Totem Pole of Discrimination

Steven Lee Myers discusses sexual abuse amongst fellow comrades in the United States Army within his article, “A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.’s.” Although United States citizens often acknowledge the savage and horrific rape that occurs in areas overseas, such as the Congo, they too often overlook the similar behavior that occurs in this country. Americans abuse Americans both on foreign and domestic soil. It is unclear how soldiers, whose lives are at risk, continue to abuse each other. The most disturbing part of the article was the stated fear of privates to report sexual abuse by higher-ranking officers. It should be noted that the number of reported sexual assaults in the army has increased. Several questions arise. Is the army now making it more comfortable for victims or witnesses to come forward? On the contrary, is sexual abuse within the army simply rising and the percentage of reported abuse remaining stable? Unfortunately, same gender sexual abuse often remains hidden because soldiers fear that their sexuality will come into question. Until all incidents are reported and all crimes tried, it remains unacceptable. Sexual abuse in the army, as well as society large, is a crime and all reports need to be seriously evaluated.

Kimberle Williams Crenshaw introduces the Intersectionality Theory within her work, “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color.” Ms. Crenshaw focuses on multilevel discrimination of minority women based on race, gender, and ethnicity. When these women are persecuted, they have nowhere to turn. Ms. Crenshaw offers numerous examples as well as statistics to substantiate her theory. The voice of these subgroups is too often silenced. Until feminist groups unify and represent all women, persecution of minority subgroups will often go unheard. There is a significant problem I had with Ms. Crenshaw’s article. The author, an African American woman who graduated from Columbia Law School, discusses the multitude of problems that exist for women due to race, color, or economics. Unfortunately, she presents her theory in a complex manner that is often difficult to follow and understand. As a Colgate junior, I often had to reread sentences in order to fully comprehend her ideas. I question if women, from the minority groups she refers, are aware of her theory or could comprehend her complex article. Ideas should be expressed so individuals can understand and utilize the premises it presents.

dominance

In Steinam's article on Supremacy Crimes she raises the question of how we, as a society, label issues. To her dismay, the COlumbine shootings were labeled in the media as an issue with america's "youth" even though, as she states, the issue is not with such a general group of people. I believe she eloquently sums up the core of the issue when she writes,  "It's a drug pushed by a male-dominant culture that presents dominance as a natural right; a racist hierarchy that falsely elevates whiteness; a materialist society that equates superiority with possessions, and a homophobic one that empowers only one form of sexuality. "(Steinam, pg2). I found her juxtaposition of these realities in our culture with their negative repercussions to be powerful. As well, later in the essay, she makes a distinction through her quotation of Dr. James Gilligan, of how male violence is not only prominent, its obligatory.  "As Dr. James Gilligan concluded in Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic, "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." (pg.3) I think we can draw this notion back to Johnson's belief that we should not be blaming the individual, but the society for the wrongdoings occurring throughout our country. 

In Myer's articles on the presence of sexual abuse in the military, he discusses the unique nature of this environment and how it is, at times, more difficult to report an issue of sexual abuse than in other environments. The question that comes to mind after reading these two articles is a biological one. To lay the devils advocate, it could be said that the reason why the "attackers" are most always males, is because they are more sexual beings; they desire sex more frequently, they think about it more often, and thus resort to foreful measure to get what they "need". But if there is one thing that has been driven home for me by this course, is that I need to question societal "assumptions" and beliefs. How much truth is there to this statement? Are men really more sexual than women? Or is this just another societal construct so deeply imbedded in our lives that we can't tell the difference from what's natural and what's not? If it isn't true, and could be proven so, I think there would be some changes in this dynamic. If it wasn't "natural" perhaps more men wouldn't feel "obligated" to partake in these acts. The notion of "everybody's doing it" is powerful. I believe this article can be connected to Muscio's point about how it is important for all of us to look internally for answers, to stop following the lead and do what we feel is right. 

Pigs in Training, really?

Ariel Levy's chapter "Pigs in Training" raises the point that teen girls are participating in raunch culture, by dressing and acting slutty. The chapter then moves away from this idea, for a moment and discuses the issue of sex, sex education, and the lack there of. If someone where to flip through my copy, they would notice it was bleeding blue. Marked with comments, not all intellectual. However, I hope to go through some of the arguments she makes that I disagreed with as well as some of the ones that I did agree with. (Fair warning... each of my comments may not tie smoothly to the next).

Levy seems appalled that middle school girls are participating in sexual acts. Especially because she sees it not for their enjoyment but to create a "shock value" where they will become some of the most talked about girls on campus. Now, it was too long ago when I was in middle school, and I have to wonder if things have really changed that much. During my time girls who were sexually active whether that meant having sex or just giving oral- where indeed talked about, but not in a good way. These girls were not being praised for their seemed "maturity" they were looked upon as stupid and slutty, and boys gave them attention but not a good kind, and that was very obvious. There were a handful of girls that started off in their sex life at a young age. Some had serious boyfriends, and those girls were not looked upon as slutty or lose, while others did not and just seemed to hope from one guy to the next- those were the ones that got the bad rep.

Levy, again, makes the connection to this type of behavior based on what celebrities are doing and what the media portrays. She asked a girl who she admires and the girl responded Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. Really Levy? THis is where my biggest problem with Levy lies. She takes peoples testimonies and tries to apply them as though they are universal. So whala this must e the culprit of our societies problems. Some girls may look up to these ridiculous women, yet I believe most are not. Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton are jokes. Their career is based off of superficial things. I'm not saying girls cannot admire them for the life style they lead, they have lots of money, seem to be happy, have the coolest cloths, but I think to look up to them means that you see something in their character of a person that you admire and wish to have. Do girls really want to have huge plastic fake looking boobs, or their sex home video leaked out to the media? I think for the majority that would be a no.

This also brings me to my next annoyance with Levy. She brings up the "swiffer" girl and tries to connect her video that she made for one person as an act of this girl trying to experiment with celebrity. All I have to say is this poor girl, she did something for a guy she liked, and the fool (for the nicest word choice I could possibly give him) disregarded the girls feelings and privacy and sent to to his guy friends who showed it to their friends. This girl did not ask to have her video put on the internet for all to see. Again, she takes examples and twist them to fit her argument.

The next thing I thought was so interesting was her comparison of today's girls to the girls she grew up with. If you look closely not that much has changed. Levy admits that "it was the same in the sense that you always wished you could be the prettiest and the most popular, the one who guys wanted to be with and girls wanted to be...when I went to high school, you wanted to look good and you wanted to look cool" This statement undercuts her whole argument. She actually acknowledges the idea that girls have always wanted to impress boys. However she tries to keep her claim by asserting, "you would have been embarrassed to look slutty." Levy nothing has changed. In your day you wore whatever it was that was seen as cool at the time, these girls are doing the exact same thing. What is seen as cool has changed, nothing else, and even that really hasn't changed all that much. We can all look back and watch movies made in the 70's or 80's and girls are still dressing promiscuous. Therefore is raunch culture to blame and is it even a real thing?

The one thing I need to give Levy credit for is her recognition that many times these young girls are not informed about the many different decisions they can make when it comes to sex. Sexual education for the most part if taught at all is just focused on abstinence. She raises the point that the drive to want sex is something biological, and by not providing education we are harming teens. Peggy Cowan, who I believe to be a physician says she is appalled by the way students act. They are only hurting themselves "One out of Four teens has and STD!" This number startles her and scares her. She worries about her teenage children. She believes she is doing them a grand favor by just telling them to say no. Yet, she herself is actually keeping her children at a disadvantage and allowing them to become part of the statistic. "Every single peer-reviewed clinical study on these issues has concluded that the more people are educated, the less they spread and contract STDs." Get over yourselves people!!!! Teens are going to have sex and experiment with their bodies and others to find out what they like and what they don't like. This is natural, this is life.

