Part of my final paper is about Sarah Palin, a woman who I find disgusting – especially when she calls herself a feminist although several of her social policies would negatively impact women. Putting that aside, I decided to watch TLC’s new show, Sarah Palin Alaska. Now before you judge me, I will admit that although Palin seems to have mush for brains, she is FASCINATING. I cannot help but read stories and watch interviews about this woman. Maybe I’m stunned that she has become so politically popular? I wonder if she believes that dinosaurs existed.
Regardless, on Sunday it was 1 a.m. and I could not sleep so I turned on this new show. I recommend that you watch this. Sarah Palin Alaska is a mix between the discovery channel and Fox News, altogether making up a show that has Palin exploring Alaska’s outdoors with her family while making conservative political statements. Here are a few examples:
- Next door to Palin lives a man writing a nasty tell-all about her. Her husband Todd and his friends built a 7 foot wall between the two homes to make sure this man could not see over into the Palin home. Palin describes this 7 foot wall as something America should think about in terms of foreign policy, saying we should build one around our countries borders…. No comment.
- The next thing Palin said was so ridiculous I had to watch it again. On a salmon fishing trip with her daughter, niece and husband, Palin and the two little girls cannot seem to catch a fish. Todd then takes a shot at it and immediately catches one. Palin then goes on camera saying, “Todd was very pleased. He brought home the bacon like a man should be.”
Now, I could not help but laugh at these very right-wing remarks on a TLC show – the same channel that encompasses non-political programs such as John and Kate Plus 8 and Say Yes to the Dress. It disturbed me that Palin made these comments within the realm of a show that is meant to showcase the possibilities that Alaska has and it further disgusted me that her out-of-date conservative remarks were said in front of children. I cannot wait to finish my final paper because I home to come to terms with my fascination with this woman who I see as quite foolish. I’m almost scared that if she runs for President she will win because she is a woman, although her policies could single-handedly ruin several benefits that many of this country’s women have access to at the moment. I guess we will see.
11/8 With the Manifesto Comes Embracing Fragmentation
I enjoyed reading “A Cyborg Manifesto” although it was one of the more difficult reads this semester. What really stuck out to me about this piece is how we as humans can expand boundaries by blurring the lines; this will help society come away from the stereotypical gender roles. We need to stop focusing on the opposite ends of the spectrum and instead focus on all else within it.
Until reading this piece, I never saw an apocalypse as something positive because it is typically seen as negative. I enjoyed how Haraway is saying that we should think of an apocalypse as opening up new opportunities, not as being the end. Her redefining apocalypse made me redefine apocalypse. For example, if an apocalypse leads to someone becoming a hybrid, the norm is broken down.
Until reading this piece, I never saw an apocalypse as something positive because it is typically seen as negative. I enjoyed how Haraway is saying that we should think of an apocalypse as opening up new opportunities, not as being the end. Her redefining apocalypse made me redefine apocalypse. For example, if an apocalypse leads to someone becoming a hybrid, the norm is broken down.
11/4 Captain Janeway Symbolizes America
I don’t like Captain Janeway of Star Trek: Voyager. Her character actually took me back to Dawn. Janeway represents westernization and America’s tendency to convert others and to change those foreign to us in order to make them less alien. The Oankali in Dawn similarly are attempting to change Lillith by giving her powers and by using her body as a breeding machine.
Janeway is firm in wanting to take 7 of 9 out of the collective and make her an individual. Individualism is a major theme in the U.S., as is succeeding for one’s self, not for a group of people.
7 of 9’s predicament is contrasted by Tess’s ability to leave the ship. She has “correctly” left the collective and wishes to move on and pursue herself as an individual. Clearly Janeway sees this as socially correct, thus allowing her to leave.
Janeway is firm in wanting to take 7 of 9 out of the collective and make her an individual. Individualism is a major theme in the U.S., as is succeeding for one’s self, not for a group of people.
7 of 9’s predicament is contrasted by Tess’s ability to leave the ship. She has “correctly” left the collective and wishes to move on and pursue herself as an individual. Clearly Janeway sees this as socially correct, thus allowing her to leave.
