Why Men Should Take Writing About Women

Dear Male Students at Chapman University,
If you’re looking to complete a written inquiry general elective, then I’ve got the perfect class for you. It’s called Writing about Women. I know what you’re thinking; “I’m a man why should I write about women.” Honestly, I’ve got the answer for you.

Writing about Women, which is taught by Professor Campbell, focuses on rhetoric in writings relevant to women and feminism. The tricky thing about feminism is that it means gender equality, not female superiority. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” The class will broaden your understanding of writing and how different writing techniques appeal to different audiences. Unlike Self-Defense for Women, men can actually take this class.

One of the books you will read is a manifesta titled Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti. In her manifesta, Valenti will keep you compelled with topics such as why big weddings are not necessary, why feminists have better sex, why Republicans suck, and why abortion should be a woman’s choice. The manifesta includes a mix of colloquial language and diehard opinions.

If you were in this class, women could finally get the story right. Sometimes the women in this class draw conclusions about men, which is why men are necessary in keeping the story straight. After reading Full Frontal Feminism, you will better understand women. I bet you didn’t think that was possible.

Your grade for the class will be broken up into many categories. Reaction papers are quite easy because Professor Campbell gives you the freedom to say whatever you want, as long as it is relevant to the reading. Discussion questions are a great assignment because they allow you to ask questions and only take a couple minutes to complete. While participation is recommended, you are only graded on it for a couple specified weeks during the semester. The discussion board is great because all you have to do is ask and answer some questions during the semester and you will receive the points for it. Writing exercises are awesome because they help you get started with the other assignments in class.

The rest of the grade from the class will come from your major assignments. The blog is a great way to express your ideas and get credit for them. The angle of vision paper will really promote your understanding of perspective. The midterm is a paper where you talk about what you see as important in feminism. The genre analysis allows you to illustrate your understanding of fiction and other topics. The last assignment is the open letter, which is what you are currently reading. Keep rhetoric in mind and you will do great.

One pretty cool article that we read in class was “Prime Time TV ‘Objectifies and Fetishizes’ Underage Girls, Study Says.” This article addresses sexual content on television and how shows such as Glee and 90210 exclude the “S” descriptor at the beginning of the program. This article also suggests that 98% of sexual content on television is outside of any form of a committed relationship. You will love reading articles like this one because this topic is one that you can have an opinion on and it is great being able to hear what everyone has to say.

The class is pretty much divided into two sections; learning about writing and reading to understand how it is used. At the beginning of the semester we learned about rhetorical techniques used in writing. After learning this, we read Full Frontal Feminism and The Handmaid’s Tale and discussed how rhetoric was used throughout different genres of writing.

Probably the best thing about this class was reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. In this piece of fiction, Atwood creates a scenario of a dystopian society where gender roles are brought to their logical conclusions. This world created by Atwood is great because it really shows how gender roles limit a society. In the novel, Offred is a handmaid, a woman used for procreation, that must escaping fearing she will be put to death for being thought of as infertile. Will she make it? Take the class to find out.

One of my favorite parts about this class is that I am able to express which gender roles I believe are necessary in society. I definitely believe women should be carrying our children and that men should give a woman everything she wants, even if that includes a diamond ring and a wedding on the beach.

If you believe that women should be able to ask men out or the women should split the check, then take this class. If you believe a man should be a man and a woman should be a woman come into class and say why. By taking this class you will definitely learn about women and will definitely learn how to write rhetorically. Also, you may just end up in a class with a majority of girls (isn’t that why you picked Chapman anyways?).

Currently, I am the only male student in either section of Writing about Women. I ask that you enroll in Writing about Women to not only learn about women, but to also improve writing skills. These women need a man’s perspective, so take Writing about Women and you won’t be disappointed.

