The Tasker and Negra reading made me think about a thing that happens in the glass community that drives me crazy, that I’ve been having a hard time articulating exactly why it drives me crazy.
Here’s the set up: a couple of young women, my age or younger, show up in a glass studio and make something. It is clear that they have not spent enough time building skills or gaining experience and the thing that they make is not, by any stretch of the imagination, impressive. That doesn’t bother me, we all have to start somewhere. What does bother me is that when they’re finished they have a tendency to celebrate and shout “You go, girl!” and “Yeah! Whoo! Girl power!”.
Somehow this behavior has always seemed to me to undermine the work of women in glass who are doing impressive things. The fact that the young women I describe were able to make this thing has nothing to do with whether or not they are female. They are of a generation which has not faced discrimination in the glass studio (previous generations of women in glass did face significant discrimination in the glass studio). Why do they yell “Girl power!”? When I make a thing and I’m happy about it I feel no need to tie my success to my gender. I’m just a human being making a thing.
It also sets and fuels a negative stereotype of women in the glass studio: that we’ll be kind of lousy at blowing glass but quick to point out that by our mere presence in the field, we are doing something extraordinary.
Taker and Negra bring up a few points that help illuminate my feelings of frustration with people who shout “Girl power!”. Tasker and Negra point out that post-feminism “produces buzzwords and slogans to express visions of energetic personal empowerment”. I did not realize that I was reacting to post-feminism as a whole rather than just a couple of annoying, over-used buzzwords.
When reading Kim Toffoletti’s reading, I am not sure but I feel like the technology, which related to communication have the similar elements of feminism that the device deals with technology (for example smart phone, tv…) is the object that make the viewer to “look at”. But in this article it explains about the differences between women and technology… I didn’t fully understand. If Kim Toffoletti is talking about post feminism, then is post feminism is about post gender, which is talking about broader about the difference of gender rather than talking about the objecthood of female?
As I read feminism and post feminism reading I feel like the concept of the feminism/post feminism gets complicated when it relates to mass media/popular culture/technology, and even with music (when I was reading Anna’s reading about Riot Grrrl)because those itself already have a idea of object to look at.
As Feminism moves on to post feminism, I am not sure of the feminist’s agenda at the end. When reading Kimberly Springer, she talks about post feminism, which relates to black woman but the whole article was laying the examples of how black women showed in the popular culture or politics. ..Is the post feminism is just about examining female in divers fields (mass media/politics/pop culture/tv…)?
I found the topic of Postfeminism fascinating as I’ve primarily grown up in a household consumed by its popular culture. I grew up watching movies like Bridget Jones’s Diary and hearing references to Sex and the City so to see them as the two predominant texts by which postfeminism is analyzed made me feel very much at home. It is nice for the fish to suddenly become aware of both the pros and cons of the water that he has been submerged in his entire waking life.
I found all of the readings with in Interrogating Postfeminism to be interesting in supplying a nice array of perspectives on the subject. The introduction by Yvonne Tasker and Diane Negra was the most general, giving the groundwork for the interrogation to follow. At first I was under the impression that postfeminism was actually distinctly negative in its undermining of conventional feminist agendas, but thankfully McRobbie’s piece on Bridget Jones’s Diary illuminated the freeing aspects of postfeminism and its important place within the dialogue on female power plays. The reading that I found to be the most interesting was Springer’s interrogation of the segregation within postfeminist icons. I particularly found her analysis of the “Diva” captivating as I’m a huge fan of that original 1981 film. It’s funky style and titular Diva with her beautiful song really stuck with me. In my presentation, I plan on bringing up a more unconventional Diva whose representation in relation to other modern day divas l’d like to discuss in detail.
In relation to my other work, I don’t plan on including necessarily anything strictly postfeminist, but I think because I was brought up in a household in which quite a bit of postfeminist rom-coms were being watched, I’m probably influenced by postfeminism to an extreme, if still slightly invisible, degree in terms of my possible female characterizations.
After reading all the articles, Kimberly Springer’s, Divas, Evil Black Bitches, and Bitter Black Women grabbed my attention the most. My research and art projects discuss African American issues dealing with media representation and cultural identities. This article was also very exciting to read; I too am an African American woman and I had personal experiences with many of the issues that Springer wrote about in her article. One was the idea that a Diva used to be portrayed as powerful strong and a positive role model for women and girls. In today’s contemporary media, a Diva is portrayed as the out of touch angry black woman, pissed off! And ready to go off! It was also enlightening to read another African American women’s views about post feminism. I talk to my professors about being a black women and being a feminist quite often. And the implications of what the title means to feminism as a whole. Author, Sadie Wearing Subjects of Rejuvenation: Aging in Postfeminist culture, states that, “postfeminist is white and middle class by default…” (p 2). I believe it is difficult for women of color to be part of the postfeminist movement because of black women’s negative imagery and stereotypes that has haunted our culture for generations. These racist ideologies towards women of color are what make it difficult for white women, or for some white feminist, to fight for the cause for all women including African American women.
