"Fighting Fire with Fabulous" Summary

        An article written by Dana Casadei titled, "Fighting Fire with Fabulous," discussed two brothers who plan to make a statement in the home city of the Westboro Baptist Church. Dave and Scott Dambacher are bringing their musical show, "Freaka in Topeka" right into the fire. The Westboro Baptist Church is well known around the country for their hateful opinions and expressions. These brothers created a musical rock n' roll play with characters that are targeted by Westboro. The purpose of this show is to bring attention to the issues with this cult-like group, and to hopefully make a difference in their ways. Dave even states that he hopes the group protests their show because that will only bring more attention to their cause. Although it may be risky to not only run this show, but to take it directly to the home of the church, the Dambacher brothers are confident that their show will fight the intolerance of the church in a fun and positive manner. When asked about their show going worldwide, the brothers agree that they have to start somewhere and that Topeka is a great place to start.

 

 

Gender and the Military

For two years, I dated a man in the US Marine Corps. I had known him prior to his enlistment when he was a wreckless boy who barely graduated high school. When I saw him again after he finished boot camp, I could tell that the military made him into a "man," something they told him they would do. For the years we were together, his only outlet for emotions was talking to me. At work, which was a mechanics shop for him, he was in charge and had to be tough, emotionless, and the "man" that the USMC built him to be. I am not at all saying this was a bad thing; the military turned him into a caring, compassionate, driven human being. It showed him that he can do anything if he puts his mind to it and commits. However, I do think that at times this overwhelming need to "be a man" caused issues. Slang and demeaning words fly out of the mouths of my ex and his buddies; they constantly were calling each other girls, fags, gay, or insinuating that they are anything but the manly man they are supposed to be. I remember asking him why they always said that and what would happen if one of them actually WAS gay. He said that even if one of them were, they were never come out of the closet because it would ruin their career in the military. He went on to explain how men wouldn't feel comfortable with gay men in tight living arrangements, such as they have in combat situations. They shower together, change together, sleep together. He said it would be awkward if they knew that the guy next to them in the shower is homosexual. This is similar to one of the reasons why some military men feel uncomfortable with women in combat zones; the living arrangements get awkward. These are all congruent with the statements made in Melissa Trible's article.

Spouses in the military also are different. I used to watch this show called Army Wives which was a series that followed a group of spouses of soldiers in the Army. They were fictional characters, but it was as true to the real lives of military spouses as a show can get. In the group was a handful of wives and one husband, who's wife was a high ranking officer. The dynamics and differences between the roles were interesting. Sometimes, the solider's husband was looked down upon and told that his wife "wears the pants" in their relationship. The wives of soldiers were often referred to as trophies, since they seemed to just accompany their husbands to fancy events. I think this must hold true in real life; military husbands probably deal with masculinity problems at first, or at least face people who think they should feel demasculinated. 

When it comes to the media, I think there is only one way that male military men are portrayed: tough, strong, brave, resilient. When a male solider is presented any other way, it is a serious sign of disrespect. Women soldiers, on the other hand, I think can be presented in multiple ways. There are times when females in the military are also presented as tough, strong, and brave. However, there are also times when these strong women are viewed as "dominating," "lesbian," or "butch." The power of a woman in the military is intimidating, and not always absorbed well by others. There is also another way females in the military are portrayed: like they do not belong there. Females in the military are often said to not be able to do the same things the men can do, or not as well at least. Since they are women, they must be delicate and girly like the girls who dress up as soliders for Halloween. This is far from the truth; although there are physical differences between the capabilities of men and women, there are some women who are stronger than some men. I think the media has made progress in their support and representations of females in the military, but there is always room for improvement.

Intelligence vs. Icon

     Society's first impression of beautiful woman is that she must not be smart. Years of shows, movies, and stories have portrayed gorgeous women as blonde, ditzy, and guidable.  In contrast, smart women are showed as nerdy and unattractive. Smart and sexy are rarely seen together, but the article explains how the most famous American sex-icon, Marilyn Monroe, was actually quite intelligent. However, this intelligence was hidden. She may not have chose to do it purposely, but no one even bothered to see how smart she actually was; they didn't care. She was a blonde bombshell and that's all that mattered to the public. A smart woman is not as easily pleased or controlled, so they are therefore intimidating. In order to maintain her sex appeal, Monroe did not reveal her true intellect. 
       In today's society, not much has changed. Although there are smart beautiful and talented women in the media, mistakes and drama receive more attention. One of the most well-known beauties is currently Kim Kardashian. She comes from a famous family, but the release of a sex-tape of her is what brought Kim into the spotlight. Since then, she has been portrayed as a curvy, pretty attention seeking woman, but the media never makes her seem intelligent. I think her brain is hidden to publicity sake, but in reality she is a successful business woman. According to Liberal America's website, Kim never had financial concerns, but yet built her own empire. She has had multiple tv shows, runs a clothing sore, branded fragrances, and has her own app game, jewelry line, and an affiliation with an online shoe store. The expansion of her empire can not be ignored, and it is something that she has worked for. She may have been born into famous and received fame from the tape leaking, but she capitalized on those opportunities in ways that not every one else would. It may not be the typical way to do business, but Kim Kardashian "knows what she is good at, what her brand is." This is a brilliant way to make the most of her time in the spotlight, and that suggests that there is more to Kim Kardashian's brain than what the media portrays. 