Sincerely,
The guy that hopefully convinced you to take Writing about Women,
Jordan Olson

Open Letter Works Cited

Atwood, Margaret. Handmaid’s Tale. Random House, 1998. Print.
Campbell, Jaime. English 103-14: Writing About Women. Chapman University. Web.
“Feminism.” Dictionary and Thesaurus – Merriam-Webster Online. Web.
McKay, Hollie. “Prime Time TV ‘Objectifies And Fetishizes’ Underage Girls, Study Says | Fox News.” Fox News – Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Photos & News Videos. Web.
Valenti, Jessica. Full Frontal Feminism: a Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters. Emeryville, CA: Seal, 2007. Print.

Blog Reflection . . .

Before I begin to reflect I would first off like to thank anyone who has ever read my blog. Blogging is nice, but it is a much better experience when the message I send is actually arriving to someone. I would like to thank everyone who commented on my blogs, you have made me question my topics which has only brought more life to these issues.

The following link is an article that I had wanted to reference in my blog, but never had the opportunity to. I encourage you to read the article and ask yourself how it relates to the topic of transitioning from teen – adult (or maturity)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/lesbian-couple-crowned-homecoming-king-queen/story?id=14844909

I will now reflect on my blogs one at a time. The reflection will include the development of my voice, the rhetorical choices I made to portray my purpose (to illustrate to my audience the role of expectations and how they influence people), and how I connected my class topic of writing about women. After reflecting on each blog, I will reflect on my blog as a whole and address the achievements and shortcomings I notice. (Feel free to address anything I missed).

The Requirement met by each blog is included.

Are Teenagers Growing Up Too Slow (Visual Media 1)

I feel like that this blog was one where I broke my silence after years of quiet. I feel that it was an experiment in blogging, which was nice. I decided to begin with a video because I felt that it would help my credibility to build off of someone elses argument, to start with little risk. I feel this was great in portraying my purpose because it illustrated how teenagers are expected to grow up quick and I wanted to illustrate the growing up has changed. This article did not connect directly to writing about women but addresses a trend in how girls become women.

Becoming An Adult

I really like this reaction to Wacky Girls article because there was a little more risk than from my first post. I feel that my voice was more confident that before, and that I was again able to make my audience question what being an adult is. It connects to the class topic because it again involves how girls become women (and how boys become men). I wish I would have written more.

Unbroken

I really like this blog post because I was able to use someones story in order to illustrate how these transitions aren’t always easy, but they usually happen. My voice was like an outsider, tabloid like. I feel like I was able to stay interested while objective. I think the “pressure to be perfect” represents expectations and what she did represents overcoming them. It connects to writing about women because Demi Lovato is definitely many steps closer to becoming an adult.

Would You Rather Be A Mermaid or a Whale? (Link to Scholarly Blog)

I really liked the article I found and I thought it was a good way for me to dive into the idea of beauty standards. My voice was really strong because I felt very passionate about this blog post. It relates to my purpose because the expectation to be a mermaid can really hurt the healthy whale. It connects to writing about women with beauty standards.

The F Word (Feminism 1),(Link to Student Blog)

I really liked being able to use a student blog and then expanding on her ideas. My voice was more reassuring, but I feel I was also strong with support. It helped fulfill my purpose because I feel that gender roles are another form of expectations. It connects to writing about women because feminism is a gender issue. I know the picture may have been a little anti-feminist, but I liked it because I feel it would spark interest by my audience.

Barbie Body: Common Beauty Standards Women Deal With During Maturity (Visual Media 2)

I was ecstatic when I read this article on Yahoo and knew it was perfect for my blog. My voice was definitely strong because I felt passionate about the topic. It was important to my topic because I feel the idea of Barbie is an expectation everyone expects. It relates to writing about women because it is one of the most well know beauty standards.

Moammar Gadhafi: Anti-Feminist? (Feminism 2) (Current Event Blog)

I was really surprised to find this article because I had heard a lot about Gadhafi and I would have never guessed he was an anti-feminist. My voice was a little sarcastic and a little fascinated. I feel it relates to expectations because it shows what was expected by Gadhafi of his people. It relates to writing about women because it talks about the gender role that Gadhafi places on women.

