Moving from Disinterest to Resistance, Step by Step.

The concepts in Brown's study "Disinterest, Intrigue, Resistance" illustrate a normal sequence of maturation in women in their receptiveness to sexual media content, from being disinterested to intrigued to resistant. I think a lot of people can identify with these stages of maturation, having experienced them in their own lives during puberty. However, I also find it interesting that these stages are so commonly seen in popular media especially extended longer content like TV series or movie octalogies. This opens up the possibility that these stages of maturation could also be a product of our media and that it may be socialized or that perhaps there is just a two-way relationship where biology and media work together to evolve how we approach puberty and sex.

In the TV Series Step by Step, Al Lambert embodies these transitions through the stages perfectly. In the first few seasons, Al is about eight to twelve years old, and is the pinpoint depiction of a tomboy, who plays many competitive sports against other boys and occasionally beats up on her physically inferior brothers. The show indirectly explains this by the lack of a mother figure in her life, and the uninhibited influence of her father's ideals. Al Lambert at this stage of her life would not be caught dead interested in boys and she frequently mocks her older sister Karen for being so caught up with how to attract boys.

http://gorillavid.in/4tb2gi876688

In episode 20 of season 2, Al comes home with a principal's demerit for cutting gym. She explains to her father that she needs her first bra. Frank, her father, knows this subject is out of his expertise and tells Carol that she should help Al with this step in her life. When Carol eventually talks to Al, she tells her that they should spend some time at the mall to buy what she needs and maybe buy a few dresses for her too to which Al quickly replies, "Whoa whoa wait a minute, I'll let you buy me a bra but if you try to dress me like Tinkerbell up there, you can kiss this mother daughter stuff goodbye!" Yes, Karen is Tinkerbell. However, this sentiment changes gradually and gracefully through the series.

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In episode 7 of season 4, Al is really nervous about a first date and seeks out her older siblings, especially Karen, on how to act during a first date. Karen dresses up Al and teaches her the three magic phrases to say to a guy: That is a great idea, why didn't I think of that, and wow, you are so smart. In contrast to her earlier self, Al gladly dons a dress and even surprises her father who says, "Wow Al, I've never seen you so grown up!"

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And in the final chapter of the three stages, episode 23 of season 4, Al, Karen and Dana all attend a college party. Al and Karen are both still naive and bring that innocent intrigue with them to the event. Al meets a very attractive guy at the party and they decide to dance and then take a walk around campus. Their tour eventually takes them to the guy's room. Karen and Dana are still at the party and overhear some of the fraternity brothers notice that the guy with Al is missing. They discuss how the guy will probably be missing the football game because he is with some girl. "He has it down to a science," they say, and they also note how he puts on some music while saying, "You are so easy to talk to, and then commenting on the girl's eyes. He's been to the promised land more times than Moses!" Dana and Karen are immediately run to save Al. Meanwhile Al is living through the planned experience but resists when the guy tries to progress past simply making out. At that moment Karen and Dana burst through the locked door and the guy runs for it. Al is clearly very hurt and starts tearing. She explains her feelings of betrayal, saying that she thought "he was a really nice guy, but before she knew it, he was trying to lay her down on the bed." Dana tells her, "It really isn't your fault. The guy was practically a professional and I was unsure of letting you come because you didn't understand guys this age." An experience like this will probably make Al more cynical of relationships and males in general and completes her transition from disinterested to resisting.

Al Lambert is far from an isolated case. Hermione Granger is also another person who undergoes a very similar sequence of stages. Could the commonness of these transitions support the argument that people are actually learning through the media how to progress in their perception of relationships throughout puberty? Would someone that is completely devoid of any media exposure go through these stages? And if they still did go through these stages, would it be because his/her partner was exposed to media and acted in a way that in a way contaminated the original person? What about in a closed society with no media exposure at all? Would those people then be free from this transition or would they still go through the stages?

So what is really influencing what? Is it that humans are naturally wired to undergo these sorts of transitions and that media producers, who are also human, naturally portray their characters with these same biological wirings? Or is it greatly more complicated than this? If we assume that the stages are not biological, then why do they exist in this way? What is causing each of the stages? While the disinterested and intrigue stages can be attributed to mostly hormonal factors or just natural curiosity, a resisting stage would have to come about through some sort of bad experience with the opposite sex whether it be in real life or through the media. Simultaneously, those bad experiences may originate from, like in Al's case, a guy who may have learned from the media how to attract women and what to do with them. In the same way, the director of said media could have learned these archetypes from earlier media. I could continue, but it would go on forever, which describes the difficulty of finding out the answer to this question as to where really these archetypes and ideas are originating from.

