This clip from CNN news is absolutely baffling. It reports on a 16 year old boy and a 17 year old boy being found guilty of raping and unleashing naked photographs of a 16 year old girl. Not once in this video of the victim mentioned, as the report centers around the tragedy that such an event has brought to the two boys lives, due to them both being promising football players. One reporter actually states that being labeled 'registered sex offenders' "will haunt them for the rest of their lives."
Tuesday 30 April 2013
This clip from CNN news is absolutely baffling. It reports on a 16 year old boy and a 17 year old boy being found guilty of raping and unleashing naked photographs of a 16 year old girl. Not once in this video of the victim mentioned, as the report centers around the tragedy that such an event has brought to the two boys lives, due to them both being promising football players. One reporter actually states that being labeled 'registered sex offenders' "will haunt them for the rest of their lives."
Toilet Troubles...
Recently, I've been discussing with a friend the problems in trying to create gender neutralisation and one of the issues that we started thinking about is that of public restrooms. This is one of the public spaces that is unarguably still segregated (with minor exceptions) and to many people the separation of these places is necessary but obviously for Transgender or gender confused individuals this is not the case.
This link has collaborated a list of photographs of toilet signs and is really interesting for several reasons.
The first being that it brings to light the manner in which male and female forms are portrayed in the public, in ways that we are supposed to conclusively recognise as one gender or the other. Many of these toilet signs use highly simplified figures to assist us towards the 'correct' room.
Signs such as these identify the male figure as the universal and the female as the variation.
There are signs that simplify gender differences due to women possessing breasts and men not:
Then there are signs that simply identify sex:
The issue of uni-sex toilets (which first entered public consciousness within American 1990 sitcom Ally McBeal) has been a hot topic of late, as many places have been testing the waters.
Council employees in Rochdale complained about the uni-sex toilets in their brand new 50 million pound offices, causing them to have to be changed back to segregated washrooms.
This link has collaborated a list of photographs of toilet signs and is really interesting for several reasons.
The first being that it brings to light the manner in which male and female forms are portrayed in the public, in ways that we are supposed to conclusively recognise as one gender or the other. Many of these toilet signs use highly simplified figures to assist us towards the 'correct' room.
Signs such as these identify the male figure as the universal and the female as the variation.
There are signs that simplify gender differences due to women possessing breasts and men not:
There are obscure gender identity signs using animals or insects to portray gender, the female is a butterfly because she is pretty. The male is a bug, because he is not:
The issue of uni-sex toilets (which first entered public consciousness within American 1990 sitcom Ally McBeal) has been a hot topic of late, as many places have been testing the waters.
Council employees in Rochdale complained about the uni-sex toilets in their brand new 50 million pound offices, causing them to have to be changed back to segregated washrooms.
Monday 29 April 2013
Gendered positioning within promotional posters.
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/05/24/gendered-positioning-in-promotional-posters/
This link is really interesting because it highlights the different positioning of men and women in cast line up promotional posters. The body language of the male characters is straight on, confident and self assured, looking the viewer directly in the eye. Whereas the women featured are sideways, often drawing the attention with their head positioning or eye line back to the main male.
What's wrong with you girls? You're supposed to start crying when we hit you...
'The Powerpuff Girls' is an American animated TV series that ran between 1998 and 2005. It features three young girls, Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, who are superheroes running around fighting crime. This might seem like an excellent show for young children regarding their understanding of gender roles, but actually it's pretty shocking. The attitude laced through the show is that the girls being strong and powerful is completely abnormal.
One character, Ms Sara Bellum, the mayors secretary, is never shown with a face and is merely a body, specifically legs, waist and chest.
This is interesting particularly considering she is named after the Cerebrum and we led to assume she is 'the brains of the mayoral operation' yet she is entirely dehumanised and objectified by only ever appearing as a body.
One particular episode entitled 'The Rowdruff Boys' shows three super hero boys being created by villain Mojo Jojo, in order to defeat the girls.
During the show we are told that the girls are created with "sugar and spice and everything nice" to which Mojo Jojo says "that's too girlish. I need something tougher, harder, more manly. What are little boys made of?" it turns out "snips and snails and puppy dog tails.