Beauty Standard Activity Results

This article was one of my favorite because it really promoted critical thinking and interpretation. My voice was honest and confident. I knew that I wanted my results to be as accurate as possible, so I made sure I knew my topic. It relates to expectations because I believed expectations to be the main reason for these standards. It relates to writing about women because it involves beauty standards they place on themselves.

Metrosexuality: A Trend Among Males?

This article was really cool for me to write about because it was about males instead of females. I find my voice to be strong, yet confused because metrosexuality can be based on interpretation. It deals with expectations because metrosexuality is pretty much the beauty standards men are not support to have. It relates to writing about women because it really targets feminism and how gender neutrality must be the goal.

When Is Acting Like A Kid Okay?

I found this article to be extremely relevant to my purpose because I feel that expectations should vary by situation and sometimes it is hard to figure out the “time and place.” My voice was very strong, very confident, and very closed minded. I loved this post. It relates to writing about women because it illustrates issues for men and women.

Freshman Foundation Course, Hit or Miss? (Issue within Chapman Community)

This one is less related to writing about women, and more about growing up as a student (which would help writing about women). I feel the FFC is the biggest expectation as a freshman, because it is meant to illustrate who you are as a freshman. My voice is strong, but objective.

Altogether I feel that my voice became stronger and more confident as I became a blogger. I feel I was able to target different sides of expectations and I did include the class topic of writing about women. If I were to do this again I would better edit my posts, be more selective with what I wrote about, and thought of posts that better fit my topics.

Freshman Foundation Course, Hit or Miss?

It’s been awhile since my last post, but I’m now back in business. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday.

Many teenagers make their transitions to adulthood in the college setting. One of the aspects of growing up for these students is growing up as a student. Many schools have programs that are implemented in order to achieve this purpose.

I would love to dedicate this post to ANYONE who believes the Freshman Foundation Course (FFC) is a waste of time. I have definitely been there, and in this post I am going to observe a) the purpose of the course and b) whether the purpose was achieved.

The Freshman Foundation Course is used by Chapman University (Orange, California) in order to submerge students in university education. The course, which features a variety of topics from “War & Peace” to “Literary Bad Boys” to “Twilight of the Gods” was included in the general education curriculum for Chapman students. The following is an excerpt from the Chapman University website that illustrates the purpose of the FFC:

[Freshman Foundation Courses] offer students an intellectually enriching exploration of ideas, values, and disciplinary knowledge and methods. Working independently and collaboratively to frame issues and questions that have engaged the intellectual interests of historians, philosophers, literary, fine arts, and media critics, scientists, economists, and political theorists over the centuries, students develop their analytic, creative, and expressive abilities.

Pretty much what this is saying is that FFC’s are supposed to promote critical thinking, an overall foundation for students to enhance their educational ability, and an interest in new and exciting topics.

So, has the FFC achieved this?

According to Nandi George, a freshman enrolled in the FFC ‘Quality Education’ the purpose of FFC is to “have students engage in a topic they wouldn’t normally. Most students get stuck in a FFC they don’t pick. I think it is to give you the ground support to be successful at Chapman.” George believes the purpose has been achieved within her FFC. It has also inspired George to pursue an Integrated Educational Studies minor.

Many students in junior and senior standing at Chapman University disagree. I have personally heard many testimonials that no classes at Chapman University are like the FFC, that the FFC is just a busywork class.

Now it’s time for my opinion. Some of y’all will agree, some won’t, but oh well. The FFC has promoted critical thinking. Although I do not believe critical thinking will be a necessary part in college education, I believe it will definitely help. Critical thinking will allow students who use it to gain an educational advantage to prosper. I feel that emphasis needs to be placed on critical thinking being value in diverse situations.

