Last Night at Denny's

SO...last night I went to Denny's and witnessed my own little scene of Stone Butch Blues! As I walk in I noticed that there are two stone butch women waiting to be seated. Once I was seated I realized that they were sitting at the table next to mine. Later, some high school kids who seemed to have come from prom, sat at the table to my right. Once the ladies began to leave, I heard a comment from the high school kids. They ask, "is that a girl or a boy?" This automatically brings me back to the novel. It's interesting to see this happen in today's society. A society that claims to be more progressive. The reality is that people are accustomed only to things they have been previously exposed to. If they haven't been exposed to seeing stone butches, then they will wonder what the sex of a stone butch might be. These situations make me feel that people should be open minded to anything.
I personally did not enjoy reading this book. I felt like it focuses on mostly the negative aspects of being a stone butch. Also, it was extremely repetative, which made it disturbing and boring! Besides that, it opened my eyes on what women went through in that period. It must be difficult to identify with a different gender, when there is so much discrimination in this world. I can't imagine having to go through that type of agony.

Butch Commies and the Jouissance Kids

I don't know if we've got one final blog to do. If we do, this is it, I guess. If we don't, then this one's unofficial. If it falls short of the word count, the unofficial status is the reason why. This one feels short.
Regarding Stone Butch Blues, in class I expressed interest in Grant's angry penchant for calling others of her/his own circle Communists (125). Well, I found my thoughts I originally jotted down concerning Grant's sudden McCarthyist alarmism--its a stab at normative behavior. Grant's Red paranoia doesn't so much stem from her/his frustration over a brother's death in Vietnam as it does from an attempt to approximate the cultural fears of "real" males. In a society and a time when current events and cultural worries are the domain of men (worries far removed from fears of whether the police or a gang of gassed hillbillies are going to beat the shit outta you every night--worries oddly similar to fearing the shit beat outta you if you're outted as a Commie), Grant's alarm over perceived Communist threats are expressed in order to place her/his mind in a psychological mold nearer to that of the male sex.
Grant's Communist alarmism, branding other butches as the political enemy, is also very Lacanian. Think "name-of-the-father." As a butch, doesn't Grant, approximating male ("the father") traits, engage in the Lacanian male attribute of "naming" things, in this case, labeling her/his own kind as Communists? You could really go all over the map with Lacan's idea of lack here. A reversal erupts here--Grant, the butch, a metaphorical "father," can "name" all she/he pleases, but something, some signifier, is still lacking . . . ahem . . . down there.
Lacan stirs up more ideas in Stone Butch Blues--his idea of jouissance, for one. For Lacan, jouissance is "anything too great for an organism to bear" and also "eroticism bordering on death." In Feinberg's book, the transgenders represent for society something 'too great" for the masses (straight "organisms") to "bear." Persecution, beatings, harassment result for the transgenders; their sexual lot exists in a state "bordering on (potential) death."
Perhaps the transgenders represent also Barthes's idea of jouissance, the idea of the "erotic glimpse." Maybe the masses see in Jess's kind a destabilization of formerly concrete gender norms, the fragility of what gender really is--they see this "glimpse" and maybe its strangely erotic. fluid, malleable, claylike. They see it, and they see its eroticism, and they know the erotic is heady, intoxicating, destabilized--a disorienting experience. They see danger.
They look in disgust.
They pick up a bat, or a gun.
They turn a blind eye.
They go home.
They turn on the tv.

The Bettys

I am a more than a little disappointed at the throngs of young women dressing and emulating "Ugly Betty"s mannerisms, wardrobe etc.believing imitation ro be the highest form of flattery. no.only the ridiculous form of imitation. Ultimately, this masks only the masses under a trendy cloak and in their own way simply another gang of similars. not individuals, there is nothing unique about emulation.
which means when the show falters so too will the empowerment and enlightenment that is pivotal to the message. And what is that message. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder to quaint?

Apparently the point isn't as so many young women identify with the character. Yet, how many young women get their dream job without the extras extreme good looks provide.How many win the lottery about as many as the Betty's, who truly get what they desire.

Statitics state attractive over plain , trim over broad and degrees from Harvard over insignificant city colleges. While the show has a wonderful concept, failure is a part of life to. Circumstances, fate, and errors can be life altering. Hope and a healthy self image is wonderful. But Prince Charmings hunting down the other shoe so he can found out where to purchase a pair in his size and life is both cruel and kind. Maybe I am a bit of a pessimist, but I am loathe to see a positive premise turn into a campy cartoon to keep the viewers titalated in ccommercial consumption.

