Who You Calling Boy? Theorizing Masculinities

TOWARD A PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSOR by Michael Kimmel

2012-02-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

THIS BREEZE AT MY BACKTo run or walk into a strong headwind is to understand the power of nature. You set your jaw in a squared grimace, your eyes are slits against the wind, and you breathe with a fierce determination. And still you make so little progress. To walk or run with that same wind at your back is to float, to sail effortlessly, expending virtually no energy. You do not feel the wind;

Call for Submissions Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power •revised second edition•

2012-02-18T15:45:00.001-05:00

CHECK OUT THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!! Call for Submissions Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power (Routledge) •revised second edition• Deadline: March 30, 2012 How can we better understand and imagine new possibilities for men and feminism? Are you a guy who hates sexism? Do you call yourself a feminist? Have you spent hours over coffee (or beer or on blogs) debating issues of gender, power,

"If Beer and Sausage Sandwiches were Babies"

2012-02-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Facebook on the Diary of an Accidental Dad page (posted by someone else which led me there) and had to post it here! The caption of this series of images reads: "If beer and sausage sandwiches were babies." Of course this is intended for humor and not necessarily to be deconstructed but that's how I roll! I am curious about whether folks think this reinforces stereotypes, subverts

JT'S CAUSE - Amend Hair Policy for Boys, For Donating Hair to Charity

2012-01-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

A petition worth signing to eliminate a double standard!

Men Struggle for Rape Awareness

2012-01-26T19:52:00.001-05:00

This important article published in the New York Times was shared on Facebook by UCF's Mentors in Violence Prevention program. If you are interested in issues of violence against women, men, transgendered individuals, sexual violence, dating violence, and/or prevention, I highly recommend checking them out. I also recommend this article!

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2012-01-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Why Are the New Samsung Ads Depicting Decidedly Unmacho Dudes?

2012-01-02T11:35:00.001-05:00

Interesting!

!

2011-12-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

http://jezebel.com/5871175/awesome-boys-club-works-to-stop-violence-against-women

Gendercide

2011-12-14T12:59:00.000-05:00

Star BU Hockey Player Assaults a Woman

2011-12-13T08:57:00.002-05:00

And for once, it's actually handled properly! He immediately lost all affiliation with the team even though he was their most vital player, he is being prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and his behavior is being assessed by the university and it is expected he will receive either academic suspension or expulsion. Go BU!

UCF Professor and Masculinity

2011-12-10T10:12:00.002-05:00

UCF Creative Writing professor David Poissant is featured today on the Good Men Project!

Research on Men and Masculinity

2011-12-06T02:30:00.002-05:00

I came across this journal while doing research for another class and I thought I'd share it for fellow psychology students or anyone interested in research :) The Journal is called the Journal of Psychology of Men and Masculinity. Some of the abstracts look really interesting and I'm sure you could get the full versions by logging onto UCF's library website.

Songs

2011-12-06T02:15:00.002-05:00

I was driving around town for work when I really paid attention to Bruno Mars' latest hit song, "It will rain." It goes something like this "I'm making alot of sacrifices for you; don't you ever leave me baby or I may develop a substance abuse problem " It was alarming to me because I know I've heard my little sister and cousins singing along to this and commenting on how adorable it is. Songs

Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools

2011-12-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

Came across this and thought it was interesting. I have a couple of friends that are education majors, and they talk about how many educators enforce gender stereotypes within classrooms. Looking back on my preschool education, there were definitely a couple of instances where I was discouraged from doing certain activities because of my gender.

Military’s newly aggressive rape prosecution has pitfalls

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

In general it seems like there are more cases on rape and sexual assault being brought to trial than originally thought, but the actual charges being brought down are not as severe. Only 27 percent of those brought up on charges were actually convicted which is a problem. This was a very interesting read which gave some incite into how the military might be dealing with cases like this. There

Mobilising Men to End Violence Against Women

2011-12-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

The UN have funded and are still funding money to get men to help end violence against women. The money is going to around 339 projects going on around the world which are trying to help in this goal. The only way to end violence is to try to educate others and keep fighting for what is right even when hard.

