Final Media Projects
"The Image of Muslim Women in American Media"
Watch the Video!
"Ranking Real Beauty: How Feminine Features Are Scaled"
December 12, 2006
Secretary
Last weekend I watched "Secretary," Steven Shainberg's film starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway, a recently hired secretary for James Spader's character, Mr. E. Edward Grey, a "mysterious lawyer." The employer/employee relationship is quickly broken down, as the characters' mutual feelings for each other are exposed.
Because of the Feminist Film Studies course, I found myself analyzing "Secretary" in ways I would not have done before. For example, I noticed that Mr. Grey was often the voyeur, staring at Lee from around a corner, peeking out his head so he could gaze at her but she didn't always notice him. This power of looking that he has over her reinforces the power he has over Lee as both her boss, and as the dominant character in the dominant/submissive relationship they forge.
I also noticed that at the end of the film, when the two have reconciled and are back at Mr. Grey's house, Lee is, for much of this portion, naked, while Mr. Grey is fully dressed, or at the most, briefly shirtless. Looking back, I think Lee's nakedness reinforced her vulnerability, because people who are nude lack the protection and power of clothes. This choice of wardrobe (or lack of it) also reinforces a typical mandate of today's media: a woman will often be seen naked, but a man rarely will.
It's not a film, but I saw it on a screen
Last weekend I ended up "home" in Wisconsin, which means access to cable television. Usually when I'm confronted with 100 channels of filthy reality TV shows and cheesy sitcom dramas, I end up over-indulging in them to make up for the lack of TV consumption I get at my real home in Minneapolis. But last weekend, I just couldn't do it. Fifteen minutes of MTV's "Tiara Girls" was all I could take. (Plus, I had free rentals from Blockbuster.)
The show was about an over-zealous beauty pageant mom and her teenage daughter. Editors showed the daughter straightening her blonde hair, practicing her dance routine, showing off her sparkly, body-clinging costumes (most designed and sewn by the mom), and answering practice questions, such as "What would you say to a girl who is thinking of entering a pageant?"
After a few minutes of viewing the mother-daughter team whine and complain to each other, all I could picture was the giant monster mother shown in class last week by the first pair of presenters. I kept waiting for the real mom on TV to grow tentacles and blobs of fat and suck her perfectly primped child back into her womb.
Unfortunately, this did not happen, and I turned off the TV before I could see how the girl (and her mother) did in the contest. The contest based primarily on looks. On the scaling of bodies. Where an actual point value is assigned for smiles and limbs and clothes.
December 11, 2006
What film isn't feminist?
From this class, I sometimes look at films differently. Last night I took a break from my studying and paper writing and went and saw The Holiday. In some scenes, I found myself thinking about the characters more critically then I would have before. The stereotypes portrayed in the film, like the fact that one of the main female characters can't cry is a shock to everyone. But, the same character is also given power as an advertising company's owner. Since this semester has gone by, from all we have studied and gone over, I have come to feel that pretty much any movie with female characters can be looked at as feminist. The definitions of 'feminist' and 'feminism' are so open and still uncertain makes this look at media logical.
Depending on how you watch a film, you could analyze the lead women as either the dominating heroin, the mother figure, the stereotypical female and so on. The possibilities are almost endless and it's almost as if there is an ounce of stereotyping it can be considered feminist. Because of my broad outlook on this, I think a movie can be considered a feminist film, whether it's slightly feminist or extremely feminist, without the director calling themself a feminist or their film.
Reading through other classmates views on feminist media and looking at their film selections supports my general look at it. Because feminism does not have one strict definition, it is hard to pinpoint what exactly a feminist film is. For example, talking with classmates and even friends outside of class I have heard feminism be defined in multiple ways. Some people feel a feminist is 'anyone that thinks women exist' or 'someone who thinks women deserve rights.' Another way to define feminism is by saying they are 'anyone that promotes the good for women and feels women should be considered near equals to men.' The definiitions I have heard have some similiarities but the differences they have make it clear that the definition is still in question. Until a straight definition is created, it is impossible, in my opinion, to put limitations on what is and is not feminist media.
Feminist Media
I think that it is important to understand and study all of the facets of film. One thing I have come to understand lately is that it is generally important to control your representation. In historical films, there were many things that were mis-represented. Films had very stereotypical characters, much so that the protagonist was nearly always the white male. Male roles with other nationalities were either seen as villains, or characters that essentially didn't matter to the evolution of the story. Woman simply could not be the protagonists, and as Mulvey states in her article about the gaze, that women were basically used by the male viewer, and even the male characters. They were, in Classical cinema, considered 'eye candy' for the viewer. Although this has generally changed in the past decades leading up to present filmmaking, it is still important for women to be able to control their representation.
In feminist media, I think the key argument to be made is that it is important for feminists to be able to control and censor their representations. When they are in positions of power, women are capable of presenting themselves the way they want to be seen. They then can be accountable for the representations in film and other sources of media. Women are then allowed to censor themselves, and eventually tell the stories the way they want them to be told. Because of this, women in writing, directing, producing, editing, and other fields of media are important because they are in a position to control this. That seems to be my understanding of feminist media, or at least an important aspect of its importance.
