Although this commercial does have a slightly sexist spin on it, it did make me chuckle. It definately is not as bad as some other commercials and personally I am not offended by this commercial. I just thought it was funny, again because of the truth in it. Women do tend to take bathroom breaks together, even when they do not have to "go" themselves. But notice, right when a guy makes fun of them for going together, they all split up to try and get some respect back and maybe some more manlyness. It's also interesting to see the clear distinction between "man" food and "women" food. The "girly" foods are the yogurts and smoothies and the "manly" food is the hardy, and really more healthy food due to the actual substance to it, Hungry Man TV Dinner. When and why has society labeled foods with feminine or masculine characteristics...?! Personally, if I had the choice of what to have for lunch or dinner between a smoothie, yogurt or a Hungry Man TV dinner...I'd choose the TV dinner. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I don't have an appetite or don't like to eat...!
Watch it for yourself :)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Do men and women deal with stress differently...?
This guy, John Gray, makes alot of sense. I was like shaking my head "yes" to alot of what he was saying. It's very true. Men and women do deal with stress very differently. And I think women should start dealing with it the way men do (in some cases atleast) and they will be a little happier. John made the point that men do what they do to make themselves happy while women are always doing what they need to do to make others happy. They very rarely think about themselves and what makes them happy which is the root of alot of alot of unhappiness. I know personally, that I used to do that alot. I would ALWAYS think of others before myself in a way that I would not be doing what was best for me. I never wanted to make anyone mad, or let anyone down...but, after a while, I realized that I was letting someone down most of the time and that someone was me. I finally woke up n realized that I really just need to do what makes me happy and everything else will fall into place the way it is meant to. :)
John Gray's Clip
John Gray's Clip
Positive Points in Pop Culture
I came across this video and thought it was really cool. Maybe if more history teachers were like this I'd actually enjoy history class. (ha) It was refreshing and interesting to see a twist on learning history facts. The teacher who made this video encouraged her students to find history facts relevant to what they were learing at the time anywhere in pop culture. It could be a song on the radio, a cartoon they like to watch, anything from pop culture that mentioned something from history was ok, even if it was considered a "bad" or "uneducational" cartoon. When they had tests in class they were suposed to write down a fact that they found and they would get extra credit on the test for it. I just thought it was cool and the kids seemed to really like the idea as well. Not everything in pop culture has to have a negativity about it...it's nice to find a way to bring some positive things from those that seem to always get a negative rep. (It wouldn't let me just embed the video so you will have to use the link to get to the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jba5HsWDsA
Difference between men and women
I found this clip from a Friends episode while looking through YouTube and found it very humorous...mainly because it's so true...
At first I didn't think they were going to show anything from the guy's side because the girls were talking for so long...but that made it even more funny because with just a few seconds left in the clip they shoot to the guys and just within those few seconds they have their talk, while eating pizza and are content with a short, hardly detailed answer. It was pretty accurate with showing how men and women go about conversations and friendships. The women all shreek, grab some wine and want every detail to be explained to the t while the men are perfectly fine just eating some pizza with some casual conversation about what happened with minuscule detail. It kind of reminded me of my friends...both guys and girl. I can see the girls of my group acting in basically the same way Rachel, Monica and Phebe did and I can see my guy friends acting just like Ross, Chandler and Joey.
At first I didn't think they were going to show anything from the guy's side because the girls were talking for so long...but that made it even more funny because with just a few seconds left in the clip they shoot to the guys and just within those few seconds they have their talk, while eating pizza and are content with a short, hardly detailed answer. It was pretty accurate with showing how men and women go about conversations and friendships. The women all shreek, grab some wine and want every detail to be explained to the t while the men are perfectly fine just eating some pizza with some casual conversation about what happened with minuscule detail. It kind of reminded me of my friends...both guys and girl. I can see the girls of my group acting in basically the same way Rachel, Monica and Phebe did and I can see my guy friends acting just like Ross, Chandler and Joey.
Extreme Muscles
So my brother showed me this video the other day and I thought I'd share it with you guys. If you're squeamish you might want to just peek between your fingers because I got a little sick to my stomach when I watched it, but maybe I'm just sensitive, who knows.
