretty flat characters who are difficult to relate to other than the fact that I have had a horrible boss I've had to deal with while working under florescent lights at a desk for eight hours of the day.

I do think that the movie brought many important issues to the surface, such as equal pay and sexual harrassment, but it ended in a way that left many things up in the air and unresolved. Equal pay had been negated by the man in charge, and no actions were taken by the women in order to change that. Plus, the problem of Mr. Hart had not really been resolved. He was shipped off to Brazil where he disappeared, but his character did not change in any positive way that would give the film a happy ending (many comedies, especially as silly as this one, end happily).

I didn't have many problems with the ways that the three women's lives ended up, as Slingo did, because I felt it was fitting with the rest of the film and did create happy endings for those particular women. The one thing I do have a problem with, as mentioned in Slingo's article, was the fact that the main protagonists were three white women who did not really share much in common other than a hatred towards their boss. The rest of the office workers were even more flat than the main characters, and their endings were not as certain or as happy as the three protagonists. Their situations were all odd and ended in a fairy tale way that did not really speak to the issues being addressed.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie, and believed it said many important things. It seems, though, that the struggle that women face in the office place can not be fully or realistically addressed in a Hollywood comedy that strives to appease to a broad audience.

Posted by JC at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9 to 5 is a humurous movie that shows the equality of men and women in the collar job field of men dominated suite office posittion. it's funny and interesting at the same time. Yet, a movie must have some what of comedy to be enjoyable and not fully criticized certain problem or issues. Though we do know that such things exist in this world of men dominated work field. I really enjoy watching this movie because it did not just show how these girls have accomplished something within the company but the fantasies that they have of taking on the boss. However, this film seems to capture the work moment that I am sure every one of us who has a job feels like towards their boss some time. These women have very powerful self-esteems that took them to take on their boss and even have the courage to stay at his own house serving him food taking turn one at a time. Oh yet, one thing I notice in these three women was that Judy and Vio, were single women who either have children or not. Because in the film we do not see Vio's husband and yet Judy's husband cheated on her with his secretary therefore, they have become single. Seems like the only women who still hangs on to her husband was only Doralee and she was the boss's mistress as to what he dreams of. Yet, she keeps refusing and telling him she has a husband, but he did not bother to care. Therefore with what the producer show us of these women who were very independent and can make a living of their own were also very strong in respect, equality, and have strong self esteem to even fantasized about taking on the boss on their own. I really enjoy this movie for the purpose that it serves and the comedy that came along with the storyline. I strongly feel that it addresses what it needs to and it's purpose while at the same time integrated some laughters for the audiences to criticized and laugh at, at the same time.

Posted by Alanna Yang at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So I read the article before I watched the movie. Some of the things that Slingo said I agreed with, but other things I didn't. She concentrates on the only negative aspects of the film. She doesn't take into consideration the good parts, like when the women decide to take control and give their wonderful feminist speeches about disrepect and sexual harassment. II think that at first the women are not friends and are just working together to bring down Hart, but as time goes on they become friends and provide solidarity to each other. I didn't see Vi as taking all the power and not sharing it because the other ladies found something better for themselves to do. In her fantasy, after Hart is gone, all three women become queens, not just her. Another arguement that she made was abut Judy in her night gown at Hart's house. I did not see it as implying that she was wearing the costume to tease Hart, but I do agree that a lot of the shots of the three women are sexualized. I also didn't see the point she was making about the opening scene. I liked the movie overall. It was funny, but some parts bothered me. There were some heavy seens that made me uncomfortable and if it wouldn't have been funny there would have been no relief. When the boss was making the gestures to Dora Lee and almost everytime the ladies were in the office, it was hard for me to watch without getting angry. I did not like the end. It could have ended a different way and they could have left out what each character ended up doing, but if you look at it in a different way. It is allowing the women to do what they want. If we look at all of thye girla as feminist, then we can see the different types of women who can be feminist. Just because you get married and stay at home doesn't mean you are not feminist. It was interesting though how the "head cheif" liked all of the things that the women changed in the office. I wasn't expeting that. Of course, he didn't like the equal pay, but the ladies are going to keep working on it.

Posted by Nicole Henneman at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The feminist ideal of "fighting the patriarchal system" was played up in the film. One example of this is Violet, who had basically devoted her life to this company, was looking forward to being promoted, and had good reason to think that a promotion would be coming soon. However, because the business world is largely a patriarchal system, a woman in a position of power is seen as a threat. So she was not given a raise. I thought it was interesting that when she asked for a better explanation for not being chosen over someone she had seniority over, Mr Harp completely dodged the question and told her, "My hands are tied here, Violet, it was up to the big boys upstairs". This is when she really let "the man" have it. Her speech was strongly fueled by feminist ideals, and it had been delivered with a punch line, when Mr. Harp fell back in his chair. Comedy was effective here in getting the point across because it showed Violet in a position of control and power, giving a speech to her boss, and he proved himself incompetent by falling back into his chair again.
Nine to five demonstrates the use of comedy to challenge what society accepts as normal. In this case, "normal" in the workplace means that it is acceptable to talk down to women, sexually objectify them, and assume that they can only take on menial tasks. The movie showed the woman's side of the story, and made it clear that this treatment was unfair and unacceptable. Using comedy to address the issue of gender inequality in the workplace was an effective technique to be used in this film, because it makes it's message accessible.

Posted by Amanda Del Rosario at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Apart from the sillyness I think 9 to 5 is important for the issues it addresses. It not only deals with equality, sexually harassment it also deals with how to deal with aggressions. Now, of course there are some more or less weird resolutions to these issues but at least they are addressed and brought out to the general public in a matter that is accessible and relatable.

This is of course done by humor. Of course, one can discuss if it is at all funny but at least it is a “language� (almost) everyone speaks and relates too. Who doesn’t love a good laugh or at least a laugh at how stupid or non funny a movie is. However, it gets people watching, talking and therefore get the subtext in their head… they may even be affected and act upon it afterwards. It may not move mountains, but as they say, “This is just the beginning�.
A message wrapped in silly bubble wrap is after all still a message.

Making the movie a comedy was therefore a good choice in my opinion. Yes, I do understand that a serious issue is best resorted and addressed in a serious matter but in order for this to be accomplished you have to get people’s attention first; choosing comedy gets people’s attention. The problem has to get out there somehow and be recognized first. If they made the movie a drama, I think the issues wouldn’t be so “universal�. It would then have focused on the individuals, rather than the whole situation, a situation that many people could/can relate to. It is not to say that the comedy “dehumanizes� the characters and their personal needs but it definitely takes us a step back and encourages us to look at the whole picture first.

With all this said there is some setbacks on the whole comedic aspect. Some people may not see beyond the comedy and just brush it off as another insignificant slapstick comedy movie. Some people may not see the subversiveness in the humor and find it insulting that an issue so important is treated in this matter, with silly fantasies, body snatching and Amazon-kidnappings. I personally think it hit the right balance between subtle, effective criticism and over the top comedy.

However the denouement seemed too utopian in a way that makes things they did and accomplished somewhat impossible. It took them back a little, taking away some of the things they worked for and that somehow just seemed okay… I thought it wasn’t. But that may just be me being too pessimistic.

Posted by Karla Noreen Navera at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With regard to how women use comedy to either subvert and / or redefine norms and whether comedy is a useful tool . . . ? Yes, women like men have their own unique perspective when it comes to humor. A lot of comedy, whether delivered by a man or a woman is a shared experience by everyone. If you're going to a comedy club to be entertained I doubt that people care if the line up includes a woman or two. I'm guessing it doesn't generally matter as long as that person can make you laugh.
I think comedy is an equalizer. Women comedy performers and women writers are less sexualized, more attended to for their talent. Making people laugh is a good way to get peoples attention too. Women comedians can say something that is politically charged or scandalous without ruffling too many feathers as long as they are making people laugh. They may even get the message that is being conveyed through the joke.

I chose, Leslie Ball as my favorite woman comedian. I wouldn't say she is my favorite, however I do admire what she has done for the Twin Cities performing community for the last 13 years. She herself is a musician and comedian. She started, "Balls Cabaret", or "Balls" some 13 years ago to support the community of artists by giving them a venue (The Southern Theater every Saturday at midnight) to perform their art, whatever that maybe. She's known for her generousity.
She said during an interview in the St. Paul Pioneer Press that "Balls" is, "For artists of any and all disciplines to do whatever they want for five to seven minuets. Nothing is screened or censored." In the same interview she also said, "It's one thing to have success in business, but another to change the way business is done."