References

Brown, J. D., White, A. B., & Nikopoulou, L. (1993). Disinterest, intrigue, resistance:

Early adolescent girls' use of sexual media content. In B. S. Greenberg, J. D. Brown &

N. Buerkel-Rothfuss (Eds.), Media, sex and the adolescent (pp. 177-195). Cresskill, NJ:

Hampton Press.

"How Bout Now" - Drake

Drake, who is infamous in the rap game for his vast repertoire of songs where he is both an alpha-male womanizer as well as a sensitive and sensitive bachelor who caters to his woman, leaked three new songs this past week. One of these songs, titled "How Bout Now," peaked my interest in particular. Besides it being a genuinely catchy song that pulls at the heart strings of anyone who has gone through a recent break up, the song is an example of modern media types that challenge hegemonic masculinity and relationship roles along with myths about love, within music in particular.

It's a really great song, I encourage everyone to hear it! I've posted it below:

The song tells the story of a man reflecting on the relationship that he had with his ex-girlfriend and it is written almost like a letter to her, as is typical of a Drake ballad. Here, he vents about some of the things that they went through that made them drift apart as a couple and he also hopes to have her reflect on her actions as he sings phrases like...

"Remember? 
I deleted all my other girls' numbers out the phone for you
Remember? 
When you had to take the bar exam
I drove in the snow for you
You probably don't remember half the shit a n**ga did for you"

Yeah, you ain't really f*ck with me way back then
But how 'bout now?
Cause I'm up right now, and you suck right now
Oh, you thought you had it all figured out back then 
But how 'bout now?"

"Yeah, man enough to tell you I was hurt that year
I'm not even Christian, I still went to church that year
Guess I just had to pretend that year
I ain't even see my friends that year"

As if these verses didn't express the level of emotion that he is feeling, the interlude sang phrases like, "My heart belongs to you. Whatever you need. There's nothin' I won't do," despite the resentment he apparently feels for his ex.

This is not the first time Drake releases a song where he wears his heart on his sleeve. He's pretty notorious for owning his emotions and singing to his exes or whichever girl he is sprung on at the moment. This tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve has even gotten him quite the reputation of being hyper-sensitive to women's feelings, his own, and sensitive in even minor romantic situations. This reputation can be observed in a variety of ways, one notable one being social media such as Twitter accounts dedicated to mocking the "type of ni**a that Drake is" and memes frame Drake as a man who dates girls for their personality rather than their looks and who is in constant touch with his emotions. In this way, I would definitely consider Drake to be challenging society's perception of what men typically do in relationships, especially those in the rap game.

In this particular song, even though he directs his words to his ex in kind of a condescending way, I would argue that this song still positions him in a vulnerable state considering the fact that he is opening up about resentment which here is a strong emotion that stemmed from the love that he once felt for his lover or still might feel.

I thought about Anne Bader's analysis of love songs and wondered if any of the myths that were featured in her work applied to this ballad. I thought that there was more in the song to challenge myths and traditional roles of men and women in relationships than to reinforce these myths. However, although I did not consider there to be many of the myths present in this song, I would argue that certain elements of some could still be considered to be present in it. For example, the background of the song is the idea that Drake was with this woman before he "got big" and she didn't appreciate what he did for her throughout their relationship. He makes it a point to see the contrast before and after his fame and fortune. In this sense, I would consider there to be some relation to the myth number 6: The man should not be weaker, younger, poorer, or less successful than a woman. Because here Drake has a flashback of when he was just a struggling rapper and she was an upcoming lawyer-to-be, I could see how the woman in this situation is in more of a position of power and success. It mentions that she didn't "really f*ck" with him back then, which could be a way to refer to the idea that it didn't work out between the two of them because she didn't take him seriously professionally. However, this is only implicit and a subjective interpretation, not explicit.

Other than this, I would say that we might overall see more aspects of the song that challenge myths rather than reinforce them. I would consider that it challenges the myth that a partner is predestined or that love prevails despite bickering, etc. considering the fact that here we see a torn relationship and the aftermath of that relationship ending in success. I also think it challenges myth number 9: all you need is love, even if you and your lover have different values, because again, this relationship appears to have been torn apart in part because of the woman's failure to take him seriously at the beginning of his career, before the success.