The boys are stronger and more powerful than the girls and they loose the fight. That is until the headless woman steps in to explain;
"you haven't lost, you've just been attacking the problem from the wrong angle. What do little boys fear most in the world? You have what boys fear most, instead of fighting try being nice."
During this speech the shot is of the girls confused faces but when Ms Bellum says the words "you know, nice" the shot swaps to her moving her hands away from her chest as though presenting it to explain her point.
One character, Ms Sara Bellum, the mayors secretary, is never shown with a face and is merely a body, specifically legs, waist and chest.
This is interesting particularly considering she is named after the Cerebrum and we led to assume she is 'the brains of the mayoral operation' yet she is entirely dehumanised and objectified by only ever appearing as a body.
One particular episode entitled 'The Rowdruff Boys' shows three super hero boys being created by villain Mojo Jojo, in order to defeat the girls.
During the show we are told that the girls are created with "sugar and spice and everything nice" to which Mojo Jojo says "that's too girlish. I need something tougher, harder, more manly. What are little boys made of?" it turns out "snips and snails and puppy dog tails.
The boys are stronger and more powerful than the girls and they loose the fight. That is until the headless woman steps in to explain;
"you haven't lost, you've just been attacking the problem from the wrong angle. What do little boys fear most in the world? You have what boys fear most, instead of fighting try being nice."
During this speech the shot is of the girls confused faces but when Ms Bellum says the words "you know, nice" the shot swaps to her moving her hands away from her chest as though presenting it to explain her point.
We then understand that she is telling them to kiss the boys and Blossom says "Come on girls, lets go get them" with a wink.
After this piece of clearly excellent advice the girls are depicted with longer eyelashes than before, presumably representing makeup, which they flutter as they approach the boys.
They each then kiss their male counterparts causing them to explode.
I think that it's very sad that this cartoon, which promises so much due to its heroes and most intelligent characters being all female, seems to fall so hard at the last hurdle because they are forced to use their beauty, instead of intelligence and strength, to be successful.
Friday 26 April 2013
Genderism.
Recently, I was discussing my work with my Mum and I was talking about how I feel that our society isn't gender neutral and I feel like the main contributor to that is the fact that women who wish to have a child have to be pregnant for 9 months, taking maternity leave and having their bodies completely taken over. Then I said "I bet in a couple hundred years there will be companies that you provide with your sperm and egg and you pay them to grow your baby for you."
This was the birth of the 'BabyGrow' project.
I realised that I can create such a fantasy company, offering couples the oppertunity to have their baby grown for them in an external pod meaning that the pregnancy process becomes gender-neutralised.
The female partner would be enabled to continue with her everyday life and career just as her male counterpart does without constantly having to worry about what she eats or drinks, as well as obviously not having to endure the physical pains of labour and pregnancy.
The 'BabyGrow' company is not exclusively beneficial to females though, as the mother during traditional pregnancies gets most of the attention and supposedly emotional connection that the father misses out on.
Both future parents are equally able to visit their growing child as frequently as possible to check on its development, talk to it and generally spend quality time.
This is a really interesting video showing two men being given electric stimulation that simulates the pains of labour:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/watch-this-hilarious-video-of-men-experiencing-childbirth/
This was the birth of the 'BabyGrow' project.
I realised that I can create such a fantasy company, offering couples the oppertunity to have their baby grown for them in an external pod meaning that the pregnancy process becomes gender-neutralised.
The female partner would be enabled to continue with her everyday life and career just as her male counterpart does without constantly having to worry about what she eats or drinks, as well as obviously not having to endure the physical pains of labour and pregnancy.
The 'BabyGrow' company is not exclusively beneficial to females though, as the mother during traditional pregnancies gets most of the attention and supposedly emotional connection that the father misses out on.
Both future parents are equally able to visit their growing child as frequently as possible to check on its development, talk to it and generally spend quality time.
This is a really interesting video showing two men being given electric stimulation that simulates the pains of labour:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/watch-this-hilarious-video-of-men-experiencing-childbirth/
Wednesday 17 April 2013
Funeral Totty...
Regardless, what I found upsetting and bad-form today was the instant twitter attention that Margaret Thatchers granddaughter recieved. 19 year old Amanda Thatcher was dubbed 'top funeral totty.'