Posted by Ardis Houle at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

this movie certainly had all the makings of a proactive film about women in the workplace taking a stand for equality. i felt like the beginning scene was great, and the song going along with it resounded all these ideas. especially in the office, women are constantly being denied positions and credit that they deserve. though, as the movie continues, like Slingo determines in her arcticle, the message doesn't follow with the initial ideas. in fact, by the end of the movie, very little is resolved- while getting rid of their boss, the women still don't recieve the credit for the productivity and improvements in the company. today in class we talked about the boss figure, and how all has been pinned on him as the core of the problems. we determined that there is a continuing issue within corporate america. Violet's concept of the pink collar ghetto is exemplary of this. there is still such a small place where working women can be accepted... and like we talked about, that message is much overlooked throughout the duration of the film. though, its my opinion that this can only be expected from a huge blockbuster. look at most of the movies that we have watched(mean girls is also a perfect example here)... they start out with these great messages, that as they make their way up the corporate ladder and through corporate criticism revolving around consumerism, they get watered down. who wants to see a movie where women make something of themselves, and which reprimands capitalist america? i do. but who wants to produce that? certainly not a big production company like fox or warner brothers. they are fueled by capitalist america... and dominated by males. no male (boss) at the company will want to turn out something which brings him down. this film for me (read critically of course), just acted out this main idea. if we want something that is proactive, it certainly isn't coming from corporate america. the boys at the top like where they are sitting, and they won't be advocating that kind of a message.

Posted by Anna Scallon at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My favorite comedians mostly come from some time ago. For instance, Lucille Ball, Betty white, Carol Burnett, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtain. These women are the ones that have my sides nearly split. These women were mostly popular in the late 60's early 70's when womens rights was in light. It was when comedy for women was so important (still is). what they all do is take the roles women are 'supposed to assume' and make light of it. Female comedians defy taboos and approach circumstances and jokes from such different angles then men, and for me are terribly effective.

Posted by Kelsey Kehrberg at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought the movie was funny. I love the way they used comedy to approach the issues. Each woman has a different way they'd like to take care of Mr. Hart. It's over the top but it depicts what was pretty much normal for this time period and this work setting. Although women have made a lot of progress since this movie was made, there are still stereotypes in the workplace. By using the Doralee, Violet, and Judy stereotypes they pointed out some of the gender inequalities. The movie did a good job of making the issues women face in the work place(such as sexual harassment, needing childcare, etc) clear and doing something about them. Overall I really like this movie and I think it's a classic.

Posted by Meagan Sogge at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everytime i watch Mean Girls, I'm immediately back in high school. The part that got me the first time was when they are showing the different lunch tables and described the people sitting at them. Everything down to the sex crazed band kids it fit my school. I didn't actually enjoy Tina Fey until i saw this movie. It addresses some good topics that really do significantly damage a teenage girls years of puberty. The movie is hysterically funny and puts things under a relatable microscope. You were either one of those girls, or knew one of them, or were afraid of them, or maybe even thought they were a joke. It reveals teenage girls' secrets to revenge (which i'd be lying if i said i couldn't also identify with that part as well). The friendships formed in this movie are what makes it so interesting. The way they all so boldly tarnish each others' reputations without remorse is what exploits them as the furthest thing from a friend. it shows the nasty things people can do to each other and the lengths they will go to achieve humilation towards someone else. an important part is at the end when there's resolution and forgiveness. They all admitted to their faults and moved on.

Posted by Kelsey Kehrberg at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Kelsey Kehrberg at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I was probably five, all i wanted was one of those kids sized cars you could drive on your own. I remember fifteen years ago when the girls got the mock Barbie cars and the boys drove Transformer Jeeps. Being the tough tomboyish girl i was, I wanted the big giant clunky army colored green Transformer Jeep. when this question was posed to blog on, it was the first toy to come to mind. I was at the Toys R Us by Ridgedale and spotted them by all the other unnecessarily large over priced kids toys were. Fifteen years later, you'd think perhaps there would be more gender neutral options.
According to the toy store, little girls are supposed to play with mini-kitchens, drive Barbie cars, put on fake make up, throw in a brownie in the Easy Bake oven (which I'm pretty sure was just recalled) and still manage to look like a princess, all in a days work. Boys on the other hand are to work out on the mini-toolbenches, drive their Jeeps, super-soak anyone that messes with um, and trade X-Men cards. It's all just perpetuating stereotypes. i thought they would've changed more things by now.

Posted by Kelsey Kehrberg at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Remember, your media notebooks are due next week. Here is a link to the assignment.

Posted by Sara at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Overall, I thought the piece was very halarious, but also a little sad and disturbing. My favorite part of the movie has to deal with the fact that all the women immediately think that the secretary is sleeping with the boss because the spend time together and she may look a little "like that kind of a girl." Its funny that she didn't realize or stop her boss sooner from his inappropriate acts, but I can also understand that during this time period, women did not have a lot of rights when it comes to the workplace (and still don't in some aspects). In the movie as well, it was completely disgusting how the men in the movie took all the women for granted, and never really repaid them for their work. I liked, however, that at the end of movie, the women all seemed to go for the things they wanted in life, rather than just do what is expected of them. I especially liked that Violet got the promotion that she wanted and deserved, and she was more happy about obtaining that goal and finally having people realize how important and valueable she is.

Unforunately, some of these work stereotypes still exist today. There is still a lot of harassment of women (and men) in the workplace. What angers me most is that people that act like this dont usually see anything wrong with it. Also, women are not nearly as high up in companies as men. While there are many reasons for this, being a "wife first" or "children first" shouldn't have anything to do with the workplace.

Posted by Jennifer Kaufmann at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought the movie was humorous. Though a tad over the top at times, it does depict what I assume was somewhat normal for the time in workplace treatment of the sexes. Though I believe women have come a ways since this 1980 idea of gender in the work place, I still feel like there are certain stereotypes that still permeate the workplace. Doralee, the "hot secretary," still seems to float around the work sphere as does the underappreciated, hardworking woman (Violet) and the "clueless woman" (Judy). Using these stereotypes, however, for me, was a smart move. In their exagerations, they highlighed what gender inequalites existed (and still somewhat exist) at the time. As a consciousness raising movie, I do believe 9 to 5 worked well to pronounce gender disparities, common gender misconceptions, women's workplace issues (child care, sexual harrasment, etc) and as always, I loved the (to me humourous) happy ending.

Posted by Snow-flakey at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Despite some strange fantasy storylines and 1980s camera work, I thought "9 to 5" was overall an interesting and funny movie. The three women's fantasies of how to kill the boss were odd, stealing a corpse is weird, and the way they kept him in chains was strange as well. I think that it is the over-the-top aspect of this film which keeps it funny, while still saying something about oppressive and inappropriate conditions that women in the workplace experience. I think that underneath the laughs there were also issues addressed such as the differences in pay and position that women recieved, as well as breaking down access issues by featuring women with children to take care of, or the situations of women who were widowed or divorced. The film dealt with women as being wielders of familial power, such as in the office when Violet Newstead appealed to Mr. Hart as to why she didn't get the promotion despite being better qualified, and he told her that the other man who did get the promotion had a family to support.
I think this film dealt with some issues which were (and are) troublesome and that women still face at their places of employ. The over-the-top aspect did seem strange and sometimes violent, but I think that it was done in a clearly tongue-in-cheek way. Probably my favorite part of this film is that in the end, Violet Newstead didn't live happily ever after because she found a man to take care of her and the family, but that she received the position that she wanted and accomplished a personal goal. Doralee became a country singer (go figure) and did something she wanted, and even though Judy did end up with a new husband, it is clear to the audience that she did so because she wanted to, and not because she felt she needed to.

Posted by Emma Furness at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Its amazing to see the difference in how much the workplace has changed since the 80s, and although the movie 9 to 5 is somewhat unrealistic, its is still a good, comedic, somewhat light way of getting the topic into the media and to bring it to the attention of people who can help make a difference. The three women portrayed in the movie are all different examples of the many women in the workplace, Violet is the hardworking, dedicated, well qualified woman who cant seem to get a break in terms of moving up the corporate ladder. Her constant degradation and demeaning job duties are a constant source of strife for her. Doralee is the secretary who is unfairly treated within the office by other employees because they are under the impression that she and Mr. Hart are having an affair, in light of the fact that his constant harassment is unwelcome explicitly by her. Finally Judy, the divorcee who is hired not because she is qualified or has experience but because she is good looking and Mr. Hart being the sexist that he is, wants something pretty to look at. I think that the film has an unrealistic ending and fails to identify the fact that changing sexual harassment and women in the workplace standards is a long and hard journey. However I understand for comedy sake and because it is a movie that this was a major first step in letting everyone know that women deserve to be equal in the workplace and that they are prepared to work long and hard to achieve that.

