Sunday, September 27, 2015

Talking Point #3





Misogyny is something that is always thrown under the table that is never talked about but definitely needs to be discussed. Women will almost always be looked at as an object. It's a norm seeing women in provocative attire on the cover of magazines and this alters the way we look at ourselves. I've always had a problem with my body image because all I ever saw was caucasian skinny women basically yelling, "THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD BE." 

One of the women who is interviewed after her breast implants says, "I really like my new boobs, I feel really girly and confident."I did not know larger breasts define how girly you are, or the confidence you have. The breasts we see in these magazines are false advertisement. Everything in magazines are altered to appeal to the the dummies who believe that celebrities look like dolls in real life. 

Not many people would agree with me but, when talking about Nelly Furtado's song, Promiscuous Girl, I don't find anything wrong with it. A female can have casual sex just as a man can without being called "slut," "whore," etc. The woman in the video says the video is "promoting sluttiness" but really she's just saying "we're one in the same." No matter what a female does, it will always be objectifying. She sleeps with multiple men, she's a slut. He sleeps with multiple females, he's got game. Lil Kim said it best, If the guy have three girls then he's the man. He can either give us some head, sex a roar. If the girl do the same, then she's a whore." I always refer back to Queen Kim when discussing the matter of casual sex. 

I don't like how this video used the Pussycat Dolls for the main focus on the sex appeal for women because let's be honest, the only reason why they were famous because just that. Referring back to the beginning of the video, they say something along the lines of, "would their music be sold if there was no sex appeal?"

Lastly, the segment of the rapper Eminem and him not using the "n-word" and using "bitch," "hoe," etc., is definitely incomparable and I'll leave it at that........................................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2gy1Evb1Kg

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Talking Point #2


Oppression - Marilyn Frye

Firstly, I just like to say that in the article, the explanation of oppression was definitely not as knee deep as I would have hoped. It was definitely sugar coated and should not have been thought of or compared to as a bird in a cage, maybe an electric cage but not an ordinary one especially since because oppression is more common now more than ever.

"The statement that women are oppressed is frequently met with the claim that men are oppressed too. We hear that oppressing is oppressive to those who oppress as well as to those they oppress. Some men cite as evidence of their oppression on their much -advertised inability to cry."

I'm not sure how I feel about this quote because I don't understand how man can think they are oppressed when they "made up" these gender norms per se. Masculinity is very much so praised in society, but only when it's a cis male. Even [some] women won't accept a man who shows much emotion. I do understand to a point where they are "oppressed" but I wouldn't even call it oppressed...there has to be another word out there.

"Both heterosexual activity and heterosexual nonactivity are likely to be taken as proof that you wanted to be raped, and hence, of course, weren't really raped at all. You can't win. You are caught in a bind, caught between systematically related pressures."

Frye is definitely right when she said, "You can't win" because you really can't. Most people think that because women get raped they were "asking for it" by wearing "provocative clothing." In most instances, women are in normal every day clothing when raped.


Question: I do have a question regarding last weeks article that I've been thinking of since then; How come homophobia is often feared when talking about feminism? We are fighting for equality amongst all genders and sexes and women are worried about being called a lesbian? I don't understand.


Saturday, September 12, 2015

Talking Point #1



Rowe-Funkbeiner, "A Tsunami in History" from the F-Word; Feminism in Jeopardy


Reflection:


Reading the first article made me raise questions about race in the Feminism world. I don’t exactly consider myself a feminist because of that matter. I do consider myself a womanist, which is a type of feminism but concerning racial and gender oppression of our black women. On page 26, ___ states, “Many allege that the second wave represented mainly the concerns of middle and upper class white women,” and it’s just that. Even now there is a difference between “white feminism” and “black feminism”. Most middle class white women now in the third wave are not as discriminated against as black women still are. In the passage on page 27, Susan Brownmiller responded to the question of, “Do you think women of color were excluded in the second wave?” and she responded with something along the lines of, “Definitely not, but they were “torn” because of civil rights issues with black men.” I thought that statement was complete bullshit. What is feminism? It’s equality among all gender, sexual orientation, skin color, ethnicity, religion, culture, or lifestyle, right? So why wouldn’t civil rights be included? In the third wave of feminism today, some, not all are more concerned about things like “Free the Nipple” instead of more important problems at hand. I do understand the frustration of the female body being sexualized by man when breasts are just breasts and nothing more, but there’s more to it. We as women should not be fighting to prove that we are better than men, but to fight to prove that we are more than capable to work along side men as equals in all sense to the word.


http://freethenipple.com



Saturday, September 5, 2015

who is verrie berry ??

My name is Verrie. I'm currently a junior in the college world, but this is the beginning of my second year here at RIC. I look completely mean and unapproachable, but I promise you I'm not. I work full time at Dunkin Donuts and go to school full time, so I have little to no social life. I'm a proud advocate for #BlackLivesMatter. I'm always reading articles on random things rather than reading textbooks for school work. This summer I was a donut slave for most of the days, on Sundays I usually went to the beach (although you cannot really tell), and of course I took my naps. I love naps. I forgot, I bought my first car this summer as well. It's not the nicest car, nor the quietest car, and I know for sure it's not going to do well in the snow this year, but I'm just so proud to call it mine.

Thanks for reading xo