What it means to take a Women's Studies Class

As my final post I would like to take the opportunity to share a few of my experiences as a college student taking  Women's Studies classes. I am currently a senior, and will be graduating soon. I started out taking Women's Studies classes as a way to fill my extra requirements with classes that I thought would interest me. Ive taken Women in Lit, Economics, and Religion, and they all have been very valuable classes. I liked them so much that I decided to become a Women's Studies minor. My parents are paying for my education, and when I told my dad that I had declared a Women's Studies minor he was a little taken aback (you must take into consideration that it was hard for him to understand why I didn't want to be a Business major like him). I have been able to take the things that I have learned in these Women's Studies classes and have applied them to my other classes. 
I have to admit  when we talked in class about girls at the bars showing off to gain attention, I pictured myself and my friends having a good time. When we talked about inappropriate Halloween costumes I have to admit that I have worn some scandalous things in past years. When we talked about women staying home with their children as full time moms there was a part of me who though that it would be great to be a stay at home mom. 
I consider myself a person who advocates equal rights for men and women, but I would not consider myself an activist. Before this class I would not have considered myself a feminist, but more so a girl who knows what she wants out of life. I want to now take what I have learned and think more about how I can apply it to my daily life. I am not going to say that this class "changed my life" or anything as dramatic as that, but it did make me more aware of my own opinions and actions.

Ride

While browsing YouTube I was disturbed by a specific Ciara music video. This song is called "Ride." We have come so far in gaining respect from men, and in this video Ciara is basically selling herself to the highest bidder. She is a pop culture icon, and seeing women "selling" themselves disappoints me. This song is popular in clubs, and women may not realized how degrading it is when they sing along to this song while grinding a boy on the dance floor.

"I market it so good [ talking about her body]
They can't wait to try 
Me 
I work it so good [once again talking about her body]
Man, these nig**s
Tryna buy me"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6W4aK1sbs

"Like a Boy"

Listening to Ciara's song "Like a Boy," I begin to wonder why we assume that men will disappoint us and that some women expect it. 

"What if I?...
Had a thing on the side?
Made you cry?
Would the rules change up?...
Or would they still apply?...
If I played you like a toy?...
Sometimes I wish I could act like a boy"

Why is it that men are expected to act like "boys?" We as a society tend to let men off the hook with a lot of things because "boys will be boys." Where did this expression come from, and why is there not a similar expression centered around women? I believe that men should have to take responsibility for their actions. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKH7Emy1SY

Barbie

Walking through WalMart yesterday something caught my eye as I walked past the toy section. Barbie has made a transformation.When Barbie was first introduced in 1959 she was marketed as a Teenage Fashion Model. Since then Barbie has become an icon for young girls around the world. She was marketed as a powerful girl who knows what she wants.Barbie has been changed recently. She has a smaller bust and a larger waist. She has brought up many controversies concerning her unattainable size and some questionable Barbie themes including Totally Tattoos Barbie who has a lower back tattoo of the name Ken. 
I can remember playing with many Barbies, and I am sure I will buy Barbie for my daughter when the time comes.

Sister Wives

After our discussion in class yesterday I started to think about the show Sister Wives. This show follows a polygamous family and we get to see the view point from all members of the family. Some may argue that this is wrong or immoral. It certainly goes against the social norm. At the beginning of the show the wives are quoted saying things like they wouldn't have it any other way, or that they want to share love with a family and not just a man.  I have been watching this show all season, and the family seems very normal accept for the fact that there is only one man involved. 
All four "wives" have their own portion of the home, and they live as normal as a life that someone could live as one of four wives. This season the fourth wife was brought into the family. It was the suggestion of the first wife that her husband pursue her. These women lives as friends and mothers together. People can argue that this is no way to raise a child, but three of the four wives were raised in polygamous families. The family faces legal action, even though he is only actually married to one woman. Polygamy was outlawed within the Mormon Church many years ago, but many people still practice it today. 

Nicaraguan Women

This semester I went to a presentation about Nicaraguan Women and their efforts. The presentation also consisted of seven young women dancing traditional dances. One thing that really made an impression on me, during this presentation, was the uprising of the Nicaraguan culture even during the hard times their country is facing. The traditional dances of their ancestors have become less important to the people in Nicaragua in recent years because they have had other things that concern them.


It was Ana’s (the director of the traditional dances) enthusiasm, for the dances of her culture, and her childhood, to be become a part of the lives of the girls living in this community. These are things she remembers doing as a young girl, and it was very important to her.


