Oh, you want me to be Wonder Woman?

When some women, and many Christian women at that, hear the word 'feminism,' they cringe thinking that there is no way they want to be associated with such a thought. Not many know that there is a wide range of perspectives within the feminist movement. First off, there is First, Second, and Third Wave Feminism, but there are also subsets within those three phases. Liberal, Radical, and Social Feminism, are three completely differing views within the idea that the way in which women are currently treated in society is injust.

After trying to brainstorm for this blog post, I have realized that I have so much anger within this very concept of having to lump my feelings into an assigned group. I fall into the category of being a Liberal Feminist for the most part, because I do think in order for female advancement, women have to throw themselves into typically male-occupied jobs and positions. BUT, in my opinion, this does NOT mean that each individual woman is required to choose a career. To me, it means that every woman deserves the exact opportunity to CHOOSE a career. To assert that all women must choose a career creates an idea not that she can be anything, but that she must be everything. She must be a mother, a wife, hold a profession, and ultimately be presentable, if not beautiful.

It boils down to sacrifice. Women, biologically, are given the ability to give birth. This ability has correlated into the mother having sole responsibility for the home. BUT the last time I checked, it takes not only an egg, but a sperm as well to conceive a child. A man, the father, has just as much responsibility to raise the child as the mother does.

I truly believe that the LIberal Feminist Movement has just created the desire in women to feel the need to be everything. I want to know how men feel about this. Do they feel like they have to be everything? Do they feel less of a man when they do not make it home for dinner, when they don't check in with their wives to tell them how beautiful they are, or when they don't spend enough time with their kids??

Progress HAS to be made within the way women are projected in the media. Pornography HAS to be seen not as a way for a man to live his fantasy, but rather a form of cheating on his wife. Above all, I truly believe not only women, but men too, must be me socialized to think that any choice they choose for their lives, whether in the work force or in the home or both, is accepted by society.

Do NOT let him wear her clothes!

This chapter made my mind drift to a day in high school that I did not think all too much of then, but have analyzed time and time again lately. I was babysitting a little girl around the age of 6 and a little boy around the age of 4. Like many little girls are, this one (Katie), had her entire room stuffed with every princess dress up costume imaginable and every item was of course pink or purple with an excessive amount of sparkles and gems on it! We decided we would play dress up and of course we would all be princesses. The little boy's face lit up when we mentioned "the princess game," and he ran to get the pink sleeping beauty like dress. I did not think too much about whether or not this was "okay" with his parents for him to be dressing up like a princess. We decided to go all out0-- make up, sparkly dresses, high heels, hair accessories. The little boy and girl were having a blast, and then the mom walked in the door. I have never seen such a look of horror when she saw her little four year old son dressed up in a princess costume. Jake said, "Mommy don't I look SOOOO pretty," as he twirled around. She responded with, "Oh my word NO Jacob, you look disgusting!!! I have told you that you do not play with little girl toys, only little boy toys!!" I think my jaw must have dropped. She looked at me and proceeded to tell me how this just cannot happen, because his father had a screaming fit when Jake painted his toe nails and how this could lead to really sinful behavior later in life.



I am still so ashamed looking back on this situation. I was 16, and I guess I did not realize just how wrong the mother's reaction really was. Not only will that encourage him to never play with his sister's toys again, but it will enforce his to believe that anyone male engaging in an activity outside of the male set gender roles is wrong.

All For a Man?

When watching the screen, whether it be in the movies, or on television, women seem to have not made a significant amount of progress in regards to the way she is projected. I must admit, I sat for a good 30 minutes scanning through all of my favorite movies and television series, trying to find a female character that was portrayed as a strong, confident and ambitious woman. I thought of movies such as Mona Lisa Smile, The Sound of Music and Sex and the City (the show I watch loyally, partially on the basis that it represents empowered women from a different angle than Second Wave Feminists touched on), but found myself in a huge dilemma, as I could not get past the statement of Betty Friedan, "...the only goal a woman is permitted is the pursuit of a man." (1963:32). Although these two movies and even Sex and the City feature intelligent woman who are defiant to male-dominated society around them and raise many questions within the society of their time, all story lines are based around the pursuit of the man.

Regretfully, I cannot stop thinking about Sex and the City. I believe some of what this show aims at signifying, is vital to the women's movement-- sexual pleasure. As men have openly flaunted and boasted sex, women have been socialized to remain submissive and silent on topic. Sex and the City allows for this discussion of openly talked about sex, and not for procreation! Four women who would be seen as "power women," are portrayed as powerful not only through their careers, but their beauty and ability to be in complete control of their physical lives.

I then have to pause. How much control do these characters on Sex and the City REALLY have? Carrie Bradshaw's entire career is centered around being a columnist about sex. Although this is yes, empowering at times, it also proves false in numerous occasions as she constantly defines herself by the men she is with. The Sex and the City movie concludes the series by having Carrie being left at the alter and her having to sacrifice for the man ('Big') who wants a small, private wedding at a courthouse-- which does not at all reflect Carrie or what she actually wanted. In the end, yes she had the man, but she also sacrificed. And although freedom of sex, career, and personality is allowed, the pursuit of the man is still the end goal and desire.

I have to admit that I had the same thought process with Cosmopolitan Magazine. It seemed empowering to be able to talk about the same "things" for lack of a better word, that men talk about. Cosmo, being centered around sex, may not be empowering at all, but rather a tool to aid patriarchy. I mean how can sex be empowering if it is constantly about satisfying the man's needs!?