From what I have heard, the FFC does enhance educational ability. It promotes learning through different outlets, such as discussion, lecture, and video.

It also promotes interest in topics that would normally not be studied. According to Lei Hookano, the topic of Ancient Greek Literature, specifically War & Peace from Ancient to Contemporary, is a topic which currently interests her and she is happy she was “pushed into” the class, because no other classes were available. I also personally believe that my FFC drives my interest for Greek classics, although I would have never taken this class as a Health Science major

Overall, I feel that FFC is accomplishing its purpose for those students who are willing to work. It may also show students that are unwilling to work that college is possibly not the right route for them. Hooray!

Enjoy your weekend, see you all next week. (:

When Is Acting Like A Kid Okay?

Yeah, I definitely understanding when someone says to “grow up,” but I also believe that sometimes it is okay to act like a kid.

When playing with a kid, I believe that it is okay to act like a kid, but you have to make the kid realizes that a) you are only playing and b) there are still standards. I wouldn’t expect you to say this, but it should be implied through body language and conversation.

If you go to an amusement park or a concert being a kid is totally fine. Amusement parks are a great opportunity to enjoy life while concerts allow opportunity for dancing and singing.

Driving- grow up, there is a reason driving is a privilege for adults (or 16+) so you really need to act the age. Dancing in your car is only fine if you can SAFELY handle to road. Talking at your phone is fine too (considering I’m from Minnesota where it is legal), but you have to realize if and how it affects you. Also, consider the people in your car and the cars around you when making your decisions.

At The Club- okay, I understand clubbing is supposed to be a fun, dancing experience but don’t forget to understand your boundaries. It is not oka for men to just go up to a woman and grind. It is disrespectful, rude, and uncomfortable. Ask first, is it really that hard? Women should consider what they wear because a part of being grown up is being professional.

At work- unless you work at a kids place or at a school, acting like a kid is unacceptable. You should be required to act mature because time is money and money is what you are working for. Also, just because you work at a kids place [or something of an immature nature] doesn’t mean you have the right to act immature. You should always act better than expected.

At School- yeah, I sometimes feel that people forget why they’re there. Just because you have to act grown up doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Do your studying [then go out and do whatever you want].

I think being grown up is a difficult concept because it is often open for interpretation, which is why you should always be on top of the game. Maturity is never a wrong answer, and acting like a kid should only happen under certain situations.

Do you agree or disagree? Do you consider yourself grown up [or growing up]?

Metrosexuality: A Trend Among Males?

metrosexual: a heterosexual, usually urban male who pays much attention to his personal appearance and cultivates an upscale lifestyle. (Dictionary.com)

Metrosexuality has become a more common trend among males (generally the younger, adult generation). Many question the sexuality of metrosexuals, which makes growing up a sometimes difficult thing for the male “who pays much attention to his personal appearance.” The problem with metrosexuality is that it conflicts with masculinity.

In todays world “Be A Man” is the same as “Don’t Be A Girl.” In that respect anything feminine is out. The following is a list of feminine traits that a man cannot have: long hair, make-up, fashionable clothes, fashionable shoes, a purse, earrings, anklets, and boots without a purpose(not snow boots or work boots).

Yeah, I’m sure the word purse stuck out to you. & It should. I feel it is quite obvious that society frowns upon men not being able to carry a purse (or a murse). But it is also important to recognize the exceptions; a backpack, a briefcase, a wallet. I personally do not use a purse, and don’t plan to, but I have come to the realization that a purse is a practical thing. It would be nice to have a bunch of random things with me at all times, if any possible situation were to come up. (I even bring my backpack to Tennis just so I can put my phone and wallet in it). But practical, the easy way, is sometimes, oftentimes, not accepted.

This has really became an issue on which beauty standards are relevant to men. Deodorant is backed by the idea of a man needing it because to gain a control of his body, and boxers have overtaken briefs because they are more loose, more free, and different than that of womans underwear.

