Bicycles

At risk of this sounding like a toilet post, why are guys and gals bikes made differently? What social construction caused this? Clearly it has to be social as if were a biological reason, then the styles should be reversed in my opinion. I tried to find some history on this topic, but have had no luck in finding any reason for guy bikes to have a higher bar. Not to mention is there structural reason for this - I mean is one style more safer? If so, shouldn't all bikes be made similarly?

Equal Pay Day

Equal Pay Day was last Tuesday. April is the month that women finally catch up to men's pay from 2007. In other words a woman in general has to work all of 2007 and then through the month of April for their wages to equal what a man made in 2007. It is held on a Tuesday because this is the day of the week that women work plus the week before to equal what men made the week before by itself.
Equal Pay Day was started in 1996 to make people aware of the disparity in pay between genders. The gap is even wider for women of color.
So when Senators Clinton and Obama said that it was about gender(Clinton) and about race(Obama) in their speeches this week about the wage discrimination resolution that failed, they were both right.
I find it interesting that this day was observed the same week that the Senate voted down changing the law and length of time that a woman has to file a suit for wage discrimination, ironic and sad that they both happened the same week.
Why has this trend continued even after it has been brought to people's attention, why do so many think that women are not worthy of the same pay as a man?
What about our leaders do they not think it's important to protect women in the work force??

The link above will connect you to the pay-equity.org sight to show what they have done to draw attention to this issue in the past.

You Are What You Mother Eats

A new study was found that there may be a link between the diet of a pregnant female and the gender of her fetus.

This information was very interesting to me. To me it refutes basic biology in that sex is determined by either an x or a y chromosome from the sperm.

Take a look and leave comments if you would like! Thanks!!

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/newsmothersdiet.shtml?icid=L142-4843960-065D

Senate Republicans block unequal pay bill

Senate Republicans blocked a bill Wednesday that would make it easier for people to sue over pay discrimination, an effort to roll back a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that limited such cases. The bill would have reset the clock with every paycheck, with supporters arguing that each paycheck was a discriminatory act. The bill, dubbed the Fair Pay Restoration Act, is a response to a 2007 Supreme Court decision that ruled a person who claims pay discrimination must file a complaint within 180 days of that discrimination taking place. The case was brought by an Alabama woman, Lilly Ledbetter, who claimed that her employer, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., paid men doing similar work 15 to 40 percent more. Ledbetter said she discovered the discrepancy late in her career -- too late, the court ruled, to go to court. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, said the bill would allow retirees drawing pensions to sue their old companies over allegations of discrimination that happened decades ago. I can see where suing to just get more money out of an old employer can become an issue, however; you still have to have very good claims and documentation to back up your case. I think this would have been a good bill and it would have protected the many people like Lilly who were unaware of the discrimination until it is too late. I think that if someone is being discriminated against by there company and they can prove it, time shouldn't be a factor. Unfortunately the bill was only 4 votes short, in order to pass the bill it needed 60 votes and it only had 56 votes.

"I'm hoping this chamber will stand up for fundamental fairness for women in the workplace," said Clinton, of New York. "I'm hoping you will stand up and vote to make it clear that women who get up every single day and go to work deserve to be paid equally to their male counterparts." And Obama, of Illinois, added, "If you work hard and do a good job, you should be rewarded no matter what you look like, where you come from or what gender you are." I thought it was kind of ironic that Clinton referred to this case as a womens issue and Obama brought up that it was a minority issue. I think this shows that everyone has different perspectives and sometimes they are biased to their specific race or gender. I think it is like that because it is easier to see and relate to your own gender or race.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/23/senate.discrimination/index.html

Easy Curves

In class on Tuesday Dr. Lucas mentioned this infomercial on the "breast enhancer" called easy curves. I thought I would post it because I think it is interesting how they try and pass this as a quality product. I mean they do a good job of getting women who have an already big bust size and they have them test the product. We are suppose to believe that because they used easy curves they got bigger breasts. It just goes to show you that some people will do anything or buy anything to try and fit the mold of our society. You can't tell me that someone who has a small chest can change everything by using easy curves. It is commercials like these that try and make you feel bad about your body so you buy their product. At least they aren't trying to sell drugs to enhance your breasts, I'll give them that.

What are your thoughts on this product?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8ur9piNe4fs&feature=related

Let's Shatter Gender Roles of Parents

In today's Daily Nebraskan there is an article titled, "Let's Shatter Gender Roles of Parents."  In the article it mentions how every family has someone labeled the breadwinner, and the stay-at-home parent.  The article talks about how it's becoming" more common to see the woman in the family labeled as the breadwinner and the man as the stay-at-home parent.  In fact, as it says in the article, "in the last year 159,000 men in the U.S. are considered to be full-time care-givers to children (compared with 5.6 million women who stayed at home to raise their children in 2005).  Nonetheless, with concerns that men are less nurturing, individuals raise their concerns over the issue.  It shows a lack of masculinity some argue to see men want to stay at home and have a "nurturing side."  So what do you all think?  What do you see as advantages and disadvantages over the issue?  I personally think it's great to see these gender roles switched, but I'd like to see what others believe.

Gender vs. business growth

The cover story in Wednesday's USAToday(April 23) discusses women as business founders. The article discusses how many women are founders of businesses, yet when it comes to becoming a really big company they are at a distinct disadvantage numbers wise. The article states that in the last 35 years only 43 women have become CEO's of Fortune 1000 companies, and in that same time only three companies were founded by women and then grew into Fortune 1000 companies, they also happened to be co-founded by men. Why? Why so few??
The basic reasoning in the article, and this is from women involved in businesses, is the same reason that we see for women not getting promoted in other companies, motherhood.
While we like to think that this is a reason that men give for not promoting women, here is a reason that the women themselves give for not staying in the leadership role of a company that they started, in a sense their baby also.
How does this trend affect women as a whole entering the workforce today? Do you see this as a plausable excuse or reason for the lack of women at the head of their own companies once they have reached the pinnacle of financial success. Do you think that maybe they are intimidated once their company becomes ultra-successful? What kinds of strategies, if any, are there for having more women stay with their companies when they are successful and large, could they cultivate another female for their role when they feel a need to step down?
I thought this article was very interesting as most of us are about to enter the workforce, it is another view into the atmosphere in which we will be imersed.


You can read the article by clicking the link above, or the papaer is also available in the racks on campus.

Article about attack on woman in car

I found this link on the LPD web site in the chief's blog. I just thought it was interesting and some people might feel safer knowing what the police say.

violent cheerleaders

I know this video is not new to some people, and was posted a few weeks ago, but I cannot seem to get over it! It hurts my heart to see how harsh these young girls are. While watching it, the 1st time & the 10th time, I couldn't help but wonder... What did this poor girl do to these girls to cause them to beat on her. Girls in high school are mean and jealousy can make them do awful things. This video makes me so sad, not only because someone is getting hurt but because it is so unsual to see girls act this way! I feel like there has been alot of attention to this video because they are women... men are violently aggressive all the time but dont get this much attention for it. It bothers me that, just because it is common for the male gender to act like this, that it is overlooked sometimes. I cant help but wonder... what made these girls think that this tape would give them any kind of positive attention? And what was it that made them think that it was okay, or that there wouldnt be any consequences. It especially kills me that two boys were outside the house waiting, knowing what was going on inside!! I was just curious to hear others' opinions... and how gender affects peoples' perception when violence like this occurs.

Wifebeaters

The other day while I was wearing a white tank top I was reminded of the slang term for these types of tanks. They are often referred to as 'wifebeaters'. This horrible name never really bothered me or registered as wrong until I started looking at gender and communication in a new way. According to Wikipedia.com "The nickname wifebeater originates from its association with aggressive, underclass males, usually living in poor conditions, such as a dilapidated trailer especially as frequently depicted in television shows and movies. One such depiction is in A Streetcar Named Desire in which Marlon Brando famously portrayed a character who wore one and hit his wife."

What I would like to know is how did this phrase gain popularity with such an awful name - and why hasn't anyone done anything about it? Are there other slang terms out there that also degrade women/minorities that anyone can think of?

Dear Annie,

Here is an excerpt from the Dear Annie section in the Omaha World Hearld from today's paper:


Dear Annie: You've printed a few letters from women who object to being called "you guys" in restaurants and other places. I feel just the opposite.I am one of four female electricians among 200 males. I absolutely hate it when someone comes in and says, "You guys and lady" because they are emphasizing my gender more than my presence already does. There aren't that many women in this field, so we don't need to be pointed out every time the boss wants to address us. In this field, it's more respectful of my position to be one of the "guys." Saginaw, Mich.
Dear Saginaw: In recent years, "you guys" has become gender-neutral, and we're sure many women feel such monikers mean the men consider them equals and valued for what they contribute to the job.


