The "Transgender Child"

Summary: Bobby Montoya, a transgender born with male genitalia, was rejected by a Denver Girl Scout troop. Felisha Archuleta, Bobby’s mom, believes that “he was born in the wrong body.” She was a girl in a boy’s body. Ever since the age of two, Bobby was convinced that he was a girl. “He” asked for ponies, princess birthdays, Rapunzel themed nights; throughout his entire childhood, Bobby’s mother continued to support him. Now at seven years old, Bobby has stirred attention in the social media. The Girl Scouts of Colorado says that they would “reach out to the family of the excluded child and will be altering its training programs so that all girls are supported.” As for support, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation extends their statement to the family that “if a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.” Although Bobby hid his preferences before, he has now publicly dressed as the gender that he feels like. “Despite the humiliation [of rejection,] the confrontation seems to have strengthened, not weakened Bobby's sense of sense of self.” He states that others “can't be mean to me. I am a human being like everyone else.” Now, through public acceptance, Bobby may get what he wants: to be a girl (scout).

Analysis: I do not remember where I heard the commentary that children are like rocks, while the parents are the water, smoothing the rocks to the shape that they wanted to be. (I do not take credit for this). However at that time, I was thinking that rocks are immobile, thoughtless, and unthinking things, children are not. In actuality, children are the opposite. While it is true that the parents may be able to influence the psychology of their child, it does not necessarily mean that they have the power to mold the child to the desired shape and form. It is because we are human and not inanimate objects that it is difficult to carve and impact the child the way we wish them to be.

Bobby’s mother, Felisha Archuleta, supported her son and his desire to become a girl. While others have lightly commented that the she can still sway Bobby’s opinions and personality with parental enforcement, she has chosen to fully and positively support his decision. There is nothing wrong with a mother wanting to encourage her child who simply wants to be what he truly wants to be. Children do not see what is wrong desiring to be what they wish to be; they see no right or wrong distinction within their choices. What is right or wrong is attributed in conjunction “normalcy.” The audience may be shocked by Bobby’s initial beginnings of transgenderism, but they sympathize with him. He ultimately is portrayed as the victim. Children are not that easily held to be morally suspect. All they know is what they want. If Bobby wants to be a boy, then who is tell him that it is not “right.” What others really want to see is that his “boy parts” are “normal” and his desire to be a girl despite this is what is “abnormal.”

James, Susan Onaldson. "Transgender Bobby Montoya Still Waits for Call From Girl Scouts - Yahoo! News." Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines. Good Morning America, 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. .

Women in China

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/chinese-models-show-some-leg-price-450297

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/nude-model-and-internet-celebrity-su-zizi-bares-all-807421

I enjoyed Xiaoxin's lecture on the image of the modern Chinese women. Because of Western influence, today's Chinese society has definitely become more liberal, especially in the portrayal of women. In the two links above, it shows that the modelling industry in China is moving towards one that shows more skin, something which was not accepted and common decades ago. The first link features a different kind of modelling - leg modelling. The demands of leg modelling - toned calves, defined and scar-less legs - portrays the expectations of Chinese women today, which concurs with that of the Western ideals. The second link features Su Zizi, a girl who became an Internet celebrity because of her nude modelling picture. She was heavily criticized for having a double identity - a college undergraduate student in a reputable school and a nude model. The debate revolving her nude pictures reflects a conflict between liberal and conservative views in modern China. While the first link shows that the Chinese portrayal of a woman is more modern, Sun Zizi's controversy shows that the Chinese society is not entirely open in its views, and that there is still a threshold to what the society can accept.

Language Used as a Form of Control

Throughout many of our lectures, the issue of language barriers and restrictions has been brought up. Often, the readings are translations from Spanish which sometimes lose the true meaning of the original version. This topic led me to think about how we are limited in our thoughts, or at least expression of our thoughts, by our native language.

This concept reminded me of the methods of control used in George Orwell's novel, 1984. In the novel a new language, coined Newspeak, is created as a way to limit people's expression of their thoughts and therefore limiting their ability to rebel against the totalitarian government. The novel places a large emphasis on Newspeak and the terrible oppression of communication.