It's just a short clip of a show that was about a guy who had extremely large muscles, which in my opinion looked absolutely stupid. He said that he trained naturally for 23 years and then started using steroids, and he was not smart about using them either (not that steroids are smart in the first place but you know what I mean). He did not always use clean needles and he used doses that were too large. He ended up getting an infection in one arm and that muscle will never be the size of the "healthy" arm. This may be a little mean, but I think it serves him right for being so stupid with the steroids (although he does admit that in the video).
It's sad that society has become so superficial and obsessed with being better than everyone else, in some cases even if it means doing harmful things to your body.
It also reminded me of class when the one guy in the clip held up two of the same figures just from different years and one was like double the size of the first. It's because of toys like that that put ideas in little boys heads that they have to be really muscular to be successful. It's unfortunate that such a superficial idea is plugged into little boys heads at a young age.
It's just a short clip of a show that was about a guy who had extremely large muscles, which in my opinion looked absolutely stupid. He said that he trained naturally for 23 years and then started using steroids, and he was not smart about using them either (not that steroids are smart in the first place but you know what I mean). He did not always use clean needles and he used doses that were too large. He ended up getting an infection in one arm and that muscle will never be the size of the "healthy" arm. This may be a little mean, but I think it serves him right for being so stupid with the steroids (although he does admit that in the video).
It's sad that society has become so superficial and obsessed with being better than everyone else, in some cases even if it means doing harmful things to your body.
It also reminded me of class when the one guy in the clip held up two of the same figures just from different years and one was like double the size of the first. It's because of toys like that that put ideas in little boys heads that they have to be really muscular to be successful. It's unfortunate that such a superficial idea is plugged into little boys heads at a young age.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Little Beauties
I was flipping through the channels the other day while watching t.v. and I saw a clip of a show that has aired on VH1 not too long ago and it reminded me of how annoyed I was when I first saw the show.
It's all about beauty pageants for young girls which I think is a horrible idea. These girls aren't even teens yet and they wear an insane amount of make up, they spray tan, use fake teeth, extensions and fake eyelashes. What is this doing for their self confidence and self acceptance...? During these pageants, the little girls end up looking show much older than they really are and their natural beauty is completely lost. Not only is the amount of make up and issue with me, the fact that they have a swim suit round is ridiculous I think. There is no way that when I have a 6 year old daughter she will be prancing around on stage in a tiny bikini and how any mother is ok with their daughter doing that is crazy to me.
These pageants cost thousands of dollars. The fake teeth alone, which they call "flippers", cost $250. One of the disapproving fathers said one dress can cost up to $2,000...I didn't even spend that much on my senior prom with all costs combined...! In addition to the cost of dresses, make up, teeth, bathing suits, extensions and spray tan there is also the cost of traveling, hotels and food. How about using all that money for something important like your child's future education...instead of spending it on the pageants try putting it in a savings account for future high school or college expenses.
One of the mother's teaches her daughter to "flirt with your eyes" to get the crown. No 6 year old should have flirting on her mind for anything...! That is just setting her up for failure in the future when it comes to other things. Teachings girls to use their beauty and sexuality to get what they want is completely wrong. Some of these girls started pageants at as young as 6 months old...! What happened to letting kids be kids...? "Now look baby girl, you got booty,use it" is what the coach tells one of the little girls...which I couldn't really believe when I heard it. A 6 year old's "booty" should not even be an issue or thought on anyone mind especially telling her to use it to get something she wants.
These pageants, in my opinion, do nothing positive for these girls. They condition them to believe that superficiality is normal and acceptable and that their natural beauty isn't good enough. This will lead to confidence problems along with a few other problems in their lives down the road. The pageants focus strictly on beauty which tells the girls that there is nothing else about them that is worth while or important. Yes, they have the "talent" part of the show but even then, they are still wearing the pounds of makeup, fake teeth and so on and the costumes they wear still show a fair amount of skin. The girls are also encouraged to keep a huge smile on their face the whole time during the talent segment or else their bit won't be as good as it could have been.
These mothers are using their daughters like little dolls, dressing them up and presenting them. And I know alot of them are living through their daughters which is kind of unfortunate. I feel like some of the mothers see their daughter winning as really a win for themselves.
