Beatriz

Female Objectification in Film

 Posted by on Wed, 12/7 at 8:36pm  ideas  No Responses »
Dec 072016
 

There’s always a car wash:

  • The film Bad Teacher, Cameron Diaz as an unqualified middle school teacher. Her character wants to get breast implants to catch the eye of a fellow teacher. To raise money for her surgery, she has a car wash. She wears short shorts and washes the car in a seductive slow-mo. The whole plot of the movie is materialistic and sexist.
  • The film Bring it On with Kirsten Dunst is a Cheerleader coach on her team and raises money by holding a car wash to hire a new choreographer for state competition. You see all the girls in bikinis and throwing water on each other and scrubbing their body parts on the cars. They have a girl in front wearing a bikini and holding a sign to attract customers. It’s just a bit much. 

Bottom line: There are better ways to raise money that does not require girls to strip down and show off their body. A little self-respect goes a long way..You are raising money, but you are demeaning yourself in the process. The only way girls get attention is by stripping down to a bikini. Wouldn’t it be great if they did something in the community? like tutoring lessons, garage sale, book drive or something? The people don’t care about your cause, they just want to see your body. That is so sleazy and dirty to me. Not everything has to be about sex and objectifying females.

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It’s always raining:

  • In the movie, 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore, there is a scene when her character(Lucy) breaks up with Henry. It is raining (surprise!) and she is wearing a sheer white shirt and she goes to give him one last kiss and she is drenched and you can see her nipples. That is another example of objectifying girls. I can’t even focus on the break up scene and feel bad for her because the director keeps the camera on her nipples. It’s as though the break up isn’t even important and they are not capturing her heartbreak. 
  • Another movie that has a nipple scene is Spiderman with Kirsten Dunst when she is kissing Spiderman in upside kiss. It is pouring outside and she is drenched and her nipples show through her shirt. The kiss is so sweet and passionate and then all of a sudden it’s boom! nipple…. It’s clear to see that she is a sex object- not just to Spiderman (Peter), but to the male audience as well. She is blonde, blue eyed and Peter has had a crush on her since he was a little boy.

Bottom line: It’s understandable to focus on the sex appeal, but it’s like she is a trophy Peter won in a science fair. She is not a object, she is a person. I would have liked to see more emotion from them, more connection. When they stop kissing, he just leaves her. He disappears. It’s like she was used for a cheap thrill. It was like he liked the chase. Women are supposed to be treated better and deserve more than that. Films need to focus more on the connection and emotions their scenes evoke. They should not cut to a nipple because it looks good. What do nipples bring to the table of a break up scene or kiss? NOTHING! it adds nothing to the scene. Women provide more than just their bodies and sex.

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Tight clothing in action movies:

In the film, Fast and Furious, Michelle Rodriguez wears these really tight, low cut jeans and crop tops showing cleavage.  She is seen as sex object and conquest. She appeals to male audience because her character loves cars. She is driving fast cars and can fix cars. It’s like she is this whole package. A man’s fantasy. A hot chick that loves cars.  That is un-heard of.. I just don’t get why she needs to be dressed so provocatively while working on or driving cars? Is it because it gives her confidence? it distracts her opponents? I have no clue.. Her talents should speak louder than her body.  If she really is an important cast member in the film franchise, then I hope they have more respect for her.

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  • Another movie is Avengers. Of the six heroes, only one is female, the Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson who plays this character is known for her vulumpous body. This never goes unnoticed, for the Black Widow is in a skintight leather suit for most of the movie. You never see any of the men wearing that. Scarlett Johansson is known for her boobs (sorry, but true).. If males are attracted to her body, I don’t think they care if she is a bad actress. I can bet that men don’t go see her for her amazing acting. It’s a bit sad that it’s the only reason audience go to watch a movie because of someone’s appearance.   It’s kinda like when you know you know the movie is bad but you try to convince a friend to go with you by saying oh so so (hot actress or actor by society demands) is in it. Yes, you are famous but for the wrong reasons. I personally wouldn’t watch a movie just because of someone’s appearance.  Like 50 shades of grey. People were going crazy for the actor and all the hype of it..I thought he looked hideous and he was so bad at acting. It was laughable. I got dragged to see it by a friend(she liked the guy). Worst 2 hours of my life and worst $13 spent. I don’t need to watch a movie about sex…I think we all know what to do and we each have our preference of what we like in bed. I don’t need a movie pushing S&M on me.. 

