Transamerican Transexual

Transamerica was not what I expected going into watching the film. I had previous encounters with transsexual individuals, about four years ago, which made me question whether sex-change operations were justifiable. I had a hard time believing that wanting to change your sex was not a sign of illness. At my high school, we had a day of presentations regarding rights and equality in treatment of gay, bisexual, and transsexual people. We had a transsexual who introduced herself as Sophie and then later explained why her birth certificate identifies her as Robert. Her childhood could have been the plot of a top-selling novel. The amount of abuse she took as a child, then a boy, specifically from her father and uncle, gave me goose bumps. The way she was treated by her family and her town in general was absolutely disgusting and disturbing. She failed through school and could not make it to college. A part of me at then end of her presentation could not help but wonder if she would have made the decision to become female if she was raised under “normal” and civil circumstances. She explained how she never felt normal as a child, and was never comfortable with her genitals. I do not know if I would be comfortable with my genitals had my own father and uncle sexually abused me almost on a daily basis. For that reason, I went on and carried that notion towards transsexuals ever since that day. After having finished Transamerica I am not so sure I still feel that way assuming that Bree is similar to other transsexuals in regards to personality. Overlooking the fact that she took estrogen pills, her personality was completely feminine to me. Even the way Bree interacted with her son was feminine as she was very motherly. That may be a controversial point, but I cannot help being biased based on the way I was raised. My dad was a man of few words who never showed much emotion on a daily basis, while my mother was very protective and never stopped trying to take care of me. The way Bree interacted with her sister also gave me that impression. I never spotted any masculinity in the she interacted with anyone. She nurtured herself in her secluded life as well as her son when she was forced to find him. Right now I feel that everyone holds the right to be whatever they want, and if changing sex really makes a difference in how comfortable you are with yourself then no one has the right to stop or criticize you.

a little bit about "the beauty myth" and a lotta bit about "the porn myth"

I don’t understand how so many people in this class can say they do not ‘buy into’ Naomi Wolf’s, “The Porn Myth.” Much like our discussion about “The Beauty Myth,” individuals in this class have looked at “The Porn Myth” one-dimensionally without much evidence to back up their claims. You can’t have an opinion unless you know what you’re talking about. The conversation we had about “The Beauty Myth” shifted entirely to a conversation about media image as opposed to what it was really trying to say: that women have the importance of beauty pushed so far down their throats that goals involving intelligence are not something their told to reach for. Take Hilary Clinton for example, she is criticized for not trying to be a beautiful woman (and that’s it). However, if she were to beautify herself, no one would take her seriously. Just because you think women do not have to look at media images or be affected by them, does not mean you do not ‘buy into’ “The Beauty Myth.”

I feel I can state my opinion on “The Porn Myth” because have done extensive research into pornography and how it is harmful to women and our society as a whole. I have found quotes from actual men who have said that they have become so attached to porn that it is now difficult for them to perform with a real women. (Check out the book- Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families) Wolf doesn’t just get her ideas from her imagination. She has real evidentiary support. Read that book and then get back to me and tell me that Wolf’s claims are bogus.

Pornography is an epidemic that is slowly eating away at our society. In 2006, pornography revenues rose up to an astonishing 97.06 billion dollars: of that, 13.33 billion was graciously donated by the United States. In the U.S., over 3,000 dollars are being spent every second on pornography. That is seriously insane. But if that’s enough for you… The revenue of the pornography industry is larger than those of the top technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined. Moreover, “[United States pornography] revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC.” But no, pornography isn’t an epidemic, of course not! Before I am criticized for being a conservative (something I definitely am NOT!)… I want to say I am neither anti-sex nor afraid of sexual expression. I am not a Republican for censorship of “dirty pictures.” I am simply for our humanity. I do not want to contribute to the continuing decline in this country’s moral and ethical standards.

Decades ago, pornography may have had good intentions, seeking to liberate women’s sexuality by displaying their formerly sheltered bodies in glossy centerfolds. Currently, however, “the majority of men… [do] not consider Playboy—once the epitome of the genre—to even be pornography at all, because it doesn’t depict actual sex acts” (Paul 5). Pornography’s heavy integration into nearly every aspect of our consumer culture has gained it increasing social acceptability. The existence of sexually explicit material in mainstream society has caused a desensitization to centerfolds, pin-ups and TV and movie nudity. Presently, because of this desensitization, the pornography industry continues to push the limit on extreme sex further and further. They always try to create original images that shock. It is for this reason that the industry has created the “gonzo” genre of pornography. For those of you who do not know, gonzo is mainstream porn’s roughest, fastest-growing genre and is most popular because its films have no storylines, presenting sex almost without interruption. As an avid pornographer viewer states, “no longer [does] the pornoholic have to fast forward through 10 minutes of inept dialog to get 5 minutes of sex” (Pornoholic). In this genre, women are aggressively “throat-fucked” and experience triple-penetration by many men. Gonzo stresses “sex that is structured on a dynamic of domination and subordination” (Jensen, “Just”).This genre is not only obscene, but is also degrading, abusive, inferiorizing and harmful to women. It causes men to fail to see the divide between violence and sexuality. The link between pornography and real life provides self-validation and social justification for men to abuse, sodomize and rape women. Pornography perpetuates the primal, Neanderthal belief that females should be sexually dominated, which helps maintain the second-class social status of women.

In my research, I viewed pornographic images (of women giving oral sex) that were very unsettling. I saw male performers prying female performers’ eyes open, while smudged eye make-up, tears and semen ran down their faces; female performer’s eyes being covered with black electrical tape so that she could not see what was happening to her; male performers repeatedly banging their testicles against the females’ eyes and nose, to prevent them from breathing; a male performer forcing his penis into the female’s mouth and closing his fingers on her nostrils while taunting her. Some female performers, who are forbidden to use their hands while giving oral sex, were handcuffed. Worst of all, one of the female performers was forced to wear a wooden vise and kneel, while the male thrusted repeatedly into her mouth. What I just described to you is in the mainstream section of adult video stores across the country, which means it has been normalized and socially accepted. It would surprise me if you did not find those images degrading. Men see these images and masturbate to them; it sends the message “women are for sex, and women like sex this way” (Jensen, “Just ”). In fact, studies show that men learn from and emulate what they see in pornography; experts refer to this as exemplification theory: ‘Each and every sexual act portrayed in pornography is treated as an exemplar of sexuality. . . .Thus, to the extent that pornography shows almost all women screaming ecstatically when anally penetrated, for instance, exemplification theory projects the generalization that almost all women outside of pornography will do likewise.’ In other words, men learn that what goes on in porn, goes on in the real world” (Paul 18). And that doesn’t make you, Citizen Z, feel threatened by pornography? You might claim that there those men who are only masturbating to a fantasy, but in reality, the men masturbating to orgasm are not a fantasy. They watch real women being sodomized, abused or sometimes raped and the result is a real orgasm. “In this culture, men are masturbating to orgasm in front of television and computer screens that are presenting them with increasing levels of callousness and cruelty toward women” (Jensen “Cruel”). Men see this degrading, gonzo pornography and become sexually aroused; they find the infliction of pain on women during sexual activity to be an enhancement to their ability to achieve orgasm and not an obstacle.

Wolf states, “The porn loop is de rigueur, no longer outside the pale; starlets in tabloids boast of learning to strip from professionals; the “cool girls” go with guys to the strip clubs, and even ask for lap dances; college girls are expected to tease guys at keg parties with lesbian kisses à la Britney and Madonna.” These girls are the stupid ones who will do anything to get a guys attention. They think lowering themselves to men’s standards will help them get the guy, but in reality, those girls are just impeding women from being taken seriously in a “man’s world."

Where I found the porn statistics:

http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

Transamerica

Transgender is one issue that I can in no way relate nor understand. Growing up, I would say that I was more of a "tom boy" than a "girly girl" but I never wished I was a boy. Maybe when I was going through puberty I wished I was a boy so I wouldn't have to deal with all the changes, even though boys go through changes too. But I never desired to actually have a penis. And I was a male, I don't think I would desire to get rid of my penis. I just find it odd to what to add or change body parts, especially if you are changing them for parts that are not fully functional.

What did people who wish to have these changes do when we weren't so advanced with technology? I think watching Transamerica was a good experience for me because I was able to view it as more "normal" seeing how it effected both Bri and her friends and family.

Transamerica.

