Women and Gender Studies
In advertisement one for CoverGirl, it is made clear women should make an effort to get full, healthy looking eyelashes via CoverGirl products in order to be noticed by a man, as well as to feel, “more womanly.” It perpetuates a few stereotypes toward women, including the classic idea that women should wear makeup to be noticed, as well as the idea that women must wear makeup to achieve femininity. Women who do not want to wear makeup or do not feel comfortable wearing makeup may be negatively impacted by this advertisement. A Toys R Us advertisement may not be where we look for cisgender stereotypes, or the breaking down of such notions, but the popular toy store recently featured an ad which included a think, almost frail looking blond girl in full control of a large, powerful looking Nerf gun. It challenges our concepts of gender, as most female children are depicted within the context of pink frills and dolls, and those who see it may understand toys are for children, not for genders. The Media Literacy Project has been placing advertisements in magazines and online that are incredibly challenging to the views many have of the transgender community. The print ads are usually simple photos depicting pregnant men, the point being transgender men who have not undergone reassignment surgery have gotten pregnant. Their message is of acceptance and a functional family unit, or options concerning the pregnancy. It allows viewers of the ad to understand the word “trans” is not synonymous with the popular Drag Queen culture of today, but can be a very complicated part of life, as well as family planning.
There are many differences between men and women we simply pass off to biology and genetics, when in fact they could be due to other things. Men are often considered to be angrier and more aggressive than women. This may not be biological, but environmental. From a young age girls are taught to express their feelings and be kind, while boys are taught not to cry, and even taught to seek revenge. Growing up in this environment could make a person angry. Men are also thought to be naturally better at math than women, and as a result girls are often not taught as long, or given the same encouragement as boys unless they excel naturally, making this another environmental issue, rather than a biological one.
While I am able to recognize various aspects of my privilege, I choose to focus on the fact that I am educated, and am still educating myself. This comes with its own privileges, as not everybody has the opportunity to pursue higher education and the benefits that come along with it. In the culture we live in I understand with a degree my opinion will be taken more seriously, sometimes even on subjects my degree has nothing to do withWhile I am not able to provide others with homes or necessary cash incentives to improve their lives, I can help to stem the idea if one did not attend college they are stupid or uneducated. It would be difficult to relinquish any of the positives in order to equalize advantages for all, but I would be happy to pay higher taxes if I am being paid more in order to help those in need. Much like Whites, people who gain an education are unable to often recognize their privilege, it is difficult as one gaining access to an education to recognize my own privilege but I know I must do so in order to lessen it.
Kalish and Kimmel begin with a brief description of what school shootings used to be, typically carried out by young African American males on school grounds with one specific target in mind . They were essentially revenge kills that happened to take place at school, and in the 1980’s typically ended in suicide. Today, we have had a shift in school shootings, evidential with incidents such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Northern Illinois. Individuals like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, or Cho Seung-Hui felt compelled to go to great lengths in order to procure the proper firearms, go on massacres, and take their own lives. The authors eventually conclude this has nothing to do with males themselves, and instead everything to do with the gender of suicide and aggrieved entitlement. Chemaly is less abrasive with their research, stating as they listened to reports of Sandy Hook Elementary, they were in awe as to why the country did not ponder moor deeply on the reason most of these shooters were typically male, angry, and Caucasian . Chemaly is not wrong in these assumptions, and assertion backed up by the research provided in Kalish and Kimmel’s research. While race is sometimes disputed (the VT shooter was Asian, assailants in other situations not involving schools have been ethnic), Chemaly is able to ask the only question that matters. “Why did another angry man kill all of these people ?” Clearly Kimmel and Kalish’s piece is more about discussion and research, while Chemaly’s post is about questions, and even outrage. It would appear the country needs both for any change to come of these incidents; men are not getting the necessary attention and without asking the proper questions, via Chemaly, they may not ever receive the proper attention to quell these massacres.
I am only one person; I cannot stop sexual harassment with a Twitter feed or a Facebook page. I can, however, add positivity to the lives of people who speak out, let them know they were heard, and advocate with them. I can stand up to those who think it is okay to laugh at those who were abused, if only to let them know there is one more person who is done listening to is and will not allow it to continue. Small changes like this can let others know they do not have to be silent about marginalized groups or activities, allowing me to be a part of the solution, or to help those who have suffered I can help those I see in public, being bothered by an obviously unwelcome party, and I can further help them get to a place they feel safe, thus hopefully allowing them to avoid such a story they may one day share on social media. These are small offerings, but they are things we can all do to let others know we care, and that it is time for a change.
In a visual image a woman who was 140bs and slimmed down to 105lbs. She looked sick and I reacted with horror and compassion. Honestly, I wanted to find her and without encroaching on her space or life, try to convince her to eat a burger. In a media message, it was made clear fat women are undesirable when one such woman was passed over on a date for a far thinner woman in a red dress. I understood the context behind it; physical attraction is important. However, few people look like the woman in the in the red dress, and few people were as grossly overweight as the unfortunate target of the advertisement. To me, it was hyperbolic and unnecessary. In passing, I heard to friends talking about their weight. They are both healthy, slim women, but both believe they need to lose weight. They discussed drinking only Apple Cider Vinegar and water for breakfast. It was difficult to hear, and I was unable to convince them they did not need to starve themselves to maintain a healthy body type or weight.
References
Anderson, Margaret L. Thinking About Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender. Pearson, 2015.
Chemaly, Soraya. "Why Won’t We Talk About Violence and Masculinity in America?" 17 December 2012. MS. Blog. 9 January 2017.
Kalish, Rachel and Michael Kimmel. "Suicide by mass murder: Masculinity, aggrieved entitlement, and rampage school shootings." Health Sociology Review (2010): 541-464.
McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." Working Paper 189 (1988): 1-7.