Disney: An Unquestioned Authoriy

Growing up, I was the little girl who wore Disney Princess dresses to church, school, and the where ever my mom would allow. The countless amount of videos, sing along tapes, clothes, and toys, were some of my prized possessions as a child. Never would I have questioned the meaning of these stories, as they were all Fairy Tales-- dreams that could be made real for me as long as I believed.

As I now sit and watch Disney movies with the little girl I babysit, my feminist mind races. I find myself thinking, "No this can't possibly be the message they are trying to send. It's Disney, for goodness sake!" But now as I have began to look more closely, I realize that reaction is Disney's complete intention. Innocence and imagination have been linked to Disney in a way that has become interchangeable.

I cannot help to think of the gender roles Disney time and time again reinforces through the Princess movies. In every Princess movie, the Princess is controlled and in the end given her "Happily Ever After" through the winning of her Prince Charming. One extreme example is The Little Mermaid. Ariel trades her voice for legs. In other words her power is stripped from her in order to be happy with the "man of her dreams,"Prince Eric. She trades her independence for subjection to authority of a man. Although this may seem an extreme analysis, it is perpetrated through most Disney films. Every princess finds her value in her prince and being rescued.

Not to mention, every Disney Princess is the image of an extremely skinny, young girl. Disney quietly reinforces the idea of having an anorexic looking body in order to be beautiful, being shy and timid in order to be desirable, and allowing a male to dominate her in order to see value.

This is not only effecting little girls to believe that their sole value is in the man who rescues them, it is also effecting young boys to believe that they have the ability to control and dominate women.

Disney has the ability and authority to display a message without really ever being questioned.

Madonna is a feminist

Sadly, binary thinking occurs much too often when defining feminism. The term feminism today has a negative connotation, and is almost always associated with Second Wave Feminism, a time when throwing your bra in the bon fire was liberating. I will say, I believe although this may seem extreme now, Second Wave Feminism was necessary in its time and has led women to have the privilege to be Third Wave Feminists. Without Second Wave Feminism, a time of extreme rebellion from patriarchy, Third Wave Feminism, a time where moderation is now allowed, can exist with authority and purpose.

There are many polysemic signs throughout pop culture and really almost anything is up to the eyes of the interpreter. When one thinks of Madonna, and in particular when a Second Wave Feminist thinks of Madonna, he or she would most likely say that she sets back the movement and is a depiction of what society tells women to be-- a promiscuous, but sweet, alluring beauty.

Madonna would say differently. As empowerment for Second Wave Feminists and some Third Wave Feminists is rejection of what has been society's definition of 'feminine', Madonna, along with myself and many Third Wave Feminists, would say that complete rejection does not always lead to progress. I do acknowledge that Madonna pushes the limits of feminism. But I believe that is the true beauty of her argument. She persistently presents that whatever the media tells her to do, she will do the complete opposite. And she has the power and authority to do so.

This is one example just briefly touched on and I realize that it could be debated for 500 pages of an analytical book. I will come back to this example often and explain myself further and more detail as more gender discussions arise. I truly believe it is important to recognize that one image, like Madonna, could possess an ideal for one person that could be contradictory to another.

As Madonna to some represents the image a woman that sets back feminism, I view her as an icon for Third Wave Feminism-- a woman exerting the authority to control her complete image.

Differing Lenses

I must admit that I have always mocked people who "blog." Not because I do not think it is a great way to connect, but because I so many people who it as an avenue to rant and display a self-righteous attitude. And well, let's just say I have not trusted myself to not fall into that category. But as I continue to listen to classmates, friends, and peers debate issues within our society domestically and internationally, much concerning the media's influence on today's culture, I have decided to attempt a blog for discussion.

Being a Political Science and Gender Studies Major, my thoughts will most often be geared towards these topics, as I find my passion within politics. The subjection women across this media, is so frequent that I doubt many people even notice what really is being presented. It is my goal to bring to question some ideals within American society through looking at different examples in the media which contribute blatantly, or in many cases are concealed, and then discussing whether or not people find it threatening to a specific race, gender, class, etc. I of course will present my side, which you may interpret as very liberal. :)

When thinking of cultural studies, my mind always gears towards perspective. I can not help but to react to specifics within the media through my own lens, which has been molded from my own experiences. I realize this is the same for every person, which obviously causes differing opinions. But my question is, which I have been attempting to answer since my senior year of high school, is there a perspective or view that is more "correct" than another? When leaving God out of the calculation, I admit, I most often lean in the direction that certain perspectives on politics and issues can have a better approach than others. But when God is considered, which in my life is very important, it is hard for me to speak with authority as to what God considers the correct perspective, and in my opinion rightfully so. One of my greatest problems with Christianity is not the Christ we follow, but the people who follow him and the arrogance that often come with it.

It is my goal to ask the difficult questions and try to take the stance that may even threaten the loud voice of many Christians. Being on a Christian campus, where the conservative, right wing (though many would like to think has been rejected) still lingers and influences much of our thought on race and gender in particular, I find myself in MANY troubling, and frustrating conversations. My fear is that my thoughts and stances will be correlated as to what I believe God thinks. This is rather going to be a public view of my thought process, that I will of course always try to keep somewhat filtered!

Hillary Clinton, one of my role models, is one of the prime examples of a divided debate. Her picture and name even brings controversy. People either love her, or hate her-- and most times love rant about her.