MissReprsentation

I totally agree with this documentary. Not only is it a serious issue that needs to be taken care of, but it needs to be brought up. Everyone knows that women in the media are treated as objects or toys to make this product look better or make this company have sales through the roof. Me being a film major, I definitely want to be able to uplift women in the media and I definitely want to raise the percentage in the media industry of women to have certain jobs that men usually have.

 I also love the article that we read in class from Roxanne Gay. She totally hit the nail on the head about celebrity feminism. I agree that it is a good thing that celebrities are claiming this title and let the problem be known, but just because they have the word "Feminist" behind them does not mean they are the face. With being in the celebrity spotlight, they can target a wide variety of people, or even children.

I honestly do not think that women and men will ever have the same rights only because it has been this way for so long. We can make progress by starting in the media and with certain jobs, but I do not think that it will be full equality between the sexes. Society will always divide females and males. They will always be stereotyped and thought of has a certain characteristic.

The Face of Feminism

When I first read the article we discussed in class today, I thought that it didn't matter how feminism was being spread, as long as people were being exposed to it. I didn't understand what the author was trying to say but then after reading it a second time, I started to analyze the different points she made. While it is great that we have women such as Beyoncé or Emma Watson who are starting to make people comfortable using the word feminist, I don't think that we are giving credit where it is due. The only people that are being praised for being outspoken feminists are popular musicians, comedians and actors. Basically everyone in the entertainment business is being recognized while the people who are dedicating their lives to the cause are in the shadows.

We have other feminists such as Malala Yousafzai and Emma Sulkowicz who are contributing to the movement and yet most people don't know who they are because they aren't in Hollywood. Again, I am not against the media covering celebrity feminists, but I think that there should be more stories being released about the women who aren't household names who are making a difference. I worry about this because I feel that fans of these celebrities are only adopting the word "feminist" without really understanding what it means and will probably stop using it when they get over the celebrity they learned this term from. Ultimately what I think is happening is that people are starting to associate themselves with feminism without actually taking a part in it. More people will be inspired to take action when the media starts covering stories about women such as Malala and Emma Sulkowicz who are the ones who are making the real changes.

Standards on Women

Previously, I had never put any truly deep thoughts into the way the media portrays women. I find the perception the media has placed on how women ought to be to be disturbing. I find it disturbing because of the expectations and standards they are essentially saying women should meet. With media being consumed by our society at such a high rate, it has a more of a significant effect on children than ever. This highly disturbing perception of women by the media is going to be more pronounced on upcoming generations more so than prior generations. This is largely due to the fact of the current perceptions media has put on women, and the rate at which media is now being consumed. One of the main points as to why women are trying to reach an unobtainable goal when trying to emulate models is that these model's appearances have been altered in the images. Therefore, the media makes girls want to strive to look as good as them when in reality what they are seeing isn't entirely true.

Miss Representation

I think that Miss Representation brought much needed attention to things we've all been so blind to. We've never actually thought in depth about topics that were discussed in this documentary. I most definitely agree with this documentary, especially the topic of appearance. There are things that we see every day, like the beautiful new weather girl with the low cut shirt or the hot new model in the Ford commercial, that we really think nothing of. The portrayal of woman in todays age by our culture truly upsets me. Just take moment and think about what the ideal image of beauty is in the media. What comes to my mind is a woman with a model like body who looks like a goddess with beautiful hair and amazing skin. These advertisements and commercials that we see all have woman that look like that and its unrealistic. It teaches not only just woman but also young girls that that is how they should look. This is where things such as anorexia come from. Girls get the message from early on that their values and worth depend on how they look. It's terrible to here things like Sarah Palin being asked if she has breast implants on national tv as if it were just some celebrity gossip talk show. A girl now a days can have many achievements but if she isn't pretty then what are they really? You have women like Hilary Clinton running for places in office and rather than being critiqued or criticized on political things she's being analyzed on things like the clothing she wears or the wrinkles that she has. I don't think this is fair whatsoever. She is just as much of a powerful women as Sarah Palin but because society does deem her as "beautiful" then she isn't liked and is considered a "bitch".  There are little girls out there that are being fed this poison on what they think they should look like and what is being considered as beautiful not knowing that the photos they see are photoshopped. They see the girl who is a size zero and strive to be that. Then there are girls who get bullied in school and teased because they are told they aren't beautiful enough. This causes self-esteems issues, depression, anorexia, bulimia, and in even more serious cases suicide. Women should not be seen as objects. They shouldn't have to wear certain articles of clothing just to be noticed. Like women on the news for example. I want to go into broadcasting and become a reporter so to see that part in the documentary was a bit disturbing and shocking as well. I had never noticed how the women on the news look because when watching the news I watch it to actually find out whats going on. But if a man were to watch I bet he would notice the tussled hair and the low cut shirt exposing a ridiculous amount of cleavage. No way would that be me because then I would feel like an object and then all the attention would be focused on my looks other than the stories I'm telling.

