Saturday, December 31, 2011
on (male gaze &) Entitlement to the Right to Define and Consume Female Beauty
just fascinating the comments reacting to the images...
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
H&M Models are computer-generated fakes with digitally pasted-on heads
http://jezebel.com/5865114/hm-puts-real-model-heads-on-fake-bodies
The bodies of most of the models H&M features on its website are computer-generated and "completely virtual," the company has admitted. H&M designs a body that can better display clothes made for humans than humans can, then digitally pastes on the heads of real women in post-production.
The bodies of most of the models H&M features on its website are computer-generated and "completely virtual," the company has admitted. H&M designs a body that can better display clothes made for humans than humans can, then digitally pastes on the heads of real women in post-production.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
How our fascination with monsters reflects our desire to "re-enchant our world"
Loving
vampires. Amoral zombies. Righteous serial killers. Shows about
monsters — human and otherwise — are captivating TV watchers of
all ages, especially the young. Diane Winston, a religion and media
watcher (and TV aficionado), says we shouldn't be surprised by these
series' in-your-face themes of God, meaning, and re-enchanting the
world.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Scientific Guidelines for informing viewers about photoshopping
Way to implement guidelines about retouched photos in print media
Great article on efforts to "develop guidelines to discourage changing photographs in a way that might 'promote unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image.'"
How to implement such guidelines? One possibility: Simply tell viewers how much an image has been altered.
And, one article addressing this research and its implications:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/05/3303648/for-healthier-female-body-images.html
Great article on efforts to "develop guidelines to discourage changing photographs in a way that might 'promote unrealistic expectations of appropriate body image.'"
How to implement such guidelines? One possibility: Simply tell viewers how much an image has been altered.
And, one article addressing this research and its implications:
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/05/3303648/for-healthier-female-body-images.html
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
What it means to "Take a Walk"
Judith Butler and Sunaura Taylor went for a walk and engaged in a terrific conversation about disability as not merely some physical status but largely a social status, and that is also true for so called "able-bodied" persons.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Words of Wisdom from Miss Piggy (my girlhood obsession)
Leave it to the brilliant Jim Henson to create a 3rd-wave icon before 3rd wave feminism even existed.....
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body | Video on TED.com
Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body | Video on TED.com
a powerful performance and admission of why bodies matter and how they connect us to something bigger than ourselves.....
a powerful performance and admission of why bodies matter and how they connect us to something bigger than ourselves.....
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
chris christie and big fat american suckiness.
heard a similar story on the news this morning and was physically sick. of course, the "enlightened" journalists condemning the rest of the news media also seized the chance to have a five-minute lead-in with a compilation of all of the fat jokes comedians, talk shows, and even news anchors have made...
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/09/chris_christie_is_fat_so_what.html
i mean... of course find the prospect of him being elected horrific based on his POLITICS, but i'll crusade endlessly for his ability to run. like... for real? are we really saying that someone isn't a competent leader based on the size of their body? did that really happen?
also, let's just talk about the totally obvious-- there's no way a woman of that same size would be in a position of political power at all, let alone able to even think about running for president. ugh.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/09/chris_christie_is_fat_so_what.html
i mean... of course find the prospect of him being elected horrific based on his POLITICS, but i'll crusade endlessly for his ability to run. like... for real? are we really saying that someone isn't a competent leader based on the size of their body? did that really happen?
also, let's just talk about the totally obvious-- there's no way a woman of that same size would be in a position of political power at all, let alone able to even think about running for president. ugh.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
for women, "skinner figures can equal fatter paychecks"
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/06/07/study-for-women-skinnier-figures-can-equal-fatter-paychecks/
"Findings show that women who are 'very thin' make $22,000 more than their 'average weight' counterparts. And, at the other end of the scale, 'very heavy' women had a salary downwards of $19,000 compared to average weight workers."
I'd really love to know how they (I mean the man... the powers that be, determining women's salaries) *define* these weight categories...
"Findings show that women who are 'very thin' make $22,000 more than their 'average weight' counterparts. And, at the other end of the scale, 'very heavy' women had a salary downwards of $19,000 compared to average weight workers."
I'd really love to know how they (I mean the man... the powers that be, determining women's salaries) *define* these weight categories...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
no words in response to this halloween costume
http://jezebel.com/5842750/rickys-sells-then-pulls-anna-rexia-costume
Ricky’s Sells, Then Pulls "Anna Rexia" Costume
the HAES files: fat stigma – not fat – is the real enemy
http://healthateverysizeblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/the-haes-files-fat-stigma-not-fat-%E2%80%93-is-the-real-enemy/
there's a lot of really interesting stuff on this HAES blog!
also, http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/public-health-is-not-public-thinness/
there's a lot of really interesting stuff on this HAES blog!
also, http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/public-health-is-not-public-thinness/
Monday, September 19, 2011
The beauty economy
The beauty economy
A powerful editorial on a letter received about the power, but also the price, of being beautiful. Read it. And, share your reactions.
A powerful editorial on a letter received about the power, but also the price, of being beautiful. Read it. And, share your reactions.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
American Apparel’s Lame Open Letter To Nancy Upton, Plus-Size Model Contest Winner
www.thefrisky.com
"Nancy Upton, a Dallas woman in the #1 spot for American Apparel‘s plus-size model contest. The company asked bootylicious girls ages 18+ to send in photos of themselves, which they posted on their website so customers could vote on who deserved a modeling contract. Instead of a traditional modeling pic, the zaftig Nancy Upton submitted “fat girl” pics of herself bathing in ranch dressing, squirting chocolate syrup down the gullet, and posed with an apple in her mouth like a pig on a spit.
In short, it was amazing. No one could have been more thrilled than us when Nancy Upton won."
And then, the conflict began.....
"Nancy Upton, a Dallas woman in the #1 spot for American Apparel‘s plus-size model contest. The company asked bootylicious girls ages 18+ to send in photos of themselves, which they posted on their website so customers could vote on who deserved a modeling contract. Instead of a traditional modeling pic, the zaftig Nancy Upton submitted “fat girl” pics of herself bathing in ranch dressing, squirting chocolate syrup down the gullet, and posed with an apple in her mouth like a pig on a spit.
In short, it was amazing. No one could have been more thrilled than us when Nancy Upton won."
And then, the conflict began.....