I found a website, http://debatewise.org/debates/250-does-language-control-thought, that discusses whether or not language controls thought. There are many interesting points pin-pointed within this debate which really makes me curious as to whether or not our thoughts are limited by the words which we have available to express them. The website brings up many valid arguments to answer this question such as Inuits having a whole spectrum of words for different types of snow, a concept that English speakers, or any non-Inuit speaker for that matter, may not fully understand. It also brings up contrasting points like the fact that babies and toddlers must have thoughts even before they master language. This debate is one that is much to complicated for us to currently answer, but it is still an interesting topic of which we should all be aware.

Zombie Boy: Rico Genest

This video shows an advertisement for Dermablend Professional, for their product that hides tattoos. In this advertisement, Zombie Boy, also known as Rico Genest, successfully hides all of his tattoos using the product. The advertisement illustrates our current perception of what beauty is through Dermablend striving to create a product that would hide or remove blemishes that society considers to be ugly, such as tattoos. Although, today, tattoos are gaining its popularity, having the number of tattoos as Rico Genest is still considered to not be beautiful since his whole body is covered in tattoos in representation of what a zombie would like like. This advertisement also shows our present-day depiction of what we consider to be a monster with the Zombie Boy, as he is approached with wariness and strange looks, similar to the Bearded Ladies. However, in this case, Rico Genest gains his popularity and fame through being different and seen as a monster.

Gaming as Social Awareness

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/10/27/gaming-tool-of-pedagogy-or-oppression/

I thought this article addressed a lot of the discussion we had on Wednesday regarding the ethics of video games as tool for social awareness. Hobson is more concerned with the use of violence to make statements in these games, but she still makes several relevant points. She asks, " in mobilizing games for pedagogy are we reinforcing oppression or modeling liberation?" I think this is definitely a question to ask, if Darfur is Dying is in fact targeting a child gamer. What is a child supposed to take away from this? Especially a gamer, who is probably desensitized to any kind of violence? Hobson says that assuming the position of the oppressed is more "subversive and empowering" than assuming the position of the oppressor. This may be true but as we found in Darfur is Dying, and as Hobson addresses, even this strategy has its limits when it inscribes warfare and genocide into an entertainment platform.

Hobson also mentions her frustration that most politically conscious games do not provide tools for liberation, and I think this is crucial to our discussion as well. I think Darfur is Dying would be more effective if it presented alternatives to ending the genocide, or directed gamers to actual organizations to take political action. I know the purpose of this game is to show the helplessness of the situation, and make the gamer feel it as well, but perhaps by directly suggesting some way for the gamer to become involved it could more strongly advocate social change.

At the moment I think that outside of an academic context, the game merely presents a situation that distances the gamer from the severity of the actual issues. I also do not believe this is intended for children, because they are not the kind of audience who could realistically be targeted to bring about social change. I think it was created as a subversive art piece, but I don't think it has the power of film or the YouTube clip we watched, because it dehumanizes the victims and reduces the gravity of the situation.

Mothers Roles in Sexist Attitudes

We haven't discussed this specifically in class but I thought it was interesting

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929074028.htm

This article discusses a link between attitudes of sexist mothers and that of their sons and daughters. The investigation analyses the relation between the sexism levels of mother-daughter, mother-son, father-daughter and father-son due to the role that gender plays in these different attitudes.

The mother is the figure that has the greatest influence in the transfer of "discriminatory attitudes." It's interesting given that women are the primary targets of sexism, that then they are the ones with the greatest influence when it comes to the transfer of such attitudes. This phenomenon is due to several factors: the amount of time that children spend with their parents, the household chores that the mother encourages them to do, the type of gifts that they are given and the roles that these gifts infer and, finally, the important role of the mother in the transference of values in general.

The study also points out the importance of educating parents in regards to gender prejudices. The study states that parents with a lower level of sexism raise their children to also have this lower level of sexism. Sexism is transferred through the family, but these attitudes also develop from other significant sources, such as a social group and the media.

Sexist attitudes are linked to gender, as boys (especially adolescent boys) have higher levels of sexism than girls.