There are many more issues I have with Levy's chapter, yet I think these touch upon the main problems of her argument. Again, I find Levy to not be convincing, to undercut her own argument by admitting certain things, and by only addressing the problem at a surface level.

bad romance

In Ariel Levy's chapter, "Pigs in Training" she discusses the overly-sexualized, but unsatisfied teenagers in america today. She interviews a male and a female about their experiences in high school with sexuality. Levy appears to be dumbfounded by this culture, she tries to find its origin, attempts to come up with solutions, but in the end, it seems as if she is solely rendered disgusted. I'm having a similar reaction. 

Here we have David, a popular, good-looking boy saying he doesn't understand why his female classmates dress so provocatively. Yet he still feeds into this culture, and makes no mention of an attempt to counteract it, by either telling his girl-friends his true feelings, or sharing them with his male friends. Then we have Anne, a popular, good-looking girl who openly admits to playing into this culture; dressing provocatively etc, in an effort to be accepted and gain attention. She is not necessarily promiscuous, she just gives off the vibe that she is.  But I am a different kind of dumbfounded than Levy appears to be, I'm not at a loss for understanding this culture, in fact I understand it all too well. I'm at a loss for why in gods name I participated in it. 

For most of my life I've just put it off as part of growing up. In middle school the girls are at the boys beck-and-call, not necessarily sexually, but with an undertone of sexuality. We wanted the boys to think we were hot, cool, and exciting. Why? I couldn't tell you. They were short and skinny and their voices were cracking. But still they commanded the hallways of my school. One boy could make any girl's life a nightmare at the drop of a hat, he just had to spread a rumor to a few of his friends and BOOM she was a leper. Too many of my friends were subject to this type of torment. The kids in my class were sexually active throughout our middle school years. But the discourse was never about sexual pleasure, in was merely boastful. For the life of me I cant understand why it was so feared to be considered "prude" (it was almost worse than being labeled as "slutty".) I guess it has something to do with the culture of youth. When we're younger everyone wants to be the same, we'd walk on fire to fit in, and then when we grow up, all we want to do is be different. Which is why the culture that Levy says our youth is participating in is so scary. If the "norm" is to sexualize yourself, whether you want, or are ready for, sex or not, then thats what everyone is going to do. Often times in our class discussions it seems as if the problems we analyze have no solution in sight. I feel as if, in the case of this issue, Levy is over-thinking it.

  We frequently suggest that teachers and administrators should change their methods, we say that they are to blame. Then, we put the blame on the parents, then we jump to the untouchable devil, the media. I think we're overlooking a potentially viable source of change. The influential kids. The kids who "run the show" at their schools, they influence their peers in ways that no ones willing to admit, but that is clear to all. At times, these students are even more powerful than the teachers. They set the tone, they decide what is cool. Sure, they may be getting these negative messages from the media, but trying to control the  media is a burden that few are willing to take on. This suggestion is a bit outside the box, its unconventional, not traditional and provocative,  but you gotta take risks to have change. If teachers spent some time with these influential students individually, reached out to them, gave them some positive attention, perhaps they could deliver a better message to them about sexuality, that they could pass on to their classmates. Though this appears to be promoting some sort of hierarchy, I think it could be worth a shot.

On another note, I really enjoyed Walker's article "Why I Fight Back". I've been raised to believe that violence is never the answer, that fighting "fire with fire" deems no positive solutions. Though Walker's article is promoting the opposite sentiment, it made me look at the issue from another angle. After reading Brownmiller's essay on rape, in which she states that it is just another tool of patriarchal society utilized to frighten and oppress women, I realized that it isn't necessarily the act of fighting back that is important, but the ability to do so. Walker has never had to use her karate skills, but her confidence has grown immensely since obtaining them. If patriarchal society is a mindset, a notion that men are more dominant, then an opposition to this society can also be as simple as a mindset, knowing that you are capable is more important than actually hurting an attacker.

Finally, Morgan's article "Don't Call Me a Survivor". I agree with Alex when he says that this is one of the more disturbing articles that we've read. I literally can't fathom this woman's pain. The physical pain of the act, but more profoundly the years and years that she will need to cope with the resulting emotional pain. The article was almost too devastating to finish. I don't really know how to summarize my thoughts on her experiences, I feel I won't do them justice. I am, however, really interested to see how my male classmates will react to this article. I look forward to hearing their responses tomorrow.

Rape: An Act of Violence

Ariel Levy’s chapter discusses the provocative clothing choices and promiscuous behavior that many teenager girls participate in today. These girls’ choices may be motivated by a wish to be desired by the “boys.” This often causes teenage girls to try and one up another. Levy offers examples of numerous girls in middle school who perform oral sex on buses or make videos of themselves masturbating in hopes of gaining attention as well as popularity. The girls ranged from various socio economic classes, which show that this problem is prevalent amongst varied groups in society. Sex too often becomes an activity to gain acceptance instead of something that is meant for pleasure and intimacy. The author concludes her chapter with criticism of Bush’s administration increased funding for school education promoting abstinence from premarital sex. Wouldn’t it be more effective to have sex education which focused on safe sex and voluntary sex? Levy often blames teenage promiscuity on society but offers little criticism of the parents who do not adequately educate as well as monitor their teenagers. It would be more effective to educate children both at home and in the classroom with regards to contraception and safe sex. All teenagers need to remember that sex should be voluntarily activity and not peer pressured. Levy’s chapter bridges into a discussion regarding rape, introduced by Susan Brownmiller. Too often girls are seen as asking to be raped because of the attire they choose to wear or the promiscuous manner in which they act. Rape is an act violence; there is no justification.

Susan Brownmiller discusses the history as well as the myths of rape within her book, Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape. The author’s clarifies that rape is not primarily a sexual crime but rather an act of violence. Rape is an act of male dominance over women which leave women in a constant state of terror. Her book confronts the myths of rape. “All woman want to be raped,” “She was asking for it,” and “if you’re going to be raped, you might as well relax and enjoy it” (Brownmiller 272). It is interesting to note that her book was published in 1975 yet is still applicable today. When approximately one out of four women will be raped during their life, it shows that little, if any, progress has been made since the 1970s.

Whitney Walker’s article, “Why I Flight Back,” accompanies Susan
Brownmiller’s discussion on the fear that is often instilled within women. Ms. Walker explains her experience of taking self-defense classes in order to gain confidence and diminish the dominance that men have gained over women. Ms. Walker promotes these classes for all women. The author suggests that if women learn to defend themselves, the incidents of rape will diminish. These classes will provide women with a sense of confidence and make them feel less vulnerable. In Mrs. Walker’s case, she gained the ability to defend herself successfully against perpetrators. She explains that if someone is robbing an individual, she should hand over her wallet but if someone touches an individual sexually, she needs to respond defensively. When women fight back, the burden of fear that numerous women carry with them will decrease.

Emile Morgan offers a detailed description of the four rapes she has experienced in her article, “Don’t Call Me a Survivor.” This article was one of the more difficult things that I have read. This woman lives everyday recollecting the horrors she underwent. Can an individual who has been gang raped by a multitude of perpetrators for six hours and twenty-six minutes ever forget this incident? Yet, criminals who participate in such acts most probably live their lives with little or no remorse. The worst part was that her family, friends, and law enforcement, made little effort to support this teenager. Society needs to change. Rape is widely prevalent and too often overlooked. The abuse of alcohol and drugs commonly play a role in forced sexual behaviors. Women should not blame themselves for causing such acts of violence to occur. As Susan Brownmiller explains, rape is an act of violence and society needs to treat it as a crime.