Monday, September 5, 2011
okay, okay, i'll admit it- i'm such a dork and i desperately miss school. especially this class!
so while this blog probably goes unnoticed (and it has been a tremendous act of self-restraint to keep from posting other fascinating things i've encountered) these pieces are so worth reading and i thought i'd share. :)
first, this, which makes me so mad and so deeply sad:
http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2011/08/jess-weiners-weight-struggle-loving-my-body-almost-killed-me
and then this in response, which is beautiful and redeeming:
http://joslynsmithphotography.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/my-letter-to-jess-weiner/
and while i'm at it (i have a problem):
http://jezebel.com/5832072/new-childrens-book-encourages-young-girls-to-diet
and i hope you have all heard about this!
http://www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com/
and now, i'm really done. hope you're all having a fantastic start to the school year/real life!
so while this blog probably goes unnoticed (and it has been a tremendous act of self-restraint to keep from posting other fascinating things i've encountered) these pieces are so worth reading and i thought i'd share. :)
first, this, which makes me so mad and so deeply sad:
http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/2011/08/jess-weiners-weight-struggle-loving-my-body-almost-killed-me
and then this in response, which is beautiful and redeeming:
http://joslynsmithphotography.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/my-letter-to-jess-weiner/
and while i'm at it (i have a problem):
http://jezebel.com/5832072/new-childrens-book-encourages-young-girls-to-diet
and i hope you have all heard about this!
http://www.ayearwithoutmirrors.com/
and now, i'm really done. hope you're all having a fantastic start to the school year/real life!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Better+body+image+helps+weight+loss
Better+body+image+helps+weight+loss
This is such an interesting (and in many ways self-evident) claim that, rather than insisting on dieting as a way to 'cure' obesity, we look again at the Health At Every Size model, which emphasizes self-acceptance as a critical component. Spread the word!
Dr.G.
This is such an interesting (and in many ways self-evident) claim that, rather than insisting on dieting as a way to 'cure' obesity, we look again at the Health At Every Size model, which emphasizes self-acceptance as a critical component. Spread the word!
Dr.G.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
"It's Always Sunny" star gets fat -- for laughs
Interesting article on the ways body size issues are gendered. We may be on summer break, but the media messages are still coming in. Thoughts?
Thursday, June 2, 2011
I'm not sure what I would do for a klondike bar now...
So, I don't know if anyone is still using this blog or not, but just in case I thought I would post something! Just saw this commercial and thought it was worth sharing...I'm sure some of you have already seen it but just in case, it's worth a view and is definitely food for thought. I hope you're all enjoying your summers!!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
http://jezebel.com/5799718/being-able-to-see-not-as-important-as-not-being-fat
I feel like I take issue with their quick assurance that "generally, being obese is something that can be reversed" because... well, 1. statistically, that tends not to be true and 2. it's really quite beside the point.
But still.. "Others would prefer alcoholism or catching herpes to being massively overweight. One in four chose depression."
Inspiring, no?
I feel like I take issue with their quick assurance that "generally, being obese is something that can be reversed" because... well, 1. statistically, that tends not to be true and 2. it's really quite beside the point.
But still.. "Others would prefer alcoholism or catching herpes to being massively overweight. One in four chose depression."
Inspiring, no?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Links from my final project
Hi all,
Here are some of the websites I shared in my presentation. Take a look!
Photos by Li Hui
Teens Using Avatars to Explore Their Identities
Sarah Hughes, The Persona Project
For those of you who left earlier, I shared these examples as ways new technology can challenge the beauty myth and help women love their bodies in the contradictory world we live in. I loved all of your projects! Thanks for the inspiration.
Lena
Here are some of the websites I shared in my presentation. Take a look!
Photos by Li Hui
Teens Using Avatars to Explore Their Identities
Sarah Hughes, The Persona Project
For those of you who left earlier, I shared these examples as ways new technology can challenge the beauty myth and help women love their bodies in the contradictory world we live in. I loved all of your projects! Thanks for the inspiration.
Lena
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
How One Girl Learned to Love Her Curly Hair
This article relates to our discussions about hair-straightening processes. A young woman talks about how she learned to love her hair in its "natural" state.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Like Elena, I'd like to explore the beauty myth with Susan's help. Does she believe that the same beauty myth exists? How does she see it playing out in modern, American society? What are her suggestions for moving past these ideals in real-world application? I also really enjoy her work on fitness and controling the body through physical exercise, but how these images must be different for men and women. It is also interesting how she mentions the buldge-less body in terms of transformation when it comes to eating, menstruating, etc.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
My favorite Poems featuring Swans
In case you were all searching for evidence that imagery and diction can be as/more beautiful as/than bodily form:
"Leda, After the Swan" by Carl Phillips
"Leda and the Swan" by W.B. Yeats
"Hope is a Thing With Feathers" by Emily Dickinson
"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
"Half of Life" by Friedrich Hölderlin
"The Black Swan" by James Merrill
"Leda, After the Swan" by Carl Phillips
"Leda and the Swan" by W.B. Yeats
"Hope is a Thing With Feathers" by Emily Dickinson
"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
"Half of Life" by Friedrich Hölderlin
"The Black Swan" by James Merrill
Questions for Discussion
I would like to discuss how to break free of the slender beauty ideal and how Susan would recommend "imagining beyond the body." Is it possible for a woman to get to a place where she is not constantly regulating her body through diet, exercise or makeup? What would her advice be to young people growing up with so much pressure from advertisements and television programs?
Bordo Discussion
What is the relationship between food and our bodies, and how are socially-structured conceptions of this relationship impacting women of all ages in complex ways? Additionally, what are ways that we can move away from misconceptions and judgements being placed on different foods?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Question for Bordo
What is the difference between discipline and control? Is there a difference? Relative to Black Swan, Nina, the character played by Natalie Portman, is very disciplined in her practice of ballet and struggles to embody the black swan character, which in turn causes her to spiral out of control. However, I feel that it is her discipline and dedication to ballet, her dedication to embody the black swan, that causes her to loose control. So how is it that a person can feel like they are in control of their own body and actions when in fact they are not?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Check out my blog!
Hi all!
This semester I decided to begin my own feminist blog. Here's the link: http://elena-thewayiam.blogspot.com/.
I always love feedback!
This semester I decided to begin my own feminist blog. Here's the link: http://elena-thewayiam.blogspot.com/.
I always love feedback!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
thanks, everyone, for an awesome conversation on Thursday (and for not only tolerating but excelling at my activity!)
i found a few things (shocking, right?)
1. interesting, but pay attention to the TONE of this article
2. seriously?
http://www.piviandco.com/apps/fatbooth/
3. also, i find this horrifying.
enjoy the sunshine!
i found a few things (shocking, right?)
1. interesting, but pay attention to the TONE of this article
2. seriously?
http://www.piviandco.com/apps/fatbooth/
3. also, i find this horrifying.
enjoy the sunshine!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
seeing through the cellulite
In harmony with our class discussion today, note the fabulous website --Jezebel--as it discusses the future of Star magazine with its new editor. In assessing the already awful quality of the gossip mag, note the edition 4th down: "March 2, 2011: "Stars Lose Fight With Cellulite." When the gossip is slow, Star hauls out a cellulite or "worst" bodies issue. The truth is that the "worst" body is one that is diseased or dying or in pain. If a woman can put on shorts or a swimsuit and enjoy some fun in the sun, then her body is working just fine. Cellulite occurs in 80 to 90% of postpubertal females — be they fat or thin — and is not considered a medical condition. Doctors from prestigious institutions agree that there is no cure. So Star can kiss our dimpled asses."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Survey finds 30% would die to get ideal body
"Survey finds 30% would die to get ideal body | body, online, ideal - The Orange County Register"
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
...Mexico's other enemy: Obesity rates triple in last 3 decades
Check out the title of this article in particular....interesting, especially after our conversations last week!
commercial
Hey all! I don't know if anyone posted this already or has seen it, but this came up on cnn.com...it is apparently an anti-child slavery commercial sponsored by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. Check it out! http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/real-men-join-stars-in-fight-against-slavery/?hpt=C2
Friday, April 8, 2011
so many things!
