Feminist Lab — Constructing Identity in a Postmodern World

27
May

Awesome Role Models on TV Mythbuster’s Kari Byron

“My favorite explosions always involve some kind of fuel. I love when you add gasoline, I love when you add propane, I love when you add coffee creamer!” -Kari Byron

The Mythbusters aren’t your stereotypical nerdy scientists with over-sized horn-rimed glasses, pocket protectors, high squeaky voices and awkward social skills–they are a special kind of nerdy. Passionate about science, incredibly intelligent, personable, absolute nerds/dorks/geeks (insert your favorite implied smarty pants insult here) and totally nutty–they endear themselves to your heart and make science interesting and cool in one short hour.

All of the Mythbusters are awesome and inspiring in their own right, but I find it especially awesome to have gun-loving, blow torch wielding, passionate, and all around bad ass Kari Byron on the team, inspiring girls everywhere, destroying the stereotype that science and enjoying things that go boom are relegated to the world of boys.

Kari isn’t the token girl on the team who needs to be watched or pacified or taken care of, she is a full fledged team member bringing her own expertise, work ethic and passion for science to the team, adding to the great chemistry that makes the Mythbusters so endearing. And more than that she is treated as such by her colleagues. I fee like I shouldn’t be so incredulous or perhaps envious, this is how all competent colleagues should be treated and yet it seems so rare, especially on TV!
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Filed under - Pop Culture Critique No Comments so far. Add yours now
25
Apr

Say Yes to The Dress: Big Bliss – A Good Thing For Body Image

I love TLC‘s show Say Yes To The Dress–there is something so alluring about getting to see all of those beautiful couture dresses, even if half the time I’m yelling at the TV, disgusted by the patriarchal fairy tale nonsense many of the brides are cooing over. Even with all of the patriarchal ideals the show plays on to get viewers and to get women to buy ridiculously expensive dresses to wear only once, I think the show actually does some positive things, especially in terms of body image.

The commercial for the new series Say Yes to The Dress: Big Bliss is AWESOME. It depicts several women who do not fit the traditional skinny beauty construct, being absolutely thrilled about finding a wedding dress and feeling good about the way they look. The episode that I saw was also really positive in terms of body image. Kleinfeld, the bridal salon the show features, carries the largest selection of plus size samples dresses for brides to try on and the consultants are really very positive and helpful with every bride, no matter what they look like. Overall, the clients depicted on the show range in age, body shape/size, ethnic background and wealth. It is only occasionally that the show features a bride with an unlimited budged. Often the budget for the brides in only $2,000–this might sound like a lot of money for a one-time-use dress, but in terms of wedding dresses at Kleinfeld, its at the very low end.

You could argue that singling out plus size women in a special episode/series has derogatory connotations, but I think it is so positive to see a commercial that shows larger women being celebrated and feeling good about their bodies. We need that on TV–we need those images to counteract the constant barrage of skinny culture. It it perfect–no, absolutely not. By singling out larger women it can imply that skinny is the norm and the desired and therefore the ‘plus size’ woman is abnormal. But where else on television have you seen not only women with larger figures featured, but celebrating the way their body looks?

Filed under - Beauty Constructs 1 Comment so far. Add yours now
13
Apr

Would You Paint Your Son’s Toenails Pink? — Hell Ya!

Scandal about gender has accosted the main stream press as Jenna Lyons, the president and creative director of J. Crew, dared to be featured in a new print ad painting her son’s toenails pink. My favorite criticism thus far is psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow in what else but a Fox News article: “This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity.” And he is exactly right. Our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity, because they are just that–trappings! Ablow operates on the assumption that sex and gender are completely one and the same–which they are not–and is disheartened by this obvious display of motherly affection and bonding with her son.

Ablow makes a slipperly slope argument that is just not logical, but is making the rounds in the news media outlets:

Well, how about the fact that encouraging the choosing of gender identity, rather than suggesting our children become comfortable with the ones that they got at birth, can throw our species into real psychological turmoil—not to mention crowding operating rooms with procedures to grotesquely amputate body parts? Why not make race the next frontier? What would be so wrong with people deciding to tattoo themselves dark brown and claim African-American heritage? Why not bleach the skin of others so they can playact as Caucasians?

