Final Blog Post

Although I have heard that most rapists aren’t strangers, it is hard to believe sometimes. I think the results of these studies should be displayed by the media. The news tends to only show the most extreme cases of women who were abducted, beaten, and raped at gunpoint by a stranger. This gives society a false image of what it’s actually like. Yes, these scenarios do happen—but it is a slim percent of the cases. As stated in the article, the vast majority of rape or attempted rape assaults are done by someone the victim already knows and without a weapon. I think the media (newspapers, television, radios, and magazines) should let the public know about these non-stranger rapes as well. This would help victims be able to protect themselves and hopefully prevent some of these attacks. They might become more aware of their so-called “friends” advances, which gives them a hint to be more careful. Women don’t assume that people they know will try and do these harmful things to them because most women don’t know how common it really is. If the media would give an accurate representation of rape then maybe it would be less likely to happen. Maybe women would stop getting so drunk and high in an unfamiliar environment. Since most scenarios involve drugs or alcohol, this might prevent a controllable situation. Yes, rape will still happen- but maybe the numbers would decrease.

As a society, we are still scared and uneasy talking about sexual topics sometimes. Because lots of women are uncomfortable talking about sex, they are less likely to report these assaults. A cultural change needs to occur: make sex an easier topic to discuss. Incorporate classes into more high schools and encourage parents to talk about these awkward topics with their children at a younger age. The more comfortable they are with the topic, the more likely they will at least go to someone about the incident. Whether it is a friend or family member, someone would be willing to help. It’s not that people don’t want to help—it’s that most victims don’t speak up because they are scared or uneasy in my opinion.

Overall I found this a very interesting and significant article with lots of great information. In conclusion, I feel that it is everyone’s job to let society know the truth about rape cases. The media needs to display these results and the reality of rape incidents so that prevention and protection plans can be established. Parents and friends need to be more educated and open to discussing the issues to make victims more willing to report the cases that do happen from an acquaintance or while they were intoxicated—without being judged. Most people think it is not going happen to them but it reality everyone could potentially be at risk and most are unaware of this. 

The Complex Human Example-- Special Topic Post

Human Sexuality is complicated. Our society today still thinks it is inappropriate to talk about sex, sexual orientation, and identity openly which is why there are so many misconceptions surrounding these topics. This video from  http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/?s=sex summarizes everything we have learned this semester about sex-related topics in an elementary-like form. It gives you an easy visual to be able to distinguish between sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual behavior. Today, people assume that we should classify ourselves based on our sex. I feel that our world is so naïve with this concept. Many people all over the world today don’t classify themselves based on their sex. Some of us may think that is weird or strange, but it is actually more common than we think. Every person is different and unique in their own way. Assigning all of these crazy labels and classifications to each human is a relatively new aspect. People several hundreds of years ago would not understand these terms and probably consider them to be somewhat absurd. Is there really a need for all of these labels? Are they doing more harm than good? In my opinion there is no need and that they are more harmful. All of these classifications—male, female, bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, transsexual, transgender, etc, complicate our lives more and makes it even harder to discuss sex on a mature level. I feel that these labels are making our society more judgmental each day. People won’t get to know you if you are “strange” or “weird” or different than them. If people would put these negative labels and classifications aside, you might open yourself up to an entirely new world. You would be able to meet so many more people and actually be able to know and understand someone on a deeper level. If we as a society can look past a few meaningless labels then this could become the norm. Although this is a far-fetched proposal, it is not impossible. Back in the old days there was no such thing. Focusing our time and effort and money into trying to get others to accept us for who we are is ridiculous. Who cares who you like? Who cares how you classify yourself? Are any of these things really going to be important in the far future or after life? Probably not. I think it is just a big waste of time.

In the video, he shows the complex human example. He first puts a dot over the person’s “private part” and classifies this as a person’s sex. If you have a penis you are a male, If you have a vagina then you are a female. Then he proceeds to say that there are also intrasex individuals—making them sound strange and abnormal. Does what parts they were born with make them any less of a  human? I would hope not.

Next he highlights the brain to prove that our gender identity is decided there and that our gender identities are separate from our sex (although that is hard for our society to understand).

Next is the heart. The heart is where our sexual orientation is decided. This is where we put a title on ourselves based on who we are sexually attracted to. I also thought it was neat how he also did a “romantic orientation” as well to show how relationships aren’t always about solely sex.

Lastly he describes sexual behavior as when other people get involved.

All of these titles that he describes come together to create a person’s gender role, which is constructed by society.

In the video, he makes it a point to distinctively separate each category. He states that each of these are independent from each other and that there is a continuum —which is true, but should it really matter?

