The surprises of patriarchy

Enloe brings up a lot of thought-provoking ideas in the first 2 chapters of The Curious Feminist. She actually explains what it means to be a curious feminist, and why being curious is actually a very advantageous quality. What I found most intriguing was her analysis of how being uncurious is actually something that people in power take into consideration and take advantage of. She says, “I’ve come to think that making and keeping us uncurious must serve somebody’s political purpose”(3). And I agree with that—maintaining uncurious, uninterested people in society is something people in power, want. Patriarchy, for instance, has been overlooked as a major problem for centuries. It’s the “structural and ideological system that perpetuates the privilege of masculinity” (4). Now, when Enloe said this, she made things a much more understandable. She went into detail about how patriarchy as a system is not just made up of men and of the masculine. But society, the public, people in general all serve some purpose in this system. And the battle between men and women continues within it. Why is masculinity privileged? Why, in order to sustain gender hierarchy do you need the “feminized feminine”?

"Seeing patriarchy, even misogyny, is not enough. In each instance we need to know exactly how it works and whether, even if continuing, it has been contested"(18). We can hear so much about what happened at Columbine High School or women getting raped in Bosnia or Kosovo--it isn't just about hearing these stories, these realities. It's about acknowledging them and being curious about them. Asking questions about patriarchy, about misogyny, and why or how it works can lead to eye-opening discoveries. The Curious Feminist must continue to learn and ask these questions so we can continue discovering new ideas and create opinions. If WE don't...who will?

News Flash: Law & Order SVU to make an episode based on Duke Fuck List

It’s always the same when it comes to sleeping around: the double standard. We tend to “live” by this rule. Guys are studs while girls are sluts. The senior from Duke University probably never thought she would be seen as a slut. But once her PowerPoint “thesis” titled “An education beyond the classroom: excelling in the realm of horizontal academics” went viral, people immediately deemed her as a slut.

The Duke “Fuck List” is senior Karen Owen’s PowerPoint fake mock thesis of her sexual encounters with baseball, tennis, and lacrosse student athletes from Duke University. It includes names, pictures, and ratings of each of the men. The evaluation included physical attractiveness, size, talent, creativity, aggressiveness, entertainment, athletic ability, and a bonus category.

This list however could make the guys on it feel empowered; if they got a high rating that is. Many articles claim that the guys on the list were furious, especially the lacrosse team since they didn’t need any extra publicity. And this can be seen as a case of sexism for those who didn’t get such a high rating. But these are the people that others want to be like: the macho student athletes who get with a lot of girls. They are seen as the “top dogs” on campuses.

And now “Law & Order SVU” is going to air an episode inspired by this “Fuck List.” SVU’s Daniel Truly said that the episode will focus around: “’Caitlin Lamarck’ is a twenty-something-year-old working at an advertising agency in New York City, who makes the PowerPoint about the employees she sleeps with and then winds up dead at a party” (Morrissey, 2010).

Owen’s pointed out that “frats make lists like this all the time” (Morrissey, 2010). So are we obsessing over this just because a girl made it, since girls having too much sex is seen as not right. Or is it because this shows us that women can be just as aggressive and sexually active as their male counterparts? Or was it because alcohol was involved in almost every incident? As a society, we need to obtain a position where women and men can be held to the same standards.

News Flash: Emily Messing

“Rather than society’s aberrants or ‘spoilers of purity,’ men who commit rape have served in effect as front-line masculine shock troops, terrorist guerrillas in the longest sustained battle the world has ever known” (Brownmiller, 282). Unfortunately, Brownmiller’s words can be applied in a more literal sense when considering the war crimes that Jean-Pierre Bemba’s militia committed during a campaign in Central African Republic. Similar to “the Bosnian Rapes” Bemba’s militia is being charged with mass rape in addition to looting cities and killing civilians (Simons). Rape during war times cannot be excused as simply being the result of a soldier’s sexuality being determined by uncontrolled drives (Enloe, 119) but more accurately as a method in which power is exercised (Brownmiller, 272). Rape is a military device in which dominance is asserted and the victims are left feeling disempowered.

Prosecutors are building a case against Jean-Pierre Bemba for his command over the militia that conducted a “campaign of rape, murder and torture in the Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003” (Simons). Previously the vice president of the Congo, Bemba is currently acting as a leader of a political party after loosing in the 2006 election. Bemba has pleaded not guilty to the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity that are being held against him. Not only have prosecutors claimed that Bemba had full control over the militia and was well informed of its actions, but that Bemba also held “sham trails” after his militia had been accused of wrongful acts, in which Bemba pretended to prosecute the perpetrators (Simons). This act of holding “sham trails” indicates that these crimes were in fact committed and were acknowledged as worthy of punishment.

Simons notes how Bemba’s arrest has caused an uproar in the Congo because many were surprised that such a powerful figure such as Bemba could be taken into custody (Simons). It is a common belief that political leaders are in place in order to ensure stability, however, as Enloe notes, “rape causes political outrage and political embarrassment” (Enloe, 119). Therefore the fact that a military leader such as Bemba is being convicted of leading a militia that is accused of mass rape has dismantled the illusion of stability that Congo’s militia had been maintaining. Unfortunately the occurrence of rape during military campaigns is relatively common.

One explanation for its repeated occurrence is that rape is a means of asserting control. As Brownmiller explains, “rape is ‘nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear’” (Brownmiller, 272). By creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety the soldiers are more readily able to accomplish their goals. Therefore, it is not a surprise that it has been suggested that the rapes conducted by Bemba’s militia were used as a war strategy (Simons).

Although we are tempted to focus on war being a power struggle between two opposing armies; it is important to consider what effects war has on the civilians at home who are facing dangers analogous to those encountered on the front lines, especially the women. Women’s sexuality has always been a major component of the military. A main example was how women living during times of war were constantly elevated “as mothers-of-soldiering sons, [and valued] chiefly for their maternal sacrifices for the nation” (Enloe, 107). Thus, by enemies coming in and raping their opponent’s daughters and wives, they are inhibiting the opponents’ ability to create future generations. Not only do the women have to suffer the loss of men that they loved, when militias like Bemba’s coming through their towns, but the act of being raped is something that will affect the women for the rest of their lives. “There will be thousands of women who will attempt to reimagine what it means to be feminine in a postwar society…who will devise ways to come to terms with having been raped or with having lived in fear of being raped” (Enloe, 118). The rape culture that has been generated by militias using rape as a war strategy has resulted in women living in constant fear at the threat of being raped (Brownmiller).

Not only did Bemba’s militia rape women and girls in front of their families, on their rampage through the Central African Republic, but “also men and important elders to publicly debase them” (Simons). The act of raping another individual can be viewed as a declaration of power over the victim. The concept of masculinity has been closely linked with male’s performance as a solider (Enloe, 106) and if men are unable to defend themselves as soldiers against their enemies, they have essentially been emasculated.