Posted by Brianna Green at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

i really thought that the movie 9 to 5 really portrayed women in the workplace. the movie showed how women once could not climb the corporate ladder because men dominated. women were and still sometimes are treated as objects and are bossed around. Mr. Hart is a classic boss who wants to have an affair with his secretary and doesn't give praise to the employees that deserve it. he also did not give credit to the people who did the work, he took the credit for it.
i did however think that having the three women keep Mr. Hart hostage in his home for weeks at a time was not realistic (but its a movie). the girls wanted to have a workplace that they could be happy in. the changes that they made were very successful and gave the office a better feel.
i think the workplace has changed since this movie was made. women are more dominating and are gaining respect and success just like men.

Posted by Jennifer Matthews at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9 to 5 is a movie which depicts three working womens' troubles with their sexist boss. After fantasizing about getting revenge on their boss, Mr. Hart, in various, humorous ways, they eventually do get their revenge by discovering his embezzlement of company inventory. They hold him hostage for three weeks while they can get the proof of his bad deeds. In their boss' absence, the women make changes in the office which are not only woman-friendly, but increase productivity and are reconized by the Chairman of the Board.

The movie looks at the many issues that working women encounter through its three main characters. Violet is a highly-qualified, dedicated employee, but she hits the "glass-ceiling." She is denied a promotion explicitly because she is a woman. She is also degraded at work, being asked to get coffee, run errands, and do things that are not included in her job title.

Doralee is Mr. Hart's secretary. Mr. Hart completely objectifies her by making inappropriate comments about her body and purposefully knocking things off his desk so he can check her out. He buys her gifts, and even attempts to assault her. She repeatedly tells him that his comments are unwelcome, and that she is a married woman. Despite her objections, Mr. Hart continues with his harassment. Because of his treamtent of her, Doralee is disliked in the office because it is believed that she is having an affair with him.

Judy is a recently divorced homemaker whose husband left her for his secretary. Judy initially faces several difficulties because she has had no job experience. The phenomenon of the displaced homemaker was relatively common around this time. Because women were not expected to enter the workforce, many women didn't have the education or skills necessary to have a well-paying job.

In the end, the women suceed in having their boss sent to Brazil, where he is subsequently kidnapped by Amazons. Violet succeeds in becoming Vice President of the company. Judy falls in love and marries the Xerox rep., and Doralee becomes a Country singer.

I thought the movie was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it raised most of the major feminist issues regarding the workplace, including on-site daycare, sexual harassment, the glass-cieling, and pay equity. By showcasing how the addressing of these issues improves workplace quality and performance, it lets the audience know that these are not only the right thing to do, but the feasible thing to do.

On the other hand, the women who accomplished these important goals recieve no recognition. They treated Frank's 'promotion' and subsequent shipping off as a success. That's something of an empty success. I also had issues with the acts of revenge the women took on their boss. Of course it was done for comedic effect, but it has the effect of making feminists themselves look bad. If feminists are willing to hold their boss hostage, fire guns at him, hog tie him, and even attempt to cover up deaths, then they are not going to win much favor with the general population, least of all men. It turns the fight for equality in the workplace into a series of scare tactics, as if to say "You better listen to feminists... or else."

The movie was funny, but the darkness of where the humor comes from was probably not the most appropriate considering the seriousness of the effect of those issues on real women's lives.

Posted by Melissa Green at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I believe Margaret Cho is a comedian who has used humor to redefine norms. She has spoken out about being a bisexual woman, and she tends to speak out against sexism and the unjustness that women face in our culture in her standup. She's talked about how women have such negative self images because of mainstream media and her own personal experiences with her struggles with her weight.

Comedy can also be a useful tool when norms are criticized through satire. It's a way to point out specific ways that the expectance of cultural norms can be harmful, and the response of laughter and good feelings drives the point home very effectively.

Posted by JC at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have the DVD of 9 to 5 in front of me and on the cover at the top it says, "Sexist, Egotistical, Lying, Hypocritical Bigot Edition" and " getting even is a full-time job". I'm not exactly sure how to interpret that. It feels a little gratuitous by co-opting the struggles of working women in America, and making it a 'hilarious comedy'. It also smacks of us (women) against them (men). Granted, it is a Twentieth Century Fox film so I shouldn't take it too seriously. After all, I did like it for the most part. It was light and entertaining with a great cast, a car chase with a dead body, women who drank alcohol and smoked pot, and there was retribution in the end! It also included some fantacy scenes of punishment, some imagined some real, of destroying, Mr. Hart the arch (male) enemy who you loved to hate.

Lily Tomlin plays the character of Violet, who after 12 years in the company, despite her hard work, intellegence and creativity keeps getting passed up for the kinds of promotions she sees her male counter parts being granted. Dolly Parton is the sweet and smart secretary, Doralee. And Jane Fonda (Judy) is the slightly sheltered divorcee who finally at the end of the movie lets go of her wish to get back together with her cheating ex-husband and tells him to get lost.

Considering the movie was made in 1980, it's surprising and disheartening to me that we're still struggling with some of the same important issues brought up in the movie related to fair and equal treatment of women, and men for that matter. Some of the programs that Violet, Judy and Doralee implemented while they had their boss tied up at home were, Flex Scheduling, Job Sharing, a Child Care Program, Part Time Work options, improved Health Care (treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, as was the case for one of the women who worked at the company) and most importantly, Pay Increases.

Another thing that came up in the movie that has always bothered me is when people assume women don't know how to be good team players by virtue of their sex. In the past it's true, girls didn't have the kind of opportunities that boys had when it came to organized sports. However when it comes to team work, research has shown that women in contrast to men work much more cooperatively, albeit a little slower, as women want concensus more then men care to. Yet we get the job done with greater satisfaction to all.

That's exactly what the three main characters in 9 to 5 proved. It was the Chairman of the board who finally recognized on the women's behalf that good policy is good business, which in turn saved the company money (the bottom line). In the end their talents and good deeds were rewarded. Violet got her promotion, Doralee became a Country and Western singer, and Judy fell in love and married the copy guy!

Posted by Ardis Houle at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought 9 to 5 properly addressed the issue of women using comedy to expose problems and inequalities in society. The movie was a bit dated, of course, with copier problems and the cliche of sleeping with the secretary. It almost seems passe to be shagging the secretary nowadays. However, the film took three different women and were able to show sexist behavior three different ways within the workplace. I thought Dolly Parton's character Doralee was interesting. She appeared to be the typical dumb blonde, big boobed woman. However, her character dismisses that stereotype; she is a hard-working, nice, and intelligent woman who is simply trying to make ends meet.
The three women, Judy, Violet, and Doralee, all are evenly developed. We see into the out-of-office lives that these women have. Judy's marriage has fallen apart. Though she didn't reallize it in the begining, it turned out to be for the better. Through employment and a mini consciousness raising sessions with the other two women, she becomes empowered. Even if her husband had genuinely come back to her (and not in the fashion he did) I still believe her character was now strong enough to endure life on her own. Violet is a very relatable character as well. She works hard with no recongnition, mainly in part because of her gender. Her flaws are obvious and her tone genuine. She has four kids she needs to support, she couldn't possibly go to jail for killing her boss! Doralee as mentioned earlier was much more developed than I thought she would be. She even proclaims she is being as nice as she can be to people to make them like her, there is a reason for her bubbley, friendly personality and sometimes it wears on here.
9 to 5 was a mainstream comedy that was written to accomodate a large audience. I think that it addresses a lot of isues while still maintaining the audience. Like it or not, it is still important to not offend too many people at one time when trying to address certain issues. Though I don't believe in tippy-toeing around issues and making them all into comedic situations, I do think that at times it is necassary to make some progress.

Posted by Rachel Anderson at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The film 9 to 5 is a humorous look at the struggle of women in the workplace. The film looks at sexual harassment in the office, as well as addressing the glass ceiling problem for women trying to move up in their careers. These are real issues that women struggle with today, and that feminists work to correct. I thought the movie was funny, and that the humor didn't detract from the seriousness of women's issues. I think the film is more of a case of satire shedding light on existing issues. Because the film is funny, it makes the women's struggles more approachable, and the boss Hart's abuses more flagrant. Take Dolly Parton's scene where she fantasizes about giving Mr. Hart some of his own medicine by attacking him with sexual advances. Of course sexual harassment is obviously not alright. But that funny scene shows how even compliments (loaded compliments), and other advances are totally ridiculous and out of line.