Apoctolypto
I wasn't sure what to expect before I saw this film. In actuality, I wasn't sure I wanted to see the film. After watching the preview, I didn't know if it would interest me. I am a big fan of Mel Gibson's Braveheart and i think that his direction in Passion of the Christ was good, although a bit gory. This weekend I decided to check out the new AMC theatre in Roseville and decided to hit up the film. Again, I think it is evident along with this film that Gibson certainly knows how to direct a film. The story was very interesting and utterly enjoyable if the bloodshed isn't too much to handle. Based on the decline of the Mayan Empire, there is enough action in the film to keep you interested, although at times it might seem like too much. As I was watching the film, I decided to evaluate the role of women in the film.
All of the women in the film were of Mayan culture, placed sometime around their initial interaction with mankind. The costumes were stereotypical of the time period. The women were often shown with essentially nothing covering the upper part of their bodies. They stayed at the encampment with the children as the men go off to hunt for food. The main story with a woman comes, however, when the Mayan camp is overtaken by another tribe and all of the women are killed off and most of the men are caught and forced to accompany the enemy tribe. Jaguar Paw, who is the main character in the film, manages to hide his pregnant wife and child in a cave that is probably anywhere from fifty to one hundred feet below ground. One of the enemy indians cuts the rope before they leave, which trapts them down there helpless to get out. The men are meant to be sacrificed at a ritual, but Jaguar Paw gets away. Meanwhile, the woman basically sits there with her child and in some ways trys to escape the cave, but is unsuccessful. An interesting note, however, is that the wife of Jaguar Paw manages to protect her and her son by killing a wild animal that falls into the hole. As the cave is flooding later on in the film, she also manages to keep herself, her son, and a new born child above water just as the husband returns. I think this at least shows that the woman was capable of protecting her family. She was not completely helpless. Most films might contradict this notion, and although she certainly wouldn't have survived had her husband not returned, she was capable of prolonging the lives of her children. I think Gibson does a fairly adequate job of portraying the values of family, and I think that the beliefs and family values are the strongpoint in the film.
Juarez
After viewing the documentary about the women of Juarez, Mexico, I was not quite sure what to think. My initial feeling, as I'm sure was the same with most of the other viewers was essentially that I could not understand how something has not been done to stop this. If this was the message of the film, then it seems to be a success to me. Personally, I thought it was a film that held your interest as a viewer, and it included the emotional film values one can take from including family and friends into it. As a student of film, I was pleased that they also interviews persons in all fields, and not just family members. That makes it easier to view the film in a more fulfilling way. Although they included interviews with persons of law and past victims, I did think the filmmaker attempted to sway the audience members opinion, but in this case it seems rightfully so.
One of the things I enjoyed about this film was the editing. By saying this, I mean the way they decide to piece the film together. They could have filmed an interview of a person fully through, and then move on to the next person. Instead, they go back and forth, back again and it comes together to get the full view instead of a partial one. I think that in this case it is a more artistic way to get your point across as a filmmaker. Another thing that I though was fairly powerful was when they were interviewing the family of victims, or even the victims that got away. The slow motion seemed to elevate the emotions that they were going through, and the trials that are still ahead of them. Films of this nature need moments like that because the subject matter that is dealt with are many murdered women. The film is supposed to ooze emotion, and I think this film uses a subtle approach with many filmmaking aspects that we can further indulge in.
Evelyn
So, over the weekend I relaxed a bit and saw the film Evelyn (starring Pierce Brosnan).
I basically saw this movie because I always meant to see it, but I never got around to do it… and I highly recommend seeing it—the story was very beautiful, and Evelyn was so talented, innocent, and sweet.
Context:
(made in 2002) It’s based on the true story of a man, Desmond Doyle, in Ireland in 1953. Directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Double Jeopardy )and written by Paul Pender (it looks like it’s his first major project).
Content:
In the beginning, Doyle’s wife leaves him for another man, his three young children (Evelyn, Dermot, and Maurice) are taken away from him (and sent to separate orphanages, one for Evelyn, and another for the boys) because the law prohibits him to raise them in a poor environment without a wife, and he basically resorts to alcohol to numb the pain. In the end he fights to win his children back by getting a job and a team of lawyers to plead his case before the Irish Supreme Court. Not only does Doyle get his kids back, he also changes the law—a very demanding and hard thing to accomplish in one lifetime.
Form:
Generally slow paced. A very gloomy, dark, and rainy atmosphere. Lot’s of green color. Mpst of the scenes are held in the courts and at the local pub (very dim and yellow, I think).
Overall, I thought it was really interesting to see a very traditional Irish catholic family suddenly turn completely around: the wife deserts the family (had about 5 minutes of screen time and I get the impression that she’s very cold, heartless, and cruel), while the husband is left to fill in the mother figure role for his children—although you can really see that he always had this very close/intimate connection to them.