When an army is charged with mass rape, there is a high likelihood that group rapes occurred. A study conducted by Menachem Amir found that “Sexual humiliation ran higher in group rapes than in individual rapes, and the most common form of extra insult in group rape was repeated intercourse” (Brownmiller, 281). What is interesting about Amir study is that he also found that “71 percent of rapes were planned” (Brownmiller, 179). This statistic indicates that there is a high probability that Bemba’s militia did in fact use rape as part of their planned strategy of attack. Group rape again brings up the concept of masculinity being closely tied with the military. “[Group rape] is proof, too, of male bonding…and proof of a desire to humiliate the victim beyond the act of rape through the process of anonymous mass assault” (Brownmiller, 281). Group rape is a form of oppression and abuse that I feel should most definitely be charged as a crime against humanity in addition to a war crime.

Simons notes that in trails similar to Bemba’s there is usually an issue with being able to prove that the commander has authority over the militia, but in the this specific case, there is little hesitation to make that assumption (Simons). As Enloe notes, during times of war, “steps were taken by male superiors to lower the ‘psychological stress’ they believed would be experience by the men on killing assignments” (Enloe, 112), therefore the commanders can be held responsible for the inexplicable actions of their soldiers. Soldiers are convinced that “their own manhood will be fully validated only if they perform as soldiers” (Enloe, 108) and if that means following the command to rape women, that is what most of these soldiers are unfortunately going to do.

The case of Bemba’s militia being charged with mass rape during a campaign in the Central African Republic brings many questions to the surface surrounding militaries’ actions. A major fallacy about the military is “that rape is discouraged” (Enloe, 120). However, prostitution is provided to the soldiers because it is a common belief that soldiers need a sexual outlet, and if they are able to get this from the local women, they will be less likely to commit acts of rape that could be considered a war crime. However, by encouraging the belief that soldiers need a sexual outlet, it is provided an excuse for their actions. The military is a necessary aspect of societies today and has been for centuries, it when acts like the one’s Bemba’s militia is being charged with, makes us question the concept of national security versus humans rights. We do not want our security to come at the expense of others rights. No man or women should have to be a victim of rape, and we can just hope that Bemba and his militia will be found guilty of the charges against them.

Works Cited

Brownmiller, Susan. “Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape.” Feminism in our Time. By Miriam Schneir. New York: Random House Inc., 1994. N. pag. Print.

Enloe, Cynthia. The Curious Feminist. London: University of California, 2004. Print.

Simons, Marlise. “War Crimes Trial Begins for Congolese Politician.” The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. .

News Flash: [Abortion: a woman's right or a religious No-No?]

Courtney Miller

News Flash

In the United States we tend to think of abortion as a universal procedure where it is basically the same process in other countries as well. This is a common misconception. In other countries, there could be differences in laws according to the mother’s trimester, economic stature, social situation, etc. So unlike the United States which gives women the right to choose whether they want an abortion or not, in places like Thailand for example, this luxury does not exist. I have found two recent articles both touching upon the latest scandal in Bangkok revolving around abortions. One online article I came across, I had no intention of using it in my paper, but being recent news and extremely relevant to class, I thought it necessary. It’s titled, “Abortion reform is up against Buddhism in Thailand”, an article written by Andrew Chambers. It discusses the religious issues that are raised along the topic of abortion in Thailand. And the other article, I was originally going to use from The New York Times is titled, “Thai Police Find 2,000 Illegally Aborted Fetuses”, written by Seth Mydans. There was a discovery of 2,000 fetuses from illegal abortions stored in a temple at Bangkok. And the article speaks on who was responsible and how this came about. In this news flash I plan to focus on why abortion laws are so different in the U.S compared to in Thailand and the social, historical and religious factors surrounding this scandal. I will be sharing my personal opinion on the issue as well.

Neighbors began complaining of a smell and found an old Buddhist temple to be the source. Society is outraged and is just now trying to figure out how to handle the situation at hand. What I found to be most interesting is that in Thailand, there are some instances where abortion is legal, and others where it is illegal. Abortion is only permitted in cases of rape or physical risk to a woman’s health. This is quite different in the U.S. and I am thankful for that. We have the choice to decided whether we want an abortion or not, for reasons we don’t have to explain to anyone. I couldn’t imagine having to make a decision like that on anyone else’s behalf but my own and the people who care about me. However for women in Thailand, I can imagine their experience to be much different. In a country where abortion is technically illegal, what happens to a woman when she has personal reasons to have one, and she has no outlet? No clinic that can legally take her? No friends or family to rely on? She must obviously do what she needs to do, and risk community exposure and alienation from peers in order to do so. However, Thailand is a Buddhist country, and “many people are generally conservative on sexual matters. (Chambers).” That being said, most women prefer to have the abortion done in a private setting where they are in and out and don’t have to worry about it. This is when the temple that stored the fetuses comes into play.

In Theravada Buddhism, abortion is recognized as a “sin”. This framing of abortion as a sin still has a very significant influence on the people of Thailand, considering 95% of the population is Buddhist (Chambers). So if getting an abortion means being looked down upon in society, most women are extremely fearful and hesitant to go through with it. I think a major problem concerning this issue is the fact that the abortion laws are ancient—and have been going unchanged since 1956. An amendment was proposed in 1981 though, which would legalize abortions in the case of “mental wellbeing, congenital abnormalities and contraceptive failure”, but the strict Major General Chamlong Srimuang, who is extremely religious, created a coalition against the amendment and lobbied against it. The scandal has sparked major discussions and possible changes to this ancient law but people are saying little is likely to change.

The United States’ approach to abortion took a slightly different route. In class, we discuss Roe v. Wade on a regular basis. In Feminism in Our Time, there is a section devoted to the Roe vs. Wade Court Decision. In Texas in the 1960’s, abortion was illegal except in the case of saving the life of the pregnant woman. Three women, McCorvey, Coffee, and Weddington got together in an abortion lawsuit. In 1970 they filed a suit challenging Texas’ constitutionality on their antiabortion law, and other states similar laws. In the end, it was decided 7 to 2 that women indeed do have the right to an abortion during the first trimester and have mildly limited rights in the second trimester. It has ever since been called “a major contribution to the preservation of individual liberties”. The rest of the section includes details about the Constitution and the amendments, as well as a history of abortion laws, among them the question of when a fetus is recognized as a “person”. I find it interesting that even 40 years ago, the United States was ahead of its time regarding abortions and Thailand was merely allowing women to get abortions on the strictest terms.

In Listen Up, a piece written by Inga Muscio called Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners, and the Power Within, recounts the three abortions Inga went through and how she coped with the horrifying experiences. It’s hard to imagine what the women in Thailand must have been thinking when they go through with illegal abortions. So many factors must have contributed to the shame and guilt they must feel as they get the procedure done. And this is a similarity Thailand shares with the U.S, and among other countries as well. Women don’t enjoy getting abortions—it isn’t something any woman feels good about doing. Yes, it is a huge weight lifted off a woman’s shoulders, and yes, in certain circumstances it is sometimes the best option but everywhere is the world, no matter what the situation, we all feel a sense of emptiness after the fact. However, women in Thailand don’t have all the outlets that we do. Since openness about sexuality is frowned upon in this country, it’s extremely difficult for a woman to have the necessary outlet to get the procedure done. They must go to people that provide illegal abortions and then whatever is done with the fetus, is not their problem.

