amandajones29-blog

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Mini Media (even though I'm done with this class :( )

I just wanted to share a tid-bit about a new show I've been watching, Scandal! For anyone somewhat interested in drama and/or politics, this would be a great show for you to watch! I just wanted to point out the presence of an openly gay relationship on a prime-time show! The President's chief of staff is openly gay and they frequently show him with his husband. But it gets better... I found the real irony in the fact that he is a very conservative man, working directly and voluntarily for a REPUBLICAN president. It just makes me wonder.... why does the media portray all republicans as far right LGBTQ haters? It really makes you think. Inspiration for shows has to come from somewhere... they don't make everything up out of thin air. I feel like today's politicians create more drama around the issue than there really needs to be and maybe voters are more united on gay rights than people think. Though it does make you wonder, its a great step for gay rights and visibility on television! 

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Mini Media: Video Games and Sexism

Mortal Kombat is a game that I have actually learned to play! Mostly by button smashing, but it could hold my attention! 

At first I loved Mortal Kombat. The violence is so over the top that it is super unrealistic and almost laugh worthy. In fact I do laugh a lot when I play it. The female characters are just as powerful and tough as the male characters. In fact I think there are some that are even better than the male characters. I love to play as Sheeva and smash everyone! 

Then I started realizing what the female characters were wearing... or rather what they weren't wearing. Sindel is supposed to be an old lady, but this is what she looks like:

She has a few age lines around her mouth and forehead, but other than that she is perfectly smooth. And might I add that her boobs are quite round and perky for an old lady. And large... can't forget large. What is she wearing? some sort of armor that protects her nipples and a collar that is popped like a frat boy. 

Here is Jade. In the older versions she was very dark skinned and had very African features.

Jade skin has been severely lightened. She almost just looks like a really tan white girl. I'm almost positive my mom gets darker than that in the summer. She has a little fabric over her nipples and some strings holding it together that look like they could easily be snapped. Again her boobs are huge and it almost looks as if they moved her nipples to an anatomically impossible place just to show more of her boobs. Her face is also covered. 

This is Jade in another part of the game. Man that girl has a donk! I think the only thing that prevents her from falling over is the fact that her giant boobs act as a counterweight. 

Jade likes to pole dance for all of us in her torn clothing after she is victorious in a fight. Her heels really help enhance her legs and huge ass. They are also the key in helping her win fights and pole dance when she wins.

Sheeva is my favorite character! She is super muscular, has four arms, three fingers on each hand, half of her head is shaved, she has horns, and a kick that kills. Even being an extremely tough monster she has almost no clothes and even bigger boobs than we already saw. 

This is the dance Sheeva does when she is victorious. She flexes and then massages herself. Don't those 4 arms, feet with 2 toes, and bald head turn you on?

Mileena is next... she has these nice high heeled thigh high boots with fishnets, some sort of top thing that shows as much cleavage as possible, super thin revealing underwear, and again with the giant boobs. 

It seems to me that in order to win you have to be more mature than the 13 year old boy, or his collage equivlant, that laughs and stares at the screen of bouncing boobs. The girls in this game seem more fitted for some sort of fantasy lingerie fashion show. Finally they created tough powerful female characters, but they still had to make them highly sexualized. 

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Q&A: Video Games and Sexism

What are some of your favorite video games? Why do you think you enjoy these games? Do you feel you are taking place in anything problematic when you play these games? Why or why not? If so, how do you negotiate the problematic elements of these games?

I personally have an Xbox 360 with a kinect. Before I got it, I absolutely hated video games. Now I really like to play the kinect sports (especially bowling! I bowl like a boss) and occasionally Just Dance (usually that just ends up with me embarrassing myself). Other than that I have always found video games to be a stupid waste of time and money that makes you fat while you sit on the couch and avoid actual human interaction and the outdoors. I have never had the attention span to play any sort of video game even if I tried. I think they are boring and they give me a headache. I enjoy the games that I actually play because they are active and short. There is no story line that I forget every 2 minutes. It is very hard for me to sit down and pay attention long enough to make any sort of progress in any video game. Half the time I get through 2 songs (maybe) in Just Dance before I'm bored and move on to something else. I don't think I am taking place in anything problematic when I play. All of these games are pretty much played by yourself or with people that are in the same room as you. There isn't any place to be harassed and if you are you can just slap the person doing it because they are next to you! :D These games also don't really have a character associated with them to cause any problems. 