It is sad that a person has to make a diagram and graphs to explain these concepts, concepts which are supposed to be natural. He discusses a spectrum or range of each category. Adding all of these technical terms make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just a thought…

WGS Insight

One lesson I will take with me from now on is to not be so judgmental. I have always been one to assume things and consider them wrong if the situation didn't agree with my views. Half of the time I would not even listen because I was so pessimistic. I am much more open-minded about certain situations now, and will give people a chance to state their point of view. This is already helped me in many of my relationships. I don't snap back so angrily at my parents and actually listen to my boyfriend's side of things when we get in a fight. This goes for all lessons we have learned in class. For example--homosexuality. I am now much more open with the topic and understand it a lot better. I'm less quick to judge. The same goes with transgender individuals. I didn't realize how naive I was with some of these topics. I didn't know that some people were born with different chromosomes or with extra private parts. I guess I just let my religion and parents' views get in the way sometimes when trying to understand people different than me. This goes for abortion also. I was always pro-life but I can now understand the other side too after being forced to read and watch articles that oppose my view. It's amazing how much you can learn from simply listening. All of the exercises we do in class were difficult at first. Having to listen without saying anything or defending your side was a hard concept for me, although it has got much easier as the semester progressed. I thoroughly enjoyed this class and learning about concepts that are so prevalent in our world today. I've never had a class where I was able to talk, read, and learn about sexuality. I found it very interesting!!
This open-mindedness and listening will definitely help me in the future. I plan on becoming some sort of doctor and have always been interested in the medical field. With this profession, I will be encountering patients, families, and co-workers with different views, gender, races, sexuality, and class. Understanding them and not letting my biased opinions get in the way will help me to have a more successful future as a doctor.

My Friend’s Horrific Experience—Rape (Trigger Warning!!)

I have always had strong views on abortion and conception. Most of this is due to my family and our religious beliefs. I had always been taught that abortion is wrong and should not be tolerated. I was highly pro-life and believed that life began at conception.  The thought of killing an innocent unborn child was awful to me. I was very opinionated and closed-minded when it came to abortion. I would often dismiss the topic because I didn't want to hear any pro-choice advocate’s reasoning. I can now say that one significant experience opened my eyes and made me “think twice” about my pessimistic ways.

One of my mom’s friend’s daughters had to go through a traumatic experience. One night her and some friends had went to some guy’s apartment to pre-game for the night then they were going out. Yeah, she was a little drunk but nothing she couldn't handle. At the bar, one of the guy’s they were with offered to buy her a drink—she gladly accepted. Little did she know that this drink would be the end to her good night. Shortly after drinking the drink she remembers feeling dizzy but thought it was just because she was drunk. Turns out she didn't have any recognition of what happened later in the night… The next morning when she woke up she was in an unfamiliar shed type building with blood on her pants and severe pain. She immediately called for help and eventually made her way to the hospital where she had an examination and rape kit test done on her. She was given a Plan B type pill (not sure actually what kind). . Long story short, she did not end up pregnant from this experience, but it definitely made me think twice. What if she would have? Carrying that baby through pregnancy would have been a constant reminder of that horrific experience. Why should any girl have to be forced to carry this unwanted child? Being drugged and raped is in itself a big enough issue, without the added stress of pregnancy. So this situation made me think twice. I would have probably considered abortion just as many others would have. I can truthfully say I am much more open-minded on the topic now. 

Objectification

Ever since I can remember, my parents raised me to stand up for myself. I was told never to instigate or start a fight, but to be the one to finish it. I was raised to not let others walk all over me. Because of this, I have grown to be a very straight-forward and headstrong person. In a case of objectification, my reaction typically depends on the situation. Most of the time though if I'm the one being objectified, I fire back (typically in a rude way). For example, if someone yells something at me on the street and isn't trying to say it in a rude way or derogatory tone, then I would just ignore it. No need to start a confrontation if it wasn't offensive or intentionally derogatory. BUT, most of the time this is not the case. Majority of the time when I am street harassed  it is vulgar, provocative, offensive, and dehumanizing. I have had people say very inappropriate comments before. In this instance, I would definitely stand up for myself and fire back with an equally degrading comment. I'm pretty quick on my feet so normally this shuts them up.
In contrast, if I am not the one being objectified, normally I just keep my mouth shut. Especially if I don;t know the person then I normally would not say anything. I don't feel that it is my place to say something. I'm not going to fight other people's battles for them. However, if it is someone I'm very close with such as a friend or family member then I might intervene. Again, it depends on the context of how severe the situation is. If it happens repeatedly  and I witness my friend or family member being walked all over then I will stand up for them.
I haven't had a particular situation that stands out to me. Most of the time they never really amount to anything. They say a comment, I fire one back then move about my business.