Counting the social cost of masculinity

2011-12-03T23:48:00.000-05:00

This article really looked at how the biggest thing that was not brought up about the riots in England was how drastically the rioters were men. Why was this key information not really talked about and what does it say about the views of masculinity? The article also goes into other moments when men were violent which still goes to the question about are views on masculinity. It seems like a

Sylvania SilverStar Ultra Headlights Video - Advance

2011-12-03T23:28:00.000-05:00

The first thing I notice about this commercial was the fact that the description of what a red blooded American is which I found fit very well with the ideas of masculinity that seem to be pushed on society. It was pushed as if there is not reason that a red blooded American would leave watching a football game unless it is for a good reason. It also makes it seem like the commercial is saying

A Better Life

2011-12-03T20:41:00.003-05:00

Watched this film a couple of weeks ago… a definite “MUST SEE”. It’s a film about a single father and son, whose bond grows stronger while in search of the "American Dream".Link to their FB Page and Trailer … http://www.facebook.com/ABetterLifeMovie#!/video/video.php?v=947584605930

Church bans interracial marriage..."It sure ain't Christian. It ain't nothing but the old devil working."

2011-12-03T19:25:00.004-05:00

Not a new article but it was posted on my friend's FB page and it left me shocked. Ive never realized how lucky I am to belong to groups and communities are are so open-minded and accepting of EVERYONE!!!here is the video of this article from CNN.comhttp://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/12/02/erin-gulnare-stella-harviille.cnn

A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not “Crazy”

2011-12-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

I thought this article was very interesting and brought up a definite problem. It was more like a message to everyone instead of just women. The article was definitely not perfect, but it brought up an issue that is a problem.

Snuff Films

2011-12-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

Click the title for a link to a Jezebel (I know, I know) article about snuff films. I wish the author held delved further into how those how consume snuff porn live. We've talked about (particularly with Wresting with Manhood) how media and real life are interrelated. Snuff films are particularly disturbing. Nothing is ever "just entertainment" and nothing is ever "just porn." This is an extreme

The VOX Blog

2011-12-02T17:23:00.002-05:00

If you have a tumblr, make sure to follow the VOX blog (and my service learning project) at prochoiceinflorida.tumblr.com

How to be a fan of problematic things

2011-12-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

I thought this was an interesting read and actually very true. It is hard to find something that is not problematic is some way, which is why avoiding everything is not really a great option. The main thing is to not try to justify what is problematic, but to acknowledge it and move on if still a fan of it. This could become a good teaching moment for others when explaining why it is

2011-12-02T12:34:00.002-05:00

I've been transcribing some of the stories my dad use to tell me as a child. As a kid, I didn't realize the kinds of messages I was receiving and devouring to straighten me into some kind of Athia.Before I had feminism, I learned resistance from narratives of decolonization. Feminism has given me language, yes. But it has only ever been one part of the picture.So, I hope ya'll enjoy. Good luck in

We Complain About Treatment of Rape Victims, but it Doesn't Compare to This...

2011-12-02T10:41:00.002-05:00

It is true that even here in America there are a lot of issues with how victims of rape are treated, but I don't think it can really compare to the kind of story in this article about Afghanistan. It is well know that women hold little to know power even over their own bodies in Afghanistan and in many cases a woman can be imprisoned for being raped because it is seen as having sex out of wedlock

This is the stuff I appreciate from Yahoo!

2011-12-01T23:41:00.002-05:00

I posted this to my Facebook wall in October and decided that since I bad mouthed Yahoo! for their crap on dating advice, etc. I should share a redeeming post of an photo found in Yahoo! News which links to the original article at ABCNews.com that I would not have otherwise known about. I am pretty impressed because the school realized that a "female identifying person" who happens to have a gay

Yahoo! Does it Again

2011-12-01T23:34:00.002-05:00

Why does Yahoo! insist on putting this gendered crap on their site? I would hate to assume mainstream society feeds into this bullshit so much that they need to be fed it every other day. I appreciate much of the information Yahoo! puts out there, aside from the celebrity gossip and whatnot, but this is kind of ridiculous... Enough already.