I think it’s interesting how religion isn’t taken into consideration nearly as much in Western culture. Maybe if more emphasis were put on religion, the United States would have just as much of a problem as Thailand with illegal abortions taking place. However, if the U.S had a similar policy, the same problems would arise. Women would feel alienated and will fear public scrutiny, let alone knowing that they will be breaking the law.

I find it uncomforting that the women of Thailand have to go through this alone. Inga had friends and family to support her in her decision. She states, with a "core of supportive women surrounding me and with my mind made up, I was pretty much invincible"(Muscio, 116). I doubt any women of Thailand feel this feeling. Judith Arcana seems to agree in her article, “Abortion is a Motherhood Issue”. She says we can't speak of abortions "in the atmosphere of guilt and shame created by the spiritual and emotional terrorism of the contemporary anti-abortion movement"(227). I feel that if women had more private ways to deal with unwanted pregnancies, abortion may not divide our country as much, let alone other countries with illegitimate rules.

Women could make their own decisions without having to advertise it to the rest of their communities. Furthermore, protestors could not interrupt a private moment within someone’s life. Overall, I think abortions should be decided for or against on an individual basis within the privacy of one’s home. The decision is monumental for women and also potentially upsetting to many people; if left in the privacy of one’s home I think women could reunite and focus on more pressing matters in society.

Works Cited

n Chambers, Andrew. "Abortion Reform Is up against Buddhism in Thailand." The Guardian. 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. .

n Findlen, Barbara. Listen Up: Voices from the next Feminist Generation. Seattle, WA: Seal, 2001. Print.

n Mydans, Seth. "Thai Police Find 2,000 Illegally Aborted Fetuses - NY Times Health | E! Science News." E! Science News | Latest Science News Articles. 19 Nov. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .

n Arcana, Judith, “Abortion is a Motherhood Issue”.

Foreign Feminism

I think that the issue of the responsibility of American women to work towards the rights for all women world-wide is a tough concept to deal with. On the one hand I do agree with Bunch, in the sense that in America women have progressed so much in relation to what conditions used to be like for them, but we have to remember that we are far from obtaining true equality in the United States. The difficult part for me is that Americans are constantly being accused of trying to implement their beliefs and ideals on people in all other countries. Therefore, I think that it is a very delicate position that American feminists are faced with. I really liked how Abu-Lughod said how we need to "accept the possibility of difference. Can we only free Afghan women to be like us or might we have to recognize that even after 'liberation' from the Taliban, they might want different things than we would want for them?" (Abu-Lughod). That is a really concept that we need to grasp, and a theme that we have seen continuously arising throughout the semester; that all women regardless of their backgrounds need to band together for change rather than pit themselves against each other.

I also found it interesting how all three readings addressed westerns' obsession with the idea of the veil. To us we cannot fathom having to wear something everyday that we view as oppressive, but what we need to come to recognize is that these women are wearing it because it has become a part of their culture and most times their religious beliefs.

I thought that Enloe did a much better job of addressing the issues surrounding 9/11 than Bunch did. There are obviously so many different perspectives and a variety of groups being affected in the aftermath of 9/11 and I think that we need to approach one issue at a time. I thought that Bunt was overly aggressive in her critique of American feminist's responses to 9/11, although she did bring up some relevant points about the intentions of the war in Iraq. However, I felt as though Enloe articulated her points in a much more approachable manner and allowed the reader to not feel as though they were being forced fed beliefs. It was interesting to hear the story of the Afghan women who was deputy minister whose son was beaten because of her position in the new leadership (Enloe 278). It just proves how much work there still is to be done even years after the fall of the Taliban. That being said, we do need to remember that not all countries wish to be the United States, and although we should offer our aid, we need to be careful to not implement our belief system and cultural practices on them.

Women At Arms

While employing women in the military can be seen as a step forward, it is also a step back. There are still cases of sexual assault and harassment. And like many other incidents, it's underreported. In a place where soldiers are supposed to feel protected, these women end up feeling scared.
These women are in a predominately male-dominated environment. So in order to survive, they can't act feminine-like. They end up being seen as a bitch, a slut or a dyke. But if they aren't doing the jobs on the field they end up doing the traditionally "female" jobs: the base hospital and food service, supply and administration.
In the case of Capt. Margaret H. White, it ended with the military equivalent of a restraining order and charges of stalking. You would never think that the military has these kind of problems. We look to our military for protection. Where do these women in the military begin to even find protection if their own counterparts are causing them to feel unsafe?
But once again, we are only seeing male violence against women. There might be female violence against men or even female against female. But I guess that those incidents are even more underreported.

Power

"If humanity is to evolve beyond the propensity toward violence...then it can only do so by recognizing the extent to which the patriarchal code of honor and shame generates and obligates male violence" (Steinem). I thought that it was interesting how both Steinem and Enloe presented the idea of violence in terms of it being about a power struggle. Steinem makes the point that what the media is focusing on as the major issues surrounding violence in schools, is not actually presenting the entire story. For example, when referring to the the Columbine shootings, the teens sexuality nor gender was of much attention because they were what is considered to be the "norm" (Steinem). But if on the other hand they had been homosexual or females, the story would have had a totally different twist to it rather than the one that we heard in the media. Similarly, Enloe, notes that society is able to mold the behaviors of its citizens by labeling actions in certain ways. The way that people act should be in such a way to better their country. If an offensive act occurs and is conducted by a fellow member of their country, the incident should not be reported, but if on the other hand reporting the sexual assault incident would benefit their country then it should be reported (Enloe). Additionally Enloe deals with idea of silence, which I think can be related to a numerous amount of women's issues even today. She choose though to tackle the issue of sexual assault. The idea that women need to be "respectable" is what kept them oppressed for so long. A women was considered less respectable and therefore less marriageable if she had been a victim of assault, which lead to her silence after the incident. However, we learn through "A Letter To My Students: Stop Rape Now By Doing These Ten Things" that silence is the last action a women who was a victim of sexual assault should take. In this blog, the reader is encouraged to take action to not only respond correctly to a sexual assault incident, but how to band together, as women and men, in preventing them from occurring on college campuses. I thought that this blog was important for us all to read to because sexual assault is more prevalent on Colgate's campus than most of us know, or choose to know. It is definitely an issue that needs to be talked about so that people can become more aware and active in their prevention.

troubled men...

"We will never reduce the number of violent Americans, from bullies to killers, without challenging the assumptions on which masculinity is based: that males are superior to females, that they must find a place in a male hierarchy, and that the ability to dominate someone is so important that even a mere insult can justify lethal revenge."