I don’t consider this to be a feminist film, but it’s an amazing film nonetheless—I especially loved the sensitive and emotional side of Pierce’s portrayal, and the "angel rays." An interesting research assignment could be the comparison between the real story and the cinematic representation… and even the role reversal of the wife and husband.
also, in the homepage, one reviewer commented how Brosnan left 007 (his famous role as James Bond) to "show off his true acting skills"--not sure exactly what it means but perhaps the reviewer noticed how his role as James Bond was very masculine/domineering/, while his role as Doyle seemed to be more real/sensitive/sweet/family-like
here's where you can find the trailer and homepage:
http://www.mgm.com/evelyn/
The Face of Liberation
I thought the video shown in class about the portrayal of middle eastern women was thought provoking and made a great point. Being from a fairly conservative family in the suburbs, I had always been told that all middle eastern women are so oppressed by their religion and culture, which is obvious due to the way they all dress. When the point was made comparing western women being oppressed by the media to middle eastern women being oppressed due to their clothing, I was immediately thrown into deep thought about what I considered oppression. Like many other women, I thought that liberation went hand in hand with having the right to do what I want with my life and body. I had thought that hiding my body would be oppression, never my choice to be modest. After seeing that video, I have realized that being modest is not oppression but a female's choice.
Great job on your film Saly!
Friends With Money
Because this movie was written and directed by a woman, Nicole Holofcener, I had hopes that it would portray women and gender in a positive way, but I was disappointed. Obviously people disagree with me because this film wom the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award at the Women In Film Crystal Awards. This movie contains so many stereotypes about gender and gender roles that I have to wonder if it was on purpose. This film centers around four women, three of which are married and one is single. The three marriages vary; although none seem extremely happy. Catherine Keener's character Christine is extremely unhappy and ends up wanting a divorce by the end of the movie. Franny's (played by Joan Cusack) marriage seems slightly more functional, but they do argue about money because Joan Cusack is worth much more than her husband (although she still must check with him before loaning money to friends). Frances McDormand's character, Jane seems to have to most understanding and sympathetic husband, but there is speculation throughout the movie that he is gay, and a strong relationship between him and a man that resembles dating develops. The one single woman, Olivia, (played by Jennifer Aniston) is a stereoptypically "single" woman. She is depressed, poor and completely obsessed with her ex-boyfriend. She calls him repeatedly throughout the film, despite the fact that he is married. She also has the worst job of the four women (as a maid, a stereotypically female job) and the least money. She begins dating a man in the film, who is by far the biggest jerk of all the men in the film. He sits on the couch while Olivia cleans and then asks for money at the end of each job because he "helped". At the end of the film she begins dating a new man; he is nicer but unattractive and overweight. This opens up an entirely new can of worms; why is it plausible in films and television for a beautiful woman to date a heavy, unattractive man, but an unattractive woman is never shown with a handsome man? I would be interested to know what other people thought of this film and the stereotypes it portrayed.
For more information about this film, checkout the website:
Friends With Money
Feminism is Sin and Wickedness
I found a video created by a christian fanatic concerning his and God's view on feminism - it is sin and wickedness. This older, white man speaks about how the feminists, or the right-to-shave prune hearted women, are satan's children, fighting for a pointelss and sinful cause, and were created to serve men. He starts out by saying that when femininsts constantly yelli at men at any oppurtunity and call for a matriarchal structure they are satanic.I was absolutely shocked upon finding this because I have never come across someone as closed minded as this fellow from the UK. His spin on feminism comes from what he KNOWS about Jesus and God's intended creation of a partirachal order of the world. He states that to go against this premium model is to go against God's word. He also states that women were created from men and to serve men. I could not believe that this men had the audacity to first of all draw information upon false stereotypes about feminism and then to also state the women are not equal to men. I honestly cannot believe that there are people this ignorant.
Tootsie and What Women Want
Hey, it’s me again…
Seeing Tootsie over the past week made me think of another related film—What Women Want (with Mel Gibson).
Considering context:
Tootsie (1982) was directed by a man, Sydney Pollack (who also directed The Way We Were, and The Interpreter), and written primarily by men.
While What Women Want (2000) was directed by a woman, Nancy Meyers (who also wrote/directed Something’s Gotta Give, and wrote Private Benjamin and Father of the Bride I and II) the majority was written by women.
Considering content:
Both involve men experiencing what a woman goes through everyday—like putting on make-up, wearing tights (by the way I hate it when people refer to it as “pantyhose,” and underwear as “panties”—it’s probably too late for comments, but doesn’t it give you this weird feeling. I don’t think degrading is the right word, but it’s somewhere in that area.)…anyway, so being in a heterosexual relationship (although Tootsie ventured somewhat into lesbianism…can’t remember if What Women Want did it too), doing your hair, being discriminated in the workplace, etc.
Considering form:
Both films were very similar.
In the comedic scenes, the editing was generally fast and the dialogue was witty and quite hilarious. The dramatic/romantic moments were slower, and things seemed to pause and focus more on facial expression.
From time to time product placement is integrated (but I think more so in What Women Want)
In maintaining the spirit of our most recent discussing, I personally think that both of these directors are feminist filmmakers (in regards to the majority of their films). Tootsie and What Women Want both involve a variety of women (age, ethnicity, size, class, etc) and deal with the “woman experience” (what it means to be a woman, “what women want,” what they go through, etc.) I think they also seem to generally empower women by exposing both strengths and weaknesses, and bring a sense of gender equality (the male sex trying/willing to understand a woman, while sympathizing and relating to the same strengths and weaknesses.)
