Ch. 14 Summary: "Hetero Barbie?"

    Mary Rogers wrote this chapter discussing Barbie and how she represents gender and sexuality. Rogers starts the chapter stating that many heterosexual females as they enter their teenage years begin to put men at the center of their lives. Teenage girls begin basing their value on their attractiveness to boys and their relationship with a boy. It is interesting how Rogers connects this to Barbie and although Barbie's looks are very important, she has an "independence that deviates from the codes of mainstream femininity" (128). I never thought of Barbie as being outside of the mainstream, but more of a stereotypical view of how women are "supposed" to look. Barbie has Ken, but even then he is not the center of her life and throughout her existence she has not had a husband or kids. I was surprised when Rogers said the Barbie may not be heterosexual or not even a woman? It is a different perspective, but I don't know if I agree with that. I don't think it really matter it just is nice that Barbie is her own independent woman and has different jobs and hobbies on her own, despite her overly feminine and made-up look. 

    This chapter also looked at how people of different genders and sexuality viewed Barbie. Lesbians are more likely to reject "some of the central features of Barbie's world" and also bisexuals may find her monosexuality "unappealing" (129). The possibility that Barbie is a drag queen may explain why she is so made-up and I don't believe that it is bad that some people view her as that. Barbie is a doll and if people see different things in her that they can identify with then that is great. I always played with Barbie dolls as a kid and recently it seems like there has been so much negative views on her and how she is a bad representation of a woman for young children. 

Blog 3: All in the Family

  Family structure has changed a lot over the years and now there are a lot more different types of families. In the past it was mainly just the nuclear family, which is the family that consists of a mom, a dad, and kids. It is generally what most people think of when they think of a family, but this has changed as more people get divorced, have children out of marriage, and there are also many same-sex couple families. A lot of those different types of families were not accepted in the past, but as society advances and becomes more accepting of people and their situations the family structure has evolved.
   Within the nuclear family structure, there are gender roles for the mother and the father, but this is also something that has been changing. For the most part the father was the breadwinner of the family and the mother took care of the house and the children. The mother was nurturing while the father was in charge. This has changed as discussed by Sara Eckel in her article "Dad-Mom Role Reversals" on the Working Mother website. This article is about how the recession has forced many families to break the gender roles and have the mother be the breadwinner while the dad is more in charge of the children and the house. It seemed like it was difficult for many families to adjust to this, but it was something that had to be done because many men had lost their jobs. This was difficult for them not only financially but also emotionally, so it took time in order to get used to taking over some of the generally female responsibilities. It was an interesting dynamic to discuss and see that there are some obstacles in this role reversal, but it was great to see that for many families it was successful. This necessary role reversal and also society as a whole being more accepting of working mothers and stay at home dads has changed the way we see nuclear families now.
   Gender roles are different in modern families because there may not be a mother and a father in the house. There may just be a mother or a father who has to take on the responsibilities of both or even other family members or friends that take over certain responsibilities. There are also the same-sex families in which there are two fathers or two mothers, the gender roles in these families are very different and the parents don't have very defined roles. Modern families have much less defined gender roles and often have to adapt to what the situation they are in. With a nuclear family there are years of these gender roles, while the modern family is just becoming more talked about and accepted.

Chapter 29 Summary: "Sex, Lies, and Advertising"

