Here's the link to my blog post. I hope you all enjoy! (And let me know if you have any problems seeing it).
agirlandfeminismproject.blogspot.com
Best,
Kimberly
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| Audre Lorde, image accessed from http://www.thefeministwire.com/2014/02/the-magic-and-fury-of-audre-lorde-feminist-praxis-and-pedagogy/. |
Kim - I find this problem within media still exists. Over the holidays my daughter and I were watching Supergirl, only to hear Calista Flockhart's character say as a woman you have to work harder and no crying or emotion - that will get you farther in business! The media, keeps exacerbating the problem that being a feminist is a bad thing or negative. I like how you discuss and define the different waves of Feminism - that occurred to me looking at the impact generationally on my project.
ReplyDeleteYes it does still exist. But I think with more women reclaiming the term things can change, and others who never let go of the term are becoming more and more vocal. Here's hoping we see more of that.
DeleteKim-
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very thought provoking! In particular, I'm interested in your statements about the 90's "Girl Power" movement. I was coming of age at this time, graduating high school in 1999, so I'm uncomfortably familiar with the mixed messages that were sent out at that time. In particular, I noticed that one pervasive message in popular films and television (such as Friends - which is tragic because I LOVED this show) was that women could be independent and smart....but not TOO independent or TOO smart, or as you said, TOO sexy. Rachel's character set up this standard of a woman that controls her own destiny, but isn't actually all the bright and needs the men to rescue her. Organization, leadership, and cleanliness was paraded through the show as the annoying and neurotic side of women in Monica's character. Growing up, I internalized the mixed messages of this and other shows of the time to mean that I could be independent and smart, but I would still have to tone down the more aggressive and "undesirable" characteristics of being a strong woman so that I would not emasculate any potential partners. In turn, this made it easy for the anti-feminism propaganda to take deep roots within my beliefs. I did not want to be the annoying know-it-all woman that often found herself going stag to parties. This course, and classmates like you, have encouraged me to seek the same thing you are seeking in your blog. Where do I fit in within feminism. How has feminism affected my quality of life? How can I integrate feminist principles in my life as I take the driver's wheel? I especially appreciate the visual examples that you provided (guerrilla girls!) They really make you think about the mixed messages when you see them in uncomplicated terms!
Thanks Holley! Glad you liked it!
DeleteGrowing up I was so confused, we were told we had "power" but then it seemed like, yeah, don't be too this or too that - or worse the "girls shouldn't do this/that" and the dreaded, "boys are allowed to be more charismatic/dominating/sporty/etc., but you can't". It was really annoying. And I think we sort of just push that to the back of our minds, because we have stuff like school to do, but it is there. I think what Feminism has given me are the tools to unpack what happened, what continues to happen, and the realization that we aren't alone in these experiences/feelings/etc. I sound like a broken record, but there is still so much to do. In finding our place within the sea of media and feminism we can better learn what we need to do for ourselves and learn about the world in general.
Oh man Kim - you hit the nail on the head. I especially love your Guerilla Girls poster! I don't know if my anthem is let's see more shlong :) but it is terrible that full frontal female nudity is rated R while a penis is NR or even XXX. oh bother.
ReplyDeleteANd I feel the same way about figureing out wher I fit in all of the feminist ocean. I think that our generation is doing the best at synthesizing all of the waves. Go Douglas!
I am a big Guerrilla Girls fan.
DeleteIf we are in a 4th Wave (and I do think we are) it is a kaleidoscope of influences, voices, images, etc. It will be interesting to see where it goes.
Don't forget to add Jennifer Lawrence to your Millennial fourth wave -- especially since we beat her like a dead horse... :) just saying she has joined the party. She just happens to engage the vernacular in verbiage as she waylays on wage discrepancies and divergent behavior codes. ha. (divergent a like movie to the Katnis one)
ReplyDeleteKeira Knightley needs to be added too.
Deletehttp://jezebel.com/keira-knightley-wants-the-stupids-to-stop-using-femini-1491177032
Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your common sense attitude to the discussion.Stereotypes abound in our society.My wife and I stayed in an Omni hotel the other day.I had surgery a a nearby facility.My wife and I are people watchers.We remarked to one another about conformism in general.The Lexus Suvs or Mercedes, people drive.The clothing ,of both men and women.I have always had a problem with status symbols no matter where they come from.Recently I had heard from my son that one of his teachers paid $1,500.00 for a suit.He smugly remarked: You ,obviously, wouldn't have known this was an expensive suit I am wearing.So what? As a male there is indeed more pressure placed on women from the cost of clothes ,car repair cost rip offs.No one speaks of economic sexism, but it exists in our American culture which espouses individualism and yet it is largely conformist!
As a woman who willingly admits I know little to nothing about my car, apart from how to check fluids and call a tow truck, your mention of car repair rip off made me remember an NPR segment on it (and my own experiences)...
DeleteI took my boyfriend's car to get the oil changed before a big trip we were making, and the workers at the shop kept quoting me different prices, each one higher than the next (very different from what was clearly written on their service price sign) and it made me think - would it have been the same if Sam had brought the car? I was not a happy customer. And I think a lot of Americans, men and women, feel pressures from these situations and in turn the media. Ha ha! Sorry for the tangent. :)
I like your thoughts on media depictions and how that manifests in your life. There was an interesting moment not long ago when I was exiting the grocery store. The store happens to be right next to a giant fitness center. As I am leaving with a bottle of wine and some cookies for me and the wife, a man in perfect shape is leaving the gym. We had to cross each others' paths, and while doing so, give identical looks of befuddled disgust at the life choices the other had made. I couldn't understand why he spent hours at the gym when he could be home with wine and cookies, and I'm sure he couldn't understand why I would be such a glutton, letting myself get ever rounder. I don't understand why that had to occur. Why couldn't we just give each other the nod and smile with a thought of, "that guy seems happy." Why do we constantly have to evaluate everyone else's life and choices? And isn't that deep down what feminism is about? The desire to be able to choose whatever you want your life to be, without having to face reprisal from someone else. Isn't feminism intended to allow you to pick and choose whether or not to shave your legs, just like I can decide whether or not to shave my face?
ReplyDeleteThanks Justin, yes, I think we can all fall into quick judgments - but in taking a step back we can realize where such attitudes (ours and others alike) come from. Feminism, as I know and embrace it, means equally for all, and such outward things like shaved legs don't matter - to quote from my childhood - it is about who you are, not what you look like. (Which is easier said when done, when you have the media machine constantly telling you to improve yourself, etc.)
DeleteI am thrilled with this final product, Kimberly. It is a perfect reflection of you, your life, perspectives, work, scholarship, etc. You have created a wonderful final project here, and it inspired some great discussion. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete