Barbie & G.I. Joe

Hello there :)

I would like to ask you guys to do something for me before you continue reading the rest of this post. I want you to picture the most attractive person from the opposite gender as you.  Now I want you to picture the most attractive person from the same gender as you - besides yourselves that is and no there is nothing wrong with appreciating beautiful people from your own gender. The last thing that I am going to ask you is to keep the features of the individuals that you just pictured in the back of your head while you continue to read this post.

One would think that everyone has a different definition of what it means to be attractive or what it means to be beautiful.  After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and each beholder is a different individual - I mean it’s not like we're some kind of brainwashed robots or anything.  Then, why is it that our society has an accepted definition of the ideal image?  According to most people the ideal woman has a small waist, large breasts, and a slim and elongated body (Eaton & Junyk 2). The ideal male on the other hand has a narrow waist, broad shoulders, and a muscular body (Eaton & Junyk 2).  As strange as it may sound the descriptions in the previous sentences pretty much describe Barbie and G.I. Joe - sorry Ken.  This demonstrates that we are exposed to the ideal image even in childhood.  At one point in our lives some of us may have looked up to these two fictional characters and may have wanted to be exactly like them, but the truth is it’s almost impossible to look like them without risking our health.  Things get worse as we grow older because the media continues bombarding us with images of beautiful individuals and the fashion industry does not make clothing that fit those who are not the standard size (Crook 45).  Therefore, we strive to look like the people in the media, to fit into standard sizes, and to achieve the ideal image, despite the negative effects that it has on our health.  This demonstrates that our population has allowed the media and the fashion industry to define beauty for us.  Despite the fact that we know Barbie and G. I. Joe are quite unrealistic, we still want ourselves and our partners to have their features.

Remember how in the beginning of this post I asked you to picture the most attractive individual from each gender and keep their features in the back of your mind? Now I would like you to compare the features of these individuals to the ideal image. Do these attractive individuals look anything like Barbie and G.I. Joe? ;)

WISE WORDS FROM MARYAM: Please don’t try looking like Barbie and G.I. Joe at home.  Your health is more important than looking like fictional characters. :)

Questions:

1) Do you think that it is possible to achieve the ideal image without damaging your health?

2) Do you think the media and the fashion industry has an influence on your definition of beauty?

3) Why does the media and the fashion industry have so much of an influence on so many people?

Works Cited

Crook, Marion. Teenagers And Eating Disorders: Looking Good. Canada: NC Press Limited, 1992. Print.

Eaton S & Junyk M. The Media Distorts Our Perception of the Human Body. 2009. Web. 14 May. 2013.

She's The Man!

Our society today has barely changed from what it has always been when it comes to popping the big question. Will you marry me? The question every woman waits for from her man, along with the diamond ring. But what about the men, do they wait for the day their girlfriends get down on one knee to propose to them?

Before continuing, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHta9DedGU

How many of you laughed? Well, I did. Being a young woman who never fails to fight for the rights of women, I felt guilty realizing how hypocritical I am for having such a sexist view. Why is it that although we’ve come so far in equalizing women alongside men, we still haven’t been able to address such an issue that is very common amongst couples?

Who’s to blame for this ideology of men being the one to take action when it comes to his devotion to his woman? We’re so quick to point fingers to the media for influencing our society, but what about us? If more women began proposing to men, it would create a domino effect, eventually creating a norm in our society. Perhaps this is one tradition that may never change.

The psychological element of women wanting to be proposed to prevents the proposing norm from ending. A recent study by the University of California asked heterosexual students the very same question as I did in the poll, and not one of them said yes to the idea of having a woman propose to a man.

I’d like all of you to participate in this poll. Even if you aren’t going to comment, please vote so that we can see what the majority of our class thinks:

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=51ad65fbe4b0604d061eda47

Questions to keep in mind:

-Do you think that women who propose to their boyfriend’s are desperate, or very confident in themselves?

-How do you feel about society targeting men when it comes to the ideology of marriage proposals?

Double Standard Rule

Women have always been expected by society to maintain a certain extent of modesty with their sexuality, and are looked down upon on by society if the engage in promiscuous behaviour. But if a man engages in promiscuous behavior, society doesn’t condemn him; in fact he is idolized by his male friends, and even viewed as more attractive to women in some cases. Why does society hold this double standard towards women? And why are women expected to maintain a certain degree of modesty while men are free to indulge themselves, without having to worry about being judged?

If it’s shameful for women to have multiple sexual partners then this rule should also apply to men as well. Unlike society, the biological consequences of engaging promiscuity are the same for both men and women, as the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy does not discriminate between the two genders. So if this appears so, shouldn't society take the same approach as biology and condemn men as well for engaging in promiscuous behaviour?

Questions  

1. Why do you think society holds this double standard rule towards women and not men?
2. Do you believe that women and men should be held with different standards when it comes to sex?
3. What stance would you prefer society taking, condemning promiscuity for both men and women? Or condoning promiscuity for both men and women?

Do Good Girls Finish Last Too?

