Ayvazian and Blanchard

 "Inadvertant behavior of the profoundly inexperienced"

Blanchard states that most of society is naive about racial discrimination due to lack of experience, insight and involvement with people of different races. As long as white people are the majority in all situations, people that are black, or spanish, or whatever other race will feel opressed, and discriminated against.

I think this theory is fascinating because it is so true and it is something I would have never thought of. People may say that they are "not racist" but they are not fully egalitarian unless they have fully befriended people of another race, or have been emersed in their culture. A lot of people that say that they are anti racism are actually blind to a lot of what they have never been introduced to.

Ayvazian talks about becoming allies.

I feel like prior to this class I was one of those naive people, not that I have fully submersed myself into another races culture, so maybe I still cannot be completely egalitatian, but this class turned all of us in it into possible allies. We have learned enough about opression and discrimination and the many forms, and targets, to be able to identify with all kinds of people, and respect them.



In class side note:....Prof Bogad said this wrapped up the whole class and she was right. I feel like it is fitting.

Random Blog #2

How Gender and Society class has altered my thought process and taken over my life:
I watch American Horror Story. (on FX Wednesday nights at ten if you are interested)
I am actually obsessed with this show. It's pretty messed up and I love it for the reason that it is so different then any other show on TV.

Currently the show is on its second season which is completely unrelated to the first season. It takes place in 1964 in an asylum for mentally handicapped people. Most people would want to call it an insane asylum; but its not, because back then people were locked up for all kinds of things that used to be thought of as illnesses that aren't now...
These “Illnesses” include:
*being too sexual
*being sexually attracted to the same gender
strange huh?

PRIOR TO THIS CLASS I would have just been like “Oh yeah I guess history used to be close minded and they realized over time that these are not illnesses.”
Now I'm like “Oh wow. Look how oppressive society used to be.” On top of that I have noticed the gender inequality shown throughout this show between the woman who has been there for years and the new scientist man that is taking over BECAUSE HE IS A MAN. and the racism shown when a man marries a black women and is ACCUSED OF SLUMMING.

I realize this show is fake, and although it is probably very radical, it still shows how oppressive america was...and not even that long ago.
1. A women is locked up for enjoying sex. —sex positivity
2. A women is locked up for being a lesbian. —sexual orientation
3. A man is locked up for chronic masterbation. —sex positivity
4. The nun is overruled by a male scientist. —Gender inequality
5. Racism towards a spanish woman. —Race inequality
6. Racism towards the white man marrying black woman. —Race inequality
and those are all of what I thought of just off the top of my head.
Yes this show sounds racy and very sexual...and it is. don't judge me. Its amazing. (and adam lavigne is in it =])
and if it helps to judge the producers (or directors?) less...they are the same ppl who do The Office too.(weird)

SO I looked for a link to prove the connections I have made to this class...and actually for a clip that proves that people including the cast DO NOT THINK THIS WAY...this is a behind the scene/ cast interviews clip in which nobody really comments on the inequality and societal behavior that is brought to attention throughout the series...I guess only a gender and society class student would realize these things...

But here is a clip from the show of what they do to a lesbian to “cure” her....pretty messed up.
http://vimeo.com/53197844

IN CLASS DISCUSSION TOPICS: how awesome this show is.=]

Croteau Media and Ideology Connections

I was having a hard time following this piece, Media and Ideology at first, but then I realized it was describing a really basic concept that most of us have already come to acknowledge; which is medias role in society and how it manipulates people into thinking one way or another about people, objects, and theories.

When I read this I instantly thought about Cinderella ate my Daughter  and how children and parent's   ideology are targeted into being gender specific. Toy companies want parents to think that boys and girls NEED different color toys, which then makes children think that they actually do NEED these different color toys, or that boys and girls cannot play with the same toys because they are made specifically for one gender.
It also makes me think of how Disney makes girls want to be like the princesses. A little girls( or boys) ideology becomes that they want to be a princess and they need a prince.

I also related it to the reading we covered, What Are Little Boys Made Of? because that reading not only shows different ideology of psychiatrists, (some saying boys actions are biological, and some saying it is cultural) but how the media and culture affects boys and their ideology or values and beliefs. When I think of Kimmels article I also think automatically of the film I saw, The Bro Code and all of the examples of media affecting societal beliefs.  While this reading states that as a whole, we media consumers understand that television families are not realistic, we still follow examples, fads, and values shown on TV, which was proven through the film and reading I just mentioned.
One example that The Bro Code showed, which I am sure I will not be the only one mentioning is, reality TV.


While trying to look up good links to how unrealistic shows still influence society, I came across an article that gives some inside scoop into reality TV. Reality TV isn't Real and some people argue that shows like Jersey Shore are very real, and that those realistic shows influence peoples ideology more then the ones that television consumers outright admit are fake. But to an extent we all know that reality shows are staged and yet they still influence us.

Media is an easy way to influence peoples ideology so, like this reading mentioned politicians especially like to use it as a weapon. That is not the extent of media ideology. As Cinderella Ate my Daughter, and What Little Boys Are Made of show, is that media influences values and beliefs in all aspects, including violence, play, and appearance.

Class Discussion : Should we have read this piece before reading Cinderella Ate My Daughter?

Election 2012

Nothing very exciting happened on Election Day for me. I didn't vote because I realize that even though i have that "right" in the long run it doesn't matter and the electoral college can decide whatever they want. I did go to a public area but there were no loud political people yelling or arguing, and the voting hadnt been completed yet so nothing was really going on.

Bobby and I decided to watch the election at a restaurant and were surprised to find the bar and bar area full so we had to sit in the dinning area. We could still see all 7 TV's. Four of which were showing the news; both fox and nbc 10. 1 Showing sports, and 2 showing keno.
It's safe to say that everyone was engrossed in the news and the waitress did say that it was very busy for a Tuesday but there was nothing exciting going on.

What was interesting was going back home and listening  to bobby and his mother fight over who they wanted to win. Although it was interesting, it was nothing to do with equality or gender just social security.

Although I did what was asked of me, for me this election did not connect back to class like it has for other people.