This quote stuck with me the most in the article. Unless we confront such assumptions from which masculinity is based on...how will we put an end to this? Everyday women struggle to uphold their femininity while also making sure their voices are heard and they are superior beings. Men don't have this problem. Men have the luxury of not having to wake up and prove their superiority--they are "the man". Or are they? See, it;s the men that think they have something to prove that don't believe this. It's these troubled men who believe that in order to fully obtain the respect they deserve as men, they need to do something that will make them feel like men--like the powerful, heterosexual, white men they know they are. And as Steinem argues, it is the white, heterosexual man who does this best. But why then, must they feel the need to "dominate" someone or something in order to feel accomplished? men are on a power high. They are hooked on the drug of dominance. I found the article extremely unnerving.

Childbirth

I never realized that there were so many complications when it came down to delivering a baby. I mean, I always knew that something could go wrong, but not that there were so many risks for both the mother and the baby.

It was interesting to see the history of childbirth and it's progression into today; to see how many ways there are now of delivering a child safely. Doctors can use "antiseptics, the forceps, blood transfusions, a drug (ergot) that could induce labor and contract the uterus after delivery to stop bleeding, and even, Cesarean section" (Gawande). The C-section is used more and more frequently, since it is easy to teach.

The Apgar score was something I had never heard of. "It allows nurses to rate the condition of babies at birth on a scale from zero to ten" (Gawande). This is observed and documented one minute and five minutes after birth, since the score can increase with increased oxygen and other factors. I wonder what doctors would do, if after five minutes, the baby was still rated with 5 or less points? Would they just leave them to die like they used to do? Or try to bring their rating up?

Shmashmorshmons!

I have never enjoyed reading about vaginas more in my life. I think I'm going to start with the two pieces from "Listen Up". "Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within"was extremely personable. I enjoyed reading about Inga Muscio's experience having gone through 3 abortions as well as Ashley Crews' pro-life upbringing in "And So I Chose".

The decision to have an abortion is definitely one of the most daunting thoughts for women. I strongly believe that this is one of the hardest things for a woman or couple to go through at any point in their lives. I also believe that no matter what decision is made, it must be made surrounded by support and found within oneself. Muscio went through 3 abortions in a very small period of time. She was nineteen when she found out she was pregnant for the first time and immediately got the procedure. With just her boyfriend along side and not knowing what was coming, she went through with an overwhelmingly painful abortion. Come the third abortion, she seeked other help. As I said earlier, the decision to get an abortion must come from within--"Power Within"--However Muscio started getting help from friends and close ones...sure enough with a "core of supportive women surrounding [her] and with [her] mind made up, [she] was pretty much invincible"(116). Much similar to what Allison Crews speaks of in "And So I Chose". After living a childhood surrounded upon pro-life feminists and protests, she witnesses a young girl get an abortion. And once she looked at the frightened girl, she was scarred. "The pain I saw on her face was unmistakable"(144). Again, very similar to the frightened young Muscio when she got her first abortion. The difference being, Muscio was actually felt comforted and supported by a close group of women who helped her through her third one. This poor girl, had nothing of the sort...being told awful things from protesters more than three times her age. Crews knows she should have "had a right to feel protected, a right to feel safe. She had the right to make a choice for herself and her future without being harassed and intimidated"(145). What bothers me is the crowd harassing the young girl for making a decision that she made for herself. it should have to bother anyone else, and no one should judge her on that.

Having support at a time of tremendous pressure, is always an appreciated thing. Judith Arcana seems to agree. She says we can't speak of abortions "in the atmosphere of guilt and shame created by the spiritual and emotional terrorism of the contemporary anti-abortion movement"(227). She also knows that it must be spoken of in open recognition. So I guess I'm agreeing with all the authors from tonight's readings considering they all strongly believe that abortion is an individual's choice and that if it is made surrounded by a good support system, it can be made much easier.

News Flash: Emily Messing

In today’s society it is a fact that the gay and lesbian community are being oppressed. “The experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasion and hence avoidable, but are systematically related to each other in such a way as to catch one between and among them and restrict or penalize motion in any direction” (Frye). I fear that was the case for the five gay teenagers who recently committed suicide. However, it is the social environment that allowed conditions to get so bad that these teenagers felt suicide was the only option. Clint McCance, vice president of Midland school district in Arkansas, is an example of an individual who helps society build those barriers against the gay and lesbian community. The anti-gay messages that McCance posted on facebook, contributes to the overall structure of the birdcage that is surrounding the gay and lesbian community today.

The famous facebook posts that ultimately lead to McCance’s resignation were in response to a “bullying awareness campaign sponsored by GLAAD” (CNN). This campaign asked for members of society to wear purple in memory of the recent gay teen suicides. Instead of writing in support of the event, McCance said: “‘seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed therselves because of their sin’” (CNN). Although McCance’s post received large amounts of backlash from the public, he defended his words by citing his religious beliefs. McCance has since apologized to the public and to the families whose children he was referring to by saying “I’m sorry I made those ignorant comments and hurt people on a broad spectrum” (CNN). However, the fact that such a strong opinion was voiced in the first place, speaks loudly about the social conditions we are living in today.

The inabilities of the systems and the people, who participate in the system, to recognize variations in sexual preference as acceptable, has lead to the creation of an institution that is equivalent to the overall structure of the birdcage. As Rich notes, “the failure to examine heterosexuality as an institution is like failing to admit that the economic system called capitalism or the caste system of racism is maintained by a variety of forces, including both physical violence and false consciousness” (Rich 317). The forces that the gay and lesbian community absorbs include hate speech like the post that McCance used on his facebook. Statements such as “want[ing] gay people to commit suicide” (CNN) is a strong statement that can have a large impact on the community it is referencing. Although McCance said that “[he gives] everyone a chance and [tries] to love everyone” (CNN) it is clear from his previous statements that he is not a liberal minded individual. It is individuals, like McCance, who refuse to give people different themselves a chance, that perpetuate the belief that the institution we are living under is oppressive.

In society we are confined by the ideals set forth about what is considered normal. As Ettelbrick notes, “the concepts of equality in our legal system [do] not support differences, it only supports sameness” (Ettelbrick 306). Therefore, since being gay is seen as a difference and heterosexuality as the norm, homosexuality is not easily accepted by the system, especially the religious system. People use laws accepted by the religious community in order to justify their beliefs regarding homosexuality. Despite all of the negative press that McCance experienced for his posts such as “thousands of phone calls, hate mails, people threatening to kill [his] family and [him],” the scary part is that not everyone disagreed with his appalling statements.

McCance’s position as the Vice-President of Midland school district meant that he was elected into a position of power in order to help carry out the standards of the school. The district denounced the posting by issuing a formal statement that claimed “the district strives to foster an environment that discourages all forms of bullying…and an environment that encourages a safe and productive educational climate [for] all of our students. The district is very diligent in pursuing and addressing bullying of any variety on our campus” (CNN). However, it would appear that McCance’s words are a form of bullying. It is ironic that an elected board member whose responsibility it is to make sure that students do not experience discrimination is abusing his power and discriminating himself.

