I forgot to post the addresses for the websites for Bust and Venus. In case you're interested in feeling good about yourself:
http://www.venuszine.com/
http://bust.com/
Give them a chance.
Oh, and if you're somewhat squeamish, breeze past the vibrator ads.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
This Beauty Myth is a Bitch.
I have a hard time believing that the "Second Sex" has it easier than males. This belief could lie solely in the fact that we are referred to as the "second sex". That is a serious accusation in itself. But, aside from the degradation and hatred certain men feel toward women, we have to deal with a lot. We have periods, we have serious body image issues, and we have to contend with an industry that aims to destroy us piece by piece, until we finally give in and buy what they're selling. Men "read" magazines such as Maxim and Playboy, and they see images of perfect female forms. Women read publications such as Cosmopolitan and Allure, and they, too, see images of perfect female forms. For women to face these vacant eyes and elongated necks is to face the fact that their own bodies do not compete on the same level. The excess fat on the stomach and the bags under the eyes are airbrushed out of existence.
Of course, there are magazines out there doing their best to contend the Beauty Myth, and make women and girls feel comfortable in their own skin again. This is no small feat, after years and years of being made to feel inadequate. Let's look at a couple of these magazines.
This is the cover of Bust Magazine:
The woman on the front is a French actress who graced the screen in "The Science of Sleep". She is beautiful, but not in the traditional, Americanized way. She does not have huge breasts, and her face is not perfect. Still, I think she is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Her soft French accent accentuates this.
Another magazine is Venus Zine.
On the cover is a singer who goes by the name "Feist". This publication is mostly about music, but focuses on women in music, art, and the DIY (do it yourself--a craft/punk rock/independent revolution) scene. The women in this Zine and like me and you. They're regular old girls, and they're damn proud of it.
So, with these amazing publications out there, why do women still subject themselves to the torture chambers we call Cosmo? I don't know. Why would you want to look at pictures of vacuous, blue-eyed, blonde-haired, 8 foot tall robots? Well, we like to make ourselves feel bad. We probably feel like we deserve to feel bad because we gained 10 pounds last winter. Oh, I don't know. It sucks. That's what I'll end with.
Of course, there are magazines out there doing their best to contend the Beauty Myth, and make women and girls feel comfortable in their own skin again. This is no small feat, after years and years of being made to feel inadequate. Let's look at a couple of these magazines.
This is the cover of Bust Magazine:
The woman on the front is a French actress who graced the screen in "The Science of Sleep". She is beautiful, but not in the traditional, Americanized way. She does not have huge breasts, and her face is not perfect. Still, I think she is one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Her soft French accent accentuates this.
Another magazine is Venus Zine.
On the cover is a singer who goes by the name "Feist". This publication is mostly about music, but focuses on women in music, art, and the DIY (do it yourself--a craft/punk rock/independent revolution) scene. The women in this Zine and like me and you. They're regular old girls, and they're damn proud of it.
So, with these amazing publications out there, why do women still subject themselves to the torture chambers we call Cosmo? I don't know. Why would you want to look at pictures of vacuous, blue-eyed, blonde-haired, 8 foot tall robots? Well, we like to make ourselves feel bad. We probably feel like we deserve to feel bad because we gained 10 pounds last winter. Oh, I don't know. It sucks. That's what I'll end with.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Ad-Krac(auer) and Zero Gender
Alright, I wrote about the idea of Ad-Crack last time, the overpowering allure of beauty in advertisements, something we just can't seem to get enough of, but I forgot to tie it in with, yes, go ahead and pull a hair out, theory. I found myself distracted writing last week, what with the Virginia Tech tragedy (and the gendered nature of shooting rampages is, I hope to offend no one, of highly phallic imagery--an offshoot, no pun intended, of the mediations of "war porn" and, dare I say, "9/11 porn"--class, I'll just stop here and get on with it!) that I forgot to bring in Kracauer.
Siegfried Kracauer, German cultural theorist, had the idea of the "mass ornament'--a reference to the dancing Tiller Girls of the 20s and 30s, who, he claims "are no longer individual girls, but indissoluble female units whose movements are mathematical demonstrations"; the singular "ornament" consists of "thousands of bodies, sexless bodies." Bringing back the Ad-Crack, I keep thinking of images of beauty in ads as a current manifestation of Kracauer's "mass ornament," wherein a piece of a body on a billboard and another piece of a body spilling from a Panasonic flatscreen and another piece from a magazine Lancome full-page (shades of Mulvey's "one part of a fragmented body . . . gives flatness, the quality of a cut-out or icon") add up to Madison Avenue's "mathematical demonstrations" of "indissoluble female units" (and what an appropriately monetary and anatomical term "unit" is here) for the sake of peddling beauty.