"But drowning out the dissent even more effectively than the lacklustre clapping on the Strand this morning were the sounds of newsroom gentlemen salivating over the image of Thatcher's 19-year-old granddaughter Amanda, close-ups of whom made it on to the Daily Mail's website at breakneck speed."
Clearly, a young woman cannot even attend her Grandmothers funeral without being given so much as one days grace from being subjected to perverted comments objectifying her. This is sad enough as it is but when you consider that this particular woman is the flesh and blood of Margaret Thatcher, our countries first and only female prime minister it is evident that we still hold antiquated views on the physicality of women. No matter how old she is, no matter who she is related to, no matter what she is doing, her attractiveness is important and acceptable to comment on.
Tuesday 16 April 2013
"None Of Us Can Move Forward If Half Of Us Are Held Back"...
Chime for Change is a campaign founded by Gucci promoting Education, Health and Justice for women and girls all over the world. It boasts many famous female ambassadors including Blake Lively, Halle Berry and Zoe Saldana as well as the three co-founders Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Salma Hayek and Frida Giannini.
"When I've Got My Helmet On You Can't Tell If I'm Male or Female"...
Last year, 35 years since the last female took part in Formula One, Susie Wolff was named as Williams F1 Team Development Driver.
83 year old, 16 times Grand Prix winner Sir Stirling Moss, has made some comments that have proven to be rather provocative stating;"I don’t know if women have the mental aptitude to race hard wheel to wheel. I just feel, as one would expect in a fight, I don’t think women are equipped to come in and fight with men.”
Her responce was very dignified, saying that Sir Stirling is entitled to his opinion, but ultimately she knows that the only opinion that matters is that of the stopwatch.
I don't believe that, biologically, there is any reason why women cannot drive as well as men, infact 18 year old Le Man hopeful Zoe Wenham believes that women drivers have a smoothness that males do not. "It's really good to be in the helmet and the car. You're all equal at that point – there's no long hair or big blue eyes coming into play," she says. "There's always going to be these comments, 'Oh, you were beaten by that girl,' but there are more women in motor racing than ever. So hopefully someone can prove Sir Stirling wrong."
I hope that in the next couple of years we will see Susie on the grid proving just that.
Light Entertainment in Which the Obvious Bullshit Adds to the Charm..
http://www.newstatesman.com/media/2012/10/sinister-campaign-against-page-
The "No More Page Three" campaign is still going strong, recently adding Girl Guides to the ever growing list of supporters.
However, this article offers a differing opinion, suggesting that the nudity on page three is not the issue.
"The most disturbing thing about Page 3 isn’t the fact that there are naked breasts on it; it’s that every pair of naked breasts looks the same, expresses the same opinions, and exists in a context where the owners of naked breasts are casually belittled and dehumanised."
I think that the point, generally, is a good one. We as a society shouldn't become too bogged down with the idea of nudity, we don't want future generations to grow up prudish with the view that the body is something to be ashamed of and sexuality should be condemned. But, on the other hand, there is an appropriate time and place for these things to be portrayed and I don't believe that the UKs top selling 'Family Newspaper' is one of them. The reason that Page Three is offensive to me is that nudity is used, not to highlight the beauty of the human form, or celebrate the differences therein, but in order to portray Women casually as sexual consumable objects in everyday life. It is this casual use of these images, in a place which they should be so foreign that makes Page Three so dangerous.
In a society where on the one hand women are 'Slut Shamed' for showing any signs of sexuality, (How many celebrities have their reputations tarnished after getting caught in sex tape scandals) yet on the other hand reading the morning news we are unwillingly and abruptly subjected to oversexualised imagery, that should be found exclusively within the porn industry.
Is there really any wonder why many young men find it acceptable to cat-call and defame strangers in the street when their attitudes to women have been formed through such a confusing cocktail of images and articles from a supposedly trustworthy 'family' source?
Lego recently joined the cause and abolished their partnership with 'The Sun', hopefully Page Three won't be far behind.
The "No More Page Three" campaign is still going strong, recently adding Girl Guides to the ever growing list of supporters.
However, this article offers a differing opinion, suggesting that the nudity on page three is not the issue.