Special Topic Post-- "Fotoshop by Adobe" Parody

Women in today’s society are constantly judged by their looks. They are expected to have flawless skin, luscious locks, and perfect bodies—when in reality, that just isn't attainable. Television, advertisements, magazines, and all other forms of media are displaying an unrealistic representation of what women should look like. Photoshop and airbrushing in every advertisement can completely change a woman’s appearance. Today’s technology can completely transform a woman’s body and face more than you could even imagine. Take for example the “Evolution” video marketed by Dove. The video shows how someone can renovate a woman’s face to make her look entirely different and unrecognizable. It’s such a shame that woman of today feel that they have to live up to this false image of “beauty.”

Winterman’s “What Would a Real-Life Barbie Look Like?”, Postrel’s “The Truth About Beauty”, and Sharp’s “Onslaught: Dove vs. Axe” articles we read this week were very interesting and led me to do some of my own research on these topics. I found “Fotoshop by Adobé” from http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/01/13/fotoshop-by-adobe-parodies-beauty-product-ads/. This video is a parody that mocks beauty advertisement commercials who claim to completely transform some part of your body or face through a new science formula. The video is somewhat comical, although it is extremely true.

            Jesse Rosten, the filmmaker, creates her own beauty advertisement commercial in which she is selling an imaginary product called “Fotoshop”. This product is intended to be ‘photoshop’—which is the actual invention that transforms these women in the advertisements. Technology is what changes the women in the media, not the beauty product they are trying to sell you. No miracle drug or beauty product is capable of the transformations that these actresses and models appear to have undergone because it isn't possible without surgery. They make it seem as if a simple cream or makeup or brush can make you look perfect and flawless.

             The parody opens up with stating that ‘Fotoshop” is the new revolution in beauty capable of making a new you—but perfected. It shows how “Fotoshop” is a miracle product that can give you the “look of your dreams”. It shows how actual Photoshop can adjust your body size, remove wrinkles, increase your eyelash length, brighten your eyes, adjust your racial skin tone, remove blemishes, create fuller lips, whiten your teeth, and adjust your hair color. It mimics the exact techniques and methods real beauty commercials do by showing how the product works. It describes the “science” behind the formula that allows the product to work. The average person doesn't even pay attention to what’s actually being said. If the advertisement uses big “scientific” words with an enlarged close-up view of the scientific process, the gullible women of today’s society will believe it.  In reality they have no clue what is meant or what is actually being said or described. They claim that this product will instantaneously erase your blemishes, which is not humanly possible without surgery. The video is very sarcastic which shows how ridiculous beauty product commercials can be. One of the actresses even shouts out “My skin feels like plastic!”, perhaps referring to all of the plastic surgeries women undergo today in attempt to create a “perfect body”. Possibly the funniest part was when this parody was mocking the “Covergirl” commercial by stating “There’s only one way to look like a real covergirl” which claims to be the most natural makeup. It also has an effective slogan which mocks “Maybe It’s Maybelline”. Watch the video to find out! It will have you laughing in no time.

            It’s so outrageous how “perfect” is the aim for most teenage and adult women. What is perfect anyway? And would you really want to be perfect? I feel that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If the media would stop portraying these unrealistic and fake representations of women, maybe women wouldn't feel that they have to live up to the false images of celebrities and models. The best line from this parody was “You don’t have to rely on a healthy body image or self-respect anymore.” This statement is incredibly true. Women are constantly being objectified and used as sex toys or for sexual purposes to sell products.   Self-respect is history. Half of the women today follow no morals just to fit into society. Also, being healthy isn't a concern anymore—being skinny and abnormally thin is. Natural is beauty!

http://vimeo.com/34813864

Liz's Presentation

      Liz Fletcher-Brown's discussion was on body image and eating disorders. She focused primarily on two types of eating disorders- Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. One main point that stood out to me was that anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental health disorders. I would have assumed anorexia contributed the least to mental health disorders mortality rate. Learning that extremely violent suicide, such as jumping off building or jumping in front of a train, is the most common way people with anorexia die was horrific. I would have assumed heart failure or starvation would have been the most common. This disease has such a high mortality rate because people with this condition are very resistant to treatment. They are stubborn and think that treatment can harm them more and make them more sick. When the treatment is involuntary, it is less effective because this is a mental health condition. Therefore, the lifestyle change must come internally. Also, the availability and long-term commitment make it tough for patients to stick with treatment. Before her presentation, I thought eating disorders were somewhat rare and that they were easily treatable. I didn't know that over 8 million people have an eating disorder and that the ratio is 1 in every 200 women. I was shocked to know that  60% of people with anorexia nervosa die prematurely and that treating this disease is such a challenge. I was also shocked to find out how many problems there are with the insurance companies to pay for treatment. I feel that the insurance companies should cover all health conditions--mental or physical. Another thing I found especially interesting is that eating disorders are more closely-related to OCD, rather than body dysmorphic disorder.