  This chapter by Gloria Steinem described many different situations in which Ms. magazine faced road blocks in trying to get advertisements for the magazine that were supportive in their message. Advertising is very important to magazines and can make them profitable but when Ms. magazine were looking for advertisements, many companies were very sexist and only had certain products or advertisement types that they were willing to promote in a woman's magazine. Ms. magazine was very progressive, but the advertisements sometimes got in their way as illustrated through the 11 experiences Steinem had with sexist advertisements.
   Many different companies just didn't want to advertise to women like the car companies from Detroit. They eventually started to advertise to women but they were still uncomfortable in making adds that excluded no one. Foreign car companies had less issues with this, which goes to show how cars are such a part of masculinity in America. Other companies that were hesitant to advertise in Ms. magazine were toy companies. There was an issue with Lionel and their ads for their toy trains that were geared towards girls. They made a pink train for girls, but they don't sell and they don't want to advertise to both girls and boys because if trains are associated with girls "they will be devalued in the minds of boys" (273). This is a big factor in many of these companies decisions to advertise towards women and it is a shame that they even think about that. Even though Ms. magazine is read by many women with children, they do not advertise because many companies can't "believe feminists have or care for children" (273). This goes to show how sexist and man-driven advertisement companies are.
   Something else that was interesting was that many food companies refused to advertise with Ms. magazine because the magazine refused to show recipes in conjunction with the product. The magazine believed that associating work with the food had negative impacts on selling the food and also the reputation of the magazine. They made this decision to maintain their integrity in the eyes of their readers, but the companies did not respect this choice.
    The one story about advertising that stuck out to me the most was Steinem's dealings with Revlon. It was a short story but it had a huge impact. Ms. magazine got an interview with women from the Soviet Union that had produced feminist books and were exiled. The interview was a cover story that received very positive feedback and even a Front Page award. The problem was that this interview undid years of work to get ads from Revlon just "because the Soviet women on our cover are not wearing makeup" (275). It is terrible that a company would take such an important and positive thing that the magazine did and see it as a negative. It was appalling to see how much power companies have and that many are against the advancement of women.
    Eventually Ms. magazine was sold to an Australian company because they lost so much money due to issues with the ads. In Australia they also had issues with the same thing and had to be sold again. The next company that bought them was able to produce the magazine without ads, which proved to be beneficial. The magazine had complete editorial control and could convey their message without the negativity of advertisements.

Music Videos Imagery and Lyrics

Jenny Lewis--"Just One Of The Guys"

This music video includes Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway, and Brie Larson and Jenny Lewis uses them to challenge gender norms in her video. The video starts with the four of them playing instruments and singing in a band and is interspersed with them dressed in drag. Just from that they are showing how they are trying to be "just one of the guys" by dressing in tracksuits with facial hair and trying to act strong and tough. It is interesting in this video because they are trying to be just one of the guys, but there is something that is holding them back. Throughout the song, Jenny Lewis touches on having children and how "there's a little clock inside that keeps tickin'." I liked this video because although it seems like it reinforces gender norms and how women only are seen as mothers and nurturers, Jenny Lewis tackles this issue from a position of strength and shows how to be comfortable with yourself. She sings about how there is only one thing holding her back, but she doesn't take this as something bad and even mocks the machismo of men by dressing in tracksuits and doing karate kicks and trying to break dance. Another part of the song that touches on gender norms is one of her first lines of the song, "If I get caught being rude in a conversation with a child bride on a summer vacation..." and it shows that if she, a woman, was with a much younger person there is a different view placed on her than if a man did that. Throughout the video she tries to emphasize the male stereotype and how women play into that, and it is shown through Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, and Brie Larson. When they first are shown in their track suits, they really try to play into the male stereotype, but as the song goes on they start to have more fun with it and are seen smiling. They make it their own and show that they don't have to be "just one of the guys" and be stoic and strong. They can be goofy and smart too.

Maddie & Tae--"Girl In A Country Song"

Maddie and Tae created a song that challenged the stereotype of women in country music in their song "Girl in a Country Song." The song on its own has a very clear message about how sexist the way women are viewed in country music as just pretty objects just to be admired. The first verse even includes a line on catcalling; "I hear you over there on your tailgate whistling'/Sayin', "Hey girl."/But you know I ain't listening'/'Cause I got a name/And to you it ain't "pretty little thing", "hottie" or "baby"." Their chorus even further points out how bad the stereotype is now and it is great that they put this outrage out there. The chorus discusses how they don't get any respect and it is like all that they are good for is "looking good for you and your friends on the weekend." The song displayed all of these gender norms and talked about how terrible they are and then in the video they try to reverse them. The video starts with the women in bikini tops and jean cut-offs, and then they hit the role reverse lever to have the men wear the "barely there" clothing and dance around "sexily." By doing this it shows how ridiculous it is for the women to be dancing around like that because the men look absolutely crazy doing it. At one point the boys are trying to eat a strawberry seductively and its a laugh out loud moments and then next they try to wash a car in a sexy way. These are things that have been in country music videos and I love that they did the role reversal and pointed out how stupid it all is. I think this video shows a very good example of how to have a role reversal to showcase an issue in a way that makes the viewers question the gender norms in place.