10/30 I Want More Lafayette in my Life.
Lafayette in True Blood is beyond my favorite character because he is so flamboyant and inappropriate. I think his casting was smart because he wears such feminine clothing yet is very muscular and masculine in other ways, such as his deep voice and the fact that he works in construction. Although Lafayette is not a vampire, I think being surrounded by vampires is a statement about accepting what is normally stigmatized in society. With several promiscuous vampires in this show who are gay or bisexual, it makes swinging both ways seem to be the norm therefore making Lafayette not too othered simply because he is gay.
I also enjoy Tara because she demonstrates what the show’s creators are doing with race. They blatantly racialize her character by having her come from a broken, black family. She is also Southern and in a spiritual world that many black people are associated with, such as voodoo. Tara is somewhat of a jezebel; she snaps at everyone and is exaggerated at times. Her character, to me, encompasses a prominent black stereotype. The show therefore places those racial stereotypes out in the open for everyone to see, thus ridiculing how disgusting they are.
I also enjoy Tara because she demonstrates what the show’s creators are doing with race. They blatantly racialize her character by having her come from a broken, black family. She is also Southern and in a spiritual world that many black people are associated with, such as voodoo. Tara is somewhat of a jezebel; she snaps at everyone and is exaggerated at times. Her character, to me, encompasses a prominent black stereotype. The show therefore places those racial stereotypes out in the open for everyone to see, thus ridiculing how disgusting they are.
10/27 True Blood Should be Watched in Every Class
Finally a professor sees that True Blood is beneficial to watch in class! I think watching this show is really relevant to my time as a young woman because the vampire culture is a huge phenomenon right now, specifically with True Blood and Twilight. I hadn’t thought much into the characters until discussing the show in class, and this is what I see:
- Sooki is contextualized by the other characters who try to undermine her; things are always happening around her
- The other characters find common ground in protecting Sooki (for example, Tara and the bar owner in episode 1)
- I see the casting of Sooki as deliberate, as well as her costuming. Her high ponytail, push-up bra and short skirt turn Anna Paquin into a youthful adolescent figure (I related this somewhat to Claudia)
Sooki is also a really accessible character like Buffy; any woman can relate to losing self-control over a guy or for not being taken seriously at one point in their lifetime. Sooki is vulnerable and therefore not threatening, making it easy for an audience to relate to her although she is surrounded by vampires. What makes her more vulnerable is the fact the she is not judgmental and is also trustworthy; I see this as a childlike trait because children easily trust strangers just as Sooki trusts Bill.
When I brought this up in class, I did face some disagreement which I do understand. Sooki shows that looks are deceiving. She has a doublness, one side that is childlike and the other side that constantly surprises us with her strength. I see a bit of Buffy in Sooki.
- Sooki is contextualized by the other characters who try to undermine her; things are always happening around her
- The other characters find common ground in protecting Sooki (for example, Tara and the bar owner in episode 1)
- I see the casting of Sooki as deliberate, as well as her costuming. Her high ponytail, push-up bra and short skirt turn Anna Paquin into a youthful adolescent figure (I related this somewhat to Claudia)
Sooki is also a really accessible character like Buffy; any woman can relate to losing self-control over a guy or for not being taken seriously at one point in their lifetime. Sooki is vulnerable and therefore not threatening, making it easy for an audience to relate to her although she is surrounded by vampires. What makes her more vulnerable is the fact the she is not judgmental and is also trustworthy; I see this as a childlike trait because children easily trust strangers just as Sooki trusts Bill.
When I brought this up in class, I did face some disagreement which I do understand. Sooki shows that looks are deceiving. She has a doublness, one side that is childlike and the other side that constantly surprises us with her strength. I see a bit of Buffy in Sooki.
10/14 Vampires Have Eating Disorders
“Dieting and Damnation” opened a whole new meaning to what the vampire represented for me. I never thought that the vampire figure was similar to that of an anorexic. When applying it to Interview with the Vampire, I could see how Rice eliminated female characters and then gave male characters stereotypical female traits, such as being anorexic (in regards to Louis). I identify Lestat as a binge eater, the opposite of the anorexic, because he has little to no control over how many humans he consumes.