These pageants just set the world up for more girls like Paris Hilton focusing nothing on intelligence and all on beauty and sexuality. We don't need any more Paris Hiltons...!
It's all about beauty pageants for young girls which I think is a horrible idea. These girls aren't even teens yet and they wear an insane amount of make up, they spray tan, use fake teeth, extensions and fake eyelashes. What is this doing for their self confidence and self acceptance...? During these pageants, the little girls end up looking show much older than they really are and their natural beauty is completely lost. Not only is the amount of make up and issue with me, the fact that they have a swim suit round is ridiculous I think. There is no way that when I have a 6 year old daughter she will be prancing around on stage in a tiny bikini and how any mother is ok with their daughter doing that is crazy to me.
These pageants cost thousands of dollars. The fake teeth alone, which they call "flippers", cost $250. One of the disapproving fathers said one dress can cost up to $2,000...I didn't even spend that much on my senior prom with all costs combined...! In addition to the cost of dresses, make up, teeth, bathing suits, extensions and spray tan there is also the cost of traveling, hotels and food. How about using all that money for something important like your child's future education...instead of spending it on the pageants try putting it in a savings account for future high school or college expenses.
One of the mother's teaches her daughter to "flirt with your eyes" to get the crown. No 6 year old should have flirting on her mind for anything...! That is just setting her up for failure in the future when it comes to other things. Teachings girls to use their beauty and sexuality to get what they want is completely wrong. Some of these girls started pageants at as young as 6 months old...! What happened to letting kids be kids...? "Now look baby girl, you got booty,use it" is what the coach tells one of the little girls...which I couldn't really believe when I heard it. A 6 year old's "booty" should not even be an issue or thought on anyone mind especially telling her to use it to get something she wants.
These pageants, in my opinion, do nothing positive for these girls. They condition them to believe that superficiality is normal and acceptable and that their natural beauty isn't good enough. This will lead to confidence problems along with a few other problems in their lives down the road. The pageants focus strictly on beauty which tells the girls that there is nothing else about them that is worth while or important. Yes, they have the "talent" part of the show but even then, they are still wearing the pounds of makeup, fake teeth and so on and the costumes they wear still show a fair amount of skin. The girls are also encouraged to keep a huge smile on their face the whole time during the talent segment or else their bit won't be as good as it could have been.
These mothers are using their daughters like little dolls, dressing them up and presenting them. And I know alot of them are living through their daughters which is kind of unfortunate. I feel like some of the mothers see their daughter winning as really a win for themselves.
These pageants just set the world up for more girls like Paris Hilton focusing nothing on intelligence and all on beauty and sexuality. We don't need any more Paris Hiltons...!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Misogyny At Its Peak
So looking around on Feministing.com today I came across this article titled "Palin Sexism Watch:Sex Doll Edition" and I was disgusted. "Blow her up and show her how you're going to vote" is one of the 'suggestions' for the dolls use. "It's time some male interns caused a scandal in the Capital" which I'm assuming is a reference to the Clinton/Monica affair.
I can't believe this doll was actually made...is society really that afraid of not only a woman, but an attractive one at that, in power that they have to do absolutely everything in their power to try and shoot her down...? The fact that she is a woman makes it ok to look at her as a sex object rather than a candidate for Vice Presidency. Ever since she has stepped into the spot light, media and society have tried to knock her down with many of the attempts having something to do with sex or beauty. People really need to stop looking at her as a sex object and actually paying attention to her political views and that is it. You can agree with her views or disagree with her views, that is totally your choice but there is no reason to put so much focus on her in a sexual way. She is a mother, a wife and a political candidate and really, the only part that concerns us and should be talked about among society is her political views and ideas.
Ok, so I almost said how there is no way they would make a doll like that of McCain or Obama but I realized as I read some comments on the article that there is a sex toy made of Obama. BUT there is still a sexist spin on it. Power is always given to the male, notice how all the power is taken away from Palin's sex toy; "It's time some male interns caused a scandel in the Capital" which gives males a positve role. And when it comes to the Obama sex toy, it technically should be giving power to the woman but with phrases like "With a golden color and firm, smooth feel, the Head O State will stand upright and last all night" so its still putting the main positive focus on the male.