In Addition to the system inflicting its beliefs on individuals, parental beliefs regarding the gay and lesbian community are another wire contributing to the all-encompassing structure of the birdcage that surrounds that community. McCance asserted that he “promised to disown his children if they are gay” (CNN). This sort of statement does not foster an environment where his children are able to explore what options are available to them as they mature. Instead it confines them to the narrow vision of what the world should be like, and provides children with minimal tools for dealing with differences they may experience or encounter throughout life. However, this is not uncommon. As Frye writes, “the same parents who would be disapproving of her sexual activity may be worried by her inactivity because it suggest she is not or will not be popular or is not sexually normal” (Frye). This point emphasizes the fact that being homosexual is not considered “normal” and is treated as taboo in society, even today.

Since it is evident that not all elected officials can be trusted to utilize their power in a beneficial manner, there are also rules instated by the federal government. These rules are intended to protect the rights of all individuals, an example being warning that “school administrators who fail to properly deal with harassment risk being cited for civil rights violations” (CNN). However, it is clear that these rules are not being enforced strongly enough. As Gilbert noted sexual identity was never seen as an option to her before (Gilbert 82) even though according to the laws she should be allowed to have the choice. We live in a society where we believe that in order to be successful, we have to all conform and resemble an ideal mold of what is considered normal. And as McCance makes clear from his original statements, being heterosexual is what is largely viewed as normal. However, this oppressive environment that the majority of society has fostered has lead to resentment by others. Gilbert confesses, “I became angry with the society that hadn’t given me the option-my right-to be a lesbian/bisexual women” (Gilbert 83). People should been given a chance to discover their true identities, especially in the school system, which is designed to help individuals prosper intellectually.

Based off of the recent suicides of five gay teens, society should be more aware than ever of the type of environment that our personal beliefs and institutions have created. Clint McCance, is an individual who was put in a position of power and expected to foster a safe and comfortable environment for children to learn in. However, he failed to meet the expectations given to him by the people who elected him. Although it may appear that McCance is just one individual who wrote offensively about the gay community we have to remember the point that Lorde brings up, we are living “in a country where racism, sexism, and homophobia are inseparable” (Lorde). It is all the individual acts similar to his that band together to construct a structure that bars minority communities from advancement. Therefore, McCance who “disapproves of homosexuality” (CNN) represents only a small niche in the overall obstacle facing the gay and lesbian community. Each time we speak negatively of another group different than ourselves, it is important to remember the metaphor of the birdcage: acts that are seen as a wire individually are not much of an obstacle, but when molded together, each of those wires contribute to a cage that is impossible to escape.

Works Cited

The CNN Wire Staff. “Arkansas school board member to resign over anti-gay post.” CNN.com. Turning Broadcasting System, Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. .

Ettelbrick, Paula. Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation? 1989. 305-308. PDF file.

Frye, Marilyn. Oppression. N. pag. PDF file.

Gilbert, Laurel. “You’re Not the Type.” Listen Up. Ed. Barbara Findlen. Emery: Seal Press, 2001. 182-187. Print.

Rich, Adrienne. “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.” Feminism in Our Time. By Miraim Schneir. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 310-326. Print.

News flash: [Girls Gone Mild]

The media portrays gender stereotypes everywhere, including in children’s films. Douglas would argue that movies “tell young women, repeatedly, which behaviors to model, and which ones will get you the admiration of men” (181). So these animated children’s films subtly tell our daughters the “proper” ways for women to act: they need to be “like a prop that needs to be rescued” (Calautti, 2010). Is that the message we want to be sending our children from a young age?

Too often we see the “damsel in distress” on the big screen that remains helpless until she gets since she can’t do it herself. And the body type is always the same: looking like a Barbie doll wearing clothes that shows off some skin. So the message is pretty clear: “your body is your central, crucial resource in establishing your net worth as a female” and it should be used, along with helplessness, to get the guy (Douglas, 215-16). I don’t think this is something that we want to have our children grow up into. But what else is there? Either way, our children will eventually fall into the stereotypical norms that surround them on an everyday basis.

Katie Calautti’s article Girls Gone Mild gives examples of children’s movies that portray these gender stereotypes. She uses movies like Megamind, Aladdin, and Snow White. Just by looking at these examples we can see that this has been going on for a long time. And it’s always the same story: girl is beautiful, boy is handsome, girl gets in danger and becomes helpless, boy must rescue girl, and finally the boy becomes hero and gets the girl.

“Overlooked and subservient” is what Megamind teaches girls to be (Calautti, 2010). Which is what we even see today. Society doesn’t like women who are ambitious; to be ambitious is to be unfeminine. We don’t see this in Aladdin. In this movie, the female lead is ambitious, revolting against her dad and an arranged marriage. But Aladdin takes it a step further with Jasmine’s clothing: belly shirts. So what does this say? Does this mean that it is ok to be ambitious as long as we reveal a lot of skin? The messages are conflicting.

In Snow White we see women as being either beautiful and doing housework or evil and plotting. The evil queen is shown as being wicked and unfeminine in her beauty and attitude. But because of society’s values and norms, “’female’ is still equated with being nice, supportive, nurturing, accommodating, and domestic” – everything the queen is not (Douglas, 273). Snow White on the other hand, is everything that a female should be according to Douglas. She even cleans the house for her stepmother the queen as well as seven bachelors and only desires to find love.

Is there a way to get around it? I don’t think so. I don’t think Douglas would think so either. Everyday, everywhere we go, we are bombarded by depictions of gender stereotypes. What are we supposed to do, not watch or look at any media? It seems impossible to escape the norms that society pushes on us.


works cited:
1. Calautti, Katie. "Girls Gone Mild." Newsweek 04 Nov 2010: n. pag. Web.

2. Douglas, Susan. Enlightened Sexism. 1st. New York: Henry Hold and Company, LLC, 2010. 181-273. Print.

News Flash: [Mommy and me? Or Mommy and job?]

link

“When is it appropriate to have children?” Or “How can I have children and a good job while trying to maintain a good balance between the two?” These are just a couple of the questions we, as a society, and as women find ourselves asking everyday. The decision to bear children is even harder to consider after basing it on the facts: Research tells us the best time to bear children is between the ages of 27 and 34 1. Coincidentally, the physical peak for athletes is between 25 and 35 years of age 2. And for women like Taj McWilliams-Franklin, now 39, and the oldest woman in the W.N.B.A, she is no stranger to these questions. Past her prime and having had 3 kids, McWilliams-Franklin’s struggle began at the age of 17, before her basketball career blossomed and before she really understood the troubles that lie ahead. The constant pressures from having a professional career and the pressure to provide for a family, are not things normally associated with women, however, recently women, like McWilliams-Franklin, have changed that, and are breaking the mold—blending a family and a job in one life.