There is also a link between socio-economic status and cultural position in discriminatory attitudes. As the article states, "the greater the socioeconomic and cultural level of the family, the lower the level of sexism in both sons and daughter and in mothers and father."

All in all this is a really interesting phenomenon.

Katy Perry

Katie Perry is one of the biggest pop stars of all time, penning five #1 hits from her latest album "Teenage Dream," appearing on the cover of nearly every magazine, and, as expected from a pop star of her caliber, has become a mega sex symbol.

Perry, known for her cute, baby-like face, clean Proactive-cured skin, and perfect body, has become the desire of men all around the world, and the envy of many women. Her marketing team has coined her as the girl-next-door with a naughty side, and she sings songs about kissing girls and waking up in Vegas.

However, Katy's career hit a rocky point when her husband, fellow celebrity Russell Brand, uploaded a candid photo of Katy in the morning without makeup. In this photo Katy looks far from perfect, and the world seemed to be angered, as if they had all been tricked. The truth is, in our modern culture, we never truly know what any celebrity, or person of envy or desire, actually looks like before the makeup, photoshopping, and airbrushing.

What followed for Katy was a massive publicity tour, including magazine interviews and TV appearances, all to "explain" why she looked the way she did without makeup- citing that she is not perfect, nor is anyone. Although her response was respectable, is it the fact that she needed to apologize/explain in the first place that is concerning.

Dr. Pepper 10... It's Not For Women

I very rarely watch TV. When I do, it’s online, and after the show has been aired. But this past Thursday, I found myself watching comedy central at friend’s apartment. The blatant division of gender roles portrayed in the commercials was shocking, and it reminded me of a comment that was made during last weeks discussion. During the presentation about cross-dressing and homosexuality in films, the question was raised about films being marketed to men. One commercial that addressed this struck me the most. It is a Dr. Pepper 10 commercial that makes fun of the stereotypical male action movie. It does not do this in a way that makes the audience question the way movies are marketed to men, but rather provokes a sense of masculine camaraderie through the imposition of gender categories on certain activities. The commercial begins with a caricaturized jungle action scene, complete with background lazar fire and chase music. The hero stops against a tree saying “hey ladies, enjoying the film? Of course not.” Your left with a feeling that he might be about to present an alternative, or that the shot will cut to a group of women having fun doing something ells. This still seems like a possibility as the hero jumps of what seems like a large cliff screaming “cause this is our movie!” The hope is extinguished when he lands in an opened top jungle car, and proclaims, “and Dr. Pepper 10 is our soda!” At this point I’m wondering what about Dr. Pepper 10 is so masculine, and my confusion only deepens when the hero tells us “its only 10 manly calories, but with all 23 flavors of Dr. Pepper, its what guys want…”

When I realized they were selling a diet soda I wondered why they would want to exclude women from buying it. Society puts more pressure on women to be thin then on men, and from a marketing point of view, it seems silly to dissuade them from buying the soda. Yet still, the commercial is very adamant about this. In the scene, the car skids to a stop in front of the camera and the hero looks into it an says “So you can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks” the car then screeches off as the hero shouts the final catchphrase “Dr Pepper 10… its not for women”. These words are then come up on screen, next to a can of Dr. pepper 10. The entire marketing strategy for this product seems to be getting men to buy it by telling them its not for women. The commercial itself mocks masculine stereotypes, but at the same time reinforcing them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iuG1OpnHP8

American Apparel: Advertisement or Pornography?

http://www.funtasticus.com/2008/11/05/american-apparel-ads-too-sexy-for-comfort/

Unless you haven't noticed, American Apparel has a large series of advertisements that consists of young, attractive, women wearing next to nothing. The purpose of an advertisement is attract viewers to the product that a company or business is selling, but it's rather obvious from looking at this ad that they're selling more than just pretty socks. This advertisement pretty much screams "I'm female and I'm horny, let's fuck." There are a few male models for the advertisements, but rarely are they exposed to the level of those with female models. These advertisements are striking in that they expose a too much sexual implications for one to be comfortable.