Bottom line: I watch a movie because of what it makes me feel. It’s a shallow world we live in that we would only see a movie if there’s only hot people in it. 

What is woman?

 Posted by on Wed, 11/16 at 10:22pm  proposal  1 Response »
Nov 162016
 

Topic: Exposure of sexual images to children has become the order of the day in the modern society. The most surprising thing is that this exposure continues to increase every day, as the young girls enhance their contact with mass media through innovative technologies such as cell phones and other computing devices. Studies show how in almost all advertisements made in the digital and print media, women are the ones mostly sexualised in comparison to men.Studies show how in almost all advertisements made in the digital and print media, women are the ones mostly sexualised in comparison to men.

Position: Furthermore, when girls buy outfits and products that are intended to make them look sexy and attractive in order to imitate the celebrities who occupy their social influence, they are simply victims of sexualisation. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, there are four conditions that evidently portray sexualisation. When a ‘person’s worth comes from his or her sexual appeal or behaviour, to the exclusion of other characteristic’, a person is held to a paradigm that associates physical attractiveness with being sexy, ‘a person is sexually objectified meaning she is made into thing for others’ sexual use contrary to being perceived as an independent person capable of independent actions and decisions’ or ‘when sexuality is imposed upon a person’.Furthermore, when men are exposed to images with high sexual content the result is that they create stereotypes of women and ideological expectations in their head that can lead to sexual abuse and rape culture. 

Locate the topic: Media(apps, ads, celebrities), men, societal ideologies of women, women’s self perception, make up. All these factors affect sexualization in our culture/society.

Importance: Girls can form eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression in trying to fulfill societal expectations. The way men treat women needs to change. We cannot normalize sexualization of young girls and women in society. The way media depicts women needs to stop because this only normalizes perception of women and objectifies them instead of treating them as human beings. Women are more than a body and sex. We have thoughts, dreams, beliefs, ambitions.

 

Victoria’s Secret

 Posted by on Sun, 11/13 at 4:21pm  reading  No Responses »
Nov 132016
 

The company presents the world with a negative image of women: women are over-sexualized in VS ads, the ads discriminate against all shapes and sizes of women, and they give women an unrealistic standard to hold themselves.Victoria’s Secret advertisement a couple of years ago,“Bright Young Things“ for their PINK line of underwear caused a stir among parents. It’s not that thongs meant for young women emblazoned with phrases like “Call Me” and “Feeling Lucky?” are entirely shocking coming from Victoria’s Secret, but more that they insisted on comparing our young daughters to objects and things in order to sell them this lingerie. there is a also another line called sexy little things. So if Idon’t wear the underwear I am not sexy? What defines bright and sexy? The same thing happens in the Victoria’s Secret stores; models with pouty lips and sultry eyes are blown up on posters. The Victoria’s Secret models hold a very un-realistic view of a woman’s body. They are so skinny and have big breast implants. They wear these low v cut bras that make their boobs ginormous. I also remember when Victoria’s Secret used to have those mannequins throughout the store. They were very sexualized. they had long hair, put lips, full on make-up. Victoria’s Secret also gives a message to consumers that power comes from flaunting our bodies. It relies on us believing that we are beautiful and “sexy” if we wear their bras and underwear. The different colors, designs are supposed to spice up our sex lives. It’s targeting the male audience. We have to put on their perfume and lotion to smell good for a man. We have to wear lingerie to attract him and spice up our sex life. We are merely made to be sexual objects and also used for men’s pleasure. Victoria’s Secret is sort oa guide to what we must do and wear to get a man to like us.  Also the models are called Angels. This is highly ironic because they do not dress like innocent women or have a humble marketing/fashion show. They wear the teeny underwear and $100M diamond bra. 