"The most disturbing thing about Page 3 isn’t the fact that there are naked breasts on it; it’s that every pair of naked breasts looks the same, expresses the same opinions, and exists in a context where the owners of naked breasts are casually belittled and dehumanised."
I think that the point, generally, is a good one. We as a society shouldn't become too bogged down with the idea of nudity, we don't want future generations to grow up prudish with the view that the body is something to be ashamed of and sexuality should be condemned. But, on the other hand, there is an appropriate time and place for these things to be portrayed and I don't believe that the UKs top selling 'Family Newspaper' is one of them. The reason that Page Three is offensive to me is that nudity is used, not to highlight the beauty of the human form, or celebrate the differences therein, but in order to portray Women casually as sexual consumable objects in everyday life. It is this casual use of these images, in a place which they should be so foreign that makes Page Three so dangerous.
In a society where on the one hand women are 'Slut Shamed' for showing any signs of sexuality, (How many celebrities have their reputations tarnished after getting caught in sex tape scandals) yet on the other hand reading the morning news we are unwillingly and abruptly subjected to oversexualised imagery, that should be found exclusively within the porn industry.
Is there really any wonder why many young men find it acceptable to cat-call and defame strangers in the street when their attitudes to women have been formed through such a confusing cocktail of images and articles from a supposedly trustworthy 'family' source?
Lego recently joined the cause and abolished their partnership with 'The Sun', hopefully Page Three won't be far behind.
Sunday 3 March 2013
Boys Are Stupid, Throw Rocks At Them...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287198/Revealed--OTHER-offensive-T-shirts-available-Amazon-forced-axe-Keep-Calm-Rape-clothing-line.html
Amazon has been highly criticised this week for allowing these t-shirts to be sold on their website:
These are obviously highly inappropriate and it is good that Amazon have been forced to take them down, as making light of such issues is wrong, especially on a T-shirt where you could easily walk past victims of sexual violence.
Having said that, the disgust generated by this made me think about these other t-shirts that have been sold for years:
Amazon has been highly criticised this week for allowing these t-shirts to be sold on their website:
Having said that, the disgust generated by this made me think about these other t-shirts that have been sold for years:
So if these are seen as acceptable, what then, is the issue? Is it purely that men are less offended by such things? Or, is it that women (mostly) are less physically threatening to males and therefore such jokes don't have serious undertones?
Either way, I think we need to be really careful that it's not one rule for one...
The Ex-Stripper of the Art World...
"Ever since women have dared to vie with men by setting up as artists, they have been mocked by the fact that historically the female is an object of art rather than a maker of art. The muse who took up the pen found herself writing about herself, or, rather, the version of herself that she had already learnt from the works of men."- Germaine Greer 'Mirror Mirror' on Stella Vine.
Despite becoming a hugely successful artist, pursued by the likes of Charles Saatchi and having her own show in Modern Art Oxford, you will find it hard pressed to find a review of Stella Vine that does not include informing you of her stripper past.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/jul/08/art
This article from The Guardian covers that show and states; "Old photos reveal her to have been a real beauty a few years ago but since then she has gained weight and cropped her hair, as if to declare that she has no further interest in being pretty"
This, I find offensive for two reasons; the first being that the writer is claiming that gaining weight over the years and changing ones hair style renders a woman unattractive.
The second issue is that this comment feels like a criticism, as though Vine has 'let herself go' and lost her femininity in order to become a 'quirky and successful artist' as if one person could not exist as both.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/apr/02/damien-hirst-retrospective-tate-modern
In contrast to this The Guardians article on Damien Hirst's Tate show last summer does not once mention his physical appearance over the years since he began exhibiting. We aren't told whether or not Hirst has gained weight, the article, (funnily enough), talks about his work and his retrospective.
Are we, female creatives, really going to have to revert to the idea of the Bronte sisters and exhibit our work under male pseudonyms in order for it to be viewed and criticised respectfully without mentioning whether or not WE are attractive?
Despite becoming a hugely successful artist, pursued by the likes of Charles Saatchi and having her own show in Modern Art Oxford, you will find it hard pressed to find a review of Stella Vine that does not include informing you of her stripper past.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/jul/08/art
This article from The Guardian covers that show and states; "Old photos reveal her to have been a real beauty a few years ago but since then she has gained weight and cropped her hair, as if to declare that she has no further interest in being pretty"
This, I find offensive for two reasons; the first being that the writer is claiming that gaining weight over the years and changing ones hair style renders a woman unattractive.