Have you ever had a crush on a girl?  Did you ever finally  build up enough confidence to talk to her, only for her to disclose that you two are only friends? Have you ever wondered why? Is it because women have too high of a standard for us men? Not just men have this problem, I'm sure that some girls, if not most, have been in this delema before. But do females get friendzoned as much as males? According to Urban Dictionary, being friendzoned is:

But how do you know if you are in the friendzone? Watch the video and tell me what you think. as I will be posting some intriguing questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSG97zCOlyo






After watching this video, I have these following questions:

1) Do you think that women are more likely to friendzone men? Why or why not?
2) Do you agree with what John says? Do people stay in the friendzone in an attempt to get closer to the person they hookup with?
3) Does the media have an affect on how people interpret the term "Friendzoning"?
4) Why is being "Friendzoned" so feared in modern day society
5) Have you ever been friendzoned? If so, are you still? If not, how were you able to move on?

Honeeeeeey, I'm home! *Woman's Voice*

"Double Standards". I think we've all had enough of them. For those who aren't aware of what a double standard is, this is how Oxford Dictionaries defines it: "a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups".

Why is it okay for a man to bring in an income, but sometimes looked down upon when a woman wants to make her own dollars? Why can a woman be very emotional without anyone saying anything to her, but when a man is emotional, he's considered weak? These sterotypes are portrayed amongst women and men in society.

We've become so small minded that society as a whole does not realize the truth that women can do whatever men can do, and men can do whatever woman can do, as long as the stigma of double standards is erased from our minds. But who's to blame? I personally believe the media is the one to blame. The media's constructed in a way to make us believe what they want us to believe, or in other words, to brainwash us completely. The subliminal messages in commercials, the stereotypes incorporated into TV shows, and the ads in magazines that portray the stereotypical "jobs" of males and females. All of these aspects are associated with the double standards we deal with today. This video below shows how the media should take the blame of double standards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nIXUjzyMe0


Questions:

1.)After watching the video, do you believe my ideology on how the media should be blamed for gender role stereotypes and double standards?
2.) Of the endless amounts of double standards in our society, which ones do you disagree with the most? Why?
3.) Do double standards affect women more than men? Men more than women? Or are both affected equally?
4.) In your opinion, do you think that our generation and the upcoming generations will let go of this stigma? Why?

Do you look good enough?

In the media today, we see commercials of women that look thin and skinny. Such as models from Victoria Secrets. These advertisements of thin models brainwash young girls on looking thin and beautiful. Even men go through eating disorders but mostly women. But is that the right way to go? 

As you can see in the following picture these women are thin. This puts a negative effect on teenager on becoming thin. Feeling insecure with their body, and wanting to look skinny. Going on a "diet" but instead it becomes worse which goes into a eating disorder. After losing so much weight, people have trouble gaining the weight back. Researchers say that 90% of those who have eating disorders are women between the age of 12 and 25. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFbYW6bNViw

As you can see in this video, even though she is anorexic, she still feels that she is fat. This makes the person continue to follow their eating habits, and causes serious damage to your body.

Questions:

1. After watching the video, do you feel that people should be portrayed that way in society?

2. What are your thoughts on people being extremely skinny and thin?

3. How does this effect younger children? What would you do to prevent them from choosing the wrong path?  

Coming out to Play Ball

All major sports leagues in America have been exclusive to one gender. This has been justified with many reasons, including biological differences between men and women. It is only fair for men to compete with other men and the same for women. Physical differences create unfairness between the genders when it comes to sports. We don't hear about a major league sport with a blend of women and men. However, sexual orientation would have no effect on how the game is played. What does this say about closeted athletes?

Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in a major American team sport.

On April 29, 2013, Jason Collins a professional basketball player shocked the world by saying, "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay". As a fan of basketball, I think this is great for the sports world. Hopefully, this act of bravery can inspire other closeted athletes. Being gay has nothing do with his athletic ability and skills. He has received support from many through out the world including other athletes.  Unfortunately, he has also received backlash from the sports world.

In this video, a sports analyst labels Collins as a sinner and claims that he is an open rebel to God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOEC6jKjGG8

These are a few of the many homophobic tweets he has received from fans.

Questions:

1. Why don't we see many openly homosexual athletes in professional sports?

2. Do you believe Jason Collins will inspire other closeted athletes, or will they be scared of receiving the same backlash?

3. As an athlete, would you be comfortable sharing a change room with a homosexual?

 

Gender Role Expectations towards Children

Hello Class,

As part of this multicultural society in Toronto, have any of you ever noticed, and I'm sure you have, the fact that many of the cultures in the world all have pretty much the same expectations in regards to both men and women? Well, to say the least, I have. Men are expected to be the strong, muscular, cold (emotionless) and good looking. While women are the caring, kind, emotional and able to do everything in the household. 

I came across this topic while we were talking about our zine project, with gender roles, there are many expectations of what men and women are "supposed" to do or act as. There are a lot of countries in the world and along with the number of countries there are a lot of cultures in the world and each of these cultures has its own expectations as to what the people are like.

