Societal Images

Nicole Lemas

April 21, 2011

The focus of my paper will be on the objectification of women through the outlet of media.

“The Body As Cultural Text” by Lisa Wade, March 16, 2011

“Ambient advertising may have that same message and/or images as traditional advertising but it seeks to have interaction with its environment or given location."


            The ambient advertising seen in this post is one of a woman’s legs being impressioned by a park bench about a sale on ‘short shorts.’ She herself was wearing short shorts, sat down for a while on the bench and then stood up and walked away as a literal billboard. What shocked me in this ad was the lack of humanness in the object, who was in fact a human. It was like watching a piece of clothing being branded and going on the conveyor belt for final production. The frame of the ad was from the behind, from the waist down. What I see from this framework is how media has compartmentalized the female body. We no longer see the whole of the woman; we must break her down only to represent her thighs, buttocks and breasts all separately. This makes it so much easier to objectify women if we can’t even see the totality of them!
            Advertising reflects a social norm or else we would not be attracted to it. This social norm is so subtle yet dangerous. It makes the woman compliant with the reality that her body is not hers. It is for sale, on sale, at the discretion of the consumer. This lack of humanness in advertising leads to more socially accepted norms such as violence against women. If we cannot see the woman as a whole, whom is capable of so much more than what her body represents, we can justify any harm we do to it. This is a very disheartening way to see how advertising and our acceptance of it perpetuates the inferiority of women.

“Finally a Women’s Movement Men Can Get Behind” by Lisa Wade December 9, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bMcFAER3mE&feature=player_embedded

            The movement for eradicating women’s breast cancer is something well supported and well publicized. In this clip from ‘Men For Women Now’ in support of the National Organization for Women we see how even a serious issue such as cancer is belittled to merely a parody. Kevin Connolly’s message is humorous, his tone brash and his time obviously short. Yet in this :47 second clip he clearly is able to celebrate women’s objectification. By switching the word “breast” with “boobs” it creates the issue at hand to be one of inanimate importance. There was no reality shared in this clip about the struggles of the disease and the deep sorrow women have after losing their breasts. If anything it was a slap in the face from a man who has no clue the fragile uncertainty these women face. As the author stated “they are people, not just tits!” So again, we see that women are inanimate objects even in the face of very daring times. And to be covered up as a man speaking out for an organization being in support of this cause? That’s the real joke.

“How Objectification of Women Makes Women Hate Each Other”

 by Linda Wade, July 13, 2008

http://youtu.be/oelU2CSkxtU

            I just wanted to begin by sharing how shocked I was that they even have TV shows like this! Where women try to guess in what order men will rank them according to their face, their body, and both. The author stated that “how being objectified places women in competition with each other and, thus, creates conflict and antagonism.  Thus, women are “catty” because of gender inequality, NOT because of those two pesky X chromosomes or something to do with hormones.”

            It begins with the men ranking the women behind a glass window and the women deciding what the men perceive as attractive and ranking themselves from there. To start, the set-up of the show is exactly the point of these related articles. By keeping women at a distance and blatantly objectifying them on their physical appearance men obtain and sustain all the power. I felt like the women were lab rats being tested, and they all passed! They passed the realization that women are in fact insecure about their bodies and will continue to be so because we base our worth on what other people think of us. We can no longer find our own unique, inherent beauty because if we compare our “parts” to others, we won’t match up. What we see in this clip is the length women will go to to “claw” their way back up to some power (all being based in the worth of their looks). All the while the men sit back and make a spectacle of the show and enjoy the women fighting for their approval. Sick.

Tatoo Paper #2

          The pursuit of happiness is a quest desired by many. We are all seeking a better life, a better story to leave for the next chapter. If we see humanity as an infinite library, each generation fills the pages with struggles and lessons overcome for the benefit of the next generation. Yet the sacrifices of one generation are often overlooked. The story of Mamasan and Claudia paint a clear picture of perpetuating history all the while trying to shift the current story.

            Mamasan had begun her journey as a comfort woman during the war. Being at the disposal of men was her reality. “After her youth was swallowed up by the appetites of young men, she’d fled from Korea poor, pregnant, and disgraced” (McKinney 129). So, she sought a new life and picked up her bags and headed east. Ken related Mamasan’s story to his own when he said, “immigrants from Asia looking for something better, just like my ancestors, instead finding the same damn thing” (McKinney 106).And that ‘same damn thing’ included more exploitation and more money-hungry driven motives. We are all conditioned by our history, and what Mamasan knew was that of her “comfort” past. Thus rose her kingdom where she created her own empire at the expense of other young, eager girls. It was “a real rags-to-riches story”(McKinney 104).

            At Club Mirage “on any given night, every type of thirsty man came crawling in” (McKinney 108). And Mamasan catered to every one of them. My question is, what is creating this kind of “drought” for men and what exactly ‘quenches’ this thirst? It is this appetite for accommodation that damages the very ones who are forced to accommodate. Ken said it well amidst his own destruction while working for Mamasan when he stated, “I figured I had found my religion, hedonism, and it was led by a god who didn’t answer dreams, but instead drowned them out in a pleasant way” (McKinney 104). The dreams that Mamasan originally had for her daughter, Claudia, were drowned out by the instant gratification of money, power and status within her own right. And therefore “history dried up, and in its place rose an imported way of life” (McKinney 97).

            The irony in the relationship between Claudia and her mother is that a double standard had been set, and therefore no real progress was allowed to unfold.