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Analysis Post: Video Games and Sexism

Video games are a huge part of our society. They are a multi-billion dollar industry that is almost completely male dominated. Females make up close to 50% of gamers, but less than 10% of video game designers are women. 

Video games are supposed to be a fictional world, however, they usually just replicate our hegemonic structures of power and control. Female characters are almost always dressed in a slutty manner and are never main characters. Male characters are tough, powerful, and dominant. Almost every hero in video games is a male that fits the "tough guise." 

Video games also have high levels of sexual harassment. Guys can hide behind a keyboard or microphone and harass other players. Some of the things that are said are just terrible, but there is not much that can be done about it. Here's an example from Fat, Ugly or Slutty:

This guy kept sending these messages just because he lost a game. Perhaps we should stress sportsmanship in our education system a little more. And maybe spelling and grammar as well. 

Video games used to be primarily a male dominated activity. I think that the rise in and competitiveness of female players makes men feel that they are losing power and they don't like it. Women are intimidated to go into the field because they aren't going to be respected as professionals. The games are going to continue to be created by men for men and when females try to play they get harassed. 

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Mini Media: Childhood Socialization and Disney

http://www.france24.com/en/20121217-dolls-boys-drills-girls

A french supermarket has take initiative and release a holiday season catalogue that starts to tear down hegemonic gender roles that are usually enforced by children's toys and the advertising that accompanies them. The catalogue depicts girls playing with construction sets and dressed as firefighters and boys playing with dolls. The supermarket said that it isn't about activism, but rather keeping up with society and the shifting roles of men and women. 

The article points out that children are willing to try anything, but it is what the media says they should play with and what their parents buy them that influences their decisions. Companies like this are working to remove gender stereotypes that prevent total growth in children and limit them to certain gender specific roles. 

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Q&A: Claiming Sexuality

Did anything in the text disturb or shock you? Did you find anything particularly interesting? Why do you think you reacted the way you did?

This Q and A is going to be quite a bit personal, but I love to be honest so here goes.... I started reading 50 Shades this past spring. I was the first one of my friends to read it. I honestly found everything in the books disturbing, shocking, and interesting at the same time. When I started these books I was still a virgin and had about as much sexual experience as a rock, so these books just blew my mind! I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into.. I heard that it was Twilight fan fiction and really wanted to read it! I always felt awkward whenever my friends started talking about sex cause I had no clue what they were talking about. Funny story actually.. I went to the Lions Den with some girl friends and I had no clue what most of the stuff in the store was. I'm pretty sure they brought me for the entertainment of watching my face whenever they explained something or I walked past something that I though was very strange. I was just oblivious to the world in that store pretty much. Between that shopping visit and reading these books I kind of gained an understanding of my own and others sexuality. Before I always had this judgemental attitude toward all of my friends, because I was the only one that was still a virgin. I honestly looked down at them and kind of thought they were all sluts (as much as I hate to say that). After reading these books and having my world rocked, I gained more of an understanding about sex and could actually discuss it with other people and knew what they were talking about for once. I also applied a lot of this to my own sex life and sexuality. Long story short, all of all 3 books was just wayyy out there for me.

I did find and still do find one thing that really disturbs me still, and that's the contract and the type of relationship Christian originally wanted to have with Ana. He pretty much want her to be his sex slave. There were limitations, but the whole concept is just disgusts me. I don't know how you can look at someone as an object solely for sexual pleasure like that. The thought still makes me uncomfortable. 

