Thirteenth Post - Extra Credit

Implications about Gender in Dancing With The Stars.
Anyone else notice how unbelievably skimpy and overly sexy the outfits on this show are?? The outfits appear as if they were made with a single yard of fabric shared between several women. The ladies show off their midriff, cleavage, arms, legs, and much more all at once instead of just one "female asset" at a time. I mean, I know that "sex sells" and plenty of viewers tune in to see the attractive young dance professionals and their hard bodies. However, if the shows main concept is the beauty and skill involved with dancing then the microscopic outfits aren't necessary. Dancing is sometimes referred to as an art form. Great dancers have the ability to show grace, humility, and and pride through their craft, but some of the women on this show do not exhibit such respectable qualities through their overly sexy dance moves and clothing (if it can even be considered clothing). Maybe if the women wear such tiny pieces of clothing, the men should too? You never see Lawrence Taylor or Ty Murray showing any leg! I vote these girls start covering up a little, which would help them to look more classy and graceful in their dancing.

Twelfth Post - Extra Credit

Implications about Gender in a Lifetime movie.
I didn't catch the name of the movie, but recently I caught the last half of a Lifetime movie about spring break trips to exotic beaches like Cancun and Cozumel. On one such vacation, the main character had unknowingly been tricked into filming portions of a movie similar to "Girls Gone Wild." Though she did not actually cheat on her fiancee, the directors of the film altered the footage to make it appear so. Her family and friends were devastated and her life was ruined by the outrageous adult film which began appearing all over the Internet. In addition to losing her job teaching at an elementary school, the main character also lost her respect as an individual in her community. Sexual predators such as the film directors in the movie think it is OK for them to get women drunk and film them with or without their consent. However, it is not OK either way. Many times, the women are helpless to the situation because they have been tricked into giving consent to the filmmakers. Though they should not have drank so much alcohol to alter their sense of self-control and -respect in the first place, that does not mean that the predator has a right to put other people in sexual situations to sell for profit. Yes, it is the woman's fault to have gotten so intoxicated on her beach trip, but that is not a green light to turn on cameras to film them. These people who make such films have no sense of morals or values and should be punished just as sexual offenders are. In the movie, the main character cannot get any legal assistance to fight for her rights and prosecute the men who created the film. Unfortunately, no one wants to take her case because they believe she has no chance to fight it in a court of law. I personally believe there should be steps taken to stop such sexual predators who prey on innocent young women on spring break trip or otherwise. For example, the filmmaker should have to have more than one little signature to produce and sell such homemade adult films. Placing more/other obstacles along with getting consent from the individual would decrease the amount of adult films that are wrongly and non-consensually produced.

Eleventh Post

Implications of Gender in alcoholic beverages commercials.
Ever noticed how beer commercials always depict the most masculine of men just "chillin', drinkin' with the boys?" There are almost never women in the commercials, and if there are women present, they are always just "hott chicks" that the masculine men are trying to attract. Similarly, women are almost always the one shown in the commercials of fruity drinks such as Smirnoff Ice and Arbor Mist. Why must men assume girls are supposed to drink the light, fruity drinks while they are supposed to chug beer or straight liquor. Possibly because they don't want others to think they cannot take the strong drinks or be ridiculed for drinking so called "b*tch drinks." Social events are arenas for some men to prove their drinking capabilities, and they feel the need to drink their beer or liquor fast and excessively to uphold their manly images. Sometimes girls also feel the need to "keep up with the boys," and end up way to intoxicated for their own good. If alcoholic beverage commercial would depict scenes of both men and women drinking the sweet, fruity drinks as well as beer or whatever else the company is selling, people would probably feel less pressure to uphold a certain image and end up more drunk than they should be.

Tenth Post

Implications about Gender in the film Fight Club.
In the film, the narrator's character has an alternate personality named Tyler. Tyler is in a very physical relationship with a desperate woman named Marla. The relationship between Marla and the narrator is one of both love and hate, on the outside he seems to loathe her, yet on the inside, he has deep feelings for the self destructive and promiscuous woman. The film portrays women in a very negative manner, with the main character saying things multiple times throughout the film that reflect his belief that women are weak, worthless, and unable to be strong, independent individuals. Despite the narrator's negative attitude towards Marla, he quickly rushes to her side when she calls him for help. This shows the narrator's character is more weak than he would like to admit. He even exhibits some very feminine qualities early on in the film such as an obsession with furniture shopping and his passivity/submissiveness towards his male boss. Subconsciously, the narrator knows he does not possess the masculine qualities that society expects of him and creates the alternate personality, Tyler. Tyler is the epitome of a man's man. He is cocky, confident, strong, brave, and does not care in the least about conforming to societal expectations. He is portrayed with both rugged appearances and antics and a complete disregard for authority. Tyler is everything the narrator wishes he could be, and even becomes jealous when Tyler steals Marla away from him for sexual purposes. The narrator and Tyler symbolize the feminine and masculine qualities that are both present inside of every human, whether male or female and whether one side is being repressed or not by the individual.