Birthing scares the ssssshiit out of me!!!

Birth scares the crap out of me for all the reasons listed in Gawande's article. Yes, I realize that new andvancements in technology have decreased the death rate. Still I had the hardest time reading this article. I've been sitting here for the past half hour trying to get all the way through this article, and I still only find myself on page eight. I am so squirmy its ridiculous. Forceps and other techniques are just making this reading for me impossible.

I can hear my mother in my head right now telling me to stop acting so silly. That its a natural and beautiful thing. Yet still I cannot stop my initial reaction. I am sorry to say that I just have to stop reading this tonight. I can't handle all this... it is freaking me out!

Baby on Board

Atul Gawande discusses the evolution of childbirth within his article, “How Childbirth went Industrial.” Throughout Mr. Gawande’s description of the technological advancements of birth, he includes a detailed description of Elizabeth Rourke’s pregnancy and the birth of her infant. This provides the reader with a complex pregnancy that ended successfully. Other tools that were also used were electronic fetal monitoring (EFM), IV fluids, an epidural, and Pitocin to speed up labor. He explains that while these tools may be overused, they have made pregnancy and delivery safer for the mother as well as the child. Unlike other medical fields, new ideas and technology were often tried first hand with pregnancy instead of being tested prior. Mr. Gawande explains that pregnancy has become industrial in the sense that similar tools are often used for routine as well as high-risk pregnancies. The author ended his article with the birth of Dr. Rourke’s child. He explains that the baby was stuck sideways and a cesarean section was necessary in order to ensure the safety of the child. Mr. Gawande seems to suggest that cesarean sections are becoming more popular and are often the preferred method of delivery for many physicians. Physicians have reported being encouraged by their malpractice carriers as well as their patients to perform cesareans when it not clinically necessary. Whether or not natural childbirth will become obsolete remains to be seen.

Henci Goer bashes Atul Gawande’s article within her work, “How Childbirth Went Industrial: A Deconstruction.” Ms. Goer provides substantial evidence which makes the reader question the benefits of technological advancements for routine pregnancies. She explains that cesarean sections have too often become routine practice by numerous physicians. Mrs. Goer ridicules Atul Gawande for accepting cesarean sections as the answer. She explains that cesarean sections increase the death rate of the mother as well as the baby during pregnancy. The author also provides statistical analysis to substantiate her belief that technological advances, such as continuous electronic fetal monitoring and IV drips, are often used for no reason at all. She does not argue against cesarean sections, but explains that they should be limited instead of becoming common practice. She explains that Dr. Rourke most probably did need a cesarean section but this is not the case for multiple women who receive them on a daily basis.

I felt that Atul Gawande and Henci Goer both made excellent points throughout their respective articles. There have been significant technological advancements but as with most fields of medicine, they are often misused as well as overused. With limited knowledge of the field, I found Mr. Gawande’s article to be beneficial and informative. After reading Mrs. Goer’s article, one begins to question the information presented by Atul Gawande. My opinion falls somewhere between the two authors. I support the use of technology, such as IV drips and/or electronic fetal monitoring, recognizing that they pose little risk to the patient and offer great benefit in a crisis. On the other hand, I believe that cesarean sections are often overused. One must remember that cesarean sections are major abdominal surgery. Cesarean sections are of great benefit when a mother and/or baby are a risk. A physician should not perform a cesarean section because of convenience to his/her schedule or preference of a malpractice carrier. Instead, it should be based on the safety of the mother and the child. It is important to remember that childbirth is a natural occurrence. If a mother chooses not to have medical intervention that is her choice, as long no medical risk is evident. After reading both of these articles, it is evident that there are pros and cons with technological advancements. The question becomes how and when to use this technology in order to ensure healthy mothers and healthy babies.

confusion

I was a bit confused at the end of Gawande's article. At first I assumed he was going to be denouncing the idea of industrializing childbirth, the very nature of the word "industrializing" stirs negative connotations. Throughout the article he flip-flops a bit through differing opinions, seemingly never taking a hard stance. He clearly knows what he's talking about, as he describes in details many different methods of childbirth and the history of the subject, as well the story of the Rourke family interwoven through the text was a nice touch,  the prose flowing and interesting. Mrs. Rourke is very firm in her stance that she doesn't want drugs or a C-section, so the fact that Gawande is telling her story made me think that he was of similar opinion on the subject, that these are bad paths to take. Then he launches into his discussion of C-sections and their reliability, but never really draws to a conclusion, should we follow the path most traveled? Or should we continue to be innovative and try new things? Rourke ends up taking the drugs and having the C section, her and her baby turn out better than fine. So then I wonder, is Gawande advocating for this decision? Then we learn that Rourke was really torn up about her "failure" to stick to her original plan. The message being sent is never quite clear to me. Perhaps Gawande does this intentionally, or maybe I'm not analyzing the text well enough. This, in turn, made the second article more difficult for me to get through because I wasn't sure if all of Goer's attacks on Gawande were warranted. Nonetheless, I learned  A LOT about childbirth; from forceps to midwives, that I did not know before.

Moral vs Personal Issues

Whilst reading Inga Muscio's "Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within", I was shocked and a bit judgemental toward her view of abortion.

I've always been pro-choice. I grew up in a Catholic household where my father and mother would wak me and my brothers up every sunday for PSR (sunday school) with church to follow. However, my mother never had a problem voicing her opinion when she disagreed with the church. My mother is strong, independent, confident and a nurse. She grew up in New Jersey City and has experienced and seen things that she hoped my brothers and I would never have to see or go through ourselves. Her experiences have made her the person she is and to a large extent the woman I am today.

I grew up believing a women's body is her business, yet at the same time I also had a skewed opinion on what that meant given different circumstances. This is probably due to my father and the conservative area I grew up in. This is why I was shocked when Inga wrote she had not one, not two but three abortions. I judged her when she said this. Wouldn't she have learned from her first if not her first two mistakes?

After thinking about my initial reaction, I realized I had no right to judge her. It went against everything my mother taught me as well as my own ideology to believe in free choice.

However, I did and still have a problem with her home remedy abortion. I know because of my mother that these remedies can be deadly if not administered properly by a medical professional. So even though I agree with Muscio that there are other methods besides the "vacuum cleaner", I think she does not put enough weight on the fact that those methods need to be seriously researched and done by a medical professional. Otherwise a women could find herself having serious complications.

While writing this and rethinking the article, I still have a hard time agreeing with everything she says. I realize I have that right just as she does to express hers and her experiences.

Life Choices

Judith Arcana, Igna Muscio, and Allison Crews, often contradict as well as support one another within their respective articles regarding abortions. In 1973, the Supreme Court’s decision of Jane Roe v. Henry Wade established a women’s right to choose. This decision continues to be revisited and debated today. Most recently, the issue of abortion was reexamined in President Obama’s health care bill. President Obama has struggled to pass various health care bills in order to help the tens of million of Americans that remain uninsured. In order for Democrats to achieve the needed number votes to pass, abortions were left on the sideline. “They agreed to a deal with opponents of abortion rights within their party to reiterate in an executive order that federal money provided by the bill could not be used for abortions, securing for Democrats the final handful of votes they needed to assure passage” (Pear A1). While abortions remain legal, affording them remains an obstacle.