10/6 Interview with a Vampire is My Favorite Assignment Thus Far
I had never thought of vampires as being the ultimate consumer until we discussed this text in class. I knew in the back of my mind that Edward from Twilight always had nice cars and was able to make purchases at his leisure, but the consumption of vampires is not just about spending money. Lestat clearly illustrates the overconsumption of materials and humans (blood).
The tendency to feed off a human and throw them to the wayside as if they are an unnecessary object, is what Lestat does best.
This overconsumption, as discussed in class, is what attracts us to the modernized vampire. I can truly say that Dracula is not my kind of vampire; I’d rather be entranced by good looks, good food and good clothes. I’d also like to applaud Rice for her linking the life of the vampire to gay culture. I think it is huge that an author was able to successfully use the outlet of the novel to call attention to a very relevant culture that was being strongly oppressed at the time.
One more thing on this book. I was a bit disturbed about Claudia’s character, mostly because I felt bad for her. She appeared to be a little girl that was sexually oppressed when really she was a grown woman stuck in a child’s body. I tried to put myself in her shoes and if I was Claudia, I would be insanely frustrated. At some points I saw her as a play thing for Louis and Lestat to dress up and play dad to. This applies to Louis specifically because he idolized youth and childhood.
The tendency to feed off a human and throw them to the wayside as if they are an unnecessary object, is what Lestat does best.
This overconsumption, as discussed in class, is what attracts us to the modernized vampire. I can truly say that Dracula is not my kind of vampire; I’d rather be entranced by good looks, good food and good clothes. I’d also like to applaud Rice for her linking the life of the vampire to gay culture. I think it is huge that an author was able to successfully use the outlet of the novel to call attention to a very relevant culture that was being strongly oppressed at the time.
One more thing on this book. I was a bit disturbed about Claudia’s character, mostly because I felt bad for her. She appeared to be a little girl that was sexually oppressed when really she was a grown woman stuck in a child’s body. I tried to put myself in her shoes and if I was Claudia, I would be insanely frustrated. At some points I saw her as a play thing for Louis and Lestat to dress up and play dad to. This applies to Louis specifically because he idolized youth and childhood.
10/3 Representation of Kendra Disgusts Me
At the end of watching Buffy I came to the conclusion that only assertive strong women can be satisfied if they have a superhuman partner, such as Angel, the male vampire and main interest of Buffy. I felt that this sent the message to women that they must hone in on their anger in order to appeal to the normal man. This made me question whether or not the show aimed at controlling women watching.
I was also incredibly disgusted with the show’s representation of Kendra – they clearly made sure she was seen as the “other” and did so with a hint of racism. She is oversexualized in appearance like a jezebel yet is sexually repressed. She further represents otherness with her Jamaican accent and asexualness. With Faith representing the whore and Kendra being the complete opposite, Buffy is supposed to represent the happy medium.
I will admit that Buffy’s romantic issues made her a more accessible character but the show really turned me off with the way Kendra was incorporated.
I was also incredibly disgusted with the show’s representation of Kendra – they clearly made sure she was seen as the “other” and did so with a hint of racism. She is oversexualized in appearance like a jezebel yet is sexually repressed. She further represents otherness with her Jamaican accent and asexualness. With Faith representing the whore and Kendra being the complete opposite, Buffy is supposed to represent the happy medium.
I will admit that Buffy’s romantic issues made her a more accessible character but the show really turned me off with the way Kendra was incorporated.
9/30 Buffy Bod
Needless to say, Buffy is a radically different image of a superwoman than Lillith. For the most obvious reason, she is petite and oversexualized. Her clothing consists of cleavage-bearing crop-tops. Anything to get high ratings, right? I find it somewhat ridiculous, however, that Buffy has similar strength to that of Lillith. This is so unrealistic, specifically because Buffy is not meant to be supernatural. However, Buffy’s identity as the slayer is not questioned although Lillith continually is questioned. Although both Lillith and Buffy have the strength of will, I see Buffy as having it much easier than Lillith.
