Feminism

For my last post I just wanted to say that before this class I was a little afraid of the "f" word.  Feminist, was something I would never describe myself as and now I still wouldn't say that I was, but I have warmed up to the word now.  It is a lot less scary to me and I am able to see the inequalities of today's society.  I have also been able to see how far women have come and I'm proud that so much has been accomplished.  I just want to challenge everyone to stand up for what you believe in whatever it may be and not conform to gender norms or think you can't do something because you are a female.  You can do it! 

True Life: I Can't Have Sex

     I am watching True Life: I Can't Have Sex as I am writing this blog and I just find the show interesting.  The girls don't feel like sexual beings or even feel like women.  This to me is a good thing because they are wanting help for themselves and want to feel like a sexual and empowered woman.  However, two of the girls have boyfriends and the other girl goes on dates.  They also talk about not being able to please their man and are worried about finding or keeping their guys because of it.  I don't think they should be worried about this because guys should like them for them and not worry about sex.  They need to seek help for them and not worry about the men in their lives because it isn't about them.

TV Marriage Proposals

     I had to blog about this article because I think it is simply ridiculous.  ABC is inviting viewers to submit their 100-word love story online for a chance to win a nationally televised marriage proposal.  Two "lucky" couples will be able to share their proposal during a commercial break of ABC's The Bachelor.  The event is part of a "Marry Me Monday" promotion that is brought to you by Jared the Galleria of Jewelry.  The deadline for the essay is December 27th and the episode will air January 31st or February 7th. 
    This article is silly and just makes me want to shake my head at our culture.  A proposal should be an intimate and special moment between the two people involved.  It isn't meant to be made into a big spectacle that is nationally televised.  I personally would be upset if some guy tried to propose on national television.  That is neither romantic nor intimate.   
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/abc-invites-viewers-to-propose-on-national-tv/51823

Dr.Oz Show

I was looking at news articles on yahoo news and stumbled across an article about the Dr.Oz Show.  I have never seen this show myself, but this article interests me.  He had a show about weight loss which featured six women in skanky outfits consisting of high heels, retro nurses hats and white dresses with red lingerie sticking out.  Nursing organizations spoke out against the show saying it was belittling and demeaning to nurses.  Nurses fight for a good image and fight against that type of an image.  The show apologized for its content a Dr.Oz spokeswoman states "Dr. Oz has worked alongside extraordinary nursing professionals throughout his medical career and holds nurses in the highest regard as they save lives and heal patients," the statement said. "Any attempt at humor should never call into question Dr. Oz's utmost respect for the nurses with whom he works and has lauded in other shows."  I find this article interesting because it is degrading to women and nurses.  I am studying to become a nurse currently and the nursing problem is tough.  Nurses are smart people and it takes a genuine good person to be in this profession.  I also have a rough time with the fact that he is a physician and presenting nurses in this kind of light when he is supposed to be giving medical information.

Work

Today at work we were talking about tools and how there are men's tools and then they sell those cute little tool sets for females.  Usually, the tool sets are purple or pink.  Its a good thing in the sense that they are trying to appeal to women by making tools those colors and this may help women break gender norms.  Men clearly are thought to use tools and not women according to traditional gender norms.  It's my hope that someday companies wouldn't feel the need to change things to make them more appealing.  Women should want to be independent and work with tools in the first place and not shy away from it because its a "masculine" thing to do.  However, I was proud to hear that their husbands have used their purple and pink tools.  I know many guys that work on things and would never think about touching a pink screwdriver or purple wrench.  I know that they would search for a different one even if the "feminine" colored tools were right next to them.  Why is there such a thing as "masculine" and "feminine" colors anyway?

Jewelry Commercials

     I'm doing a project for another women's studies class about representations of women in the media.  My project is on jewelry advertisements and how they pressure guys to buy jewelry for their significant other.  Basically, the main message is to buy her jewelry and you can win or keep her love.  I was thinking about how we talked about engagement rings in class and how they aren't necessary at all and used to be a dowry.  An engagement ring shows that the guy is ready to support the woman and begin a future together.  Except nowadays, men aren't just the "breadwinner," so why is this practice still done?  Tradition?  Even so, men aren't just buying engagement rings; they buy other jewelry for their significant other.  Other messages the ads and commercials send include: 1) "Buy her jewelry and she won't be mad at you."  2) "Buy her jewelry and you will get laid."  3) "Buy her jewelry to make her sexier." 4) "Buy her jewelry,  so that others can see how much you love her."  Personally, I think buying jewelry is a cop-out and it requires little to no thought on the man's part to come up with that gift.  Yes, it is still generous and I'm not saying I don't like jewelry, but I think the industry is ridiculous.  Not to mention the commercials are ridiculous, annoying and stereotypical.  The vast majority solely represent the white middle to upper class. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLWn3xTGL4