“Committed to Family, Dedicated to Basketball”, a New York Times article written by Karen Course in April, 2010, speaks of the truths facing women in professional sports, trying to balance between a career and a family. Throughout McWilliam-Franklin’s life, she never put herself before her family. After she had her first child at 17, she continued towards her dreams and strove to excel in her sport. This is a fairly different story compared to most professional women. These days when women want to bear children, they make considerable sacrifices to their lives—a major one being leaving her job. McWilliams Franklin certainly made sacrifices, like bringing her child to college classes and practice with her, but one sacrifice she did not make was leaving her job. Unlike most families these days, Taj and her husband have broken the mold with parenting their children. When Taj is away on trips, Reggie is the primary caregiver in her absence. And according to Susan Newman, a social psychologist, this plan is applauded. And I agree. I find it extremely refreshing to see a woman providing for her family.

However Crouse addresses that, “As more mothers take jobs that require travel, the question that has hounded McWilliams-Franklin throughout her career is haunting others: Can you be there for your children when you are always on the run?” The answer to this question, I believe, is yes. Any mother can be there for her children despite having traveling duties and a job. Nonetheless, not being able to be there for your child at all times, is something all women struggle with, including mothers who don’t give up their jobs---McWilliams-Franklin has had to deal with this throughout her 17 year esteemed career and it breaks her heart. She claims, “It’s a catch 22. Women love their careers and they love their families. Sad as it is, you have to give up something of one or the other in order to be good at one.” This sense of obligation to give up something is a feeling a lot of women have. For most women though, the “giving up something of one” is more often than not, her job. And if they don’t give up their jobs, what would people think? That they care more about their job than their family? This is the double bind women have been facing for decades—the pressures that society put on women and how they have to choose one or the other: a job or a family.

In terms of building a family, Ann Crittenden sheds light on the obstacles professional women face in The Mommy Tax. She speaks of the potential economic losses women face when they leave their job in order to be the primary caregiver for their child. Crittenden begins the chapter on a surprisingly shocking note, and leaves the reader quite intrigued. She claims “One could even say that motherhood is now the single greatest obstacle left in the path to economic equality for women”(Crittenden, 87). I had to read this line a few times to really understand it. But I completely agree with it (now having read the chapter and learning about it in class). What sets men apart from women in the professional setting is the ultimate decision that a woman feels compelled to make. And the chapter explores how much money that would have and could have been earned by women who leave their jobs to become mothers, also known as the Mommy Tax. This is something that McWilliams-Franklin never had the misfortune of encountering. Being the primary moneymaker of the family is something she enjoys being… “I’m genuinely happy to be able to take care of my family in this economy” is what she told Crouse when asked on the subject.

It’s a tough responsibility being the primary caregiver of a family, all the while maintaining an exhausting career. What Taj and other women do have in common however, is their extreme need for help. Even if you do leave your job, having children is a tough responsibility and is hard on a workingwoman’s life. “A support network is essential. Unlike L.P.G.A, which offers free on-site childcare at its domestic events, the W.N.B.A has no such perk.” Now that McWilliams-Franklin is out of college, and without a daycare system like women’s professional golf, her and her husband have devised a good plan that has been working for them for a while.

What I believe mothers to all have in common is they have had to struggle through adversity. This is not something that’s necessarily fair and doesn’t always end up the way they want. But what is it that women want? A job or a family? A job and a family? Sometimes there’s the case where a woman will work for a specific amount of time, and when she’s ready, she’ll quit and have a family, or take a leave of absence. Some women don’t want to ever have to make that choice. Either way, the outcomes are difficult to handle and is just one of the many difficult times of our lives. There are people who don’t think women can do it… McWilliams-Franklin’s coaches for example. They’ve told her again and again, “Don’t have this baby, It’ll mess up your career”. Where does the line get drawn when having a child “messes” up a career? When a woman gets benched for half a season after coming back from a pregnancy? Or is a career “messed up” when a female employee has to take a few vacation days out to stay home and be with her sick child?

McWilliams is a prime example of what the ideal worker is not. According to Crittenden, this worker is “unencumbered, that is, free of all ties other than to his job” (Crittenden, 92). To me, finding a worker like this is very difficult to come by. One could question whether or not a lot of people are free of all ties outside their job. That rules out having a relationship, having a family, even having a pet! In her 17-year esteemed professional career, full of encumbrance, McWilliams-Franklin has certainly triumphed motherhood over matter. We are always told at a young age that our children look up to their parents and see how they live their lives and hopefully, strive to be like them in some way when they are older and take on a career. However, motherhood is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and even if money isn’t being made off of it, it is still a career and it is still something to be admired for. The lasting words of the article really resonated with me… “As your child gets older, you are role-modeling your passion for what you do, you are role-modeling that a career doesn’t mean you’re always behind a desk, you’re role modeling an independent life.” Taj McWilliams-Franklin is a passionate woman. She loves basketball and she loves her family and she has dedicated her life to both.

Works Cited

1. "Aging and Athletic Performance - Training, Exercise, Strength, Muscle - World of Sports Science." Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - Faqs.org. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. .

2. "Best Age for Motherhood | Health - Geniusbeauty.com: Magazine for Beautiful Women." Beauty, Weight Loss Tips, Hair Loss, Makeup, Fashion, Fitness, Diet, Sex, Health and More - Geniusbeauty.com. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. .

3. Crittenden, Ann. "The Mommy Tax." Introduction. The Price of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job in the World Is Still the Least Valued. New York: Metropolitan, 2001. 86-102. Print.

Lady and the Tramp

Hey guys! Sorry I may be really late getting this up tonight! Feel free to write something. I'll have something up as soon as I can get a chance to read....... sorry again!

Women's Labor

As more and more women enter the workplace, more and more struggles become present, especially for those in the lower income classes. These women usually take on those jobs that tend to have a negative stigma associated with them. In Reality Check she pursues the option of working as a go-go dancer, a job in which women are sexually objectified. This shows us that sometimes women are willing to take on jobs that degrade them just to be able to pay their rents.
In Maid To Order the career path of maids is examined. These women don't usually pick to become maids; their education (or lack of) tends to be a key factor. This job was also degrading to women, for it forced them to work long hours on little pay while scrubbing and polishing all on their hands and knees. And these women tend to disproportionately be of color. In today's world, we see more homes hiring maids.

When reading Maid To Order I found myself disagreeing with some of the things said. She seemed to be making too many generalizations based off of her experiences. Like when she said "we scrubbed only to remove impurities that might be detectable to a customer by hand or by eye." (67) A cleaning lady comes to my house once a month. And I know that before she comes, my mom sets up all the supplies and gets out buckets of water and soap. So I feel like some maids do a good job of actually cleaning. And when she said that children will "grow up as domestically incompetent" I was in shock. Most of my friends, including myself, all know how to clean different surfaces.