1. http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/31/girl-you-are-so-not-fat-does-fat-talk-make-anyone-feel-better/
2. http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/11/09/separate-but-equal-the-politics-of-plus-size/
3. http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f15/fat-chicks-stunning-new-revelation-425652/ (this was a tough one- i couldn't decide whether it was the study itself or the ignorant comments that frustrated me more)
4. Yay Scale
there's probably more, but that's more than enough. :) hope everyone has a great weekend!
2. http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/11/09/separate-but-equal-the-politics-of-plus-size/
3. http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f15/fat-chicks-stunning-new-revelation-425652/ (this was a tough one- i couldn't decide whether it was the study itself or the ignorant comments that frustrated me more)
4. Yay Scale
there's probably more, but that's more than enough. :) hope everyone has a great weekend!
How The "U-Word" Exposes the Anti-Choice Movement | RHRealityCheck.org
How The "U-Word" Exposes the Anti-Choice Movement | RHRealityCheck.org
another example of why and how words and naming matters....
another example of why and how words and naming matters....
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Free Market 'Solution' to "obesity problem"
Appeared in Wall Street Journal April 2, 2011. So, that means it is not an April Fool's joke?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
New Target Ad Campaign
Check it out---the sound only adds to the drama of what (we can) do to our hair!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Interesting Blog that contextualizes the two videos about sexualizing little girls
Also of interest is my perennial favorite, Sociological Images. The author, Lisa Wade of Occidental College, makes some really good points as well.
Friday, April 1, 2011
"exporting" negative body image
We've talked about the extent to which the beauty myth is geographically and culturally specific... less and less, apparently.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/spreading-fat-stigma-around-the-globe/?emc=eta1
all of the related articles are really interesting, too!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/spreading-fat-stigma-around-the-globe/?emc=eta1
all of the related articles are really interesting, too!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Lovely descriptive response to the experience of ingesting Sexton's poems
This is the kind of associative, close reading that I hope poetry can let us all express. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
yet another black swan article
...this one regarding recent doubt about how much of Natalie Portman's dancing was actually her own performance.
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/feature/2011/03/28/natalie_portman_sarah_lane_black_swan/index.html
The piece asks, appropriately, "why do we care?" I think this is especially fascinating in conjunction with some of the other theories that we have posted and discussed- part of what makes Black Swan "appealing" is the tremendous suffering that Natalie Portman very publicly went through. Why is it assumed that/do we lose respect for her in proportion with presumed pain?
P.S. Love the ballet dancer quoted in this article, basically saying she still respects her because either way she lost "a lot of weight." Yep, there's healthy praise.
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/feature/2011/03/28/natalie_portman_sarah_lane_black_swan/index.html
The piece asks, appropriately, "why do we care?" I think this is especially fascinating in conjunction with some of the other theories that we have posted and discussed- part of what makes Black Swan "appealing" is the tremendous suffering that Natalie Portman very publicly went through. Why is it assumed that/do we lose respect for her in proportion with presumed pain?
P.S. Love the ballet dancer quoted in this article, basically saying she still respects her because either way she lost "a lot of weight." Yep, there's healthy praise.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Youtube links featuring Naomi Klein and the Beauty Myth
Because of today's technology-fail in class, I am posting here, for those interested, the links I wanted to show in class:
1) Interview addressing how Naomi Wolf looks and presents herself (5 minutes):
2) Naomi Wolf's appearance on The Ali G Show (3 minutes):
1) Interview addressing how Naomi Wolf looks and presents herself (5 minutes):
I am specifically interested in her rebuttal that her book doesn’t argue that looks don’t matter, it argues that women shouldn’t be coerced. I am skeptical about how much agency one has in resisting this "pressure", given the high social costs (ie: becoming an "Iron Maiden" if one resists).
2) Naomi Wolf's appearance on The Ali G Show (3 minutes):
How does this "mockumentary" satire illustrate the problems with her argument and her position as a feminist?
3) Lastly, the clip from her DVD The Beauty Myth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJh8GEU2qik
(especially 15 seconds in and around minute 2). Is her message getting to those who need to hear and engage with it?
(especially 15 seconds in and around minute 2). Is her message getting to those who need to hear and engage with it?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Aimee Mullins and her 12 Pairs of Legs
This is random, yet inspiring. This is about a woman who wears her many prosthetic legs as she models for countless cover shoots - and redefines what is a disability, and what is beautiful.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html
Bias on looks exist regardless
"'It's about becoming what I want to become. Not what some surgical committee thinks I should.'" -p93
Shay implies that she cannot be herself if her looks are determined by someone else but aren't her looks already determined by some greater force? At first glance it seems she is being noble in denying the surgery but, in fact, she is part of a bigotry towards the pretties, just as they harbor bias against the uglies. Is it possible for there to exist a state where looks are not a category of judgment?
Shay implies that she cannot be herself if her looks are determined by someone else but aren't her looks already determined by some greater force? At first glance it seems she is being noble in denying the surgery but, in fact, she is part of a bigotry towards the pretties, just as they harbor bias against the uglies. Is it possible for there to exist a state where looks are not a category of judgment?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Number Phi - The Perfect Body Ratio
Hi Everyone,
Dr. Gillespie was mentioning the "Golden Ratio" in class - I looked it up, and it is called Phi and can be found in art, nature, architecture, etc. This ratio is constantly found in the human body, and applies to the "ideal human form" - I posted a link to a YouTube video that introduces the number, how it is derived mathematically (it's actually quite simple) and also shows just how frequent it is found in our own body - it pretty much creates our body! - all the way down to DNA! I think it's really cool, and may apply to the beauty standard discussed in "Fair Enough" :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNQk_GJuZQo
Dr. Gillespie was mentioning the "Golden Ratio" in class - I looked it up, and it is called Phi and can be found in art, nature, architecture, etc. This ratio is constantly found in the human body, and applies to the "ideal human form" - I posted a link to a YouTube video that introduces the number, how it is derived mathematically (it's actually quite simple) and also shows just how frequent it is found in our own body - it pretty much creates our body! - all the way down to DNA! I think it's really cool, and may apply to the beauty standard discussed in "Fair Enough" :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNQk_GJuZQo
Jimmy Kimmel Link and Uglies Quote
Here's my quote from The Uglies: "Tally walked along the riverbank, searching for a good place to leap in, slowly gathering her courage. She realized she'd never been naked outside before. In the city, everywhere outdoors was public, but she hadn't seen another human face for days. The world seemed to belong to her. Even in the cool air, the sun felt wonderful on her skin" (162).
I think it brings up ideas about mental transformations, and the ability to see your own situation more clearly when in a different environment. When a person is removed from a familiar situation, I think he or she learns more about him or herself. It brings up this idea of personal journeys similar to Paama's and the Indigo Lord's in Redemption in Indigo.