Also, here's an interview with Nancy Meyers on What women Want
"Nancy Meyers Talks About What Women Want"
J. Sperling Reich
http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/meyers
here's one of the interesting questions in the interview:
" Q: Would What Women Want be a different film if a man had directed it?"
"NM: I think it would be quite different. The inner thoughts of the women … There are no women in this film who talk about, "My thighs, or my hair." There is none of that. It's not clichéd thoughts that you think a woman might have. More about having someone understand or appreciate them. Recognize them or listen to them. I'm not sure a male director would have gone for those things. I think they may have gone for sexier things. I find some of the thoughts are unexpected in the movie, and I think that's because a woman was behind the movie."
Women in Sports
This semester I am also taking a Feminist Debates class and recently we discussed women in sports. We talked about the way women athletes are portrayed in the media and I thought it pertained to this class, but we haven't really covered this topic. According to a 2003 study done by the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 40% of all professional athletes are women, but only 6-8% of media coverage is focused on women athletes. This same study showed that on Sports News and ESPN SportsCenter 96.7% of airtime was dedicated to men's sports. I decided to check out ESPN's website and it seemed to fit this percentage. All of the major "headlines" at the top of the site were about men's sports and every single photograph (even the advertisements) on the site were men. The only mention of women was under the women's basketball link under the "Columns and Features" category near the bottom of site. I believe one reason for this might be that the creators and producers of the sports news programs believe that they have an all or mostly male audience, and are afraid to upset or lose their male viewers by showing too much coverage of women's sports. This creates a cycle; women's sports are not shown in the media so there is not as much interest in them as the highly publicized men's sports. Because of this, producers of sports programs believe there is no interest in women's sports and do not cover it. I jus tthought that this was an interesting aspect of women in the media that we did not cover, but still applies to the class.
Link to ESPN's website: ESPN Site
December 10, 2006
Yentl (starring Barbra Streisand) and Tootsie (starring Dustin Hoffman)
This may seem like a random thing, but I just thought it was funny how I unintentionally ended up seeing the films Yentl and Tootsie over the past few weeks. They are both about the necessity of changing one’s sex in order to achieve or to get some desirable thing—of course the moral of the story is not to do it, because discrimination is wrong…so, there should be no need to change yourself in order to conform to some ideal (very simply stated). For instance, in Yentl, a young woman desires education but must dress up as a man in order to get it. Similarly, Tootsie involves a young struggling male actor who must dress up as a woman in order to get a particular acting role that will help him out financially. Essentially, both the female and male characters are being themselves, but are basically forced to wear a mask (change their outer appearance) in order to get “accepted”—which makes it quite ironic. I really love these kinds of stories, because they truly reveal how ridiculous society can be. We are told to believe that a certain type of individual (mostly white male, middle/upper class, straight…) has a certain power or superiority over another. But, it’s all façade. I know it’s very elementary and what mom always used to say, but it’s very important to know that “it’s what inside that counts the most.” So, we can be the most masculine, white, rich, heterosexual in the world and still be the most selfish, cruel, and heartless individual. Sometimes using the most simple/common sense can be the most effective tool in fighting the most complicated and abusive issue like sexual discrimination.
And, as a side note:
I really recommend seeing Tootsie—very, very funny, and quite the cast!
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084805/
But Yentl—was “o.k,” my friend’s a huge fan of hers so that’s mostly why I decided to give in and check it out.
Feminism in media
When I took this class I knew of feminism as a movement but not of the different types of feminism. I feel feminism exists whether we are willing to proclaim ourselves as feminists or we are willing to acknowledge that there is a feminism movement. The same applies to all types of media producers. It is not necessary for me to know that the media producer is a feminist or for the same person to believe they are a feminist either. After this class, I have learned to watch everything with a critical eye. Social issues are represented in everything we see on TV and magazines, the question is whether we are willing to recognize it. For example, in Iris Marion Young’s "The Scaling of Bodies" she states that racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism have not disappeared but have gone underground, and dwelling in everyday habits and cultural meaning of which people are for the most part unaware. Where there is a person recognizing misrepresentation - there is the movement of feminism. Feminism, to me, has moved from only representing women, to the bigger scale of representing discrimination against any person’s beliefs. So do we still need to study and represent feminism? There is no question whether these issues still exist when skin still sells, we have not had a female president, and in fact...we have not had a black male president. What I am trying to say is that we are all feminists whether we like it or not. When we choose to believe that someone is being mistreated because of the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation and choose to stand up for them - that is what feminism is to me. As far as naming media, in fairness to everything I have watched and have yet to watch, I can't limit that list to a few. For example, I watched a football game and there were the cheerleaders, as an object of the sex in the game of football. During the same time, there were scantily clad women selling beer on a commercial. Then I flipped the channel and saw Titanic. Now for a big budget Hollywood movie and with no intention of using the film as an object of transport of the feministic view, there were numerous occasions when Rose was mistreated due to her gender and at the same time was given power through her gender.