And "sexless bodies?" Well, they are Baudrillardian reproductions, copies of copies of copies--enough eye candy to make you want to start an underground fighting ring, what say you? When does a copied gender supersede original gender? When does sex disappear?
And this "ornament" is rapidly being pornographized. Bikinis on a near-subatomic level--seen the Niels Bohr Collection? Jeans low-slung enough to offset gravity.
Things've evolved--or devolved, depending. We're seeing a monument to pornography, a "mass pornament." I had to go there, y'know.
Can I seamlessly segue here into Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues?
Forget it.
I can't.
Anyway, the "Impressions of the Man" essay beat me to a lot of things I wanted to say. It didn't beat me to Fight Club analogies, though.
There's Fight Club and the analogy of factory jobs and "making" gender--"for Jess [materialization] is the product of labour" and "Jess does the 'work' of 'making' and 'remaking' identity" (108). Working in steel mills and paper mills and plastics factories and binderies, places of making things parallels Jess's attempts to "make" herself. (Ah, if only he-she'd worked in a soap-rendering plant, what a nice parallel to Fight Club, a story where gender is made--and, if not made, found, rediscovered, through the cleansing metaphor of soap. AHH!!--this might help my FINAL PAPER!)
Then there's Fight Club and Jess's typesetting job--"where Jess lived in a world where he/r identity existed outside of language and text, he/r work as a typesetter, setting type in relief and in the proper order for printing, provides for he/r entry into the symbolic order" and "s/he now works at night setting in relief the code that made printed language possible" and "Jess labours to manifest histories" (136). (Ah, remember Tyler Durden's ramshackle heart of the Paper Street Soap Company--a house on Paper Street--and consider the idea of Paper Street past the fact that a paper mill--perhaps not so different from the mill Jess Goldberg laboured--is found there--consider the name Paper Street--a region where genders, identities, can be written, rewritten, typeset, copied, circulated. Tabula rasa-rama! AHHH!!!--this, too, might help my FINAL PAPER!).
Zero Gender?
I'm halfway through Feinberg's book, just past where Jess has her breasts, her "absolute female signifiers," removed. S/he has a "flat chest," the 'visual signifier of maleness" in the "Impressions" essay (123). I don't know to what lengths s/he'll go to "pass," but if s/he doesn't add an "absolute male signifier" to the equation ("mathematical" Kracauer-ism?) by the book's finish, is Jess zero gender? If one absolute sign is removed without the opposing absolute sign there to resignify, where is s/he, as a gender. Zero gender? Post-gender?
Donna Haraway, where are you?
Zero gender--a repellent to Ad-Crack?
I don't know. Jess really likes her BVDs.
Siegfried Kracauer, German cultural theorist, had the idea of the "mass ornament'--a reference to the dancing Tiller Girls of the 20s and 30s, who, he claims "are no longer individual girls, but indissoluble female units whose movements are mathematical demonstrations"; the singular "ornament" consists of "thousands of bodies, sexless bodies." Bringing back the Ad-Crack, I keep thinking of images of beauty in ads as a current manifestation of Kracauer's "mass ornament," wherein a piece of a body on a billboard and another piece of a body spilling from a Panasonic flatscreen and another piece from a magazine Lancome full-page (shades of Mulvey's "one part of a fragmented body . . . gives flatness, the quality of a cut-out or icon") add up to Madison Avenue's "mathematical demonstrations" of "indissoluble female units" (and what an appropriately monetary and anatomical term "unit" is here) for the sake of peddling beauty.
And "sexless bodies?" Well, they are Baudrillardian reproductions, copies of copies of copies--enough eye candy to make you want to start an underground fighting ring, what say you? When does a copied gender supersede original gender? When does sex disappear?
And this "ornament" is rapidly being pornographized. Bikinis on a near-subatomic level--seen the Niels Bohr Collection? Jeans low-slung enough to offset gravity.
Things've evolved--or devolved, depending. We're seeing a monument to pornography, a "mass pornament." I had to go there, y'know.
Can I seamlessly segue here into Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues?
Forget it.
I can't.