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Analysis Post: Claiming Sexuality

I will be the first to admit that I loved the 50 Shades series! It wasn't very intellectually stimulating, but hey, that meant I could read it even faster!

50 Shades of Grey quickly turned into a phenomenon and there are a lot of people that don't understand why it is so popular. 50 Shades of Grey gives women a place where they can openly discuss sex, desires, and their sexuality. 

The societal views about women's sexuality has suppressed the ability for women to talk about their sexuality. There is a huge stress that women are supposed to remain virgins. The growing popularity of purity rings and purity balls, abstinence only education is taking the prize in sex ed, and the recent legislation that limit women's rights to their body all enforce this notion that sex is bad for women and that they should not do it. There has been no pressure for men to remain pure or for biological fathers to take responsibility and help raise their children for once (touchy subject... must resist rant..I have a dead beat dad that is a terrible person and has caused a lot of problems for me... I apologize for my bitter tone here). Yet women are supposed to remain pure, while not liking sex, fulfilling all male desires, and taking full responsibility for any child that may result from sex even if it is a case of rape or incest, in addition to knowing that if they do express that they enjoy sex they will be perceived as a slut and a temptress that cannot be trusted, but men get to enjoy and demand sex because that is their biology; guys are built this way so they get praise for the more sex and sexual partners that they have. This creates quite the problem in our society. I love the double standard that we have created. 

Women have had very little space to talk about their sexuality, and these books created somewhere that women could talk about these issues. It also educated women about BDSM and other sexual practices, explained desires, and shows how women can positively express sexual desires. Before, sex was this crazy, taboo, awkward subject for women to talk about, but 50 Shades gives women a platform to discuss sex with their partners and other women. This book also shows what proper consent looks like. Ana always says yes or actively seeks it out.. it is never any of this "well... um.. she didn't stop me or say no."

I think 50 Shades is a great series for women to read. It has provided women with a foundation to discuss sex during a time when it is considered wrong for them to want to have sex and rights to their body are being more and more limited everyday.

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Q&A: Childhood Socialization and Disney

Do you think powerful corporations like Disney have a responsibility to the public? Do you think Disney has a responsibility to craft socially appropriate messages for children? Why or why not?

I think all corporations definitely have a responsibility to the public, especially large, powerful corporations like Disney. Corporations have an enormous influence on our societal views. I feel that if all corporations looked out for the better good of humanity, our society would be a much better place. 

Disney is a huge influence on children. Kids consume tons and tons of media from Disney at a very crucial age in their lives. Many of the messages kids take from Disney are how they form many of their own attitudes toward societal values. I think Disney has the responsibility to make the messages they send socially appropriate. However what is socially appropriate is different from person to person. I think they should send messages of equality for race, gender, class, and sexuality. However, there are many people that I'm sure would have a problem with this. 

I do not think that these corporations are going to change, even if they do have a responsibility to society. These corporations are run on greed, like most things in our society, and are focused solely on making money. They aren't going to add difference and convey messages that go against our hegemonic hierarchy when people in our society are so terrified of change. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are still a huge part of our society and these corporations are not going to do anything to upset people with these attitudes, they would lose money. 

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Analysis Post: Childhood Socialization and Disney

Childhood is a precious time when most assumptions about society are learned. "Children's absorption of media shapes normative understandings of gender, race, sexuality, consumptive practices and prepares them for future media messages as they age." This includes movies, toys, books, tv shows, ect and how they are advertised and marketed. Advertisers rely on gender and racial stereotypes to sell their products. Products for boys are blue and black and active and you build and destroy things. Girls products are pink and purple and dolls and dress up clothes. They teach children that boys are to be thinking, active, building, tough, loud, and sometimes violent and that girls should be playing house, taking care of dolls, quiet, passive, like to wear dresses, and love the color pink. Media that targets children is strictly heterosexual if sexuality is displayed at all. These messages restrict the societal views that children form and can cause problems. 