Chapter 40 Summary: "There Are Bitches and Hoes"

Tricia Rose's chapter "There Are Bitches and Hoes" focuses on the way hip hop music portrays women as "bitches and hoes" and is extremely sexist. She discusses that many rappers brag about controlling women and promote the black pimp culture in which women are see only as sex objects. The music can also affect how other people think and act because the music promotes the idea that women have to be "bitches and hoes" in order to get attention. The hip hop music culture makes it seem as though men have to be the "black gansta" stereotype in order to gain money and fame, while women are put into the position of having to be hyper-sexual in order to make any gains at all. It is very unfortunate that music that so many people listen to reinforces these gender stereotypes and affects many people. Rose says that we have to actively work against the sexism and it can be very difficult because men and women are socialized by sexism and it is difficult to break when society rewards you for being sexist. 

Another point that this chapter brings up is that many people defend this sexism because they don’t believe it affects them or is about them. It is something that always happens and by doing nothing the hyper-sexism in hip hop music is affecting many young children.  Rose uses a quote from Byron Hurt’s Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes as an example of this; “It’s funny when I hear women say, ‘when these rappers are calling women bitches a ho’s, they’re not talking about me” (388). This may be true that the music isn’t specifically about them, but the music helps to spread the idea that women are to be controlled and sexualized. By separating themselves from these “bitches and hoes” women are allowing the sexism to continue. It is terrible that these views of women are in such popular music and many people don’t see a problem with it, but it affects the way people think about women and the “black gangsta” culture. Young people hear the music and are affected by the messages of hyper-sexualized women and it can have a negative impact.

The one thing that really stuck out to me was when Rose was discussing how we can fix all of this. She said, “We have to work hard against what destroys who we are, what prevents up from reaching our best selves and stalls our effort to create a truly just society” (390). This is important to realize, because although it may seem like it is just enjoyable music, it can put many different limits on us as people. Overall I found this chapter to be informative and eye-opening because something as simple as music can carry a huge message.

YouTube, I Tube, We All Tube: Gender Stereotypes in Toy Commercials

The first video I found was a commercial for a Barbie Gourmet Kitchen and it depicts the stereotype that women are homemakers. I chose this one as an just one of many commercials for toys that use this stereotype. This commercial is meant for young girls and uses a lot of stereotypes, which can be harmful because of how prevalent they all are. All of the toys that are deemed acceptable for girls are generally pink and deal with either playing with dolls, taking care of babies, or being a homemaker. This video depicts a young girl in a dress that makes her look a 60s housewife and making a big "home cooked" meal with her Barbie Kitchen. The kitchen itself is a bright pink and can even turn into a play dishwasher.

The other video I found is also for a toy, but this one takes all of the stereotypical toys for girls and makes them into a Rube Goldberg project to show that girls can also build and engineer things. The commercial was for Goldie Blox and advertised toys for future engineers. The video begins with three girls watching a video in which girls are dancing and dressed up in pink. They are extremely bored and go and grab goggles, a tool belt, and a construction hat to start building. Their creation uses many stereotypical "girl" toys and culminates with their project switching the channel to a commercial that depicts girls as future engineers. Throughout the entire video all of the "girl" toys were being thrown around and destroyed as a visual to show how Goldie Blox breaks the mold. The girls in the video showed curiosity and creativity as they worked together which is a great thing for young girls to see. The girls were excited to be creative and build something of their own and this creates a positive model for young girls. It is perfectly alright for girls to have a Barbie Kitchen, but I was happy to see that there are commercials that provide a different option for girls. It is a positive example and breaks many of the gender stereotypes brought up by the first video.