I loved transamerica. I feel that it was done very well, and that Felicity Hoffman did an absollutely amazing job playing Bree. To be honest, when i first saw the movie i had no idea who Felicity Hoffman was. I truly thought that the person playing Bree was a man. Someone mentioned that the only reason why transamerica was so highly praised was due to felicity hoffman's fame, i would disagree, because i didnt even know who that was when i first saw the movie. I think what really drew me to the film was the kind nature and awkwardness of Bree. Even though she was transgendered, i think that alot of people could look through that and actually try to see the sweetness of Bree as a person, rather than whether or not she were male or female. The movie collection at my house consists of what many may call weird movies. I really believe that movies like these help us see the good in everyone, even in the not so obvious places. Transamerica shows a transgendered person just struggling with everyday life. Everyone can relate to Bree, and you do not have to be a transgendered person to do so.

Personally, i do think that body dysmorphia is a mental disorder. However, the term "mental disorder" has such a negative connotation. When someone thinks of people with mental disorders, they think of crazy, beligerant, loud, manic, depressed, violent, dumb, or schizophrenic. However transgendered people are just like everybody else. They arent bouncing all over the walls, thinking that the FBI is after them, or thinking that they are god. Alot of the time, its almost impossible to pick them out of a crowd. I do think that transgenderedness is is a mental disorder because it is abnormal wanting to cut off body parts, however if only the word "mental disorder" did not have such a negative connotation, perhaps these people may have more respect, and not put in to the same categories with the catatonic schizophrenics. They are just like you and i, just a bit different in their sexual orientation.

Transamerica

Felicity Hoffman is a talented and beautiful actress who played Bree/Stanley well, but I will not watch Transameria ever again. The subculture comprised of people who are transgender, transvestite, and crossdressing is one that I accept but do not agree with.

I repeat, I ACCEPT them but I do not agree with the way they are dealing with their disorder.
-Men are men and women are women.
-Our sex is biologically determined.
-Using surgery and hormone therapy to change ones sex is against nature. The results are only superficial.

A person who is disgusted by their own penis (as in Stanley) breasts, or vagina is not mentally stable. A guy willing to cut off his dick is no real man. I love my penis, and everyone NORMAL guy out there does so as well. The phallus is a symbol of masculinity and manhood. As a gay male, I am offended that homosexuals are compared to these people.
-Homosexuality is genetic.
-Wanting a sex change because you feel like you should be the other sex is physchological.
-The two cannot be compared.
-Gay men are men who like men.

As for crossdressing, our culture agrees that if done as a joke (i.e. halloween) it's funny. If it's done seriously, than that person is sick. It's not normal for a reason.

A couple of years ago, a good friend of mine took me to see a drag show and within minutes of being there I was sick to my stomach. I had to leave, but he didn't want to, so I punched him as hard as I could in the chest and knocked the air out of him.

A year ago, I found out that the person I was dating had done drag for 4 months, I went off on how much he disgusted me, made him cry, and ended our relationship over it.

Transamerica

I have always believed that a person can be born in the wrong body. The movie Transamerica tells the story of a man who becomes a woman because he feels like he identifies with the gender and sex of a woman. I think that wanting to be another sex or gender is not a mental disorder, as a scene in the movie labels it, but more of a genetic trait. There have been numerous stories told on television shows such as, Oprah where the guest says they knew from a young age that they weren’t supposed to be in their body. In the movie, Bree tells the doctor that he/she is disgusted by her/his penis. This shows that there is something more than a mental issue because it is something that she feels she should not possess. Like homosexuality, transgender people suffer the issues of whether or not their lifestyles are nature or nurture. Personally, I feel it could be a little of both, but I do think that people are born with an indication that they are either gay or should be of a different sex or gender. It is not hard for someone to dress as the opposite sex, what people refer to as a transvestite, but it is a whole other issue when someone takes drastic measures to transform their body by eliminating their symbol of sex. The movie was able to illustrate the struggles, both emotionally, physically, and personally of a person going through a transgender identification.

During our class discussion yesterday, people brought up many point that’s I had previously thought about. When I first saw TransAmerica in theatres, I did not know what it was about going into the movie. While watching the movie I was in shock of what was happening. To me it was an eye opener because I have never really thought about the complex lives that transvestites carry. I obviously knew people wanted to be an opposite sex of what they were, although I never realized how serious it is or the extreme levels that people take it to. After seeing the movie, I felt a bit shelter and in my own bubble. It showed me how complex peoples lives are, and how often times people “seem much happier than they really are”. The relationship between Toby and his mom/dad was something that I could have never imagined. The movie really showed me more about relationships between men and women, men and men, and family members. Not everyone has to be perfect, and often times families aren’t perfect, but I never saw such a graphic picture of how messed up home lives can be for some people. I think this movie is really good and allows people to look at the world in a different way and see another perspective on how some relationships work.

Transamerica vs. Boys Don't Cry

Our class discussion yesterday about the film Transamerica was very interesting and insightful. In class, the film Boys Don’t Cry was also mentioned. I find it quite interesting that the public seemed to respond to each of the films in different ways, despite their very similar content and subject matter. Both Transamerica and Boys Don’t Cry were critically acclaimed, capturing several award nominations and wins. However, it seems to me that Transamerica was much more mainstream and popular than Boys Don’t Cry. When Transamerica came out, it some how seemed to be more accepted by a wider audience base, while Boys Don’t Cry was more of a cult film, appealing to independent film viewers. In my opinion, this difference is to due to the women who played the trans-gendered individuals in these films. Because Felicity Huffman, who played the lead role in Transamerica, had already established herself as a beautiful, feminine woman in her hit show Desperate Housewives, in my opinion, the public felt more comfortable watching her portray a male to female trans-gendered person. The audience knew who Felicity Huffman really was and could differentiate the actress from the role. In contrast, Hilary Swank who stared in Boys Don’t Cry was relatively unknown. This was her first large role and, in my opinion, the public did not know how to respond to her. They felt uncomfortable not knowing quite how to identify Hilary Swank and this discomfort turned many people away from watching the film. As we discussed in class yesterday, in our society, we use a dual gender system of male or female classification to categorize and identify people. When we are unable to identify individuals using this system, we typically find ourselves in a state of confusion and uneasiness, completely out of our comfort zone. Essentially, in my opinion, this is what occurred with the film Boys Don’t Cry; unable to categorize Hilary Swank, the public felt uncomfortable with the film.

transamerica

I really like the movie Transamerica because I think it sheds a positive light on being transexual, a sexuality that makes most people uncomfortable. First, I have to say that there is a difference between gender and sex, gender being a sexual identity and sex being biological. Therefore, I think gender can cross boundaries since it is a social construct. Gender is defined by terms of feminine and masculine rather than male or female (which is biological sex). We learn gender from society, and how as a male or female we are supposed to have certain characteristics and traits. If someone crosses those boundaries, then they are cross gendered. In class today, we discussed the actual operation of changing your sex and how that sheds light on gender. I think if someone sees themself as more of a women or more of a men then despite their genitalia they should be able to change. The way a man acts or the way a female acts is socially constructed and if you want to fully be the other gender then why not? It can make someone feel more complete.
Another interesting point that was brought up in class is the point of having to identify people. If we don't know what gender a person is we become very uncomfortable and really want to know. There is a performance artist named Adrian Piper who was an african american female who identified herself as black. She was, however, very lightskinned so everyone thought she was white. She frequently had people exchanging racist comments in front of her because they thought that she was white. Her performance art was to pass out calling cards to those people who made rascist comments, exposing her ethnic background. Her point was that people always have to categorize and identify others into certain groups. Piper didn't think it mattered that we don't exactly know someones race, and called attention to other peoples racism to make them uncomfortable and see the point. Now this can be related back to Transamerica, which brings up the same point that we need to identify people into gender groups. If someone is bi-gendered then we get really uncomfortable with the fact that they can't be both. I think gender can be very flexible and have imbetween roles. Who cares if someone wants to change the gender boundaries or even their sex for that matter.
I also thought that Transamerica is very interesting when juxtaposed with Fight Club, where they are striving to be as masculine as they can be in order to be happy. Here a male is trying to be happy by being the opposite of masculine...some people just want to be reconditioned