I find that metrosexuality has become a new norm, a new form of individuality. It often goes with the new idea that being a man is standing up for what you believe, being BRAVE enough to be who you want to be regardless. Men aren’t suppose to care about what they look like or about what they do; but isn’t that illogical. Men work out to get in shape; often not because of masculinity but to create a better body image.

I wouldn’t describe metrosexuality as a type of person, but as a movement, a form of expression. More and more men are becoming who they want to be, which in my opinion is as manly as you can get.

Ask Yourself: How common is the idea of metrosexuality? On a Spectrum of pure masculinism (1) and pure metrosexuality (10), where would you place most men?

Body lotion or dry skin, cologne or body odor, groomed hair or full beard, fashionable clothes or plain t and jeans?

Beauty Standard Activity Results

Two Weeks Ago I decided that after doing a post on beauty standards from Barbie, that I would complete an activity where I would determine beauty standards present from different categories. The following are questions I proposed, and the answers that I have found over the past 2 weeks

Activity Each subheading will have talk about a different beauty standard. For one week my goal is going to be to pay attention to other people and see how this beauty standard is relevant today, for both men and women.

Weight
I will be looking to see how weight and healthy habits correspond between people I see.

Although I did not recognize any significant correlation between weight and healthy habits, it almost seems that those whom weigh more than average are sometimes less liking to complain about their weight. This is ironic because generally beauty standards would work the other way around. I have attributed this generalization to beauty standard internal programming.

Hair
I will be looking at how people are stereotyped based on their hair style and color

For women I find that hair is more of a personal beauty standard than a beauty standard brought on by peers. Many women complain about their hair, while I think it looks fine or even great. In this sense I feel women make these complaints on what does it look like vs. what does it have the potential to look like.
For men I find that any hair style/color is accepted as long as it is semi-neat.

Clothing
I will be looking at how people are perceived based on the clothing they wear

Throughout the last two weeks I have noticed a couple of things. First, women that wear more revealing clothing have a tendency to tug at their clothes from falling down. This shows that they may be uncomfortable wearing these outfits. Second I noticed that all types of clothing generally seem normal in society’s standards.

Going Out
I will be looking to see how someones image changes as they go from being in their comfort zone to being around people

I find that generally people are really okay with their look when they are alone or with friends, but generally need to get ready and look nice for people they don’t know(the people they walk by on the sidewalk). There definitely are exceptions, such as some people like to spend an hour getting ready even though they know they are not leaving their home.

Media
My goal is to determine how different people deal with pressures from the media while seeing which figures in the media contribute to this.

I have found people tend to overlook how the media affects them. These people copy what they see, but do not realize where these trends are coming from. I find some important figures in the media include the characters on tv shows that the individual relates his role in society to, (party people like relate to Jersey Shore, Athletic people related to athletes portrayed through the media, musical artists generally have a great influence).

Eating Habits
I will try to find out how eating habits correspond to beauty standards

One of the most notable aspects of college life is the Freshman 15, which pretty much says freshman will gain 15 pounds from unhealthy eating habits and the lack of exercise. Many college students simply do not care about eating for health/beauty standards, they just eat when they want. Others are different. After going to World of Wings, I asked my friend if she wanted something. She said “No, I’m trying to watch my figure.” I feel like eating habits are one of those things that many people correlate with beauty standards but very few really understand nutrition well enough to properly conform(whether healthy or unhealthy)

Jordan
I will be trying to determine which beauty standards I conform to and I will try to determine the effect of each beauty standard on my overall health (physical, mental, emotional).

I have found I conform to many beauty standards. I sometimes get ready in order to impress others, but sometimes I dress in a way that will make me happiest whether people will like it or not.
I consistently look in the mirror, because I sometime see myself in two lights, and I really want to see which light I see myself in each day.
I have started to notice how my personal beauty standards differ from society’s, which I find as an important piece in determining my identity.
Although these beauty standards have previously had a negative effect on my health, I find today that these standards have taught me who I am and who I am meant to be.