Posted by Hanah Berhane at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought that 9 to 5 was good for several reasons: First, it clearly defined a variety of different personal and workplace struggles that seem to plague a great number of women. It certainly did not cover each and every difficult situation women are put in at work because of their gender, it did offer several prominent examples as well as solutions. Second, I enjoyed that it displayed a sense of sisterhood and teamwork as a way to solve problems. And while kidnapping, poisoning and shooting at one’s boss is not really the best option, the constructive action taken at the end of the film was a good example of simple changes and that can be made to improve working conditions to fit the lives of women and mothers. Third, I enjoyed the example of consciousness raising, and the way that it benefited the women in the movie. It sends a good message that problems like this don’t need to be suffered through in isolation and without hope of resolving them.

At the same time, I thought that it was problematic in a few ways. First, I thought that they over did the punishment and demise of the boss at the end. I don’t think that he necessarily needed to be kidnapped by people in the Amazon jungle. I also thought that they could have done more not to criminalize the boss simply on basis of his male gender, but rather as his part in participating in a workplace in which women have few choices and few rights. Second, I felt that the women were a bit too idealized in terms of womanhood. They are all mainstream-attractive and all had the sexual protection of marriage to defend their morality. They represented in many ways the conventional idea of what a woman should be, which I think was done in order to minimize criticism of the characters as whores or man haters as the reasoning behind their actions.

I think that more could have been done to treat the subject matter more seriously, and that in being more realistic about the women in the film and their actions, the point of the movie could be better made. But overall, I think it was an important popular culture message and a hopeful sign that it was made in the mainstream and well received.

Posted by Jenny at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9 to 5 is a typical example of pop feminism. Silly, fun, and easy on the eyes it speaks to women's frustration of real word issues without actually bringing anything new nor innovative to the conversation of sexual oppression or exploitation based on gender. While I do not know the intentions of the writers, producers, and director it did seem to have the appearance of a women's lib ideology unfortunately it was written and made in Hollywood. This leads me to wonder if this was a sign that the radicalness of the feminist movement was reaching the mainstream in ways that no longer seemed as threating or was it away for feminism to be redrawn in away that would not be as harmful to the status quo. Looking back one can see that many of the radical movements are tamed down to be more palatable and less potent, the hard thing to do is to figure which is the chicken and which is the egg so one can ask the age old question of which came first. Ultimately this line of reasoning makes me wonder about progress. Was it a positive thing that Dolly, Jane, and Lily were finally portraying feminist ideology in a humorous way and in a way that very much showed that feminist are not all man hating, ugly, and not funny single bitter women? Or was it negative that these women while speaking feminist jargon were at the same time acting in anti-feminist manners? Is it beneficial to get the ideas out there, even in a defanged conception? Or was 9 to 5 just the result of feminism being disseminated throughout our culture? As feminists it is easy , and necessary up to a point, to critique everything that crosses our path but when looking back we of the later generations get to enjoy the previous generations work. That is how I felt about this movie, it was silly and not very ground breaking but the fact that the movie was made in the mainstream way that it was was showing that society had shifted. No longer the realm solely of students and other intellectuals or those whack-a-do hippies and radicals, I, in my privileged position of twenty-twenty hind sight, can see that this was a watermark for feminism. 9 to 5 was not that bad. And even if I fight for all I'm worth to make sure this generation is working hard at keeping feminism potent and lethal to oppression and exploitation and I will critique any movie that is falls in the same trap of domestication of radical ideals hopefully some college student in the future will be able to see that we were still moving towards a less unjust world, just as I look back and see many fighting that fight.

Posted by Rachel Dow at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Summary: The main female characters (Jane Fonda - Judy, Lily Tomlin - Violet, and Dolly Parton - Doralee) are employees of Frank Hart, who is a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot; he takes advantage of the women and, in retaliation, Judy, Violet and Doralee manage to trap him in his own house they assume control of his department and productivity leaps.
Feminist issues: Also within the movie seems to stem individual issues that Judy, Violet and Doralee must deal with: Doralee was the ‘outcast’ at work due to the rumors Frank was sending around and she risked being fired if she ‘whistle-blew’ on Frank sexually harassing her; Violet was the intelligent and strong woman who knew what she was worth but was time and time again turned down for promotions due to her sex; and Judy was struggling with becoming a member of the workforce due to a deteriorating home/family life.
Conclusion: The women finally stand up for what they want for themselves and for all working women. They put Frank on house-arrest and end up having him sent away. But, intentionally for the times, the women are not admired for the work they accomplished while Frank was locked in house arrest, but for their having him sent away.
Impressions: I have mixed feelings about this film. While the film shows the women overcoming their issues and becoming independent working women, it does not give them proper recognition for their work in the office; rather, it chooses to emphasize Frank being sent off. These women should have been recognized for their hard work in the office. I wonder what this movie would look like now-a-days?!

Posted by Molly Wickersham at 6:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just a reminder that you need to write a blog entry on 9 to 5 for your final required entry. Please post it to the blog by class time on Thursday.

Posted by Sara at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had never seen the movie 9 to 5, only bits and pieces, until now. I had just watched "coming home" with Jane Fonda, and here too, she plays a woman losing her husband (this time he is being sent off to war) and her growth as being independent, and making her own choices as a woman. So, it was interesting to watch her in this film, another pro-woman movie, yet her character was slightly different. A little bit more wound up, and proper, her character, Judy, is a woman trying to get along after a divorce, and starting off in the work force. Violet, played by Lily Tomlin, was, a very strong and smart woman, but was continually being walked over as she tried to work her way up in the office. Then there is Dora Lee, played by no other than Dolly Parton, who doesn't really understand why no other women in the office are fond of her, but of course later finds out that all three of the women's boss, Mr. Frank Hart, is telling everyone that they are having an affair.

To me, I thought it was a clever twist in the film, showing all of the women rising up against "the bad guy." At the beginning of the film, they load it up with sayings such as, "spare me the women's lib crap," and when Violet doesn't get the promotion (and it is given to some man less qualified) Hart replies, that they just needed "a man in this position." So we are right away forced into this alpha-male dominated society within this office building. Where all the women are secretaries, and the men get all of the promotions and managing positions. However, these "three dumbwitted broads" go from beingg pushed around, to finally sticking up for themselves, and all other women in the workforce. Although at times cheesy, and unrealistic, I think the movie still is trying to empower women in the work force--even if that means by placing their boss under house arrest for over 4 weeks. I also feel that movie didn't want to push too many boundaries, so instead of their defeating Hart person to person, they simply get him moved to Brazil, where then he is kidnapped from some foreign tribe. They are never recognized for all the changes that they, themselves, made in the office, but instead get him moved. I felt conflicted about the ending, because although they came out victorious in the end, they still were never recognized for all that they had done. But, maybe its what they say about modesty and getting along further with it in life!

Posted by Carly Anderson at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I saw 9 to 5 for the first time in 1980, when it was first released. My husband suggested that we see it after he read an article in the newspaper about its appeal to working women. I expected a certain amount of male-bashing in the movie, so I was concerned that it would be a movie I would appreciate but my husband would loathe. As it turned out, we both found it a very entertaining film with a humorous message about what it was like to be a post-70’s workforce female.

In this film, three coworkers get even with their boss, but each has a different reason for seeking revenge. Intelligent and competent Violet (played by Lily Tomlin) wants Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman) to pay for refusing to promote her to a higher paying position with more authority and responsibility. Attractive and buxom Doralee (Dolly Parton) is angered by Mr. Hart’s incessant sexual advances and inappropriate comments, and office newcomer Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) is offended by Mr. Hart’s stinging reprimands and harsh treatment. It is through these retaliatory desires that the women fulfill their innermost workplace fantasies of getting even with the boss (in Technicolor, no less).

Franklin Hart becomes their prisoner while the women attempt to obtain evidence of his white collar crimes. At the same time, the women go about the business of making significant improvements to their workplace, including job sharing, the creation of an on-site daycare and an equitable pay policy, policies that were dismissed as unimportant to Franklin Hart. The women even establish a chemical dependency treatment program that transforms the office lush, Margaret Foster, into an exemplary employee.

In the end, Mr. Hart, who is mistakenly credited for increasing worker productivity and satisfaction, reaps the praise and is immediately dispatched to a troubled area of the company and on the other side of the planet to weave his magic there. Violet is asked to take his position and so the women’s covert operation has a happy ending.