I suggest that our children become comfortable with the biological sex they got at birth, and then choose to act, dress and express their sexuality however they so choose. And if that biological sex is something that is an affront to them, to then explore all of the available medical options. Race is biological. Sex is biological. Gender is not. The acts of wearing a sun dress or painting one’s toenails pink only carry the meaning that society places on them. They do not determine sexual orientation, nor are they permanent the way tattoos and skin bleaching are. They do represent socially constructed ideas of gender that have been perceived to be normal, and yes those constructs are being destroyed, to the joy and relief of hundreds of thousands of people who cannot squish themselves into a pink or blue box.
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Filed under - Constructing Gender No Comments so far. Add yours now
11
Apr

The Complexities of Consumerism and Body Image: thinkThin® Bars

Much to my enjoyment I attended the 2011 WAM LA conference a few weeks ago. One of the presentations was by Brianne Widaman, President and Founder of Revolution of Real Women. I enjoyed her presentation immensely, and was inspired to write some strongly worded letters afterwards. One of Brianne’s main points is that consumerism’s focus on a thin body image is so overwhelming prominent that it is incredibly dangerous. It is not the individual products necessarily that cause the atmosphere of obsession with unnatural and unhealthy thinness, but it is the collective of all these products stacked on top of one another. She used the examples of Skinny Cow products, the new Pepsi ‘Skinny Can’ and thinkThin bars as just a few ways in which we are constantly bombarded with the skinny ideal.

Brianne mentioned that the thinkThin bars are carried at Trader Joe’s (which I confirmed at my local store), and being a huge supporter of TJs, I decided to write a letter and ask them to stop carrying the bars, in the name of positive body images. Before sending the letter however, I did some research on the thinkThin company, and thus encountered a huge conflict. While I do not like the name of the thinkThin bars, and completely understand that the name is contributing to a collective obsession with thinness, upon review of the website, I actually like a lot of the messages that the company puts forward.

So what do you do with a company that puts forth both damaging ideas about weight and body image and also really positive ones? On the front page of the thinkThin website is a short video clip of Lizanne Falsetto, CEO and founder, promoting not only her products, but positive ideas about food and nutrition. She uses the term weight wellness, which has completely different connotations than thinness, she promotes a positive interaction with food and she really emphasizes awareness of the kind of food we put in our bodies. The emphasis is on nutrition, not thinness, despite the ever looming notion of thinness that the name itself promotes. Thorough review of the rest of the site provides the same positive ideas of weight wellness and nutrition. thinkThin defines weight wellness as such: Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under - Consumeristic Ideals, Feminism No Comments so far. Add yours now

Mar 20, 2011
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WAM! It Yourself: Los Angeles
The annual WAM! It Yourself conference has a new twist: This year, instead of everyone who cares about gender justice in media gathering in one place for WAM!, WAM! is happening exactly where you are. The Los Angeles Conference is taking place at Santa Monica College this Friday and Saturday, March 25 and 26. Check...
Jan 25, 2011
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Be Feminist and Be Funny–A Collection of Great Videos
Being a feminist does not mean that you lack a sense of humor. Some times you just have to laugh at the absurdities of patriarchy. And some times parody works even better. Props to the people at The Second City for their great sense of humor. The last video is a compelling performance by Katie...
Jan 11, 2011
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Jon Stewart: On Arizona Shooting–No Idea How to Process
“It would be really nice if the ramblings of crazy people didn’t resemble the way we talk to each other on TV”. I admire Jon Stewart more and more everyday. His opening monologue about the tragedy in Arizona is genuine and comforting. Everyone should watch this. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs...

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Awesome Role Models on TV Mythbuster’s Kari Byron

Say Yes to The Dress: Big Bliss – A Good Thing For Body Image

Would You Paint Your Son’s Toenails Pink? — Hell Ya!

The Complexities of Consumerism and Body Image: thinkThin® Bars

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WAM! It Yourself: Los Angeles

Be Feminist and Be Funny–A Collection of Great Videos

Jon Stewart: On Arizona Shooting–No Idea How to Process

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