Igna Muscio offers her thoughts regarding abortion within her article, “Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners, and the Power Within.” Ms. Muscio has experienced three abortions. Two of the abortions were conducted in a clinic while the third one was conducted organically, through various massages and remedies. This is what led to her opposition of clinical abortions. Ms. Muscio expresses this animosity within the beginning of her article. “I, a young lady, being of sound feminist mind and undeniably womanly body, am adamantly against clinical abortions” (Listen Up 112). Ms. Muscio is presenting a bias view. I believe that: 1) it is a pregnant women’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion 2) it is a pregnant women’s right to choose the type of abortion that is best for her. I agree with Cait that women should be educated to the pros and cons of abortion as well the type of abortions that are available. The author’s experience should be validated. For her, she preferred an organic abortion. Other women should get to make individual, educated choices, with respect to abortion. Ms. Muscio’s time may be more effectively spent educating herself as well as others to birth control methods. As a male who is pro choice, Ms. Muscio’s article offers a narrow-minded viewpoint.

Allison Crews article, “And So I chose,” expands on her decision to be pro-woman and pro-choice. I share a similar stance with the author, who is supportive of any reproductive choice a woman chooses. Women do not need to be ridiculed for their choices. Individuals should acknowledge that they could one day be in similar shoes as the individuals who they are currently protesting. Ms. Crews clearly explains her stance on woman’s choices with regards to abortion. “Young mothers need to be supported in their choices, whatever they may be. Whether they elect to abort a pregnancy, to place a child for adoption or to raise their children, resources to help young women make and cope with their choices need to be readily available” (Listen Up 143). Women need to be educated and then supported, regardless of their choice.

individuality

In Igna Muscio's essay she touches on an idea that is absent in mainstream conversation but, I believe, is vital to any efforts for change.  "In this society we look to the outside for just about everything: love, entertainment, well-being, self-worth and health. We stare into the TV instead of speaking of our own dreams, wait for a vacation instead of appreciating each day, watch the clock rather than listen to our hearts. Every livelong day we are bombarded with realities from the outside world, seemingly nonstop... One hardly has the opportunity to look inside for peace and love and other nice things like that"(p.164). This type of discourse is not commonplace which is why it struck my attention whilst reading her essay. At the outset I expected this to be an overly-"preachy" couple of pages drenched in anti-abortion sentiments. But Muscio took this article to a different place, once which I very much enjoyed. In our society, we look outwards for everything, which inadvertently means society is controlling the majority of our lives. Sean, the energy healer I wrote about in previous blogs, discussed this notion with me. He spoke with me about how if we focus heavily on the outer world, we are putting our lives in the hands of unknown sources. For example if we can only find self-worth in the eyes of others, we are missing out an the most important person, oneself. Abortion is clearly a personal issue, but it has been made public by all of the controversy surrounding it. Once a method of abortion become the "norm" it became widely practiced, and rarely does anyone stop to question western medicine, though nearly all of us have experienced its faults. Personally I had no idea that there were other methods of aborting a fetus other than the "vacuum cleaner." I don't know enough about this remedies to speak on them, but I continue to be shocked at how much new information I've learned since taking this class and reading these essays. Why so many of this topics are silenced in our society remains a mystery. 

In our society, all of the focus that is placed on the "group" as opposed to the "individual" and the ever-blurry line between  public and private, is detrimental to us all. Placing more attention on your personal health, well-being, and happiness, and worrying less about what everyone else around you is doing can vastly improve your life, it sounds simple but its true.

The importance to belong

Finding your place and trying to fit in can be extremely difficult, but for Latina teens this process has become deadly. Christina Hernandez’s article “Sound the Alarm” in Latina Magazine reveals an ugly truth. While waiting for meeting, I picked up the magazine and was shocked to read, “One in seven Latina teenagers will attempt suicide. Not only has this trend remained steady for more than a decade, but also the rate is higher than those of white or black teens. (Hernandez, 76).

Finding your place in a new culture while holding on to your roots has been the main reason why Latinas are the highest group of teens attempting suicide. “While the reasons vary, Zayas found that most often the cause for a Latina’s suicide attempt was an ongoing struggle between a teen who wants freedom to express herself… and parents who won’t allow such independence.” (Hernandez, 76). Most teens of any race go through a similar rebellious stage, however the clash is more pronounced and devastating for immigrant families where parents try to hold on to traditional values and instill these values onto their daughters. While at the same time, daughters, often first-generation, yearn for a modern American life. A life where they fit in. Often fitting in means giving up or ignoring your traditional values and this leaves teens feeling resentful, confused, ashamed, ashamed for feeling ashamed along with countless other feelings.

Hernandez states that family is a key factor in young Latinas’ lives. “Family rifts affect young Latinas more profoundly than peer conflicts.” (Hernandez, 77). On top of this, Latina parents often have a hard time understanding why their daughters are feeling and acting out in such a deadly manner. “Immigrant parents who felt they gave up so much to bring their daughter to a better life in the United States sometimes have difficulty understanding what prompted the suicide attempt.” (Hernandez, 77). Thus therapy is multidimensional. Government officials from California to New York are providing grants for Latina suicide prevention programs and are holding hearings on the problem.

Through the research a special program has been designed to help teens. It involves counseling for the teen, the parents, and most programs include training sessions and English lessons for parents. These programs are geared toward building communication within the family. By educating parents on the issue for why their daughters feel the way they do and providing parents with job training as well as English lessons, a transition is able to happen and an understanding begins.

The problem that this article raises is one that I believe Kenji Yoshino would understand. Even though his article, “Gay Passing”, is about his struggle to find his place as a gay man, which is clearly different than young Latina’s trying to find theirs, there is a similarity- fitting in and finding one’s own place. He actually acknowledges that all people have secrets and “closet” selves and we are all “passing” in a world where we may not believe we fit in. (Yoshino, 73).

What is important to realize is that we are all unique and to feel like we have to pass, or converge is ridiculous. “Fitting in” means that we believe there is only one-way to be. This is ridiculous. How boring would the world be if we were all the same? We must accept our difference, embrace and celebrate them! As long as no one is hurting another by being himself or herself, than we should not push for people to be the same. We must tear down the belief that there is only one right way to be, and to be that way is the only way to be happy. “So long as there is a right to be a particular kind of person, I believe it logically and morally follows there is a right to say what one is.”(Yoshino, 70). Kenji Yoshino acknowledges the fact that we are all different and certain people are allowed to express their differences, while others are not or are only allowed to show a piece of himself or herself. He says that as long as one person is allowed to be himself or herself fully, than all people should be allowed to be himself or herself fully. So what is to be done to help first-generation Latinas know that it is okay that they and their families are different than “society”? The answer lies in all of us. It is up to all of us, we must be courageous and stand up for something that we may think is silly. We must not let things pass. We must fix our “programming” as Ellen Neuborne puts it.

The article encompasses a lot of different things we have discussed in class. My conclusion is based off our own class challenge, to stick up for what we believe is right. It is just another way we can better our lives as well as others. I was pleased to read that there are many clinics available for Latina teens to go to to seek help and learn how to deal with “fitting in”. On face value this issue may seem silly to some. Yet, humans are social creatures. We are a people who look for belonging and to not belong, as is seen in this article, can be deadly for those who feel alone.

(Unfortunately I was unable to find this article on Latina.com, but it was published in their March 2010 issue.)

News Flash: From Fantasy to Fact

Andrew Adam Newman discusses advertisements for feminine care products and the innovative changes that have been made by Kotex within his article, “Rebelling Against the Commonly Evasive Feminine Care Ad.” Kotex, a feminine care brand that has existed for over ninety years, recently introduced a unique marketing approach for a new line of products, U. A commercial for U that aired on March 15, has created controversy from the media. The commercial by Kotex, ridiculed Kotex’s previous advertisements. Feminine authors, such as Anne Fausto-Sterling and Gloria Steinem, would most probably support this more realistic campaign.