This movie is significant as it brought to the forefront the plight of the working woman, but did so in a humorous, non-threatening manner. Unfortunately, the problems these women experienced in the workplace are by no means a thing of the past. Women still experience sexual harassment, male favoritism and bigotry in their jobs in spite of the measures that have been put in place to end it.

Posted by Ruth Dickson at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

9-5 is a very humorous video that tells the story of three women in particular who are subject to constant and blatant sexual harassment in their work place from their pervert boss. The sexual harassment of course is not the funny part but the fact that these three women despise him enough that they all can easily dream up ways in which they would sexually harass and kill him.
The movie starts out with the hiring of Judy Keith who in the words of her new boss, Frank Junior Hart, "she has a damn pretty face." As Violet is training Judy in she realizes that her boss hired her just because of her looks since this is the first job Judy has ever had and she has no working skills. Our next main character is DoraLee who everyone knows as the tramp because Hart spread the rumor that they were having an affair. Of course everytime Hart persues and gives gifts to DoraLee she refuses them and makes it very clear that she wants nothing more with him than their working relationship. Violet we find out is actually the backbone to her company and she is the one who is suggesting new and brilliant ideas to the lazy, "sexist",and "egotistical" Hart. What is even more disturbing is the fact that Violet actually trained in Hart years ago yet she still has the same poistion as she did before simply because she is missing that one lower body part that Hart has.
Finally towards the middle of the movie we see a switch of roles and instead of the women despising one another they become friends and do the only thing they can do to make a difference and that is to black mail and hold Hart hostage. Luckily today, although harassment is still very common, the subject is usually not taken lightly and there are laws to try and protect you. Unfortunately however, like in cases of the female characters, when the boss is the one sexually harassing you your job position is almost always threatened.
In the end of the movie Hart was no longer their boss which mean't he wouldn't be looking down their shirts, calling them bitches, pretty little things, or making them do miniscual things but it unfortunately was not because he was fired but because he actually got promoted to another job.
Mr. Hart which is a very ironic name for him, used his authority to dehumanize his female employees and took advantage of his role as their boss. Several times he blackmailed them and treated them as though they were dolls to do whatever he pleased with. Realistically this story never truely happened and makes some believe prehaps that the bad guys always get it in the end which in reality doesn't happen as often as we would like to think.

Posted by Lisa Freund at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nine to Five is a movie that focuses on a variety of feminist issues. Each of the main women in the film had a conflict that pertained to feminist issues.

Jane Fonda’s character, Judy, had difficulties in her personal life. Her husband had an affair and because of this, they were in the process of filing for a divorce. The character of Judy portrays a proper, well-mannered, silent woman who was struggling to find her own identity. Later in the movie, her ex-husband attempted to convince her to come back but with Judy’s newly found independence and confidence, she showed him the door.

Lily Tomlin’s character, Violet, was an intelligent, hardworking, and determined individual. She was continuously denied for promotions at her work because she was a female. Franklin, woman’s boss, chose to promote men, ultimately because he felt that woman were inferior.

Dolly Parton played a secretary named Doralee. She was sexually harassed by Franklin and was ordered to keep quiet or she would lose her job.

These situations are prevalent issues that the feminist community activates against. The end of the movie proudly displays each these women obtaining some type of vindication for their struggles.

Posted by Jennifer Loftus at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As I talked about in class, the cleaning product advertisement I will discuss is for the Swiffer sweeper. It is features a man talking to his mop and bucket about their lack luster (pun intended) performance. This advertisement struck me as interesting first because, other than the BAM!! Easy-off cleaner commercials, not many cleaning product commercials feature men at all. The advertisement is interesting in that he is placed in a stereotypically female-aimed product genre but he "maintains his masculinity" in that he is portrayed as a coach of some sort. While the commercial is a step forward because it does feature a man and is not inherently aimed specifically at woman (as most cleaning product commercials are) because it IS a man doing the advertising, it is not exactly extremely progressive because a woman could not be substituted into the same exact role as the man without looking "weird" or "out of place." It does, however, destroy some of the societal norms on who should be doing the cleaning because it is a man. Kudos to Swiffer for changing up the norms and the easy targets of cleaning product commercials for involving men in a "typical woman's job."

Posted by Snow-flakey at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The thing that I noticed the most about the difference between the two versions was that they are speaking to two different generations/waves of feminism. To ask which is more effective really doesn't address the differences in the times/generations they are aimed at. Feminism now compared to the 1970's is very different. The thriller version worked better in the 70's because women's rights and social positions were radically different then to what they are now, at least as I see them. There are still the inequities, of course, but the calibur of these inequities have changed. It makes sense for the 1970's version of Stepford Wives to be a thriller because there was a larger sense of urgency attached to women's rights. Those women were fighting for basic acknowledgement. Comdey in the later version, however, works to speak to the perhaps more apathetic viewer of later generations. This generation does not attack equal rights (or anything, for that matter) with the same amount of gusto that the civil rights generation did quite simply because we feel we don't have to. Whether or not this is true (that we don't need to fight as much) is irrelavent; the generation is just less inclined to be as productive or as noisey as previous generations were. To ask, then, which version is better is really a moot point because the purposes and audiences they are/were serving were so different, comparison isn't necessarily possible. Both work for the times/generations/audiences they are aimed at.

Posted by Snow-flakey at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whenever I go to Target I always walk through the toy section. It's part of who I am, I love to walk down the isles and see how the toys I grew up with have changed and see what things my kids may be playing with. Besides feeling like my generations had much better toys, I can always tell who's isle I'm walking down. The "girl" toys are kept in this bright pink isle, Barbies, Bratz dolls, stuffed animals and dolls as far as the eye can see! Then I hit the dark blue isle filled with action figures and guns and the "boy" toys. The back wall holds board games and other "gender neutral" toys. Toys for younger kids are pretty neutral and also have their own isle, the isle in the Target I went to was a light blue and the toys were mostly learning shape toys.

Girls toys focus more on dressing things up, keeping them pretty. The boys toys are all about doing things, fighting crime, fighting each other, racing cars, fixing things, doing things. These toys promote the stereotypical gender roles in life, boys are big and buff and they're supposed to do all this active stuff. The girls are supposed to be pretty and pink and dainty. But I personally think that they're coming out with more and more gender neutral toys. In the "gender neutral" isle now I see those playsets that are little kitchens. It doesn't seem like much, but I see it as people opening the door to cooking for boys when cooking and being in the kitchen was generally a female activity.

Posted by Meagan Sogge at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Using comedy is often used to help people confront, sometimes strong, emotional or social issues in a lighter way. Confronting issues through comedy is effective because it is non-threatening. People don't feel threatened or attacked by comedy because it isn't necessarily above them. The less threatening way of approching things is easier for people to accept because a lot of time they don't feel like they're actually addressing an issue. Women use comedy to address issues that concern them. They talk about gender roles, social stereotypes and other things that affect them every day. This works because it gets people to THINK. They start out hearing something funny and laughing, later when the joke is done people have time to actually think about the real issue behind the joke. My favorite comedienne is Ellen DeGeneres. She has such a fun personality and an interesting way of looking at things. She responds to people who critisize her with jokes, she isn't afraid to come out and be who she is. She isn't afraid of her own orientation and she isn't afraid to be different.

Posted by Meagan Sogge at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Janeane Garofalo is a stand-up comedian and actress. In addition to appearing in movies, she has been
on Saturday Night Live, The Ben Stiller Show, and on the Majority Report for Air American Radio. What I
admire about her is that she is a social critic. She uses comedy to look at popular culture and the body
images of women that are presented by the media. By observing roles for women is society, she is helping
to redefine gender norms. I feel that many Americans are not exposed to perspectives about women other
than what the mainstream media offers. Female comedians who have a feminist view, are able to provide a
different way of seeing women's issues.
Another way that Garofalo has redefined gender norms for women is her political activism. She publicly
opposed invading Iraq before the war started. In additiion, she took part in an antiwar demonstration in
Washington, D.C., and also in the Tell Us The truth concert series. She used her status as a celebrity to
bring awareness to what was happening in Iraq, so that Americans were able to hear both sides of the issue.
By doing so, she challenged the patriarchal power system that controls the news that the public hears.

Posted by Mary Aronson at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Women have used comedy to redefine norms simply by being comedians. Traditionally when you think about comedians, you think men. When society placed women in a submissive role, being the center of attention was culturally unacceptable. Even today, it is easier to accept a male comedian than a woman comedian.

Females are refining norms through comedy because they are becoming the center of attention with humor. If a women can make people laugh, general audiences will have a difficult time viewing them as feminine. The female comedian will be viewed as blunt and aggressive. Women like Rosie O’Donnell, Roseanne Arnold, Kathy Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg, Molly Shannon, Joan Rivers are some examples of these women.