The fact that either of these toys have been made is just beyond me. All they do is reinforce the patriarchal beliefs of our society. It's pretty sad. When it comes to the candidates for President or Vice President of the United States I don't understand why sex is even a thought in someone's mind.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Miss Independent
So I've heard Ne-Yo's new song "Miss Independent" a few times now and I thought it was kind of catchy. It's message definitely seems to be different from a handful of other rap/r&b songs which seem to sing about women being objects for men's visual and literal pleasure excluding any thought of those women having minds of their own. "Miss Independent" gives off the vibe that Ne-Yo is interested in this "independent woman" strictly based on her mind, intellegence, authority and of course, independence. "There's something about kinda woman that want you but don't need you" translates into "It's nice to find a woman who can stand on her own two feet and you know the reason she is with you is based on feelings rather than for money or material things". "She's got me thinking about getting involved, thats the kinda girl I need" states in other words that she gives off the impression that she will be a good relationship girl as opposed to a fling or one night stand and Ne-Yo seems to like that. Alot of rap songs don't talk about relationships, they just reference "hooking up" because they find the woman they see attractive. "Miss independent ooh the way you shine miss independent" brings the song to an end. Someone telling me that they can tell I'm independent is a great compliment, as well as telling me I shine which is why when I saw the end of this music video for the first time today, as well as the rest of the video I got slightly angry.
The imagery in the video doesn't exactly go hand in hand with the lyrics. The setting is a business office full of woman saying "Good Morning, Ne-yo" with slightly suggestive or seductive smiles and looks. One camara shot shows only a womens legs but you hear her voice saying good morning and Ne-yo stops walking briefly and it looks like he is attempting to look up the woman's skirt and he contines walking to his office past many other woman. He returns the certain looks he gets to many of the woman in the office as he walks by them, usually checking them out as well as he passes by. Now, if he was so interested in this "idependent woman" and thought he wanted to start a relationship with her, why would he look at the other woman the way he did...? Throughout the whole video there are shots of differant woman giving Ne-yo "the look". Camera angles include shots from above which focus on clevage, a shot of just legs and a shot of just a womans back which shows an opening in her shirt with no bra strap to be seen.
What I thought was a step in a positve direction with this song was just shot down by the director and creator of this video, along with the agreement by Ne-yo to do it.
At the end of the video, the "independent woman" who was seen for her mind and authority basically looses all power she had. She sees Ne-yo as they are both leaving work and she apoligizes for "cutting Ne-yo off" in the meeting and he says it's ok because she is "the boss". She askes if there is anything she can do to make it up to him (like it was THAT big of a deal, right...?), Ne-yo asks what once again, "the boss" had in mind as he moves his glance up and down her body and she smiles at him suggestively and walks away and looks back at him. He starts to watch her walk away, looks at the camera and bites his lip like he knows what he's about to get.
So much for being into her for her MIND and independence...!
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think of "Miss Independent".
*Mol
The imagery in the video doesn't exactly go hand in hand with the lyrics. The setting is a business office full of woman saying "Good Morning, Ne-yo" with slightly suggestive or seductive smiles and looks. One camara shot shows only a womens legs but you hear her voice saying good morning and Ne-yo stops walking briefly and it looks like he is attempting to look up the woman's skirt and he contines walking to his office past many other woman. He returns the certain looks he gets to many of the woman in the office as he walks by them, usually checking them out as well as he passes by. Now, if he was so interested in this "idependent woman" and thought he wanted to start a relationship with her, why would he look at the other woman the way he did...? Throughout the whole video there are shots of differant woman giving Ne-yo "the look". Camera angles include shots from above which focus on clevage, a shot of just legs and a shot of just a womans back which shows an opening in her shirt with no bra strap to be seen.
What I thought was a step in a positve direction with this song was just shot down by the director and creator of this video, along with the agreement by Ne-yo to do it.