Rise Up UCF

2011-12-01T22:53:00.002-05:00

I attended the Rise Up UCF rally today to support the cause and not only had a blast, but was impressed by the turnout and movement of my fellow students. It was refreshing to see such passion for a cause and to hear so many eloquent speakers trying to make a difference. And I think we did make a difference, we were heard, and I was happy to see that many of the legislators took flyers containing

On state violence, white male privilege, and 'Occupy'

2011-12-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

This article states a lot of my issues with the Occupy movement. What do y'all think?

Anti-Choicers on Our Campus.

2011-12-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, suprisingly a group of anti-choice protesters came to campus and set up shop right in front of the library and the Math & Physics building handing out "literature" about abortions with doctored photos, misinformation and flat out lies about embryology and fetal growth and disturbing messages for passers by. A member of Student Labor Action Project at UCF (SLAP) and supporter of VOX and

2011-12-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the rally this morning at the Fairwinds Alumni Center where close to 100 UCF students and community members protested the CFLD. These people raise our tuition, continue to cut scholarships and Bright Futures, and are content with us not having affordable access to healthcare while also suppressing our votes. They know that students have immense strength especially in

Its World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

Although scientific research and prevention has come a long way since the first reported cases of AIDS , today it continues to take hold on the lives of women, children, people of color, and other disenfranchised groups. Student leaders, activists, government representatives and community leaders need to continue to make sure that money is going towards reducing violence against women and

Gender Benders

2011-12-01T11:29:00.002-05:00

This was kind of a fun slideshow of various actors and actresses who have crossed gender lines for certain movie roles.Thought ya'll might enjoy it.

Beautiful Ad For Ending Marriage Discrimination

2011-12-01T10:27:00.001-05:00

Its definitely time...

I'm Christian... Unless Your Gay

2011-12-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

A fantastic must-read. While not directly related to Masculinity, I think we all could all use a little more of this sort of thinking and being. We are all guilty of judging someone at one point or another and judgement breeds prejudice and hate. How can we be more accepting, more understanding and less judgmental in our every day lives?

Does Anybody Know Where I Can Find Playboy's 1992 Interview with Betty Friedan?

2011-11-30T21:48:00.000-05:00

I love Friedan's frequent reminders that the patriarchy hurts men, too. She goes into further detail in the article, but I can't find anything more than a few quotes: Friedan: There was a masculine mystique, too. Playboy: What was it? Friedan: Men had to be supermen: stoic, responsible meal tickets. Dominance is a burden. Most men who are honest will admit that. Playboy: What's behind the

Goodness! This is disturbing.

2011-11-30T08:30:00.003-05:00

This article is certainly a tough one to stomach. It alleges that during a rap music video shoot in Oakland California, a toddler along with six other victims (five of which are males between the ages of 14 and 26) were critically injured by gun shot wounds. Here's a prime manifestation of the problem with the close association of rap music and violence.

In the spirit of the false narrative of Thanksgiving...

2011-11-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

Do you think we would revere Pilgrims or the founders of this country if we constantly subjugated them and vilified them like we do modern day immigrants?

Masculinity Around the Thanksgiving Table

2011-11-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

So when I went out of town this past weekend for Thanksgiving I ended up at my mom’s friend’s house in Tampa. Well my mom is very conservative and her friends are fellow right wingers who’s children have clearly never been prompted or encouraged to check their own white, male, cisgendered, heterosexual, upper middle class, educated, Judeo Christian, able-bodied privilege. Often times light

Even WebMD likes to casually reinforce gender stereotypes...

2011-11-29T14:52:00.001-05:00

I personally hate articles like these that attempt to "clear up" gender myths but reinforce a two-gender, essentialist binary.