Again, feminism is everywhere. I choose to recognize it, but I am not a feminist. I don't have to be one to realize that there is objectification of female bodies, homophobia, and still...racism are present. What we decide to do with the knowledge is what sets us apart from the "real" feminists. A "real" feminist is one who chooses not only to educate us about the issues but also offers some solutions.
Liz's thoughts on feminist media
First of all, I must say that I learned a lot over the semester—but I feel like I’ve been facing this area in our media for a long time (like the noticeable gaze, gender stereotypes, etc.). However, I don’t think that I’ll ever completely understand it all. There are just so many theories, issues, and context to consider that it can really get quite overwhelming. Yet, I think that it’s still very important to continue to develop this “feminist” study. Whether we like it or not, feminism, and masculinity play a huge role in our society. They not only define our culture, but also help us to shape the way we define ourselves.
Yet, defining what makes media feminist can be very challenging. Although it’s necessary to know the context (who’s making the film, profiting from the film, writing the film, etc.), I believe that the film’s form (“filmic analysis”) and the film’s content (issues, themes, topics within the frame, etc.) are essential to consider. I mean, it’s not like all the filmmakers are telling you face to face that they’re making feminist media—or that they consider themselves to be feminist filmmakers. Making the declaration might help in some way, but it doesn’t really answer the main question—what makes the media “feminist.”
In a very simple definition, I think that feminist media generally centers on the female experience with issues such as voice, representation, and equality between men and women (content), and must visually represent a female gaze/perspective (form).
These are some filmmakers that I consider to be “feminist” filmmakers (obviously they’re all women… but again, being a woman doesn't necessarily make them “feminist filmmakers,” and it's not the only thing that defines them as "feminist filmmakers"):
Jane Campion(“The Piano”), Kimberly Peirce (“Boy’s Don’t Cry”), Nora Ephron (“Hanging Up”)… and Claire Denis (“Chocolat”—and not the one with Johnny Depp)
Also, here’s a link to an interesting interview with Claire Denis, a French filmmaker:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/05/35/claire_denis_interview.html
And some of her trailers at imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219136/
December 09, 2006
The minority
I recently watch a documentary that followed homosexuality through early cinema all the way to today. I found a lot of the stereotypes that are here now were there then. Many homosexuals would play blown out of proportion caricatures as comic relief. And if there was a “good gay” that had normal feelings and emotions they would ultimately have to die in the end like in Boys Don’t Cry. I found an interesting connection, I am also taking a Native Americans in the cinema course and they same thing happened in early films and now with the representation of Indians. They would have two basic types of Indians the “savage” and the “helper”; one was bloodthirsty and fought without cause. The other was a one of kind/the last of a dieing breed that helped the settlers as they expanded across the frontier. The thing about the good helper was that no matter what, the good Indian was the last of his people. So even if there were good Indians ultimately they were destine all to die off. They called this idea the vanishing Indian, so we could come to accept this good Indian but it was out of our hands that one-day they would all be gone. I felt that in many ways gays were looked at the same way for a long time. Either they were comic relief or if they had good qualities and played multi dimensional characters they would end up being killed too, in order to keep the audience comfortable. In many movies they have to die like this, Boys Don’t Cry, Set It Off, Philadelphia, Broke back Mountain, and many others. I thought that it was an interesting connection and I’m sorry but I forgot the name of the Documentary, but if you really wanted to know I could e-mail my professor for you.
December 08, 2006
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
I got home to my apartment after having dinner with a friend the other night. The first thing my roommate said to me with excitement was "Kelsey, you'll never guess what's on." Since our entire apartment has been in the Christmas spirit recently I was expecting her to tell me Rudolph was on or A Charlie Brown Christmas. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Her and one of my other roommates were glued to the television watching the Victorias Secret Fashion Show. Interested in what it consisted of, I sat and joined them for a bit. I was not surprised by what I saw.
It was basically a show for people to judge the models and compare their own bodies or the bodies of girls they know to what they 'should be' like. The scaling of bodies one could take from this was amazing. As I watched, I listened to my roommates, all straight females, comment on how hot the models were and how they would never be able to look like that but how they wish they could. This is the exact type of show that helps lower self esteem in females. Images like this do nothing but give people ideas of what the 'ideal body type' is like, when in reality, only an extremely small percentage of females have this build or are able to attain it. This was a promotion for what can never be for the majority of women.
I won't deny that I agree they have attractive characteristics, if they didn't they wouldn't have the job they have. However, to really look at them makes them less attractive. I was unaware that being able to see thigh and knee bones clearly was attractive. These women looked so fragile it almost seems unhealthy.
Another thing I found quite fitting was the camera angles used. The angles were all perfect to make the models look their best. They zoomed in on the right body parts at the right time. Their breasts were shown right as they were bouncing in a sexy manner, their hair was shown when it was flowing perfect, and their face was the focus when their smile was seductive. There were als shots where the 'SEXY' sign in the background shared the spotlight with the models. This was used as a label for the women in case viewers were unaware they were already 'sexy,' they were told it as they watched. There were also scenes where it was cut out to read only 'SEX.' And of course, instead of just showing them on stage in their flawless state, they showed them rushing behind the scenes to get ready. This made it known they are real people in case the viewers were questioning.