The American culture is just one example of the many cultures with its own expectations that men and women must uphold. But, now even the children are being pushed into these expectations of society.  Little kids are told what is expected of men and women through Disney movies such as Cinderella, Snow White, as well as many of the other famous Disney family movies.

This video shows what the children are told as an implicit message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy3BblcjCA

The video talks about the main gender differences between men and women and how they are exploited with Disney movies and the children are taught how they should behave in order to be the "perfect person" when they grow older.

My questions after watching this video are:
1. What are your thoughts on what kids are being taught about gender roles?
2. How do you think this would effect the child mentally?
3. Do you see any good messages for the children?
4. Is this leading to children becoming sexist?

Gender Roles(Would you be a Manny)

Watch: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OZhPcNzzrMA

In Canada and most developed countries, gender roles are becoming more and more interchangeable as people are now more open-minded and educated. In other countries however, gender roles are more "strict". This is because in other countries they don't have as many rights and also only one partner usually works. Nowadays in Canada there is an increase in dual-income families because life is becoming more and more expensive and our society is made for 'couples'. If two people work in a household, they can pay their loans faster, buy more commodities and live more luxuriously. This is possible because our society is becoming less misogynistic and women have the same rights as men as we're all human beings.  The video I chose shows how a men's role is to work, however not only working but working jobs that are not womanly. As you saw in the video, Ross was shocked when he heard that the man was a babysitter and he kept asking if he was gay. This shows that even though our society is becoming more open-minded there are still people who think that women belong in the kitchen or women have to stay at home and look after their children.

1. In the beginning of my second sentence, what could be a better word for "strict"?

2. What can we do for our generation or the next generation to change how society views men and women's roles?

3. If you are a female, would you mind working as something which is seen as manly Or if you are a male would you mind working as a more womanly job? What influenced your decision in the precious question?

4. Would you be a stay at home dad or mom? Would you change your decision if you were forced or given a choice?

Let's go Shopping!

 I don't know if you have noticed but i went to the mall to other day and thought all  manikins look the same, skinny, fit ,muscular, or those manikins in yorkdale that look like pregnant women...so instead of sharing a video or an article I thought this picture would be interesting instead because we all have gone to mall for something(i hope) and have seen something on display usually on a manikin...and when we like something that is on display we usually go in try it on...and we end up not liking it because of the way it fits on us? Majority of the time it happens with girls...not too sure about the guys though...with this said what do you guys think?


1) Have you ever tried on something, because it looked good on display and when you tried it on you didn't like it because of the way it fit on you? if so have you wished you could be like the manikin body?
2) If the manikins were more realistic as to people who had( curves, heavy, muscular or skinny) would this attract more people to come shop at a certain store or would it cause the store to loose business?
3) applying to above question would this help prevent eating disorders and certain stereotypical gender roles?
4) Do you think stores purposely make manikins look a certain way, so their brand of clothes look good and who can shop at their store?

THE GENDERLESS BABY: STORM.

Baby Storm with father, David Stocker.

A Toronto couple decided to conceal the gender of their child in order to keep him/her open to the option of selecting its own gender. Parents, Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have named their child Storm and are keeping their baby's upbringing gender neutral in all aspects ranging from its name to its clothing. Although the child is born a certain way biologically which is its sex, the parents want the infant to choose for itself what gender he/she feels comfortable in. Their reasoning behind this is that they don’t want the world’s gender roles to define their child’s personality.

I feel that this couple is making their child a social experiment by taking away its identity. Humans are either classified as male, female, transgender or another categorized being. By denying their child the label of a classification which is from Mother Nature is insensible. I don’t understand how they feel that a child will decide what gender he/she wants to be when they have been created with the body parts of one gender. If Storm has a vagina she’s a female and if a penis it is a male, simple as that. This is the time where parents have to come in and take a positive decision for the baby because he/she is unable to decide for itself.

Social stereotypes and gender roles will always exist and the only way to overcome that is to make sure the child’s upbringing is altered. The parents are teaching Storm to dislike a part of her/him instead of accepting who she/he is.

When you are born into a gender, you aren’t conforming to anything. This classification is just a way how we distinguish people due to their sexual organs. Your biological parts define what gender you are, not the gender roles one chooses to participate in. For most parts, I think people are happy with the sexual organs they are born with which defines their sex. The only thing they oppose is that gender roles which society attaches to each sex. Looking at the story from the parents' perspective I can see why they made such a decision but I think that they shouldn't deny Storm's biological reality. There's a place to draw a line; instead of broadcasting Storm like a no-name brand, they should raise him/her to break the stereotypical gender roles assigned to man and woman.

Watch the video from the following link it gives arguments from both sides by the ladies from The View (TV show).

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/view-raising-genderless-baby-13694201

Questions: 

1. By not being defined as a female or male, aren’t the parents taking away the child’s identity?
2. If you grow up genderless, do you think that will cause psychological and/or sociological disorders in a person? Or will it be beneficial for the individual? 
3. Are the parents imposing the gender free environment?
4. Are you happy with your sex? Would you like to have been born the opposite sex due to society's gender roles?