Brawling "Geezers" stun football fans

2011-11-29T10:06:00.003-05:00

Just another example how sports brings out the worst in men even at old age ...http://www.rr.com/video/2171617606 <

Federal Health Officials Push ‘Strength Through Affirmation’ of Black Gay Men

2011-11-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

An interesting HIV prevention campaign, which specifically targets black gay men. "Testing Makes Us Stronger" was chosen to display "a diverse range of strong men in community. We hope to show that there isn't one idealized form of masculinity but men who represent different forms of strength that come from a place of affirmation."

Dr. Pepper 10: diet drink for men?

2011-11-25T20:08:00.003-05:00

I was visiting with my folks over the holidays and some of my family members were sitting around watching some television and this really bizarre commercial came on. Now I haven't had a TV of my own for quite some time so I don't know this commercial is old news by now or what but this just seemed really weird.Apparently the new Dr. Pepper drink is diet enough to be considered a diet drink but

Lets make a rule on sexual harrassment...

2011-11-25T12:22:00.003-05:00

Needs to be figured out already!

Fundraiser for Planned Parenthood?

2011-11-21T11:21:00.002-05:00

Hey guys!I thought this would be the best place to post this and gauge interest. Along with a couple of friends, I'm trying to put together a fundraiser to benefit Planned Parenthood. Our idea is to partner with a gay club (we're hoping for Mr. Sisters) and have a portion of all food and drinks sold on the night of the fundraiser go to PP. I know several of you are involved with VOX and the like,

What A Man Wants

2011-11-18T19:59:00.002-05:00

When posting my last post I came across this on the main page of Yahoo. It is disturbing that this is what we are confronted with every day. The men portray women mainly as sex objects and not only does the host make racist remarks, but she agrees with the men's views and then tries to turn their sexualization of their ideals in women into meaning they just want a woman with confidence. Ha.

I am Not a Rapist

2011-11-18T19:32:00.004-05:00

I was looking for an article online that came to mind last class when I came across this article about reporting rape, or lack thereof. What surprised me, and I knew this before but being reminded of it shocked me again, was that rape victim's insurance companies or rape victims themselves often have to foot the bill for the processing of rape kits. The author puts it best when mentioning that

Penn State and the Crisis of Masculinity

2011-11-17T11:10:00.005-05:00

Here's an interesting look at the Penn State scandal that seems to be dominating the news cycle of late. I was shocked when the news first broke and I saw slews of university students rioting over their outrage that Joe Paterno was stepping down from his position as head coach of Penn State's highly regarded football program rather rioting on behalf of the fact that nothing was done in support of

Teaching Good Sex

2011-11-16T20:06:00.001-05:00

Article from the New York Times today! This is exactly what we were discussing last night...thoughts?

Stop Trying to Define Franky!

2011-11-16T11:21:00.003-05:00

Skins is a British television show that focuses on a group of teenagers attending what is called "College" in the UK, but to us would be junior and senior year of high school. Every 2 seasons, the cast grows up and is replaced with a new set of characters at the same college. The show addresses some very controversial issues that are still very taboo for American audiences-- so in my opinion,

"Exposed in Iraq"

2011-11-15T23:53:00.002-05:00

After reading "Exposed in Iraq: Sexual Harassment And Hidden Rank Structure of the U.S. Army" I thought how similar behaviors are true in all workplaces and even in public space. Any woman that exceeds in the workplace-- the higher the position she achieves-- will find herself surrounded by more and more men. This will place her in a vulnerable position in regards to her exposure to sexual

"Smell Like a Man, Man" Campaign

2011-11-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

Appealing to women in order to tell men what "real men" look like, smell like, etc... What do we think?