The commercial opens with a quite attractive young actress in her early twenties being asked how she feels about her period. She responds, “How do I feel about my period? I love it.” The commercial continues with her dialogue in which she discusses activities she is motivated to participate in during menstruation. She states that during her period her interests vary from running on the beach to dancing with friends. As she speaks of these desires, clips from previous Kotex ads are aired that coincide with her comments. The commercial concludes with blue liquid being poured on a pad with which the actress responds, “Oh, that’s what’s supposed to happen.” The advertisement then asks the audience why tampon ads are so ridiculous. Following this question, Kotex introduces its new line of products, U.

This commercial mocked past advertisements by Kotex in order to acknowledge their previous mistakes as well as their new approach. Some of the past commercials that were ridiculed had been shown as recently as 2009. The campaign slogan for Kotex’s product U is “Why are tampon ads so ridiculous?” A shift in Kotex’s approach to its consumers is quite evident. Andrew Muerer, vice president for North American feminine, adult, and senior care for Kotex’s parent company, Kimberly-Clark, explains this within an interview. “We’re turning the light on ourselves, and we’re not saying, look at what other people do. We’re saying look at what we’ve done in the past, which typifies everyone in the category” (Newman B3). Advertisements for feminine care products too often use euphemisms and avoid facts. Meanwhile, women are often left feeling isolated, uneducated, and misunderstood. A period, historically, has remained a secret which has rarely been discussed beyond closed doors.

Kotex has initiated a new campaign, which better educates women with respect to their menses. Elissa Stein, co-author of the book Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation, explains that advertisements for feminine care products too often separate women from the truths regarding menstruation. “You never see a bathroom, you never see a woman using a product. They never show someone having cramps or her face breaking out or tearful — it’s always happy, playful, sporty women” (Newman B3). While Mr. Muerer explains that Kotex is taking a new approach, the advertisements presented on television provide limited factual information. Therefore, Kotex developed a website to educate interested individuals with respect to puberty and menstruation. In addition, Kotex urges visitors of its website, UbyKotex.com, to sign a “Declaration of Real Talk.” This vow says that one will defy societal pressures by openly talking about menstruation. For every woman to sign this vow, Kotex donates one dollar to the Girls for a Change foundation. Kotex’s campaign is unprecedented in menstrual product marketing. The website offers detailed explanations and videos about how to use their products as well as factual information about menstrual cycles. Information about changes during male puberty is also included in order both broaden and further educate the site’s audience. Kotex has developed future advertisements that are expected to air within the next month to accompany this campaign. Kotex’s marketing campaign seems to be a step in the right direction. The secrets of menstruation are now being opened to the public. A questions arises is how to successful do this and still maintain respectful privacy.

Anne Fausto-Sterling analyzes menstruation, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and menopause, within her chapter, “Hormonal Hurricanes: Menstruation, Menopause, and Female Behavior.” She offers past research regarding menstruation and explains that more credible studies need to be conducted. “Reading through the morass of poorly done studies on menstruation and menopause, many of which express deep hatred and fear of women, can be a discouraging experience. One begins to wonder how it can be that within so vast a quantity of material so little qualities exists” (Fuasto-Sterling 121). Previous research concluded that women’s potentials were limited because of physical and psychological handicaps related to menses. This premise is beginning to be recognized as false, although much societal bias still exists. Fausto-Sterling argues that more factual information needs to be readily available and that women need to openly discuss their bodies. Menstruation should not equate as a shameful secret. Menstruation is a natural process that varies amongst women. This being true, numerous similarities do exist. Women need to be informed regarding the commonalities of menses and differentiate when/if abnormal symptoms occur. One could speculate that Fausto-Sterling would support Kotex’s U campaign. Kotex’s new marketing approach is a positive step for the public.

Gloria Steinem discusses the triangular relationship between advertisements, print (newspapers/magazines), and readers within her article, “Sex, Lies & Advertising.” In her article, Ms. Steinem focuses on her experience as the founding editor and publisher of the women’s magazine Ms. Ms. Steinem’s approach can easily be applied to television advertisements. The author acknowledges that media requires money in order to function, which is commonly provided via advertisements. Unfortunately, this allows for companies to exert certain influence over media. Therefore, numerous advertisements portray bias information with the sole purpose of selling a product. It could be hypothesized that Ms. Steinem would welcome Kotex’s new advertising campaign as a step in the right direction. Past commercials, which showed blue liquid being poured on a pad, provided little or no benefit to the viewer. Ms. Steinem asks a question at the end of her article, “Can’t we do better than this?” (Steinem 10). Perhaps Kotex recognizes that they can do better which has resulted in them shifting their marketing approach.

The goal of advertising is to sell a product. Many advertisements do not even refer to the product directly. This misrepresentation of information is not just a problem within feminine care products but advertising at large. As laws and rules change, marketing has become more informative to the consumer but additional steps are still needed. Kotex is self-ridiculing with respect to their past campaigns. This shift in advertising, by Kotex, may be reflective of their increased respect for women. As women become educated consumers their interest in buying products which disrespect their intelligence decreases. Questions arise. Is this campaign shift by Kotex reflective of a new respect for women and their intelligence or simply a more effective marketing approach? Companies only survive when consumers purchases their products. A more honest, educational approach is welcome, independent of motivating factors.




Past Kotex Commercials:

Commercial 1

Commercial 2

News Flash : Vadge Homogeneity

 Throughout the course of this semester I’ve noticed the alarming trend of an increased desire for homogeneity amongst women. Be it the clothes we wear, the style of our hair, or even, the aesthetics of our genitalia.  The article I’ve chosen, “The Vagina Dialogues” By Johanna Gohmann, displays how utterly ridiculous society has become in its venture to make the beautifully diverse human race into identical robots. Gohmann’s article takes a look into the growing trend for undergoing “vagioplasty”, reconstructive surgery done to remove or re-sculpt the labia to achieve the “ideal vagina.” The surgery  has immense popularity in the UK and the numbers are increasing in the US as well. The vast majority of women say they partake in the surgery for “cosmetic” reasons, while others say it enhances their sexual experience. However, there is no medical study that confirms this result. In reality the issue has less to do with physical discomfort during sex, and more to do with self-consciousness.  Why is it that all these women desire the “Designer Vagina”? This new trend is yet another example of our society pushing “norms” onto us that don’t exist. Normalcy is in the eye of the beholder, the real issue is that this is a silenced discussion; the lack of awareness of the fact that there is no “normal” vagina has led to this bizarre trend.

    The enormous increase in the number of women undergoing cosmetic surgery is an issue in and of itself. The fact that women feel they must endure copious amounts of pain to achieve an unnatural image is outlandish. Who decided that beauty must equal pain? It is incredibly frightening that most women who have vagioplasty put down cosmetics as their incentive. In Gohmann’s article she explains how nearly all women seeking this surgery bring in photographs of porn stars and reference these women's labia as their end goal.  “Docs concur that porn is the gold standard. Gang Alter is a Beverly Hills-based surgeon who has perfected his own ‘Alter Labia Minoria Countouring Technique.’ He says ‘ The widespread viewing of pornographic photos and videos has lead to a marked rise in female genital cosmetic surgery. Women are more aware of differences in genital appearance, so they wish to achieve their perceived  aesthetic ideal’”(pg.1, Gohmann.) As we discussed in previous classes, porn is not real, its fiction. These women are picked to be on the screen because they look the way they do, and if they don’t fit that look, many times they are airbrushed and blurred in order to fit an image. But in todays society we continue to confuse what we see in the media with reality, its almost as if the media is more present in our lives than reality is. “While lesbians are probably a bit more informed, many women aren’t familiar with the look of regular, everyday vaginas, which come in an endless range of shapes and sizes. If you’re straight, its very likely your vadge knowledge is limited to a squat with a hand mirror or Jenna Jameson”(pg.2, Gohmann.) This displays how dangerous silence and ignorance can be. If women were comfortable enough to discuss this topic, perhaps they wouldn’t be so entranced by the “playboy”-looking vagina.