Anyway, the "Impressions of the Man" essay beat me to a lot of things I wanted to say. It didn't beat me to Fight Club analogies, though.
There's Fight Club and the analogy of factory jobs and "making" gender--"for Jess [materialization] is the product of labour" and "Jess does the 'work' of 'making' and 'remaking' identity" (108). Working in steel mills and paper mills and plastics factories and binderies, places of making things parallels Jess's attempts to "make" herself. (Ah, if only he-she'd worked in a soap-rendering plant, what a nice parallel to Fight Club, a story where gender is made--and, if not made, found, rediscovered, through the cleansing metaphor of soap. AHH!!--this might help my FINAL PAPER!)
Then there's Fight Club and Jess's typesetting job--"where Jess lived in a world where he/r identity existed outside of language and text, he/r work as a typesetter, setting type in relief and in the proper order for printing, provides for he/r entry into the symbolic order" and "s/he now works at night setting in relief the code that made printed language possible" and "Jess labours to manifest histories" (136). (Ah, remember Tyler Durden's ramshackle heart of the Paper Street Soap Company--a house on Paper Street--and consider the idea of Paper Street past the fact that a paper mill--perhaps not so different from the mill Jess Goldberg laboured--is found there--consider the name Paper Street--a region where genders, identities, can be written, rewritten, typeset, copied, circulated. Tabula rasa-rama! AHHH!!!--this, too, might help my FINAL PAPER!).
Zero Gender?
I'm halfway through Feinberg's book, just past where Jess has her breasts, her "absolute female signifiers," removed. S/he has a "flat chest," the 'visual signifier of maleness" in the "Impressions" essay (123). I don't know to what lengths s/he'll go to "pass," but if s/he doesn't add an "absolute male signifier" to the equation ("mathematical" Kracauer-ism?) by the book's finish, is Jess zero gender? If one absolute sign is removed without the opposing absolute sign there to resignify, where is s/he, as a gender. Zero gender? Post-gender?
Donna Haraway, where are you?
Zero gender--a repellent to Ad-Crack?
I don't know. Jess really likes her BVDs.
Feinberg's interview brought even more clarity (or confusion, depending on how you look at it) to the subject of gender. More than hetero, homo, lesbian, and bi-sexual, there are a seemingly infinite variety of gender identifications. Her fight for the rights of the individual to express their gender is admirable. Society is just coming to accept the concept of homosexuality, but she sheds light on the fact that there is far to go.
It seems to be popular today for females to be bi-sexual. Whether this is a true gender identity or just to gain the attention of straight men, is subject to debate--I guess it depends on the person, but it sure seems more like pop culture to me. What about the bi-sexual male? Not popular. There are, I would argue, more cases of true male bi-sexuality than female--these men certainly don't do it to garner the attention of straight girls. One young woman even told me that any man who would be with another man is definitely homosexual.
In reading and talking to homo/lesbian acquaintances/friends, many see the bi-sexual as just straddling the fence--they think it is just black or white. That is why Feinberg's opinions are so refreshing; she sees the infinite variations of grey in between.
Honesty is something she mentioned that stuck out. She, like her character Jess, are honest about themselves. So many people in our culture are willing to deny their true self to fit into a nice little category. Or, these people are pretending to be something they are not. Honesty about such a personal issue can bring ridicule, embarrassment, or worse upon the the individual brave enough to stand up and "come out".
We have come far in the last 30 years in accepting "alternative" lifestyles. There are strong parallels with the rights of people of color and the rights of people to define their own gender. Each cause needs it's own flag bearer. Feinberg seems to be carrying this standard, obscure as it may be to the masses.
It seems to be popular today for females to be bi-sexual. Whether this is a true gender identity or just to gain the attention of straight men, is subject to debate--I guess it depends on the person, but it sure seems more like pop culture to me. What about the bi-sexual male? Not popular. There are, I would argue, more cases of true male bi-sexuality than female--these men certainly don't do it to garner the attention of straight girls. One young woman even told me that any man who would be with another man is definitely homosexual.
In reading and talking to homo/lesbian acquaintances/friends, many see the bi-sexual as just straddling the fence--they think it is just black or white. That is why Feinberg's opinions are so refreshing; she sees the infinite variations of grey in between.
Honesty is something she mentioned that stuck out. She, like her character Jess, are honest about themselves. So many people in our culture are willing to deny their true self to fit into a nice little category. Or, these people are pretending to be something they are not. Honesty about such a personal issue can bring ridicule, embarrassment, or worse upon the the individual brave enough to stand up and "come out".