Now, I don't consider myself a feminist but seriously, anyone that watches this can critique it and see how degrading and wrong it is. I guess I just don't see the point of making this into a television show...
Another read on America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model (ANTM) is thick with gender, race, and class issues. I watched an entire season of ANTM to get the big picture of the show. I was going to watch just one episode, but I was hooked into watching more. The girls selected for the show come from all over bringing a diverse set of perspectives and attitudes. The show does a great job is showing several reasonsfor wanting to become a model. It’s kind of like Real World meets Fashion File with a touch of The Price is Right. In the end, each girl decides if the “price is right” for completely giving up all traces of individualism.
Some of the girls know they're pretty, some don’t, and some don’t care. Whatever their view of themselves is, they all want to be what Tyra and the judges think they should be because they all want to win. One girl battles with the “suggestion” of getting the gap between her front teeth fixed. Originally, she doesn’t want to do it. She knows it’s one of the things that create her distinct look from other women; it’s a part of her individual beauty. She’s told by Tyra and the gang that she’s not marketable with her gap and the gap with dominate any photo she’s in. This is one of the many conspicuous statements about female beauty. Ultimately, whatever Tyra and the judges feel beauty is dictates who stays, who goes, and who morphs to fit their standards.
Race plays a significant role in ANTM. Tyra reinforces black and white stereotypes by making comments like, “Girl, you work that booty like a black girl.” This comment was obviously made to a white contestant. Also, she said something along the lines of “Honey, I can’t believe you can’t drop it better than that.” This comment made to a black contestant. There was a photo shoot where the girls had to dance, and the previous comments were delivered after the shoot.
One girl has a southern accent. She’s out right told that she sounds stupid. That’s one of the positive points of ANTM. There is a focus on speaking correctly. Sounding educated and being educated are important. Not all people with southern accents are ignorant, but anyone will tell you that if you’re on TV appealing to a larger audience you cannot have an accent of any kind, unless, you are to be cast in a specific role which calls for a specific accent.
ANTM is able to get away with their attempts to homogenize beauty with their big budget. They have spent top dollar to persuade the public they know what female beauty is. Tyra isn’t cheap. The rest of the judges probably charge a hefty fee as well. Plus, the models participate in elaborate fashion shoots, stay in a gorgeous apartment, and travel to a beautiful country. It’s definitely the fusion of a glossy fashion magazine and TV. The show is actually glossy! There’s so much beauty.
The clothes and make-up the models wear are the best. They usually wear bright attractive colors and are shot in equally attractive settings. The image on the TV would still be pretty without the women. However, having a little or in some cases a lot of skin across the screen only helps the show. Who doesn’t love a half-naked-potential-super-model?
Also, who can argue with Tyra? She’s a super-model for Pete’s sake! Of course she knows what it takes to be a super-model. This gives Tyra her “mama knows best” attitude about everything. The girls just eat it all up. As a result, the public eats it up. Tyra has stacked credentials in the fashion industry and that’s why she’s hosting the show.
America’s Next Top Model has figured out the combination for a long running hit. They have a big budget, big names, and a big mouth. The show doesn’t make apologies. They know they are creating a “universal beauty.” They have the sponsors and the jobs to let them get away with it. The winner of the show gets a huge modeling contract with a huge modeling firm. If they didn’t know what beauty was this couldn’t be possible. They have an air tight opinion of beauty. Sure, you have the right to disagree, but that’s not going to get you paid or get your face in Elle magazine, and it won't stop them from dictating who does.
December 07, 2006
"Real" Women
I have a problem with saying feminist filmmakers (and the media in general) depict “real” women, mostly because I have a problem with the term “real women.” I suspect that the category of “real women” does not include the likes of celebutantes more known for what they take off and shake than what they think. Or six-foot tall, 100 pound supermodels. Or any other category of women known primarily for their physical beauty or sensationalist antics. Although I do believe very few "types" of women are portrayed in the media, and most of them are shown because they have these "desirable" attributes, and not because they actually did something film or newsworthy, I would not go so far as to call these women “fake.” (Yes, they may be airbrushed. Yes, they may cultivate a personality to capture the media's attention.) But whether you agree with how they dress or act or not, these are "real" people.
What I think the critique is actually trying to say is that feminist filmmakers and feminist media should give more attention to a wider array of women then the "mainstream" media (another controversial term), be they women of different races, backgrounds, body sizes, gender identities, etc. This gives a more realistic depiction of the average woman, rather than an over saturation of the depiction of a very small population of women.