2 yr old

      Police said a two-year-old girl was raped in the aisle of a dollar tree today.  The girl was at the store with her aunt and grandmother; they became separated for a moment and she was grabbed by the already convincted sex offender, Eugene Melendres Ramos.  After taking her, he pinned her down in the aisle and pulled down her pants.  He began to assault her when he was spotted and then he was chased out of the store.  The grandmother and aunt chased him as well as two other men that were outside the store.  The men eventually tackled him and held him until officers were able to arrive.  Ramos had previously been charged in 2003 for intent to commit rape, sodomy, or oral copulation of a seven-year-old.  He is currently being held for suspicion of kidnapping, rape, sexual acts with a child and false imprisonment.  The bail is set at $350,000.
     I think that this is horrible.  The child was still in diapers and it's a real problem in America concerning women and children.  I'm not saying men aren't raped, but it is more common with women and children being the rape victims.  I personally think that the laws should be more strict concerning rape or sexual assault.  He clearly had done this before and he clearly didn't learn his lesson.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/02/BAAR1GL0VH.DTL&tsp=1

Friend

I have a friend that constantly bashes women.  I don't know if he is trying to be funny or actually serious because it happens often.  An example, is the other day he asked what class I was in and I said, "Intro To Women's Studies" and he replied that it doesn't exist.  He posts statuses on Facebook such as, "Females are stupid.. thats it ..." and calls women "simple bitches."  He says that men are superior to women and we are actually below dogs as far as being smart goes.  This is a video from his wall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUEhNnk7om0&feature=player_embedded#!  He's a good friend, but I got to say it bothers me to know he thinks so negatively about women.  I'm not singling him out at all because I know a lot of guys are like this. 
So heres my message to guys that think this way: 1) Women are just as smart as you are.  2) Women can do anything you can do.  3) No, I will not make you a sandwich! Your hands aren't broken, so make it yourself.  4) Maybe, you should get to know a girl and not base things off of looks only.

Thanksgiving

I didn't realize that there were extreme gender norms going on at my family events until Thanksgiving. I noticed the men sat in the living room and talked about topics such as football and hunting while the women prepared the meal. My grandpa ended up carving the turkey which stereotypically the "head of household" does. That was the only help any male contributed to the meal, although they had no troubles eating it. After the meal the men continued to relax and talk while the women scrambled to clean up and complete the dishes. Most of the men talked about hunting on Black Friday while the females talked about shopping. I guess it was just funny to see the stereotypical gender roles within my own family.

Reebok

I was watching TV the other day and a commercial came on for Reebok.  The commercial is supposed to sell shoes but the majority of the time the camera is focused on women's butts.  I get that they are marketing that these shoes tone your bottom and your legs.  However, if you are selling the shoes shouldn't you show the shoes a little more than just glimpses?  The main focus of the commercial is their butts!  Reebok you aren't selling butts; you are selling shoes!  The commercial is way over-sexualized and makes the women look like objects.  I just don't understand why you would design a commercial to please the male gaze when you are trying to sell the product to women.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR_UpJKwghc

Youtube

    In another class, we were talking about how youtube is mainly for males.  Males are the ones that generally are watching the videos and are much more likely to post a youtube video than a female.  Women do post videos, but if you read the comments they are horrible.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcqXzX-7ULg This video is a video about a woman showing you how to iron a pair of pants.  There are comments underneath saying "This woman knows her place" or " I wouldn't mind sliding my penis into her vagina, if you know what I mean."  Another video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26CAz1PdVmY&feature=channel  Comments say: "Lose your glasses and 50 pounds. Get straight teeth, GETTA NEW VOICE."  Another says, "LEARN TO F****** SING OR SHUT YOUR MOUTH , !
You RUINNN this song , you tone deaf little whale.."  Guys judge the attractiveness of females and either comment saying they want to do them or comment saying how ugly and stupid they are.  Women are judged a lot on youtube and people say some of the meanest things. 