I compared Buffy a bit to Carla in Pumping Iron II because both of them prevail in the end and do more feminine exercises than that of Lillith and Bev. Moreover, they are both less threatening than Bev and Lillith. Appearing threatening has a negative connotation and because Buffy is petite and because Carla is not too masculine, they are not threatening and thus accepted by us as an audience. We do not question them.
This does highlight that women who are, for lack of a better term, normal or inferior looking, can be empowered by “regular” looking women such as Buffy. Lillith is simply hard to identify with whereas Buffy is more the norm and allows us to think, “I can do that too
I compared Buffy a bit to Carla in Pumping Iron II because both of them prevail in the end and do more feminine exercises than that of Lillith and Bev. Moreover, they are both less threatening than Bev and Lillith. Appearing threatening has a negative connotation and because Buffy is petite and because Carla is not too masculine, they are not threatening and thus accepted by us as an audience. We do not question them.
This does highlight that women who are, for lack of a better term, normal or inferior looking, can be empowered by “regular” looking women such as Buffy. Lillith is simply hard to identify with whereas Buffy is more the norm and allows us to think, “I can do that too
9/25 There are Racial Undertones in Dawn
I noticed that Lillith is paired with other persons of color. Joe is Asian. The little boy who is put in her isolated room is Indian. The partner that the Oankali pick out for her is African American. I presume this is so Lillith feels a sense of comfort in being around another “person of color.” This is interesting because the Oankali are interested in hybridity and mixing breeds; they also want to disintegrate those racial barriers that the world encompasses and I assume that is why they awakened a black woman first versus a white individual. I look at this and see it as a critique about slavery in America and all over the world; it makes me like the Oankali and appreciate that they do not want racism in the new world they plan to create.
9/24 Was That Really Sex?
I can’t help but laugh at the sensory arm with Nikanj pleasuring Joseph and Lillith in the middle of them, without the two humans touching. It somewhat disgusts me because this makes Lillith dependent on Nikanj for the only pleasure in her life; this is manipulative. When thinking about this situation and comparing it to larger issues surrounding women, I feel as if Nikanj is a stereotypical male taking advantage of the vulnerability of a single mother. Not sure if this fully connects, but there is a point here that as an alien, he holds power over the human as many men do/feel they should in relationships.
However, I can’t help but be okay with Nikanj pleasing Lillith because she has become the scapegoat for all the humans to blame their miseries on. I put myself in the shoes of the humans awakened and I can understand why they are suspicious of Lillith – they do not know her background and she does have supernatural traits that make her an “other.” This highlights how easy it is to find fault in those that are unfamiliar to us.
Gender also plays a role in regards to Lillith’s physique. I cannot help but link her more masculine build to that of Bev and the female body builders in Pumping Iron II. Lillith is stigmatized because she is a woman with a larger frame as were the body builders; there is somewhat of a disgust placed towards all of these women because they do not represent the stereotypical norm. Statuesque women are largely seen as unnatural. The humans even refer to Lillith as a man.
However, I can’t help but be okay with Nikanj pleasing Lillith because she has become the scapegoat for all the humans to blame their miseries on. I put myself in the shoes of the humans awakened and I can understand why they are suspicious of Lillith – they do not know her background and she does have supernatural traits that make her an “other.” This highlights how easy it is to find fault in those that are unfamiliar to us.
Gender also plays a role in regards to Lillith’s physique. I cannot help but link her more masculine build to that of Bev and the female body builders in Pumping Iron II. Lillith is stigmatized because she is a woman with a larger frame as were the body builders; there is somewhat of a disgust placed towards all of these women because they do not represent the stereotypical norm. Statuesque women are largely seen as unnatural. The humans even refer to Lillith as a man.