   The women who don’t say cosmetics are their motive claim that they get the surgery to enhance their sexual experience. This is where the issue gets tricky. “In 2004, Dr. Laura berman, director of the Berman Center (a treatment clinic for female sexual dysfunction) completed a study on the relationship between women’s genital self image and their sexual function. She surveyed 2,206 women and not surprisingly found that they way you feel about your vadge plays a big part in how much you enjoy sex”(pg.3, Gohmann). For women, much of their sexual experience is  “cerebral” meaning their enjoyment depends a lot on how they personally feel about their bodies. Gohmann then poses the question; why are we dealing with these women’s sexual dissatisfaction with a scalpel when it’s a mental and emotional issue, not a physical one? The reason is that dealing with the cerebral aspect of the issue is far more difficult and time consuming (this procedure is under an hour) then working “inside the system” and “trimming away the ‘ugly bits’”(pg3, Gohmann). I found this theme to be strikingly similar to the issues of intersex genital “corrective” surgery. Countless people who are born intersex have been forced into a gender role through surgery on their genitalia in an effort to make them fit with the “norm.” But these norms are social constructions, as is the notion that there is a “normal” looking vagina.

     “Until very recently the specter of intersexuality has spurred us to police bodies of indeterminate sex. Rather than force us to admit the social nature of our ideas about sexual difference, our ever more sophisticated medical technology has allowed us, by its attempts to render such bodies male or demale, to insist that people are either naturally male or female. Such insistence occurs even though intersexual births occur with remarkably high frequency and may be on the increase. The paradoxes inherent in such reasoning, however, continue to haunt mainstream medicine, surfacing over and over in both scholarly debates and grossroots activitism around sexual identities”(pg.54, Fausto-Sterling).

This desire for normalcy is taking us down a scary road. Fortunately efforts for change are being made.

    The New View Campaign is a group that strives to “challenge the medicalization of sex.” Many of their efforts involve opening up a dialogue amongst women so their most prominent resource of information isn’t their television. “Its latest efforts include the International Vulva Knitting Circle, a playful way to bring women together to talk about their bodies and knit vulvas”(pg.5, Gohmann.) Talking is the first step to eliminating ignorance, which can help put an end to this misguided trend. The New View also has a website, http://www.fsd-alert.org/default.asp which has links to books and videos that provide important information on women’s sexual health. This video posted below is a look into the mission of the New View Campaign. /p>

 

   British Artist Jamie McCartney is currently working on a project called “Design a Vagina” in an effort to display publicly the wide variety of vaginal appearances. He was quoted in this article and I believe he pinpoints a key message, “everyone is different and everyone is normal”(pg.5, Gohmann). Continued efforts such as Mccartney’s are the only way to end this vaginal confusion.

This Article can be found in Bust magazine's June 2009 issue, or simply follow this link http://www.bust.com/component/option,com_zine/Itemid,273/id,2/view,article/

Fucking = Freedom?

Rebecca Walker’s article, “Lusting for Freedom,” explores her experiences with sex and relationships, beginning at age eleven. The author, who lost her virginity at age eleven, discussed how sex was a vehicle of freedom and empowerment for her. As Emily stated within her blog, the author was not promoting promiscuity, although it is often difficult to draw the line. Ms. Walker explains that women should be given the opportunity to make their own choices and become familiar as well comfortable with their own bodies. The author is well aware that teenagers will have sex regardless of societal or parental rule. “The question is not whether young women are going to have sex, for this is far beyond any parental or society control. The question is rather, what do young women need to make sex a dynamic, affirming, safe and pleasurable part of our lives?” (Walker 23). I share certain similarities and differences with Ms. Walker. Individuals are going to have sex. Therefore, a network should be developed in order to make women, as well as men, more aware of their bodies and sexual possibilities. Ms. Walker’s sexual behavior can be classified as promiscuous. An eleven year old is too young to make this decision. A decision that one may make at eleven may be regretted five years later. While sex and sexuality may be liberating, participation needs to be an educated choice. Many women feel that they need to openly embrace sex for acceptance. More accurate information needs to be available so that individual can be aware of their choices and the potential outcome of their actions. Sexual activity between partners is for late adolescents as well as adults who well aware of the decisions they are making. Sexual participation should always be voluntary.

Sonia Shah shares her experience of growing up in a suburban Indian family within her article, “Tight Jeans and Chania Chorris.” As a feminist, she was disgusted by her sister’s narcissism and self-objectification. This disgust often transitioned into jealousy. It was impressive that as a feminist, the author was still supportive of her sister’s sexual endeavors and tried to educate her sister with respect to sexual activities. The author comes to terms with her sometimes rash thinking near the end of the article. “I was analyzing the situation on white feminism’s terms, which don’t recognize cultural duality. So I though my sister was buying into sexist myths about beauty and female sexuality, when she was seeking an appropriate cultural expression of her sexuality in a society that doesn’t recognize anything outside the monoculture of “Americanism”’ (Shah 228). One must acknowledge that sex is a common activity within society. Its participants, though, deserve a valid education. Propaganda needs to be separated from factual information.

boo the system

In Rebecca Walker's article, as well as Sonia Shah's, we see yet again the shockingly harmful result of a static, corrupted system. Both women espouse the notion that sexuality is not something to be tamed or reined in, because this is merely oppression in disguise. "I thought she should be supported if she were having sex. It's her sexuality, and any attempt on our part to rein it in would be disingenuous and oppressive,  I reasoned. Sure, she's young, but with the proper guidance and support, she can gain wisdom from others"(p.116,Shah) I agree whole-heartedly. Ignorance yields very few positive results. Though experimentation (in a safe environment) we gain valuable knowledge. Information travels far to fast and much to easily in today's world for anyone to imagine that suppressing truths or keeping secrets is possible. Being fully candid with your children, peers, siblings etc is much more productive than masking the truth and suppressing exploration.

I also really liked the point that Walker made about how we frequently leave it up to television and the rest of news media to teach us about sex. I discussed this notion, and its negative impacts, in my Newsflash. Our culture has a disturbingly difficult time separating fiction from reality. We think what we see on television and in film is real life, and thus have a very skewed perception of truths. To grow up with no guidance aside from this alternate reality seems quite dangerous. 

Personally, I remember thinking I knew everything about sex when I was younger. In reality, all I knew was that there was a boy and a girl (I feel I should make commentary on this close-minded statement, I dont know when I learned about non-hetero sex, so just bare with me) and the end result could be a baby or it could not. I didn't know how it was accomplished, I didn't know it was supposed to be pleasurable, and I didn't know why or how babies had anything to do with the process. I don't remember having "the talk" with my parents. Most of my knowledge came from conversations with friends (most of that knowledge was incorrect, as I've discovered later in life, thanks guys). But looking back now, I wish I had a big sister like Sonia to say to me what she said to her little sister. I think it would've been helpful throughout adolescence. But even without that guiding light, I still believe that its better for one to learn through their own personal journey then to be confused, tossed about, and pressures by images pushed on us by society. We fear what we can't control, but I don't believe the solution is to still try and control it. 

Sex= liberation?

Rebecca Walker raises very interesting points some I agree with others I do not in her article Lusting for Freedom. First of all it takes a very strong women, to admit when she lost her virginity. Her article was interesting because she provides an idea about sex that is very rarely discussed. Sex is not a bad or shameful act, but is often portrayed that way or to be dirty. I appreciated her acceptance that at times sex can be an avenue that can lead to self hate or unwanted pregnancies or disease. She says this should not be the case and women should be given the knowledge about safe sex or birth control methods and apportion options. Most importantly she argues that women should be given the opportunity to learn our bodies and "self-exploration (should not be) blocked by cultural taboo, government control or religious mandate... Without being able to respond to and honor the desires of our bodies and our selves, we become cut off from our instincts for pleasure, dissatisfied living under rules and thoughts that are not our own." This is very powerful!!!