Claudia said, “My mother knows the lifestyle sucks, and yet she perpetuates it for her own profit. I don’t get it” (McKinney 130). This is a prime example where Mamasan is working within the system to gain resources for her family, yet is then confined and trapped to that life and nothing beyond. So in one way she is giving opportunities to her family through money and direction, but the reality is, her direction is stagnant. She is worshipping the idol of money to solve her problems. Ken said “after a while I became what she was, I became a son who worshiped the same idol” (McKinney 106).

            Claudia knew the work her mother was doing was for her benefit but she also knew that it didn’t change anything. She said “my mother let the ugliness of her past rule her” (McKinney 129). To me, this is the moral of the story. No matter what strides we take for the betterment of the future, we are all in some ways ruled by our past. Those demons we’ve all faced along the way have created a new space inside us, created a newfound capacity for growth. It’s how we manage that new space that defines our next chapter. We can see it in Mamasan being a slave to her own empire. We can see it Claudia not being able to reach far enough beyond her current situation. We can see it in the violence and destruction of Ken and his family. So the bigger question is: in our lifetime, are we every really able to change our past for a better future? And if we are, how persistent does the next generation have to be in order to maintain that new precedent? “One leads while the other blindly follows. It takes trust” (McKinney 125). We are all blindly following the path our ancestors have paved. It’s a matter of trusting that road and knowing when to begin our own path for our next generation that determines the future.

Entourage

ENTOURAGE – SEASON 2 Episodes 11-13

            “Maybe You Can Have It All.” The hit HBO series “Entourage” boasts this motto for good reason. The characters lifestyle, location and leverage allow them to maintain their upper-echelon status by capitalizing on the resources they have acquired along the way. This creates an active breeding ground for multiple dimensions of masculinity. From the verbal interactions to the subtle comparisons in symbolism, this show is a hit for gender exploration.

            Even the first episode’s’ title of “Blue Balls Lagoon” suggests that there is foul play somewhere to be had. The opening scene introduces Turtle, the complacent chauffeur, and Vince, the rags-to-riches actor, rehearsing lines in which one part requires a long awaited embrace. Turtle snaps “I ain’t huggin you!” which then sets the tone for more hyper-masculine exchanges. The scene following establishes “E”, Vince’s manager, and Drama, Vince’s half-brother as interdependent characters who always has his best interest in mind. The fact that the entire relationship of all men is based upon their struggle to stardom is a concept well-endorsed as the “American Dream.” The only difference is the network of characters supporting the star, Vince, is not able to equally share the spotlight, which leaves an unbalance of power and status looming after every episode.

            Hegemonic masculinity is accepted and fostered amongst the inner circles of this Hollywood central show. One characteristic of hegemony is that is a very public matter with all parties concerned. A great example of someone following this protocol would be Vince’s abrasive booking agent, Ari. He is willing to step on anyone or anything in order to get his way to the top of the social totem pole. A reoccurring illustration is how Ari treats his gay personal assistant, Lloyd, who also happens to be Asian. Any chance Ari has to assert his masculinity, he will. For example when Ari’s job is being threatened he turns to Lloyd and says,” Do you want to make it in this industry or fold shirts at a Chinese laundry?” Not only does his comment ring in racism, it also gives Lloyd little chance to actually make a choice of whether or not to help Ari in this instance. After Ari is fired he asks Lloyd to come with him on his behalf to maintain “face” in front of the entire office. By making such a scene, Lloyd has to comply with his subordinate role and agrees under pressure. He is however able to say this to Ari as they exit; “Promise you won’t say anything about my race or sexual orientation?” Ari responds “I can’t promise, but I can promise I’ll always apologize after.” Even in this final statement of the episode, it leaves Lloyd in an inferior position where his request is clearly undermined.

            The maintenance of social stratification is constant throughout the themes expressed in each show. The marginal masculinity is upheld with Drama trying to attain Vince’s status yet can never attain it. It is also seen with Turtle, the obedient driver who, in his decked out gear and “bling bling,” may visually represent someone who has status but who obviously does not. Each individual represents some form of a gender performance and power struggle. A unique case of complicit masculinity is how “E” may not particularly believe in the system in which he works, yet he doesn’t challenge it either. He is in many ways benefitting from its existence by supporting Vince’s lifestyle. The “family” complex that is seen between all the men in this picture requires each person to contribute something to the greater good of their unit. Whether it is performing in films to bring in the big money or simply feeding the media fire to keep a name in the papers, every person contributes somehow to this type of system. Yet amongst a seemingly “functional” family, they are operating in a very dysfunctional system of social stratification. Plus when a situation shifts, so does the status that had been given with the previous position. Thus creating a situational theory to maintain and perpetuate.

            Each scene provides more affirmative statements that strengthen the masculine tension. Upon entering a scene one guy may greet the others with “hey idiots!” while they respond “what’s up asshole?”. The inferiority complex is also apparent in the 12^th episode when Drama and Turtle are allowed an adventure where they attempt to make a rapper a big time name. The exploitation begins here where Drama tries to relate to his counterpart through colloquial language. He saunters over to the new talent ‘Saigon’ and calls him “brother” and claims to be “strapped.” The dramatic change in language also shows how much power a seemingly powerless Drama has when put up against another inferior individual. All in all, this show capitalizes on the resources or lack there of, of many people in society. The extravagant props and relatable characters make it easy to digest for a compliant public consuming these messages. What is most ironic about the popularity of this show is that by us as consumers supporting the meanings expressed in each episode, we are inadvertently perpetuating the entire separation and hierarchy of the entire system.