Disney is one of the largest media influences of cultural norms all around the globe, and the company continues to expand (pixar, lucasfilms and star wars). Disney movies have almost no racial representation, and until the movie Brave there were zero female leads in Pixar movies. Perhaps the most successful and influential part of Disney is the Disney Princess line, comprised of the Disney Princesses, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Bell, Jasmine, and less frequently Mulan and Pocahontas. The line was extremely successful in consumerism, making Disney billions of dollars since its release. The Princess line is so successful that Disney did not even release it with a marketing plan, the items just flew off shelves. Disney is perhaps the most influential source of media for children, and there are still hardly any strong female role models in their movies. All of the female leads are the Princesses, which teach girls very stereotypical female characteristics and roles. 

Most products for young girls are all tied into the princess line, and even if it isn't Disney princess, product makers seem to tie everything into a princess theme these days. Girls have a very limited choice of toys and media. Everything is focused on princesses and domestic duties. This teaches young girls that women are supposed to be passive and domestic, while being generous, caring, and nice, in addition to putting an extreme amount of work into their appearance. 

On the other hand, products aimed at boys are all revolved around building, being active, and fighting. This teaches young boys that they are to be tough, violent, unfeeling thinkers. 

Boys and girls are hardly ever advertised playing together. How dare there be unisex toys that might blur our lines of hegemony! In the 21st century it is quite sad that there has to be separate tv shows, movies, and toys for the different genders and that gender is constructed at such a young age. 

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Mini Media: Disability Visibility

Switched at Birth is a fabulous show on ABC Family about girls that were switched when they were born and after they discover it, the families merge together. The show is hugely involved in deaf culture because one of the girls, Daphne, is deaf. The show shows how deaf people live a normal life and that they can do anything that hearing people can do. Emmett who is also deaf plays drums in a band, where all of the other members are hearing. Daphne attends both her deaf school and a normal private school. She also excels at basketball and is a star on both deaf and hearing teams. In addition, Daphne gets a job working in a gormet kitchen in order to help her pursue her dreams of becoming a chef. Though she experiences some difficulties at first, Daphne adjusts and becomes the top employee in the kitchen. Emmett and Bay date and have a deaf/hearing relationship. The show is great at showing that their disability does not define them as people or restrict them from doing anything they want. This show exemplifies great progress for disability visibility on TV! 

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Q&A: LGBTQ Visibility in Primetime

Why do you think LGBTQ representation on TV has been limited to primetime and cable/subscription shows? What does it say about the acceptability of LGBTQ individuals that representations have yet to appeared in other areas of TV?

I think LGBTQ representation has been limited to primetime and cable/subscription shows because people are afraid of the backlash of it appearing in other areas. Homosexuality is a topic that many people in our society are uncomfortable talking about, especially openly and freely. I think that it shows that LGBTQ individuals are becoming more accepted. However, they have no representation in childrens shows, perhaps because people are afraid that their children will become an LGBTQ individual or that they will find it completely acceptable. LGBTQ is also never seen in wedding shows. I think this is because people are still trying to hegemonize heterosexual couples. The spotty representation of LGBTQ shows that it is starting to be accepted, however our society is afraid of change, afraid of deviating from our hegemonic views, afraid of changing attitudes that people have held for hundreds of years, and afraid of losing their position on our hierarchical scale of power based on hegemonic ideals.

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Analysis Post: LGBTQ Visibility in Primetime

I have been watching Glee since the very beginning with my grandma and grandpa. Glee is honestly one of my favorite shows of all time. It touches on so many topics (body image, eating disorders, disability, bullying, divorce, teen pregnancy, racism, classism, abuse) that other media are afraid to even go near, but perhaps the most important is homosexuality (the show even ties in homophobia). 

LGBTQ representation wasn't really seen in primetime until the late 90's. The characters were limited to comedic roles and stuck to typical stereotypes. A great example of this is the show Will and Grace. Since then, LGBTQ presence has grown in television. Now we have shows like Glee! 