9/22 Superwomen With Children – An Easy Target
After class today I’m really stuck on how Lillith’s character made me think about the superwoman and motherhood – how the two usually do not mix. When I see superwomen, I usually see them sans children. For example, all three ladies in Charlie’s Angels, the women in Charmed and Uma Thurman of Kill Bill. One exception is the mother from The Incredibles, however it must be noted that she was a superwoman and then stopped fighting the bad guys once she became a mother. It is not until a situation presented itself where she chose to start fighting evil again while simultaneously establishing her role as a mother.
I see superwomen with kids as more vulnerable than those without. In addition, superwomen who have partners are also made more vulnerable. Having loved ones as a superwoman is a risk because villains can use them to get to the superwoman herself.
So I have established that most superwomen are not mothers. Their matronly role is affirmed, however, simply because they are continuously helping people as superwomen.
This brings me to Lillith because she is resistant to play the role of a parent when she is awakened because of her child’s death. Therefore, she has supernatural powers and is refusing to be the motherly character; obviously it must be painful to think about her deceased child. With Lillith’s nuclear family eliminated from the plotline, she is forced to become a “parent” figure and we therefore connect this to her gender, referring to her as the motherly figure for those she chooses to awaken.
This theme of motherhood in Dawn seems to me to be strong, although the nuclear aspect is absent. This is somewhat revolutionary in representing the idea that family can be a group of individuals living together who are not related by blood.
I see superwomen with kids as more vulnerable than those without. In addition, superwomen who have partners are also made more vulnerable. Having loved ones as a superwoman is a risk because villains can use them to get to the superwoman herself.
So I have established that most superwomen are not mothers. Their matronly role is affirmed, however, simply because they are continuously helping people as superwomen.
This brings me to Lillith because she is resistant to play the role of a parent when she is awakened because of her child’s death. Therefore, she has supernatural powers and is refusing to be the motherly character; obviously it must be painful to think about her deceased child. With Lillith’s nuclear family eliminated from the plotline, she is forced to become a “parent” figure and we therefore connect this to her gender, referring to her as the motherly figure for those she chooses to awaken.
This theme of motherhood in Dawn seems to me to be strong, although the nuclear aspect is absent. This is somewhat revolutionary in representing the idea that family can be a group of individuals living together who are not related by blood.
9/21 The Somewhat Supernatural Superwoman
Done with the first part of Dawn and left class on 9/15 with the following thoughts about why Lillith is a superwoman:
- She didn’t kill herself during the nuclear war
- She didn’t crack during isolation
- She has a powerful survival instinct
- She can open walls (the only supernatural power of this list)
What I brought up to the class is that I see Lillith as a rat in a cage being experimented on; she didn’t seem to rebel against this treatment of her as an animal – she was almost too okay with it, I felt. This I took as a joke on the United States. This is what the U.S. would do with foreign, alien creatures – put them in a cage and observe. Lillith represents that fear of the other and how usually when we are afraid of the other, we isolate them. To me, this was clear social commentary about humans, or Americans, and the unknown.
I did leave class with one question, making it difficult for me not to read this book during my other classes. Are the “aliens” helping the human race? Are they in a saving mode? Should their actions produce gratefulness from Lillith? I’m not so sure if they are attempting to be a rescue team in the long run because they reference themselves as traders; a trader is a neutral term but we as readers see it as bad because there is no true consent on Lillith’s part. Also, The Oankali are extremely secretive and I’m going to suggest that this mysteriousness is not a good thing.
- She didn’t kill herself during the nuclear war
- She didn’t crack during isolation
- She has a powerful survival instinct
- She can open walls (the only supernatural power of this list)
What I brought up to the class is that I see Lillith as a rat in a cage being experimented on; she didn’t seem to rebel against this treatment of her as an animal – she was almost too okay with it, I felt. This I took as a joke on the United States. This is what the U.S. would do with foreign, alien creatures – put them in a cage and observe. Lillith represents that fear of the other and how usually when we are afraid of the other, we isolate them. To me, this was clear social commentary about humans, or Americans, and the unknown.