When we watched the short movie about Women in Action and Compas de Nicaragua one of the young girls who participated in the dance classes said that the dances made her feel “free.” This freeing experience has not only helped these women embrace their culture and their history, but it has helped them embrace their femininity. These dance classes were a great way for girls in the community to escape from the stress of their daily lives and participate in something positive.

Forbes Women

My roommate is a Finance major, and she receives Forbes Magazine (an unwanted Christmas gift from her dad last year I believe) once a month. The front cover of the October issue had in big bold letter The 100 Most Powerful Women. I think that it is wonderful, and most likely a new advancement, that Forbes has an entire issue centered around powerful women. I was also interested to see that among the First Lady, CEOs of major corporations, and financiers many Pop Culture icons were included. Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Sarah Jessica Parker made the list. 


http://www.forbes.com/wealth/power-women

"Tip Drill"

Most forms of media in today’s culture send many different messages, and these messages can be conflicting. The media is broadcasted with equivalency to the public, but the same media will be interpreted by different groups of people with differing perspectives. Rap music is a male dominated industry; the rap industry perpetuates the violence and disrespect towards the women of color who participate in, and who are influenced by this genre.

The women who participate in music videos and other aspects of the rap industry are not responsible for the images that portray them. Men are responsible for what society finds attractive and desirable.

The video “Tip Drill” by the rapper Nelly has become a cultural phenomenon. This video was released in 2006, and it is still causing controversy. The definition of a “tip drill” according to UrbanDictionary.com is “when a girl bends over and a man puts his penis in her ass crack without any penetration. This is usually done as foreplay before doggy style sex or as an act when the man and the woman do not want to engage in full intercourse. The woman's ass cheeks are used to excite the penis, sometimes to ejaculation.” The first decipherable words are “I said it must be your ass, cuz it ain’t your face. I need a tip drill I need a tip drill.” The women are reduced to body parts. At one point in the video a man slides a credit card between the butt cheeks of one of the female dancers. He has reduced her to an inanimate object. I am personally offended by the picture below, but I felt it strengthened my argument!!

Networks like VH1, MTV and BET have been criticized for airing videos like “Tip Drill.” The combinations of images and music together have been gaining popularity since the 1980’s and these networks are trying to keep up with "customer needs and demands." (MTV)  I know that I do not "want" or "need" or "demand" to see ANYTHING like this played on my television!

Roit Grrrl Revolution

The music of Bikini Kill plays as I enter the room for Sara Marcus’ presentation Girls to the Front. “That girl she holds her head up so high, I think I wanna be her best friend, yeah” (Bikini Kill: Rebel Girl) Sara Marcus walked in with her punk rock hair style and positive attitude. She wanted to share with us what it was like to be part of the Riot Grrrl revolution. We watched a video where the girls were wearing dresses and chewing bubble gum. These girls expressed themselves through their music, and embraced their femininity while being strong and independent.The mix of punk rock and femininity of the Riot Grrrl Revolution really interested me. Girls could scream with pig tails in their hair and short skirts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZxxhxjgnC0

Girls produced zines. In my opinion this blog is like the Roit Grrrl's zines. We may not be connecting on a personal level with each other, but I have been very candid in my posts and in my responses to other classmates posts. I have tried to remain some what antonymous, but if you all knew who I was from the start I believe I would have been just as candid. Sara Marcus and her fellow revolutionaries were brave, and I envy their courage and strength when society had drained young women of their power. 

Mary Magdalene

This semester I am taking a class titled "The Bible as Literature."   I have seen many different types of images of females with in the Bible. There is the image of the "barren" woman who is useless to her husband, the "raped" woman Dinah and Tamera. These women are raped, and the men who rape them are not apologetic about it. But the image that has made the largest impression on me is Mary Magdalene as a "prostitute." 


I have read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John this semester, and within those texts there is no evidence that Mary Magdalene ever sold herself for sex. In 1969 the church officially cleared her name and recognized that she was not a prostitute. Why do so many people still believe that she was a prostitute even though there is no evidence? She is mentioned before other women, and many times she is mentioned as "the one the savior loved more than other women." (Gospel of Mary Magdalene 6.1) Mary herself wrote a gospel, it was not "canonized" (aka used as a sacred text in the Bible) because of Mary's possible relationship with Jesus. Her gospel was considered heresy and it was "destroyed," but it was found years later. 


Whether you believe that Mary was Jesus's wife, his lover, or just one if his favorite apostles, there is no evidence to support the claim that she was a repentant prostitute. The view that many within the religious community have of her is negative. Since she was a woman she was doubted, ad many failed to recognize that she was an important figure to Jesus.