Main Post 2/1/11

Rebecca Walker “Becoming the Third Wave”

The Hill/Thomas hearing wasnot about the actual sexual harassment charge, it was about women’s credibility and power

“For those whose sense of power is so obviously connected to the health and vigor of the penis, it would have been a metaphoric castration.”

-this is an extremely powerful statement in which the enormity of the Hill/Thomas decision is contectualized. Had Hill won the case, men everywhere would have been at risk of losing their power and the entire dynamic between men and women might have changed.

HIll was repudiated and he was promoted therefore reaffirming mans undoubted power over women

“push beyond my rage and articulate an agenda”

-Walker decided that even though sexism made her more angry than she could put into words, if she was going to make a difference she would have to channel all that anger into something useful ACTION

“To be a feminist is to integrate an ideology of equality and female empowerment into the very fiber of my life”

Walker thought that to be successful in making a difference she would have to integrate feminism into her entire life. While this would surely make a difference, I am not sure I agree that it is in the only way to make a difference. It seems to me that any small feminist act can make a difference

“Challenge Men to Reject Gender Stereotypes”

Gender refers to more than just females, it refers to men too but is often only associated for females. Gender stereotypes tend to be ignored when they are in reference to men, which is unacceptable.

Men need to think about sex as a chance to communicate mutually with women rather than as a chance to dominate and conquer.

This seems as though it would be obvious but the way that men talk about sex, even now, is in a way that is dominating and demeaning to women.

This passage is sending the message that men must help women in creating a gender-sensitive society

“Living the MYTH of male superiority”

-Here, the passage is saying that although men and women have lived with male superiority for as long as they have, it is all a myth (social construct). Not only that, but this myth hinders men as well as women. Men cannot hold jobs that are considered a ‘womens’ job, cannot show emotions, etc.

*gender struggle is not about lifting women to the position of men because men have been put on a pedestal, it is about realizing that men and women are equal and that men have to get off their high horse

"Enlightened Sexism"

Also references the Hill case and talks about how the evidence against Thomas was substantial and hard to make up, yet the Senate, which was 98% male, treated Hill dismissively

Women were energized by Hill, Tailhook, and Backlash (also influential) and emerged as a political force in 1992, which was dubbed “the year of the woman”

Throughout the early 90’s there was a constant battle between enlightened sexism and embedded feminism because while women were gaining leverage politically, they were also infatuated and obsessed with shows like “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Murphy Brown”

In 90210 there were many stereotypes, especially early on in the sitcom’s plot. For example; Brenda’s brother drove Brenda to school every day because she couldn’t pass drivers education (portrays her and women, in general, as unintelligent and codependent). This is just one of many examples where Brandon and Brenda fit into the stereotypes of men and women.

“Dylan and Brandon offer the fantasy of a teen world humanized by girls and feminine values, a world where nurturing and treating girls with sensitivity matters-and is rewarded. Who needs feminism anymore if teen guys are like this?”

-this is all well and good for the show but is completely unrealistic. The show portrays something that isn’t reality and therefore falsely makes girls believe that sexism does not exist

“Melrose Place” was a show where in which Heather Locklear, the main actress, was portrayed as an intelligent business-women in her 30s, while this empowered women, she was also portrayed as being slutty (added by the producers).

This has become the recipe for all “powerful women” on television…while they seem empowered men are really getting exactly what they want (Law and Order)

“Murphy Brown” (1988) completely went the other way and practiced embedded feminism on television. The protagonist, Murphy Brown, was essentially a man in a women’s body. She was in complete control of every situation, was feared by her colleagues (including men), and had no idea how to do things like cook.

Riot Grrrl was a movement during the 90s that was met with a lot of hostility in the media. It empowered women and gained a lot of popularity quickly. “Riot Grrrl was a threat to the conventional notions of girls as compliant and passive, and as primarily obsessed with boys and shopping.”

“Sassy” was a magazine that essentially captured the attention and hearts of women in the 90’s. It was very entertaining but also portrayed extreme feminism. It empowered girls by asking questions like why getting a manicure was looked down upon while lifting weights was not?

-Riot Grrrl and “Sassy” are both great examples of women’s movements that men feel threatened by and try to thwart before they become dangerous to the balance of power in modern society

Women being violent in films is considered sexy by men.

This chapter says that enlightened sexism should be exploited and stoked (especially to sell products) but should be policed and punished (to keep girls and women in their place)

Women being violent in the media became media sensation. Trials were televised, t-shirts were made, etc.

-Amy Fisher and Lorena Bobbitt were both framed by the media as feminists.

-therefore feminism was equated with evil and scandal (was this the intention of the media or a natural result of patriarchal society?)

The Bill Clinton scandal was also a scandal that demeaned women everywhere and was extremely prevalent in the media

Janet Reno never smiled, she had a low pitched voice, she never cracked joke, etc…automatically people considered her asexual, or not a real woman.

Characters like Buffy and Xena were debated about at lengths because people didn’t know whether they should consider them feminists who stood for power and independence or whether they advanced fashion magazine standards of beauty and thinness while exposing much of their skin.

-Buffy and Xena sparked a warrior women obsession but was this good or bad for women?