Baby For Sale

     On Tuesday, a Florida woman was charged with selling her baby in order to be able to buy a car.  The ordeal started when the grandmother of the child made the deal with a buyer.  The original price was going to be $75,000, but the buyers couldn't get a loan from the bank and the price for the child dropped to $30,000.   The 22 year old mother of the 8 week old boy was only going to receive $9,000 of the profit in order to buy a new vehicle and pay court costs from a prior violation.  The mother, grandmother and the grandmother's boyfriend all were arrested and charged for selling a child and the grandmother also was charged with communications fraud.  They were caught because the grandmother offered to sell the infant to a relative and the relative reported it to the authorities.  An agent then went undercover on the case and that is who they ended up selling the child to.  The child is currently in state custody.
     This is horrible that anyone could sell their child or grandchild.  I don't know how any normal person could do something like this and be OK with it.  Not to mention there are plenty of people out there that want children and can't, so if you don't want your child then you can put it up for adoption and make someone else happy with the joy of motherhood/fatherhood.  As for the money part maybe they should get a job and earn money like most of the rest of America.  I say most because we do have those that freeload off of the government.....but Hey, who am I to judge?

"Dirty Little Secret"

Today, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher joined the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to speak out about the issue of online ex trafficking.  Women and children are traded for sex online.  Demi and Ashton called this a "dirty little secrect."  They are promoting an internet that is free of trafficking.  They set up a trust fund to support the cause that will be used to rebuild the lives of victims of this type of slavery.
-27 million victims forced into sex trafficking
-three quarters of the estimated 32 billion dollars for trafficking women and children takes place on the internet
I think that this is horrible and it comes to show that the internet can be a very dangerous place.  We talked in class about sex and people selling their virginity.  These people are essentially slaves that are being sold out against their will.  It is wrong on so many levels.  I think its great these celebrities are supporting a good cause and donating time and energy to a cause that is worthwhile. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101104/en_afp/untraffickingmoorekutcherpeople

Horror Movies

I have been watching horror movies lately because of halloween being right around the corner.  AMC and the family channel both have marathons of scary movies along with some other channels.  My roommate and I have also rented a few lately.  We watched movies classics such as Halloween, Scream and Friday the  13th and their sequals.  I just find it amazing how dumb the girls are portrayed in these movies.  Honestly if there is a creepy looking hitch-hiker you probably shouldn't pick them up.  If there is scary people working at a gas station it usually is the first sign you should go away from there and far away.  However, these are the mistakes I am talking about: 1) DO NOT investigate a noise
                                                2) DO NOT fall and if you do get up and run
                                                3) DO NOT pick up the phone
                                                4) DO NOT look under the bed
                                                5) DO NOT look back
                                                6) DO NOT open closed doors
                                                6) CHECK THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-c_z7SMXKk&feature=fvw This video is kind of funny and sums mostly what I am talking about up.

walmart

     I was at Walmart with my roommate and we were doing our normal shopping.  We got some groceries and had to get a few random things besides groceries.  We were over by the shampoo and stuff and a little boy was playing with a toy and his dad took it away and said something like, "You don't want this, it's yellow and yellow is a girl color."  He then pointed to my roommate and said, "See, she is wearing yellow; yellow isn't for boys."  He then preceded to wink at us and walk away.  I gave him a sort of disgusted look. (I couldn't help it)  I have seen many guys wear the color yellow and I don't see that color as strictly feminine at all.  After all, many people buy yellow things for babies when they don't know the sex of the child.
     I just think it is ridiculus that parents feel the need to police their children.  Just let your children grow up and don't be so worried about conforming them to gender norms.  Just because your boy wears pink or plays with a yellow toy does not mean that he will grow up to be gay or choose later in life to want to be female.  Your little girl can play with trucks and wear blue and it doesn't mean she will grow up to be a butch lesbian.  Why must we have so many gender expectations and conform children from birth to these expectations?

going to the gym

     I had a male friend ask me the other day to go to the gym with him.  I got ready and he met me at my apartment and we drove from there.  On our way we were talking and kind of making a game plan, I guess.  He was going to lift and then do and ab workout and then I said that I was going to go upstairs and work on cardio and then do an ab workout.  He kind of laughed and said something like, "well yeah, you're a girl and thats what girls normally do."  I looked at him and sarcastically said "really now." 
     I found this significant to write about just because for all he knew I could have wanted to lift.  It is very stereotypical to say that because I'm a girl, I'm not going to lift.  I have gone to the gym and lifted before and I also made it a point to observe who was lifting and there were a few girls.  I know that the norm is for guys to life because they want to be muscular.  However, girls like to tone their muscles too and some even do want big muscles. 
     I think people should start trying to change the way we think and talk and be less sterotypical.

