make up for week 5 blog #4

So this is almost the last week of classes and I have been reflecting on this class. I have found out that I can research better than I thought. This class has improved my skills greatly. I have also analyzed so many movies for feminist aspects that I will never look at the movie the same again. I have learned that women are criticized a lot more than I anticipated. Through this research paper, I have come to that conclusion. I am one female engineer out of extreme few. I feel like I am living the impossible dream for a woman to be as important as men in society. I hope I make it through to earn the degree in the end and make a difference. If you end up reading this I hope your future students like this class as much as I did. Thank you for the experience.

make up for week 3 blog #2

We watched a commentary on Disney movies the other day. I had remained completely ignorant to the fact of how racist and sexist those movies were. I am doing my final research paper on traditional and non-traditional representation of women in movies and this commentary led me to use a couple of these movies to contrast the women. In Beauty in the Beast, Belle is often verbally and physically abused. The beast tends to scream in her face and lock her in rooms without food or water for certain amounts of time. She is portrayed as a weak and self-less woman throughout the movie. On the other hand, The Little Mermaid, my favorite Disney movie, shows Ariel as a rebellious, independent and adventurous young woman. Ariel is one of many women in all of the movies that are represented in this untraditional manner. I remained oblivious to the great contrast of characters for the past 20 years of my life. I almost believe that children should not be exposed to the true “meanings” of these movies because it is completely harmless to them as they don’t realize the extremity of these issues.

I was a field hockey player in high school. My boyfriend was a star on the wrestling team. We both felt that we had the skill to compete at the college level. We chose a school we could both attend and play our sport. But Title IX intervened. My boyfriend's wrestling team was eliminated to comply with Title IX. My boyfriend's dream was elimanated. I did not want to see his dream die so a women's field hockey could exist. Maybe it is time to revisit the implementation of Title IX now that we have had a chance to see its consequences.

I was watching Legally Blonde with one of my best friends the other day. This best friend happens to be in my sorority as well. We watched the part when Elle was introduced to the audience. She was the "typical" sorority girl. I do not understand where they get this stereotype. I look at the five sororities Old Dominion has on campus and none of them can relate to this. Elle is the ultimate girly girl; feathers, fluff and all. I feel like some director back in the day made this up for media purposes. Perhaps it was to gain a male audience but in any way it is wrong to stereotype sorority women like that. It is wrong to stereotype anyone for that matter. I felt like I was supposed to fit in the same category as Elle, but was disappointed in the portrayal of the Greek community. We stand for much more than vanity and reputation in regards to high status and men. The movie of course does not portray the "real" image though.

Well it is the day after my twentieth birthday now.  I went to a Norfolk Admirals game.  They are like a minor league hockey team or something along those lines.  Something really ticked me off while I was at the game.  I was there with my sorority sisters and from fraternity guys that we knew pretty well.  This promotional representative of the team was looking around for someone to answer a question to possibly win Admirals tickets.  One of the fraternity brothers was chosen but all of a sudden the guy spotted one of my sorority sisters.  She was showing a bit too much skin and he decided to pick her instead.  The brother was real bummed and pretty upset that she got chosen even though he had already started walking from his seat.  A few minutes went by and then she answered the question...wrong.  He would have guessed the right answer.  Also, when she came back she mentioned that he asked her to facebook friend him.  That seemed like a pretty sexist situation because she was chosen just to get the attention of the crowd. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ2veDOC0RI

Above is a link to the Best of Friends bits from YouTube. There is a clip in there that has Joey and Chandler making fun of Ross for dating someone who is younger. The six friends have typically been dating people their own age (in their mid to late 20s). Ross decided to date one of his students and he is ridiculed by the other five over it. They act as though in history, it would be ridiculous for a man to date a much younger woman. Joey and Chandler make comments about her immaturity, playing with Barbies, or saying she is 13. Later in the clips, she actually proves the two men right after she and Ross break up. Ross is commenting in his head that it was a healthy break up and she was really mature about it. Then she throws water balloons at Ross. Women who date older men do not always act that immature as the director portrays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njpH2toIFoc

Above is a link to an episode of Friends, my favorite television show ever. It is titled "The One with a Metaphorical Tunnel." The part of the clip that I wanted to focus my post on was pertaining to Ben. Ben is the son of Ross and his ex-wife Carol, who turned lesbian. While Ben was under the care of Carol and her lover, he begins to enjoy playing with Barbies. Once Ross finds out that his son plays with girl's toys, he takes the Barbies away from him and instead only allows him to play with G.I. Joes. Ross is demostrating gender bias. Just because Ben liked playing with dolls, Ross automatically assumed that he was going to grow up to be gay or have qualities that are too feminine. If Ben were to grow up with biased thoughts like his father, he will believe that women should be in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking, or the men should be hard at work, making the money for their families. Instances such as this are what spread prejudice in the treatment of either gender. I personally have grown up playing multiple sports every year which was considered a bit odd since everyone else my age were cheerleading or dancing. I think it is wrong for someone to think that way since I was just as athletic as any of the guys that I was playing with.