I don’t need a store to tell me I’m not sexy enough or not doing enough to get a man. These bras and underwear are merely suggestions.  I do not have to follow their criteria or standards of beauty. Also their bras are $50+.That is not sexy.

Women are “too sensitive”

 Posted by on Sun, 11/6 at 9:46pm  ideas  No Responses »
Nov 062016
 

Most men think that women are put in the world for pleasure, their own entertainment. They only think about what they want and think of ways of getting it (from girls). In traditional gender roles, women are taught to act like a lady, be proper, stay quiet, be submissive. When a man talks and asserts authority, women are supposed to listen and take them seriously and do as they say. Women are not supposed to question men. Women are supposed to nod and smile at everything. Act like robots. I don’t even know why. I’m sorry, but if you are talking about things that are completely against my values, you can bet I will speak up. I will not sit and take it. Some women think that staying quiet is a sure way to keep a man or they fear that the guy will be angry with them. I’m sorry, but women are humans as well. We have emotions. We have our own thoughts. We have a voice. We are not just toys you can play with and toy around with. Women have different roles in life than being a mother and wife. Sorry, not sorry. Men tend to forget this fact. If women stand up for themselves, they are called “too sensitive” or that we are “over-reacting” and we need to “calm down”. That is the worst thing that you can tell a girl. If a woman is telling you she’s hurt or offended, it means you need to apologize, not brush it off. It does not mean call us crazy. These type of remarks are men’s way of manipulating , minimizing her worth. It’s a way to silence women. I am not one to sit by the sidelines while letting a man tell me what I’m feeling is all in my head. I am not scared to stand up for myself and demand respect. If that makes me crazy, so be it. At least I’m not crazy enough to let a man tell me how I should feel. I have a stronger persepective of myself. I know what I deserve and I don’t deserve to be treated like a child. Do not shame women or invalidate their feelings. Do not intimidate women when they voice their opinions and reasons. It is not about having thick skin or taking criticism well. I will not apologize for who I am and saying what I feel and how I feel. I will not apologize for being true to myself and being honest with you. One big clue why men say this is because they know they’re wrong but are too coward to say “I’m Sorry”. They are trying to keep their power and trying to make women inferior. when a woman speaks up,  men feel threatened and thus turn the ables around. I also heard that some guys also use this tactic because they think that if they sweet talk you, women will forgive them and they will get some later. See manipulation again: It’s all about sex. Real women deserve a guy who will lift them up, not put them down. I am happy being “too emotional” a “bitch” and for “over-reacting”. I know my self-worth.

Snapchat

 Posted by on Sun, 10/30 at 11:48pm  artifact networks & relationships  No Responses »
Oct 302016
 

1. How do you classify your artifact? In what groups can you place your artifact? What connections can you make to other artifacts in the group?

My artifact is snapchat. It is an app for smartphone. On snapchat you can exchange videos and photos with friends. It is under the category of photos. With photos in the past, you develop them and make photo albums. With technology these days, it is easier to share photos with others in real time. Instead of waiting a few days to pick up your photos, the photos are already stored on your phone. You can send multiple photos at once as well. Photos were originally developed from the negatives and were dropped off at a photo developer store. Then came digital cameras. you could store more photos on there, it was less bulky, etc.. You could develop your photos with memory card. From digital camera came the phones with cameras on them. Now in 21st century, we have the Sglaxy, iPhone which have really good cameras on them. No one has digital camera anymore.

2. Identify points of similarity between your artifact and others. Then identify points of difference with other artifacts. How is it similar? How is it different?

Another app which is similar to snapchat is instagram.

Launched in 2011, Snapchat is a social media platform that allows you to take pictures and videos, add text to them, and send them to either one friend or to share them with all the people following you. It comes with a fun twist—once viewers open your Snap, they only have ten seconds to view it (or the duration of the video) before it automatically deletes itself and it’s gone for good. They operate on the “now you see it, now you don’t” principle. Snapchat also fun and exciting filters for their users. Snap chat is great for the selfie factor. There are filters that allow for airbrushing (butterflies and flower crown filter). With Snapchat you can select which users can view your photos and videos. Celebrities tend to use snapchat more.