This is so relevant to our class! First, they are discussiong spotlighting, by saying they are pointing out women electricians as "lady". The topic of using "you guys" is interesting because it is so prevalent in our modern society. It is now common slang that our generation is not even phased by. I also used to work in position where I was the only woman in my department. Sometimes my boss would come in and say "ok you guys, um and gal" which made me feel akward. I understand that slang terms evolve over time and the term "you guys" now refers to "you all". I can think of a million terms that are completely different now than they were fifty years ago.

skinny

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=0f93aff4-130c-4631-87f2-177adc8a5ff4&playlist=videoByTag:tag:green%20guide:ns:Gallery:mk:us:vs:1&from=MSNHP&tab=m1207609493831&GT1=42003

So I don't know why but this video was offensive to me. I guess I have never been one of those girls that uses bitch as a friendly pet name for my friends. If I am called that I am offended, it just sounds so harsh. I was amazed as I watched this video because it had a million gendered discussions intertwined in it. First, who says that only women need a diet plan. Why is it that when they make women's diet plans they emphasize their chocolate and fatty desserts. Why don't they do that for men? My boyfriend likes sweets more than I do, in fact I have caught him relentlessly splurging in the middle of the night. Why do people always assume that female hormones means we crave cake and pie and ice cream. I think we crave fatty foods because we are Americans. We live in a society that is filled with food that could clog our arteries in a heart beat (pun intended :) ). Why do people assume women have such horrible dieting problems?
Another issue I had with this was the title " skinny bitch". It seems so degrading. It is almost as if you are trying to be better than everyone else by developing this diet. I don't know. Everything seems so wrong about this.
The gender stereotypes have gone too far! However, it seems as though women are targeted more often than men in dieting cases. If they are so serious about this stereo type why don't they develop a male diet that emphasizes their ability to still drink beer??? Come on.

How Depressing: It's a Boy

I found this article when going to check my e-mail. It is about a study done that was published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing which examined the impact of infant gender on postpartum depression for women in France. Basically, the article is examing research that was done that demonstrated that women who gave birth to boys were more likely to expirience postpartum depression than women who gave birth the girls.

After reading the article, I do not feel fully convinced by the evidence presented. But, I do feel that there are some interesting points made about the gender differences between boys and girls even from birth that correlate with this class.

If you would like, take a look. The article is pretty short. Thanks!

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100198969&page=1

Yale Student's "Art" Project

Here's an article from the Yale Daily News about a Yale student's senior art project:

Art major Aliza Shvarts '08 wants to make a statement.

Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself "as often as possible" while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages. Her exhibition will feature video recordings of these forced miscarriages as well as preserved collections of the blood from the process.

The goal in creating the art exhibition, Shvarts said, was to spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body. But her project has already provoked more than just debate, inciting, for instance, outcry at a forum for fellow senior art majors held last week. And when told about Shvarts' project, students on both ends of the abortion debate have expressed shock . saying the project does everything from violate moral code to trivialize abortion.

But Shvarts insists her concept was not designed for "shock value."

"I hope it inspires some sort of discourse," Shvarts said. "Sure, some people will be upset with the message and will not agree with it, but it's not the intention of the piece to scandalize anyone."

The "fabricators," or donors, of the sperm were not paid for their services, but Shvarts required them to periodically take tests for sexually transmitted diseases. She said she was not concerned about any medical effects the forced miscarriages may have had on her body. The abortifacient drugs she took were legal and herbal, she said, and she did not feel the need to consult a doctor about her repeated miscarriages.

Shvarts declined to specify the number of sperm donors she used, as well as the number of times she inseminated herself.

Art major Juan Castillo '08 said that although he was intrigued by the creativity and beauty of her senior project, not everyone was as thrilled as he was by the concept and the means by which she attained the result.

"I really loved the idea of this project, but a lot other people didn't," Castillo said. "I think that most people were very resistant to thinking about what the project was really about. [The senior-art-project forum] stopped being a conversation on the work itself."

Although Shvarts said she does not remember the class being quite as hostile as Castillo described, she said she believes it is the nature of her piece to "provoke inquiry."

"I believe strongly that art should be a medium for politics and ideologies, not just a commodity," Shvarts said. "I think that I'm creating a project that lives up to the standard of what art is supposed to be."

The display of Schvarts' project will feature a large cube suspended from the ceiling of a room in the gallery of Green Hall. Schvarts will wrap hundreds of feet of plastic sheeting around this cube; lined between layers of the sheeting will be the blood from Schvarts' self-induced miscarriages mixed with Vaseline in order to prevent the blood from drying and to extend the blood throughout the plastic sheeting.

Schvarts will then project recorded videos onto the four sides of the cube. These videos, captured on a VHS camcorder, will show her experiencing miscarriages in her bathrooom tub, she said. Similar videos will be projected onto the walls of the room.

School of Art lecturer Pia Lindman, Schvarts' senior-project advisor, could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Few people outside of Yale's undergraduate art department have heard about Shvarts' exhibition. Members of two campus abortion-activist groups . Choose Life at Yale, a pro-life group, and the Reproductive Rights Action League of Yale, a pro-choice group . said they were not previously aware of Schvarts' project.

Alice Buttrick '10, an officer of RALY, said the group was in no way involved with the art exhibition and had no official opinion on the matter.

Sara Rahman '09 said, in her opinion, Shvarts is abusing her constitutional right to do what she chooses with her body.
"[Shvarts' exhibit] turns what is a serious decision for women into an absurdism," Rahman said. "It discounts the gravity of the situation that is abortion."
CLAY member Jonathan Serrato '09 said he does not think CLAY has an official response to Schvarts' exhibition. But personally, Serrato said he found the concept of the senior art project "surprising" and unethical.
"I feel that she's manipulating life for the benefit of her art, and I definitely don't support it," Serrato said. "I think it's morally wrong."

Shvarts emphasized that she is not ashamed of her exhibition, and she has become increasingly comfortable discussing her miscarriage experiences with her peers.
"It was a private and personal endeavor, but also a transparent one for the most part," Shvarts said. "This isn't something I've been hiding."

The official reception for the Undergraduate Senior Art Show will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25. The exhibition will be on public display from April 22 to May 1. The art exhibition is set to premiere alongside the projects of other art seniors this Tuesday, April 22 at the gallery of Holcombe T. Green Jr. Hall on Chapel Street.


Any thoughts?

Anyone heard of Polyandry?

With all the news lately about the polygamy crack-down in Texas, I have been thinking about this religious practice a lot. I admit, I know little about polygamy, but from what I do know it is an institution within which men hold all the power. Some of the women of polygamy say that they run their households, and have freedom of choice, but after seeing these women in television interviews (I cannot believe they are submitting to this), it makes it seem even worse than what I have seen in documentaries. The part that makes me worry about this lifestyle is that they have some sort of ranking system within the marriages, (they go by first wife, second wife, etc).
Even though I am not a fan of polygamy, but I do believe adults should be allowed to do as they please, as long as they are competent in their mental capacity to do so. But the women I have seen speaking out from this media debacle, prove to me that they are not in fact competent in hardly any way, except to possibly bear children and raise them to be followers. I do watch the HBO show Big Love, (purely out of entertainment value), and I do not think it portrays the true colors of this institution. The women who are choosing to go on television in an attempt to make the rest of America feel sorry for them are showing us the true colors of this and I do not think it is going to make their case any stronger for their husband(s). The link I attached is from an interview with three of the wives from the compound in San Angelo, Texas.
So I wanted to know what everyone's thoughts are on this subject, and if anyone has ever heard of polyandry, (the opposite of polygamy).

Lyrics Brad Paisly style

Brad wrote a song about the differences between guys and girls. It definitely brings to light a lot of the stereotypes we've talked about in this course. The song is called, I'm Still a Guy. I wrote some comments after each lyric stanza that points out a stereotype. What do you guys think about this one?