Genders and other mothers

I have watched Huffman performance in " Trans America' twice as there is so many subtle nuances, one viewing couldn't possibly encompass.
First, there is the reconciliation with stanly, the acknowledgment of a forgotton entity that almost has to be devoured, ingested, if you will to be complete.Oddly like the stronger twin embryo inbibing the weaker.
Second, what was once the most important life altering experience runs secondary to companionship and trust something she could not afford to do for a fear of exposure until her habits became her prison. At her job, she was a genderless dishwasher and a liar. She lies to her therapist and although not stated it is intimated by Bree's knowledge of indian knowledge that Stanly may have fabricated the heritage to alienate himself further from his fanily. He tells his son the truth and faces his family when he sees his son as a friend, then as of him/her a gift impossible without Stanly.
It is a life affirming film. As in all perceptioms, we hope that Bree's son stays with her. We hope she gets her degree. We hope he gets film work he truly wants and we hope just this once it really is like this.

fallacies

Although Wolf makes valid points regarding the negative and unrealistic
perception of women in " The Beauty Myth" , she fails to consider that pornographic "women" rate slighty higher than the blowup dolls circulating for decades. They cannot articulate, voice opinions and are embarrasing to be seen with.
Moreover, there is the issue of censorship, when one discusses pornography, what precisely is the definition? What is considered art was once labeled as pornography. And couples, lovers, and those comfortable in their sexual preferences, whose finger is going to be pointing out the error of their ways... perhaps a government that has always resented the seperation of church and state, like this one and his forefathers.
It is always worthwhile to watch technologies agenda, especially if looking your age means losing your position to a younger women as men never grow old only wiser or some such rot.
However if invasive measures are the only option open to keeping that lucrative incentive, then maybe it is time to retire the position and find something that doesn't require one to stay in the dangerous race of plastic technology. A technology that erases character, real beauty and redefines it
at the expense of the recipient, the client, the payee.
Is it me or does the connsumate botox consumer resemble a fashionable
article once delivered through a specialty catalog?

I got the BLUES

Leslie Feinberg has written a very honest, emotionally moving novel! Stone Butch Blues allows readers to get inside the psyche of a butch lesbian who grew up in an Era were sock-hops, milkshakes, and drive-in movie theaters were all the rage. The model picture of the American Family, in the 50’s, dominated billboards, laundry detergent boxes, and television shows across the nation. Children and teens coming of age in this post-world war II environment had really only one image of what “normalcy” was. Our protagonist Jess Goldberg is bombarded with cookie cutter images of how she should look and behave from quite an early age. She doesn’t fit into the perfect box everyone is trying to cram her into. I found it really very disturbing that her parents actually sent her to a psychiatric hospital of some sort just for dressing up in her fathers clothing. It is so upsetting to think about the traumatic experience she encountered while there. Two men urinating on your bed sheets is something no one should have to endure. I was also a bit surprised that her encounter with a doctor was very brief. There was no real clear cut discussion of why she was forced to spend a night in this hospital. I would like to think that doctors and people working within the field of psychology have better communication skills and sweeter bedside manners now-a-days. I liked the symbolism behind the ring that was given to Jess’s mother by Native American women. Right from the onset of Jess’s birth the Native American women informed her mom that she would have a very different path in life than others. It was interesting to see that Jess became fascinated with the ring as she got a little older. An androgynous dancing figure was depicted on this precious turquoise and silver piece of jewelry. This once again reinforces the openness that Native Americans have when it comes to ideas about gender. I found this interesting because, in Transamerica, we see an older Native American gentlemen being accepting of Bree. It was cool to have a voyeuristic glance into the subculture of Butch/Femme nightclubs in the 50’s. I found it really difficult to read about the torture that many women endured by sexist cops. It seems so odd to picture now. I can’t even imagine police breaking down the door of a gay club and demanding that every female show them that they have “3 pieces of female clothing on”! How strange, sounds like they were the Fashion Police! The brutal beatings butch women received from male cops were inflicted in order to make the butch women feel as though they could never be as tough and strong as real BIOLOGICAL males. It is so insane and narcissistic on the cops’ part to think that these butch women dressed and acted manly just to get under their skin. I mean isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery. I feel like this book gives readers a positive message about the importance of allowing others to live their lives in a way that they feel is appropriate and healthy. If we all just took the time to at least be tolerant of others this world would be a much better place!

Now its my turn to complain

How does everyone feel after reading the book? Do you feel better about yourself? Heck I do. Its tough not too. Her(or should I say his?) story makes my life seem easy. Also makes me think twice before complaining, but after thinking about it for a second time, I'm going to.Here we see Jess go through one bad experience after another. Relationship after relationship falls apart. The trips to the bars and clubs always go wrong. They usually end in someone going to jail and getting beaten up or raped, which changes their lives forever. Friends are constantly disappearing because they can't take the abusive lifestyle anymore. And we can't forget the struggle of finding and keeping a job. A sucky job at that. These jobs involve hard labor, harsh working environments and crappy bosses. And to put you down even more, the thought of advancement or a raise at your job is impossible and hopeless.

I found the novel quite depressing. Like I said, there was one bad experience after another. And I guess that's the life of a butch, especially during those times, but I just needed something positive to happen or look forward to while reading. There was nothing to hold onto. Of course that never really came. She never had much hope and thus neither did I. I also found the novel repetitive. It didn't take long to get used to the routine. She met someone new, went to the bar, either got or witnessed a beating, and then it was time to complain about work. So this is me complaining.