She is not saying that we should go out and be slutting around but that wanting sex is a natural desire and we should fulfill it. Only when we listen to our bodies do we learn more about ourselves. "We learn much of what we know from television, which debases sex and humiliates women." There needs to be an emphasis that sex is a space where we learn about ourselves only from our experiences not from what we see, read or hear. Thus it is imperative that women are given the opportunity to have safe sex and know what is available to them. We must address the question, "what do young women need to make sex a dynamic, affirming, safe and pleasurable part of their lives... how do we build the bridge between sex and sexuality, between the isolated act and the powerful element that, when honed, can be an important tool for self-actualization?" These are the questions we should strive to answer and the answer needs to be changed in how it is presented on television or movies.

Problems on being a women

My problem with women and feminism and women as well as men trying to say we are all equal is that to do this we must throw away a sense of what makes us (women) us. Alisa L. Valdes piece "Ruminations of a Feminist Fitness Instructor" really angered me in some way. Here Valdes "Just saying my title is enough to make most people laugh: feminist aerobics instructor." She starts off her article saying that she was a contradiction. She used to tell her students to eat whatever they wanted and they would look at her as if she were the mad hatter. I can understand this. She was offering a class to a wide range of women, many who felt pressured by a patriarchal society to fit and be a "certain body". How could any good feminist offer such a class and thus also succumb to the patriarchal society? However, my problem lies in the fact that she is giving up something of herself to fit into another piece of herself. Why must we as females choose pieces of ourselves appear correct?

Here is what I mean and what I am trying to get out. As a young girl I grew up with two older brothers. My father always told me I was no different than boys and offered me the opportunity to play in every sport my brothers did. However, at the time when this was offered I was a true girly girl. "Do they have pink shoes?" "No?" "Then I don't wanna play" This is actually quite comical seeing how I played all these sports and games with my brothers on the weekends and after school and was always the first girl and even the first person to be chosen for games of football, kickball, or dodgeball in recess. I was in a sense hypocritical at a young age. I must say however, that one of the biggest reasons, besides not having pink cleits, for not wanting to play was because I would be on an all girls team- I would not be with my brothers or the boys I normally played with and this did not interest me.

At the same time this was going I was also involved in swimming, horse back riding, as well as dance- all forms of dance. I grew to love dancing. It become not something I did but who I was. I danced with the Moscow Ballet Company, had major roles in productions that my school put on, went to Governor's school for the arts. At one point in time I was dancing up to around 20-30 hours a week if not more. If something was bothering me I would dance. It was just me and the music and suddenly everything would be okay. If I was happy it would come across in my dance. Dance was my outlet and I did it for no one but me.

Yet after reading Valdes piece, she like me loved to exercise and dance but eventually she felt the need to stop and pull herself "away from the contradictions?" It seems like she notices the fact that excessing is huge in her life and is something that does make her happy, yet at the same time she looks around and sees women trying to obtain an imperfect body that is supposed to be attainable. I understand that she did not want a part of that. Yet, I think she looses herself by riding fitness and claiming that women who choose to exercise are "suffer(ing) at the hands of a patriarchal society, a society that even convinces us to hurt ourselves, so that we are kept from the real business of our lives." She does not allow herself to realize that she can, as well as other women, love to work out or dance and not be a contradiction to feminism.

Today, I do not dance, at least not like I used to. I do not swim or run like I used to. (Forgot to mention that these are also things I did- and loved to do. When I was running or swimming I was not thinking about anyone but me and the clock (when it came to races, but other times running and swimming also provided me an outlet to just clear my head). Today I cannot stand here and say "When I go to the gym my only reason is for myself- of course there are other motives- I do want to look good. Yet, that is not to say that when I am sad or confused or just need an outlet I do not turn to these avenues. Tonight I started dancing again, and the happiness I felt made me question why I ever left. I believe myself to be a feminist. To believe that women and men are equal, but I do not thing women need to give up things that may be deemed "womanly" to be a good feminist. We should not have to choose one piece of ourselves over another. We are complex human beings and this is okay!!!!

misplaced anger

Veldes' article is the first of those we have read thus far that I am in complete disagreement with.  Granted, it sucks that she had to pursue a field that was not her passion for so long just because she comes from a lower class family and had to pay the bills. But I think she is taking out her years of frustration and debt on the fitness world far too harshly.  Her particular method of exercise, aerobics, does have lots of sexual connotations associated with it. The spandex, the thongs, the smiles, the big hair, we're all well acquainted with it. And its true that all of this sexualization of aerobics has to do with men. But to say "the gym has really become just another painful way we are all distracted from the serious business of our lives" is quite close-minded.

Valdes' particular experience with the gym and exercise appears to have been quite negative. Aside from it keeping her from her true dreams, she clearly was exposed to the ugly side of fitness; that of starving oneself, bingeing on cocaine, over-exercise etc. For many women, the gym has become a tool of the patriarchal society we live in, where women nearly kill themselves trying to achieve perfection [for a man]. But that is not the case for myself, or for nearly all of the girls whom I associate with. 

I recently met with an energy healer, Sean, who was teaching me about the powers of meditation. He was trying to explain to me what the moment of "peace" (that one reaches when they become good at meditating) is like. He was trying to relate it to something I may have already experienced in my life, so he asked me what my hobbies were. I told him how I run every day. He said, perfect. "Runner's high" is a term commonly used to mean the feeling one achieves after you've been running for a long time, and you no longer feel the pain of running on your body anymore. For those who haven't experienced it, its as if you lose feeling in all your appendages, you feel nothing, but in a good way; no, in an amazing way. You could run for hours and hours and hours. Sean told me that a Runner's High is very similar to that which he achieves when he meditates, an out of body experience during which you feel totally at peace with yourself and the world. I go to the gym everyday without fail to feel this way, as well as to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Now tell me, how is that feeding into patriarchal society? How is that 'distracting me from the serious business of my life'?

 

Before I came to Colgate, I was a full-time athlete. I played on a varsity sport for fall, winter, and spring, every season from my freshman to senior year. I could talk for hours about the merits of participating on these teams, and one thing I know for sure, is that none of these merits had anything to do with boys. When I was on the field or court, the only thing that mattered in the world was the game, it was my escape. I loved being able to clear my head of everything that was bothering me, which at the ages of 15-18, was 80% boy problems. None of the pressures of the outside world (the patriarchal outside world) mattered when I was playing. And yes, Ms. Valdes, we wear skirts and spandex when we play field hockey and lacrosse, but I couldn't have cared less how I looked in them, I was just trying to bring my stats up. 

Accepting One's Body

Joan Brumberg’s chapter, “Body Projects,” transitions smoothly into Alisa Valdes article, “Ruminations of a Feminist Fitness Instructor.” Mrs. Valdes shares her experience as a feminist aerobics instructor. She explains that women should feel free to eat whatever they want whenever they want. Mrs. Valdes clarifies that she has seen too many problems with weight and dieting issues throughout her career as an aerobics instructor. Societal biases too often make women believe that they should look similar to the American doll, Barbie. The author explains the falseness behind this assumption “If a woman of Barbie’s proportions existed, she wouldn’t be able to walk, breathe or digest food” (Valdes 26). Throughout the article the author expresses disapproval with her own career path. She feels that she has betrayed her gender by not fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a feminist writer. The reader may often feel empathetic for her because she has not been able to accomplish this feat. It was not until the end of her work that I made the connection that she wrote the article in which I was reading. She has successfully accomplished her goal of becoming a feminist writer.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of gyms and group classes? On one hand, these places provide an atmosphere that inspires motivation, participation, and friendship. On the other side of the spectrum, these arenas are often breading grounds for eating disorders and self-abuse. Alisa Valdes explains that atmosphere that exists within her classes. “Anorexics fill my classes like worshipers in a church, and no one stares. Other instructors starve themselves and do cocaine for energy with a regularity that would surprise many of their admires” (Valdes 31). Women, as well as men, need to be more accepting of their own bodies. Until biases within society decrease, eating disorders will continue to persist.