Here's the clip of Jimmy Kimmel's "Miracle diet": http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YoKoKI_2NlQ
I think it brings up ideas about mental transformations, and the ability to see your own situation more clearly when in a different environment. When a person is removed from a familiar situation, I think he or she learns more about him or herself. It brings up this idea of personal journeys similar to Paama's and the Indigo Lord's in Redemption in Indigo.
Here's the clip of Jimmy Kimmel's "Miracle diet": http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YoKoKI_2NlQ
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"Tally's eyes widened as Shay turned the pages, pointing and giggling. She'd never seen so many wildly different faces before. Mouths and eyes and noses of every imaginable shape, all combined insanely on people of every age. And the bodies. Some were grotesquely fat, or weirdly overmuscled, or uncomfortably thin, and almost all of them had wrong, ugly proportions."
--p. 198 from Uglies
--p. 198 from Uglies
Uglies Quote
"Did you ever think that when you're pretty you might not need to play tricks and mess things up? Maybe just being ugly is why uglies always fight and pick on one another because they aren't happy with who they are. Well, I want to be happy, and looking like a person is the first step." Page 84
"The big eyes and lips said: I'm young and vulnerable, I can't hurt you, and you want to protect me. And the rest said: I'm healthy, I won't make you sick. And no matter how you felt about a pretty, there was a part of you that thought: If we had kids, they'd be healthy too. I want this pretty person..." (p. 16-17)
appearance vs. essence...
SO appropriate for our class discussion today (and every day) about using appearance as a judge of who people "really" are:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/21/from-sumo-wrestling-to-running-400-pound-man-completes-l-a-marathon/
mostly, this is awesome, and it'd be great if people could stop conflating obesity with a sedentary and generally unhealthy lifestyle and thinness with healthiness; it's just more evidence that you can be heavy and healthy or thin and unhealthy (as one commenter pointed out, how many sub-400 pound people didn't finish or even enter?). but my hope is that ultimately people will understand that idea so well that the fact of his weight wasn't even IN the headline. :)
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/21/from-sumo-wrestling-to-running-400-pound-man-completes-l-a-marathon/
mostly, this is awesome, and it'd be great if people could stop conflating obesity with a sedentary and generally unhealthy lifestyle and thinness with healthiness; it's just more evidence that you can be heavy and healthy or thin and unhealthy (as one commenter pointed out, how many sub-400 pound people didn't finish or even enter?). but my hope is that ultimately people will understand that idea so well that the fact of his weight wasn't even IN the headline. :)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
2 things!
Is ten year old Willow Smith running with wolves?! (They could be huskies, but they looked like wolves to me!)...It's not a major part of this video (the song/video could be talked about in general, but the wolves struck me due to recent conversation).
Also, check out the Disney Dream Photos taken by Annie Leibovitz....different celebs dressed/posing as different Disney villains...!!!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Oh hey, Ken Carson!
Barbie and Ken update: it's Ken's 50th birthday...just thought this was interesting. What piercing blue eyes he has....
Friday, March 11, 2011
2 interesting reviews of Red Riding Hood
One that compiles reviews from a handful of top national newspapers:
"The reviews are in for "Little Red Riding Hood," a movie that is not exactly a literary adaptation but more like a mash-up of the fairy tale and Twilight. Cute girl gets mixed up with werewolf -- where have I seen this before? But the scenery and other cinematic touches make it an intriguing film. Here are some excerpts from reviews."
"The reviews are in for "Little Red Riding Hood," a movie that is not exactly a literary adaptation but more like a mash-up of the fairy tale and Twilight. Cute girl gets mixed up with werewolf -- where have I seen this before? But the scenery and other cinematic touches make it an intriguing film. Here are some excerpts from reviews."
The other from Andrew O'Hehir on Salon.com:
"Red Riding Hood: The Showgirls of fairy-tale movies. Catherine Hardwicke's loopy, sexy, 90210-style Red Riding Hood is a curious attack on the Twilight franchise. it's strange and stupid and half-compelling and sometimes beautiful, with its big, bad talking wolf and Amanda Seyfried's big, blue, startled eyes and a Christmas-card medieval village inhabited by escapees from a mid-'90s prime-time soap."
Enjoy! Can't wait to hear from you all on your reactions to this film.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Shiver Discussion
Great discussion today! Here are the questions we talked about in class, plus the two we didn’t have time for:
- When asked what inspired her to write Shiver, Stiefvater responded “I’m a terrible person. I like to watch people cry. I like to make people cry, preferable while wearing mascara, contact lenses, or at their place of business.” She also dedicated the novel “For Kate, because she cried.” What do you think is significant about this? What do you think it means? How can we relate it to the regulation of the body, or lack thereof, that we have been discussing in class, and is rampant in this book? Support your ideas with examples from the text.
- When asked why she writes about werewolves, Stiefvater responded “I prefer human impaired. Sorry girls, I do not find werewolves sexy. They have fleas, they slobber, they smell like wet dog…It was a metaphor for losing your humanity in a homogeneous suburban society! Then I woke up and realized I wrote a trilogy about werewolves.” Where in the novel do you see this metaphor? How do you think it could relate to our discussion of appetites? Support your ideas with examples from the text.
- When asked what she hopes readers will take away from Shiver and Linger, Stiefvater responded “The idea that you choose the person you turn into. A fondness for German poetry. An undying craving for hot chocolate or chicken parmesan.” Did you come away with any of this? How can these ideas relate to our class discussions of appetites? How could one argue that appetites are what drive the plot of the novel? Support your ideas with examples from the text.
- One of the discussion questions Stiefvater has on her website says “Beck changed three teens into werewolves to continue the care of the pack after he and Sam became wolves for good. Sam is horrified by his decision; Grace slightly less so, especially once she finds out that he had their consent. Do you think Beck was justified in taking such drastic steps to ensure caretakers for the wolves? What other options did he have?” How can we relate these questions to the trend in Angela Carter’s work of regretful, self-aware monsters? The countess in “The lady of the House of Love” “would like to be human” (197), and “Everything abou this beautiful and ghastly lady is as it should be, queen of night, queen of terror—except her horrible reluctance for the role” (197). In “The Company of Wolves,” Carter says “That long-drawn, wavering howl has, for all its fearful resonance, some inherent sadness in it, as if the beasts would love to be less beastly if only they knew how and never cease to mourn their own condition” (213). Where do we see similar ideas in Shiver? What is their significance?
If you want to check it out, Maggie Stiefvater’s website is http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/
Translating our concern and discussion about wolves in our class to the world around us
Please consider taking action on the following concern: Politicians are risking the future of wolves, salmon, polar bears and more. Like any self-respecting member of the digital age, these animals are standing up for themselves by channeling the power of the Internet. The Endangered Species Act is under attack. From Congress. Join in sending 37,000 letters to Congress, telling them that we oppose these attacks on the ESA. Act now!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Follow-up on reference to study about dogs picking up on human facial cues
In this study from 2010 (and in others similar, some of which are referenced in the works cited at the end of the article), "dogs, like infants but unlike wolves, make perseverative search errors that can be explained by the use of ostensive cues from the experimenter." In other words, dogs read human faces.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Hunger and Obesity
Continuing our discussion Thursday on the dualism of hunger/gluttony and how to understand the so-called obesity epidemic along with the concurrent epidemic of eating disorders, please take the time to see this 10 minute long TED talk by Ellen Gustafson, the Co-creator of the philanthropic FEED bags.