When you see a deer
You see Bambi * apparently women only view deer as cute Disney characters.
And I see antlers up on the wall * whereas men see them as objects for hunting
When you see a lake
You think picnics * girls like lakes so they can go socialize there
And I see a large mouth up under that log * guys like them to catch fish
You’re probably thinking that you’re gonna change me * presumes women think they need to change their men
In some ways well, maybe you might
Scrub me down dress me up * i guess ladies need to clean their man up
But no matter what
Remember I’m still a guy

When you see a priceless French painting *women see art
I see a drunk naked girl * men see porn
You think that riding a wild bull sounds crazy *women are timid
And I’d like to give it a whirl *men are wild
Love makes a man do some things he ain’t proud of * men don't like doing "girly" things for their lady
And in a weak moment I might walk your sissy dog
Hold your purse at the mall
But remember I’m still a guy

And I’ll pour out my heart
Hold your hand in the car
Write a love song that makes you cry *things guys supposedly assume women swoon over
Then turn right around
Knock some jerk to the ground
‘Cause he copped a feel as you walked by *protector role

I can hear you now talking to your friends
Saying yeah girls he’s come a long way
From dragging his knuckles and carrying a club
And building a fire in a cave * men are primal creatures?
But when you say a backrub means only a backrub
Then you swat my hand when I try * guys always go for the full nine in bed?
Well now what can I say at the end of the day
Honey, I’m still a guy

And I’ll pour out my heart
Hold your hand in the car
Write a love song that makes you cry
Then turn right around
Knock some jerk to the ground
‘Cause he copped a feel as you walked by

These days there’s dudes getting facials
Manicured waxed and botoxed
But with deep spray on tans and creamy lotioney hands * these are negative things? anti-man?
You can’t grip a tackle box *Ahh, cuz all men love to fish! riight.
With all of these men lining up to get neutered * Neutered!??!
It’s hip now to be feminized I don’t highlight my hair
I’ve still got a pair * guys with highlights dont have balls
Yeah, honey I’m still a guy

My eyebrows ain’t plucked
Theres a gun in my truck * ahh, another nice manly vision
Thank God I’m still a guy

What do you all think about this?

Video over Men and Masculinity

The video really made me think about the way in which not only masculinity is prescribed to men so subtly on a daily basis, but how much race is involved, especially in the world of the "angry black man." The rappers stereotyping themselves because white record company owners tell them that is the only way to market themselves in order to be successful. In order to create a successful public image of themselves, they must dumb themselves down based on age old racist concepts of minorities and even women to some degree. Yes, we are in a modern society, but the racism isn't slavery anymore, it is indirect racism perpetuated through media idols.

Most of the argument over whether these media outlets influence children usually pisses me off, because it takes the responsibility away from the CHILDREN. They are viewed as victims. But in viewing the video yesterday, I was shocked to remember exactly how many kids (or BOYS as I should be talking about them) shot up schools. there were almost 9 pictures on the screen, and those were only the MAJOR shootings. I'm not advocating the argument over whether kids (BOYS) are influenced to kill from music, videogames, etc. Simply, I am sayign I was trying to process how in 20 years or so, I will have to tell my kids about how when I grew up, it was the age of school shootings, the worst president to ever hold office, a huge recession, and a war that was, to many people, equal to Vietnam. Thats what my generation is remembered for, and to think about the society of violence that has been bred, i am sickened. i have attached a clip of all the pictures of the school shooters, to show the gravity in numbers.

Teen Tape Beating of Florida Girl

This article goes along with the previous two that have been posted about assault. In Florida, a group of 6 female students beat up another female classmate and VIDEO TAPED it and put it on YouTube! Apparently they were upset about some comments the victim had made on her MySpace page and wanted to get her back for it!

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=829C46FEBE2A6E32FC67F29EE81F18A6?contentId=6250959&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

This link is for the article only, and DOES NOT contain the horrific video evidence of the beating.

In class we learned that most violence against women is perpetrated by men. For me, I was shocked when I read this article. I think I am so shocked because it goes against the stereotype of the "expected" behaviors of women. I admit, that if I had read this article and the gender of all the parties involved (attackers and victim) had been male, I would still have been horrified by the story, but far less surprised than I was.

What are you thoughts on this story?

Recent Assault in Lincoln

Last week, there was a scary story I heard about and it was also published in the Lincoln Journal Star. To sum it up, a woman was driving home from her friends house and the car in front of her slammed on their brakes. The woman hit the car in front of her and the car behind her slammed into her car from behind. The driver in the car behind her approached her car to apparently get her information. The woman had a bad feeling about the situation and realized she was trapped between the cars. She realized she was set up and had to get away. She somehow got out and was driving back to her friends house that she came from. The cars followed her recklessly and when she got to her friends house they ripped her out of her car and started to beat her. When her friends tried to help, they pointed guns at them. They continued to beat the woman on the side of the house.

Besides this being an awful, sad story, it was surprising to me. I guess I found myself being biased by gender. When I first heard this story, I guess I just assumed it was men. In the end, after I read the article, I found out that it was a group of woman that did this. There are scams going on now in Lincoln that involve this woman gang.

Did anyone else automatically assume these attackers were men? I guess I'm ashamed of myself because I assumed that. How do you guys feel about this as a whole?

Out into the Light

After our class lecture on sexual harassment and assault, there have been many valuable discussions continuing to bring the issue out from the shadows. Two weeks ago The Daily Nebraskan, in support of UNO's Take Back the Night Rally, ran an article where assault victims shared their stories of sexual assault. The stories, which were sickening and heart breaking, offered support for many of the concepts and thoughts from class on this subject. One of the stories was from a man who was sexually assaulted by another man, reminding us that gendered violence effects men as well. Another women's story gave an example of when the victim is blamed (p. 285). Her sexual assaults began when she was four by her 6-year-old neighbor:

"He pushed me to the ground and pulled his pants down and pulled my pants down and started humping me. My mom yelled at me and told me 'No, don't do that. That's wrong. You shouldn't do that."

This victim then associated reporting inappropriate sexual acts with getting in trouble. Her mother's reaction as well as her fear kept this particular victim silent for over 15 years.

Ultimately, the public sharing of these stories emphasized the difficult journey of sexual assault survivors in bringing their stories out into the light. The book attributes this to the highly stigmatized nature of sexual assault as well as the "normalization of violence by institutions" such as family, law enforcement, or the media (p. 300). Perhaps through continuing to remember those who have been effected by sexual assault the stigma will lessen and power return to the victimized.

While candlelight vigils are good, what else do you think can be done to both degender sexual assault as only an issue that happens to women as well as help other victims to come out into the light?

Silda Spitzer: A silent standing wife

Infidelity and scandal seems to have become as common a platform for many of the nation's politicians as tax reform and healthcare. Most recently, New York governor Eliot Spitzer resigned from his federal position when evidence surfaced of his involvement with a prostitution ring. While Eliot Spitzer has received his due share of criticism, suprisingly Spitzer's wife, Silda, has come under the public's critical eye as well. The Associated Press, in the article "Women Ponder Why Spitzer's Wife Stood By," called Silda out for standing next to her husband while he announced his "personal failings" to the public. Few women seemed to understand why Silda was standing there and whether she should have. Several New York women expressed their disapproval:

"I watched her and I thought, 'Again, the wife is standing there.' And I had a visceral reaction. I just don't get it. Why does it always have to be that way in politics? What will she get out of standing there?"

"I've been thinking about this constantly. I cringed when I saw her next to him. I think he should have taken it like a man — without her."

Silda Spitzer is just one in the long line of women who have silently stood by their politician husbands in a time of incredibly painful personal crisis (e.g. Hilary Clinton, Dina Matos McGreevey, Suzanne Craig) often times with little personal support or benefit. One woman justified Silda Spitzer's behavior saying,

"She was in crisis mode. She was like a mother bear protecting her cubs. When crisis hits, you do what you think you need to for your family. Later, you can step back and think about protecting yourself."

I found the gender roles and expectations that emerged in the dialogue surrounding this issue particularly interesting. In response to the Spitzer situation, women in the public expressed a desire to see an empowered woman standing up for herself rather than simply her man. Women also seemed less satisfied with Silda in the traditional role of "wife," fulfilling her duties as a forgiving support. There are others, as the last quote suggests, who attribute Silda's support as an instinctual and natural outflow of who she is as a woman, wife, and mother. I am curious about others reaction to Silda Spitzer's "standing by her man" and what this says about gender roles and expectations.

***SIDE NOTE:
Radio talk show host and author, Dr. Laura Schlessinger made some interesting comments on the fault of the women in men's cheating (specifically talking about the Spitzer case). Below is an excerpt, which adds an interesting dimension to the appropriate response of a woman to a man's infidelity. Because, if a woman shares in the blame isn't it reasonable to ask her to stand and share the gaze of the public's disapproving eye?
INTERVIEWER: Do you think women play any role in this, Dr. Laura?

SCHLESSINGER: It's interesting. what you said about what men need -- men do need validation. When they come into the world they're born of a woman. Getting the validation from mommy is the beginning of needing it from a woman. When the wife does not focus in on the needs and the feelings sexually, personally, to make him feel like a man, to make him feel like a success, to make him feel like our hero, he's very susceptible to the charm of some other woman making him feel what he needs. These days, women don't spend a lot of time thinking about how they can give their men what they need.