If you don't believe me, you can look at American Apparel's very own advertisement link.
http://americanapparel.net/presscenter/ads/index.aspx
Yes, those are legitimate advertisements. It's rather ironic that they are using nearly naked models to advertise a clothing line.

This poses a serious gender and social conflict, in that we ask is it acceptable for these women to be showing off their bodies so freely for the sake of a clothing company advertisement? Maybe if it was Playboy or Maxim magazine, this would be more suitable, but come on, this is being posted on wall advertisements, magazines, and public billboards for everybody to see.

American Apparel is seriously pushing the limits of sexually exploiting the female gender by publicizing these sexually driven explicit advertisements. Almost every other advertisement suggests that the female model wants sex. What kind of representation are we making of women? By socially placing these images in our environment, we're corrupting and dehumanizing the female's role and identity in society as a respectable human being. Not only do these advertisements suggest sexual behavior, but they expose it to everybody in the public, such that teenagers and kids can even see these things and be easily influenced. 

Women Character's Roles in Video Games

http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/true-female-characters

After our discussion today about how video games can promote social change, I became interested in exploring the gender issues that surrounded gaming in general. Being a huge gamer myself, I knew of a web series where intellectual points of gaming were explored an

d I found one particular entry to reveal a lot about the topic I was curious about (the link is posted at the top of the article). The entry, entitled "True Female Characters", explored the idea of how to make a "good" woman character within a video game. Oftentimes the public hears about how women are constantly being objectified in games, and to that I say this is actually a very accurate assertion, for the most part. There are so many female characters within video games who are devoid of personality and only exist to show off either their physical appearance (Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball anyone? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KEBg6YQ8pE) or act in a very "female" role by getting captured, hiding from battle, etc while the men characters

do all the real work. The web episode asserts that this isn't the only way a woman could be used in gaming and in fact, a realistic, strong, multidimensional female character could be created if 2 simple aspects of a woman's characteristics were explored and utilized when designed.

The first characteristic mentioned was a woman's genetic traits. The web episode raised an interesting point of what sets women so apart from men is their ability to bear children. They argue that there has not been a game yet about a mother and her struggles and challenge the idea that if such a game were to be created, there could be potential for a really moving and complex character. Additionally, they claim that game developers have yet to cover other more subtle traits like a woman's ability to generally be more dexterous than man, or a woman's higher tolerance for pain. They argue that if any of these various genetic traits were explored, a female character could be better fleshed out and made into a compelling figure.

The second aspect that defined a woman's personality were through societal pressures. The web episode argued that there were forces within society that worked to define how a woman should act and think. The thought that girls like the color pink or should wear skirts are just a couple of many societal expectations placed on women. The web episode asserts that if a female character were to defy and fight against some of these traits, she could be a rather intriguing person. However, they also warn that one should not create a female character who rejects ALL female expectations because in doing so, she becomes a stereotype. Thus they must find an equilibrium of accepting some societal roles, while fighting others in order to be a truly realistic figure.

This being said, there are a few games who do achieve the creation of interesting female characters, most notable Madison from Heavy Rain (pictured below), Alex from Half Life, and Samus in every game of the Metroid series besides Other M (which failed to characterize her as the independent, fierce bounty hunter that she is). If any of you have time on your hands, I suggest looking into a few of these ladies, as I think they pave the way into breaking down walls of female stereotypes in games, making video games more credible and stronger story tellers.

Little Boy in a Princess Costume

[Excerpt from the Los Angeles Times article]
"A good day is when Luc wakes up and wants to be a tractor for Halloween. Or a helicopter. Or Hercules. Or anything other than a princess, bounding door-to-door in tiara and tulle.

A few weeks ago, the 4-year-old boy's desire to trick-or-treat as a princess sparked a dilemma for his two moms, Anna and Louisa Villeneuve: Which do you honor and protect, your child's independent spirit or tender feelings?"