Last blog

We had an interesting talk about Transamerica and transgender in today's class. I looked up the definiton of gender dysphoria and it said it is, "literally being uncomfortable with one's assigned gender." In the DSM there are five criteria in order to be diagonosed with Gender Dysphoria. I think it is interesting that Gender Identity Disorder is still in the DSM while homosexuality was taken out. Stanley or Bree was just trying to find an identity and did not feel right in her body so in order to find his identity he changed he transformed. Self actualization is the need to strive and become the best that they can be with their abilities. The most interesting part in the film Transamerica, to me, was when the little child asked Bree if he was a man or a woman. The girl saw through Bree and made Bree doubt herself because she thought she looked like a woman except for her penis. She had the breast implants, long hair, makeup and polished nails but the little child could still see the in between of man and woman in Bree. I also thought it was interesting how they made Toby look like a bisexual becuase it did not seem like he mined when he hustled guys for money. Toby was also accepting when he found out that Bree had a penis. Transamerica is an interesting film that deals with transgender, and homosexuality.
I read Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid and was surprised how different it was from the film. I liked how he had that when the youngest princess' fins turn into 2 legs it hurts when they change and when she walks. I also liked how the grandma said to the mermaid, "you must put up with a good deal to keep up appearances" after the little mermaid said, "that hurts" when the grandmother was putting on the eight big oysters to the princess' tail. I think that is true for women in society; beauty can hurt. Especially for models because they have to be so skinny, sometimes wear very tight and uncomfortable clothes, in addition women put on makeup like mascara which can hurt the eyes, have bikini waxes, and in some cases electrolyosis. Some women even go to the extreme of plastic surgery which is risky, complicaitons could occur, and does not feel well. In addition, men and women are putting poision in their face (Botox) in order to decrease wrinkles which I think is dangerous and crazy. THere are also many other differences in the story by Anderson and the Disney movie including the ending and the princess in Anderson's story had no name. I agree with Laura Sells article, "Where Do the Mermaids Stand" because she had good points, Ariel was the first women Disney role model, and Ariel did not seem to have ambitions instead she just wanted to marry the Prince. Many gender issues were addressed in Anderson's story, Sells' article and The Little Mermaid.

Gay Marriage Debate

Along with “gator,” I also attended the Gay Marriage debate. I believe it to be an issue of grave relevance to our society because soon, every state may very well prohibit gay marriage. I am personally in favor of gay marriage. I believe every man and woman should be treated equally under the eyes of the law and there should be no restrictions on civil liberties pertaining to marriage. Forbidding people from marrying the partners they love is preventing autonomous human beings from having rights. The audience asked the question, “Should the majority rule the minorities’ rights?” In our country this is the way things are administered. Homosexuality is said to be a social injustice and a representative of weak moral standards. However, who ever established this to be true? One word: Paternalism. The government does not have the right to decide what is morally fitting for our society. Additionally, I do not believe our country truly has separation of church and state. A large majority of those individuals against gay marriage are up-tight religious nuts who want to censor our society and inculcate moral values. The same goes with abortion laws; most bible huggers want to make abortions illegal.

In the battle against gay marriage, we are constantly told we must be a model to other countries. Shouldn’t that include being open minded and accepting of others? If we were supposedly a model for other countries, we would be passing a law which allows gay marriage and we would also have troops stationed in Darfur aiming to put an end to the genocide.

In arguing against gay marriage, the opposition stated that if we are to nationally legalize gay marriage, this opens the perpetual gate for more new laws to be introduced. Nevertheless, as we move into the future, maybe it’s time to establish these new laws. The debater said we made laws, such as polygamy, illegal even though some individuals may have wanted the law to remain. However, polygamy and gay marriage are two entirely different arguments considering polygamy amplifies the subordination of women and there are no valid, acceptable reasons to prohibit gay marriage.

The only arguments made against the installation of gay marriage are as follows:

1) Marriage is an institution between one man and one woman (it doesn’t have to be)

2) Marriages are for procreation and the continuation of the human race (adoption)

3) Gay relationships are immoral (Says who? The bible?)

4) Same-sex couples aren't the optimum environment in which to raise children. Also, children will be taunted or assaulted by their peers (even though the children will grow up in a house will love and care and will most likely be even more egalitarian.

5) Socio-economic factors- because our society is based on the structure of the nuclear family, it is difficult for some same-sex couples to earn money at a livable wage.

During the debate someone said that “marriage is the basis of our society.” However, I disagree because the patriarchy is the fundamental basis of our society. I believe it is for this reason (men in serious denial of their homophobia) men want to ban gay marriage. A child having either two mothers or two fathers will not likely grow up under the patriarchal social structure. In prohibiting gay marriage, the government is imposing certain historical morals on relatively new and modern terminology (considering the terms homosexual an heterosexual have not been around for very long).

In pondering and debating the issue of gay marriage, we must all remember that these are real, individual human beings we are dealing with and they and their relationships should be protected by the same rights which you and I are. Besides, how would you feel if the law forbid you to marry the man or woman you loved.

Americas Next Top Model

Americas Next Top Model (ANTM) is sincerely one of my favorite reality television shows. Tyra Banks is sensational and hillarious. The cast is always delightful.

Based on the conversation around the clips shown in class I have come up with a list of of the main points. I am only speaking from my own perepective(which I define as modern, realistic and masculine). Also, I completely disagree with both the beauty and porn myths.
-models are tall, thin and gorgeous
-models have to be tall, thin and gorgeous
-not everyone looks like a model
-the majority of americans are fat
-being fat is ugly
-most americans are average looking

-why be average?
-with dedication, time, and hard work anyone can look their best
-being thin usually reflects being healthy
-everyone should want to be healthy
- being lean and thin adds to a persons self-esteem

-there were 2 plus sized models on ANTM this season
-ANTM will be tall, thin and gorgeous...America and the glocal fashion world will never accept overweight models
-overweight means you weigh more than you should
-male models are thin as well
-everyone should be thin
-i borrowed a pair of size 0 pants for halloween two years ago
-commericial fashion is not the same as high end fashion


-beauty is power
-pursuit of beauty is a long honored tradition
-our culture praises beauty
-there are ideals for both male and female forms

-the gay guys on ANTM are not stereotypes just highly experienced people doing a great job
-homosexuals are diverse
-the fashion world is dominated by women and gay men

Thats everything I wanted to say.

In today’s class we talked about America’s Next Top Model and Family Guy. I think both of these shows say very different things about gender in today’s society. I believe America’s Next Top Model is an extremely hypocritical television show. It likes to flaunt it’s promotion of “diversity” because they have several African American women and one Indian woman. They like to parade the fact that this season they had two plus size models; 2 out of sixteen contestants, both size 8s, both were told to lose weight, and both are already out of the show. Tyra likes to talk about healthy body images and healthy lifestyles but will routinely tell very skinny girls that they need to lose some weight and in practice is doing nothing to change the fashion industry that she is so quick to criticize. I think they show is entertaining, as most reality/competition shows are, but does nothing but help further the Beauty Myth.

Family Guy on the other hand I actually enjoy. Like South Park, I believe the show aims to make politically incorrect situations appear so extreme and outrageous that it points out the absurdity of those ideas to begin with. For example, in the clips that were shown today the dad say’s something like “well it doesn’t matter anyway because it’s not like women are people and are just here for our amusement.” This is of course something that people in the real world would not outwardly say, but the underlying sentiments of sexism are often present within people in our society. By making him say such an outrageous comment it blows the idea of sexism out into the open, points out that people actually are sexist, but satirizes and points out the absurdity of those sentiments.

Debate on Gay Marriage

I attended the recent debate on gay marriage at Rollins College. The issue is in full swing right now because Florida is attempting to pass a constitution amendment that would ban same sex couples from marrying. I was very disappointed to see that the pro constitutional amendment side of the debate neglected to show up. The philosophy and debate team started out the night by explaining step by step how they attempted to get many people who support the amendment to ban gay marriage to attend this debate. Everyone declined to come, some first agreeing to come and then later withdrawing from the event. I found this to be quite a disservice to the important issue at hand. If there is not open debate the real issues can not be flushed out. It seems to me that so often people are only willing to state their opinions when giving planned speeches in front of audience that already support their ideas. When this occurs though it is simply preaching to the choir and no criticisms can be made and no real defense of that person’s opinions have to be made. I certainly hope that before this issue is on the ballet there are more open and honest debates about the issue so voters can make informed decisions.