At the end of the video, the "independent woman" who was seen for her mind and authority basically looses all power she had. She sees Ne-yo as they are both leaving work and she apoligizes for "cutting Ne-yo off" in the meeting and he says it's ok because she is "the boss". She askes if there is anything she can do to make it up to him (like it was THAT big of a deal, right...?), Ne-yo asks what once again, "the boss" had in mind as he moves his glance up and down her body and she smiles at him suggestively and walks away and looks back at him. He starts to watch her walk away, looks at the camera and bites his lip like he knows what he's about to get.
So much for being into her for her MIND and independence...!
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think of "Miss Independent".
*Mol
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Aww, a pretty bride...
To keep the theme running from today's class I searched commercials and how they portrayed gender. The commercial I came across didn't show any hint of what it was advertising but I decided to watch it anyway because of its title...
As it started I thought, 'aww, this is nice, a mother helping her daughter get ready for her wedding...I wonder what the commercial is for..." but as it went on I thought "please let this be a joke...", the advice the mother was giving her daughter on how to make the marriage work was kind of ridiculous. I still wasn't sure what the commercial was supposed to be for and then the mother handed her daughter a card and I thought, "this is a Hallmark commercial..?!" but...the daughter opens the card to reveal the Bud Light gift certificate.
I don't really know how to take this commercial. It kind of made me chuckle to be honest once I saw the whole thing. Notice at the end where the two men hold hands on the table while one of them starts to cry and the woman at the table shakes her head while putting her hand over her face. It's kind of saying men are that simple to the point that they will be happy and feel loved if you get them a case of beer. They could care less about communication and support and spending time with you, but as long as they have that beer they will be fine.
Now this commercial is a little different than your typical beer commercial. Usually there will be a half naked girl in there somewhere to try to get men's attention, so the fact that it was a bride instead was a change. This change could be there for different reasons. Maybe it is supposed to get the attention of women viewers (which is just what happend with me like I previously said) because a lot of woman like weddings and once they see the bride instead of the half naked woman they will actually pay attention to the commercial and see what is being advertised rather than changing her focus when she sees the "perfect", sexy woman on the t.v. screen.
Over all I think this commercial is not really degrading to women compared to the others I've seen. I think it actually makes fun of men a little more and the whole relationship between men and women and how it always seems to be the women who makes sacrifices to keep the relationship together even though all the guy wants to do is hang out with his friends and drink beer.
Anyone have a different interpretation...?
*Mol
As it started I thought, 'aww, this is nice, a mother helping her daughter get ready for her wedding...I wonder what the commercial is for..." but as it went on I thought "please let this be a joke...", the advice the mother was giving her daughter on how to make the marriage work was kind of ridiculous. I still wasn't sure what the commercial was supposed to be for and then the mother handed her daughter a card and I thought, "this is a Hallmark commercial..?!" but...the daughter opens the card to reveal the Bud Light gift certificate.
I don't really know how to take this commercial. It kind of made me chuckle to be honest once I saw the whole thing. Notice at the end where the two men hold hands on the table while one of them starts to cry and the woman at the table shakes her head while putting her hand over her face. It's kind of saying men are that simple to the point that they will be happy and feel loved if you get them a case of beer. They could care less about communication and support and spending time with you, but as long as they have that beer they will be fine.
Now this commercial is a little different than your typical beer commercial. Usually there will be a half naked girl in there somewhere to try to get men's attention, so the fact that it was a bride instead was a change. This change could be there for different reasons. Maybe it is supposed to get the attention of women viewers (which is just what happend with me like I previously said) because a lot of woman like weddings and once they see the bride instead of the half naked woman they will actually pay attention to the commercial and see what is being advertised rather than changing her focus when she sees the "perfect", sexy woman on the t.v. screen.
Over all I think this commercial is not really degrading to women compared to the others I've seen. I think it actually makes fun of men a little more and the whole relationship between men and women and how it always seems to be the women who makes sacrifices to keep the relationship together even though all the guy wants to do is hang out with his friends and drink beer.
Anyone have a different interpretation...?
*Mol
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Stick with what you're good at, Disney...!
Hi Everyone...
Sorry it has taken me so long to get this up and running. I'm not exactly used to this blogging thing yet but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.