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The sexiness of a sneaker

Courtney Miller

Media Culture Project

Advertisement comes in many forms. It’s the billboards we see on long drives, magazine ads, television, radios, websites, and even commercials. When it comes to projecting what people want or what people think they need, advertisement companies can create incredible things through the lenses above. As for women, it is through advertising that we are told who we are and who we should be. And this ideal is based on absolute flawlessness. Whether it’s clothing, makeup, exercise, whatever have you, women are projected as Caucasian and ageless--with no scars, wrinkles, blemishes, or even pores. These are all qualities women strive to have because it is projected to the public as the perfect, ideal woman. And these ideals are strived for by men as well—advertisements make them want to see these qualities in potential girlfriends or wives too. This sex appeal that make men lust over you and women want to envy you can come from the strangest of places—like harmless sneaker commercials. The following descriptions of commercials advertising “Reebok Easy Tone Sneakers”, reveal that advertisers know how to real women in—that, as Susan Douglas claims in Enlightened Sexism, “through sex and sexual display women really have the power to get what they want” (Douglas, 156).

“Better legs and a better butt with every step.” This is the closing line of every Reebok Easy Tone sneaker commercial. In this first commercial, what the advertisement tries to get across is that the sneaker works. And clearly, based on the camera’s angles, we are definitely aware of the effects of this sneaker. Another assumption the audience makes is that the cameraman is in fact, a man. This is a valid assumption considering that twice during the commercial, the camera moves from the woman’s face to her legs and butt. The camera man is visibly so distracted by the beautiful set of legs and butt standing before him that he can’t seem to concentrate on filming the actual commercial. The objectification of a woman’s body through a male lens is what this commercial alludes to.

In the next commercial, women are viewed in their homes, at work, working out, on the beach, dancing, cleaning, cooking, walking the dog, all wearing the easy tone sneakers. The one thing that sets this commercial apart from let’s say, a jewelry commercial, is that this one contains only shots of women from their waist down. Not Hispanic women, black women, or any women of color. It shows white women’s’ legs in all these aspects of our every day lives, wearing these sneakers and feeling empowered. The idea of the fit, beautiful, sculpted, Caucasian woman, is alluded to in this commercial.

The last commercial is the one I personally am the most offended by. Let’s keep in mind that these advertisements are for sneakers. Shoes, that people wear usually to work out in…not when we are lying in bed. This commercial is in black and white, on a bed, with a woman completely naked minus the fact that she has spanky pants on. The camera slowly travels down her body in a seductive way, as it describes how this kind of workout is “28% more of a workout for your butt, 11% more for your hamstrings and calves, so 88% of men will be speechless…” and finally ends at her feet, and of course, as she’s lying in bed, she is wearing these easy Tone sneakers which are the only things in the commercial that are not black and white. This commercial alludes to the sexiness of the sneaker. The sexiness of a sneaker? Who would ever think this was possible.

There are several aspects about these commercials that can be analyzed through the lens of our class readings from earlier this semester. Particularly, in Susan Douglas’s Enlightened Sexism and Joan Brumberg’s, “Body Projects” from The Body Project, we are more than able to break down each commercial from their perspective and see how Reebok easy tone sneakers objectify women. The first commercial is one in which men would find particularly funny. They see this camera guy lose focus who is clearly mesmerized by this woman’s legs and in particular, her butt—something especially these days, men find particularly sexy on a woman. Women want to feel empowered—they want men, like this cameraman to lust after them—and by buying these sneakers, women can be awed at in the same way. Douglas tells us, “true empowerment comes from buying the right things and using the right products to look irresistibly attractive”(Douglas, 102). This commercial is showing women that if they want their thighs and mostly their butts to be lusted for, she will have to buy the sneakers to get these amazing results.

Along those same lines, these commercials are clearly accentuating the lower half of a woman’s body. That is the common thread amongst all these three commercials. Brumberg says, “Our current below-the-waist orientation is reflected in a national discourse about female thighs that has generated new products and procedures, and also increased female insecurity and dissatisfaction with themselves” (Brumberg, 125). Women are getting the wrong idea about fitness and exercise—that it is based on looks and not health. And on top of that, the commercial applies to one class of women and that is the “ideal woman” in advertising. “This persona of the sexpert is almost always white, young, heterosexual, slim, beautiful, and middle – or upper-middle class” (Douglas, 157). The racial and class implications of this commercial exclude a major portion of our country’s audience. But again, it is through advertisements like this one, that make women feel as though they need to look like the women in this commercial, because that is the “ideal.”

The last commercial is by far, probably the one that sticks out in my mind the most. How is it that a commercial for sneakers, involves a half naked woman, lying in bed, with sultry music playing in the background? None of these things correlate with sneakers, or fitness for that matter. This commercial implies that fitness and exercise is once again, not about being healthy, but about how your butt gets 28% more of a workout, and you can clearly see this by the incredibly sculpted half naked butt viewed perfectly in this commercial. I think this is a commercial that the Reebok advertisement company wanted to apply to men as well as women. The fact that the sneaker is the last thing we see or hear about is a terrible advertising technique for any other circumstance. However, they have enticed both sexes and made the sneakers something that every woman wants to buy, in order to obtain a sexy body like the one shown. (If I weren’t so offended by the subtle objectification in these commercials, I would want a pair after seeing this last one too!).

Media today reveals a transformed sense of objectification of young women. It is commercials like the ones above that I want to end, but know it won’t. White sells, a nice body sells, and sexiness sells. Feminists today have yet to find a solution to this newfound objectification because there isn’t one. Sure, we have made plenty of progress because of feminism; sure, full equality has been achieved, so now, is it okay to resurrect sexist stereotypes of girls and women? No, it is never okay, but that is Enlightened Sexism, and these are the problems women are facing every day.

MEDIA PROJECT: Emily Messing

The media is full of written and spoken messages about what a women needs to do in order to be successful. “There are also rules so clear they needn’t be written down: For instance, an overall ‘look’ compatible with beauty and fashion ads. Even ‘real’ non-model women photographed for a women’s magazine are usually made up, dressed in credited clothes, and retouched out of all reality…The point is to be ‘upbeat’” (Steinem “Sex, Lies, and Advertising”). Cosmo especially, has been notorious for promoting this unrealistic image of how women should look. In addition to a modified version of a celebrity plastered across the cover, the reader is bombarded with an array of headlines that encourage us to be proactive about our body image and our actions. As Douglas states, “Cosmo isn’t for passive girls waiting for the right guy to find them; it’s the magazine for the ‘Fun, Fearless Female’ who is also proud to be, as one cover put it, a ‘Sex Genius’” (Douglas 4). However, it is important to also recognize that the “Fun, Fearless Female” that Douglas is referring to is mostly “white, young, heterosexual, slim busty, beautiful, and middle-or upper-middle-class” (Douglas 157), the group that Cosmo primarily targets. These are the types of women that have the resources and the desire to embrace Cosmo’s advice on how to gain power. The August edition of Cosmo, featuring Britney Spears, supports the skewed image of what means are available to women living in the twenty first century in order for them to gain power and respect, specifically their body image and their willingness to please men.