Glee embodies LGBTQ in many characters, the primary ones being Kurt, Santana, Brittany, and Blaine. Kurt was the first openly gay character in Glee. He is very stereotypical. He is interested in fashion, has effeminate characteristics, and is pursuing a career in theater and singing. Kurt's partner, Blaine, also has these stereotypical characteristics. Brittany and Santana are the hot lesbian cheerleaders that also have no problem having sex with men. All of these characters are openly gay in the series. In this episode of Glee, Quinn takes initiative and fights back against the "God Squad," sticking up for her friends. She points out parts of the scripture that they are trying to use to say that homosexuality is sinful to point out their own sins, such as "planting two crops in the same field and wearing fabrics of mixed material." She even states that the Bible says "love thy neighbor as thyself." Glee shows that there are many LGBTQ allies. Also, when Rachel's dads are shown, they are very masculine and fit the hegemonic image of men. It is good to see gay men represented this way, instead of in the stereotypical view.

I love that Glee shows LGBTQ as normal. They are just the same as everyone else. They can raise children, have relationship drama, go through school, try to blend families, switch schools, and help their families through different problems. These characters are openly gay and have the support of almost every character we see in the show. Glee is a great positive step for LGBTQ presence on television! 

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Q&A: Funny Women

What makes Bridesmaids a uniquely female comedy?  In what ways does Bridesmaids appeal to a wide audience?  Bridesmaids has been called “the female version of The Hangover.”  What do you think this means and why was it stated this way?

Bridesmaids is a uniquely female comedy because it deals primarily with things that most women are concerned with, such as finding a dress, who is a better friend, who can plan the best party, and romance. It appeals to a wide audience because well, first its funny, but also because it is extremely relatable. I think anyone could watch people pooping in the street and in a sink and find it funny. The awkward sex scenes are also funny to anyone. Bridesmaids is a movie that any girl would want to laugh at, but if they bring their boyfriends along they guys aren't going to suffer, they'll laugh too. I think calling Bridesmaids the female version of The Hangover means that it draws many similarities to the movie. Both movies feature a group of friends. The Hangover features many things that would appeal to men like getting really drunk, pulling out teeth, and having a stolen tiger in your hotel room, where as Bridesmaids deals with things like eating giant cookies, food poisoning, and a hideous wedding gown. Both movies appeal specifically to one gender, but they can both be enjoyed by anyone. 

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Analysis Post: Funny Women

It is commonly stated that women aren't funny.

"You still hear it. It's just easier to ignore." ~Tina Fey

Comedy has change dramatically over the past 20 years, however only a small percentage of lead comedic roles, stand up comedians, and comedy writers are women. Although, women are much more visible in the comedy industry and an important part of many successful tv shows and movies. 

In class we watched Bridesmaids, which is one of my favorite movies! The movie expresses Rowe's concept of the grotesque, carnivalesque, and the unruly woman. Comedy is a place where women can be unruly and throw out typical stereotypes. The grotesque are associated with basic desires, such as, eating, drinking, and sex, and are associated with dirt and filth. The carnivalesque have over the top, ridiculous performances. These can be seen in the movie when all of the girls get food poisoning and are throwing up and pooping everywhere, when Megan and the flight guy film an adult video with a large sandwich, or at the beginning when Anne is having sex and it is horribly awkward. 

As women embrace this base humor, there is more pressure to fit in to hegemonic views of femininity. There is a double standard that the women have to be funny and sexy. Women that do not fit the hegemonic views of beauty have a much more difficult time getting work, especially for LGBTQ, women of color, and heavier women. 

The actress that plays Megan is a great example of a woman that has beaten the odds. She performs grotesque humor, does not conform to the hegemonic view of beauty, wears not extremely feminine clothes, and was bigger. Bridesmaids is a great example of women taking leading roles in comedy. 