However, the philosophy and debate team decided to continue with the debate anyway, splitting up and defending opposite positions. I thought the side that was pro-amendment was fairly transparent in the fact that they did not actually believe what they were arguing. They gave it their best shot but their heart, morals, and beliefs were not behind the argument. They research they had done provided them with facts and arguments but when asked to defend them they were often at lack of answers because they did not truly feel that way. This is why I think it is so important to have people who actually feel passionately about the issue on both sides partake in a real discussion about it. Overall I think it was an interesting debate and did shine some light on the issue. I highly doubt any minds were swayed at this debate however, because again I think it was preaching to the choir.

The Beauty Myth

Yesterday’s conversation regarding the beauty myth just proved why the beauty myth is such a huge problem. Many people, men and women, simply think that it is not a real problem or at least that it is very over exaggerated. I believe that the pressure that is put on women to look a certain way is in fact a very big problem. The images that are displayed all over the media are of women with unrealistic bodies and standards of beauty. The super models on walkways, commercials, and magazines, are no where close to what an average healthy women looks like. They are in fact anomalies within society (whether they naturally look that way, are air brushed, or partake in activities like excessive dieting and exercising to look that way). And yet the average woman begins to believe that that is what she is supposed to look like.

The issue of health kept being brought up yesterday. There is a huge difference between being healthy and thinking that your body does not meet the requirements of beauty laid out by today’s society. Many very healthy women believe they are fat because they are not a size zero. What is not healthy (physically or mentally) is when those healthy women try to become a size zero and force their body to be something it is not. It is one thing to say that educated, adult women should know better then to think they should look like a super model, but very young impressionable girls probably do not know this. The repetition of these images of beauty will eventually lead them to believe that that is what beauty is and they should try to be that.

The issue is that the media has a responsibility to society, and society has a responsibility to the media, to not do things that will harm the public. I fully agree that a huge part of the problem is that consumers continue to purchase goods, buy magazines, etc. that contain images or are marketed with images of these super model women. The public needs to start demanding that the media portray a variety of body types to mirror what women look like in real life.

Equality or Feminism?

I consider myself a realist and uphold many values treasured by libertarians. In other words, I deal with the situations at hand in the best way possible. Women have been given opportunities in this society never before reached in history. It is not slowing down, and even though one might argue that women are still paid less than men for the same jobs, it has been slowly heading towards equalization. The concept of feminism is one of the most profound and highly necessary movements that we see in today’s society, but like many movements, there are the radicals. Obviously this brings stereotypes which we are all familiar with, such as the “butch” feminist.” To be honest, that stereotype is a load of shit, but I do not completely disagree with the fact that some feminists are contradictive and hypocritical. For instance, to address the matter of economical pay women receive for the same jobs, the fact that women are paid less is obviously not the case of women being less productive or less educated. Women are just as adept, cunning, intelligent, productive, and hard working as men, if not MORE so! The fact is that there I s a law that makes it so aggregately there is a small percentage of women that receive jobs over men who may be more qualified. There is a disturbance in the natural balance of supply and demand caused by affirmative action. Many people may be appalled by this claim, but it is a proven economical observation, that if were the opposite, men would be paid less. What I am saying, is that women who stand and fight against certain equalities need to not be hypocritical by not observing the advantages they already possess that may be affecting the problem. If anyone wants to discuss this controversial theory, I will gladly do so, but in saying this, I consider myself to be more of a feminist than many that I’ve spoken to, simply because it portrays true equality.

59% of Rollins students are women, and only 41% are men. Over 55% of all college students are women, up considerably even in the last 10 years. This is all while media has apparently increased its portrayal of women in the most controversial sexual light. To say the least, women are now highly respected and necessary to the society and economy in America. To say that women have “stopped” their feminist progression is to not look at the facts. I’ve personally recently set a goal to lose weight and succeeded considerably, but setting one goal pertaining to image does not make me give up others, especially if it is a goal that changes lifestyle and not time consumed, or location. If anything, it has helped my self image and made me realize that I can attain the goals I set. I am a better and more confident person because of it.

I have a particular situation very personal to me that I have dealt with since I was a child, but since this blog is for the most part anonymous, and hopefully will continue to be at the end of class, I will share my thoughts. Before I was born, there was a situation in my family that consisted of that family member exposing himself to a teenage girl. To leave out the details, the situation ended with years of therapy concluding that this family member was “uncontrollably” attracted to “petite,” even anorexic women, and of course also a sex offender charge that has actually affected my life. Growing up, I could not join the country club down the road that everyone else could. I could not have that specific family member come to watch my sports activities. Instead, I endured the embarrassment that was handed me in school when students harassed me for something that happened to my family before I was born. Was this a result of the media portraying women as fragile skinny role models? I doubt it, and even if it was, my family member had the right to keep his thoughts and actions to himself. Before anyone decides to come to me and complain how the image of “The Beauty Myth” has affected their ability to participate in social situations, think of this example.

I personally could not have said it better than Citizen Z. “That is not being feminist, so don't call yourself feminist if you are insecure with yourself for not looking like women in magazines. I don't have sympathy or the time for people that are so easily swayed.” One member of the class brought up the point of freedom and the first amendment, which is the right to free speech, religion, the press, and to petition. In other words, we are grounded by the freedoms we have chosen, the best way to live your life is to deal with what positives you have been given, and not let freedom of speech hinder your view of yourself. Instead, like Twiddle Dee said, “I equate the stereotypical beauty with a certain power that this woman has over men or her colleagues.” Look at the positives, the female form in general is a symbol of power over men! Use it or spend your youth complaining about those who do, but you know which method is more advantageous. If you disagree, then move to North Vietnam or Tajikistan and see what rights you would have there.

The Media is part of our right to freedom, look at it in the positive light, and protect your children from its demeaning messages, which by the way is the job of the parent in the first place. As KAM said, “media has become an excuse for people to point their problems to. . . people have to realize is that what is projected by the media isn’t the real world.”

Finally, I also agree with Citizen Z on the count of the porn myth as an illegitimate biased piece of hypocritical literature that should only be credited with the worth of the recyclable paper it was scribbled on. Men may masturbate to “fake” images of the so called perfect female form, but I know that some women use “fake” obejects for pleasure. What’s the difference, women use mental images instead of porn? The bottom line is that both women and men are dealing with a changing society, but for the most part, we have it good.

Are women hypocritical?

The discussion today was controversial as it usually is. I do not buy into “The Beauty Myth” epidemic. There are enough women in the United States to take shows depicting unrealistic ideals for a woman’s appearance out of business. Matter of fact, women are the reason these shows exist and are becoming more and more popular in the media, specifically television. I strongly believe women want to watch “extraordinary” looking women. I do believe some women watch because they admire these women appearing on shows such as “America’s Next Top Model”, but at the same time I feel a lot of those women do not have expectations of ever being able to look like a runway Victoria’s Secret model. Competition sells. Attractive women sell. The media is an industry working off supply and demand just like any other business. If women did not want to see shows with supposed “beautiful” women with no fat whatsoever than all they simply have to do is demand it. There is something that reels you in when you are looking at something that is not considered normal. A lot of women know most models do not have normal nutrition and know the amount of make-up that goes into fixing these seemingly flawless females.
Products of Victoria’s Secret, for example, would not sell if their models looked like an average American women. Women like to believe certain products enhance their beauty and appeal. The vast majority are not stupid enough to believe they will look like the models simply by buying their product, but sex sells and if women did not want to make themselves look “sexier” than Victoria’s Secret would not have many customers. I believe a lot of women are constantly complaining about how men view them, but I think the majority of females want to give off a sexual vibe. At the same time, they whine about being looked at objectively when the products they buy, which can be seen in many television advertisements, are clearly selling sex. I really do not think women will ever be satisfied. I find it hard to believe that most women would rather be looked at asexually than have a percentage of males look at them objectively. I am not arguing that the men who view women in a shallow way are to be respected, but at the same time a lot of women would be very unsatisfied to have never received that type of attention at some point in their lives. Sexual harassment is a terrible thing, and I think a lot of men need to establish a higher respect for a woman’s intelligence and skills. What I am arguing is that throughout our history women have been described as objects of beauty…a beauty a man simply does not obtain in the same way. Women can seem very hypocritical in my eyes when they demand not to be viewed sexually by men because I believe it is a part of a male’s human nature to have sexual impulses and sexual thoughts about women, even women they have never met before. Our population is so large as a result of that natural attraction.