Misunderstandings and Miss Representation

I can easily associate myself with the third wave of feminism: I truly believe in equality of sexes. But currently it is hard to talk about it, because “feminism” has become a controversy word. It is so many times misinterpreted at extreme extends. A famous quote from Pat Robertson (1992) shows it perfectly: “The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.”

Yes, feminists fight against the current masculine hegemony, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, the fact of “privileging of heterosexuality and an alignment among biological sex, sexuality, gender identity, and gender roles” (Sellnow, p. 141). But feminism is not about living without men or children; it is just about equality. About fighting against the social construction of the genders (Sellnow, p. 140) that make men powerful, independent, and smart, and women sensitive, careful, and dependent, and about gender roles that make women useful only for cooking, taking care of the children, and doing the laundry.

Although a part of it is already earned (fathers now take more care of their children, women can have same jobs as men, and so on), as Emma Watson (2014) recall us in her speech for the "HeForShe" campaign, nowadays, no country can tell they achieved the equality between sexes. One example could be the glass ceiling, that keeps women far from reaching the upper rungs of the society (Sellnow, p. 142), that still exists. There are still people today, like my grandfather, who affirms that they would not employ women because they could get pregnant, and so be an economic burden for the company. In the same idea, Apple and Facebook just announced this week that they would reimburse oocyte freezing for their female employees. This “social advantage”–as both companies call it–rather represents a way to intrude into women’s private life (Breton, 2014).

I then totally agree with the perspective brought by Miss Representation. They were totally true when they talked about female politicians, who are stuck in the situation of being ridiculed because of their appearance. Hilary Clinton – when she was not unashamedly called a bitch – was accused to look “like a schoolgirl” or “tired and withdrawn” while Sarah Palin was sexualized, and reduced to her physical attractiveness. The documentary demonstrates how we still have to work hard for women’s rights. A powerful woman is still not acceptable in this patriarchal society, where female citizens do not really have their place (or want to). And this is not tolerable.

Third Post

The topic feminist is a controversial and very misunderstood subject that many just do not want to either deal with or express their opinions on the matter. Feminists is a word that most men would truly say is not something a man could be or would be related with; however, that is not the case feminism is something that everyone can be wither that is man or woman. The fear that men can not be feminists is something that men have decided to limit themselves with. The fact is most people not just men, but many people have problems accepting or learning about something they do not fully understand or that is new to them. The fear of change is something that affects people into disbelieving and distrusting different ideals and ideologies.
Feminism is something that many have started to follow due to the rise in famous actors who are starting to come out and say that they are feminists. To me the rise in people saying their feminists is all due to Beyonce saying she is a feminist; however, this to me is just her fans saying or doing what she does and that they do not truly understand the meaning of feminism. Thought not all of the up and coming feminists are like this. Some truly understand the meaning of what they say when they call themselves feminists. The understanding of being a feminist is an important matter and should not just be said just because someone famous says they are but because you truly believe in the principles that it stands for.

ESports: ephemeral phenomenon or new mass movement?

Recently, a new phenomena has emerged in our society: Esport. This is actually the video game at a competitive level. This means that players are professionals and they are paid to play. 
The eSports has particularly developed during the last 3 years and has become a major phenomenon. Games that have contributed to the success and reputation of the League of Legends eSports are, Dota or StarCraft. 

