“To me life boils down to one significant thing, it’s movement. To live is to keep moving” – Jerry Seinfeld

From the very beginning of this artifact treasure hunt to the very end, I have learned that gender and communication affects all areas and aspects of life.  From my own personal experiences to films, television programs, songs, news stories, novels, and much more, gender has a profound influence on it all.  The most important tool I have gained from this course is a greater insight into the workings of gender and communication in my life and in the world around me.

In finding my artifacts, I noticed that I often turned to the media outlets that I consume the most to find representations of concepts covered in class.  Many of my artifacts come from films, television programs, stage productions, and songs.  Perhaps the most important artifacts for me came from my own personal experiences because it allowed me to apply the course material close to home.

From my analysis of gender and communication in different aspects of society, I have made several observations and conclusions.  First and foremost, I have found that for every media representation that embraces gender norms, there is one that rejects it.  I anticipated and expected to find nothing but artifacts that just continued and perpetuated the same gender messages that have been encoded for years.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not always the case.

Out of all the media representations I found, I discovered that stage productions were more likely to challenge and bring to light a more balanced view of gender.  Oleanna portrays the good and evil of sexual harassment.  Billy Elliot The Musical challenges the gendered messages we all transmit.  Proof makes us reconsider what a man and woman can and cannot do.  Perhaps the reason why theatrical productions seemed to be less conventional in their depictions of gender relates to the fact that they are off of the mainstream.  It seems that media representations that are a bit more off the beaten path are more likely to reveal the complexities of life.

Media that is within the mainstream, attempting to communicate to a wide and broad audience often embraces wide and broad depictions of gender.  This can be seen in commercials and advertisements.  Of all the media representations I stumbled upon, it was the commercial and marketing world that seemed to repeatedly and continuously enact the traditional gender roles.  From the Bud Light commercial’s assertion that men are in control of women to the demonstration of the same preferred characteristics in boys and girls in toy commercials, advertisements always relied on stereotypes.

I attempted to find artifacts of current relevance to demonstrate the pervading attitudes and perceptions toward gender in society today, but I also wanted to use artifacts from the past to connect to the present.  Much of My Fair Lady is still highly relevant today, even though it was written in the 1950s.  Similarly, Growing Pains perfectly captures much of the moods and attitudes of the country during the 1980s.  It is interesting to see how gender attitudes have changed between the past and present.

With an analysis of gender and communication and how it functioned in the past as well as how it functions today, it leaves me wondering where we as a culture and society are headed in the further evolvement of gender.  As Gamble and Gamble (2003) discuss in the opening chapter, our personal definitions of gender should be fluid and allowed to evolve, shift, and move (p. 4).  Where these changing definitions will lead us is a mystery, but they will continue to move nonetheless, bringing us along for the ride.  Gender has undergone leaps and bounds in the past thirty years alone, and I have no doubt that it will continue its journey in influencing our lives.

REFERENCE:

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

“I’m gonna change you from a rooster to a hen in one shot!”

Gamble and Gamble (2003) discuss research regarding sexual harassment and how it “reveals that most women respond to sexual harassment by ignoring it and/or trying to avoid the initiator of the harassing act–despite the fact that such a response is least effective in terminating the harassment” (p. 279).

There is no other antithesis to what the above research reveals than in the film Nine to Five starring Dolly Parton.  When Parton’s character, Doralee Rhodes discovers what her sexist and egotistical boss has been saying about her in their shared work environment, she gives him a talking to he will never forget as seen in this video montage between the 6:40 and 7:32 marks.

While Doralee’s reaction is inspiring to women who face sexual harassment and hostile environment harassment, her story is not typical, as the research indicates.  Many women often do not report sexual harassment when it occurs because many of them do not know how to deal with it nor do they want to have to be placed in a possible publicly embarrassing situation.