Anne Fausto-Sterling analyzes menstruation, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and menopause, within her chapter, “Hormonal Hurricanes: Menstruation, Menopause, and Female Behavior.” She offers past research that analyzed PMS but explains that more credible studies are needed that offers a more accurate understanding of the female population. Previous research concluded that women’s potentials were limited because of physical and psychological factors. Scientist of the 1800s argued that the rigor of education would cause serious damage to women’s reproductive systems, citing women who could not bear children because they chose the education path that was commonly allotted to men. The truth is that without women and their menstruation cycles, the population would cease to exist. Menstruation symptoms in all women are not the same. One must recognize that one size does not fit all. Therefore, it seems naïve to believe that all women classify under a similar branch. Just as it would be naïve to believe that all men share identical attributes. Near the end of her chapter Fausto-Sterling clarifies that testosterone, in normal amounts, if often beneficial to the male population but at too high of a level antisocial behaviors often result. Studies need to provide an understanding of one’s body instead of criticism of it.

Consumption of Ads

Gloria Steinem’s article, “Sex, Lies & Advertising,” discusses the triangular relationship between advertisements, print (newspapers/magazines), and readers.
She primarily focuses on the women’s magazine, Ms, of which she was the founding editor and publisher. Media is too often driven by money and relies on advertisements in order to increase profit. This allows outside entities to exert substantial influence over media. When Ms Magazine started, it wanted to incorporate advertisements from various car companies as well as electronics in order to prove that women, like men, are also substantial consumers in these arenas. This was a task that turned out to be much more difficult than one would initially expect. Ms. Steinem evokes interesting questions near the end of her article. “What could women's magazines be like if they were as ad-free as books? as realistic as newspapers? as creative as films? as diverse as women's lives? We don't know. But we'll only find out if we take women's magazines seriously” (9). The problem is that it is nearly impossible to cover the cost of producing a popular magazine without advertisements. While advertisements and media may share the same vehicle, the ties between the two need to be severed. As newspapers and magazines become less popular and the twentieth-century brings about a society dominated by the Internet, the future of printed advertisements becomes uncertain.

Joan Jacobs Brumberg elaborates on the pressures placed on girls within American Society in his book, The Body Project. Girls of the twentieth and twenty-first century must fit certain stereotypes in order to be considered attractive or desirable. With continuously earlier hormonal maturation, young girls focus on their physical appearance at a consistently younger age. This section of Brumberg’s book focuses on weight, diet, bras and breast size, as well as body piercing. If Mrs. Brumberg wrote her chapter today, it would be likely that she included tattoos as well. What I found most interesting within this section was the discussion of African-American girls. Brumberg explained that some studies show that Africa-American girls are more relaxed with respect to their body images. The author explained that this is probably more closely correlated with economic status instead of cultural differences. There often appears to be a direct correlation between increase in one’s wealth/resources with obsession over one’s appearance. With affluence and concern over one’s body image come eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia. It is interesting to note that in poor regions with inadequate food supply, there are minimal eating disorders. Until we as a society re-clarify our priorities and values, this system will continue to perpetuate. The death rate from anorexia nervosa in the 1960s and 70s was between 6 to 20% (Hilde Bruch). The current death rate from this disease is between 5 to 20% (WebMd). In spite of multiple medical advances, limited progress has been made in treating eating disorders, which predominately, but not exclusive, affect women. Relating back to Ms. Steinem’s article, certain advertisements too often encourage this type of behavior.

Women's Issues

Steinem and Brumberg articles discuss issues particular to women. Brumberg's The Body Project had significant importance to me. Several amazing women in my life have eating disorders and this weekend I just learned that my younger 15 year old cousin who is absolutely beautiful has bulimia. I was so sad to learn this information. I wish she could see herself the way everyone else does. There is nothing wrong with her! I think Brumberg as well as Steinem's article really emphasizes the extent that adds and media really shape how women look at themselves.

The articles raise the question to who's standard are we living up to? These models we see in the magazines, on tv, on bilboards are all extremely skinny to begin with and on top of that are all air brushed. They are not being portrayed in their real skin. The images that surround us are unrealistic. How can any women live up to this, if even the models cannot? I was really proud of the Dove campaign for real beauty. This campaign has focused their attention on this issue and uses real women and girls in their beauty commercials. It is refreshing to see women who look like me and my friends being portrayed as beautiful. Just because we are not 5'11 with size 24 in waist does not mean we are not beautiful! Below I'm posting a video on how beauty in other respects is done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

The first time I saw this video I was amazed at how the person in the end looked nothing like the person who walked in. Beauty that we see is not real and I wish women could begin to see themselves for how beautiful they are. I think there needs to be a real push to make advertisers be responsible to represent beauty in a real form. If they want to have models that are skinny and lanky fine but to go in and air brush their flaws is ridiculous. Many of these models also have issues with their own weight which if so ironic seeing how they could be seen as perpetuating their own problem.

hierarchies and lipsticks

I was intrigued by Steinem's article on advertising, as it is an industry that, though I'm enveloped in daily, I know very little about. Throughout the course of our readings I'm continually surprised by the close-mindedness of many powerful people in this country throughout history and in contemporary society. Many times in Steinems article she references editors of big name publications, or CEO's of "cash cow" industries etc who perpetuate prejudices and stigmas with their practices and decisions. For example the editor of New York Magazine who told the people at Ms. that they should "position" themselves against lesbians. 

At first response, I find myself blaming the individual. How could someone be so ignorant and close-minded? But another one of Steinem's examples made me rethink my judgement. "Some of them come from JVC, whose vice president, Harry Elias, is trying to convince his Japanese bosses that there is something called a women's market."(p.3, Steinem) I realized that there is something bigger at work here. It reminded me of what I learned about the civil rights movement in the American School course here at colgate; how a huge percentage of students in school who espoused racial prejudices were only doing so because of their parents, when in actuality they got along very well with their black classmates. The systems in place in corporate America don't allot for much personal opinion. Though Mr. Elias felt a certain way about where the company should go, the hierarchy in place didn't allow for him to make changes. This reminded me once again of Alan Johnson's article about the "systems" we have set in place. So often in our country there is a small, small minority who wields the majority of the power. Is this not entirely contradictory to the notions our country is founded on?

Steinem concludes her article asking the readers if we can do better than this. I truly believe we can. Two-thirds of the women's magazines being published today disgust me. I physically can not stand them. What bothers me the most are the filler articles about advice for women: "Why doesn't he love me?" "What they really mean when they say this..." "10 new ways to make your man happy" "How to tell a friend she smells bad" I mean are they serious? Why do they feed us this crap? And let's not even dive into the painful world of the tabloid magazines...All of these magazines portray such a negative image for women, they're skewing our priorities and brainwashing us. I believe Ariel Levy would espouse this belief as well. Women's magazines are drenched in raunch culture, women selling themselves out for a quick buck, and selling themselves short in the name of what pleases men. "What message is your lipstick sending?" My lipstick says it does not care. I bought it because I liked the color, not because its a name-brand that you tell me everyone else likes or that will find me my husband. We deserve a little more credit than that.