INTERVIEWER: Are you saying women should feel guilty, like they somehow drove the man to cheat?

SCHLESSINGER: You know what, the cheating was his decision to repair what's damaged, and to feed himself where he's starving. But, yes, I hold women accountable for tossing out perfectly good men by not treating them with the love and kindness and respect and attention they need.

off topic but interesting argument

A friend of mine was asking me whether or not I think Aliens would be asexual. He told me he thinks that developed beings would have evolved out of their genders (which are the root of so much negativity and time-wasting differences/arguments) and that reproduction would be strictly asexual.

I laughed, told him to put the drink down and said i could see his point, only the Aliens would have to be gender-neutral and have some crazy science fiction monotone non-gender specific voice. Then as he left, I was thinking about all the change and effects that would come into society if we did indeed breed assexually and if mannerisms, voice tones, words and all and any gender related item in socialization and societies was gone suddenly.

Chances are, no one would be talking to anyone hahaha. Just a weird drunk conversation that lead to some very suprising and theoretica realizations.

Hegemonic Masculinity Prominent in Many Movies

The other night, I was at home watching a movie, Talladega Nights, which stars Will Ferrell. It was an amusing movie, but the material of this class envitably crept into my mind, as it has done so many times. If you haven't seen it, it's essentially a typical Will Ferrell movie with him playing the role of a famous Nascar driver. There is a scene in the movie where Ferrell feels his masculinity is being threatened by the French driver his racing company has hired. At this point in the movie, Ferrell is suffering a broken arm, but demands that he be allowed to race against the French driver to try and beat him. Well, Ferrell crashes and loses to the French driver, and he ultimately suffers a psychological breakdown for a while.

I felt that this was an example of hegemonic masculinity because he was doing what he thought was proving he was "man enough" and putting himself at risk, and ultimately suffering because of it. Hegemonic masculinity does not just refer to physical risk, it can take on other forms as well such as economic, job performace, and emotional as well.

I can't count how many movies there are out there today, where one male feels he must prove that he is man enough by placing himself at risk. Most of the time, these situations are funny and entertaining, but what happens when the situation is in someone's real life and the resolve isn't some punchline writen by a paid Hollywood writer? I think that the media should be more responsible when putting these images out there, and show how this kind of hegemonic masculinity can and does ultimately harm the best interest of an individual.

What do you think? Any other good examples?

Rap Videos

I have heard endlessly in class that women are treated unfairly or like pieces of meat. That it is namely 'male' record company owners who are oppressing these women. However, is it not the women themselves that 1.) knowingly apply and audition for these stereotyped roles in music videos? Don't the women train endlessly to have good bodies for the videos? Aren't their a large majority of women who rely on being paid for their JOB in the music video industry? Lastly, is it not indirectly helping the women in the video by paying them for a job, and providing them an avenue to work. These women ask to be int he video, know what they will wear and are paid handsomely for their work. So why does it seem like the video made women out to be victims when they are part of the music video shooting machine just as much as the men in the video? The women oppress themselves, and men are usually blamed.

Also, in terms of the argument over whether the women portrayed send a poor message to young men and women, the videos only affect total and complete idiots. People who have half a brain can tell this is a fantasy world and know on a basic level that they shouldn't pour champagne on a girl or that women in general don't behave or dress like these women. It's like the argument over video games like Grand Theft Auto influencing children to beat up strangers, do drugs and be sexually violent. REGULAR people can tell the difference between reality and fiction and if you can't, you are a block lower on the evolutionary ladder and your interpretation of fictional music videos, videogames and music shouldn't speak for the general masses who aren't idiots. Most people know the difference and a few each year give these media outlets bad names.

Modern Equality

In a training session at work, the manager told us that in case we ever needed to lock the doors for someone threatening employees with a weapon, the rule in their handbook is that all women must take refuge and that males must stay outside the locked and safe room and attempt to de-escalate the situation. Even if the person has a deadly weapon.

What about equality? Even though it is chivalrous, it also seems extremely foolish. Why not have EVERYONE take refuge? Why is it up to the men to fix the life-treatening problem? This is just a problem I had that in a very small scoped and weird way, shows that gender inequality doesn't just affect women. Men here are asked to put themselves in life-threatening danger because they;re men and women get to be guarenteed safety.

it goes both ways in different contexts.

Unfair

I was watching the pilot episode of Lipstick Jungle last night and was reminded of our class....once again. If anyone hasn't seen the show, I am still new to it but I will do my best to explain. It focuses on three very sucessful women who live in New York City and shows their work life, home life, and friendship. To me it is a Sex and the City except there are only three women and two of them are married. Anyways, one of the women, Nico works for a magazine and is a top executive in her company. She is the only woman in her company that has been that successful and is said to live be her instincts. Nico realized that she was missing out on key meetings with her male boss and male colleague, although they claimed it was just lunch. Nico then accused her boss of preparing her male colleague for a director position in the company that she felt would be rightfully hers. Her boss responds by saying its a tough situation and he thinks the man would be better for the job. When she asked why her boss responded with "Well you are going to want to start a family soon and you will not be as on top of your game as you are now" . She then responded with, "No I don't. I never said I wanted to start a family". Her boss responded with: " Yes you told my wife you wanted a child when you two were at that function a few weeks ago". Nico then said, "That was a baby shower. What was I supposed to say?".
This episode reminded me exactly of our current discussions in class! Not only is Nico facing a glass cieling because she is woman she is clearly experiencing the detrimental effects of patriarchy. The lunches she was being excluded from are just like the golf outings we talked about in class. Not only were the men eating lunch together, but they were also talking business strategies. I was slightly disappointed to see she just claimed she didn't want to have kids and backed down. Later in the show we learned that she really did want to have kids.
I feel as though she was put in an unfair predicament. Now if she ever does decide to have children her boss can throw her comment back in her face and fire her for not living up to his expectations. I really don't think this is fair. I know there really are no exact answers to my questions but why is it that men are not discriminated against for having children. Maybe the world I live in is more flexible but I know many men that have taken large amounts of time off of work for paternity leave or just for their children in general. What do you guys think about this???

More examples!

I was just watching Hell's Kitchen, a reality show about a group of chef's who try to win their chance at running Hell's Kitchen. Chef Ramsey, a really mean guy, is the host. They compete in challenges against one and other, and the teams are divided by gender. The guys are on the blue team and the ladies are on the red team. Both teams were preparing for their challenge and one of the men said,

"A room full of girls is useless, unless they are having a Tupperware party or something."

The next clip showed another guy saying,

"There is no way she's going to win without a man there to lead her around."

Now, this is a culinary competition. I realize that top chefs are generally men, seemingly because people trust them to boss around a kitchen. However, as far as culinary skills go, I would be led to believe that men and women are equally capable of cooking well. These guys seem to be set on the fact that they are far superior to the women. Part of this is the nature of the competition, but instead of talking about the women just as a team, the men are spouting out offensive gendered insults.

Do you think it's fair for the guys to treat the women this way? If instead of cooking the show was about baking, which is often dominated by women, do you expect the opposite would be true?

Tokenism in the Workplace

I found a study that had been done on tokenism in the workplace that was published. The researchers found that tokens must perform their jobs under conditions very different from those facing their other workers. Consequently, token status has important social and psychological consequences.

The study said that the token doesn't have to work hard to be noticed, but she does have to work hard to have her achievements noticed. Many of the women studied told of situations in which their abilities were eclipsed by their physical appearance, creating additional performance pressures.

Token women also experienced the added pressure of trying not to make male co-workers look bad, of trying not to perform too well on group tasks. But because of their visibility, their actions can never be hidden. The irony is that, although they must work twice as hard just to be seen as competent, they also feel that their successes should be kept to themselves. There is a fine line between doing just well enough and doing too well.

The study also discovered that, in more formal settings like meetings and conferences, men would often preface their acts with apologies or questions about appropriateness directed toward the token woman—such as "I probably shouldn't say this in mixed company" or "Can we still use technical jargon?" The token then feels as though she is "interrupting" the usual course of events. Rarely does a token woman feel comfortable enough to prevent a large number of men from engaging in an activity they consider normal. But by saying these things, men make their dominant culture clear to the tokens and effectively state the terms under which tokens will be allowed to participate as outsiders.

Tokens can never be seen as who they really are. They must always fight stereotypes and tailor their actions to the desires and tastes of others. We can see the self-fulfilling prophecy at work here. Stereotypical assumptions about what tokens "must be like" force them into playing limited and caricatured roles. This situation serves the interests of those in the dominant group, who can fall back on preexisting expectations and traditional behaviors.