"Over It"

2011-11-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

This link pretty much speaks for itself. "1 out of 3 women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime" and as sad as this is it gives me the motivation/drive to speak up and take action. Growth requires for you to look at who you are and question yourself (ideals, moral, values, identity, speech, dress etc). "I am over women still being silent about rape, because they are made to believe it's their

Transgender kids: Painful quest to be who they are

2011-11-14T12:35:00.002-05:00

I found this article weeks ago but was having a hard time posting to the blog (new to blogging) :) ... I found this article interesting. If I had a child that saw themselves as the opposite sex then what they were biologically born with... I question what would I really do? How would I react? Being a mother I know I would support my child 100% but I also feel mommy-mode would kick in and want to

UK Gay Men Blood Donation Ban Lifted*

2011-11-12T18:21:00.003-05:00

Gay men will now be able to give blood as Government restrictions are officially lifted, the Department of Health (DoH) said.A lifetime ban on blood donation by men who had had sex with another man was put in place in the UK in the 1980s as a response to the spread of Aids and HIV.But following a review by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (Sabto), men who have not

Herman Cain accrues whooping $9 million in light of sexual harassment charges

2011-11-11T14:48:00.002-05:00

Wow. So, I'm not sure if y'all are following the 2012 GOP field but Herman Cain, the current frontrunner, has been making headlines lately. In October, Politico brought to light a settlement Cain made with two women who accused him of sexual harassment during his tenure at the National Restaurant Association in the early 1990s. Since then, two more women have also come forward alleging that Mr.

Rape is Rape!

2011-11-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

During last night's class, Leandra briefly mentioned the problematic legal definition of rape, as well as the need/efforts to redefine rape legally and socially. I thought it'd be helpful to post some information about this so that we can all be on the same page. Note: While this is still a very important issue, it is worth noting that the FBI has finally changed this definition, as a result of

"Why We Need to Reimagine Masculinity"

2011-11-09T19:56:00.000-05:00

I came across this article which was originally published in Newsweek. I think it is really interesting, and poses some good points, yet it is still problematic in many ways which it does not even seen to acknowledge. The article is fairly lengthy, so I thought it'd be better to link it in the title rather than to post the entire in the text. Just incase, here is the link: http://

Rick Scott Throws an Anti-Abortion Party at the Governor's Mansion...wtf?!

2011-11-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/08/rick_scott_anti_abortion_bills_party.php Apparently Governor Scott had enough time to throw a part at the Governor's mansion in July to congradulate himself and others for passing 5 of the 18 anti-choice bills introduced that session. The party included guests such as John Stemberger, president of Florida Family Council; Dr. Michael McCarron,

Only Rapists Can Prevent Rape

2011-11-08T23:36:00.000-05:00

(i have seen this in various places online--i've linked this to one)A lot has been said about how to prevent rape.Women should learn self-defense. Women should lock themselves in their houses after dark. Women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't wear short skirts. Women shouldn't leave drinks unattended. Fuck, they shouldn't dare to get drunk at all.Instead of that bullshit, how about:If

A Brief History of the Bromance

2011-11-08T23:28:00.003-05:00

the actual website is another blog post entirely... feel free to write it:) Leandra

You Offend Me, You Offend My Family

2011-11-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

So, this website is supposed to be about issues (political, personal, pop culture, etc) in the Asian-/American community. It's an example of progressive, political Pan-Asianism and it's desperate need for intersectional analysis of oppression. I meant to post this article a while back--it's a piece about the "I'm not a costume, I'm a culture" movement. Basically, it's a (ironic) analysis of

Where Our Boys at? Involving Young Men as Allies to End Violence Against Girls

2011-11-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

In class tonight we will discuss gender-based violence--violence not only perpetrated against girls and women but violence driven by and illuminating the relationship(s) between gender/gendered constructs, which does not only include violence against girls/women but various forms of violence. With that said, violence (especially sexual violence) is still carried out disproportionately against

Hey, Bro, That's My Little Pony!