Movies and the Beauty Myth

I was just thinking about how not all media perpetuates things like the beauty myth, like sooo many people in this class feel. In Little Miss Sunshine, olive is a not so pretty stout litttle girl with huge glasses who wants to enter the Little Miss Sunshine pagent. Throughout the movie Olive's father promotes the idea of perfection into olive's head. There is a scene in which olive orders ice cream, and her dad says that beauty queens dont eat ice cream because it makes them fat. So, olive doesnt want any of it.

Movies like Little Miss Sunshine show how culture defining beauty is wrong, and that even little girls, like olive, are putting themselves on diets and restricting themselves from harmless things like ice cream. The point of having this in a film is to show the morbidness of it all. The outcome in the end is that olive is finally accepted as being the beautiful little girl that she is.

Another film that shows someone who is beautiful, but not the typical beauty isThora Birch in American Beauty. Thora plays an offbeat somewhat gothic depressed teenager who finds love in her equally odd new neighbor. She has a best friend who is a blonde beauty, and whos worst fear is to be seen as ordinary. The friend is shown in an extrememly negative light, and even though she is beautiful, she has extremely low self esteem.

These films are made to not perpetuate the beauty myth. They are done in order to show that other things can be beautiful, and even more so than the "typical ideal barbie." Because films like these are made, and winning tons of awards, its wrong to say that all media and media alone creates unreachable perfection. A person can choose and pick what films, television shows, or magazines to read and endorse. It is our fault because it is our choice.

Beauty Myth

I really enjoyed the class' discussion tuesday. It is very entertaining to watch everyone getting so heated up. Personally, i can see some truths to the Beauty Myth, however not to the same extent as some of the other people in the class. Im not much of a feminist and these types of things really dont bother me at all. Just because im a girl, it doesnt mean that i have to agree with such hardcore ideas of femminism and take everything so seriously. Yes, there is this idea of media creating what some people view as the "ideal image." The key word here is "some people." I dont feel that it effects everyone in the same way. Media is how we communicate, and every culture has their own idea of the "perfect woman." It isnt just Americans alone. If a man is completely shallow, and only wants a barbie clone, then that is his problem, and hes is going to have an extremely hard time finding one. As far as im concerned, i wouldnt really want to be with someone like that anyways. I am most definately not a barbie, nor do i want to look artificial and plastic. Everyone wants to feel attractive and its not the media's fault. People shouldnt be pointing fingers at the television screen saying "the reason i feel bad is because you have images of beautiful people." I feel that self esteem is a much more serious problem. People need to be accepting themselves for who they are, and not just sitting around complaining about the entertainment industry.

Images on TV may influence people's thinking of what is beautiful and what isnt. Television is a business, thus they show what is going to sell. They make shows that are going to spark people's attention. I really find it hypocritical to see so many people in this class, with their so called feminist views and who complain SO subbornly about the media and is rules on beauty, religiously buying cosmo girl and watching shows such as america's next top model. Shows like this tear women to shreads telling these size 2-4 models that THEY are too fat. If you really hate television and its restrictions on female beauty, then dont watch television or buy stupid fashion magazines giving tips of how to dress trendy.

The Beauty Myth

I really enjoyed our discussion and debate in yesterday’s class. However, I was quite surprised by the large amount of people in class, both men and women, who seriously disagreed with Naomi Wolf’s claims. I think it needs to be understood that Wolf’s concept of the beauty myth is not something that consciously occurs within the minds of women. Through pervasive, powerful images and messages within the media, the beauty myth has been created and developed; shaping our society’s definition of beauty. Contrary to what many in class yesterday were arguing, this is not something that you can just choose not to be affected by. This is not something that only “self-conscious or weak” women fall victim of, while others, the “strong, empowered ones” can simply resist or ignore. The beauty myth is a cultural definition, something we have all come to accept, men and women alike. Some strive for it, others do not, yet we have all been influenced by it and we all feel its affects. What we typically accept and understand to be beautiful within our society has been shaped by the beauty myth. As Wolf points out, different cultures at different times have all had varying definitions of what constitutes ideal beauty. Beauty is a cultural understanding. While other cultures have adopted more achievable, realistic definitions of beauty, our culture’s ideal is a difficult one to reach. I find it hard to believe that there are women in our society that do not feel the influences of the beauty myth. No matter what social class one belongs to or how comfortable and confident one may be with herself, the beauty myth is powerful and so is the human need to feel wanted, desired and attractive. Although I understand and agree that there are many women in our society that do not go to extreme measures to meet our culture’s beauty ideal, in my option, all women are, one why or another, affected by the beauty myth.

Weight

I think that it was interesting to read both of these articles because they made me look at feminist issues in a completely different way, but I do not agree with what was said. Personally, I feel that both men and women have been facing the problem of superficial qualities such as looks, background, and money affecting their lives—from whom they are allowed to marry to what kind of career they would have. I think that the pressure for women to look a certain way may be a little higher today because of how the media portrays what women should look like.

From shows like America’s Next Top Model to Victoria’s Secret commercials, our society is flooded with images of women’s bodies that are unrealistic and unhealthy goals for most women to achieve. However, I do think it is a realistic goal for everyone to exercise and to stay within their certain range of weight that is healthy for each individual’s body type. But it is completely unhealthy for the average sized woman to try to obtain a goal weight that is equivalent to the weight of models. Most models are healthy and are blessed with height and body type that allows them to not gain weight easily and to look much thinner than people who are short.

I just feel that the media should make it aware to people who do not have as much knowledge that models are not the average person. I also think that designers and modeling agencies should be strict on the minimum BMI that is required to models in runway shows. It should not have taken a girl to die in South America, or wherever that occurred (the girl who was only eating an apple a day), for minimal requirement to be made and for certain regulations to become tighter.

Media

In yesterday’s class discussion we talked about the hit television show Ugly Betty and the Beauty Myth. Right away there was debate and tension regarding how the media portrays women, and how that affects body image. Many of the females in class made it a point that the bone thin models in magazines cause young girls and women to feel insecure about their bodies, which can possibly lead to eating disorders or an unhealthy image of their bodies. I agree that current media and print advertisement are contributing factors to the modern day idea of a “beautiful” woman, but I feel as though media has become an excuse for people to point their problems to. I will admit that the images of beautiful models and celebrities create insecurities, but what people have to realize is that what is projected by the media isn’t the real world. The argument is then that people try and achieve what they see through the media, consequently making the models images become a part of reality. Victoria’s Secret is an example of what the media portrays to give the idea of what sexy and beautiful is. The company chooses those women because appeals to what women and men want from what they buy. If Victoria’s Secret chose normal to average woman, the appeal would be lost because woman want to feel as beautiful as the models. It is a difficult issue to deal with because it is a personal choice of how much you buy into what the media projects. With the increase of skinny models and celebrities I do feel that there has been a change in how we define beautiful, but the media is not the only factor responsible.

The Beauty Myth

I think today’s discussion in class showed the real struggle that many normal women feel each day regarding the pressure to stay thin. You could almost feel the tension in the air when the issue of weight and beauty were tied together. But I almost want to take the side of the devils advocate and say that women don’t necessarily have to read into these magazines or stereotypes, and find a way to feel comfortable in their own skin. If a person really has a problem with their physical form, they can always go to the gym or cut back on food portions; but I’m not saying that this isn’t hard. Personally, when I see the ads for Victoria Secret or a commercial that shows a beautiful woman, I equate the stereotypical beauty with a certain power that this woman has over men or her colleagues. Women are stuck in a certain dress form in the workplace or in politics because if they did show a little skin, they will put men in a certain “trance” and not necessarily be taken seriously. You could almost tie this into “the male gaze” that we discussed a few weeks ago. I feel that this shows a major weakness in the male stereotype and that a beautiful woman does have power. Whether or not the woman is comfortable in her own skin is a person thing, but all women should take personal pride in their physical form and in the act of staying healthy for their own mentality. I think it is this power that beautiful women posses because of their looks that many average women want to attain. I also completely agree with Citizen Z’s perspective on the Beauty Myth and Porn Myth.