http://www.liberalamerica.org/2014/11/03/kim-kardashian-west-brilliant-business-woman/

Christy Mack Assault Summary

        Simon McCormack wrote an article for The Huffington Post about the details of the attack on Christy Mack. Well known for her role in the porn industry, Mack's assault brought up conflicting opinions. While everyone agrees that the beating she received from her ex-boyfriend was awful, some have suggested that her role in the industry may play a part in the attack. 
         Mack and her ex-boyfriend, MMA Fighter and pornstar Jonathan Koppenhaver, broke up in May of 2014. He came back to her house in August when another man happened to be at her house, yet there were no signs of any sexual relationship. Koppenhaver brutally beat Mack's friend, let him go, and then began to focus on Mack. He first made her shower in front of him so he can watch. He then continued to violently beat her, and threaten to rape and kill her. Mack's account of the assault is cringing to read, but McCormack published her exact words so readers could fully understand the severity of the act. Although Mack admits that Koppenhaver had hit her before, she explains that this was nothing even close to that. She luckily escaped, running naked through her neighborhood seeking refuge. Koppenhaver was arrested and brought up on charges, and Mack suffered severe but non-lifethreatening injuries. 
      Although McCormack's article does not dive into the comments that have been made about Mack's case, some suggest that both her and Koppenhaver's roles in the porn industry may have contributed to this beating. The general idea of the opinion is that by being in the porn industry, Mack is objectifying herself and making herself almost "not human." If Koppenhaver had adapted the idea that Mack is an object rather than a person, mercy may not have entered his mind. Also, Koppenhaver and Mack may have experienced "rough porn" in their careers. Although it is extreme, those types of pornographies desensitize men to the abuse of women and make it seem enjoyable. These theories, even though there are people who came up with and believe them, only show disrespect. Anyone who can put even the slightest blame on Christy Mack for this brutal attack is flat-out wrong. It is admirable that she speaks out about this traumatizing event in order to spread awareness of the problems of domestic violence.

"Hetero Barbie" Summary

     Chapter 14, titled Hetero Barbie, begins by explaining how the lives of heterosexual females begin to revolve around men usually during puberty. They face pressure to have the "right" body size, shape, clothes and even hair. Barbie, a famous childhood doll, captures this ideal look. However, she is seemingly single and childless, which makes her "abnormal" in the feminine world. Since she is meant to represent the "perfect woman," but also is so abnormal when it comes to the life of a stereotypical woman, this leaves her with many more levels of interpretation and a variety of consumers.
     The author of this article, Mary F. Rogers, states that Barbie may not even be heterosexual or a woman, but rather a man in drag. This theory is supported by her long legs, flat hips, and her ultra-feminine wardrobe and makeup. Due to these characteristics, she has sparked the interest of many homosexual men. Rogers suggests that Barbie's world is seemingly free of heterocentrism and heterosexism, which makes this toy appealing to people in the non-heterosexual world. Barbie's gender is so open for interpretation that she can be constructed to fit almost any. RuPaul, a known drag star, even has a Barbie specifically made to be him, which lies in the collection of Michael Osborne. This extensive collection is extremely valuable and near-and-dear to the heart of Osborne, said to be homosexual.
    The terms non-normative/normative occupations are introduced in this article, which refers to jobs that attract and are known to be for a certain gender. For example, some non-normative occupations would be ballet and hairdressing for men, and for women it would be military careers and auto mechanics. Osborne admits that his dream careers of becoming a hairdresser or the president of Mattel, Barbie's designing company, are non-normative. However, Osborne, alone with many other people interested in Barbie's interpretations, see this doll as a way for Mattel to influence society; they can use Barbie to "define, commodify, and mutate sexual identity." The statement a Barbie Doll can make in society can be huge if Mattel uses this power wisely.

Gendered Slang / Language

      Overall, I would say our language is gendered, but not to the extent of some other languages. For example, while the English Language uses gendered pronouns (he, she, his, hers, etc.), twisting the words of that sentence may eliminate the need for the pronouns. Not all adjectives in the English language are gendered, although we might use some more often for males or females. There is only one form of the word "nice." Whether he or she is nice, the word does not change. However, in spanish, if the man is nice, you say he is "simpatico," but a woman would be "simpatica." Same thing with some pronounds; if a group of boys is being referred to, they are "ellos,"while a group of girls is "ellas." If there are 5 girls and 1 boy in a group, they are still referred to as "ellos." In English, we would just say "they," and the genders of those being referred to are unknown.
     On the other hand, I would say some colloquialisms in the English language are gendered. They may not change like spanish words do, but the connotation that follows the word can be male or female. For example, if you call a man a "pussy," that is basically calling him a vagina, or feminine. If you call a woman a "prick," that is calling her a penis, which is masculine. Sometimes we may not even realize the gender behind the word. For example, the word "soft" is often used in today's language. This words means that the person shows weakness, which is commonly seen as a feminine trait. We all use many colloquialisms in our every day conversations, but if we really took a second to think about the words we say, we would notice the gender stereotyping that is subtly behind most of them.