Ninth Post

Implications about Gender in a Nike commercial.
In this particular commercial, Nike endorses professional tennis player Serena Williams by showing clips of her in action, overcoming injuries, discrimination, and the challenges of the sport. This commercial shows the strides women have made not only in the male dominated world of professional sports, but also in society in general. Years ago, it was extremely rare for a woman to be so strong, independent, and athletic. But today, many woman are pursuing their dreams of becoming successful tennis players, basketball players, Olympic athletes, and more. There still are many more men that women in the professional sports industry, but the number of females has been on a constant increase over the past two decades. It will likely continue to grow due to the rise in modern ideals about women being more liberated, independent, and equal than in the past. Commercials such as this Nike commercial and the popular one in which the song "Anything you can do, I can do better" is sung by the male and female athletes, have made the public aware of women on the scene of this traditionally male business and shows we're not going anywhere. Serena Williams as well as her sister, Vanessa, are great role models for young women and convey the message that women can in fact follow their dreams and do anything men can do, and sometimes even do it better!

Eighth Post

Implications about Gender in a Seventeen Magazine article.
In this article, the author discusses the issue of dating and deciding who should pay for the meal. In her eyes, which are extremely traditional, the male figure should always pay for the costs and dinner on a date. If that is not the case, she explains, the female figure should have expressed beforehand that on that particular occasion, she she would pick up the tab. However, it is unacceptable for the male figure to assume his date would be paying automatically. Why is this? I agree that it is a topic to be discussed before the server brings the bill to avoid an awkward moment, argument, or causing a scene. But, the female should always offer to help him out, split the check, or pick it up on her own. This gesture shows a woman's graciousness and personal independence. It should never be up to one individual to pay every single time. Instead, if the male insists on paying for dinner, his date could help out in other ways by providing the vehicle for transportation, pitching in for gas, or other little everyday expenses that can take a toll in today's economy. By evening out the costs associated with dating, the couple will more than likely experience positive effects such as feeling more equal in their relationship. In the case of non-heterosexual couples, it is still unfair for one partner to always spend the money for a date, unless perhaps one individual is on a very high level of financial stability while the other is not. This situation could create problems in the future though, when the feelings of inequality may lead to unequal treatment and emotional rockiness further on in the relationship. In my opinion, balance along with communication is key when trying to date successfully in modern times.

Seventh Post

Implications of Gender in the TV program Rachel Ray.
Rachel Ray is one of my favorite cooking programs on TV. However, there are underlying implications about gender in some of her words and actions on the show. For example, the fact that a woman has a cooking show is very common and plays into the societal expectation that says women should be responsible for cooking in the household. This idea has been accepted by many generations preceeding us, and is also held by our generation even though we claim to be the generation of liberated women. Yet, some shows still portray women as domesticated housewives who should cook, clean, and take care of children. On the show, sometimes Rachel says things like "Ladies, just wait 'til you make this dish for your man when he comes home from work." In this instance, Rachel is reinforcing the role of women to cook meals for their men, who are assumed to be outside of the home working. Instead, she should try to say things like "Audience, just wait 'til you make this dish for your family or your significant other, they will really love it." This would send the message of gender neutrality, making it seem like both men and women have the capability to be great cooks/chefs, and should try to achieve excellence in their cuisine.

Sixth Post

Implications about Gender in an Old Spice Commercial.
"Take the Old Spice challenge. If you dont like it, they'll buy you a stick of something that smells like wildflowers and shame." In the commercial, a man appears to have just finished working out or playing sports and now he is back in the locker room. He explains that your choice of deodorant does matter and shows an example comparing Old Spice to another type of deodorant. Where the test subject applied Old Spice, thinck brown hair quickly sprung up and the word MANLY appeared on the screen signifying that excessive hair on the body is considered very normal and masculine, and every man should have it. The commercial conveys that the lack of thick bodily hair would be considered feminine and odd because society believes men should be tall and muscular with a big build and covered in hair. The commercial plays into that expectation of men and uses it to convince men they should buy this product because it will make them "MANLY."

Fifth Post

Implications about Gender in an Episode of Reba.
In this particular episode, Brock and Barbara Jean must go to couples counseling to work out their marital problems. They invite Reba (Brock's ex-wife) along because Barbara Jean feels she is one of the main issues in their relationship. I believe Reba is a true symbol of female power and independence. Not only has she been raising three chilren as a single parent, she is doing so while living next door to her ex-husband and his new wife. While Reba rants and raves about Brock and Barbara Jean in the psychiatrist's office, she begins to work out problems of her own. Reba conveys the ability for women to have both a career and a family. Television programs like Reba show young girls and women that females do not need to be dependent on men in life such as was the common belief of previous generations. In fact, women can be successful on their own and still have a life on the side! They can go out and work to support themselves and their families if need be and have the strength and ability to do anything else they can dream or imagine, and Reba is a perfect example of a successful woman and great mother figure.