December 06, 2006
Rachel L's ideas of Feminist Media
What makes media feminist: I believe a piece of media is feminist if it not only addresses an area in which women have been oppressed but displays it, whether it be through narrative, documentary or other form of median, in a way that will get people to realize it is wrong or unfair, such as the treatment of Brandon Teena in “Boys don’t Cry”. Feminist elements to movies, TV shows or even advertisements can be in-your-face, obvious feminist viewpoint or more subtle, almost unconscious elements, that overtime may help toward the equality of women. And a piece of media does not have to be all feminist to promote the equality of women or challenge the unfair gender roles forced on women in a patriarchal setting; the definition is not very clear cut. Some TV shows might feature a female character as independent and outgoing, breaking traditional gender roles. For example, I love Elaine from Seinfeld. For a show that aired starting in 1990, Elaine was a woman character who broke many traditional gender roles instilled in patriarchal culture. She was single, had a career, enjoyed sports and openly talked about her sex life and desires. Now obviously Seinfeld is not a feminist piece of media, but Elaine is a good example of how small parts of our everyday media intake can help change peoples’ views about women away from constructed gender roles such as the housewife. Even technical areas of film can make it feminist. For example, a film that does not use shots that reflect a male gaze on women as objects, especially the Hollywood voyeuristic gaze, can give a film important feminist perspectives. It might be content or context elements that a film does NOT use that make in feminist. For example if a woman in a magazine ad or a character on TV does not wear makeup or wear provocative clothing or other traditional women’s clothing/fashion. Or if an ad for baby food shows a man feeding the child instead of a woman. Again, I have enjoyed watching the feminist media we watched in class but most people only consume main stream media and small elements within those forms of media that break gender roles or enforce equality of women are extremely important in helping how our society needs to shift away from the oppression of women.
Art Project
Hey guys! So I'm not sure what category to put this under but a girl one of my classes is doing an art project and could use the help of women. its pretty relevent to our course.
"We are exploring how women relate to their bodies, physically and mentally, in regards to themselves and others around them. We are looking for response to these questions for our multimedia art project and research paper. Your response will remain anonymous and will be used directly in the project, so only answer if you feel comfortable answering. Please use random scrapes of paper (i.e. receipts you find around the house, post its, etc.), writing first the question number and then your response. Don't feel the need to limit your responses: the longer, the better. thank you for your participation."
1. What is your favorite outfit and why?
2. Whit is your favorite body part and why?
3. What is your least favorite and why?
4. What word would you use to describe your body?
5. What shoae would you use to describe your body?
6. What are your motivations for exercise?
7. When do you feel sexiest?
8. When do you feel most confident?
9. What is a ritual you perform to make yourself feel better or to pamper yourself?
10. What is the worst insult you've ever received about your body?
11. What is the best compliment you've ever received about your body?
12. What do you find sexy in a woman (in viewing others)?
13. What do you find beautiful in a woman (in viewing others)?
14. Whatt do you find beautiful in yourself?
15. How do you think others view your body?
16. What is the most drastic physical change your body has gone through and how has that affected you?
17. Was there a significant moment in time where your attitude about your body changed? If so, please describe.
18. Please finish this statement: A woman's body is...
well if you guys want to respond to them they would really appreciate it. I believe they are taking the answers and making a quilt or something, and whatever you write on will be sown into the quilt. kind of cool! send your responses to:
Salm & Strange
2113 Como Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
thanks guys! i just thought it was a cool project and that it would be fun to type all of that up! :)
December 04, 2006
On Feminism by a heterosexual white male
Yup. That's what I am.
So feminism you say? Quite the hot topic with many people--identity markers always cause debate. That tag basically means to me that the person--male or female--thinks that gender inequalities must change. Women have been historically oppressed through a male patriarchical system. I can agree with that--but I think great strides and changes have been made say between the begining of the 20th century and today. But what do I know? According to Paulo Freire in "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," I will never know until I am oppressed. And through this I will never be able to truly enact change--I'll only be in false solidarity with my oppressed sisters.
So where does that leave the ol' fraternity of white heterosexual males eh? Or as I'll call it from now on--WHiM's.
If we can't fix it--then it's up to the oppressed to open eyes and become the change they truly want. Now enter feminist filmmakers...their creation of a new way to use a medium that has been established for nearly a century is a great start. A film that reverses the gaze, whether or not the director considers him or herself feminist, is a feminist film. Feminism is just a tag. You could call them Neo-filmists for all I care. Words will carry meaning and with time they always change.
A caution to all aspiring feminists out there--don't be a Mulvey. You don't win people over telling them that men endeavor to find the penis in women and that men think women are out to castrate them. Freud can take a hike on that one too. Pardon my English, but those ideas are a load of crap and I think that most people would tend to agree with me.
Also, men aren't meeting together in secret rooms to plot how to keep women down, "Oh man. Guys seriously if women find out about this heterosexual patriarchy thing--we're screwed. Let's keep 'em in the home." It's just the way society has developed. Maybe I grew up in a open minded home, maybe the fact that I have three sisters and no brother affects my denouncement of the ideas that basically call white heterosexual men the bane of our existance. But it's time to recognize that it's not a war. War denotes violence and violence begets violence. Education is the only way to change ideas and education first and foremost starts in the home. So start now--well maybe not your family, but your ideas of how society should be. Then when you have a family, teach them and show them how to act and think in society.