Angela McRobbie- Postfeminism and Popular Culture: Bridget Jones and the New Gender Regime
McRobbie argues that in order for feminism to be assimilated into modern everyday life, it has to be viewed as a past movement. She uses Bridget Jone’s diary as an example of the post feminist female. She argues that feminism has convinced young women that they shouldn’t have conservative desires such as getting married. Postmodern feminism allows women to be in charge of their sexuality. They can desire husbands, and have sex lives without husbands. She argues that this new genre works to reinvent feminism.
1.) The shows and films she discuss in the article all center around middle class white women. How does post feminist media represent women from different social class and race?
2.) How does post feminism effect trans women?
Kimberly Springer- Divas, Evil Black Bitches, and Bitter Black Women
The article focuses on the image of black women in media, which are neglected by representations of post feminist the female in shows like Sex in the City and films like Bridget Jones’s Diary that focus on young middle class white women. Springer argues that postfeminism constructs racial invisibility. Once again the black woman’s sexuality is being dismissed by lack of visibility on screen. It creates a predicament in which sexual freedom is only permitted for white females. Springer asks how stereotypes of black females such as the Diva, modern mammies, and the evil bitch fit into the post-civil-rights and postfeminist agenda. The black woman is represented as classless through the Diva and the evil bitch, where the black middle class woman has become the new representation of the mammy. My thesis film idea is focused on providing alternative representations of gender, race, and sexual orientation in the horror genre. I want to create a monster world with a sexually freeing space, while drawing attention to the stereotypes in place in the genre.
1.) How would Springer dissect black female characters such as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder?
2.) What does it mean that one of the most famous “mad” black woman in media, Medea, is portrayed by a man?
Post-feminism was interesting as the idea of being beyond the initial feminist movement isn’t realistic. Though, we discussed how Post-feminism can’t be seen as accepting stereotypes and doing what you will within or without them in mind. Not letting such things shape or control one’s life. In this I had mentioned and thought of my partner, Beth. Who isn’t what you might think of as a “girly-girl” but loves clothes and working in traditionally feminine trades like textiles. Costume designer and seamstress by training and trade, she doesn’t seem to feel forced into such this by social pressures.
That, for me is one of the best feats I’ve been able to witness of feminism. Where not everything is equalized, quite yet, though I delite in seeing the steps towards seeing each other as people, to be treated fairly and free to live how we wish. Pretty feel-goodsie, but I actively live a sort of nontraditional home style with my partner and get to witness the benefits of this movement whether or not we take an active role.
The Tasker and Negra reading made me think about a thing that happens in the glass community that drives me crazy, that I’ve been having a hard time articulating exactly why it drives me crazy.
Here’s the set up: a couple of young women, my age or younger, show up in a glass studio and make something. It is clear that they have not spent enough time building skills or gaining experience and the thing that they make is not, by any stretch of the imagination, impressive. That doesn’t bother me, we all have to start somewhere. What does bother me is that when they’re finished they have a tendency to celebrate and shout “You go, girl!” and “Yeah! Whoo! Girl power!”.
Somehow this behavior has always seemed to me to undermine the work of women in glass who are doing impressive things. The fact that the young women I describe were able to make this thing has nothing to do with whether or not they are female. They are of a generation which has not faced discrimination in the glass studio (previous generations of women in glass did face significant discrimination in the glass studio). Why do they yell “Girl power!”? When I make a thing and I’m happy about it I feel no need to tie my success to my gender. I’m just a human being making a thing.
It also sets and fuels a negative stereotype of women in the glass studio: that we’ll be kind of lousy at blowing glass but quick to point out that by our mere presence in the field, we are doing something extraordinary.
Taker and Negra bring up a few points that help illuminate my feelings of frustration with people who shout “Girl power!”. Tasker and Negra point out that post-feminism “produces buzzwords and slogans to express visions of energetic personal empowerment”. I did not realize that I was reacting to post-feminism as a whole rather than just a couple of annoying, over-used buzzwords.
When reading Kim Toffoletti’s reading, I am not sure but I feel like the technology, which related to communication have the similar elements of feminism that the device deals with technology (for example smart phone, tv…) is the object that make the viewer to “look at”. But in this article it explains about the differences between women and technology… I didn’t fully understand. If Kim Toffoletti is talking about post feminism, then is post feminism is about post gender, which is talking about broader about the difference of gender rather than talking about the objecthood of female?
As I read feminism and post feminism reading I feel like the concept of the feminism/post feminism gets complicated when it relates to mass media/popular culture/technology, and even with music (when I was reading Anna’s reading about Riot Grrrl)because those itself already have a idea of object to look at.
As Feminism moves on to post feminism, I am not sure of the feminist’s agenda at the end. When reading Kimberly Springer, she talks about post feminism, which relates to black woman but the whole article was laying the examples of how black women showed in the popular culture or politics. ..Is the post feminism is just about examining female in divers fields (mass media/politics/pop culture/tv…)?