The second issue is that this comment feels like a criticism, as though Vine has 'let herself go' and lost her femininity in order to become a 'quirky and successful artist' as if one person could not exist as both.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/apr/02/damien-hirst-retrospective-tate-modern
In contrast to this The Guardians article on Damien Hirst's Tate show last summer does not once mention his physical appearance over the years since he began exhibiting. We aren't told whether or not Hirst has gained weight, the article, (funnily enough), talks about his work and his retrospective.
Are we, female creatives, really going to have to revert to the idea of the Bronte sisters and exhibit our work under male pseudonyms in order for it to be viewed and criticised respectfully without mentioning whether or not WE are attractive?
#nomorepage3
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/dominic-mohan-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3
I just signed the No More Page 3 petition.
It's not about slut shaming or judging women that choose to model like this but I think that it is really important that we eradicate Page 3 from Britain's most widely read "family" newspaper.
We need to abolish the ways in which we portray women as merely sexual objects, especially from sources that younger generations establish their gender conceptions from.
I just signed the No More Page 3 petition.
It's not about slut shaming or judging women that choose to model like this but I think that it is really important that we eradicate Page 3 from Britain's most widely read "family" newspaper.
We need to abolish the ways in which we portray women as merely sexual objects, especially from sources that younger generations establish their gender conceptions from.
Saturday 2 March 2013
This is Warwick University's Student Union President:
This video shows Warwick University Sudent Union President, Nick Swain, unhooking the bra of a female student whilst a chorus of "get your tits out" is oh so eloquently bellowed.
How can anyone claim that we live in an equal society when the highly educated and elected responsible people, who are supposed to lead us forwards are this backwards?
Still Not Asking For It...
This image has proven to be quite volatile within its online reception. The woman is shown topless with covered nipples and the words "still not asking for it" written across her front.
I think that this is something that we as a society strongly need to address, we seem to be of the general opinion that any person who is deemed to be dressed in a provocative way or acting in a particular manner is willingly attracting sexual attention, even inviting violent sexual behaviour.
http://zeldalily.com/index.php/2012/11/still-not-asking-for-it/
This article uses the metaphor of a home. If you were to leave your windows open, burglar alarm unset or even your front door wide open you would not be asking for a burglar to visit.
So why, then do we seem to want to teach young girls how to try and avoid getting raped, instead of young boys not to grow up with the mindset of a rapist?
It is a sad society when our initial thought is to wonder what it was that the victim was doing (or wearing) wrong.
I lied. Sometimes, I Am Angry.
www.foulmouthedshirts.com
I just discovered this t-shirt website, it is absolutely atrocious.
It sells t-shirts with slogans condoning rape and general mistreatment of women. The section for womens t-shirts are just as bad.
Who buys these??
I just discovered this t-shirt website, it is absolutely atrocious.
It sells t-shirts with slogans condoning rape and general mistreatment of women. The section for womens t-shirts are just as bad.
Who buys these??
Thursday 28 February 2013
Hello Richard...
Following from my previous post, this video is definitely worth watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpy75q2DDow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpy75q2DDow
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Get Her Back... (The Hormonal Bitch)
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2010/kitadol-get-her-back/
This is a link to an advertising campaign called 'Get Her Back' by the pharmaceutical company 'Kitadol' for a paracetamol based pill aimed at targeting menstrual pain.
I think this campaign is easily the single most infuriating thing that I have come across lately, aimed at the poor male spouses for having to deal with their awful partners during their time of the month.
I was not surprised to discover that this campaign was created by men, as I don't know any women who would think this a good idea, but I am completely shocked to find that it won a Silver Press Lion at Cannes International Advertising Festival 2010.
The one thing that I never thought men could (or would want to) take away from us is our periods.
We should be very apologetic that our monthly struggle with our own bodies is of a nuisance to them.
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2011/kitadol-war-heroes/
This is another campaign made by the same people, for the same product, this time named 'War Heroes'.
The poor things.