Instagram: Instagram is used more in companies and also used for marketing. On instagram, the user does not have option to select one friend to view photos or videos, it is sent out to entire platform. Instagram is rewarded for their technology. It has a cleaner design.

Both these apps are used for sharing photos.

3. What metaphors or analogies suit your artifact?

snapchat is a drug- everyone is using it

snapchat is art- people can use filters or use text on their photos

snapchat is to attention as water is to thirsty- People are quick to post selfies

 

4. How is your artifact characterized? (How do people/media/groups characterize it?)

People see it as fun and silly. It’s a way to connect and keep in touch with others. Through photos you can spark conversations. You can share your photos and videos instantaneously. Some people viewed snapchat as a way to send nudes. Since the viewing option could be set to 5 seconds and disappear lots of people in the beginning began to use it for this. The thing is that photos never disappear. I think people caught on that and now just use it for the fun filters(rainbow tongue, dog ears, and beauty features for their selfies.

5. What cultural narratives govern your artifact?

Snapchat is used as a fun way to connect and share photos and videos with friends.

6. What assumptions, stereotypes, habits, social practices, and institutions frame your artifact?

As previously posted, stereotype of snap chat was that users used the app for sexting. Habits onSnapchat: users use the filters for selfies. There are way too many selfies on my newsfeed.  Make it stop! There are excessive filters. It used mostly by tweens and young women.

7. What doctrines or practices affect your artifact? (Or, what doctrines or practices you’re your artifact affect?) Political parties and platforms? Religious? Ideological? Which ones? Are there cultural “rules” and practices? Which?

There is a controversy going on with snapchat that the butterfly and flower crown filters airbrush features, make eyes and lips bigger, define jawline, makes people thinner. It makes the skin whiter, skin glow and hair shiny. It is a superficial and ideological image of beauty. It is putting everyone into one category: Pretty white girls. This app is used mostly by tweens(9-18) and young women(18-25).

8. How does your artifact affect culture? How does culture affect your artifact?

It is encouraging a selfie culture and self-centered society. It lets users personalize photos.

Halloween Costumes

 Posted by on Sun, 10/30 at 4:16pm  ideas  No Responses »
Oct 302016
 

Yesterday I was at PartyCity getting some last minute halloween decorations for the house. I was amazed at how many girls were there choosing their outfits. I saw 3 friends contemplate their choices. One was interested in the SWAT costume (all black with tutu and clingy corset top), the other as sexy cop(navy blue, short skirt with cuffs), and the other as sexy nurse. I don’t know why these respected professions are more accepted if there is “sexy” in front of it. Are these professions too serious that we have to sex it up to appeal to girls? Are these costumes sexualized so that it fits men’s fantasies? Police uniforms that I’ve seen are pretty generic: slacks, shirt, and a jacket. Why sexualize the uniform by adding a skirt? That is not an authentic portrayal. Women are the ones being exploited on Halloween. With the pressure to appeal to society, college women attend parties clothed in overly sexualized costumes: ranging from sexy animals to esteemed occupations-turned-sensual. The portrayal of almost every single occupation in a sexual light is unlikely to contribute to women being taken seriously. One thing I found is that boys had a multitude of options, from scary to funny and from nerdy to powerful. Girls’ costumes, on the other hand, seem limited to the same, sexy silhouette: sleeveless, fitted bodice, short skirt and high heels. I saw a nerdy costume for a girl, but it was a bit too sexy. The costume is a shirt with a tie and short plaid skirt. The costume also comes with glasses. It actually looks like a mini me teacher. It is a bit disturbing.  These sexually suggestive costumes  generally depict women as “sex symbols”. Thus, normalizing a sexualized society. Although these women believe they are appealing to others by wearing these outfits, they are, in fact, doing a disservice to their gender. Although the solitary act of wearing a sexy costume is unlikely to affect adolescent girls’ development, a generalized interest in being sexually alluring to boys appears to be harmful. It seems as though adolescent girls believe that sexual attractiveness is an important aspect of their identity. Girls who believe that being sexually attractive is important; the more they will wear tight clothes, wear revealing low cut tops, and spend more time on makeup. Also shopping for a costume at last minute does drive consumers to purchase any costume, even if it is too sexy. They don’t even think twice about spending $50-$60 on a costume they will only wear once in their life. However, this decision can have consequences after halloween. It only prepetrates this idea of hypersexualization behavior in girls. It encourages stereotypes of girls.

