This photo art by Sarah Maple might be useful for starting a conversation about what feminism is and isn't (and is and isn't), who has control of such definitions (seems like Rush Limbaugh has had quite an impact), and what's so scary about it:
Thanks to lawgeek for the tip!
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Theorizing Feminism and its discontents
Take Their Money And Run
We here at Sociological Images have been less-than-positive about efforts by companies to co-opt activism by linking the purchase of their products to (tiny) donations (see here, here, here, and here). For an alternative to the typical strategy, see this really awesome South African commercial announcing a collaboration between Samsung and POWA (People Opposing Woman Abuse). It might make a nice illustration of how such collaborations could be different.
Thanks to Marinus for sending this along!
Sex Tourism In Thailand
A reader, Kate K., drew our attention to this 32-minute documentary about sex tourism in Thailand. The entire video is quite interesting! If you scroll over to the 18 minute mark, you can hear the men and the women explain that European men like Thai women specifically because they, unlike European women, submit (my words, not theirs).
If you have any trouble with the embed, here is the documentary on google video.
Thanks so much, Kate!
Gender Politics In Life And Time
This famous Life Magazine cover from 1971 trumpeted the feminist movement:
Six years later, in 1977, Time Magazine reminded us that gender difference (and inequality?) was genetic and, thus, out of our control:
And don't miss the famous 1978 Hustler cover that appeared the very next year!
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Masculinity Summed Up
Truthfully, I don't think I have ever seen so many symbols of masculinity mobilized in so short a time. I had to watch it three times:
Thanks a bunch to Christine who recommended this in our comments.
"Stronger Woman" Compared To...?
This is Jewel's new video for her song "Stronger Woman." I can't figure out if Jewel thinks that all women are essentially the same (in the sense that we need to throw off patriarchy) or that contemporary American women are superior (and all women, then and now, should aspire to be like us... oh yeah, and by "us" I mean young, gorgeous, thin, white, blonde women who "love" themselves). In either case, I don't like it:
Energy Drink for Girls
I saw this energy drink this morning at a gas station. Notice that it's sugar-free. According to the website, a portion of proceeds goes to fight breast cancer, though it's unclear if they mean a portion of the profits of the drink, or just things bought at the online store. Another example of the idea of doing good through consumption, not by just donating money directly to an organization addressing an issue you care about (for other examples see here, here and here). Also, the website says Go Girl is not a rehydration drink (such as Gatorade), but a "functional beverage," whatever that is.
"If Only Women Spent Less Time Cooking"
This ad "liberates" women from the kitchen through technology and capitalism... but not, alas, through true partnerships with men. Women should spend less time cooking, but it's still HER job.
Oh, also, the reason women haven't achieved greatness in the United States is because she's too busy to be bothered. It has absolutely nothing to do with sexism and institutional constraints.
Thanks to Julie C!
Commodifying the Women's Movement
"The new women's movement. Freedom from seams and stitches."
This is another ad Lisa sent me years ago. I use it when discussing the de-politicization of social issues, and the commodification of freedom--it's just something you buy. I also use this one from Lisa:
The Jeep Liberty--notice on the right it says "Glass Ceiling" and has an arrow pointing down below; so structural inequality at work is trivialized, and again, "liberty" is something we can purchase.
These ads go nicely along with the old Virginia Slims campaign, these other "liberated women" themed ads Lisa posted previously, and the "right hand ring" ad I posted.
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1927 Wimbledon Ad: Using Women's Progress to Sell
These two images were used in a 1927 ad for Wimbledon. Lisa actually sent them to me a couple of years ago but has never posted them, so I'm doing it. The point of showing the two images next to each other was to stress how liberated women were by 1927--they aren't wearing stuffy old dresses to play tennis, and men aren't shocked by the sight of a leg.
I use these, along with some of the "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" Virginia Slims ads, to show how "women's liberation" is used by advertisers to sell products, as well as to imply that "now" (whenever "now" is) is always better than "then" (some indeterminate point in the past) and that the struggle for equality and freedom is over.
Virginia Slims Ads: Commodifying Freedom
"Back then, you didn't look through your closet for something to wear. You wore your closet. You've come a long way, baby."
Find your voice with Virginia Slims.
This is a Virginia Slims ad from 1978. The picture above is of a woman hanging laundry out to dry and the text says, "Back then, every man gave his wife at least one day a week out of the house. You've come a long way, baby."
I'm using this when I talk about the commodification of the women's movement and how freedom has been turned into something you buy. I also like the vague "back then," used to make now seem so much better in every way.
The Willful Wife And The Hen Pecked Husband
This product nicely captures the fallacious ideas that (1) to be a "liberated" woman is to do what men do and (2) that "liberated" women necessarily emasculate men in a zero sum game.
Thanks to my awesome student, Molly M!
Equal Opportunity Gun Ownership
Anti-gun control propaganda (found here) aimed at EVERYBODY.
What you might expect from the pro-gun lobby:
For kids!
Pro-gun feminism?
Guns are for fags:
Gun control is racist:
Also see this post.
Girls Rule, Boys Drool
A friend of mine, Jason Schultz, took this picture of this sign being sold in a toy store:
Jason suggested that it re-affirmed the notion that men and women are inherently at odds in a zero sum game.
It is certainly androcentric in that it suggests that, in this case, girls should be proud of what they do insofar as they do what men have "traditionally" done.
And, to tie these two thoughts together, that girls should be proud when they take away what is "traditionally" men's.
What do we really think about "girl power"?
Third Wave Rauch Culture
Check out these two really awesome commentaries by Ariel Levy, author of Female Chauvenist Pigs, on:
On the title of her book
Playboy
Sexual Pleasure versus Performance
Standards of Beauty
And Girls Gone Wild
The Nanny Chain
I LOVE this image. It's a fashion spread.
Question:
Who's taking care of those little tow-headed boys behind the white picket fence when both mommy and daddy go to work?
I use this picture to talk about the way in which middle- and upper-class women are "getting equal" with men by transferring their caretaking responsibilities to less privileged women... who are, as in this ad, invisible.
Trivializing Women's Power
Power as cleaning products (note the appropriation of Rosie the Riveter):
Power as a flippy skirt and cute glasses (the text: "That flippy skirt backs up your girl power, do your glasses?"):
Power as beauty:
NEW: Claim "Victory" (over being too fat to fit into your skinny jeans) with Special K:
Consumption as Independence: More Right-Hand Ring Ads
The top one says "I don't strive for success, I am success." The bottom one says "Celebrate who you are with a diamond right hand ring."
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