Sex Sells...
http://www.genderads.com
The advertising world is rammed with gender connotations. You can barely leave your house without being subjected to over sexualised imagery, using womens bodies or stereotypical womens roles to sell completely unrelated products.
The website genderads.com (ran by a male) is an online catalogue of gender based adverts. The hundreds of adverts are split into categories and it is absolutely astounding to see the sheer volume.
The advertising world is rammed with gender connotations. You can barely leave your house without being subjected to over sexualised imagery, using womens bodies or stereotypical womens roles to sell completely unrelated products.
The website genderads.com (ran by a male) is an online catalogue of gender based adverts. The hundreds of adverts are split into categories and it is absolutely astounding to see the sheer volume.
One of the most prevalent themes within these adverts is not only two-dimensionalising a scantily clad woman, but very often merely sections of her as the head or other parts are out of frame. This is quite literally the most dehumanising thing that can be done to a person and really makes you question the motives of the women involved. Potentially their internalised view that, yes, they are an object to be looked at?
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Oh, So You're a Man Hating Lesbian Then?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/23/why-is-feminism-a-dirty-word
This article talks about the use of the term 'feminist.'
I have realised lately that I have become quite weary when discussing my work with other people and often found myself saying "I'm not a feminist, But..." because quite often the response tends to be something along the lines of the hugely stereotypical "Uh, I hate feminists, they all just hate men."
Admittedly (and embarrassingly) before reading further into the subject I think my own views were relatively similar in assuming that feminism is just an old worn out notion, irrelevant in todays society where us women have the vote and are free to work.
In 2013, one in three women believe that 'feminism' is too aggressive and old fashioned.
I think this is largely to do with the fact that we seem to believe that to become a feminist one has to be a man hating, angry, non shaving lesbian.. which is obviously completely absurd.
We still live in a patriarchal, rape culture society where a female can barely walk down the street without being accosted and the victim of unwanted male attention, so surely real feminism is just as necessary as ever.
The fundamental idea that a woman is primarily a good looking commodity that exists to be the object of male desire is so inherent in our culture, rearing its ugly head on the internet, in our advertising and in our minds.
Feminism isn't about hating men, (lots of feminists have healthy heterosexual relationships) but it is about expecting and demanding equal respect and treatment in every walk of life.
So yes, I am a feminist.
Sunday 24 February 2013
That's Just Tradition Isn't It...
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/come-on-beyonce-who-are-you-trying-to-kid-with-this-all-this-homely-mrs-carter-business-8482088.html
"Despite it being 2013 and not 1066, women – just everyday women, not women who play the 02 – still chuck away their own family names and the name they established a career in as it’s “just what you do”.
We change our names because over centuries we’ve been hoodwinked – by the Bible, by parliament, by the banks, by Disney, by our peers, by our in-laws and by sniffy people with forms who want boxes ticked – into thinking that losing your name is no big deal."
This article talks about Beyonces decision to use her married name of Mrs Carter as the name of her upcoming tour.
I've been thinking about the idea of names changing due to marriage and questioning why it is that 86 percent of married women still take their husbands names.
Without even thinking about the fact that it has been your sole identifier for the entireity of your life and why should any woman give that up, I realised that having the same name as your family identifies you as part of that group. If and when I chose to get married I was to take the same name as my husband I would be cutting ties to the family that I am part of now, (even more so if my sister was to do the same thing.)
But having said that, were I to keep my name as it is now, my identity would not be connected with my husband (and potentially children) and I would question if I would feel married at all.
It never occurred to me before that as a woman you have to make a choice between who you are connected to via your name, whereas a man happily shares his with his mother, father, siblings, wife and children.
"Despite it being 2013 and not 1066, women – just everyday women, not women who play the 02 – still chuck away their own family names and the name they established a career in as it’s “just what you do”.
We change our names because over centuries we’ve been hoodwinked – by the Bible, by parliament, by the banks, by Disney, by our peers, by our in-laws and by sniffy people with forms who want boxes ticked – into thinking that losing your name is no big deal."
This article talks about Beyonces decision to use her married name of Mrs Carter as the name of her upcoming tour.
I've been thinking about the idea of names changing due to marriage and questioning why it is that 86 percent of married women still take their husbands names.