Cultural artifacts

 Posted by on Sat, 10/22 at 11:46am  artifact ideas  3 Responses »
Oct 222016
 

Cosmopolitan magazine– On the cover of the magazine there are always girls with super low cut tops, tight dresses. Of course, the content on the cover surrounds sex. In big bold, letters, “Sex moves to keep him wanting more”, “kissing tips to win him over”. This magazine is not about the women, instead it focuses on the man. These are things you should try to please your man. It suggests that to get a man or make him happy you have to do these things. It basically puts women in a position as an object. Women are worth more than just pleasure.

Snapchat– Snapchat offers their users a variety of filters to make their photos more fun, cute,pretty and exciting to share with others. Users can play with backgrounds and effects on their photos. These different filters, however, can also alter someone’s appearance. Snapchat has photoshop like features. For example, on snapchat there is a “pretty” filter, such as, flower crown filter and butterflies. This filter can alter skin, hair, nose, and eyes. In this image, you can see that the nose is skinnier. The photos are all lightened to produce a much paler result. Skin becomes a lot smoother, the face more flushed with a rosy tint, and the jaw is visibly thinner. The hair becomes shiny and lips become rosy. This filter covers blemishes, birthmarks,freckles. These sort of filters encourage others to show what we think they want to see instead of who we truly are.This filter encourages girls to believe that their beauty is not good enough. By encouraging girls to use this filter, they are also letting girls lie about their appearances in fear that others will not accept the way they look like. It is a very superficial app.

Makeup- red lipstick is a must have for many women.  It evokes a confident, sexy look. Make-up has the effect to allow us to alter our looks. With makeup(contouring kit) we achieve defined cheeks and skinny nose, jawline is more defined. It comes to show that with  makeup, girls can achieve a sort of porcelain doll look. With the use of makeup, you can appear more attractive to appeal the opposite sex or feel more confident about yourself. The problem is that if you wear too much makeup that you look like 2 completely different people, it is likely that you are hiding something. You  look fake and deceite other people. Makeup is the most common mask we wear. We use makeup to cover up blemishes, dark circles, which is okay, but it is not the true reflection of yourself. You are covering up what you really look like. It seems that girls wear makeup because they are ashamed of what they look like when really makeup enhances the way you look.

Skirts/shorts– For example, there are many guys out there that say “she was wearing a dress or skirt, so she was asking for it”. It’s men that hold this mentality of girls that promotes and increases assault, sex violence and rape in our culture. They do not hold the guys accountable for their actions towards girls, instead they blame the girls and their clothes.  Clothes are not a risk factor. Even if a girl was wearing jeans, they’d still find a way. No one deserves to be raped or wishes rape upon themselves. Even if someone is dressing sexy because they want to have sex, they still get the choice of who and when. Stop shaming girls and blaming the victims. We need to teach boys to be educated, respectful men and not to look at girls as sex objects. Be responsible for your actions and have some self-control.

Song lyrics: The Impact on sexualized culture

 Posted by on Thu, 10/20 at 12:06am  ideas  No Responses »
Oct 202016
 

We all have those songs we love to dance to and sing along to. We may not always pay attention to the lyrics since the beat is so catchy or maybe there are some songs that go really fast and you can’t catch what they are saying. Or maybe there are lyrics that have hidden meaning or seem silly to us, but when you go to look at what they really say it can mean much more than you think. Take for example song Cake by the Ocean by DNCE (Joe Jonas’ new band):

why those feet cold?
We just getting started; don’t you tiptoe, tiptoe,

God damn
See you licking frosting from your own hands
Want another taste, I’m begging, yes ma’am
I’m tired of all this candy on the dry land, dry land, oh

You’re fucking delicious
Talk to me, girl

Talk to me, baby
I’m going blind from this sweet sweet craving, whoa-oh

Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life
Funfetti, I’m ready; I need it every night

This song is clearly talking about sex. Lots of it.