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1022-banks-20111022,0,21747,full.column

An article in the Los Angeles Times, "The princess costume and the trick-or-treat dilemma," Sandy Banks describes the trouble a couple is having with their four year old son, Luc Villeneuve, who wants to be a princess this Halloween.  Knowing the negative reactions of having Luc dress as a princess, his parents are finding it difficult responding to his decision.  They do not mind having their son wear this costume.  However, they are concerned about the comments people will make when Luc is seen in a princess costume on Halloween.  What determines a person’s gender?  Society has made physiological characteristics determine whether a person is a male or female.  In addition, there are social norms regarding gender, boys play with trucks and girls play with dolls.  Gender identification has been constructed by society and deviances from gender roles receive negative social sanctions.  For Luc, dressing up in a princess costume will shock people who see him because it is strange to see a little boy wear a “girl’s” costume.  In responding to Luc wanting to be a princess, female children say he should be a wizard instead because only girls can be princesses.  The expected reactions from society regarding Luc’s choice in costume make it difficult for his parents to decide how they should handle the problem.  

Another example in Film: Yentl

There are a lot of similarities between The Lieutenant Nun and Yentl.

Yentl, is the story of a young Jewish girl who goes against tradition by discussing Jewish law/theology with her rabbi father. When he dies, she decides she wants to continue to study the Talmud. She cuts her hair, dresses as a man, and begins to live a secret life as a man named Anshel.

When entering the Yeshiva, Yentl befriends Avigdor and meets his fiancee, Hadass. Hadass's family cancels the wedding to Avigdor because they fear his family is tainted with insanity and want her to marry Anshel instead (Yentl). The story becomes even more complicated as Hadass falls in love with Anshel (Yentl), while Yentl falls in love with Avigdor.

Later on in the story Anshel's (Yentl) study partner, Avigdor, discovers the truth about Yentl's gender identity. Similarly to the Lieutenant Nun, Yentl asserts that she is "neither one sex nor the other" and has "the soul of a man in the body of a woman." Both these assertions suggest a gender identity crisis, especially when at the end of the story she decides to continue living as Anshel instead of Yentl. She moves from Europe to America in hopes of living her life as a freer man.


Yentl Movie Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL5_ErSq9EM




Clip from Yentl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwCPAo5e_F8

Transgender in Film

Boys Don't Cry, starring a young Hilary Swank, is based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgender teen who decided to lead a life as a male. Unlike Maria Felix in La monja alférez, Swank's performance as a male character in Boys Don't Cry is believable. In fact, the film won 43 awards and was considered to be one of the most controversial films of the decade. Touching upon issues of sexuality, confusion and oppression, the film raised awareness of the injustices that people of transgender face today. 


While films such as La monja alférez focused on the beauty of the transgender characters, films such as Boys Don't Cry and Transamerica are aware of the room for change and advocacy.They focus on the reality of oppression and how believable and credible the characters are. These films go beyond a simple story. They allow us to raise questions, provide room to interact with the masses, and affect the way we perceive gender. 


Below are clips of the trailers for Transamerica and Boys Don't Cry.

Intersexed Patients

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14459843

I thought this article was relevant to Preves's discussion of intersexed individuals, and a good example of its continued treatment in some medical communities as a pathology. It certainly focuses on the "feelings of alientation and despair" criticized in Preves's article: patients describe themselves as a "psychological mess" and living in "shame and secrecy," implying that intersex is damaging to the child's identity. No one has anything good to say about the intersexed condition; it is solely presented as something devastating that must be dealt with through science. This article celebrates the same medicalization that Preves criticizes, when I think it should be asking the same questions Preves asked, like "Does it really matter if one's genitals do not measure up to medically codified norms?" The article attempts to show the progressiveness of new medical procedures, and the care they take in creating a stable identity for the child. While this is progressive in its movement away from the invasive procedures and rigid binaries of male/female anatomy that Preves criticized, the approach still celebrates science "fixing" problems of the body, even when it is not necessary to the health of the patient. The article concludes by arguing for a more widespread definition of sex, yet the crises of identity presented throughout the rest of the piece demonstrate how important definitions of gender and sexuality remain in society.