I also find it relevant to think about Taylor's Cads and Dads article because I think Drake is a very strange intersection of a Cad and a Dad, with the Dad persona prevailing more than the Cad according to the many memes about him. From what we know in Taylor's research, a dad type would be a man who is romantic, emotionally stable, committed, and invested in the relationship. Meanwhile, a Cad would be one who is sexually aggressive and experienced, less inhibited, and more superficial. (Taylor, 2008) Although other Drake songs would definitely frame him as a Cad, in this particular song he frames himself as more of a person who saw potential in the relationship but whose effort was not met or reciprocated by his partner. He was committed and cared about her well-being and put her first as we see in lyrics such as "When you had to take the bar exam I drove in the snow for you. You probably don't remember half the shit a n**ga did for you." Through this, we see Drake in a position where he would do anything for her, a sacrifice a Dad type would definitely take. 

All in all, I would consider Drake's fame and lyrics to be really important to the "rap game." In a sphere where women are constantly degraded and men often feel the need to be hyper-masculine and assert their dominance, especially over women, Drake is a step forward in this genre for men to see women for more than their bodies. We see a rapper who is more open and in touch with his feelings than we are used to. Because of this, I think he definitely challenges hegemonic masculinity as he is sensitive, emotional, committed, and invested in relationships. He tends to see women for more than their bodies. Yes, Drake also has other songs where he is a womanizer and refer to women in ways that are just as detrimental as other rappers such as Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, but at least he is versatile and does not only frame them as disposable "hoes." I think this song is a prime example of how he challenges the norm, especially within the rap/hip-hop genre and in my opinion he is an important trail blazer that will contribute to the idea that it is okay to be one with your emotions, even though you're also a thug with connects. Despite the memes and society's attempt to discipline his masculinity, Drake continues to put out music that is distinct from what we see other rappers do.

Works Cited 

Taylor, D. Laramie. (2008). Cads, Dads, and Magazines: Women’s Sexual Preferences and Articles about Sex Relationships. 

Bader, A. (2007). "Love will steer the stars" and other improbable feats: Media

myths in popular love songs. In M.-L. Galician & D. L. Merskin (Eds.), Critical thinking

about sex, love, and romance in the mass media (pp. 141-160). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence

Erlbaum.

It's On Us: Eliminating the Dichotomy

“An Iranian woman convicted of murder -- in a killing that human rights groups called self-defense against a rapist -- was hanged Saturday” (Sanchez, 2014). How is it that a single woman’s story became so well known throughout the world and a heated topic especially amongst US news sources? Because this case and the final sentence have generated discussions about gender inequalities that women around the world can relate to. The death of Reyhaneh Jabbari signifies the ultimate price a woman can pay for gender inequalities and it has gotten people talking.

According to Islamic law, which is the law that governs the theocratic country of Iran, rape can only be proven if the rapist confesses or if there are four male witnesses (Religion of Peace). The Qur’an also establishes that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man’s in court as to avoid any “he said/she said” gridlocks (Religion of Peace). It is due to laws like these that women are given such little power in regards to something so personal as their sexuality. Women are given very little power in a court of law generally speaking. But the law goes on to give men more power in regards to the sexuality of women by being able to decide for them what constitutes something as serious as rape. This case in particular demonstrates one of Kim’s heterosexual scripts in which men are given the power to decide how women will be judged in regards to their sexual conduct (Kim, 2007).  It is just one example of many cases in which heterosexual couples behave in ways that sustain power inequalities (Kim, 2007). Although we have not discussed religion or race extensively in this class, this case exemplifies some of the dichotomies we have examined between men and women. This reinforcement of gender inequalities is arguably something that transcends national boundaries, cultures and religions.

Sexual assault and gender inequalities are topics that hit close to home all around the world and even specifically on University of Michigan’s campus. Not too long ago, a Michigan Daily article was published discussing the “It’s On Us” campaign to address the problem of sexual assault on college campuses. The author, who is a female sexual assault survivor, addresses what she feels to be a problematic distribution of power amongst men and women on this campus specifically in regards to how Michigan’s central student government is responding to the issue of sexual assault on campus. She expressed her disdain for this power dichotomy when she says that the It’s On Us campaign at UofM has meant, “A small group of elite white men with no clue what sexual assault is…have tasked themselves with single handedly stopping rape on campus from happening” (Palle, 2014). It is evident that women across the globe feel as though they are being cheated out of their right and power to speak out in regards to their own sexuality. Rape and assault, both very personal subjects, are being discussed in a seemingly one-sided manner that favors the voice of men and not women and this power distribution is problematic.