The case of sexual harassment in Nine to Five contrasts with the sexual harassment found in Oleanna.  This revolves around the complex definitions and descriptions of what sexual harassment truly are.  In the case of Oleanna, it is true that “sexual harassment is based on one person’s perception of another person’s behavior” (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 280).  One person’s meaning of sexual harassment may differ from another person’s meaning.  That is the risk that runs in cases of sexual harassment, for not all are as clear-cut as Doralee Rhodes’s.

REFERENCES:

dsnook. (2009, February 23). Gender Stereotypes in Media. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nIXUjzyMe0

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

“We all know the girls that I am talking about…”

It is no secret that women have been portrayed throughout history and society as being overly emotional.  Our text repeatedly discuss how women communicate to convey feelings and to emotionally express themselves.  For as long as women have been highly emotional, men have been highly confused, frustrated, and lost at comprehending “the complex infrastructure known as the female mind” (Thiessen, 2003).

In the song “Mood Rings” by Relient K, the lead singer Matthew Thiessen puts forth the theory that all women should wear mood rings.  By doing this, it will allow men to be able to know clearly what their mood is.  Whenever she is happy, sad, mad, frustrated, bored, etc., a guy will be able to know thanks to the mood ring.  The song ties into the common belief that women are overly emotional and go through several mood swings in a short amount of time.

The song also highlights the frustration that men experience in not being able to understand women.  Thiessen describes different nonverbal cues (“She bats her eyes”) girls enact that send men mixed messages.  The song furthers the belief that men and women fail to communicate and the belief that a level of understanding between the two sexes is unachievable.

REFERENCES:

Thiessen, M. (2003). Mood Rings [Relient K]. On Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…but Three Do [CD]. Yellow Studios: Gotee.

Men Invented Everything

Gamble and Gamble (2003) discuss the different feminist ideologies, one of which is social feminism.  These feminists “contend that patriarchal capitalism depends for its survival on the exploitation of working persons–especially women” (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 404).  By defining women as men’s property and exploiting them, social feminists argue that the combination of patriarchy and capitalism are to blame for the oppression of women (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 404).

In this Bud Light commercial, the advertisers employ this concept to construct humor.  However, the humor relies on the audiences’ acceptance of the continued norm and belief that women are inferior to men.  Instead of portraying women as independent of men, it furthers the belief that women have been manipulated and exploited by men all so that they can maintain their own selfish interests of hierarchy.  Feminism, what is considered to be the foundation for women’s rights and equality, is even made light of in the commercial with the Bud Light Institute professor stating that the movement was merely the invention of men to keep women occupied.

Apparently, for men to enjoy a Bud Light, they need to get away from the irritations of women.  The commercial strikes irony in that in an attempt to achieve humor, it continues to perpetuate gender inequality and sexism.

REFERENCES:

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

yu248221. (2007, June 8). Men Invented Everything. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3InmUNl10Y0

Let’s talk about sex…

One of the most profeminist anthems of the past decade is Christina Aguilera’s and Lil’ Kim’s “Can’t Hold Us Down” which puts forth strong feminist values and ideals.  They point out double standards held against women by men as well as address the importance and power available in women speaking their minds.

One interesting viewpoint expressed in the song is the message that sexual promiscuity is liberating and a step toward equality.  Drawing on the double standard that a man can be sexually active and considered a hero while if a woman behaves in the same way, she is considered to be a whore, the song seems to send the message that women should not be ashamed for being sexually active.  I understand the point that women should be able to enjoy sex just as much as men, but engaging in several sexual behaviors does not achieve that.  By urging women to enjoy sex recreationally as men do, Aguilera and Lil’ Kim bring up an important question–are the motivations and reasons behind sex for men and women different due to their biological differences or are they the results of socialized behavior?

It is true that “men may feel pressure to have sex frequently” as a means to prove their masculinity (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 181).  It is also true that women are often urged to be pure and abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage.  By encouraging men to have sex frequently and encouraging women to abstain, initiation becomes “more comfortable for males and refusing [becomes] more comfortable for women” (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 182).  However, it is also true that men tend to have higher levels of testosterone than women, which tends to drive sexual desire within individuals.  Perhaps the answer to the question is a combination of both biological and social factors.  Regardless, Aguilera’s and Lil’ Kim’s song demonstrates the need for society to reevaluate the messages it is sending to both men and women regarding values and opinions about sex.