But is eSports is a movment that will fade quickly or is it a new mass movement? I personally think the Esport will exist for a long time and will know its peak in 5 to 10 years. 
The first reason that I think is simply the number of people who follow him. For example, the World Final game League Of Legends in 2013 was attended by over 32 million viewers around the world. This year the figure increased further, the final taking place even in a stadium that was used for the World Cup Soccer! 

In a society where 50% of people are gamers, it seems doubtful to see such a phenomenon fade. 
The Esport is also a very professional environment. More and more major brands like Samsung or Pringles have realized the potential of this discipline and began to sponsor teams, tournaments for sums amounting to several million dollars. The Esport has become a new grail for investors, finding in this trend, profitability ensured for the number of people affected by these video games. 

Finally, critics argue that this is not a virtual world and have nothing to do with reality and "real" life. Yet outside of the game, the Esport is unifying allowing millions of people to meet, united by a common passion. In the countries of Europe and North America, more and more events are created, attracting an average of several thousand spectators and themed video games at a competitive level. 

So I think esport a very bright future, and for now it is only the foundation of a movement that will become more and more elaborate over time and the development of new technologies.

Missrepresentation

The movie we watched the past two class periods has shown something that has gone on for years. The media has portrayed what they believe women should be like, and look like just to get noticed. We claim that the world around us is changing, and that men and women are equal in every aspect of what we do. But, we all know that is not the case. Men are still powerful in almost every workforce that their is to offer, and get better pay than women. This documentary opened my eyes to what I have been overlooking for most of my life. When I see the fighting going on in the reality shows I just laugh it off and move on to the next thing. But what I have failed to realize is that these shows are showing young adults that this is how you are going to act and try to be like when you are older. These shows now do not show women in power, mostly. The world of Hollywood is beginning to come around (finally) after years of portraying women as weak and helpless. Like the article on courseware, Nick began to do it in the early 90s, but now mainstream Hollywood has begun as well.
Also the article that was handed to us I agree with too about celebrities. They can be the face of the movement, but there has to be action behind it. They just can't talk about it and not do anything. There has to be more done than just saying you are a feminist, you have to get out and promote it. I am all for equality between men and women!

Blaming the media at an early age.....(miss representation)

In the movie Miss Representation they focused in the beginning on girls at a young age and having labels placed on what is right and what is wrong all because of the media. In ways i can understand when girls are in high school and they have to wear certain clothes and look a certain way for the boys to get their attention because of what the media shows and says what to wear and what not to wear. My main question when it comes to something like this is "Where are the parents? Why haven't they been a certain influence to help these teenagers know right from wrong?" It bothers me that the parents are the ones doing the blaming cause their daughter wants to do what pop stars do or their favorite celebrity dresses a certain way.

Main instance is Beauty Pageants at a young age Mothers dress their daughters for the Pageants and strut them around like little dolls. Media then gets a hold of this and exploits it teaching young girls you must do these and you must look like this. Now they have these tv shows that shows all these and at the end of the day Media gets the bad end of the stick and the blame for these things but really there are times that finger should blame someone else.

In the end can we really blame Media for everything....or can we actually take responsibility in our own actions. Everyone is different and every opinion is different.

The Fragility of Masculinity

There are going to be a lot of posts tonight about the documentary "Miss Representation." I believe that it was an amazing film and highlighted many ugly truths that we do not want to face about our society, but in the interest of making sure that this isn't a rambling mess, I want to point out something that echoed in my mind throughout the screening. There was a statement about the objectification of women and their constant downplay leads to men believing that they are superior. That is no lie, as I can remember countless times in my childhood, being asked "How did you let a girl score higher than you on that test?" or "How that girl outrun you?" Masculinity is not only about power, it is about dominance over the weaker sex, but when you think about it, masculinity is one of the most fragile things there are. How many times have you walked around and heard a guy say something completely innocuous only to follow it up with "no homo?" Any threat to masculinity requires its defense or its credibility is completely blown.