We have come far in the last 30 years in accepting "alternative" lifestyles. There are strong parallels with the rights of people of color and the rights of people to define their own gender. Each cause needs it's own flag bearer. Feinberg seems to be carrying this standard, obscure as it may be to the masses.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The grass is sometimes greener on the other side.
WOW, was the first thing I though of after I finish the movie Transamerica. Overall I do have to say that I was impressed by the performance of the actors and of what a powerful message the movie had. To me the movie represented the struggles that people go through when they don’t match society’s expectations. Many of the characters, in fact I would even go as far as to say almost all the main characters suffer from they beauty and porn myth. It’s difficult enough to meet society’s standards even if you are considered to be an average person, but to try to stand up next to these rigid standards when you are way off any guideline must be horrible, especially if it is someone as close as your own parents enforcing these rules. Bree not only represents the awkwardness of double ness, but also the effects of the beauty myth. Bree wants to be the picture perfect female, as if there is really one, and goes above and beyond to mimic some commonly thought of behaviors that are associated with females; such behaviors as soft spoken, correct grammar, floral colors, good manners, and the always perfect appearance. Bree’s mother is a constant reinforcement of what is expected from appropriate boys and girls. Which is funny considering how she tries to cover up herself as well with too much make up and the fake smile. Toby, Bree’s son, is a good representation of the porn myth. Since a young age he has been subjected to sexual abuse of his body by males, so as time has gone by he has become almost numb to sexual interactions. Sex and porn are not stimulating to him, instead they are used to get him things that he wants or needs.
HuffMAN gives a Stellar performance!
Felicity Huffman certainly did an outstanding job at capturing the character of Bree! I can’t even imagine what a challenge that must have been. A female actress playing a male, who is pretending to be female is a massive undertaking. It must have been an amazing learning experience for Huffman, as an actor and as a heterosexual woman. One thing that I found quite ironic in the film was the wardrobe worn by Bree. Most of the time she was adorned in lots of “girlie” shades. The stereotypical colors of pink and purple seemed to be a favorite for this beloved conservative transsexual. Once again this brings up the idea of what people associate with gender. Bree’s whole mannerism was so pleasant. She was definitely a do-gooder, who had a lot of love in her heart and it was because of these sweet qualities that unsuspecting characters just saw her as a beautiful person. For example, the old Native American gentleman, Calvin, seemed to be completely infatuated with the smart, sophisticated Bree. In the one scene when Bree’s son is chatting with Calvin and tells him that she is a fanatical Christian, Calvin replies, “She can convert me anyday.” These lines present the audience with a doubling of sorts because Calvin isn’t aware of the fact that Bree possesses a penis. “Convert” could be hinting at Calvin entering into a homosexual relationship with Bree.
The title of the film has a doubling as well because “Trans” means to move, cross over. Most of the film takes place in a lime green station wagon, where Bree and her son go across the country and simultaneously grow as human beings. The specific relationship Bree has with her son eventually develops into one where each can gain emotional support from one another. I must admit, the scene in which her 17-year-old son isn’t aware that he is trying to seduce his own biological father is unnerving. This puts a whole new spin on the Oedipus complex. I felt sorry for the son because of the sexual abuse he endured from his mother’s lover.The trmatic experiences he faced twisted his views on love, sexuality, and gender. In was interesting because Bree and her son’s self worth were very low at the start of the film. By the conclusion, both seemed happy and whole. While most parents wouldn’t support their son if he chose to enter into the world of video porn, Bree does. This speaks volumes because it shows that Bree is going to give her son the respect and support that she didn’t receive for so many years. Aww, if that doesn’t make you melt I don’t know what will. I thought it was really funny to watch Bree be bothered by bugs and the outdoors. This perpetuates the idea that women should be frightened by nature and all its slimy creatures. Specifically the fear of snakes was mentioned several times. I believe this reference to snakes is representative of Bree’s extreme hate and anxiety of her penis. Eventually, her own “snake” is successful turned inside out through reassignment surgery. Transamerica prompts viewers to be more accepting of themselves and others around them. This film induces belly laughs and also has the power to make you think about the hardships faced by people who feel uncomfortable in their own skin. While the bond between parent and child is pertinent to the plot, I feel the main focus of the film is about self-discover and ultimately self-acceptance. It also made me want to jump in a car and travel to those little country towns, where lemonade runs through rivers and porch swings sway in the wind!