REFERENCES:

FirstOlady. (2007, May 24). Christina Aguilera & Lil Kim – Can’t hold us down. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0bjiyvWqb4&feature=related

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

He’s too sexy for his shirt

There are countless examples of media representations in which women are viewed purely as sexual objects.  So much of the time, it is forgotten that men are victims of being sexualized as well.  Gamble and Gamble (2003) point out that “[a] large number of ads continue to portray men as sex objects.  Men are presented as desirable not because of their personal qualities, but because of their bodies” (p. 354).

Along with ads, another way men are highly sexualized is through romance novels.  When taking a walk down the romance novel section at a bookstore or grocery store, you cannot help but notice the provocative and sexual images that cover the books.  It is not mostly men who are reading these novels.  The depictions of men on the covers of these novels show them with bulging muscles and impeccable bodies, obviously done to entice female readers.  Romance novels place men in a subordinate position as it sexualizes them as well as putting focus on how men can please women.  Women read these types of novels to fulfill fantasies of being sexually satisfied by these types of men.

That is not to say that a majority of women only care for men for their physical appearance.  Men are still not used sexually in as many advertisements as women are.  Most of the marketing directed toward women is not about having an incredibly attractive man, but pleasing the man you already or will eventually have.  Conversely, most of the marketing directed toward men is about obtaining an incredibly attractive women.  While both men and women are sexualized in media representations, inequality still persists and exists today.

REFERENCES:

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Romance Covers. [Online Image]. Retrieved on June 18, 2009 from http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jezebel/2008/11/ROMANCEcovers111708.jpg

“Me dad does it all the time.”

One of the assignments for this class was to reflect on clothing and how it functions as an artifact.  The task was to list five items of clothing that we would never wear because of the gendered messages they would send.  We were also assigned the task to address the question as to which sex has more freedom in wearing clothing than the other.  My responses to the assignment were primarily articles of clothing that would send the opposite gendered message of what I usually portray.  When I was later reflecting on the assignment, though, I wondered what exactly makes it wrong for a man to wear feminine clothing?

In the discussion about which sex had more freedom in wearing clothes, points were made about how women are more able to wear clothes that are typically masculine and not be ostracized for it.  Yet, it is hardly ever acceptable for a man to wear clothes that are typically feminine.

In the following clip from Billy Elliot The Musical, one of the male characters dresses up in his sister’s clothing, revealing that not only does he enjoy it, his dad partakes in it as well, and he only feels comfortable doing so in private.  He sings the song “Expressing Yourself” to further the point that he should be able to wear feminine clothing if he desires to do so because it serves as a reflection of who he is: a boy with feminine qualities.

REFERENCES:

BillyElliotStuff. (2009, May 8). Billy Elliot Expressing Yourself. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRanzpVYx-s

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Independence through imagination

For boys, focus is placed on independence and achievement by the family.  To “do things” is to communicate and to feel “at home” is to maintain “distance between themselves and other people” (Chodorow as cited in Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 208-9).

When I was younger, I would more frequently play by myself than I would with other children my age or with siblings.  I took pride in the fact that I did not need anybody else to have fun.  Through my imagination and adventurous spirit, I created my own worlds full of fantastical creatures and characters.  My mother and father also took pride in this and reinforced my independence and autonomy.  They were proud that their little boy was being so creative, spirited, and playful all on his own.  For years, I always thought that my own private playtime was more of a result from having siblings much older than I, but now I realize it was a socialized and encouraged masculine trait.