Fourth Post

Implications about Gender in a Superbowl Commercial.
So, today I noticed the links to superbowl commercial on the class website and being the silly commerical fan that I am, decided to investigate. The commercial that had the strongest gender implications in my opinion was the Diet Pepsi commercial. At first, I wasnt sure what the point of the commerical was, but it becomes clear at the end when the narrator states "Men can take anything, except the taste of diet cola.. until now." The commercial is a humorous interpretation that mocks stereotypes of the male gender. Not only did the commercial make me laugh, it conveyed the idea that men are expected to take pain and injury without complaining, crying, or even acknowledging that something hurt or was painful to them. They are supposed to be strong, take whatever happens without the slightest grimace, and go on about their day. I liked the fact that Pepsi is mocking that stereotype and poking fun at it because I know from growing up with a brother that guys do, in fact, feel pain just as girls do and are not always calm, strong, and passive when something hurts them. Oppositely, many people accept women to be weaker and expect them to cry at breaking a nail. This assumption about women, however, I believe is being absorbed by the emergence of more and more females dominating in areas where men are thought to rule, such as in boxing like in the movie Girlfight. The main character, Diana, not only is as strong as the boys, she is willing to prove herself and her abilities in the ring by defeating a top competitor as well as her love interest without compromising her femininity, but gaining even more respect and showing that women can be just as strong as men mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Third Post

Implications about Gender in House Bunny.
House Bunny, a movie released in theaters last year, is the story of an ex-Playboy model, Shelley, who is kicked out of the Playboy mansion and forced to make a living on her own. Confused and nieve, she wanders onto a college campus noticing that the fraternity and sorority houses look like "mini Playboy mansions." Conveniently, the girls of a rather unpopular and socially awkward sorority need a house mother to help them out and Shelley is perfect for the job. She succeeds in boosting their confidence and getting others interested to join by throwing great parties and giving the girls extreme make-overs. Though the movie and main character come off as extremely stupid and shallow, there are important subliminal messages concerning feminity and masculinity in the film. It is not enough for the girls to be intelligent, they must also dress like models, wear makeup, and appear less nerdy to get people to like them. These social requirements show that some people place way too much emphasis on looks instead of "what's on the inside," which, as cliche as it sounds, counts. Not only does the film convey that young women should be sexy, cool, outgoing, and less intelligent than males to attract the opposite sex, it also contains messages about what is or isn't masculine. For example, members of the popular fraternity on campus were good looking, conniving, manipulative, athletic, and were "only interested in one thing" (another common stereotype about fraternity guys). In fact, the movie is full of stereotypes about college-age males and females: what they're supposed to do, what they're supposed to wear, what they're supposed to say, how they're supposed to act, etc. As a college student myself, I see so much more diversity and variety than that in college. My school has people of all colors, sizes, shapes, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. The pretty blonde cheerleader and muscular football player are ideas of the past that should be thrown out the window. It is perfectly fine if you are those things, but if not, that's perfectly fine too. In House Bunny, everything works out (the nerdy girl gets the hott guy, and the hott girl gets the nerdy guy). However, whoever makes the next college film should really take into consideration the largely diverse community that inhabits college campuses instead of stereotyping students and playing into the popular ideas of the past that tell young men and women how or who they should be.

Second Post

Implications about Gender in The Devil Wears Prada.

In the movie, the main character (Andy) takes a job as the assisstant to a powerful business woman (Miranda) in the cutthroat world of fashion. The implications present in the film address ideas about women in the workplace, the relationship obligations and duties of men and women, gender roles in society, and women in places of power/control. Miranda has marital problems and undergoes a divorce in the movie. Her husband feels she spends too much time working, and is severely immasculated when she repeatedly fails to show up for their dinner dates leaving him to sit alone in the restaurant. Their relationship suffers because they cannot work out their problems together and he cannot accept having a wife who is more powerful and makes more money than him. He probably feels that it is his responsibility to be the primary "bread winner" of the household, to take care and provide for his family and cannot handle that Miranda is the provider in their relationship. Andy has her own relationship problems with her boyfriend when she starts working for Miranda. She has less and less time to spend with him and her personality and character changes drastically, physically and mentally. Andy's boyfriend does not like the person she is becoming but Andy must put her relationship on the "back burner" and concentrate on her career, a concept that was unheard of before women's rights movements. The definition of femininity has changed much from that time. Its more socially acceptable for women to be the primary providers, make more money than their spouses, and hold high career positions. However, many people still cannot shake the old sentiments and beliefs. As in the movie, many women in powerful positions end up feeling guilty for not being a better wife or mother according to societal standards. Fortunately, as more and more women take on the business world, the crippling and sometimes absurd standards of our culture are becoming less of an issue and source of pressure/stress on both men and women alike.

First Post

Implications about Gender in a Popular Youtube video.
In the infamous Youtube video "Unforgiveable," a young male is shown rambling and babbling completely random things, some of which are extremely violent and vulgar towards women in general. His comments demoralize women and portray females as inferior to men and ultimately disrespects them to an unacceptable extent. The video contains negative undertones and ideas such as women should be submissive to men, act a certain way, be indifferent when subject to disrespectful comments, etc. Though it seems the video was meant for humorous purposes (which is visible because the guy can't keep from laughing), the type of humor in it is not exactly what many women would appreciate. "Unforgiveable" has unfortunately been viewed over 12 million times and continues to be circulated amongst adults as well as teenagers and children, whom I believe should not be able to access it so easily.

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