Fetus Rights

Hey guys!
I wanted to take you back to the very beginning of the semester when we first talked about whether or not a fetus should have rights. I logged onto msn today and this caught my eye.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44845743/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/cops-mom-fetus-killed-woman-who-wanted-own-child/

This woman killed a pregnant lady and used an exacto knife to cut out her fetus because she " wanted her own child." According to the article the woman, Annette Morales-Rodriguez, said that her boyfriend wanted to have a son but she couldn't get pregnant. She falsified her pregnancy to friends and neighbors and then followed Maritza Ramirez-Cruz, offered her a ride, took her to a house where she beat her with a bat, and then cut out the fetus with an exacto knife, going as far as rubbing some of Ramirez-Cruz's blood on her thighs to make it look like she had given birth. She is being charged on two separate accounts of homicide, one for the mother and one for the unborn fetus. My question to you is should she be prosecuted for killing an unborn child and if she can be charged for killing a child, does that mean that a child has rights, leading to the bigger question of what is the difference between this and abortion? Will it be possible for a mother to be prosecuted for an abortion one day, and if so does that take away from the mothers right to privacy and to have control of her own body?

I'm also a bit curious as to what part the boyfriend of Morales- Rodriguez played in this? Was there some sort of physical or emotional abuse tat may have led Morales- Rodriguez to commit such a horrendous act? Or was she just emotionally unstable herself?

In response to the video Celluliod Closet we watched with Diego a couple weeks ago:

Though America seems to be gradually more accepting of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual rhetoric in Hollywood blockbusters, there is much evidence that a good portion of “acceptable” LGB imagery is portrayed in a heterosexual way. A prominent example of this is found in the popular TV sitcom, Will and Grace. The main character, Will is portrayed as a successful, attractive New York lawyer who lives with his best friend Grace; Will is openly gay. Over five seasons of the show, and Will has never held a real relationship with any man. American audiences can easily accept this image of Will because he appears to be straight man; he is living with a straight woman and he does not present any stereotypical “gay” behavior. Marisa Connolly puts the show’s success clearly: “The placement of Will and Grace as a heterosexual couple almost destined to be together seems to be the reason for it’s widespread appeal and lack of criticism from right-wing groups”. The public is clearly more comfortable with gay themes when they are accompanied by hetero “undertones”.

Citation:

http://gnovisjournal.org/files/Marisa-Connolly-Homosexuality-on-Television.pdf

Jennifer Miller at the Coney Island Beard & Mustache Competition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0K0-SDX-E0

Jennifer Miller. I found this video very interesting because Miller is changing the idea about women’s beauty. She does not hide the nature of her beauty. She had also adapted her appearance as a way of humor. She has gain power and personality by crossing all the boundaries of gender role. Miller did not receive the support of her family and felt mutilated when her grandmother wanted her to remove her beard. When she grew up, realized that women wanted to hide their imperfection by removing hair in certain areas of the body that were not accepted by society. However, Miller believes that by being the way she is, it is a way of taking care of her and honors herself as a woman. She thinks that shaving and waxing is a waste of time, energy and money.

Is the pursuit for beauty going too far?

Going back to Week 6's topic on Defining Beauty in Post-Modern days, I remember reading a discussion regarding beauty pageants for children aged 3-18. Your first response may be "WHAT?! What does a 3-year-old know about beauty and make up?"

In these beauty pageants, the young girls get fake tans, put on make up, go on extreme diets, dye their hair, etc. In today's entertainment industry, the popularity of beauty pageants and aesthetic makeovers in reality shows has even brought children into the limelight. It is usually the girls' mothers who decide to put them through the competition, send them to singing classes to improve their performing skills, and even put them through diets to maintain a "slim diet".

Such a phenomenon reflects a general societal expectations of girls and their definition of beauty. As a dietician puts it, in many of her experiences with teen girls with eating disorders, they are usually trained from young to think that "thin is beautiful". The popularity of child beauty pageants may just lead to a higher rate of eating disorders among girls.