Today women in comedy should admire women like Ellen Degeneres. I thought she was hilarious even back in her original sitcom. Through her ordeal with coming out and her coming back days, she remained true to herself. I think she is beautiful, smart, funny, and genuine.

Posted by Jennifer Loftus at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a recent issue of Bust the topic of women and comedy was discussed, bringing into focus again how women are still told they are just not funny. This was a more recent article that covered the same ground as Bitch's Andi Ziesler in 2006. Over and over we are told women just are not that funny, so sometimes it feels that the mere fact of women in comedy is subversive and redefines the norms. One pioneering woman of humor was Mae West who not only was ground breaking in her owning of her sexuality but using humor in her sexuality, her double entendres helped fuel her fame. It was through humor that she was able to make her overt sexuality go down more easily and her sexuality supported her humor. As lived out by Mae West we see that it is through humor that often sociably unacceptable topics can be broached in a public space. This creates a space for women to be subversive and/or norms to be redefined, or a least start a conversation about how to do this. One of the first examples of this in my life was Roseanne Bar. She was in my non expert opinion the first to show the reality of family life and a working class family life at that. She was a decade ahead of her time talking and joking about the reality of motherhood/womanhood in a way that is still considered groundbreaking when the women of "Sex and the City" covered it recently. She was able through humor to put into pop culture a new image of what it was to be a "real" woman, just like years later Carrie and her gang did. It is because of the nature of humor that it can be a useful tool to present new, subversive, or non-normative views. Humor, like many tools though, can be misused or applied in a harmful manner. For example most females that support typical funny men in movie are used to support typical guy humor, that is often not enlightened to say the least or down right anti-female at the worst, sorry Isla Fisher. One comedian, and my personal favorite, that would always land in a feminist light is Margaret Cho. This lady is not afraid to wield her comedy to slash the notion that women are not funny as well as they can be funny and feminist, as well as not man-hating.

Posted by Rachel Dow at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I personally like the old version better because it was more horriflying and more of a true reality husband and wife situation compare to the new version where every thing was focused on the women. In the first version women were women and men were men unlike the new version where women were so successful and men were jealous of them. Women does housechores, clean and does things that women were supposed to do during those time of the old version but were still unhappy after that because they wanted something better. It was more of the idea that the wives should dress up and obey their husband in the old version compared the new version where the husband wants to replace their wives because they were more successful and making the husband wuss. Instead the new version were framed around a scientific studies of inserting chips into their wives brain to obey to be the idea Stepford's wives. It was pretty much framed around the scientific technologies that we have now that husband and wives can do to each other. Yet in the new version the idea of living in a perfect town was not the men's idea it was a woman's idea, but why use nano chips to control women and not men. That was the part that I find confusing because if that woman's husband cheated on her why didn't she come up with ideas that would control the men and not the women. However, I do like the ending of the new version when the men had to do the grocery shopping with their wives watching over them because men hardly do any grocery shopping.

Posted by Alanna Yang at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I personally like the 70s version of the Stepford Wives much better. Part if it is just the difference in film-making between then and now. I think we got to know the main characters better, the film was more slow moving with longer shots. When I first saw the trailer for the new version of the Stepford Wives, it struck me as ridiculous. I think the theme of the thriller was more appropriate in its original context. The conversation in the beginning for example, about looking at the house and deciding to move before discussing it, I think was perhaps more likely to happen then. The new version seemed to focus more on the convoluted robot plot, special effects etc.

Posted by Hanah Berhane at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Comedy

Using comedy helps further knowledge about issues that may not be hard for people to relate to. People may have a hard time to relate to these issues because they are unknown to them or because they are taboo.

Presenting unknown issues through comedy is effective because it is non-threatening. People do not feel intimidated or belittled by a comedian or comedienne because what they do is non-intellectual (in the traditional sense of the word). This makes people more receptive and willing to listen and learn because they don’t feel as if they are being lectured or preached to; they are being addressed by people who are just like them.

When dealing with taboo issues, comedy is useful because of the same things that was mentioned above and because veiling taboos in comedy will make people listen. When in jest, almost anything can be said; including things that people don’t want to deal with but most certainly have to. A relevant example of this is women’s rights. When women criticize their positions and (lack of) rights in society in a way that is considered threatening and demanding, chances are that people (men, authority) will be defensive; after all, they feel attacked. However, if issues are addressed hidden with a hint of sarcasm or irony people will suddenly listen, laugh… then think. After thinking they are enlightened.

It is of course quite sad that one of the few ways to be heard is by veiling issues in comedy but it is at least an option, and an effective one at that.

The atmosphere which humor and comedy brings about is helpful in subversion. While it is okay to laugh, thinking about the issues, which have just been presented, is inevitable.

My favorite comedienne is Ellen DeGeneres, no doubt. It isn’t just the way that she has represented homosexuality and the issues attached to it but it’s just her whole way of thinking. Sometimes when things are bad and hopeless, most people just shut down and will let anything go to them but Ellen approaches things, even negative ones, with a smile. She has been known to respond to criticism with jokes and even joked about sensitive issues like terrorism. She stands for the mindset “when there’s nothing else you can do, just laugh.� It certainly beats stressing about things.

Posted by Karla Noreen Navera at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The plight of the female comedienne is nothing to laugh about. They face perhaps the most absurd form of sexism due to the inherently crude nature of the stand-up scene, and the fact that comedy has ALWAYS been seen as a man's realm. Women tend to struggle in the stand-up comedy field because the general comedy audience tends to be male dominated, in the 18 to 40 year age range, meaning that the topics that will get the most laughs lack refinement and tact, and are typically targeted towards non-white races and, of course, women. How can a woman tackle that and come out on top?
Well, what successful comediennes have learned is that they cannot, by any means, play nice. And why would they, when they have so much going against them? Comediennes use the adversity that they face as fuel in their acts, and spit out their observations on the ridiculous and the unacceptable in the unrefined, no holds barred kind of way that their male audiences respond to. Comediennes redefine what it is to be a woman every time they take the stage, as they are unafraid to hold their tongue like a good girl should.
Whats unfortunate though, is that a lot of the time, their male audiences don't want to hear what they have to say. While there is no doubt that women ARE funny, I think that because of the fact that there is always truth in jest, and truth can make people uncomfortable, men are reluctant to laugh at these women. Because their jokes don't make men feel like the big strong powerful creatures that they like to see themselves as. Also, I think that these male audiences don't get what they expect when they watch a female comic; men can watch men and laugh because they don't expect to be turned on, and they see the comedian as a brother, or like one of their drinking buddies. But when they go to see a woman, perhaps they expect sexy, cute, and pretty, when the truth of the matter is that comedy isn't cute or endearing. The best comedy makes acute observations about society and our surroundings, and makes fun of it, tears it apart so that we can see just how outrageous it is.
So in that respect, comedy is a useful tool for women, because it is an outlet for the disappointed feelings that we have about certain situations, and, when the punch line is delivered correctly, it can be related to and understood rather than disregarded, as a lot of our "bitching" tends to be handled.
I feel like one of the comediennes that handles her material well is Janeane Garofalo, because to me, she has an accessible sense of humor. Her comic personality is worn down and cynical, she always seems a little disheveled, and I think that most people can relate to her in that sense, because everyone can understand that life is hard, no one is perfect, and at one point or another, everyone can get cynical and self-deprecating. I think thats a lot of the reason she is a successful comedienne-- because her humor is for anyone, not just women, which is important in an industry completely dominated by men.

Posted by Amanda Del Rosario at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I like Rita Rudner because she uses comedy to make fun of gender roles. She has her own stand up performance; she writes books; and appears in TV shows. Comedy can be useful, but sometimes if it is not explicit or is too ambiguous, it can taken the wrong way and actually affirm the existing norms. Women have been marginalized in comedy and it devalues their humor. Women are playing an important role by violating norms, new perspectives are created. Females can be seen as creative and independent. Comedy also allows women to share their experiences, values, and forms of resistance.