Gendered language EVERYWHERE!!!

I'm in another course - the darkside of interpersonal communications - and we have a similar class discussion board where we all post things anonymously and later discuss them in class. I was just reading through a few of the posts and I found a couple gendered gems;

"This was not like her since she was a typical “woman” who never lets her phone leave her sight."
"I don’t like it when others hear or see me cry (must be the stereotypical man trait in me)."

Also, I was watching "Funny Stuff that Kids Say" or something to that effect the other night and they were asking little boys about girls and little girls about boys. The girls said they don't like the boys because they are loud and they smell funny. The boys said they don't like the girls because they cry too often and try too had to fit in. These kids were between 4 and 7. I think it's really interesting to see the parallel between the things we learn as young kids and the way we think as intelligent college students. It goes to show how all these gendered issues are socially constructed into us from the very beginning.

Violence against women

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/06/texas.ranch/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/06/texas.ranch/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

I find it absolutely amazing that this can happen in 2008. Why is it that these little girls are being tortured and forced to act as women. The article and video spoke about girls being forced into marriage as young as 13. As soon as these girls are able to produce babies that is what they are expected to be doing. There were 130 or so children taken off of this ranch and 50 women. I do not think that anyone has the right to live a lifestyle that degrades and abuses women. I don't think they should be allowed to be left by their selves just because it is their religion...which in some cases is how these societies continue to function. I am at a loss for words with this topic. What do you guys think about what happened in Texas? It has been on the news lately so I am sure some of you have heard about it.

Woman President

I was watching TV this weekend and channel surfed into a discussion on MTV about the upcoming elections. I did not catch all of it but the discussion was about the Democratic candidates and who was going to vote for whom. A person was talking about how they were a devoted Democrat, yet if Hillary won the Democratic primary they would vote Republican despite their opposition towards the party. This person made a quick comment saying "It just wouldn't be right to put a woman...." and then the camera cut them off. The wording wasn't exact but it was quite obvious that this young person was going to comment that a woman should not be president. How do you all feel about this. We are at an age where we are able to make an informed and aware decision that can really make a difference in this situation. To me it seems quite outdated to think a woman should/could not be president, but evidently there are people in our age group that think this.

Teen Kills Newborn In School Toilet

In Baytown, Texas a 14-year old gave birth in a middle school bathroom stall on Wednesday morning. Other students overheard a baby crying in the bathroom stall and they rushed to get the school nurse and assistant principle. Unfortunately, they were too late, by the time the 14-year old was found, the newborn had allegedly drown in the toilet. Investigators believe that the 14-year old panicked and tried to flush her newborn, killing it in the process.

Apparently many people were interviewed regarding the student and none of them knew that she was pregnant. Investigators are currently treating the case as a homicide, but they have not completely ruled out that it may have been an accident. Many parents came to pick up their children early from school as the case hit the news. The middle school faculty reacted quickly and sent a letter home with the students explaining the incident. They are also offering counseling for the students at the middle school.

This is a shocking story and many are left wondering how should the 14-year old be handled. What are your thoughts on this story and what do you think should be the consequences for this 8th grader?


To view the article and clip from the news please visit: http://www.click2houston.com/news/15773665/detail.html#

Men's brains link sex and money

I found a very interesting article on CNN.com entitled, "Men's brains link sex and money." After coming across this interesting title, I had to click to read more about it. According to a Standford University study on 15 heterosexual men, "When young men were shown erotic pictures, they were more likely to make a larger financial gamble than if they were shown a picture of something scary, such as a snake, or something neutral, such as a stapler." Interestingly enough after researching brain scans, researchers discovered that the arousing pictures lit up the same part of the brain that lights up when financial risks are taken. According to Kevin McCabe, professor of economics, law and neuroscience at George Mason University, "The link between sex and greed goes back hundreds of thousands of years, to men's evolutionary role as provider or resource gatherer to attract women." When the men were shown pictures of something scary, they bet lower and took less financial risks in the study.

This can help explain why casinos and gambling are such a booming industry; they are surrounded with sex and money. One of the main professors involved in the study believes that this may also be the case for women, but it is harder to prove because it is more difficult to find an erotic image that would appeal to many different heterosexual women compared to heterosexual men.

To read more about this topic please refer to the article at http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/04/finance.sex.ap/index.html?iref=24hours

Oprah Interview with Transgendered Man Who is Pregnant

Here are the 1st three parts of the Oprah interview with Thomas Beatie the transgendered man who is six months pregnant. The interview covers a lot of different topics from class. Thomas Beatie talks about the differences between sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In the second video he addresses how he felt that his gender identity identified him more with being a male than a female. I am not sure how much Thomas Beatie would be considered to have Gender Identity Disorder because he doesn't talk about having a strong and persistent discomfort with being a female while growing up. A little bit of Gender Identity Disorder kind of comes in to play when he starts talking about hitting puberty with feeling uncomfortable while playing sports. He also doesn't mention having a significant level of stress in social situations or other life situations which would classify him as having Gender Identity Disorder. But he did follow a few of the steps of "curing" Gender Identity Disorder by taking testosterone hormones and having his breasts removed. I'm really glad that we learned the communication etiquette in class, such as addressing the person by their preferred name and pronoun. When he talks about his father referring to him as "mommy" and "Tracy" you can tell that it really hurts him that his father does this.

Please watch and comment on these videos if you would like. The picture quality occasionally fizzes out, but the sound quality remains clear. Thanks!

Masculinity in Disney Films

I also found this interesting video on YouTube. The director of this short project looks at the portrayal of masculinity and themes of stereotypical masculinity in various Disney movies. Now, I am not here bashing Disney movies nor am I jumping up on top of a building shouting to the world that Disney is a conspiracy. I grew up, like probably most of us, singing right along with the songs in The Lion King or Aladdin. I loved probably ever single Disney movie that came out! But as an adult with critical thinking capabilities, sometimes when I stand back, I can evaluate things in a different light. And I do think that in this short project the director does make very valid points. In the context of this class, we often ask how are these stereotyped images of femininity and masculinity reinforced. Maybe they are being instilled in us from very unlikely sources, such as Disney movies. I also have to add, that I think the idea presented at the end of the film about introducing additional qualities of masculinity such as caring, could be a great way to bring about new ideals of what it is to be masculine.

Here is the video. Again, I am not trying to trample over your favorites childhood movies. I apologize if you feel that I am. It was never my intention.

What Does Title IX Mean to You

Just last year, "the NCAA began a year-long conversation on the personal impact of Title IX. These testimonies are designed to highlight the truths and misconceptions about the controversial law, which celebrated its 35 anniversary on June 23, 2007. Judy Sweet, an advocate for women in athletics and a former vice president of the NCAA, is the first to share how Title IX has impacted her life and career."

Here is the 4 minutes clip from YouTube if you would like to watch. I found it interesting to get a personal opinion from someone whose life and career was really impacted by Title IX.

Kind of Outdated?

First of all there are a million topics from Miss Manners that I could have posted, but this struck me as interesting. At the beginning of the semester we talked about what was proper when addressing a woman when you don't know her marital status: Miss, Ms., or Mrs. I never really gave much thought to this but I have been applying for jobs and speaking with a lot of different women in human resources departments via email. These women sign their emails with their names only which leaves me confused as to how to address them. I feel that since I don't know them it is important to use a title when addressing them. It would be offensive to call a young woman Mrs. and offensive to call a happily married woman Miss. I have become very partial to using Ms. in any situation where I do not know the woman. I am a young woman and find it offensive when I am called mam, and would be offended if I was called Mrs since I am independent and single. On the other hand I feel as though being called Miss is demeaning because it involves the connotation of being a little girl and incompetent. What does everyone else think? Do you women feel offended by any of these terms? What do you men use when addressing women?

The Wage Gap

After learning about gender issues in the workplace, I wanted to learn more about the wage gap. I found a really interesting article talking about the wage gap. Essentially the wage gap is a statistical reference that shows the differences between the earnings of men and women. For example, in 2006 women earned 76.6% as much as men. So women on average earn $0.77 compared to every $1 men earn. The thought that women can do the same exact work as men with the same educational background and still earn less can be very frustrating. In 1963 people tried to close this wage gap between men and women by passing the Equal Pay Act. This act makes it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. The unfortunate truth is that this Act didn't solve the problem; however it did improve the problem. In 1963, every women earned $0.58 for every dollar earned by a man. Sadly enough though since this Act was passed wages for women have only improved less than half a cent a year! According to the article, "During a lifetime of full-time work (47 years) this gap amounts to an estimated loss in wages for women of $700,000 for high school graduates, $1.2 million for a college graduate, and $2 million for a professional school graduate."