I did leave class with one question, making it difficult for me not to read this book during my other classes. Are the “aliens” helping the human race? Are they in a saving mode? Should their actions produce gratefulness from Lillith? I’m not so sure if they are attempting to be a rescue team in the long run because they reference themselves as traders; a trader is a neutral term but we as readers see it as bad because there is no true consent on Lillith’s part. Also, The Oankali are extremely secretive and I’m going to suggest that this mysteriousness is not a good thing.
9/19 Female Body Building = Prostitution?
Just had a realization that feminine body building, or body building in general, is very similar to prostitution. People are utilizing their body in sexual ways (bikini aspect) to earn a living. The emphasis on how much these women relied on their bodies for financial means can be equated to the lifestyle of a hooker in some instances. The purse was the clear draw of the competition.
But how does this movie tie to being a superwoman? I took away that it is not only the parts, but the mindset. Bev is a very strong individual in the film (not afterwards based on her plastic surgery and change in physique); she seemingly does not let the harsh critique of her body get to her too much. The message of “you are who you feel you are” did come through at some points.” I’m still disturbed though…
But how does this movie tie to being a superwoman? I took away that it is not only the parts, but the mindset. Bev is a very strong individual in the film (not afterwards based on her plastic surgery and change in physique); she seemingly does not let the harsh critique of her body get to her too much. The message of “you are who you feel you are” did come through at some points.” I’m still disturbed though…
9/18 Pumping Iron II is Filmed Through a Male Lens
I’ve thought more into Pumping Iron II. It actually is a male-dominated film; all of the women, besides Carla, are surrounded by men. This came off to me as a message that frequently women must be validated by association. However, I later took back this thought when Carla won the competition.
THE ENDING, wow, can you get more ambiguous? Here is what I keep questioning: Was it a racial message about black women’s bodies being naturally more strong and muscular? Was it a message that by doing exercises that are associated with femininity, a female will win a body building contest? Was that a message to get women not to lift weights, but to partake in activities that require less strength?
Regardless of my questions, one thing is sure: the female body building competition is controlled by the male gaze. This movie fetishized the view of women’s bodies and although progressive in the view of the female body, it still had a male lens. However, because the judges seemingly did not know Carla’s background and way of obtaining her physique, I must assert that her win had some racial undertones.
Carla being number one in the competition established the idea that black individuals excel at physical activity. It exoticizes the African-American woman as more physical than the white woman and therefore separates black America from white America.
I did take away something positive, that being that is so easy to shape one’s body; it is a personal choice and is essentially beautiful that women have full control over how they want to appear, whether it be softer or more toned. Yet, I will never know if the choice to display Carla as the winner was racially charged or not and if it was, I feel disgusted. In addition, I can’t help but hate how the lens focused on the female body SO MUCH; that shower scene… a bit ridiculous if you ask me. This to me was less about empowerment and more about taking a perverted peak into a sport that people became engrossed in because they saw feminine body builders as somewhat unnatural.
THE ENDING, wow, can you get more ambiguous? Here is what I keep questioning: Was it a racial message about black women’s bodies being naturally more strong and muscular? Was it a message that by doing exercises that are associated with femininity, a female will win a body building contest? Was that a message to get women not to lift weights, but to partake in activities that require less strength?
Regardless of my questions, one thing is sure: the female body building competition is controlled by the male gaze. This movie fetishized the view of women’s bodies and although progressive in the view of the female body, it still had a male lens. However, because the judges seemingly did not know Carla’s background and way of obtaining her physique, I must assert that her win had some racial undertones.
Carla being number one in the competition established the idea that black individuals excel at physical activity. It exoticizes the African-American woman as more physical than the white woman and therefore separates black America from white America.
I did take away something positive, that being that is so easy to shape one’s body; it is a personal choice and is essentially beautiful that women have full control over how they want to appear, whether it be softer or more toned. Yet, I will never know if the choice to display Carla as the winner was racially charged or not and if it was, I feel disgusted. In addition, I can’t help but hate how the lens focused on the female body SO MUCH; that shower scene… a bit ridiculous if you ask me. This to me was less about empowerment and more about taking a perverted peak into a sport that people became engrossed in because they saw feminine body builders as somewhat unnatural.