Ugly Betty and Devil Wears Prada

I really enjoyed hearing what each person said about Ugly Betty, The Beauty Myth and the related topics. I agree that it is great that there is a show for the latina population out there because there are not many shows centered on that certain population. There is George Lopez, Carlos Mencia and Ugly Betty; the only Latino based shows I know of. I also like the ideas that are addressed in Ugly Betty. For instance when Betty first walked in to the MODE office, Amanda, who could be a model, asked her, "Are you the before?" and "Are you delivering something?" the first time that Betty walked in. I liked how Betty said before she walked into the clear glass door, "I am an attractive, intelligent, confident, business woman!" It made me feel good as a woman that even the so called "ugly" girl is confident in herself which is important for all girls to have. I agree that all women are not anorexic or bulimic and there are some women with confidence in their appearance. I think the issue of eating disorders is addressed in both Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada because those are the societies where the disorders are most likely to occur, not saying that anorexia and bulimia only happen in those societies. Also in The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty the issue of image is addressed. In Ugly Betty one of the characters says, "business is image," which I think is true. That is why businesses have advertisements and ads mostly centered around so called beautiful people. Image is important to business that is why most business associates wear suits, and ties so that they have a good appearance . In my english class last year, we read the story A Doll's House and talked about feminist issues like this class. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen addresses the idea of a woman leaving her family (her husband, children) because she is not happy and believes that her husband Torvald has treated her like a "doll" their entire eight years of marriage. SHe leaves in order to find herself and the world around her. The idea of the woman leaving the family was unheard of when the book came out, so Ibsen's book caused a lot of controversy. There are many important issues in Ugly Betty, The Devil Wears Prada and A Doll's House.

beauty myth

Honestly, I was dissappointed with the claims that people made in class today. I was dissappointed at the females who don't give other females enough credit. I was disappointed that so many females agree with the beauty myth, but only perpetate the beauty myth my being compeletly insecure with their bodies. A liberated empowered feminist would not succumb to social media constructions of how women are portrayed. You should feel sexy when you wear lingerie, instead of ignorantly thinking that you should look like Heidi Klum. You should be discerned with the beauty myth because the media does portray extremes ideals of beauty for both males and females. However, you don't have to pay attention and I personally don't think that most smart secure women do. I don't like how you stereotype females as being obsessed with weight when some, like me, are not. Not all women are insecure, there are actually liberated women who don't give a shit about starving themsleves. As for the women that are, it is sad that someone is completely ignorant and will buy into what the media spits out at you. That is not being feminist, so don't call yourself feminist if you are insecure with yourself for not looking like women in magazines. I don't have sympathy or the time for people that are so easily swayed.
I also think that the porn myth is rubbish. Although we haven't talked about this, I don't think men are less likely to go after women because masturbation to porn is more exciting. So what that porn may have made sex more excititng, but personally I don't feel threatened by porn. That article completely negated the fact that emotions are also involved in sex; therefore, if you actually really like someone you won't care that they do not hav sex like a porn star. Also, I think the article does not give guys enough credit because not all guys are obsessed with porn.

Fight Club Truth

The truth is that Fight Club is a novel and a movie about men, masculinity, and the ideal male. Whowver wants to disagree with can, but know that you are wrong.

Fight Club is meant for guys. Here's a story from my own boarding school experience. So,before we even knew the movie existed (I say movie because books were only read that were required by our teachers) my friends and I would havea type of fight club. Usually it would be just a few people, but sometimes there would be 15 of us. We would play really loud music, get in a circle, pick two guys to go in, watch them battle until there was a victor, and repeat. We did this because we were boys and like beating eachother up.
This movie appealed to us, because we had our own fight club, and it appeals to every other guy because it's guys geeting trashed. While the names might of been different, we used to call it battle royal, but that's not the point, I'm sure there were other variations of fight club out there.


Fight club represents the internal struggle one man has with himself.
Edward Norton plays the average guy. There is nothing special about him, he is simple, plain, boring, and above all the embodiment of the typical average American male.
Brad Pitt play the role of the American ideal. He is gorgeous, desired, well-spoken, confident, flawless, stylish, and a flat out rock-star. Pitt is wahat a masculine male should be. This applys to every guy.


Norton is so obsessed with wanting to be this ideal, that he develops a persona, Pitt, that takes on a life of his own. He is so blinded by this ideal that he does not see that it is not possible for him to reach.

He has to give up wanting to be Pitt before he can take control of his own life.

We ive in a society where we strive for perfection. Those who work hard enough or is given the oppurtunity to, reaches that will succeed at that goal.

No one wants to settle for being average. The average American public is a sad, gross sight.

Animals in Fight Club

So far, reading and watching Fight Club has been my favorite of the class. I enjoyed how most of the class was involved with the discussion at some point yesterday and I think it was because most of the class enjoyed this book the most as well.

One of the parts of the book that we sort of touched on that I found interesting was all the references that were made to animals. My favorite reference to animals was when Marla was talking about things people love for a few days and then throw away, and she mentioned the dog pound. She said, "…where even if someone loves you enough to save your life, they still castrate you" (68). I've never really thought of it that way and it was interesting to hear it put that way. I always had the mind set that they fixed the animals so that there wouldn't be the chance of more animals coming back to them.

The other animal reference that I enjoyed was when Tyler burnt Jack’s hand and after Tyler put vinegar on his hand to stop the burning, Jack made a comment, “Think about the animals used in product testing” (78). I thought it was interesting that animal testing was the first thing that came to mind after he endured the chemical burn. But it makes sense; animals are the ones who suffer the pain in our consumer culture when new products are being made. I think that mentioning animals in these to cases was to show how animals suffer as well as humans, but I am not sure.

Fight Club gender roles

Now having seen the movie in addition to having read the end of the novel “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk, the themes engraved in the plot are much clear to me. I had trouble understanding how femininity plays any role in this work, but through class discussion on Tuesday, which never touched upon the ending of the novel or film, it started to make sense. I watched the movie the following day and towards the end of it I realized Marla represents how males treat females unequally, as has been the case for centuries and centuries. The main character remains nameless and is not directly shown demeaning Marla through his masculinity, but Tyler Durden, his other self, makes several sexist remarks aimed at Marla. Tyler only uses Marla to satisfy his sexual “needs”. In the film, the only time he spends with her one on one is in his bed having sexual intercourse. Afterwards, when technically he is speaking to himself, he says how she annoys him and wants her to leave whenever they are done having sex. Marla still sticks around even with his dual personality. By staying around she is giving into masculinity. She lets herself be vulnerable and be taken advantage of by both of the main character’s personalities. When he is Tyler, he makes loves to her and tells her sweet words while they are in the middle of the act, but after they are done, he turns back into himself and looks at her as Tyler’s girl. Because of his confusion he ends up always making her feel unwelcome and gives her no tenderness whatsoever. Although we only find out at the end that he does so because of his disorders, in both the film and novel, Marla takes this emotional beating until the very end when his problems finally become too much. Despite this, she still is there for him at the end even though she is clueless as to what the situation with him really is. Femininity is being oppressed in the film. The “fight club” is like an all male army where females have no place and where only one man’s opinion rules. The women in the film, mainly Chloe and Marla, are weak, dependant, emotionally unstable, vulnerable, and depicted as being clueless. Of course, the author of the novel lets us know how things end up when there are no voices of reasons from females. The last scene in the movie, which is the most memorable one to me, summarizes what happens when masculinity dominates and femininity is oppressed. The city is blown up and destroyed, and it happened due to a single man’s confusion.

I agree with the previous blog by understanding how Fight Club could possibly be feminine. Fight Club is a masculine handbook, reiterating the basic points of what constitutes being a man. The book is solely the struggle of one man striving to be like the ideal man (Tyler) and also trying to struggle with his lifestyle (commercialism and his job). You can juxtopose the role of women with masculines struggle because you can relate fiminism and masculinity. However, I don't think that the purpose of this book is to relate feminism and masculinity. The book is a narrative about the key factors of what it means to be a man, and how you can overcome the struggle of trying to be a man in society by the basic all time masculine practice of fighting. I think the novel becomes more interesting when not juxtaposed with feminism, and do not think that this book is a celebration of feminism. The book is a rare narrative solely about masculinity, when there are plenty of novels about feminism and the struggle which women have overcome. Fight Club provides insight on the masculine struggle reiterating what it means to be a man, and is not supposed to reiterate what it means to be a women.
If I wanted to read a book about feminism I would not refer to Fight CLub, because there are far more better quality examples of works that touch upon both maculine and feminine gender roles. Let Fight CLub be masculine without taking away from that struggle of masculinity (because obviously there is a struggle) by comparing its roots with femininity. I think that is why there really is no really strong feminine character. The main female character, Marla, only highlights the angst of what a man has to overcome.