 However problematic they may be, I think the power of media to spread counter-narratives holds promise for the future. Not to sounds too cliché but the very fact that one woman’s story from Iran became so widespread that people all over the world spoke out challenging her sentence, is promising in and of itself. And the fact that articles, like the one featured in The Daily, are making an effort to challenge these heterosexual scripts and power dichotomies that we adhere to, is a sign of progress and hope for a more equal balance of power between genders and diverse voices.

Reference 

        "Islam: What Must a Woman Do to Prove Rape?" TheReligionofPeace - Islam: What Must a Woman Do              to Prove Rape? N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Kim, J. L., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research, 44 (2), 145-157.

Palle, S. (2014, October 8). Viewpoint: Horrible leadership at the Univresity, starring Dishell and Schlissel – A hilariously painful tragicomedy in four parts. The Michigan Daily.

Sanchez, R. (2014, October 25). Iran executes woman who killed her alleged rapist. CNN World.

Walmart Halloween Costume Controversy

Halloween is upon us, so I decided to write about something I stumbled upon pertaining to Halloween costumes and how women are portrayed during this time of the year. 

For young girls, this is a time to dress up as someone they look up to or someone they wish to be in the future. For instance the little girl I babysit is being Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games this year for Halloween. She is a positive role model for girls, she’s strong and confident and kicks a lot of ass in the series. However, as girls get older, the dynamic of Halloween and dressing up becomes a lot different. Sam talked about in her blog post from a couple of weeks ago, how the “slutty” costumes that older girls decide to dress up like for Halloween are becoming a norm in society. When I saw her blog post I decided to do some more research on the aspect of Halloween costumes for females and I came across an offensive article revolving around Walmart. Just today, Walmart introduced a new tab under their Halloween costume category on their online website. It was titled “Fat Girl Costumes,” and I say “was” because it was taken down because of all the backlash it received (wow, so surprising because it’s not offensive at all). I guess the part I’m most confused about is why they wouldn’t just label it as “Plus Size,” that’s what every other smart company does when selling sizes for larger women.

Walmart not only offends women who are plus size but also has extremely offensive descriptions of the costumes that accentuate their seductiveness and some are even racially disrespectful. Take this example of the “Women's Indian Maiden Plus Size Costume”: 

“Make peace with the Adult Plus Size Indian Maiden Costume. This costume comes with a faux sued dress with a fringe, a bead trim belt head piece and boot tops. You'll be dancing around the tribal fires in no time with the Adult Plus Size Indian Maiden Costume - you'll be one seductive little Indian in this outfit. So expect a lot of male attention at your next Halloween party!” 

First off, I would like to know who wrote these descriptions and decided it was a great idea to label these as “fat girl costumes.” I have a hard time believe a woman would write something like this that is targeted towards other women. When I read this (and it may be because I’m a comm student and analyzing it) I doesn’t really feel like it’s morally sound to purchase a product that is so forwardly demeaning towards women. Nevertheless, this portrayal relates to scripts we read in class from Kim et al pertaining to the idea that women need to dress provocatively to gain the attention of male counterparts (Kim et al., 2007).

But now let’s look at the description of the “American Indian Woman Adult Halloween Costume”:

“The American Indian Woman costume lets wearers take on the appearance of a member of one of America's native tribes. It can be worn while attending a costume party, greeting trick-or-treaters or at other Halloween events. It includes a dress with fringe and other decoration as well as a matching headband. Other accessories such as shoes and jewelry (not included) can be added. Available in adult women's sizes, this American Indian costume is made of a poly-cotton blend.”

So wait, why is the description of the Plus-Size costume directly geared to gaining attention from males while the regular adult costume doesn’t even mention this idea? It could be that whoever is credited for writing these descriptions thinks that those who are plus-size may not be as sexually appealing to males in relation people who are not plus-size. So as a result, this costume makes them more appealing and sexual. I found this not only interesting but concerning for young women. Objectifying women’s bodies and somewhat mocking them is they are not sexually desirable is detrimental for the way women view their body image.

Taylor discussed some ways male images in the media play a part on the ideal male image that may cause males to be concerned with their own muscularity and fitness (Taylor, 2008). I’m interested to hear what you guys think about this topic and if you think that if this were to be reversed how it would be similar or how it could be different. Do you think if Walmart made a tab labeled “fat boy costumes” they would get the some reaction from their audience or is there a double standard between men and women? 