There are some other songs I found that are super fun, but can impact kids’ sexualization. I thought this was an interesting topic to bring up because kids listen to the car radio and listen to their pandora, Iheart radio app ,and itunes and may come across a song that is a little racy and these songs can influence what kids find is fun, normal in culture. It’s important to educate our children and have discussions on what is appropriate behavior and what isn’t. Kids learn about life from what they see and hear. It’s important to guide them to stay true to their values.

Nicki Minaj: Superbass

“And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on

He ain’t even gotta try to put the mac on

He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look

Then the panties comin’ off, off, unh.

Sir Mix-a-lot: Baby Got Back

“I like big butts and I cannot lie!”

Shakira: Hips Don’t Lie

My hips don’t lie
And I’m starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see baby, this is perfection

And I am starting to feel you boy
Come on lets go, real slow

Britney Spears: I’m a Slave for You

I’m a slave for you, I cannot hold it, I cannot control it

I’m a slave for you, I won’t deny it, I’m not trying to hide it

Christina Aguilera: Genie in a Bottle

If you wanna be with me
Baby there’s a price to pay
I’m a genie in a bottle
You gotta rub me the right way

If you wanna be with me
I can make your wish come true
You gotta make a big impression (Oh yeah)
Gotta like what you do

Jessie J:Bang Bang

Bang bang into the room (I know you want it)
Bang bang all over you (I’ll let you have it)
Wait a minute let me take you there (ah)
Wait a minute tell you (ah)
Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it)
Back, back seat of my car (I’ll let you have it)

Hailee Steinfeld: Starving

 

I didn’t know that I was starving till I tasted you
Don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo
By the way, by the way, you do things to my body
I didn’t know that I was starving till I tasted you

Selena Gomez: Good for You

You say I give it to you hard
So bad, so bad
Make you never wanna leave
I won’t, I won’t

Gonna wear that dress you like, skin-tight
Do my hair up real, real nice
And syncopate my skin to how you’re breathing

‘Cause I just wanna look good for you, good for you.

Lil Jon: Bedrock

I’m attracted to her for her attractive ass

I be stuck to you like glue baby
Wanna spend it all on you baby
My room is the g-spot
Call me Mr. Flintstone
I can make your bedrock

Ludacris, Lil Jon, Usher: Lovers and Friends

I do, anything just to feel yo’ butt, why you, got me so messed up?
I don’t know but you gotta stop trippin’
be a good girl now turn around and get these whippins
you know you like it like that, you don’t have to fight back
here’s a pillow, bite…that
And I’ll be settin’ seperate plays
so on all the seperate days, yo’ legs can go they seperate, ways

Dress Code in Schools

 Posted by on Sun, 10/16 at 11:43pm  ideas  No Responses »
Oct 162016
 

When I was growing up I mainly went to private school. We had a strict uniform dress code. We had to wear a red, white or blue polo shirt with khaki pants or shorts(they were high-waisted and down to our knees) with belt. Our shirts had to be tucked in neatly and our belts had to show. Needless to say, there was nothing cute or sexy about it. I guess  it’s good to have uniforms so everyone is not competing and it makes it easier to dress for school, but there is no personalized or individual taste. We all looked the same. Some girls rolled up their shorts and sleeves to look cuter, but really there was no escaping it. If you did not have your belt or shirt tucked in you were called to detention. One year I was called into detention 5 times. I’m sorry, but those shorts were not going anywhere. There was no need for a belt. My butt was not hanging out of them either. I understand for the boys because their underwear might show, but for a girl? It was a bit ridiculous. We all looked like Junior senior citizens. I also remember we had to wear our school ID(clip on or necklace). It had to be somewhere visible. One day I wore a clip on and pinned it to the bottom of the shirt and I got detention. They explained to me that it had to be at eye level. Umm.. yea, I guess if you are blind, but the bottom of the shirt is clearly still visible. Whatever.