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Mini Media: Wedding and Makeover Stories

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2011/06/16/hidden-dangers-of-cosmetic-surgery/

Plastic surgery is a huge part of many makeovers and some wedding shows. Women make up over 91% of patients that receive cosmetic procedures, and an increasing amount of these are young women. 30% of liposuction patients are between 19 and 34 years old. These people surgically alter their appearance to conform to hegemonic ideals of beauty. However, there are many hidden dangers of plastic surgery. One problem is body botching. The human body is a creature of balance. When you mess with one area, the problem (not problem, but imperfection) moves to another area. For example, you may get liposuction on your thighs, but the extra weight may move to your stomach instead. Botox or other procedures can cause nerve damage. There are many things that could go wrong. If the patient is emotionally or financially insecure, a bad procedure could be devastating. The emotional and mental stress of surgery can be very detrimental as well. Less than perfect results, the physical stress of surgery, lack of sleep, ect can all cause depression and other problems and stress. If the patient has an underlying issue rather than a physical problem, they could be fixated on altering one aspect of their appearance after another. The patient also cannot change or predict the reaction of their peers. If their friends and family disapprove and they become the subject of gossip or criticism, that person could have really bad social consequences and emotional damage. It can cause severe physical complications. A breast augmentation can cause a women to have severe back problems. Plastic surgery portrays to your children a sense of poor body image, which could cause them to have ideas of body shaming. A surgical alteration of your appearance can also cause problems with your romantic partner. It is commonly seen that the patients spouse thinks they are changing to attract other people or that they are unhappy with themselves and that takes tolls on relationships. 

Are the potential dangers of plastic surgery worth conforming to hegemonic ideals of beauty? Should we allow TV shows to promote these procedures when they can have extreme negative life-altering effects? 

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Q&A: Wedding and Makeover Stories

Why do you think wedding and makeover shows are so popular? What does this say about how society views men and women?

I think wedding and makeover shows are so popular for a couple of reasons. First, we love to judge others! We can sit down and criticize things about other people from the comforts of our own home and no one knows what judgemental bitches we can be, so we don't feel bad about it. There is also all of the drama that makes the show interesting. Who doesn't like watching drama, especially when it isn't theirs? There is also the suspense of finding out the result and seeing how the people and weddings turn out. It's hard to change the channel once you've watched a little of the show. We want to see the results and the change from the beginning of the show!

I think this shows how harsh we judge others. We expect everyone to live up to our ideals of hegemonic beauty of both men and women. The majority of viewers of these shows are women. I think that shows that women are much more supportive of these hegemonic views. The appearance of women is much more important than the appearance of men. 

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Analysis Post: Wedding and Makeover Stories

Wedding and Makeover shows are huge right now!! When I was on Netflix yesterday, Wedding Shows was even its own genre on the home screen. Why are these shows so popular? I personally find them dry and boring. 

Makeover shows LOVE to tell women (and a few men here and there, but I'll get to that) that they are almost physically disabled by their horribly low self-esteem and then suggest a whole bunch of new things they can buy. There is also always something that can be fixed about a woman, especially if they actually like the way they look. They tell these women that conforming to our hegemonic ideals of beauty will make them more respected by others. Men are also on makeover shows (sometimes), but they are not nearly focused on as much as women. Men's appearance is also never changed remotely close to as much as women's appearance is changed. 

Then you have the wedding shows. These shows tell people that the more money you spend, the better! Weddings are highly classed events. Also, the wedding is supposed to be for the BRIDE and she should have control over every single little detail. These shows almost always feature a white couple, unless the couple is dysfunctional, then they are either a multiracial couple or a couple of some other race. The couple is ALWAYS heterosexual.

These wedding and makeover shows enforce consumerism- beauty and respect are only a credit card swipe away. Weddings are the best day of a woman's life and they only way to really show her undying heterosexual love. The men aren't really important. They don't need to make any decisions regarding the wedding, but when it comes to their makeover they have much more of a say of how they change. They are not judged nearly as harshly on their appearance. These show serve only once purpose, to strengthen and enforce the hegemonic ideals of femininity and masculinity.