Gustafson argues that hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. At TEDxEast, she launches The 30 Project --a way to change how we eat. If interested further, you can also read a blog in which she answers some questions about her efforts to combat hunger:
http://blog.ted.com/2010/07/07/qa_with_ellen_g/
p.s. I think I have finally found someone who speaks faster than I do while lecturing!
Gustafson argues that hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin. At TEDxEast, she launches The 30 Project --a way to change how we eat. If interested further, you can also read a blog in which she answers some questions about her efforts to combat hunger:
http://blog.ted.com/2010/07/07/qa_with_ellen_g/
p.s. I think I have finally found someone who speaks faster than I do while lecturing!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Beyond Bluebeard
Hello Everyone!
I thought I'd post a link to the hospice website - it has a ton of information regarding how children cope with death. At the very bottom of the page you will find a guide that explains how children of certain age brackets perceive death. It is interesting to compare the 3-6 year old category (narrators) to the adolescent age group (story-line characters). I also included a link to a NYT article that compares the film to Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber". Enjoy!
I thought I'd post a link to the hospice website - it has a ton of information regarding how children cope with death. At the very bottom of the page you will find a guide that explains how children of certain age brackets perceive death. It is interesting to compare the 3-6 year old category (narrators) to the adolescent age group (story-line characters). I also included a link to a NYT article that compares the film to Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber". Enjoy!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday night humor:)
Hi all,
So now both my Mom and 81 year old Nana have gone to seen Black Swan––I think it's safe to say they were both more shocked than I was afterward! Anyway, to lighten my Mom's mood, I sent her this, so I thought I'd share with you––I guess they were going for a summary of the film?
Enjoy=)
http://www.hulu.com/watch/205721/saturday-night-live-black-swan
So now both my Mom and 81 year old Nana have gone to seen Black Swan––I think it's safe to say they were both more shocked than I was afterward! Anyway, to lighten my Mom's mood, I sent her this, so I thought I'd share with you––I guess they were going for a summary of the film?
Enjoy=)
http://www.hulu.com/watch/205721/saturday-night-live-black-swan
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Scent and the Body?
While I find this article offensive in many ways, I think it is something interesting to share with you all:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/science/22tier.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general
Please let me know what you think!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Following up on today's discussion
I came across a thought-provoking and moving blog regarding body images, appetites, desire, and how we gender these attributes differently:
http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/01/27/the-weight-of-words/
Particularly compelling was the author's paragraph on the [not so] hidden judgment of how to and who gets to eat:
"Words about eating and weight are loaded with judgment, violence and danger for females in our culture. “She eats like a bird” translates as praise for the daintiness and restraint of a woman who fails to sufficiently nourish her hungry body. “Stick thin” literally describes an inhuman image, but is spoken by most women with intensely human envy. A “gluttonous” woman must be slovenly, unkempt, weak, stupid and profoundly unfeminine. A gluttonous man, however, might be jolly as Old King Cole or as powerful as a Roman emperor..."
http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/01/27/the-weight-of-words/
Particularly compelling was the author's paragraph on the [not so] hidden judgment of how to and who gets to eat:
"Words about eating and weight are loaded with judgment, violence and danger for females in our culture. “She eats like a bird” translates as praise for the daintiness and restraint of a woman who fails to sufficiently nourish her hungry body. “Stick thin” literally describes an inhuman image, but is spoken by most women with intensely human envy. A “gluttonous” woman must be slovenly, unkempt, weak, stupid and profoundly unfeminine. A gluttonous man, however, might be jolly as Old King Cole or as powerful as a Roman emperor..."
Hollywood's Remaking Another Fairy Tale With "Beastly"
I saw a preview of this today and needed to share with the class. I'm not sure if anyone has brought this up, but there is a movie being released called "Beastly." It's supposed to be a "modern" take on "Beauty and the Beast." Just more proof that needing to transform is an always-present demand in pop culture.
Here's the link on IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152398/
Here's a link to the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neo6W1f7hyY
Here's the link on IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152398/
Here's a link to the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Neo6W1f7hyY
From "Snow, Glass, Apples"
Sorry this is so late! Had some difficulties, but better late then never?!
1."Jeering and chaffing" => the language almost sounds like they were assaulting or raping her. That language really disturbed me. She even says "they thrust me."
2. What really stood out to me about this passage, however, was the fact that the snowflake remains. This means the stepdaughter is cold, frozen--heartless. She survived without a heart, without a blood flow. She has no warmth--Death (puppet?!). Also, the Queen sees this tiny action--a snowflake falling--and I think she realized who the daughter really was.
Response 1:
Agreed. Verb choice with thrust gives a sense of sexualization. Also, right after that quote there is the comparison of hot and cold. The cold, frozen daughter watches the stepmother burn in the hot fire.
Response 2:
I also agree. When I first began to read the beginning of the quote I thought it was from the section when the mother is having sex with the prince. It is also an interesting comparison of the mother being burned in the room while the stepdaughter is so cold that she can't even melt a snowflake.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
"Juicy" Desperate Housewives ad
Here's a video Joanna and I did not have a chance to share in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBRkgnbtb8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBRkgnbtb8E
Friday, February 18, 2011
On and by Karen Lord
Karen Lord posted a guest blog on Powell's (arguably the world's best bookstore) website. Quite interesting to follow her voice here and note similarities to her writing style.
On the following website, she talks a bit more about the book, specifically what it means to have Paama as the protagonist: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/07/08/the-big-idea-karen-lord/
On the following website, she talks a bit more about the book, specifically what it means to have Paama as the protagonist: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/07/08/the-big-idea-karen-lord/
On Appetites
Very interesting piece on who's allowed to display a "healthy" appetite:
Hollywood's obsession with tiny women, big meals
Stars are increasingly being pressured to show off their appetites while staying skinny. It's time for it to stop.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Freckled Pile of Cellulite
These are real ads from the summer of 2009. In case you, like me, found it difficult to ascertain, they're for Bacardi Breezers (the alcoholic beverage)...
http://the-f-word.org/blogpics/bacardi3.jpg
http://cdn.thefrisky.com/images/uploads/bacardi_ad_m.jpg
I think they're a really striking example of the things we talked about in class today- women competing with (read: insulting) other women. Besides the language used, some of which actually makes me shudder- the redhead-as-accessory is sold with the phrase, "Get your own freckled pile of cellulite today!"- there are some really scary implications being made. They're effortlessly conflating/using interchangeably the concepts of "fat" and "ugly."
There's also the underlying assumption motivating the alleged "appeal" of the ads- that were a man to see this woman and another (presumably thinner and therefore, of course, beautiful) together, he would invariably prefer the less heavy woman. Though (sadly) this is perhaps true in many cases, it also further pathologizes the already socially condemned idea of what it is to be attracted to heavier women- "chubby chasing," or whatever, as a completely unrealistic and laughable circumstance. Finn's new love interest on Glee.