Fight Club Discussion

I also enjoyed the discussion on Fight Club in Tuesday’s class and it brought up many points that I had not thought about, for instance that the novel could be considered feminist. I read Fight Club during the summer and then again for class, and I got a totally different read the second time around. When I first read the novel, the tone seemed very pessimistic and dark; almost that the meaning of the world was lost. Then, when reading the second time, the tone seemed more sarcastic and slightly humorous about exaggerating our culture’s stereotypes, such as masculinity or commercialism. I’m still struggling to see how this novel could be considered feminine because the idea of a fight club or the character of Tyler Durden is so primitively masculine. I can connect the idea of feminine to the main character’s power animal, the penguin, because this is not a typically masculine animal but not to the concept of the fight clubs. I think women were outlawed from the fight clubs to convey this intense exaggerated feeling that men are the most constricted in their gender and need an outlet. Though I don’t necessarily agree with this view, it seemed to me that the book wanted to comment on this point of view in society; not to draw attention to women oppression. Also, the two main women found in Fight Club, Marla and Chloe, both seemed to be portrayed in a very sexual light that is contradictory to the feminist perspective. I hope that this masculine/feminine subject can be further explored when discussing the second part of the novel.

Social-Economical or Sexual? Maybe Both

I was very intrigues by the discussion in Tuesday's class about Fight Club. It led me to think about how the social and gender issues in Fight Club relate to today's world. I discussed earlier in a post about the connection of the social and economic sphere in today’s world most notably portrayed in The Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi. Throughout human history, the economies that have emerged have always been a subcategory of the social environment in which that culture lives, and have never, until recently, become intertwined or even mask the importance of social wealth Saving the details and redundancy, Polanyi, in 1941, foresaw that consumerism in a capitalist society will eventually breed anarchy as the economy becomes interlinked in society and those unfortunate citizens who are defined socially by their economic characteristics will revolt. This is obviously portrayed vigorously in Fight Club. It is a fact of nature. There are always people who will reject the status quo, some who quietly oppose it, and some who accept the changes. The bottom line is that change takes generations, and very important life lessons are learned as one grows up. The discussion of father and mother roles in development, the Oedipus complex, and the way these theories apply to the way a person thinks and acts when they become mature is strong evidence to support these claims. People who are left behind in a changing socially gender-egalitarian liberal society will often reject the current norms. If a man grows up with a father that portrays women as sexual objects or in any way shape or form inferior to males, that man will probably develop sexist thoughts, and may even act on those thoughts. It is an unfortunate circumstance that our society deals with while we positively deal with highly necessary gender-equality issues.

The opposite of this may even be true. What if a woman grows up without a mother? or a father for that matter. How will this affect her development of thoughts on gender when she is older? These questions are highly prone to interpretation, but important to understand why the family and society in which any human is exposed to can affect their thoughts and decisions in life.

As for the notion that Palahniuk purposefully left out women in his novel, and movie adaptation, I’m not complaining. The books powerful meaning and violence was probably intended to be read more by men. The fact that women are left out for the most part in the fight clubs and projects is just a way the author strengthened his audience’s interest in the book. It is possible that portraying women as “uninvolved” or “unimportant” may have been a way of reaching out to the sexist or testosterone fueled viewers simply because it might have been a more economical way of selling the book or movie; another example about how economics takes precedence over social justification in our society. It is not wrong to choose to write a novel incorporating just one sex. I’m sure there are books out there that do just the opposite. I look at it like this, if you don’t like it, then don’t watch it because the U.S. is still based on freedom or speech and choice.

Another way to look at the role of women in the movie or novel is perhaps this…Palahniuk, in my opinion, displays a strong, yet abbreviated message about women’s role in this changing society of alternative fist therapies. When Marla attends the Testicular cancer groups, she displays the authors feelings about how women are equally in command of the decisions made in this society. It was a notion strengthening gender equality, but as you can see, the narrator was furious that Marla had interfered, or effectively “castrated” him to the one true thing that the narrator had left to identify himself as different; his male reproductive system. When he was alone in this group, he could set himself above the others in the room and feed off of their sorrow because he could officially call himself a “superior” male over the other males, but when Marla joined, she compromised his sexual identity and right to fell like he belonged to an exclusive social class of the operable male phallus. This was a huge message to convey within this novel, and it was essential to relating the narrator’s slipping grip with reality and the reasons he felt he needed to find a new solution in finding his superior male identity. Marla was integral to the movie and its message, as messed up and ethically wrong as it may be, this often how males think in our society.

I like to think of myself a s a realist, instead of denying the status quo or trying to change it, I try to understand the real meaning behind why things are the way they are. I often find myself in the middle of a conversation between men who might not look around to see who is there before speaking. It is socially acceptable, especially among young or uneducated men in our society, to discuss their sexist ideologies with each-other. This is reality, and I have yet to hear any male on the receiving end of this type of language to stop the other and tell them that they are being sexist or demeaning to women. This is just my experience, which may differ from someone else’s, but I’m sure that it is credible. The fact that movies like Fight Club and Crash expose the reality of our society is incredible. It helps people understand both sides of the issue at hand and ACTUAL methods to solve them, instead of demanding instant gratification, especially in Crash, where the movie includes many forms of discrimination along with racism and sexism. If discriminating people can’t see how extreme instances of their mindset can affect others, then they probably wouldn’t consider changing their ways.

In conclusion, I would say that I completely agree with Beckyloo’s post, Fight club is far more about the male struggle with societal changes, and shouldn’t be confused with anything to do with feminism. I also agree that the “constricting” society (which by the way is the worst word to describe it considering that most laws and norms accepted by societies throughout the world has focused on “freedom” from oppression and attempts to satisfy what we call “basic human rights.”) creates problems for both genders where aggression may need to be relieved. On the contrary, the novel did indirectly relate to themes men express in reality about losing their “power position” to women through equality. No person likes to lose their wealth or power to anyone, unless of course they are an egalitarian radical, most uncommon amongst today’s world. The problem with this mindset in males is that they didn’t lose anything! They are only jealous that women have the same rights as them! It is an ignorant and selfish point of view that exists in the modern world. My point is that the narrator and his posse were rejecting the economical norms of their society and wished to make themselves equal to others, throwing in the biased oxymoron belief that men are naturally supposed to be the “equally-superior” sex based only on their physical strength prowess. It would be interesting to see what this novel would have conveyed had it been written by a woman.

Feminism in Fight Club

I enjoyed our class discussion of Chuck Palahniuk’s book, Fight Club. It was interesting to discuss whether the book could be considered a feminist work or not. After thinking about this idea, I suppose that Fight Club does have some elements of feminist thought within it, suggesting a radical shift in women’s and men’s roles when it comes to childcare responsibilities. However, I disagreed with a specific argument presented in class. It was suggested in class that Palahniuk’s novel was a feminist work because it challenges and criticizes women’s obsession with consumerism and therefore open’s their eyes to the fact that they do not need to identify themselves by the material possessions they accumulate. I disagree with this argument because it implies that women are the ones in society who do all the consuming, that women lead our consumer culture. In my opinion, we live in a society dominated by consumerism, material possessions, and status; men and women both fall victim to our consumer culture. In addition, women in particular fall victim to consumerism due to social pressures directed at them. In our society where advertisements and commercials are everywhere, the media tells women that they should fit a certain ideal of feminine beauty, one which involves being thin, young, tan, having large breasts, and being well dressed. Commercials and advertisements pressure and manipulate women into believing that if they buy certain products, they will fit this unnaturally “perfect” imagine of femininity. Essentially, the argument raised in class failed to recognize these social pressures driving women towards consumerism and instead implied that women were at fault for having some kind of “natural” tendency towards consumerism.