Without even thinking about the fact that it has been your sole identifier for the entireity of your life and why should any woman give that up, I realised that having the same name as your family identifies you as part of that group. If and when I chose to get married I was to take the same name as my husband I would be cutting ties to the family that I am part of now, (even more so if my sister was to do the same thing.)
But having said that, were I to keep my name as it is now, my identity would not be connected with my husband (and potentially children) and I would question if I would feel married at all.
It never occurred to me before that as a woman you have to make a choice between who you are connected to via your name, whereas a man happily shares his with his mother, father, siblings, wife and children.
Saturday 23 February 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4x1s60tXJtQ
Of course the woman is at home all day doing the washing...
Also, in the shorter version of this advert they skipped her day entirely.
Of course the woman is at home all day doing the washing...
Also, in the shorter version of this advert they skipped her day entirely.
Don't Be Such a Girl...
I feel like the internet is 90% abusive jokes about females that we are supposed to just quietly accept.
Even typing "why do women" into google comes up with absurd responces:
Depression from Oppression.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgUU41D4T7g
Born in Flames
"Set ten years after the most peaceful revolution in United States history, a revolution in which a socialist government gains power, this films presents a dystopia in which the issues of many progressive groups - minorities, liberals, gay rights organizations, feminists - are ostensibly dealt with by the government, and yet there are still problems with jobs, with gender issues, with governmental preference and violence. In New York City, in this future time, a group of women decide to organize and mobilize, to take the revolution farther than any man - and many women - ever imagined in their lifetimes." (IMBD)
Born in Flames
"Set ten years after the most peaceful revolution in United States history, a revolution in which a socialist government gains power, this films presents a dystopia in which the issues of many progressive groups - minorities, liberals, gay rights organizations, feminists - are ostensibly dealt with by the government, and yet there are still problems with jobs, with gender issues, with governmental preference and violence. In New York City, in this future time, a group of women decide to organize and mobilize, to take the revolution farther than any man - and many women - ever imagined in their lifetimes." (IMBD)
The Gap.
https://www.facebook.com/MindTheGap1.0?fref=ts
This Facebook page used to have a horrific description explaining what it was about, including things like "politely ask your girl to bend over as though waiting in the queue at the supermarket with food she will cook for you later."
They (eventually) took it down after many, many complaints.
Thank Goodness.
This Facebook page used to have a horrific description explaining what it was about, including things like "politely ask your girl to bend over as though waiting in the queue at the supermarket with food she will cook for you later."
They (eventually) took it down after many, many complaints.
Thank Goodness.
Having a Vagina Does Not Mean You're Going to Have a Fabulous Life, It Might Infact, Be Worse...
Paris is Burning:
"This is a documentary of 'drag nights' among New York's underclass. Queens are interviewed and observed preparing for and competing in many 'balls'. The people, the clothes, and the whole environment are outlandish." (IMBD)
I watched this film in order to question what defines gender, it follows a group of drag queens in the 80's as they struggle through life.
"I'd like to be a spoilt rich white girl. I don't think that there's anything man-ish about me apart from what's between my legs"- Venus Xtravaganza.
The group is centered around the Ball society of New York. Balls are underground competitions held within the gay community in which there are various categories and the competitors walk up and down and are voted on who is the most convincing.
I found the film really interesting because it highlights many issues about inequality. Although, throughout the film 'The Queens' refer to themselves and each other using feminist terms, ('she'/'her' etc) towards the end they begin to discuss the issue of actually changing gender. Almost all of the people featured in the film have not and do not want to under go a gender change operation. One particular character talks about how yes it is difficult to be a gay man and even more so to be a gay man who likes to dress up as a woman but it may, in fact, be more difficult to actually be a woman.
"Having a vagina does not mean you're going to have a fabulous life, it might infact, be worse."
What I found most interesting when I started to reflect on the film is that I realised that in order to act like women, most of the characters allowed themselves to be placed in derogative and submissive roles. Many of the drag Queens work as escorts in order to raise money for their ball outfits and such.
"If you're married, If a regular woman is married to her husband and she wants a washer and dryer set, in order for her to get what she wants from him she will have to go to bed with him; so that he gets what he wants to give her what she wants."
Does this therefore mean that inherent to womanhood is an acceptance that we must play that role?
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