After learning all of these new statistics, I decided that we still have a long way to go when it comes to equality in the workplace. There should be no reason to unequally pay 2 employees when the only difference between them is their gender. The thought of this just makes me angry because it is pretty much saying that men can do a better at their job so they should get paid more.

Have you ever experienced unequal pay by your employer just because of your gender or race? If so how did it make you feel?

What are your thoughts on the wage gap?

The article I am referring to is http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763170.html

Top 5 Myths About Girls, Math and Science

Here is a list of 5 myths associated with young girls and STEM courses. The realities of STEM education for girls are really interesting. I think that the article is correct in identifying mentoring as one of the most substantial factors in keeping young girls involved in STEM courses. Having a mentor who is a positive role model in a young person's life is so beneficial in so many ways.

If you would like, please take a look and feel free to leave comments. The article is not very long. Thanks!

http://www.livescience.com/health/070827_girls_math.html

Pregnant Man on Oprah Tomorrow

I saw this when I was logging into my e-mail today:

CHICAGO - A transgender man who kept his female reproductive organs is now five months' pregnant and will appear on Oprah Winfrey's TV show.
"I'm a person and I have the right to have my own biological child," Thomas Beatie, of Bend, Oregon, said in the interview, which airs tomorrow.
Winfrey interviewed Beatie, his wife and their obstetrician along with friends of the couple.
Beatie's wife was unable to conceive due to a hysterectomy.

I just wanted to let everyone know about this. I believe that Oprah is on at 3 pm on channel 11 and 4 pm on channel 3. I will also try to find the video tomorrow and post it.

Please feel free to leave any comments. Thanks.

Questioning this class's importance

It seems like in all of my classes recently we have been discussing gender issues. I have to be honest here and tell you all that I’m a bit burnt out about talking about the subject, but that lead me to write this post. Is it truly necessary to put so much weight on gender issues? Research has shown that there actually are not many communicative differences between men and women, so why devote an entire class to talking about it? I know that certain issues obviously hold a lot of importance, such as gendered violence and men and women’s movements. But on the other hand, by talking about boys and girls relationships with their parents or their relationships with same sexed friends, are we enabling society to keep these gendered roles around? I understand the entire argument that as a communication studies major one of the most important abilities we develop are critical thinking skills, but is it enough to just address these issues and discuss them? For me I guess I’m just so sick of talking about these issues but not actually being able to do anything to change them. Does anyone else feel this way?

My question then is: By participating in this class are we only perpetuating gender stereotypes? Or are we really breaking down walls here by being more aware of these gender differences?

Dressing Room Chit Chat

So I was at Von Maur trying on dresses for a formal and there happened to be a lot of high schoolers and their moms in the dressing room as well trying to choose prom dresses. They were talking pretty loudly and with the dressing rooms wide open I was able to hear their conversations. The more I listened to them, the ridiculous I kept thinking they sounded. It was a constant talk about how "I hate the way my body looks in this dress", "my hips are way too big", "I wish that I had a smaller chest", etc. Being someone who has had numerous conversations including comments like this, as well as many others girls I am sure, I was just wondering if guys ever express the same dislike for their bodies. I know they probably don't do it in the same fashion as girls but I feel like I never hear about guys publically disliking their bodies. Please enlighten me guys...

Gendered Prizes

My direct supervisor is a female and excitedly announced to us several weeks ago that she had received the prize for being the highest scoring female bowler at the managers' outing.

At the time, I found it humorous and was happy for her, but later thought about and was a little irritated that they had to have a prize for the highest scoring "female" bowler. As if a female couldn't possible bowl the highest number of points or just simply take second place. The prize and ability had to be recognized on a gendered level.

Of course, it could be seen as a good thing that the females are being recognized, but I felt like it was rather demeaning. What do others think? Any other viewpoints to this?

Gender In the Classroom

In my english 354 class we're discussing the problems about talking and discussing race and gender in the classroom. It was quite an interesting discussion, because we found out after a week of discussing problems with learning and talking about different races, we hadn't spent any time on problems with gender within our society.
My teacher looked around and asked why it was so hard to come up with anything to talk about, or make any safe arguments with one another. My teacher also noticed that once we got the gender discussion going, not one male in the class said anything, he joked that if there was any time in which the females would stop talking if the men would say anything regardless, and there was silence.
Why is gender so hard to discuss in class, and not the safe women like to shop, and men like football comments, but why is it so hard to truly discuss what makes us different? Is it that we don't want to step on eachother's toes and hurt any feelings? I ask myself that question, so why are we so worried to have healthy discussion and confrontations about problems dealing with gender? Race, suprisingly is a little easier to discuss, why, I feel like race is easier to discuss because people know their boundaries when talkign about race in the classroom because we've been taught our discussion boundaries in which not to cross, and everyone usually knows what they are. Is gender different to discuss because growing up in the classrooms we've never been confronted with the problem of gender and not know how to talk about it? From a male point of view, I was brought up not to complain about anything unless it hindered my direct safety, so I really just choose not to discuss when it comes to male gendered probelms in our classroom, why? I think its because I honestly don't think it affects me personally on a high enough level to bother me. So I guess after this long winded explanation, my question for discussion is, Why is the topic of gender so often a females topic to discuss, and why don't males get more involved? Is it because men genuinely don't care? Is it because females feel there are the only ones experiencing hardships? You tell me....

Cooking Shows

So I'm a huge Food Network fan. It's the first channel I turn to every time I turn the TV on. Anyways, there is a new show in the network named Down Home with the Neelys. The other day my sister and I got on the issue on how much the show portrays women doing what they can to please their men. While the show involves both the husband and wife cooking, it's obvious that the woman does most of the work and various times throughout the show you'll hear her comment on ways to keep your man happy. I couldn't even watch a full episode due to the fact that I felt the cooking and talent part of Food Network had been completely taken away. It appears to me that they are trying to relive the 50s and go back to teaching women ways to keep their men happy, looking good, and etc. I watch Food Network for ways to cook quickly, entertainment, and for something different that common reality shows aired on other channels. I don't look to it for advice on how to look nice and cook in order to please my man. What do you all think about this? Do you believe with this show that the media is portraying a positive model for women?

Assertive

I have an experience from my work that I would like to share that correlates with the information learned in this course:

I had a conversation with my boss the other day at work that immediately made me think of our Gender Comm class . Earlier in the day she had been approached by a female co-worker who had approached her in an assertive manner. The co-worker was confronting her about a matter that had seemed to fall through the cracks. I was not present for this, but my boss retold the story of what happened to me. After telling me the whole story of the confrontation my boss said that "She is so bitchy, and God help anyone who gets on that woman's bad side." So after things had died down I had some time to think. If this would have been a male co-worker would my boss have felt the same way towards him? Or, if it had been a male co-worker, would it be expected behavior? I think this goes along with information we covered in class that when women are assertive and taking charge they are thought to be a bitch. However, when men are assertive it is a quality to be praised and recognized. Reflecting back, I honestly believe that if it had been a male co-worker who had approached my boss, I probably would have never even heard about it because that kind of behavior is not condemnable for men.

Please leave any comments if you would like! Thanks!

Clueless

This article has an interesting take on why so many men perceive women's actions as sexual come-ons or friendly cues. http://www.livescience.com/health/080320-clueless-guys.htmlThey talk about the different reasons that men have difficulties understanding women before finally settling on their reason. That men are clue less when it comes to non-verbal communication. I would like to hear what people in the class think about why men, or even women, so often misconstrue these verbal cues.

This makes me livid....

So if you havent seen by my previous post, I am pretty much obsessed with the Today Show and their segments are so relevant to our ciriculum in Gender and Communication. But today, I was FURIOUS when I saw the video (link attached) that talked about a new website game called "Miss Bimbo"--if you think the name is offensive just wait to hear what it is all about. Two British men came up with a game which targets young girls (as young as 8) to create their own Bimbo. It is similar to the concept of The Sims or other games where you basically make sure that your "alter ego" is eating right, functioning in daily activities, making friends ect. but in this game it has taken a whole new spin. The way you make money in order to feed and clothe yourself if by your Attitude points, which come from doing things like going to the tanning salon or exercising. By getting these points you can then buy diet pills, which are stated as "the eaiser way to eat" or implants if you are not happy with your body. Talk about sending the wrong message!! Of course parents are less than thrilled with this game and one mother makes the comment that they have enough of these pressures in real life, why glamorize it in a video game when there is nothing glamorous about throwing up your food to maintain a decent weight or getting implants in order to try and achieve attention from others. I think that this made me so mad because I have always been aware that there is so much pressure on women to be a certain way and do certain things, but the fact that these men had the nerve to create a game out of this as though it isnt a big issue makes me so furious that they are giving young girls this impression. Obviously we can not support games like this, but what is an action we can take to counteract the actions of terrible "role models" like this? Does the responsibility lie with the parents to talk to their kids, the education system, peers? Who should be responsible?