So, I was looking at feministing.com trying to find something interesting and a little unexpected and...I found it...! Everyone's familiar with Disney, right...? Of course...! Who doesn't have a favorite Disney movie...? Personally, mine is Cinderella with her helpful and funny little mice and birds. Their songs are so catchy..! But anyway, that's besides the point. Disney is known for their cartoons that are usually very upbeat and seem to picture life as if not perfect, close to it. Right...? Well, there was a short film made and co-produced with kotex in 1946 targeting pre-teen girls. It was all about the "Story of Menstration". My first reaction was "whaaat...?!" I personally would never think to mix the two (Disney and menstration), it just seems weird. So, I watched this film, which is about 10 minutes long.
At first I thought, "Well, this is still kind of weird hearing about the fallopian tubes and ovaries from a very distinct and recognizable Disney type voice when usually you hear that voice talking about princesses and castles, but it does seem informative and may be ok for a pre-teen...". As I continued to watch it, it became slightly more of a joke to me. They made it sound like once a girl gets her period she is diseased and she needs to take every precautionary step to keep from spreding it to her neighbor...! Not only that, it makes girls sound like total idiots. "Oh be sure not to take showers that are scalding hot or freezing cold...!", who does that on a normal day anyway...? The film mentions using "common sence" a hand full of times, including the part where it talks about exercise during menstration. As the acceptable exercise it shows a girl, on a bike, wearing a skirt, speeding down a hill while not holding onto the handle bars...hmm...THAT screams common sence...! More advice given is to "stand up straight", umm, sorry but if I'm dying with cramps the last thing on my mind is keeping good posture, but maybe that's just me. And be sure to remember, to keep your nose powdered because some how that makes you look smart...? and leads to a easier period...? Getting plenty of sunshine and rest are the last two bits of advice given, which yes, both are very important, but they aren't exactly as easy to get plenty of, like the film makes it look, while leading a busy life like most girls and women do
The film is informative at parts, slighty offensive at others and it definatley leaves some important things out which will leave a pre-teen pretty confused.
It will be interesting to hear what you guys think about this and whether you agree with me or think I was way to harsh on the film.
*Mol
Sorry it has taken me so long to get this up and running. I'm not exactly used to this blogging thing yet but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.
So, I was looking at feministing.com trying to find something interesting and a little unexpected and...I found it...! Everyone's familiar with Disney, right...? Of course...! Who doesn't have a favorite Disney movie...? Personally, mine is Cinderella with her helpful and funny little mice and birds. Their songs are so catchy..! But anyway, that's besides the point. Disney is known for their cartoons that are usually very upbeat and seem to picture life as if not perfect, close to it. Right...? Well, there was a short film made and co-produced with kotex in 1946 targeting pre-teen girls. It was all about the "Story of Menstration". My first reaction was "whaaat...?!" I personally would never think to mix the two (Disney and menstration), it just seems weird. So, I watched this film, which is about 10 minutes long.
At first I thought, "Well, this is still kind of weird hearing about the fallopian tubes and ovaries from a very distinct and recognizable Disney type voice when usually you hear that voice talking about princesses and castles, but it does seem informative and may be ok for a pre-teen...". As I continued to watch it, it became slightly more of a joke to me. They made it sound like once a girl gets her period she is diseased and she needs to take every precautionary step to keep from spreding it to her neighbor...! Not only that, it makes girls sound like total idiots. "Oh be sure not to take showers that are scalding hot or freezing cold...!", who does that on a normal day anyway...? The film mentions using "common sence" a hand full of times, including the part where it talks about exercise during menstration. As the acceptable exercise it shows a girl, on a bike, wearing a skirt, speeding down a hill while not holding onto the handle bars...hmm...THAT screams common sence...! More advice given is to "stand up straight", umm, sorry but if I'm dying with cramps the last thing on my mind is keeping good posture, but maybe that's just me. And be sure to remember, to keep your nose powdered because some how that makes you look smart...? and leads to a easier period...? Getting plenty of sunshine and rest are the last two bits of advice given, which yes, both are very important, but they aren't exactly as easy to get plenty of, like the film makes it look, while leading a busy life like most girls and women do
The film is informative at parts, slighty offensive at others and it definatley leaves some important things out which will leave a pre-teen pretty confused.
It will be interesting to hear what you guys think about this and whether you agree with me or think I was way to harsh on the film.
*Mol
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