Why is this relevant to feminism you may ask? Because feminism, especially 3rd wave, is about personal freedom. I don't claim to be an expert, but I do believe in the values expressed by feminism, and from what I have seen, it is not men vs women as some would claim, it is the people vs the system, or the patriarchy as it is commonly called. That system forces us into boxes that state how we are permitted and forbidden to behave. I can't speak on women's experiences, but I can speak from a male perspective, hence the title of this post. The deeper problem of masculinity is that it is so precious to men that it causes us to think that any thing NOT masculine, i.e. feminine, is 'bad.' Cooking, housework, sewing, dancing, and many more are considered feminine and therefore shouldn't be done by a man. What I love about this course is that not only we are in my favorite section, but about to cover one of my biggest complaints with masculinity as a concept. Want to enjoy something described as feminine but don't want others to think you're not masculine? Throw the word "bro" or some other masculine prefix in there somewhere. Yoga? No man, Broga. Eyeliner? No way, Guyliner. It's like we can't even leave words the same without reasserting masculinity in some way.

At the end of the day, it's stifling. Men can't be soft, we can't be emotional, we can't do things that women do, we can't be outdone by a woman at things men are "supposed" to do. We have to protect the idea that men are masculine, and that means we are stronger, smarter, and better than women. It's unfortunate that some of us truly think that way and cannot handle it when it isn't true. I've known men to quit their job because a woman was appointed above them...it's that bad. At the end of the day, masculinity is a fragile shell that we are taught at a young age is the definition of our value in life. Go through girls, get cars, get money, play sports, be a man. I used to try to live my life to these guidelines until I stopped and decided being happy was more important to me, even if it meant people telling me that I wasn't being "a man." If you ever catch yourself saying that, ask yourself two things. How can someone stop being what sex/gender they are with an action? and what's so wrong with not being masculine?

Blog 3

Miss Representation is a way of showing that women are more than what people think.  In this film, they describe women as either bitchy, ditzy, or dumb even! It's what the media has described them to be.  In most movies or TV shows, women play the part as more of a sexual icon for men.  Not really in power over anything.  Today, women have become better about playing roles where they are in power. For example, CSI have more women in the investigations that in real life.  Sometimes though, it really depends on the woman and how she wants to be treated and known for.  Some may like the attention of being bitchy or ditzy but when they like that, that's when women become what media thinks they are! Appearance seems to be the only thing media looks at now days.  They have less interest in their personality, it's always about whether she is too skinny or too fat.  Women need to show the power they can have.  They have all equal rights that men do.  All men and women are created equal.  Women have more of a emotional side to them, of course, but that still doesn't mean we can be treated any differently than men.  If we want to run for office, we can.  We can take a stand and prove to society that we are just as knowledgeable and sophisticated as men are! Women are nurturers, not only to their children but to everyone in society.  They are comforters yet strong about their opinions.

Miss Representation

Miss Representation is a 2011 American documentary film written, directed, and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. It explored how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in positions by circulating often misguided views of women. The media is supposed to be the messenger but let the message in society shape the views and ideas of the ideal woman. The women in real life are trying to live up to unrealistic standards yet portray a realistic look at how a women is to be when seen in real life.  That is 2 different standards and actualities for other females to look up to. Just about every commercial you see shows a women who is a size 2 or 0 but yet healthy and with a perfect skin tone.  These are the airbrushed and photo shopped women who are to be seen by all that want to look and act as such. While these ideas are not far fetched, this is not what we want our women see as the standard of true beauty. Women should have the ideas that women especially young girls can achieve their dreams. That they can take on the powerful men of this world and still be a woman. That a woman does not have to try to please everyone because she herself is pleased at her accomplishments. Men (gay or not) are not seen to have this image of bitchy, shrew, mean, or evil just because of what comes out of their mouths or how they say any statement to any subject. The typical male wants to have his cake and eat it too but for decades the woman has not allowed him to bake his own cake and milk the cow. For decades there has always been a woman portraying feminism to let other women to see how it should be portrayed and yet this will continue until a man has the same ideals and images from his bedroom.