Posted by Nicole Henneman at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Women have used comedy to talk about social issues that are important to them, to their lives and that aren’t usually bought up in the media or are negatively portrayed in the media. Mean girls was a perfect example. Another example would be Mo’Nique who often jokes about “plus sized� women and how the media portrays them. She wrote and stared in a movie called Phat Girls which was a comedy about bigger sized women and relationship issues. In this film, the main character, played by Mo’Nique, isn’t able to fully trust a guy she is dating because she is insecure about her weight and does not believe such a man could really be interested in her. Mo’Nique, herself is opposite this character. She is very comfortable with her weight and it shows. She often jokes about skinny women saying that models look sick but on a more serious note she discusses the importance of women being comfortable with who they are and with their bodies. I believe comedy can be used as a tool for both coping and for discussing issues not usually discussed. If you have ever heard the phrase, just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down; I think this describes comedy that is used to discuss issues like racism or sexism, or any issue in general that make people uncomfortable to hear or talk about. I think Whoopi Goldberg is my favorite female comedian because of how she used comedy to overcome many obstacles in life and it has allowed her to break many barriers. Whoopi’s comedy would be an example of comedy as a tool for coping. She was born into a situation where most would have felt there was no hope of a future for her, she dropped out of school at a very early age and yet she was the first female and African-American to host the Academy Awards. Also, at the time she won she was the first African American female to win best supporting actress in over 50 years. Her story is an awesome story and her comedy has allowed her to overcome.

Posted by Alicia Sims at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This blog was extremely interesting for me. When asked who my favorite woman comedian is, or what women have done for the comedy world--it took me awhile to think about what this actually means to me. When I thought about the comedians I tended to listen to the most, a majority of them were men. Not because I really hate women comedians, but because they are the most available it seems like. So, I did some research. I tried looking up female comedians on all different websites, sources, etc.; and the results became more and more difficult to come by. When you would look up simply "female comedians' most headings that popped up were about men comedians, and their skits about women. It became more and more frustrating for me to continue my search, until I remembered the most influential women in comedy that have been in my life.

The women of SNL, since its beginning in 1975, I've always known and have always found enjoyable. From Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin to Ratchel Dratch, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fay, these women battled that line between men and women, and were able to get their voices heard through comedy. My mother was the one who always had my sisters and I watch those old SNL episodes from 1975-the '80s and into the '90s. These women, especially in 1975, really had the opportunity to express feminist values and goals through comedy. I think many people can get uncomfortable by serious and sometimes painful issues. By using comedy, it can sometimes ease that tension, while at the same time getting out such issues or ways of life in a brighter light. I think comedy is a good, and essential tool for women, because it gives us a kind of power. Although, a sometimes hard tool to gain control of, these women of SNL, for example have done it and opened the doors for further women comedians.

Posted by Carly Anderson at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think comedy is a good coping mechanism and also gives people the ability to expose the rediculous and unjust ideas and rules that dominate our society. The funniest female comedian I have seen was this tiny little blonde with a high pitched voice. She was at open mic night at ACME, and looking at her I was expecting her to just use the girly comedy thing and pull a "blonde" card, but when she opened her mouth, her routine was what most people might consider "male" humor. Her looks definitely added to the humor, and she used them in a productive, non degrading way. Women are the target of so many jokes, and it was nice to see someone breaking the social expectations. I think that it's really hard for women to be able to use comedy in a feminist fashion. More often than not, I feel like womens' jokes get turned around on them. I'm not very familiar with mainstream comedians, but it's pretty striking to me that I can name at least ten males, and I can only think of about three women comedians, whose comedy I'm not even really familiar with. The one that I'm probably most familiar with is Tina Faye. I think that she's really great, and obviously as we all saw in Mean Girls, she is trying to get out a message, but also within that film, as I mentioned earlier, so often the jokes end up just making fun of women through projecting more stereotypes.

Posted by Anna Scallon at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In class was the first time I had seen either version of The Stepford Wives. I believe that the two versions are different because our cultural norms change constantly and media changes with it. Take for example Singing in the Rain, because of what is acceptable in movies today, modern audiences would find it odd for a lead character to break out in a song and dance routine (except in Chicago or Rent which were Broadway musicals made into movies and singing and dancing were expected).

I think that the old version is more effective. I only had the chance to view a selected amount of scene’s from each movie but the moral of the story was more prevalent in the older version. The newer version wasn’t as dark and some part were comedic. In the recent version, the climax focused around men being tired of feeling inferior to their wives. I don’t believe that this version related to our generation as much as the old version related to theirs.

When comparing the two versions, you can tell that there was a difference in social norms. In the older version and in the 70’s, more women tried to savor the ideals of the nuclear family. The newer version tried to reflect that women were becoming more powerful and the men wanted to return to a simpler life but in actuality, it was a woman that wanted to return to a more simple way of life. It didn’t really make too much sense to me.

Posted by Jennifer Loftus at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In terms of women and their use of comedy to subvert and/or redefine norms I chose to focus on women who did this through the media they were involved with. Traditionally it seemed that women were supposed to be seen and not heard and they certainly weren't invited to join in the conversation or to be the center of attention as the funny girl with something interesting and witty to say. Women in the media have done a good job of repositioning themselves and women in general to demonstrate more power as people and as a functioning part of society. For example the females of the show Friends did an excellent job of redefining and subverting the norms of quiet, proper, shy women by playing characters that had a purpose, and that knew who they were and how to use their life experiences to their advantage and to teach the audiences that everyone faces the same day to day problems and issues and that its ok to laugh at it all. The women of Friends didn’t let the presence of 3 male figures on the show change who they were as people and what was going on. The dynamic between the Friends characters was good because it showed all of them getting along and hanging out, "being funny" and talking about their lives and what happened to them.
Another example of "funny women" in the media that help to redefine the norms for women are television talk show hosts that were known first as comedians and then as television personalities. I think that both Ellen Degeneres and Megan Mullaly do a good job (even if their shows aren’t the greatest) of making it a normal thing for women to talk and hang out and let everyone see them being themselves and having fun being funny.
Comedy can be a useful tool for men and women, because it allows them (whether as a character or as themselves) to show that they have a sense of humor and that not everything has to be serious. People who aren't in the media know that there needs to be a balance between seriousness and light heartedness, and the fact that celebrities and people in the media are willing to show that to us makes them vulnerable and helps us to see them as "more like us".

Posted by Brianna Green at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, i don't have a television, so I couldn't exactly sit in front of a television and wait for a household cleaning-product ad to come on. But I do have a pretty good memory, and the one that comes to mind was an ad for Tide or some other laundry detergent. Of course, it involved a very loving caring mother doing her child's laundry. It showed the boy's life as he grew up. Each shot was of him at a different age and stage in his life, walking through the same front door to his mom who was standing in front of the washer and dryer doing his laundry. First he came in with stuff (maybe food) all over his clothes, then he was 12 with some grass and mud stains on his clothes from playing football, etc. Each time he walked in, his mother would smile knowingly and then lovingly get those stains out of his clothes (using Tide). The last shot was of the now young man coming home from college with a big basket of laundry. The mother is delighted to be made useful again. I think the voice over says something about missing her son...but then he walks in with his dirty clothes and she realized that she is still needed. All house hold cleaning product commercials it seems, have women doing the cleaning. Also, it's always about a mother cleaning for her husband or kids. And of course, she delights in it. Why didn't our laundry mother ever get angry (or at least annoyed) with her son's antics. Boys will be boys. In cleaning commercials, the woman is always defined by her role as a mother. The underlying message is that to show you love your husband/child, you should lovingly, without the slightest hint of resentment, do these things for them...with Tide.

Posted by Hanah Berhane at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The commercial that I watched was for Arm and Hammer Baking soda. The commercial was adverting the multiple ways that this product could eliminate odor in carpets, the fridge or freezer, and in the carpet. The advertisement showed a women cleaning with the product. The commercial also had children and the father in as sub-characters. The children and the father had no part in cleaning the house. The mom was essentially cleaning up after them. This commercial showed a stereotypical heterosexual suburban family. There was a wife, a husband, and two children. The mother was beautiful and she wasn’t ecstatic about cleaning but her attitude was like, “Oh you guys are so messy, but I don’t care.�
This commercial, like many other cleaning commercials, seem to always show a mom doing all the work. I saw another commercial that didn’t have anything to do with a cleaning product but a food item. The food item apparently saved her a lot of time. She stated, “So, I can get caught up on my laundry?�
Cleaning commercials further reinforce that women should be caretakers, even though mothers also have to go to work. Most cleaning commercial that show men as the primary caregiver, is meant to be comedic. Men and women are beginning to understand the concept of sharing household responsibilities (just look at where we were at in the 60’s) so these commercials should get with the times!

Posted by Jennifer Loftus at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Female comedians are important because, at least in my experience of viewing comedy, the medium has been dominated by males. Given the nature of much of comedy, it often deals with topics that make people uncomfortable, such as sexuality, race, class, politics, and religion. Unfortunately, this male-dominance has led to a lot of negativity towards women. Comedy has a tendency to reinforce stereotypes and gender roles, as is seen by the classic "Women do this.... men do this...." sort of set up. While it's obviously hyperbole, it has been understood that there was a grain of truth behind these rigid binaries of male/female behavior.

