A Woman’s Place is in the House…and the Senate
I don’t know if Jack Palmer is a mind reader, or just that today is my lucky day, but I opened up our local newspaper and this headline jumped out at me “A Woman’s Place is in the House…and the Senate” so I began to read it. Jack Palmer’s column in the Crescent News today is just the type of article that I wanted to find to discuss in my final blog. I thought to myself, Dr. Sarah Rainey is going to love reading this article. After all, Jack has touched upon the heart of what my online class “Introduction into Women’s Studies” is about: feminism. As he stated in his article, March was designated “Women’s History Month” by Congress in 1981, four years before I was born. He touched upon many things that we have already discussed in class such as; 1920 being the year American women finally got the right to vote, a time when a women’s place was in the house and girls were not allowed equal access to participate in interscholastic sports. He even addressed the negative reactions to feminism. Yes, I know what he is talking about. Many people react to feminism in negative, cruel, and immature ways. For example, some people (male and female alike) roll their eyes, shake their heads, remark with stupid comments, and make jokes when it comes to talking about feminists and feminism. I too am not above these types of actions. I guess being a white male growing up in a patriarchal society makes me somewhat of a male-privileged, insensitive man, at times.
However after being in this class, I realize how important women are not only in the personal sphere but also in the public sphere. I am proud to personally know many strong, confident women who are making a difference in their perspective communities and our country. Just like Jack mentioned, we had a female mayor in my hometown of Defiance for two consecutive terms, serving from 1992 to 1999. Rita Kissner made many improvements to our city as mayor and is still playing an active role in our city today by serving as director of the State Bank, trustee of the Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau, and on the board of the Defiance College Board of Trustees. Jack mentioned that in our area, women are still underrepresented on the board of directors of corporations and banks, this needs to change. In many churches around the country, women are not allowed to be ministers or other church leaders. I don’t understand why women are prohibited from serving as deacons, elders and ministers. They are just as capable of handling the positions as men and might possibly bring a new perspective and outlook to their congregations. So many people are still stuck in the old ways of thinking, because social constructionism makes them think there is no other way to look at things and they are afraid of change.
I also think of all the female teachers that I have had in my lifetime and how they have impacted my life and contributed to society. In my small town of Defiance, there are numerous female doctors, lawyers, bank executives and business owners. On a personal note, my mother is owner/sole proprietor of a thriving massage therapy practice. She went back to school when I was just 12 years old. She did this while working full-time in a doctor’s office, taking care of the house, and raising my brother, sister and me. My dad helped a little, but the brunt of our household responsibilities rested on her. What my mother accomplished was unheard of back in 1958 when she was born. Yes women have come a long way baby, but they still have a way to go before the world truly treats them as equals.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Hurricane by Bob Dylan
In my high school days I basically listened to rap and rhythm and blues, but since I have matured, my taste in music has also matured. I find myself listening to music that my parents still listen to. One of my favorite artists is the legendary singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan. I also enjoy listening to Neil Young, John Lennon and The Beatles. One song that comes to mind when I think of a controversial song is Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane.” The impact that it is based on a true story makes the lyrics seem more tragic and personal to me. Basically it is about a number one contender for the middleweight crown named Rubin Carter, “The Hurricane” who was convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit and spent many years in prison despite his apparent innocence. His unjust arrest and incarceration happened because he was a man of color in a time in the United States when that meant he was not a “full” man and didn’t deserve to live a life equal to or above that of a white man. Prominent white men of power saw him as a threat because they didn’t like the fact that a black man was doing so well for himself and earning an honest living in a white man’s world. After all, in their white-privileged minds blacks should never be national heroes or success models.
As for the lyrics, here are some racist lines in this song that I would like to comment about: “When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road, just like the time before and time before that” tells me that this is how blacks were treated; they were marked, targeted unlike white men by law enforcement, and looked at as criminals just because of the color of their skin. “If you’re black you might as well not shown up on the street, Less you wanna draw the heat” just like I mentioned, blacks were targeted, plain and simple. “Don’t forget that you are white” is a comment that strongly suggests that because a man is white, he should not do the right thing by standing up for a black man, which was just not acceptable because blacks were inferior. “To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum” a typical stereotype labeled on men of color. “And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger” which is a statement that says that a black man arrested for a crime is not unusual, he probably did it. “And the newspapers they all went along for the ride” is a normal response for the media, especially during that time period, when white men predominantly occupied media occupations. Nowadays the media is much more careful to not offend different ethnic groups, plus different ethnic groups (and females) are frequently employed in the media. “To see him obviously framed, couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed, to live in a land where justice is a game” Right on, Bob! I couldn’t agree more!
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Bratz Dolls
Sasha Fianna Phoebe Cloe
Bratz Dolls 2010
Bratz is a line of 10” American fashion dolls released in 2001. Being a male, I personally have not played with these dolls, but I have a five year-old niece, Kellena who has been showing some interest in them lately because she has seen the Bratz cartoons on television. Her mother is concerned about the sexualization of the Bratz doll’s clothing and the effect they may have on her daughter. Starting with the doll’s hair and make-up, I see a trend that is borderline promiscuous and highly sexual. These dolls are all adorned with an extremely large amount of eye make-up and sensuous, shiny lipstick. All the dolls have outrageously long hair, which is definitely out of proportion to their bodies. Most girls do not grow hair down to their knees; it just isn’t realistic. Then again, maybe that is what the manufacturer is trying to portray, a doll that is “not real.” These dolls are supposed to portray teenagers adorned in trendy fashions. I think the image these dolls portray is not how young girls actually dress, or should dress. They are an exaggeration and parents should make sure their young daughters realize that this is not appropriate dress and make-up for a young girl. It gives off the wrong impression, which in my opinion is highly sexual. I believe that younger girls, up to the age of 10, are too young to play with these dolls. Therefore, Kellena definitely should not be allowed to play with them until she is much older. Even then, I believe that her mother should proceed with extreme caution. Young girls are so impressionable and may want to dress like these dolls. “Bratz dolls come dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and feather boas. Although these dolls may present no more sexualization of girls or women than is seen in MTV videos, it is worrisome when dolls designed specifically for 4- to 8-year-olds are associated with an objectified adult sexuality”– APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls.
As for how these dolls reflect gender norms, I believe they have the same effect as “Barbie” dolls, but in a more modern, extremely sexual way. Their images are undoubtedly designed by men because they focus on the “ideal image” which is flawless hair and face, perfect body, and large breasts. These dolls are both innocent and sexy. They send a dangerous message that girls should value this unrealistic image and that how they look is the most important thing, not what should really matter (self-esteem, confidence, self-respect, intelligence and so on). This stereotype of women has been around for a very long time and seems to be not going away anytime soon. I believe that these dolls can have detrimental effects on young girls, which can lead to teen pregnancy and trivialization of sex and violence. I personally, would not want my daughter to play with these dolls. In our patriarchal society, there are so many outside influences that are disempowering to women and parents need to filter what their children are subjected to on television and film and the kind of toys they play with.
Source: http://www.thetoyreview.com/wiki/Bratz_Dolls
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratz
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