Fight Club

What is gender? What is sex? Sex is defined by the biological behavior of a human. It is composed of the genitals or chromosomes, which signifies if a person is a male or female. Gender on the other hand is an ongoing activity of behavior that classifies masculinity or femininity. It is shaped by our interactions. Because gender and sex are connected, society sees them everyday and they are underlying factors to most social situations. In the novel and film, Fight Club there is a connection with gender and sex roles through the characters and motive of the film. When I first read and saw the film there was not a very clear connection to gender. I saw the masculinity of Tyler’s character and how it was related to Fight Club, but the main theme I saw was how our consumerism was controlling our society. During our class discussions on Tuesday and Thursday we talked about how gender was played into this movie. I realized that gender did in fact play a role in the movie, not just through the characters, but also through the representation of how these characters are portrayed through their roles. Marla, one of the only female characters is not necessarily what society would consider feminine, but because she is one of the only females in the movie she projects an aspect of the female sex. Marla is seen as a vulnerable, disturbed woman who thrives off of the attention of males, creating a stereotypical image of woman needed men and men needed woman simply for sex. The book and film both use gender and sex to highlight the theme of consumerism and to suggest that the roles we play are formed through gender.

Fight Club

After reading Fight Club and watching the film Fight Club I was confused about how they would be connected to the ideas of gender and feminism. I really enjoyed class Tuesday because it helped me connect the ideas together. I thought it was interesting that the unnamed narrator chose a penguin for his power animal. If he was the typical manly man he probably would have chosen a tiger, bear, lion or a big, overpowering animal. As people discussed in class, a penguin is not very masculine. Some people even said it was not gendered which I agree with. Penguins are also small compared to other animals and are not known to be aggressive. I think the author's choice of the penguin was to show that the unnamed narrator does not think like the typical manly man. According to an internet source, male and female penguins look a lot a like. I also thought it was interesting how much advertising is included in the book. Women are typically consumers in American society, buying the clothes for the children, husband, themselves, decorating the house and therefore buying the furniture and knick knacks. To me, the majority of guys do not care how their house is decorated. For instance, one of my good guy friends moved into his house about 4 months ago and is only using the essentials. He still hasn't unpacked many boxes in his house. I know that if it were me I would have everything organized the way I want it and atleast a few decorations around the house. Another example of the difference between men and women, my brother lived in dorms or apartments throughout college, he never ever put a poster up or anything. On the other hand, I put posters up in my dorm as soon as I could. Decoration and consumerism is more aimed towards women. Toys and big items are aimed more towards men. I know a guy that has owned all the toys imaginable: a hummer, a tractor, motorcycles, boats, cars, trucks, snowmobiles, etc... as they say, "boys with their toys." I thought the talk in class yesterday was interesting and brought up many new ideas.

Fight Club

I really enjoyed the class discussion today about Fight Club. This is one of the discussions where I feel that people were able to really get into how they feel about certain situations. Usually the class is calmer, a lot of silence, but I felt tension today which is a good thing. There was a lot more about feminism than just gender. Something that I found very interesting was how the constricting society was described as feminist, which is something I viewed in class. However thinking more about it I think it is kind of contradicting not only to blame the women for males being constricted in society but also saying it is feminist. Feminism and being feminine are two totally different things. These males may feel like they have been raised in a feminine society but I would never go to say it is a feminist society. A feminist society has the goal of equality between both men and women where neither sex is limited. In fight club it is saying that society is constricting the male, which is different from the usual argument that it is the female is the one who is constricted in society. I think it is a great book, extremely interesting and a great different perspective. There are always two sides to everything and I agree that men need to get out their aggression and anger in a society that maybe, yes, is a little to constricting sometimes. I also believe that the other side is important to recognize. That maybe women need to express their anger and aggression as well and maybe they are also constricted within society. If this was addressed, then it would have been a feminist theory. I think it is more of a society problem then a gender problem.

Gender and Fight Club

i really enjoyed today's class discussion about fight club. There were so many different themes that were mentioned in the book, and we seemed to have covered many of them. I like the author, and his way of writing very much. I had read Invisible Monsters even before i read fight club. Invisible Monsters is quite the opposite of fight club. Its about a model who gets her jaw blown off, and they cannot replace her jaw. So instead she walks around, missing a jaw. No one wants to look at her, thus she is "invisible" and even steals a frozen turkey from a grocery store. The author has a very blunt way of writing that makes you really think about things outside of the norm. I like this very much.

One of the topics that was talked about in class was the idea that Fight Club completely left out the idea of women being surpressed. I could understand how alot of people could have felt that way, but i somewhat disagreed with this arguement. Yes, the book may have been about a male domninated anarchy where only men came to fight and rebel...but i also think that the marla singer character was a symbol for women doing the same thing. She was not the typical "lady." In fact, she was quite the opposite. Marla does not care what other people think of her. She does as she pleases and does what she believes in. She is attracted to the idea of death, thus she used to work in a funeral home, and now she attends terminal illness support groups. Perhaps the perfect example of her "unladylikeness" could be when she attends the testicular cancer support group. There is no possible way taht she might have testicular cancer, but i think the symbolism of her being there is to put her on the same level with the narrator. This is why Marla and Tyler Durden are so perfect for one another.

To go further, i would also say thats its very interesting that Tyler gets so frustrated that Marla is attending "his" meetings. His insomnia comes back beccause this "faker" is in his presence. Even though he is doing the exact same thing as Marla, he is being hyppocritical that he cannot have this "tourist" attending his meetings. I think that this could also be a statement on women in the work place. Marla is just as perverse as Tyler, however, "how dare she attend?" Women for years had to fight for equal jobs. However they still do not get paid as well as men do in our society. Maybe this is the reason why Tyler beings a males only fight club. To get away from this female "faker".

P.S. I think Transamerica would be perfect...love it

Carmilla discussion/thought

I found Carmilla very interesting, explaining its influence on the vampire culture proceeding it. However, I am torn between whether I think it is empowering to women or criticizing women as sexual beings. The concept of being a vampire, as we have discussed, is seductive and sexual but mainly pertains to men. Carmilla focuses on a women vampire, who is attracted to and feeds off of the female characters. The vampire represents beauty and attractiveness, but as a dangerous entity. Laura on the other hand represents the virginal, obedient daughter who is curious about the Carmilla. The essay I feel criticizes what happens to women if they should dare to be overtly sexual in general, and especially towards women with lesbian tendencies. Having been written so long ago, I do feel that it is making a social commentary about the role of women, rather than just bringing up the issue of lesbian sexuality. The work could be seen as shining a light on the fact that women do have sexual preferences other than striaght heterosexual roles. Also ,women are portrayed as being sexual which generally could be a good thing although takes on a negative context in the work. I like the idea of the seductive sexualized female vampire, which could potentially be empowering to women, except that I think the author is trying to deter women from being to sexual because back then women had strict social constructions on how to behave. The author is trying to abstain women from doing anything "bad" or taboo, because in the end the vampire does and Laura lives. The work could also be a message to men that attractive sexual women are dangerous and have potential to castrate a male by seducing him; therefore, switching power roles.

gender discussion

Our class discussion on Tuesday was very interesting. It certainly seems clear that women in positions of power and authority are stuck in a conflict. They are truly in a lose- lose situation. If these women are too feminine, they are not taken seriously and are unable to gain the respect they deserve for their work, abilities and accomplishments. However, if these women are not feminine enough and instead demonstrate traditional masculine qualities at work such as competitive drive and aggressive behavior, they are ridiculed and insulted for not “doing” the feminine gender appropriately. Essentially, these women’s femininity is put into question, often being criticized for being too “butch” or manly.
This bind that women have found themselves in is really just a response to more and more women in our society gaining ground and securing high level positions of power. We live in a patriarchal, male dominate society. When women begin to challenge gender boundaries, men resist in an effort to maintain their position of power and control. By attaching a social stigma to women who are powerful and career driven, this therefore maintains the status quo, essentially protecting men’s dominant position in society.

After reading Carmilla, I found our class disscussion very interesting. I though it was cool to compare the movie Interview With a Vampire to Carmilla. As both of these pieces are about vampires, they are actually very different. Carmilla was cool to read because it was the first piece of writing about vampires, and the author chose to write about a girl. When I think of vampires I think of men, as I would picture them to be in Interview with a Vampire. The way that Carmilla went about getting blood or getting what she needed, was far different from the way that the men did. In comparison the men in the movie went straight in for the blood and had the immediate satisfaction of seducing the women and getting what they wanted. Where as, Carmilla waited and slowly used the other girl for what she needed from her. There was as much of the immediate sexual satistisfactoin between the girls as was seen between the men and the women. Something I didnt like about Carmilla, which was also brought up in class, was that there wasn't much of a climax. As i was reading it, I thought it was kind of dull, boring, and didnt seem as though it was really going anywhere. In the end, i didnt think it was very good, although i think the class disscussion brought up some points that i hadnt previously thought about.