Barbie Gourmet Kitchen

Goldie Blox and Rube Goldberg "Princess Machine"

Summary of Chapter 7: "Women Read the Romance"

       Radway’s chapter focuses on one group of women brought together by Dot Evans, a bookstore employee, and their love of romance novels. The women go to Dot for advice on which romance novels to read and Radway focuses on why they enjoy romance novels and how they use the books as an escape. Radway's study on these women was from about sixty hours of interviews in 1981. Most of them were married and enjoyed the escape that romance novels gave to them from the day-to-day craziness from their lives and neglectful men. I found this to be very interesting that Radway decided to look into this and see the motivations behind their love of romance novels and how they only liked certain books.

      Romance novels, at least the ones back in the 80s, tended to follow a formula of how a woman would fall in love with a man that she once was at odds with. There were some of these books that dealt with leading men that at least temporarily abused or hurt the women that they fell in love with. These books gave the romance genre a bad name, but Dot and her readers refused to read any of the books in which the women were abused or brutally hurt by a man that she ends up falling for. Dot was able to find which books to avoid so the women could relate more to the stories and give them a break from their own lives. I think it is great that these women worked together to find which stories depicted women in a way they could relate to, because if the men in the story were too mean, it would be difficult to believe that the characters could actually fall in love.

    Many of the women used these novels as an escape from the dissatisfaction with their own lives, but the characteristic of the men in the novels are almost unattainable in our society. I was surprised about how Radway described that women want men to be nurturing and loving, but the patriarchal family structure encourages men to be aggressive, competitive, and unemotional. I feel like this is not as true now as it once was, but I believe that it still happens. The women look to these books to fill in the gaps in their own lives, which helps to make them happier, but it also gives them a false view of the world. I would be interested in seeing this study conducted now to see how things have changed. I think that the formula for the romance novels is probably still very similar, but I am curious to see if the reasons for reading them may change. 

     

“You Play Like a Girl!” Summary and Analysis

        Throughout the chapter “You Play Like a Girl!” the idea that females playing or even being allowed to play games on the same level as males is very difficult and has many different implications. There are many different obstacles that women face, whether not being allowed to play a sport with men or the perceived limitations of women. These perceived limitations include that men don’t think women are strong enough, they are not their equals, they are too masculine, and also limitations that women put on themselves. Women that play sports often are criticized for not being feminine and not being sexually desirable. These societal ideas make certain women not want to expose themselves to that scrutiny. An interesting idea brought up in this article was that years of “cultural conditioning” have made it difficult for women to play on the same level as men in the same way that men play with each other (493). Men are told they are supposed to never hit women, and this concept can take out of the competitiveness because men are thinking about this and not about the game. There is just so many different sides to why women should and should not play on the same level as men, which leads to as the book describes “a lose/lose situation” (495). If a man loses to a woman, he defeated a “weaker” opponent, but if the woman wins, the man is given the shame of being defeated by someone he should have easily beaten. Also women may be taunted if they win against a man, so there is the possibility of no one being happy in a situation like that.      
      This chapter truly highlighted the obstacles women face in competing on the same level as men and also the reason why men may be more reserved or even completely opposed to women competitors. There are so many different perceptions and stereotypes that are involved that take away from the competition. It is difficult to break down the “cultural conditioning” and many people don’t even want to try, which is a shame. It takes awhile to change a whole society’s viewpoint, but the article gave some options for improvement. I think the best way to improve this situation is definitely have cross-gender play be “frequent, routine, and enjoyable” (499). Making cross-gender play normal can help break stereotypes and preconceived notions because it’s what people think about women playing on the same field as men, not the actual competition that causes the most issues. Also the chapter mentions reinforcing “emerging perceptions of physically strong, competitive, aggressive females as sexually desirable” (499). Breaking down the barrier and the belief that athletic women are “masculine” and less attractive is the next step to making women more open to cross-gender competition. In turn if more women are willing to participate, the more “normal” it becomes. I believe that the chapter has given some great options and I don’t believe they will work overnight, but people need to start with being more open-minded and supportive of cross-gender play.