Girls raised during this generation have been taught that their body image is their greatest means for obtaining power. Therefore they have experienced an overwhelming amount of pressure to fit into what is considered an ideal mold of the female figure. It is no surprise then that bolded on the Cosmo cover is a headline that reads, “Inhaled the Whole Pizza? How Not to Gain Pounds After a Pig-Out.” This headline grabs the attention of the reader, who themselves, is lusting for that ideal body type. Society has engrained the belief that “real power [comes] form having a slim, young, hot body” (Douglas 215) into us; that dieting to obtain this ideal body shape, has almost become second nature. As Sittenfeld points out “you and your friends go on a thousand diets, and you don’t say anything else as often as you that you’re fat” (Sittenfeld 5). Achieving a thin body will in turn prove that a woman is powerful, and not susceptible to the cravings that normal women experience, such as the need to pig-out during stressful times. Douglas takes that belief one step further by noting how it is not that women are not expected to eat. It is actually the opposite. We are expected to eat away our emotions; because of course women are victims to their emotions, and then to be a real women with power, take the initiative to make sure we don’t gain a single pound from that binge. And as Cosmo reminds us, having a slip up every once in a while is acceptable because Cosmo has a cure for covering up your vulnerability. This sort of power that women desire to achieve from dieting “has to do with getting men to lust after you and other women to envy you” (Douglas 10).

Although society would like to believe that it is only older teens and women who are exposed to the messages that Cosmo is conveying, that is simply not the case. The cover of a magazine is exposed to anyone who walks by and once girls are old enough to understand the meaning, they too will internalize these societal beliefs. Valdes notes the statistic that “In [a] study fifty percent of nine-year-olds, and nearly eighty percent of the ten- and eleven-year-olds, had ‘put themselves on a diet because they thought they were too fat’” (Valdes 26). Additionally with the overwhelming number of eating disorders plaguing girls today, one would expect that the media would have started to drift away from its obsession with women being thin. However, as Douglas notes, one Magazine editor defended their decision to feature extremely thin models by claiming, “to be slim and fit is healthier than to be seriously overweight and ‘out of shape’” (Douglas 221).

The image of Britney Spears that Cosmo chose to feature on the cover of the August edition makes it clear that women’s magazines have no intention of altering their perception of how women should appear. Spears is dressed in such a way that accentuates her feminine figure, but conceals just enough so that the cover cannot be deemed inappropriate for display. By leaving a gap between her top and jeans sends the message to the reader that if they follow the advice given in the “How Not to Gain Pounds After a Pig-Out” article’s advice, we too could have a body like Britney’s. Cosmo’s editors have mastered the talent of making the celebrities on their covers appear to have “conform[ed] to the Barbie aesthetic of femininity and [walk] the razor-thin line between sexy and slutty” (Douglas 146). In addition to Spears computer enhanced body, the placement of her hands seductively on her pants transmits the message to the reader that she is a women who has embraced her sexuality, is not afraid to be know as a “sexpert.” However, it is important for Cosmo readers to remember that when they are viewing this picture of Spears that “if the media are mirrors, they are fun house mirrors” (Douglas 18). All of the celebrities featured on the cover of Cosmo have been enhanced and altered to give off the perception that “the perfect” body is actually achievable.

Not only is Spears the focus of the cover, editors have strategically placed the largest headline which reads “Feel Sexier Instantly 50 Quick Tricks” right in the center of the page and allowed it to cover the picture of Spears. All of the other headlines are placed to the sides, and are slightly set behind her, but the overall message that Cosmo is conveying in this edition is placed front and center, so there is no way that a reader can misinterpret what Cosmo plans to do for them. This huge message across the front also serves as a way for Cosmo to pull the reader in. We have been taught that sexiness equals power; who wouldn’t want to find out more about how to get quick results which in our minds would mean it would ultimately lead to respect?

As well as promising the reader a way for them to obtain their desired body image, Cosmo also promotes the belief that females can be sexperts. Douglas defines the sexpert as “[a women] whose main capital in the marketplace of relationships is her shapely, well made up, and femininely dressed body, her sexual knowledge, and her sexual skills. She must juggle all this, however, with not being remotely threatening to men” (Douglas 162-163). The headline “The Sex Angle That Intensifies Female Pleasure” reminds its readers that women can enjoy sex too. This supports Douglas’ statement that “Cosmo has been the pioneer in addressing young women as confident and obliging sexperts” (Douglas 161). Cosmo is able to draw readers in by giving them a false sense of security and confidence by encouraging them that they now have this new freedom to enjoy and embrace their sexualities. The reason that the image of the sexpert that Cosmo is promoting is unrealistic comes from the double standard that is still present for women today. Therefore the key to a women being “powerful” is that she still needs to appear submissive to males.

Cosmo endorses the belief that although they are encouraging women to be sexually liberated, they need to ensure that they are not crossing any boundaries that men would not be pleased about. Therefore it comes as no surprise that directly across from the headline that is promoting the image of the sexpert are two headlines that have to do with pleasing your man: “It’s official: We Got 2,000 Men to Reveal, ‘Do this, Not That’ in Bed” and “Together Forever? How to Still Flirt with Him?” Women are presented with conflicting messages about what the appropriate way to look and act is. However, I think that most of us know which messages are the dominant ones, the ones about respecting male power. Women are permitted certain freedoms as long as they don’t allow those same women to become more powerful. As Douglas points out, this conflicting advice pieces that are scattered throughout women’s magazines are “suggesting a lethal correlation between female achievement and lasting love” (Douglas 139). Just by the two headlines on this cover, we are being told that if we can please our men in bed, we can keep our man, and just inches down the cover, it is further emphasized that if we can also act in a way that pleases him, he will stay with us “forever.” This idea of having a man forever and being able to obtain the perfect body is what is supposed to make us “happy.” Which ultimately leads to the thought that if women are happy with their place in society, then the patriarchal system we have in place will remain unopposed.

The August edition of Cosmo featuring Britney Spears has a number of implications about what women’s role in society should be. The most prominent is the ideal body form, but additionally that their role in society should still remain subordinate to men’s needs and positions in that same society. What Cosmo and so many other women’s magazines have encouraged is a view of feminism that can be referenced as enlightened sexism. Society is under the impressions that since women have been given the rights that they requested such as voting and access to educational institutions, that it is acceptable to exploit their body images to convey an overwhelming message of what the appropriate position of women in society is. As long as women remain less powerful than men, then the traditional societal order is maintained. As Douglas notes, “the moral from the media…was that it was now accepted that some women could have power…as long as they did not threaten existing regimes about the marking and performance of femininity” (Douglas 75). By featuring an idealized image of a celebrity on the Cosmo’s cover and surrounding her with headlines that convey conflicting messages, women will remain focused on complying with men’s wishes on what the “perfect” woman is.

Work Cited

Douglas, Susan J. Enlightened Sexism. New York: Times Books, 2010. Print.

Sittenfeld, Curtis. "Your Life as a Girl." Listen Up. Ed. Barbara Findlen. Emeryville: Seal Press, 2001. 3-10. Print

Steinem. “Sex, Lies, and Adverstising.”

Valdes, Alisa. "Ruminations of a Feminist Fitness Instructor." Listen Up. Ed. Barbara Findlen. Emeryville: Seal Press, 2001. 25-32. Print