I found the topic of Postfeminism fascinating as I’ve primarily grown up in a household consumed by its popular culture. I grew up watching movies like Bridget Jones’s Diary and hearing references to Sex and the City so to see them as the two predominant texts by which postfeminism is analyzed made me feel very much at home. It is nice for the fish to suddenly become aware of both the pros and cons of the water that he has been submerged in his entire waking life.
I found all of the readings with in Interrogating Postfeminism to be interesting in supplying a nice array of perspectives on the subject. The introduction by Yvonne Tasker and Diane Negra was the most general, giving the groundwork for the interrogation to follow. At first I was under the impression that postfeminism was actually distinctly negative in its undermining of conventional feminist agendas, but thankfully McRobbie’s piece on Bridget Jones’s Diary illuminated the freeing aspects of postfeminism and its important place within the dialogue on female power plays. The reading that I found to be the most interesting was Springer’s interrogation of the segregation within postfeminist icons. I particularly found her analysis of the “Diva” captivating as I’m a huge fan of that original 1981 film. It’s funky style and titular Diva with her beautiful song really stuck with me. In my presentation, I plan on bringing up a more unconventional Diva whose representation in relation to other modern day divas l’d like to discuss in detail.
In relation to my other work, I don’t plan on including necessarily anything strictly postfeminist, but I think because I was brought up in a household in which quite a bit of postfeminist rom-coms were being watched, I’m probably influenced by postfeminism to an extreme, if still slightly invisible, degree in terms of my possible female characterizations.
After reading all the articles, Kimberly Springer’s, Divas, Evil Black Bitches, and Bitter Black Women grabbed my attention the most. My research and art projects discuss African American issues dealing with media representation and cultural identities. This article was also very exciting to read; I too am an African American woman and I had personal experiences with many of the issues that Springer wrote about in her article. One was the idea that a Diva used to be portrayed as powerful strong and a positive role model for women and girls. In today’s contemporary media, a Diva is portrayed as the out of touch angry black woman, pissed off! And ready to go off! It was also enlightening to read another African American women’s views about post feminism. I talk to my professors about being a black women and being a feminist quite often. And the implications of what the title means to feminism as a whole. Author, Sadie Wearing Subjects of Rejuvenation: Aging in Postfeminist culture, states that, “postfeminist is white and middle class by default…” (p 2). I believe it is difficult for women of color to be part of the postfeminist movement because of black women’s negative imagery and stereotypes that has haunted our culture for generations. These racist ideologies towards women of color are what make it difficult for white women, or for some white feminist, to fight for the cause for all women including African American women.
Week 6
Angela McRobbie- Postfeminism and Popular Culture: Bridget Jones and the New Gender Regime
McRobbie argues that in order for feminism to be assimilated into modern everyday life, it has to be viewed as a past movement. She uses Bridget Jone’s diary as an example of the post feminist female. She argues that feminism has convinced young women that they shouldn’t have conservative desires such as getting married. Postmodern feminism allows women to be in charge of their sexuality. They can desire husbands, and have sex lives without husbands. She argues that this new genre works to reinvent feminism.
1.) The shows and films she discuss in the article all center around middle class white women. How does post feminist media represent women from different social class and race?
2.) How does post feminism effect trans women?
Kimberly Springer- Divas, Evil Black Bitches, and Bitter Black Women
The article focuses on the image of black women in media, which are neglected by representations of post feminist the female in shows like Sex in the City and films like Bridget Jones’s Diary that focus on young middle class white women. Springer argues that postfeminism constructs racial invisibility. Once again the black woman’s sexuality is being dismissed by lack of visibility on screen. It creates a predicament in which sexual freedom is only permitted for white females. Springer asks how stereotypes of black females such as the Diva, modern mammies, and the evil bitch fit into the post-civil-rights and postfeminist agenda. The black woman is represented as classless through the Diva and the evil bitch, where the black middle class woman has become the new representation of the mammy. My thesis film idea is focused on providing alternative representations of gender, race, and sexual orientation in the horror genre. I want to create a monster world with a sexually freeing space, while drawing attention to the stereotypes in place in the genre.
1.) How would Springer dissect black female characters such as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder?
2.) What does it mean that one of the most famous “mad” black woman in media, Medea, is portrayed by a man?
Post-feminism was interesting as the idea of being beyond the initial feminist movement isn’t realistic. Though, we discussed how Post-feminism can’t be seen as accepting stereotypes and doing what you will within or without them in mind. Not letting such things shape or control one’s life. In this I had mentioned and thought of my partner, Beth. Who isn’t what you might think of as a “girly-girl” but loves clothes and working in traditionally feminine trades like textiles. Costume designer and seamstress by training and trade, she doesn’t seem to feel forced into such this by social pressures.
That, for me is one of the best feats I’ve been able to witness of feminism. Where not everything is equalized, quite yet, though I delite in seeing the steps towards seeing each other as people, to be treated fairly and free to live how we wish. Pretty feel-goodsie, but I actively live a sort of nontraditional home style with my partner and get to witness the benefits of this movement whether or not we take an active role.