Speaking of which (it's not a scholarly article, but I think that's more telling- it would seem that these ideas represent what the "average" viewer sees in the storyline):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=83529b1bf830204046d6e088dcaf9d1d&p=631036313#post631036313
You've come a long way, baby.
http://the-f-word.org/blogpics/bacardi3.jpg
http://cdn.thefrisky.com/images/uploads/bacardi_ad_m.jpg
I think they're a really striking example of the things we talked about in class today- women competing with (read: insulting) other women. Besides the language used, some of which actually makes me shudder- the redhead-as-accessory is sold with the phrase, "Get your own freckled pile of cellulite today!"- there are some really scary implications being made. They're effortlessly conflating/using interchangeably the concepts of "fat" and "ugly."
There's also the underlying assumption motivating the alleged "appeal" of the ads- that were a man to see this woman and another (presumably thinner and therefore, of course, beautiful) together, he would invariably prefer the less heavy woman. Though (sadly) this is perhaps true in many cases, it also further pathologizes the already socially condemned idea of what it is to be attracted to heavier women- "chubby chasing," or whatever, as a completely unrealistic and laughable circumstance. Finn's new love interest on Glee.
Speaking of which (it's not a scholarly article, but I think that's more telling- it would seem that these ideas represent what the "average" viewer sees in the storyline):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=83529b1bf830204046d6e088dcaf9d1d&p=631036313#post631036313
You've come a long way, baby.
Target Women Videos
Here are two youtube videos from the Target Women serious about food and women in advertisements. Thought it might be something you all might enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMRDLCR8vAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT_Y28lMfbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMRDLCR8vAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT_Y28lMfbE
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Foodie Feminism
A friend of mine recently sent this article to me, and I think it is relevant to Joanna and my facilitation on Thursday. It's about women reclaiming the joy of good food, and she criticizes Pepsi's ads for its new "skinny" can. Please take a look if you have a chance.
http://ecosalon.com/foodie-underground-foodie-feminism/
http://ecosalon.com/foodie-underground-foodie-feminism/
Monday, February 14, 2011
Scarred, Glacial, Anxious: Snow, Glass, Apples
sorry I didn't do this yesterday! (I blame Black Swan)
"I had been frozen by her, owned and dominated. That scared me, more than the blood she had fed on." (327)
I think I was initially attracted to this passage because I read "scared" as "scarred," which, given the theme of scarring throughout the text, seemed to me to make more sense- the physical scar emerges from the wound, and an emotional scar perhaps from the experience. But where do her feelings of what she calls "freezing," and of ownership and domination come from? There's an obvious association with-- (here it stops, thought would love to tell you where I was going with that)
Melissa:
I think what freaks me out/draws me to this passage is the fat that she was not even remotely disturbed (or seemed to be) by the fact that the daughter SUCKED HER BLOOD. And I also wonder where those emotions of "freezing" and being dominated come from? Is it fear? But I agree with the fact that reading the passage with "scarred" instead of "scared" gives it a whole different meaning.
Kerrigan:
How does a 5-year old girl dominate you?! Seriously? Yes, I get the psychological aspect but she should really have been able to fend her off. But then we may ask, "did she want to?' Is this the opportunity to blame her as she did after this for so long? It's disturbing that someone so small can be so controlling (at least somewhat) but that is the tool her stepmother seemed to use against her.
"I had been frozen by her, owned and dominated. That scared me, more than the blood she had fed on." (327)
I think I was initially attracted to this passage because I read "scared" as "scarred," which, given the theme of scarring throughout the text, seemed to me to make more sense- the physical scar emerges from the wound, and an emotional scar perhaps from the experience. But where do her feelings of what she calls "freezing," and of ownership and domination come from? There's an obvious association with-- (here it stops, thought would love to tell you where I was going with that)
Melissa:
I think what freaks me out/draws me to this passage is the fat that she was not even remotely disturbed (or seemed to be) by the fact that the daughter SUCKED HER BLOOD. And I also wonder where those emotions of "freezing" and being dominated come from? Is it fear? But I agree with the fact that reading the passage with "scarred" instead of "scared" gives it a whole different meaning.
Kerrigan:
How does a 5-year old girl dominate you?! Seriously? Yes, I get the psychological aspect but she should really have been able to fend her off. But then we may ask, "did she want to?' Is this the opportunity to blame her as she did after this for so long? It's disturbing that someone so small can be so controlling (at least somewhat) but that is the tool her stepmother seemed to use against her.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"Flesh"
From A. Carter's "The Love of Lady Purple" :
"Flesh was the specialty of every house and it came piping hot, served up with all the garnishes imaginable." (45)
This sentence is so powerful to me & really stands out from what's around it–what's more, it seems to imply that these prostitutes are something you'd eat at a barbeque–'served with all the garnishes imaginable' at peak temperature (45). The word choice of 'flesh' also implies a stripped-down, naked/raw sense to it–these women/dolls are more than just sexual servants.
The word "garnishments" seems very interesting to me. The "piping hot" flesh is served with these garnishments–what could these garnishments be exactly? Does this imply a sexual eroticism? Sex toys or other fetish type of ideas?
Again, this quote objectifies not only Lady Purple, but it compares her to a rich, sinfully decadent dish. I find irony in this quote because so many things in both life and literature label food and hunger as the enemy–if women succumb to it they will become fat, ugly, monstrosities. But in this quote, they themselves have become the food for which others hunger. Is this empowering in some twisted way? By succumbing to their hunger for them, are men transformed into monstrosities?
"Flesh was the specialty of every house and it came piping hot, served up with all the garnishes imaginable." (45)
This sentence is so powerful to me & really stands out from what's around it–what's more, it seems to imply that these prostitutes are something you'd eat at a barbeque–'served with all the garnishes imaginable' at peak temperature (45). The word choice of 'flesh' also implies a stripped-down, naked/raw sense to it–these women/dolls are more than just sexual servants.
The word "garnishments" seems very interesting to me. The "piping hot" flesh is served with these garnishments–what could these garnishments be exactly? Does this imply a sexual eroticism? Sex toys or other fetish type of ideas?
Again, this quote objectifies not only Lady Purple, but it compares her to a rich, sinfully decadent dish. I find irony in this quote because so many things in both life and literature label food and hunger as the enemy–if women succumb to it they will become fat, ugly, monstrosities. But in this quote, they themselves have become the food for which others hunger. Is this empowering in some twisted way? By succumbing to their hunger for them, are men transformed into monstrosities?
Snow, Glass, Apples
"When he wanted me he would send for me and I would go to him, and pleasure him, and take my pleasure with him." (326)
The idea that she is treated as a sex object that can be called upon for usage is gross and demeaning. Yet, the statement is written extremely casually, as if it's completely normal (which for the time it may be, but it still sends the wrong message). The sexualization implies that she (stepmom) is there for the sole purpose to pleasure the man.
Classmate Responses:
1.) I think it is completely objectifying women and making it appear that this is their sole purpose. It also made me think of the whole kind of "gold digger" concept where the woman is with the man for monetary or another type of gain and in return is expected to be their to pleasure the man whenever he calls for her. It automatically puts the male in the place of having the upper hand.