George Lopez

     I was watching George Lopez the other day and there was an episode about a sex offender in the neighborhood.  Parents get upset and are concerned about a sex offender lliving around the neighborhood because they want their kids to be safe.  They form a mob and go knocking on the sex offender's door only to find out the sex offender is a female that had sexual relations with a 15 yr old boy.  She tells them that she was planning on going door to door to talk to people and makes it clear that she served her time and was going through counseling.  Afterwards, the mob wasn't mad and shrugged it off just because she was a female sex offender. 
     I think it is sad there is a double standard present.  The female sex offender should be taken just as seriously as the male sex offender.  There shouldn't be any difference because it is equally horrible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Z48C2uuRU&feature=related

One Less Lonely Glitter

     Justin Bieber is launching a new nail polish line.  He is launching his line through the OPI nail care company.  The colors are based on Justin's songs and are supposed to be "upbeat" to represent them.  Colors include: "One Less Lonely Glitter" (lavender), "Prized Possession Purple" (grape), "Give Me The First Dance" (silver), and Me + Blue (dark blue).  The nail polish collection will be available for purchase at Walmart.  Six colors will be up for sale in December 2010 and the rest of the collection will be available in January 2011.   
     I think it is unusual for a male artist to want to have a line of nail polish.  This wouldn't be considered a masculine thing to do or be in the gender norms for a male.  Nail polish is feminine and women and girls wear it, not men.  (usually, there are some exceptions)  So, if men don't use it then why would they sell it?  The answer is that Justin Bieber is an idol and the music industry and media want him to appeal to teenage girls.  Nail polish appeals to girls, so why not?  He makes money off of it, so who cares what he is selling?



Reuters – Singer Justin Bieber poses for a portrait in New York, June 3, 2010. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101011/people_nm/us_justinbieber_2

Jersey Shore

     I was watching Jersey Shore on MTV (episode10), the other day, and Pauly D made a comment about Angelina being a whore because she was hooking up with guys.  She explained that she was single and free to do what she wanted.  Angelina says that the guys bring girls home all the time and hook up with them, but when she does something similar its wrong and makes her a whore.  Pauly responds by saying that its ok for guys to do it, but its not ok for girls. 
     I disagree with that statement.  I think that if its ok for guys to hook-up with girls then it should be ok for girls to hook up with guys.  Why are girls held to a different standard?  Sex takes two people and if guys are hooking up with girls then these girls are taking part in "hook-ups."  Therefore, if these girls weren't present and weren't "whores" then guys wouldn't be having sex.  So, if we think about it, I think that our views on this issue should change.  Why are girls set to a higher standard?  Why should women be afraid to expierience sex because socially people are judging them?  I think that if people choose hooking up as a life choice then they shouldn't be judged for that.  Lets face it, the days of purity and abstinence are over.  That isn't to say that its not present in society because I know that it is.  However, I think it is obvious that times have changed and it is no longer the norm.  As long as people are responsible and safe about sex then why are we judging them?

"womanly duties"

The other day I was at a party with my roommate and we were talking about the dinner we had the other night with my brother and his roommate.  We had made plenty of food and knew we couldn't eat it all, so we decided to invite them over.  One of my male friends asked when we were going to cook for him.  He then proceeded to say that I could perform my "womanly duties" in the kitchen.  I know he was saying it in a joking manner, but it still helps me to realize the gender roles that society expects.  I don't see cooking as a "womanly duty" and I know that men can cook as well.  I grew up with my dad making dinner every night because my mother used to work from 2pm-10pm.  There are also many cooks and chefs that are males; I personally know some and they are shown on TV shows such as "Cake Boss."   I think that gender roles are something society should get over.  It's 2010 and times are changing women no longer are being confined to the house and doing the cooking, cleaning, and child rearing.  Some women still do, yes, however now women are getting an education and they are pursuing careers.   They may both have a career and still do all that stuff, but we are starting to see men involve themselves around the house.  Men are no longer just the "breadwinners" while the women are the housewives.  I just want society to get rid of the stereotypes. 

Debrahlee Lorenzana

     Debrahlee Lorenzana was fired for wearing outfits that were "too distracting" for male coworkers.  She was an employee at Citibank and is now suing them for sexual harassment.  She claims she was moved to a spot that was out of the way after filing complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.  She was unable to lure in new clients and was fired a month later.  Debrahlee has been on talk shows such as "The Early Show" and has had several interviews.  She now is getting offers from reality TV shows and modeling for magazines, such as Playboy.  Debrahlee has turned these offers down; she said, "If people in the future still remember my name, I want to be remembered as a woman who stood up for her rights."

     I think that it is great that she is standing up for her rights as a woman.  There are many women that brush off sexual harassment or are too scared to do anything about it.  It is a serious issue, especially in the workplace.  Women don't want to lose their jobs, so they don't stand up for their rights.  It is my hope that women see Debrahlee Lorenzana as a role model and find the courage to fight for what is right.    


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/09/26/2010-09-26_sexy_banker_debrahlee_lorenzana_has_no_interest_in_fame_playboy__just_wants_to_b.html#ixzz10kulNiPG