This pursuit for beauty may have crossed the line. Especially since teenagers today are impressionable, the portrayal of beauty in the media has already impacted a young girl's definition of beauty. By exposing them to a beauty pageant at such a young age, it simply emphasizes the fact further that they have to conform to the society's expectations of girls. This definitely affects the psyche of a young girl, making them obsessed with their physical appearances. This is definitely not what a young 6-year-old girl should be concerned of. Instead, she should enjoy her childhood, and know that it is ultimately the inner beauty that counts.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/food-thought/201108/child-beauty-pageants-what-are-we-teaching-our-girls

If you are interested, here is a documentary on Baby Beauty Queens.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/baby-beauty-queens/

Those That are "Too Tough" or "Too Gay"

Summary: In Chrysler’s 2006 “Anything But Cute” five ad campaign, the “Too Tough” ad attracted the criticism from the Advocate, a group whose audience composes mainly of gay men. During the 30 second ad, a “fairy” uses her magic wand to turn many commonplace, normal objects into cute, sugary images. She does not succeed in turning the “Dodge Caliber” into one of her many creations and it is assumed that that the car is “too tough” for the “fairy” to “girlify.” However, the matter of criticism is when the “fairy” uses her wand against a large man with an equally large dog and turns him into what many people consider to be a “prissy” character walking small puppies and thus “the universally recognizable gay stereotype of an effeminate gay man” (Advocate).

Analysis: “Northwestern University marketing professor,” Tim Calkins, asserts that “the key is, if you find an ad that's offensive, then you have to respond and in some cases take it off the air” and that it is “hard to make an entertaining commercial without offending a particular group” (Advocate). Through this statement, Chrysler’s ploy was to utilize the gay man and sacrifice his character in order to appeal to the much stronger or “tough” men that the car was designed in mind for. In order to make this ad, the designer had to create a character that his audience does not want to be. Therefore, the gay man came into creation into this specific ad. The underlying message in this particular ad is that if you want to be a man, you should own this car. In addition, the other implied message is that if you do not buy this car, then you are essentially the “effeminate gay man.” Fundamentally, the ad is urging an identity and pushing one onto its audience who are male youths. They are advising that this is what you should be or that is what you do not want to be. Gay men are faced with a gender conflict. They become the victims in a supposedly harmless video or so we suppose. Often, the gay man is the source of humor and this humor is what allows an audience to question in the recesses of their mind the pivotal question that pokes at the line on sexuality and character. At first glance, the video is simply what it is: an advertisement for a commercial product. Upon deeper reflection, Calkins’ understanding of the social media holds true. In order for a message to get across, there is normally a target group that suffers. It is the same with commercials regarding diets and loss of weights in that the target group would be plus sized females. Everyone is trying to conform or achieve what the social media in its context of values has set forth.

Sources:

"Chrysler TV Ad Criticized for Using Gay Stereotypes The Advocate." Gay News The Advocate The World's Leading Source for LGBT News and Entertainment. Advocate, 2006. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. http://www.advocate.com/article.aspx?id=36532.

Lei, Chris. "Dodge Caliber - TOO TOUGH - Chris Leith Dodge - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Chrisleithauto, 18 July 2008. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uumoEdgk_VY.

Pop Culture TV Back in the Day

I was surprised to learn this Wednesday afternoon that homosexuality and cross-dressing has been portrayed in films since the very beginning. Considering American history and the "Roaring 20s", it is no wonder that the film industry embraced homosexuality instead of sweeping it under the rug. From Charlie Chaplin films to movies such as As You Like It and Glen or Glenda, cross-dressing has been featured in films from the very beginning. Viewed as comical and ironic, cross-dressing today is still viewed very similarly . Movie trailers for movies such as Sherlock Holmes: 2 continue to put an emphasis on cross-dressing as comic relief.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHBHMtl9YWw

The fact that homosexuality and cross-dressing continues to be portrayed as a way of comedy says much about a larger issues today: acceptance. After roughly 90 years of film, cross-dressing is still viewed as comical, reflecting upon implied gender roles. Why are men not supposed to wear make-up? Why is it more accepted and even considered sexy when females try to appeal to both sexes? What does this say about the hierarchical gender structure? Will there be improvements for the future?

These are all questions that one must wrestle with on a daily basis in order to change society's perception on gender and sex. One can be what one desires to be.