Kim, J. L., et al. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research.


Taylor, L. D. (2008). The Role of Lad Magazines in Priming Men’s Chronic and Temporary Appearance-Related Schemata: An Investigation of Longitudinal and Experimental Findings. 

F-Bombs for Feminism

F-Bombs for Feminism: Potty-Mouthed Princesses Use Bad Word for a Good Cause

*This post and included media contain explicit language, if you are not comfortable please click away*

FCKH8.com is a for-profit T-shirt company with an activist heart and a passionate social change mission: arming thousands of people with pro-LGBT equality, anti-racism and anti-sexism T-shirts that act as “mini-billboards” for change. Started in 2010 with comedic viral videos that captured millions of views on YouTube, FCKH8.com has shipped almost 200,000 equality tees, tanks and hoodies to supporters in over 100 countries. T-shirts with bold messages like “Some Chicks Marry Chicks, Get Over It,” “Straight Against Hate,” and ”Legalize Love” have been publicly talked about by celebrities. FCKH8.com has given over $250,000 to the equality cause through directly funded projects and donations to LGBT charities. In 2014 FCKH8.com expanded it's anti-hate message with campaigns and tees focused on fighting sexism and racism.

“What’s more offensive? A little girl saying ‘fuck’ or the fucking unequal and sexist way society treats girls and women?” 

FCKH8.com launched a new video this past week where little girls drop "F-Bombs for Feminism" in a comedic viral video to educate adults on sexism. 

Little girls between 6 and 13 years-old dressed as pretty pink princesses drop F-bombs to draw attention to society’s continued sexism. Asking the question, “What’s more offensive? A little girl saying f*ck or the sexist way society treats girls and women” these adorably articulate little ladies in sparkling tiaras turn the “princess in distress” stereotype on its head and contrast the F-word with words and statistics society should find shocking such as “pay inequality” and “rape.”

The girls appear along side women in the video sporting T-shirts with bold pink text declaring “Girls Just Want to Have Fun-damental Rights” and “This is What a‪#‎Feminist‬ Looks Like.” The video is part of advocacy T-shirt companyFCKH8.com’s charity T-shirt fundraising effort. The group’s website is making tees available starting at $15, with $5 from each tee sold benefiting five anti-sexism organizations and projects and asks website visitors to suggest their favorite groups to benefit.

Video producer Mike Kon comments, “Some adults may be uncomfortable with how these little girls are using a bad word for a good cause. It is shocking what they are saying, but the real shock is that women are still paid less than men for the same work in 2014, not the use of the F-word. The big statistic that 1 out of 5 women are sexually assaulted or raped is something society seems to find less offensive than a little four letter word and we love how these girls draw attention to that imbalance.” He added, “Instead of washing these girls’ mouths out with soap, maybe society needs to clean up its act.”

The video draws on pervasive stereotypes in our media about the dichotomies between men and women. Monique Ward points out that the media serves as a 'sexual socializer' and a teacher of values and norms in society (Ward, 2003). Additionally portrayals of sexuality relates high exposure of sex on TV to acceptance of stereotypical sexuality (Ward 2003). Specifically the video mentions the 'princess in distress stereotype'. That stereotype draws upon Kim's research and the heterosexual script that girls and women devalue their sexual desires, seek and please men, and wait to be chosen and then trade their sexuality as a commodity (Kim, 2007). These ideas are ingrained in our culture from a young age of girls reading fairy tales and watching princess movies. The reason the images of these young girls in princess costumes resonates with us is because it has become normalized. The swearing then creates a start contrast to what is 'normal' and accepted in our society relating gender roles.  

This bold campaign caught my attention. It made me stop and think. At first I was surprised by the fowl language being used by such young girls in princess costumes. After the initial shock faded, I realized it was effective at spreading a positive message. There is no easy way to address issues of feminism in our society and sometimes it takes a bold move to send a strong message. However, where I take issue is that this movement is for a for-profit company. Rather than a charity or equality organization creating these videos, it is someone gaining a monetary profit. In that way I feel that this video serves more as a publicity stunt to sell T-shirts rather than an informative education message. Do you think this is a move in the right direct for educational campaigns or a slick marketing message?

Bibliography

Ward, L. M. (2003). Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research. Developmental Review, 23(3), 347-388. doi: 10.1016/s0273-2297(03)00013-3

Kim, J. L., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research, 44(2), 145-157. doi: 10.1080/00224490701263660