Course Description

At the core of the course is the question how feminism has become a demonized and ridiculed “F-word” in an age when issues of gender and sexuality are at the center of constant, often explosive political debates. These debates often connect media representation and political representation but tend to do so in simplistic ways that bypass or distort decades of sophisticated feminist theory and practice. We will trace back such representations through the decades around case studies that encompass film, video, television and new media practices. The case studies come from the United States and beyond, taking into full account the global interconnectedness of media production and consumption as well as the transnational travel of feminist ideas. The main goal of the course is to evaluate how useful feminist thinking is to understanding the relays between media and political representation; and to develop a lasting critical apparatus to analyzing the politics of gender and sexuality in the media.


Monday, October 28, 2013

Honey Boo Boo: Are They That Bad?

"Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" receives a lot of criticism for showcasing what has been called the worst of American society. However, after watching the show, I found plenty of things worth admiring in her family. However, despite the many criticisms that they receive, they are extremely happy being who they are and where they are. They acknowledge that they aren't the most intelligent, the most beautiful or the most cultured and yet they have a completely refreshing acceptance of themselves. They also have a rare acceptance of one another and act without any airs or pretenses. As a society, we tend to value ourselves in relation to the other, and many parenting techniques stem from this - many parent's show acceptance and love through telling their kids that they are better than the others. However, the acceptance in Honey Boo Boo's family rather comes from a realization that they are who they are, they may not be the best, but they are happy.

I envy them for this. Isn't this the end goal of feminism and sexual equality? To act completely as we desire free from social expectations, pressures and confines? I believe that this is the end goal of any form of prejudice and social oppression - removing yourself from the ideals of society and simply being who you want to be. It involves making no choices because of the pressures of expectations from others. This, however, is extremely difficult to attain and no matter how free one feels the desire to conform or impress is usually present. The family in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo are as free from this pressure as I have ever seen and I think that this is a great characteristic and shows strength on their part. 

Overall, they seem extremely happy, which is what we all strive for in the end.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)