2.) I can see where you're coming from, and I certainly agree that this is a difficult passage to read, but I think it's more of just a time period thing. Kings and queens didn't share chambers, and the queen was the kind's property- especially in societies where women couldn't inherit (although this isn't one of those). I think this is why it's spoken of so casually- it is a casual thing. Weren't all women of this time gold diggers anyway? They didn't exactly have the ability to start their own business.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A goodnight kiss: Sweet or Creepy?
Angela Carter, "The Loves of Lady Purple"- "The professor had a curious habit; he always used to kiss his doll good night. A child kisses its toy before she pretends it sleeps although, even though she is only a child, she knows its eyes are not constructed to close so it will always be a sleeping beauty no kiss will waken" (49).
Blurs the lines between whether the professor is her mother, her lover, her father. It made me uncomfortable that he was all those things in one. He is described as this older man, yet he wants to kiss this inanimate object. Also, it's interesting that Carter compares the professor to a child with his toy.
The idea of a 'good night' kiss is something sweet, in my opinion. When I was younger I would get a kiss on my cheek from both parents, and now, I receive one from my boyfriend. I always recalled it has a kind and sweet thing. However, this quote has sort of given me the creeps. Why would you kiss a doll?
I see the maternal instinct of a child who kisses her dolls goodnight, as when she is playing house. Since Carter says the child knows the doll will sleep peacefully since it is inanimate foreshadowing since Carter does not allude to the professor understanding this with his doll, who will late break out and come to life.
Blurs the lines between whether the professor is her mother, her lover, her father. It made me uncomfortable that he was all those things in one. He is described as this older man, yet he wants to kiss this inanimate object. Also, it's interesting that Carter compares the professor to a child with his toy.
The idea of a 'good night' kiss is something sweet, in my opinion. When I was younger I would get a kiss on my cheek from both parents, and now, I receive one from my boyfriend. I always recalled it has a kind and sweet thing. However, this quote has sort of given me the creeps. Why would you kiss a doll?
I see the maternal instinct of a child who kisses her dolls goodnight, as when she is playing house. Since Carter says the child knows the doll will sleep peacefully since it is inanimate foreshadowing since Carter does not allude to the professor understanding this with his doll, who will late break out and come to life.
Chain Freewrite: "Snow, Glass, Apples"
"I saw her do it. I saw her close the flesh of her breast once more. I saw the purple scar begin to fade. Her prince looked Briefly concerned, but he put his arm around her nonetheless, and they stood, side by side, and they waited. And she stayed cold, and the bloom of death remained on her lips and his lust was not diminished in any way" (Gaiman 338).
I think this passage stuck with me so much because the necrophilia stuff creeps me out, but it also makes me wonder what would have happened if she had warmed up by getting her heart back. Would he have left her, disgusted by her life-likeness? Would she have killed him over it? Would his guards have attacked? Would the queen have been burned or saved?
It creeps me out too! Especially when he loses all his sexual excitement when the Queen shows a sign of life (moaning). The Prince is weird...But all those questions make a lot of sense--do you think she would/could ever warm up? Does the fact that she took a liking to the Prince mean she has some warmth in her already? Do you think the Prince ight also have some "mystical" or "supernatural" characteristics? I love those questions, awesome passage!
I agree with all of the above. Especially because it follows a passage/paragraph that is so graphic. Also "the purple scar begins to fade" goes along with the idea that ALL of the scars are old/ancient and don't stay new.
I think this passage stuck with me so much because the necrophilia stuff creeps me out, but it also makes me wonder what would have happened if she had warmed up by getting her heart back. Would he have left her, disgusted by her life-likeness? Would she have killed him over it? Would his guards have attacked? Would the queen have been burned or saved?
It creeps me out too! Especially when he loses all his sexual excitement when the Queen shows a sign of life (moaning). The Prince is weird...But all those questions make a lot of sense--do you think she would/could ever warm up? Does the fact that she took a liking to the Prince mean she has some warmth in her already? Do you think the Prince ight also have some "mystical" or "supernatural" characteristics? I love those questions, awesome passage!
I agree with all of the above. Especially because it follows a passage/paragraph that is so graphic. Also "the purple scar begins to fade" goes along with the idea that ALL of the scars are old/ancient and don't stay new.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Complete - "The Loves of Lady Purple"
"...all complete, they once again offer their brief imitations of men and women with an exquisite precision which is all the more disturbing because we know it to be false..." -p41
Saira: What makes a person or a thing complete? I wouldn't consider a person without a personality, let alone a life, even near "complete" so how can a puppet, something made of string and wood and a painted-on smile be complete? Maybe this is what's disturbing; the idea that a lifeless puppet can achieve completeness while the human population struggles onward, searching for the next thing, the next level towards perfection, completion.
Lena: One detail I picked out from the story was the smile permanently on her face as if she has to be happy all the time, yet when she becomes human Carter writes that the smile was removed from her face. I agree with your point. Is it only possible to achieve perfection in doll, lifeless form? I makes me think about barbies and mannequins. They are lifeless yet young girls want to be barbies and have the clothes look on them the way they do on mannequins.
Chelsea: This idea of perfection is mentioned and I'm extremely interested how you all connected it to completion. Can something be complete without being perfect? What is perfect? I personally believe that perfect is a social construct but don't believe it's necessary to be complete. However, when I recall media influence, it does seem as if society is telling us you need to be perfect to be complete.
Saira: What makes a person or a thing complete? I wouldn't consider a person without a personality, let alone a life, even near "complete" so how can a puppet, something made of string and wood and a painted-on smile be complete? Maybe this is what's disturbing; the idea that a lifeless puppet can achieve completeness while the human population struggles onward, searching for the next thing, the next level towards perfection, completion.
Lena: One detail I picked out from the story was the smile permanently on her face as if she has to be happy all the time, yet when she becomes human Carter writes that the smile was removed from her face. I agree with your point. Is it only possible to achieve perfection in doll, lifeless form? I makes me think about barbies and mannequins. They are lifeless yet young girls want to be barbies and have the clothes look on them the way they do on mannequins.
Chelsea: This idea of perfection is mentioned and I'm extremely interested how you all connected it to completion. Can something be complete without being perfect? What is perfect? I personally believe that perfect is a social construct but don't believe it's necessary to be complete. However, when I recall media influence, it does seem as if society is telling us you need to be perfect to be complete.
NYTimes Article on Black Swan
Something interesting to read before(SPOILER ALERT, kind of) or after viewing Black Swan:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/arts/dance/10swan.html?scp=1&sq=The%20Many%20Faces%20of%20%27Black%20Swan%27%20Deconstructed&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/arts/dance/10swan.html?scp=1&sq=The%20Many%20Faces%20of%20%27Black%20Swan%27%20Deconstructed&st=cse
The Loves of Lady Purple
page 45.
"They lavished upon her all the attentions which love and money could devise and yet they reared a flower which, although perfumed, was carnivorous."
The flower? Clearly significant in its symbolism, but how? It has a distinct smell, but carnivorous? What exactly does this word mean? Hungry/ Animal-like hunger? I think of a carnivore, a meat eater. Does the smell of the flower transform her into the "evil" being we see her become later in the story? What exactly is she hungry for/ is it a desire?