United Nations Population Fund

I wanted to learn more about gendered violence and things that I can do to help. I found an amazing website that has so much information. The website is for the United Nations Population Fund and their mission is:
"UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect."

http://www.unfpa.org/gender/violence.htm

The UNFPA is doing so much to eliminate gendered violence around the world. At the bottom of their link is an amazing FREE publication titled "Ending Violence Against Women: Programming for Prevention, Protection, and Care." To go directly to this FREE printable publication go here:
http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=323 and simply click on "English" (next to Pdf) to open it.

In my opinion, this text is a vital resource that should be made available to all. Please take the time to read through it, and pass it along to someone else. This is something that can truly bring about a positive change. Please feel free to leave any comments below. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Sex, the media, and parents

Sex permeates our entire society. Whether you're engaging in sex or not, all you have to do is look at the magazine rack at the grocery store to know that sex is everywhere making it a social normity. The idea of sex sells. It turns people on, if you will. However, many people in our society get so caught up in the idea of sex that they become disillusioned as to what it is and how it can really affect people. Unsafe sex is commonly associated with alcohol and drug use. But beyond that, I believe it's associated with growing up in a society that sticks sex right in front of our faces but doesn't educate people about the real life consequences of decisions that are made in the heat of the moment. This is especially true for teenagers. Teens are still developing their cognitive abilities, especially cause and effect. Thus, when they see random, loveless sex in shows, music videos, and movies they watch everyday but never see any consequences, it is no wonder that they believe that they too can participate in such activities with no negative consequences. I guess the main problem is that a lot of parents are too embarrassed or scared to talk to their kids about sex. In my class last semester we were informed that 95% of boys learned what they know about sex from the media while 80% of girls learned from a parent. Sure, this is an awkward thing to talk about, and if my parents had really tried to, I probably would've felt awkward too. Still, like my professor last semester said, the line of communication about everything, not just sex, should be open and building from the time child(ren) are young. This would make the 'birds and bees' talk more like a natural conversation and less like an uncomfortable discussion between two people who barely know each other. I feel that in order to properly education young people about sex, parents need to create an environment that permits open communication at a young age. The main thing that needs to be taught is that sex in the context of a loving, committed relationship amounts to so much more than a random hookup. Sexual intimacy isn't just about intercourse but it's an expression of love between two people who share much more than just a night of fun. In my opinion sex is worth waiting for.

Why Does Sex Sell???

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dreamworld 3 displayed some horrific information about violence and disrespect for women in music videos. The movie later shows examples of how the line between music videos and real life is becoming blurred. The author of Dreamworld blames the directors of these music videos and for the content that they display. However, the directors have a point. Their music videos sell, and the content in those music videos is selling it. Thus I am proposing the following questions:

Why do these music videos sell?

What happens during our development as young men and women that attracts us to these music videos?

How do we develop our male and female gender perceptions that allow us to watch such horrific events?

As a developed society, how have we become so desensitized to these types of videos?

How have we evolved as a society to condone this type of treatment of women?



Please comment. I ask these questions in effort to gain a larger perspective than my own!

off topic

Hey guys - I have a favor to ask.

I have an internship with a publishing company called ByStudents. They are publishing a guide to help high school students select a college and are writing about what they consider to be the top 200 colleges in the country. UNL was selected as one of those colleges, and in order to get good info to put into the guide, I am recruiting students to fill out a short survey about UNL. You can be completely honest, fill out as much or as little as you'd like, and you have the opportunity of getting published! If you have a few minutes to spare anytime soon, please fill this out for me.

I appreciate it!

Link to Survey: http://www.bystudents.com/unl/default.aspx

Changing Views on Media Representations

So today I saw a music video and couldn't help but watch it differently after viewing Dreamworld 3 in class two weeks ago. The video consisted of a girl stripping and dancing on a strip pole for three men. The minute her dress dropped to the ground the men had their full attention on the girl. However, the men flexed their muscles the girl swayed towards them and practically gave herself to them. As discussed previously, we can observe this as women having power over men with the use of a strip pole but do we see this in a different light after viewing Dreamworld 3? I didn't know how to exactly think after watching the video. Part of me wanted to see femininity and masculinity both being represented equally but also I wanted to think how badly the girl represented herself. What are everyone else's thoughts on this issue? Do we still see some kind of power women have in stripping or has media pushed it too far?

Violence

This week’s lectures were both interesting and emotionally stressful and draining to me. I was actually crying in class, just almost no one noticed, I really wanted to leave but couldn’t. On Tuesday someone had brought up the question of "why don't people report being raped?" I can answer this question from personal experience. There are many reasons people do not report it. As a victim you do not want to keep telling what happened over and over because every time you tell it you are reliving it. Another reason is that you are thinking how can someone so strong and smart let herself get into this situation. Why couldn't I just defend myself? This doesn't happening to people, no one else will understand. So you don't say anything to anyone. In my case I ended up pregnant and couldn't hide it forever, even though I tried. I don't believe in abortion so now I have a beautiful 13-month old daughter. As a victim you keep denying that it happened. I had planned on giving my daughter up for adoption so that no one would ever know that I was ever raped or pregnant. My family didn't even know I was pregnant until the day after my daughter was born when I called my aunt in tears telling her because I couldn't call my parents (and she lives close to Lincoln), I felt like I was worthless and letting them down. Little did I know that rape happens more than we think. I know of at least two other women in my family within the generation before mine who have been raped and haven't told anyone but me. I believe the statistics that we saw in class are low. In a class I took last semester the statistics that were shown were closer to 33% of women have been raped compared to 25% stated in the video. Who knows what the actual percentage is, because so few of us report it. Another reason people do not report it is they may know someone who did and it did no good. A friend of mine was also raped at another college. She reported it to the police and they did nothing for her. He basically was told not to do it again, where is the justice in that. But through it all we all of us (well at least the people I know) have persevered. Unless you know our story you would never guess that something so terrible has happened to us because we still have a smile on our face.

Women in the Media

This post is in response to the video we watched in class today, Dreamworld 3. I don't know about anyone else, but towards of the end of the video I was disgusted. I don't have a problem so much with the music videos, because they choose to be exploited in such ways. However, when the riots were shown with the women being violated, it really made my stomach turn. I think it's a dangerous world to begin with, but when the music industry makes it "okay" for women to be treated in such ways, what are people supposed to think? The music industry portrays women in their videos who enjoy being touched, groped, and half-naked. Not to mention that they are treated like strippers having money and booze poured on them.
However, what really caught my attention was the facts at the end of the show. I don't remember the exact statistics now, but it was something like 1/6 women are victim of rape or attempted rape. The statistics were bone chilling. I was just wondering what some other reactions were from the video since we didn't get to discuss it much.

Study finds 1 in 4 US girls have STD

There was an article published in Yahoo! news on about STD's and American teenage girls. This article pinpoints girls and how they are sexually active, however it does not touch on boys or how they may have an STD. The study blames the girls STD's on the lack of SexEd, if this is such an issue, why isn't something done? I think SexEd should be talked about annually, starting as early as 5th grade until high school to let kids know the dangers of sex and STD's. The study said, only about half of the girls in the study acknowledged having sex. Some teens define sex as only intercourse, yet other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some diseases. How do you think we can better educate kids at a young age? Do you think it is fair girls are pinpointed for having STD's and boys are left out of the picture?

Transgender Politican

In 2007, Newsweek ran an article titled "My Life as a Transgender Politican. A former Air Force sergeant (and former man) on running for office as a transgender candidate." The article interviewed Pam Bennett who was running for city council in the United States in Aurora, Colorado. Pam ran an open and honest campaign about her politcal stances and as well as her personal life. When this topic was brought up in class, I wanted to find out the results of her campaign and share them with you all.

Here is a link to an article detailing the outcome:http://www.aurorasentinel.com/main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=8&ArticleID=17732&TM=39833.74

(I have tried to find the original article on Newsweeks website, but have had no success. If I find the original I will post it.)

What are your thoughts on having a transgender politcal figure? Would their status have any effect on the way you would vote? Also, what if a political figure had not been as honest about their gender identity as Pam Bennett. What effect, if any, would it have on you? Is it even any of our business if someone was previously male or female?

If you would like, please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks!