What female comedians do is break down these binaries. Women comedians will often talk about sexuality, something that women aren't "supposed" to do. Take Margaret Cho, for example. She often talks about her sexual experiences, both with men and women. Not only is that blowing away the concept of the chaste female, but she is also subverting the gay/straight binary as well.

Comedy isn't just important in terms of women's sexuality, however. Comedy can be used to "soften" the message of feminism. Feminism has long been seen to be this stodgy, very serious way of thinking; academic and angry. Women can and do use feminism to bring out the irony in gender roles, to poke fun at the patriarchy. They make it possible to learn and to laugh, which makes feminism a lot easier for the masses to swallow.

While Ellen DeGeneres may not focus her comedy on feminism or women's issues, her personal life, and her "coming out" episode have had a tremendous impact on the media and culture, with respect to the way it views woman and sexual orientation. I believe that Ellen's coming out has empowered more women to be open about their sexuality, whether it be gay, straight, bisexual, or whatever. Ellen DeGeneres made it okay for women to be themselves, and to be funny.

Posted by Melissa Green at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

http://www.tide.com/en_US/index.jsp

This commercial features Cindy Lauper singing America the Beautiful while Tide laundry detergent expertly cleans the dirt off of the red, white, and blue clothing of children and husbands. No person exists doing the cleaning, but there are also no adult women seen in the commercial. The song and the voice over are both adult women, telling the viewer that America is beautiful and that colors mean a lot, so keep them bright with Tide bleach alternative. The message that I get from this ad, is not only are clothes and the colors they come in extremely important to your success as a mother, but a woman’s success in laundry is directly linked to her success as an American patriot. Cindy’s tender and heartfelt contribution of America the Beautiful tells us that using Tide is the American thing to do, and will make you more patriotic, and along with that a better American mother. Important, considering your American children and husband who depend on their clothing being kept clean and bright throughout their years of wear. Proctor and Gamble, the parent company to Tide, boasts on its website an American dream history, of two men who immigrated to the United States, married sisters, met, and started a business from the ground up. The company’s web site is littered with philanthropic missions and traditional family values. I think that this is relevant in looking at the overall mission of the Tide commercial, in seeing that it pushes not only the dream of American perfection, but also the idea of being the perfect mother as tied in with that dream. What would these two immigrant men have been had it not been for their perfect American wives? Nothing, probably, because they never would have met and started a global corporation that now monopolizes many household items. You too, can be the perfect American wife and your husband’s brightly colored clothing will help him to move to the next level of financial and social success, and also his patriotic success in supporting the ever-so important colors of the flag.

Posted by Jenny at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7288925869883693602&pr=goog-sl
This commercial has a white woman cleaning cleaning her bathtub, but it looks like she is in jail. It brings up the issues of women doing the housework and the time it takes to complete it. She is missing out on her family life. It reinforces the norms that woman do the housework and take care of the kids. It shows that housework is imprisoning, but does not challlenge the fact that women are the ones who do the majority of the housework. Nor does it bring up issues of class. It is just trying to sell a product.

Posted by Nicole Henneman at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some time ago, I watched a special about Saturday Night Live. In it, the female comics complained that they had to fight for every minute they were included in the skits (and more often than not they were excluded altogether). Part of the reason was because some of the men complained that "women weren't funny", and many of the SNL women had contemplated giving up the show because the attitude was so prevalent.

Then I remembered Gilda Radner, who could crack me up just by looking into the camera. Her character, Rosanna Rosannadanna, was her comic best. Gilda was so over the top it was amazing that she could keep a straight face. She was always so high voltage, literally throwing herself around for a laugh. It was rumored that she actually broke her arm slamming against a door but she continued with the skit, playing right through the pain.

Although she was gifted, Gilda also recognized talent. She was responsible for bringing John Belushi to Saturday Night Live who added another dimension to the show. Unfortunately, both stars' careers were over much too soon. John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982 and Gilda died of ovarian cancer in 1989.

Sometimes I miss Gilda Radner, especially when I catch myself quoting one of her most famous lines: "It's always something!"

Posted by Ruth Dickson at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Women have used comedy to subvert and redefine norms in a predominantly male arena by using politics, gender, and racism as the basis for their routines. Comedy is a source for women to relay issues that are very important to them to an audience that may or may not agree with them; women may be serious with their routines but those that do not agree may see it as funny. Comedy can also be used by women to relay issues that are difficult to talk about or issues that have no other platform to be heard. Women in comedy are finally being heard and that alone has certain norms being subverted and redefined.
Comedy is a useful tool for women because it enables them to discuss issues and have their viewpoints heard by the public more than any other media source. Many platforms in which women could have their voices heard are dominated by men and are, therefore, ‘brushed under the rug’ by the overbearing man. Comedy is a field in which everyone is heard equally; women can gain great lengths through the comedy arena.
My favorite female comedian is Ellen Degeneres. She subverts and redefines norms not only because she is a lesbian, comedic woman in the public sphere. I think it is great that she uses her place as one of the funniest people in America to make her voice be heard in today’s society.

Posted by Molly Wickersham at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For this Thursday's class, I would like you to read this article, Opting Out Moms in the News, from the most recent issue of Feminist Media Studies.

If the link doesn't work for you, check your email. I have also sent it to you as a pdf and provided information on how to access the article through ejournals.

Posted by Sara at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Female comedians are becoming more and more prominent in pop culture, especially when they are invited to host huge events that many people watch at home (for example, Ellen Degeneres hosted the 2007 Oscars last month). Women have used comedy to redefine the female gender role, create acceptance for women in a variety of positions, and to establish our position as first class citizens in America. I think it is a useful tool for women, because it can be used to accomplish what plain conversation cannot. It allows people to feel comfortable about discussing difficult issues related to gender, because it allows women to state their opinions without being perceived as confrontational. It also enables women to build a case for themselves within the context of humor that the other party to the discussion will remember. Funny things stick in people's minds, so it's a great way to make a point and make it stick. Whether or not the other party agrees with your opinion, they will remember what you've said simply because it made them laugh. My favorite female comedian is Ellen Degeneres, hands down.

Posted by kaylen_culotta at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I COULD NOT FOR WHATEVER REASON PASTE THE GROTESQUE PICTURES OF THE NEXT TOP MODEL CONTESTANTS IN THEIR OVERSEXUALIZED AND BLOODY DEATH POSES BUT GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND SEE THEM FOR YOURSELVES!! I AM WARNING THOUGH THAT IT IS INCREDIBLY DISTURBING!!
Or you can just look up "Americas next top model dead poses"
http://www.zap2it.com/news/custom/photogallery/zap-photogallery-antm8-crimescenevictims,0,698280.photogallery?coll=zap-photogalleries&index=4

Posted by Lisa Freund at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Women in the comedic and public sphere are very underrepresented. Being a female comedian means that you must be better than most male performers because as a woman you must compete with the rigid gender beliefs of women not being funny enough and you must prove yourself. Being a female comedian is a way for someone to express their frustration with the opposite sex in a way they can understand and that can be less confrontational or uncomfortable. Being a female comedian can also change the way men view you and instead of entertaining them in a way that may objectify their body one can you their witty sense of humor.
Kathy Griffin is my favorite female comedian because she climbed her way to where she is by working her ass off and broke the glass ceiling that many other women could not get through therefore making it somewhat easier for them to get through in the business. I think being a comedian is a very useful tool because like I said before it is an easier and more humorous way to express things in society you do not agree with and sometimes approaching people in such a way is the only way to get through to them.

Posted by Lisa Freund at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lucille ball was my first favorite comedian. I've liked her since I was a kid, and I never thought of her as a radical person back then, she was just funny to me. I think she poked fun of how women were supposed to act in that time period and she probably believed that the whole house wife way of living was a little ridiculous.

Women can use comedy just the same as men,but it seems to be the same thing as women in sports or women in anything that a man is supposed to be good at. If we're too good they feel threatened. There is no reason for this. For once they should just let us be good at something, and not try and knock us down to " Female Comedians" why not a comedian that happens to be female?

I enjoy the type of comedy that makes fun of political happenings, and relations between each other.
My favorite comedian at the moment is Margaret Cho. Her delivery and routines are spotless. She's doing a lot to further gay rights, and political issues.

I think it's important to use comedy as a way to change things, people enjoy a good laugh, and it catches their attention to have an opinion about what's going on.

Posted by Margaret Hanson at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)