This quote claims the parents spoiled her, gave her everything she needed, etc, etc, yet they also objectify and sexualize her by referring to her as a flower. While her outlet of choice (murder and seduction) may not be ideal, it is also understandable that Lady Purple felt stifled in her role as a rich brat and did not know how else to break free.
I wonder if the concept of a flower has something to do with being feminine or our ideas about what femininity is. Girls are supposed to like flowers and want boys to get them. It may be a twist on what a flower symbolizes. I agree that this flower could be objectifying her and push her into a role she does not want. Also, does love and money always lead to happiness?
"They lavished upon her all the attentions which love and money could devise and yet they reared a flower which, although perfumed, was carnivorous."
The flower? Clearly significant in its symbolism, but how? It has a distinct smell, but carnivorous? What exactly does this word mean? Hungry/ Animal-like hunger? I think of a carnivore, a meat eater. Does the smell of the flower transform her into the "evil" being we see her become later in the story? What exactly is she hungry for/ is it a desire?
This quote claims the parents spoiled her, gave her everything she needed, etc, etc, yet they also objectify and sexualize her by referring to her as a flower. While her outlet of choice (murder and seduction) may not be ideal, it is also understandable that Lady Purple felt stifled in her role as a rich brat and did not know how else to break free.
I wonder if the concept of a flower has something to do with being feminine or our ideas about what femininity is. Girls are supposed to like flowers and want boys to get them. It may be a twist on what a flower symbolizes. I agree that this flower could be objectifying her and push her into a role she does not want. Also, does love and money always lead to happiness?
Snow, Glass, Apples
I chose a quote from page 332, "I covered the mirror in doeskin, and told him that I would personally take it upon myself to make the forest safe once more. I had to, although she terrified me. I was the queen."
The queen thought it was necessary for her to get rid of the girl (her step-daughter) once and for all. The stepdaughter terrified the queen, but it was her duty to save the town from the girl's evil ways. I was intrigued by the apples and that they were a symbol throughout the story. It started out with the queen feeding the girl and apple and then it ended with the queen giving the girl apples once again. Getting rid of the girl also meant having her heart above the queen's bed. This seemed odd, but then the queen knew when the girl was alive/dead.
A doeskin-an animal's parts are used to cover the mirror. This passage also deals with duty vs. fear and when one must conform based upon a title. The heart's beating is interesting-in my opinion it represents life in the form of spirit/soul, which Snow White had at this point. -Kasi
This is the first time she directly posits "being the queen" against "killing her stepdaughter," a sort of implication that they are no longer entangled but exclusive, in a double-bind. (It's lame but I think of Harry Potter and Voldemort- "neither can live while the other survives.") -Anne
The queen thought it was necessary for her to get rid of the girl (her step-daughter) once and for all. The stepdaughter terrified the queen, but it was her duty to save the town from the girl's evil ways. I was intrigued by the apples and that they were a symbol throughout the story. It started out with the queen feeding the girl and apple and then it ended with the queen giving the girl apples once again. Getting rid of the girl also meant having her heart above the queen's bed. This seemed odd, but then the queen knew when the girl was alive/dead.
A doeskin-an animal's parts are used to cover the mirror. This passage also deals with duty vs. fear and when one must conform based upon a title. The heart's beating is interesting-in my opinion it represents life in the form of spirit/soul, which Snow White had at this point. -Kasi
This is the first time she directly posits "being the queen" against "killing her stepdaughter," a sort of implication that they are no longer entangled but exclusive, in a double-bind. (It's lame but I think of Harry Potter and Voldemort- "neither can live while the other survives.") -Anne
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Superfail.
In celebration of what is arguably the most salient demonstration of the gendered popularity of athletics (I'm guessing the Superbowl had just a few more viewers than, say, the National Figure Skating Championships), I thought these two things were really interesting:
Groupon produced three "Save the Money" ads that have been massively unpopular, classified as offensive by news sources and the Twitterverse alike. Each ad "appealed" to a social issue- Tibetan social unrest, deforestation, and the plight of whales- before ultimately using it as a (strange, consumerist) joke. The Tibetan ad has been the most widely criticized, and environmentalists have denounced the irresponsibility of the Save-the-Whale-Fail. But the other ad was this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z206ipPhuFQ&feature=player_embedded
and, as you can see, it contains the themes of childish hairlessness we talked about in class the other day. This ad, contrastingly, has received very few specific criticisms, generating instead a delightful array of insightful YouTube comments like "I'd like to wax her bush" and "Who WOULDN'T find this funny?"
I feel like it speaks to people's total immersion in misogynist ideals that their unshakable belief in hair removal, and the presence of a pretty woman, is enough to prevent them from noticing that the ad is every bit as flippant as the others. Are female grooming expectations so "right" that their questionable ad is no longer wrong?
And here, I don't even know where to start...
http://theweek.com/section/cartoon/0/211862/all-cartoons
Groupon produced three "Save the Money" ads that have been massively unpopular, classified as offensive by news sources and the Twitterverse alike. Each ad "appealed" to a social issue- Tibetan social unrest, deforestation, and the plight of whales- before ultimately using it as a (strange, consumerist) joke. The Tibetan ad has been the most widely criticized, and environmentalists have denounced the irresponsibility of the Save-the-Whale-Fail. But the other ad was this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z206ipPhuFQ&feature=player_embedded
and, as you can see, it contains the themes of childish hairlessness we talked about in class the other day. This ad, contrastingly, has received very few specific criticisms, generating instead a delightful array of insightful YouTube comments like "I'd like to wax her bush" and "Who WOULDN'T find this funny?"
I feel like it speaks to people's total immersion in misogynist ideals that their unshakable belief in hair removal, and the presence of a pretty woman, is enough to prevent them from noticing that the ad is every bit as flippant as the others. Are female grooming expectations so "right" that their questionable ad is no longer wrong?
And here, I don't even know where to start...
http://theweek.com/section/cartoon/0/211862/all-cartoons
Friday, January 28, 2011
Our obsession with Plastic Surgery is Getting Worse.
An interesting editorial on our (dangerous) cultural obsession.
The dark side of pretty and pink: how choices we make for our toddlers can influence their teenage years and beyond.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-01-27/peggy-orenstein-cinderella-ate-my-daughter
A fascinating article of potential interest to those in our class, especially Saira (whose research project last semester on media, sexuality, and female bodies was really interesting). Ask her about it!
A fascinating article of potential interest to those in our class, especially Saira (whose research project last semester on media, sexuality, and female bodies was really interesting). Ask her about it!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Never Let Me Go
The motifs in Blade Runner reminded me of a film released in 2010 called Never Let Me Go. I have not seen the film, but I became intrigued after seeing the trailer a few months ago. It's about three children that are raised at an exclusive boarding school. They are clones made from "originals," and their only purpose in life is to be organ donors. Eventually, their lives will end with their final "donation," but along the way the children grow into a complicated adolescent relationship of love and betrayal. It is based on a book by Kazuo Ishiguro. Since the children are clones, there are questions about whether they have souls, and it brings up issues of what makes us human.
Here is the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kymQcM4ej3w
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