Moammar Gadhafi: Anti-Feminist?

As I did my normal run-through of the articles on the Yahoo Home Page I discovered this great article which related to feminism that I thought I should share. I feel this article is important because it brings light to gender-roles that teenagers often believe without questioning.

In the article “Moammar Gadhafi* and His Odd Relationship with Women” Meagan Morris brings light on a feminist issue; Gadhafi employed a group of 30 women, known as the Amazonian Guard, during his four decades of power.

The following is an excerpt from the article

* Scholars believe he employed females because he figured people would find killing women difficult.

* The Amazonian guards were known for their glamorous make-up and hair matched with combat boots and military fatigues.

* Women enlisted to work for Gadhafi were required to take an oath of virginity. However, guards reported being raped by the leader and his sons before being disposed.

“A pattern emerged in the stories,” wrote The Sunday Times of Malta in August. “The women would be first raped by the dictator and then passed on, like used objects, to one of his sons and eventually to high-ranking officials for more abuse before eventually being let go.”

* Gadhafi generally disregarded women, dismissing them as necessary only for childrearing. However, he had a years-long infatuation with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rebels found a scrapbook filled with photos of Rice in his palace after he went into hiding. She called the photo collection creepy after learning of its existence.

* He spoke about Rice often, including in an interview with Al-Jazeera. ‘I support my darling black African woman,’ Gadhafi said. “I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. … Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. … I love her very much. I admire her, and I’m proud of her, because she’s a black woman of African origin.”

* During a meeting, Gadhafi gifted Rice with several pieces of jewelry worth over $200,000. The gifts include a diamond ring, a lute, a locket with his photo inside and an inscribed copy of his manifesto The Green Book.

I find it interesting that he supposedly chose women because people would be less inclined to kill them. I had at one point in my life thought about this also, and how female soldiers may be less likely to get killed.

I also find it quite sad how he pretty much was just using these women (because they are women). The article states how he disregarded women, thinking they were only necessary for childrearing, and I’m sure many feminists are taking offense to this.

So this idea that people are less inclined to kill women, I’m sure I’ve seen this in history before. The play Trojan Women by Euripides illustrates what happened to the Trojan Women after being conquered by the Archaeans. Hecuba, Queen of Troy, is comforting the women as they are being assigned to Archaean men. Pretty much the story goes after the Trojans had been ambushed using the Trojan Horse, the women and children were spared. I feel this example effectively demonstrates something similar to what is going on with Gadhafi.

As for Gadhafi believing women are only good for childrearing I find this to be quite interesting. Feministically speaking, If women are only meant to give birth than should men only be meant to impregnate females?

*Gadhafi’s name is spelt many different ways. I chose to use the spelling Meagan Morris used in her article.

**I would suggest Lysistrata and Trojan Women as good, short plays to talk about in future Writing About Women classes.

http://news.yahoo.com/moammar-gadhafi-odd-relationship-women-224400887.html

Barbie Body: Common Beauty Standard Women Deal With During Maturity

In the article “The Plastic Surgery A Model Needs To Look Like Barbie” featured in O Magazine a model by the name of model Katie Halchishick uses her body to create a visual image of how unrealistic it is for women to attempt to look like Barbie.

In this photo I see a beautiful girl who doesn’t need to change one bit. Do you agree?

Barbie was developed in March 1959 by Mattel, Inc. – Can you believe that this beauty standard has been around for over 50 years. Our parents often say that standards were not as harsh as they are now, so I’d like to show you the first Barbie ever and see if you believe it to be true.

If Barbie was made life-size (like the Eve doll from the Disney Movie Life-Size) her BMI around 16 would classify her as anorexic. Just an interesting fact.

Activity Each subheading will have talk about a different beauty standard. For one week my goal is going to be to pay attention to other people and see how this beauty standard is relevant today, for both men and women.