9/16: The Body Builder: Discussion on Femininity
9/16: The Body Builder: Discussion on Femininity
When watching Pumping Iron II, some things stuck out to me. The male dancer, husband to one of the competitors, played a character similar to that of a stripper. I noted that this role is typically given to women in movies and was therefore unconventional and did step outside gender boundary norms. Furthermore, his wife is attempting to financially rescue them by winning the Vegas body building competition. This scenario thus presents her as the breadwinner and him as somewhat of a wife. Again, interesting and somewhat revolutionary on how the directors set up this sub-plot.
What I also noticed is that Bev was clearly made to appear extremely masculine. Her makeup, jewelry and outfits paled in comparison to those of the other contestants in terms of womanliness. This contrast between the more feminine competitors and Bev was a clear critique of femininity and what truly defines femininity. To me, it appeared that the judges expected contestants to be ½ feminine (as in soft and girly) and ½ muscle tone; basically, the judges wanted the degree of muscle in the women competitors to only reach a certain level.
As discussed in class, some wanted these body builders to not look too masculine because the sport was meant to turn people on, not off. The judges scored lower at times if they felt that a contestant appeared to masculine/ was a turn-off. This idea of a feminine-muscular technique, to me, seems like an oxymoron and an appearance that is hardly easy to attain.
I was angry that Bev did not place well in the competition because this was not meant to be a beauty pageant. As a body building competition, scoring should have been based on the build of these women’s bodies and therefore, who had the most muscle.
When watching Pumping Iron II, some things stuck out to me. The male dancer, husband to one of the competitors, played a character similar to that of a stripper. I noted that this role is typically given to women in movies and was therefore unconventional and did step outside gender boundary norms. Furthermore, his wife is attempting to financially rescue them by winning the Vegas body building competition. This scenario thus presents her as the breadwinner and him as somewhat of a wife. Again, interesting and somewhat revolutionary on how the directors set up this sub-plot.
What I also noticed is that Bev was clearly made to appear extremely masculine. Her makeup, jewelry and outfits paled in comparison to those of the other contestants in terms of womanliness. This contrast between the more feminine competitors and Bev was a clear critique of femininity and what truly defines femininity. To me, it appeared that the judges expected contestants to be ½ feminine (as in soft and girly) and ½ muscle tone; basically, the judges wanted the degree of muscle in the women competitors to only reach a certain level.
As discussed in class, some wanted these body builders to not look too masculine because the sport was meant to turn people on, not off. The judges scored lower at times if they felt that a contestant appeared to masculine/ was a turn-off. This idea of a feminine-muscular technique, to me, seems like an oxymoron and an appearance that is hardly easy to attain.
I was angry that Bev did not place well in the competition because this was not meant to be a beauty pageant. As a body building competition, scoring should have been based on the build of these women’s bodies and therefore, who had the most muscle.
9/10: My idea of a Superwoman – There is No Singular, Correct Definition
I see superwomen as having very feminine or masculine traits; not ever typically being gender neutral. These women beat the odds and are outside of social boundaries. For example, the women in Charlie’s Angels and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill – they have stereotypical masculine tendencies (they fight, are quickly angered, are strong), yet they appear feminine (heels, corsets, tight clothing). Yet, in these and many other instances of superwomen that I have seen, they are comfortable with their sexuality as a woman.
There are multiple types of superwomen, but two main types are those of fantasy and those of reality. A realistic superwoman I would say is Oprah. A superwoman in the fantasy realm, for example, is the mother in The Incredibles. Many superwomen appear to encompass a “have it all” capability.
A superwoman versus a regular woman can be hard to define. What is common, however, is that many focus on the masculine qualities that a superwoman has, as well as her body.
There are multiple types of superwomen, but two main types are those of fantasy and those of reality. A realistic superwoman I would say is Oprah. A superwoman in the fantasy realm, for example, is the mother in The Incredibles. Many superwomen appear to encompass a “have it all” capability.
A superwoman versus a regular woman can be hard to define. What is common, however, is that many focus on the masculine qualities that a superwoman has, as well as her body.
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