Gamble and Gamble (2003) often mention how boys are more apt to involve themselves in task-related play compared to girls who are more apt to involve themselves in relation-building play.  Reflecting on my childhood, I have discovered that my playtime was heavily task-oriented: saving the princess, fighting the dragon, traveling to space, etc.  I felt “at home” because I believed that my playtime, created through my imagination and resources was special only to me, and only I could experience it.  This also explains why I would get upset when others would touch my toys or start enacting my adventures because I felt as though I had a copyright on them.  All this time, I thought I had escaped to my own little world, when in actuality, it was the development of the masculine characteristic of autonomy.

REFERENCES:

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

A Barbie for Susie, A Truck for Tommy

“Children younger than four years old have been socialized regarding what kinds of things are associated with each sex” (Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 200).

When comparing the following two commercials, one for a toy product obviously directed toward boys and one for a toy product obviously directed toward girls, it is easy to see the typical gendered messages being sent to children at such a young age.

The Hot Wheels commercial further illustrates that playing with these types of toys furthers the development of the typical characteristics seen in men: competitiveness, aggression, and toughness.  The commercial features a psuedo hard rock soundtrack with images of trucks combating one another, further demonstrating the “tough” characteristic.  The slogan, “Beat that!” is repeated, further fostering the perception that boys must be competitive.  Finally, the repetition of the words “crash” and “smash” highlight the aggression inherent in the toy.

The Barbie Dream House commercial illustrates that playing with these types of toys furthers the development of the typical characteristics seen in women: nurturing, relational, and domestic.  The commercial features a more buoyant tune in comparison to the Hot Wheels commercial.  Also, the jingle and the voiceover commentator instructs girls watching the commercial to share with their friends repeatedly.  This further demonstrates how girls are being socialized to be highly relational.  The images of all these girls and Barbie dolls having so much fun in a doll house further demonstrates the belief that girls and women should stay inside the home, for where else can they find such happiness?

REFERENCES:

Barbie Collectors. (2007, November 7). May 2006 Barbie 3-Story Dream House Set Commercial. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnr9W-wx4oU

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

JCProductions7. (2008, May 28). Monster Jam Crash & Smash HotWheels toy commercial. [Video File]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sErTVgO-4Oo

Show me the proof!

In David Auburn’s award-winning play, Proof, the protagonist Catherine writes an extraordinary proof that will change the foundations of mathematics.  The problem?  It is hard for those around her to believe she wrote it, especially her friend and love interest, Hal.  No doubt the fact that she is a woman contributes to people’s disbelief.  How could a girl with only a semester of college behind her write something so ingenious that it even outmatches what her gifted father contributed to the field of mathematics?  The play draws on the fact that males tend to dominate educational subjects that involve analytical and linear thinking such as mathematics and engineering.

Gamble and Gamble (2003) point out that, “until recently, male students were more apt to achieve in areas that relied on problem-solving skills such as math, science, and computer literacy, while female students tended to try and avoid such subjects, perceiving them to be too difficult and unfeminine” (p. 232).  Catherine is a female character who breaks the norm and embraces mathematics.

The following dialogue from the play illustrates the dominance of men in the field of mathematics as well as the ignorance of the contributions of women.

HAL. They think math’s a young man’s game. […] Really original work — it’s all young guys.
CATHERINE. Young guys.
HAL. Young people.
CATHERINE. But it is men, mostly.
HAL. There are some women.
CATHERINE. Who?
HAL. There’s a woman at Stanford, I can’t remember her name.
CATHERINE. Sophie Germain.
HAL. Yeah?  I’ve probably seen her at meetings, I just don’t think I’ve met her.
CATHERINE. She was born in Pairs in 1776.
HAL. So I’ve definitely never met her.

The dialogue continues with Hal realizing that Sophie Germain contributed what is known in mathematics as Germain Primes.  The conversation between Catherine and Hal demonstrate the ignorance many people, especially men have toward the contributions women have made to fields that are typically dominated by men.  It is this ignorance that causes Hal to later doubt that Catherine had written her revolutionary proof.  It seems that many of the perceptions and views one holds could possibly end up interfering with his or her relationships with others.

REFERENCES:

Auburn, D. (2001). Proof. New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003).  The Gender Communication Connection.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.