What Becomes You- A Transgendered Journey in Literature

With our class discussion about people who are transgendered, I remembered that one of our English professors here at the university has a son who is transgendered. Hilda Raz is an English professor here who mostly teaches classes referring to poetry and women’s studies, some of you may have had her as a teacher. Her son, Aaron Raz, came out with a book, “What Becomes You” last year about his transformation from a woman to a man. In this book Aaron and Hilda examine their lives within the context of their experiences and expectations of gender, what it is and what it isn't, what it means and what it doesn't mean. Through Aaron’s section, we get to hear the intimate story of how he always felt out of place in his feminine role, how he felt awkward in his female body, how he dealt with the emotions as he discovered who he really is. Hilda also writes in at and comments on how she observed the process as both an "astonished" parent and as a professor who has studied gender issues.

I think this is a great example of the process and hardships of someone who is transgendered. It’s specifically relevant to this class because it places this issue within the context of our own region. If you get a chance, check it out, it’s definitely a worthwhile read.

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/What-Becomes-You,673156.aspx

Transgender Video Links

I apologize for not being able to get these to work in class. Here are the video links.


http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/06/24/finnstrom.transgender.youth.cnn?iref=videosearch

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/08/10/lkl.transgender.people.cnn?iref=videosearch

Absent Fathers: Effects on Abandoned Sons

As I was doing some research for another class, mostly perusing the area for some interesting gender topics, I came across this Men's Studies Journal with an article entitled, "Absent Fathers: Effects on Abandoned Sons." It seemed fitting to take a closer look into this article considering last week's lecture on the "Facets of Fatherhood." The article discusses the profound impact that ensues from a non-existent father detailing the son's stuggles with self-esteem, intimacy and concludes with a treatment model. I found a particularly interesting portion of the article that provided a case example for absent fathers. The story mirrored the compensation hypothesis, it described an abandoned man's search for his father and his subsequent therapy as he sought to be an improved father for his newly born son.
If you want to learn more about this piece of writing you can check it at:
Balcom, D. A. (1998). Absent Fathers: Effects on Abandoned Sons. The Journal of Men's Studies, 6(3), 283+. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001348916

How to Navigate Through the First Date...

Is it just me or does MSN.com publish way too many articles about relationship advice?!? I feel like it is everytime I log onto my email that I am ambused with someway to better my romantic relationships. This one is kind of funny just because it is a lot of what we talked about on valentines day class period and the things that you should do (in a nice bulleted list). My favorite is "NO texting, call the next day, but only 2 days later max." I have decided that "the rules" can be manipulated and followed to different extents depending on what area of the country you live in and your generation. For example, people my parents age would never dream of texting someone they were dating, only because that is not how they did things when they were growing up, but in today's society that would be completly aceeptable for some. Something interesting to think about. Take a look.

Hungry Man TV Commercials

I was recently watching TV when I came upon an interesting commercial. To view the commercial go to hungry-man.com and click on view our TV spot. Basically the commercial is about three men that work a blue collar job at a factory. They are on lunch break and the three men are drinking smoothies and sitting together. One guy asks the others if they will go to the bathroom with him; so they all get up to go to the bathroom together. Another man eating a hungry man dinner calls them out and says, "where are you ladies going." The three men get really offended and they throw their smoothies and they decide that they want to eat hungry man dinners instead because "it is the manly thing to do." Obviously this commercial is marketing their product towards men, but I thought it was an interesting way to market their product. They are essentially putting down women by emphasizing the stereotype that going to the bathroom together and drinking smoothies for lunch is a women thing to do, and "manly men" aren't suppose to be doing that. They also try to give men the picture that if they don't eat hungry man dinners then they aren't masculine.

• What do you think about this commercial, and what message do you think they are trying to get across to their viewers?

Response to Killer Queens message from Guys vs. Girls on Guys and Girls

Alright Killer Queen, I read through your post and I have a few things to say. This is not a personal attack on you or your thoughts, but I want to point some things out for argument's sake.

I’m noticing some gross over-generalizations about women and that some of the things I said were misconstrued in your response. First off, you started your argument with:

“ First of all Kiki claims that the guy she is talking to objectifies women. With that comment alone Kiki is opening a Pandora’s Box of general gender issues that stand between men and women. “

I understand your point of view on that, however, I made no such claim to my coworker that he objectifies women, he came outright and said; I objectify women. This is how it went down;

“It started out with him talking about how he objectifies women. He rationalized it by saying "Well woman dress up to show off their bodies, so they must want to be objectified!" And I said, "That's not true. We dress up to look good so we have confidence in ourselves, not to be objectified by men. "

Secondly, you go on to say;

”But on a certain level don’t all women expect to be objectified somewhat by men? Kiki needs to realize that yes, women do dress up in order to feel more confident about themselves, but how do we gain confidence, by receiving attention!”

Red flag!!! I see a big difference between being objectified and seeking attention. The word objectify is defined as: depersonalized, make impersonal or present as an object. I don’t know any women who like to be discredited to the point of being seen as merely an object. We are not just boobs, there’s a lot more to it than that. If a guy thinks I’m attractive and would like to tell me so, I will not be offended. However, if a guy walking behind me yells, “nice ass,” I don’t love that! I am starting to wonder if people truly understand what objectifying means. Although I can’t speak for all women here, I feel pretty confident in the fact that most women do not condone or enjoy objectifying behavior.

The other issue I have with this, which can’t and won’t be changed, is it’s yet another double standard when it comes to women. Men can’t really dress in a way that’s “revealing,” so there’s not a point when we can say “obviously they want us to check them out and objectify them.”

The other thing I dislike, that I pick up from a couple of the responses to this is the fact that it is assumed that any girl wearing a low-cut shirt is jonesin’ for a one night stand, because in Nicko’s words, “if she's already showing that much skin why not show the rest?” Sometimes when I go out, I wear shirts that are cute and may show some skin, but that doesn’t mean I’m cruising for a booty call at all.

Also, compliments do lead to confidence, but I can tell you now, honking or whistling generally generates an eye roll from a woman, and again, I am not speaking for every woman here, just speaking from what I’ve experienced in my own life. While I might laugh off a forward advance like that, if the guy who honked at me then chased me down the street trying to talk to me, I would not let him approach me.

At the end, you make a good point. You talk about how we shouldn’t generalize men and women;

“I think what is most important to keep in mind is that technically speaking everyone has an opinion related to the opposite sex that is true, but what’s most important to keep in mind is that we cannot generalize what it means to be female or male, what it means to be attracted to one another, what it means to be in a relationship. So many of these characteristics are not based upon gender, but rather individual morals and values.”

However, throughout your response, you do generalize about women and what they like. I agree with you that women do EXPECT to be objectified by men on some level, but I don’t necessarily with you on what you say objectification is, because you use two contrasting examples, one; you’re beautiful (which to me is a compliment and not an objectification) and two; nice legs (which is an objectification unless a previous relationship with the other person has already been established.)

You end with;

“This conversation between these two people is so superficial and so generic that I think we’ve all heard it before. To even have this conversation is demoralizing what this class is about. To bring up the subject of “sex sells” or the objectification and impossible standards for women’s beauty that society has grown into is a subject that I would rather not discuss, especially since these standards and norms have been part of our society for so long that I personally think it’s about time that we got over that hill and start working on our self confidence.”

The implication that our conversation is superficial and generic is somewhat true. The part about it being “demoralizing” to the class also may be true, but obviously I wasn’t thinking in the context of my gender class when I was conversing with a friend at work. I do realize in re-reading parts of the article that I did make broad sweeping statements about men and women and what they like, and this was probably not the correct way to handle it. However, again, I wasn’t participating in the conversation as a scholarly critical thinker, I was just chatting with a dude at work.

Finally, I think that your idea about women working on their self-confidence is a good one, but a very difficult thing to achieve. Because men and women gain so many of their ideas when they are so young, it seems almost impossible to shield them from the influence of societal beauty. I know that I had doubts about myself and my body as a young child after watching tv and looking at magazines, before I even really knew or understood the concept of self confidence. It’s a tough situation, and it’s hard to find a balance.

Alright everyone, I’m climbing off the soapbox for now. Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

Cosmo Quizzes

So the other day I was skimming through a Cosmo magazine, which along with many other women's/teen magazines contain quizzes such as What type of date are you?, Are you a trustworthy friend, etc. As you read through the quiz you can kind of start to guess what answers you can pick to get the results to the quiz that you want. For example in the quiz "Are you a good date" the question "How far in advance does a guy need to ask you out prior to a date?--At least a week, a couple days or a few hours before he picks you up?" This perpetuates the idea that there are certain "rules" dating that you must abide by. So do you think that these quizzes continue to support the stereotypes and "rules" that people believe because they are emphasized in our culture, such as these quizzes?