Feminism Feminism Feminism
Through out this semester, this class has exposed a lot of different types of media (documentaries, movies, advertisements, etc.) that I normally would not have encountered. After watching the media, and at the same time becoming more and more educated on feminist theory, I have come to some of my own conclusions on the subject matter.
I think that it is very hard to put a piece of media into one category: For example, feminism. A film may have feminist attributes to it, but it may also have other attributes to it as well. For example, in the film The Piano, I definitely saw feministic qualities expressed through the main character. She was not a "typical" well behaved girl like most men like. She didn't listen to the men in the film very well, and she had a mind of her own. However their were parts that don't go along with feminist views as well, such as when the main character becomes aroused when her husband is touching her/raping her. Since the film has some feminist traits, does this make it feminist media? Most would argue not, and it should not be.
This kind of argument, to me feels like a circle. It keeps going round and round in my head. Well...it could be feminist media...but it's not.
Even though I do think this, I think the videos that were screened in class are evidence that women are going in the right direction. One major thing that I have learned about feminism in this class is that there are so many different levels of it. It is not something one can just put the tip of their finger on. One thing that is so great about it is that everyone can have their own views, opinions, and ways of thinking within feminism (of course to be feminist they must follow the feminist theories). Another important thing in feminism is that there is a mutual respect for women, even if you are not in their shoes and don't completely understand what they are going through, or their decisions. You can just know that they are other women who do want the same thing: equality.
This class has opened me up to different ways of thinking that I have never thought about before, and now that it has opened that door, I am definitely going to see what is inside.