I envied my friends who went to public schools because they got to wear whatever they wanted. Boy, was I wrong. My friend went to public school most of her life and she was more developed than her friends and she said they could get away with spaghetti straps, but she got caught. They punished girls who are were developed while skinny girls got away with wearing the exact same clothing. That is not fair. She had to go to detention. She was taller than the other girls (5’9) and had to wear 2 inch spaghetti straps and jeans because all her shorts and skirts were too short on her. She told me she wore a skirt to school one day and all the guys were hitting on her and she got a warning. The hall moderator said that her skirt was distracting. She was really upset that she did not feel free to be herself. The dress code standards for girls seem to suggest that unless a girl is properly covered, she is a distraction.There is also a double standard in the dress code systems enforced in public schools. The majority of the dress codes rules are targeted at females. Look at the list of things that can’t be worn: short skirts, revealing shorts, tube tops, halter tops. This double standard that targets girls is ridiculous. By forcing girls conform to the needs of boys, the school is not only asserting that a male’s education is more important but also that young girl’s body is merely a sexual distraction.It is not a girl’s fault if boys find her outfit distracting. It is the boy’s fault. Why should my friend at 16 be forced to dress differently than the other girls her age? She had double the trouble to find something suitable to wear for school to avoid any more detentions.  If schools want to teach respect, they need to give the message that it is unacceptable to sexualize girls at such a young age. Do not blame girls for being too distracting to learn. Teach your boys to be educated, respectful men and not to look at girls as sex objects. Why are we teaching girls to hide their bodies? Do not blame the girls because your son can’t control himself.

Are public school dress codes teaching girls not to ‘distract’ boys?

http://www.postcrescent.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/05/22/singling-girls-dress-codes-sexualizes/27727423/

 

 

Cat-calling is not okay

 Posted by on Sun, 10/16 at 7:38pm  reading  No Responses »
Oct 162016
 

I was walking around the mall the other day and got cat called twice. Mind you, I was wearing jeans and  a tanktop(no cleavage). I got two responses: “Damn, girl!” or “Wow!” I find that it’s older men, un-educated men and men in low socio-economic that partake in catcalling. Now I don’t really get why men feel the need to express  these thoughts out loud. I see really cute guys all the time and do not express these thoughts to them. How awkward would that be? Why do men do it then? Is it attention? Ego?  Do they really think women will smile and initiate conversation and exchange numbers? Some guys say that women should take cat-calling as flattering and as a compliment. I’m not so sure about that… It does not empower women-mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Getting cat called is not sexy or a fun time. It makes me feel dirty. It is very predator like and so creepy. I’m no prude, but what makes you think it’s okay to talk to women this way? Men feel entitled and think they are in power by stripping a little bit of ours away. That is not okay. Men say these things for a reason. It’s all about sexual attraction.  Women who might be insecure about their bodies might like the attention while others who are confident in their bodies will know better. Cat-calling is an example of normalizing sexualization in our culture. It actually encourages sexual harassment and promotes rape culture. It degrades women from a human being to a sex object. Something you can just pick up from the street. It is un-wanted attention. If it is un-wanted, why do they think we like being cat-called? Sometimes there are no spoken comments. Sometimes cat-calling comes in forms of honking at at a girl or whistling at them. It is un-wanted attention. We do not need your validation to tell us we are pretty. We already know that. You emphasizing/commenting on our beauty just makes you disgusting. Sometimes men lack the emotional side and just act out on their sexual instincts. But cat-calling is not the answer. There always better ways. If you want my attention or even get a girl, for that matter, don’t cat call. Be normal. Grow up and be a man. If you are genuinely interested, be respectful and polite. Smile and strike up a conversation.

I have been dealing with cat-calls since I was a teen. It’s not cute. I will not get over it. Guys will never understand what we go through. They do not realize how their behavior and words affect us.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stefanie-williams/no-dudes-catcalling-isnt-flattering_b_5691949.html

http://www.forharriet.com/2016/01/the-politics-of-being-ugly-in-between.html#axzz4NI7iefBj

 

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