Weight
Most people believe weight is an important factor in determining health. While this can be helpful one must consider muscle mass, genetic factors, and other factors in order to determine health based on weight.I will be looking to see how weight and healthy habits correspond between people I see

Hair
Many people dye their hair to become the person they want to be. While sometimes this is cool, other times people do this because of societies standards. I will be looking at how people are stereotyped based on their hair style and color

Clothing
Many people feel that in order to gain the “Barbie Girl Image” they have to wear certain clothes or possible wear little at all. I will be looking at how people are perceived based on the clothing they wear

Going Out
Many people are fine sitting in their room without make-up on (ladies), but they have to dress up and get ready to go out. I will be looking to see how someones image changes as they go from being in their comfort zone to being around people

Media
People often gain standards by paying attention to celebrities in the media. My goal is to determine how different people deal with pressures from the media while seeing which figures in the media contribute to this

Eating Habits
Many people eat certain foods because they do not want to gain weight (or they want to lose weight), while many other people do not care. I will try to find out how eating habits correspond to beauty standards

Jordan
I know that as a guy I conform to beauty standards, like most men and women do. I will be trying to determine which beauty standards I conform to and I will try to determine the effect of each beauty standard on my overall health (physical, mental, emotional).

The F Word

It’s time for me to talk about the F word…Feminism. Feminism is an important part of the transition between the years of being a teen to adulthood because feminism in my eyes is about finding out who you are, not having to rely on gender-standards.

Fellow student blogger Astrid has done a great job at targeting feminism in her posts (Her blog is called Feminist Pop Mania). Check it out here. http://feministpopmania.wordpress.com/

Today I’m going to be referring to her post “Misconceptions Behind the F Word.” To sum up this post, she brushes on why people don’t want to be feminists. Pretty much what she is getting to is that people focus on the second wave feminists, that supposedly “burned bras” and were old, ugly, hairy, women. Whether this is true or not, I really don’t care. The important part that Astrid talks about in her various posts is that feminism can become a natural thing, and many people don’t know they are feminists.

She goes on to talk about the definition of feminism. Here it is:

feminism–Noun: The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.

“As you can see there is no where that mentions anything about hairy women or burning bras for that matter. All feminists want is equality. What’s wrong with this?” – Astrid

I know that every week Astrid will have some good material to talk about, so I suggest everyone, yeah you (the person who won’t admit they are reading my blog).

If you don’t want to be labeled a feminist, that’s fine, honestly I don’t either. But I’m sure you will agree with about half of what the movement stands for and this is what is going to ease the transition between the teenage years to adulthood.

Feminism teaches men and women about gender-roles, challenging them to move past these roles. I’m fine with a guy wanting to be a guy, or a girl wanting to be a slut, honestly go for it, but it needs to be your choice NOT SOCIETY STANDARDS.

Just to let you leave on a funny note (sorry if I’m bashing what some would call feminism)

Would You Rather Be A Whale or a Mermaid?

In her blog, Delphine Fieberg wrote about whether you would rather be a mermaid or a whale.

The following passage is from Fieberg’s blog:

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

“Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness.
They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.
They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?
They would have no sex life and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I’d rather be a whale.
I think this article is very relevant today because there are so many pressures for teenagers to be skinny that they forget about the consequences. If I was a woman (weird scenario right) I would have probably chosen mermaid over whale, but now this article would make me think about it more. I feel that as people we use what is on the outside, not because it is the only thing we care about, but because it is the most upfront and truthful.

This article was great because it really shows contrast between looks and everything else that is important. What will you sacrifice for looks? I also wonder why this was posted at the gym. Maybe it was because the gym wanted to make sure people weren’t going too far with dieting. Or someone wanted to protest the gym.

Most of the other articles by Fieberg talk about the Islam culture so I wonder what her rhetorical choice was to include this article.

So, my question for you: Whale or Mermaid?

Here is the article: http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2011/10/mermaid-or-whale.html