The title of the film has a doubling as well because “Trans” means to move, cross over. Most of the film takes place in a lime green station wagon, where Bree and her son go across the country and simultaneously grow as human beings. The specific relationship Bree has with her son eventually develops into one where each can gain emotional support from one another. I must admit, the scene in which her 17-year-old son isn’t aware that he is trying to seduce his own biological father is unnerving. This puts a whole new spin on the Oedipus complex. I felt sorry for the son because of the sexual abuse he endured from his mother’s lover.The trmatic experiences he faced twisted his views on love, sexuality, and gender. In was interesting because Bree and her son’s self worth were very low at the start of the film. By the conclusion, both seemed happy and whole. While most parents wouldn’t support their son if he chose to enter into the world of video porn, Bree does. This speaks volumes because it shows that Bree is going to give her son the respect and support that she didn’t receive for so many years. Aww, if that doesn’t make you melt I don’t know what will. I thought it was really funny to watch Bree be bothered by bugs and the outdoors. This perpetuates the idea that women should be frightened by nature and all its slimy creatures. Specifically the fear of snakes was mentioned several times. I believe this reference to snakes is representative of Bree’s extreme hate and anxiety of her penis. Eventually, her own “snake” is successful turned inside out through reassignment surgery. Transamerica prompts viewers to be more accepting of themselves and others around them. This film induces belly laughs and also has the power to make you think about the hardships faced by people who feel uncomfortable in their own skin. While the bond between parent and child is pertinent to the plot, I feel the main focus of the film is about self-discover and ultimately self-acceptance. It also made me want to jump in a car and travel to those little country towns, where lemonade runs through rivers and porch swings sway in the wind!
Transamerica…Does Society Really Know What’s Important?
Let me just start by saying that I really enjoyed this movie!! I have to agree with some of the other bloggers that this movie seemed to be more about love and family than the issue of trans-gender. Maybe what that suggests is that no matter what type of personal or social issues we face, nothing can break down the ties that we each have to our family members. Blood is definitely thicker than whatever type of makeup we use to try to mask our identities!
What I really enjoyed about this movie, of course, was its happy ending. Bree was portrayed as any other “normal” person, facing her problems with her parents, her son, finding love in her own life, and her troubles with her own self acceptance and body image. By the end of the movie, however, she had resolved all of her issues and seemed genuinely happy with herself and her life. Isn’t this really what everyone wants? Still, I think the movie sends out the message loud and clear that its ok to be trans-gendered, gay, whatever…because either way, your still human and therefore just as well off as anyone else in this world. Infact, if you can end up living a life of happiness, you may be even better off than some of the rest of us.
I also think that this movie ties into the “Beauty Myth” in that Bree was portrayed as a beautiful person inside, more so than on the outside. Although she put great effort into making herself “perfect,” dressing nicely, doing her nails, constantly checking her hair and makeup, etc., she still fell short of reaching society’s standards of beauty. However, as a person, Bree successfully brought her whole family back together, gave her estranged son a parent and new live, and filled the people close to her with love, all very beautiful acts. Thus, according to Wolf’s comments about the “beauty myth” being about behavior and not appearance, Bree exceeds what society would expect of her and turns out to be a very beautiful person, and even a role model for Toby. Such a touching story!
What I really enjoyed about this movie, of course, was its happy ending. Bree was portrayed as any other “normal” person, facing her problems with her parents, her son, finding love in her own life, and her troubles with her own self acceptance and body image. By the end of the movie, however, she had resolved all of her issues and seemed genuinely happy with herself and her life. Isn’t this really what everyone wants? Still, I think the movie sends out the message loud and clear that its ok to be trans-gendered, gay, whatever…because either way, your still human and therefore just as well off as anyone else in this world. Infact, if you can end up living a life of happiness, you may be even better off than some of the rest of us.
I also think that this movie ties into the “Beauty Myth” in that Bree was portrayed as a beautiful person inside, more so than on the outside. Although she put great effort into making herself “perfect,” dressing nicely, doing her nails, constantly checking her hair and makeup, etc., she still fell short of reaching society’s standards of beauty. However, as a person, Bree successfully brought her whole family back together, gave her estranged son a parent and new live, and filled the people close to her with love, all very beautiful acts. Thus, according to Wolf’s comments about the “beauty myth” being about behavior and not appearance, Bree exceeds what society would expect of her and turns out to be a very beautiful person, and even a role model for Toby. Such a touching story!
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