Oh and if you want a read that may get your blood boiling or reinforce your beliefs, check this essay out--
"What's Wrong with Women's Lib" by Phyllis Schlafly
December 02, 2006
On Feminist Media
I went into this class not knowing what to expect and I learned a lot about feminist media. To me, feminist media is anything (which may or may not claim to be feminist) that shows women in a good light and does not use them merely as sexual objects or fill-in roles with no lines. Feminist media is not necessarily media created by women. There is a lot of media out there created by women that show their sex in a degrading way. Women can be just as bad as men when it comes to unfair treatment of women. Just like in the short documentary "I Was a Teenage Feminist", women also think that feminists are just a bunch of lesbian man haters. I once told one of my male friends that I was a feminist and he rolled his eyes and made some negative comment even though he knows me and he knows that I am not like the stereotype that people see feminists as. People who support HUMAN rights are not looked upon as bad people, only the ones who support rights for the female half of the human population.
People who make media that shows women as strong, independent, worthy people are, in my opinion, making feminist media. I think that some people who make media do not want to claim the feminist viewpoint because they are afraid of what others will say about them and their media if they did. Being a feminist is a "bad" thing to be labeled today. That does not make sense because feminists are people trying to help people to all have the same rights. I will never be able to watch a movie and be blind to the stereotypes of women and minorities again. I considered myself a feminist before I took this class and I now consider myself an even stronger feminist than before.
Extra-Credit
I thought the document that we watched in class which tells about the story of the hundreds of kidnapped, raped and murdered young women in Juarez, Mexico was extremely thought provoking. I thought that the way the document was film was straightforward and it brought out this sort of “truth” that we wouldn’t have otherwise notice if we were to read the stories from the newspaper, articles or to hear it on the news. In the document, I was exceptionally surprise to find out that the cops were also involved in some of the violence. It just goes to show how corrupted their law system is and it is a logical explanation to why the kidnap is still continuing. The personal interviews on the family and on one of the women who had experienced the brutality from the cops first handed were particularly productive. I felt that it played a big attribution to giving the women who were being kidnap a voice and to help further the document argue on how important it is to give these woman and their families their human rights. On the whole, the way the document investigated each women’s story was respectable and modest. Films such as this have the potential to making a difference in the way people view a particular story because it certainly have changed the way I view and helped me to better understand the stories of the women in Juarez.
Sweet Sixteen
If you already dislike rich people then this isn’t the show for you. I watched an episode of Mtv’s “My Super Sweet Sixteen” with the daughter of hip-hop/R&B artist Cee-lo. The premise of this show is to watch a rich spoiled young girl or boy have their parents spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their 16th birthday party, so they can make a big deal and feel special about themselves. But in the episode I watched the young girl seemed to have no concept of money or working for anything. First she was only turning fifteen, not sixteen and she was still able to keep me watching with her continuous it’s my party and ill cry if I want to attitude. By having shows like this one where a parent spends over $180,000 on a party for their fifteen-year-old daughter it illustrates the where are values rest. The stereotype that the upper class sees themselves as elitists is completely reinforced in this show along with the idea that money equals love. Everything that is wrong in society shows up here.
“Yet RTV constants generally understand that moral weaknesses, body flaws, and intimate betrayals offer the most thrilling evidence of “reality” in the genre.” Myra Mendible, Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV. I feel that this quote is the direct reason why this show is made. Moral weakness seems to be the driving force behind this one. Where a young girl and her parents have so much money it’s the only way they can communicate. By buying her daughter everything she is giving her “attention” making for a thrilling type of reality. At the end Sophie is given her 180,000-dollar present of a car that she wont be able to drive for at least a year.
With all this in mind we can critically look at who is making this program and the motives behind it. MTV has a lot of power and this show puts it to good use. The content of the show revolves around money, and though editing they market it most towards girls. The title is sweet sixteen, no guys ever really look forward to having a sweet sixteen party even though some are on the show the majority is girls. But the whole show is sparkles and pink glitter. The cuts are fast and always have voices or music going over them to keep your attention. The music is pop crap and radio crap hip-hop, it’s the same music that is always playing on every other MTV show. So by being able to recognize this style it is almost as though MTV is putting their stamp on it. Even at the birthday parties the kids parents go though all the trouble of getting the artist that are on MTV, its kind of like a big add. By directing all of this towards girls it’s setting up the idea that the nicer your possessions the more popular you’ll be, like you can measure your friendship by how many people go to you party. By spending hundreds of thousands of dollars you make all the friends you’ll ever need.
December 01, 2006
What is a feminist by Jillian Schwantz
While I think that not enough words can describe a feminist, and that defining every type of feminist would be impossible, here is my general idea of what it means to me:
Being a feminist requires a consideration for females, and an ability to understand how culture relates and reads into the variety of perceptions and views of the females and those who relate and/or identify being a member of the female gender. This can be done through gender studies, and understanding the difference between men and women and what truly is a man or woman. The next step is to identify how our gender roles are perceived through culture and society. The last step is to act upon creating an equality and appreciation of all gender types regardless of orientation and identification. So basically, a feminist is someone who recognizes gender roles and how they are percieved, and then acts upon creating a equality in society that gives mutual treatment and respect to all gender types. A feminist should not be considered a angry person, because the goal is to make a positive change. Being a feminist is being a person with intelligence. A true feminist is aware of gender, and how it affects society and culture.