2011-11-06T21:48:00.004-05:00

You mean men can enjoy a show with a largely female cast and a target audience for young girls? Astonishing! But, indeed, it's true. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a clever remake of the 1980's television show, introduces the fun of MLP to a new generation. Among these new fans are male fans who call themselves 'Bronies'. It's true. I'm not too fond of the moniker admittedly as it seems

Boys being punished for "being boys"?

2011-11-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Text: "Does your son act too much like a little boy?""Is he fidgety and rambuctious?" "Does he have trouble listening or have a puerile sense of humor?""Is he easily distracted?""Does he have a propensity to get dirty?""Does he enjoy playing with violent toys?""If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then it might be time to medicate your son. Even if he doesn't have ADD or ADHD, you'll

Kanye West wearing a skirt

2011-11-06T14:12:00.002-05:00

Earlier I read someone post about a rapper gender bending and wearing lipstick. When I saw this it reminded me of the article and it is great to see how popular mainstream artist can break norms (at least norms in American culture). I didn't like Ariel Kaiser's comment about "at least he is not wearing pink..." because this is suggesting that there is clothing that is gender specific. The article

Rappers wear lipstick??!

2011-11-05T22:50:00.000-04:00

Well at least Rapper Dphillgood from Dallas, TX does. He also wears printed tights and feels that his "XY Movement"that blurs gender lines will help others catch on. When asked his sexual preference he says that he is not gay, and his girlfriend says she is supportive of his gender bending expressions. Check out his video http://www.the33tv.com/videobeta/d2fa9d49-ab73-4244-b7f0-2f1b872146b0/

NEW My Tide Commercials Aimed at Dads

2011-11-03T10:27:00.000-04:00

I happened to overhear one of these commercials the other day. The commercials are still somewhat gendered in that the character attributes the strength, intellect and problem solving to his "fatherly" side and his nurturing loving side to his "motherly." Regardless though, I'm glad to see a laundry detergent not aimed at women only, or women cleaning up the mess/mistake of men. Check out the

"Real Men..."

2011-10-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

Less than a year ago, I heard about Ashton Kutcher's mission to help end "child sex slavery." While the mission is noble, his way of attracting attention with his advertisements is lazy. After you watch, how does this commercial limit men (and women) and how do you feel about it?

Another Tide Commercial

2011-10-31T17:40:00.000-04:00

In search of the previous Tide commercial I posted, I came across another "interesting" commercial. This commercial operates with the same father as the previous one. However, in this commercial, he identifies himself as a "dad mom." How do you feel about this term and its connotations that "nurturing" is designated to femininity?

Tide Commercial

2011-10-31T17:32:00.002-04:00

I have been seeing this commercial all over television. Since we were just discussing the unequal allocation of housework in class (Theories of Masculinity), I thought I would post this. How do you feel about how Tide addresses fathers (or men) doing housework?

Inequities for children of gay parents

2011-10-31T16:26:00.001-04:00

When I was checking the news this morning, this headline caught my eye. This article illustrates some of the very serious legal inequities (as well as the social stigmas) faced by households with gay, bisexual, and transgender parents. While we all know that marriage equality and equal rights for all of those who are not heterosexual are hotly contested issues today; I was not quite aware of the

Dealbreaker: He Has Low Self-Esteem

2011-10-28T16:48:00.002-04:00

This article is pretty interesting. We follow a feminist author who engages in a months-long text-relationship with a man with low self-esteem (lack of employment enables him not to "feel like a man"). The author explains her mixed feelings- the feminist in her wanted to liberate him from his own problematic gender expectations while she allowed him to manipulate her emotional investment. To rub

He wants to be a Girl Scout,

2011-10-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

I was skimming the headlines on cnn.com and ran across a story about a boy in Colorado who identifies as female who wants to be in the Girl Scouts and was told no. He was told that "boy parts" aren't allowed in the troop. Check out this video to hear more. He wants to be a Girl Scout

Hegemonic Masculinity in 90's Pop Culture

2011-10-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

The other day I was watching "Roseanne" - I can't lie, it's one of my favorites! - and I noticed that the episode was called "Stand On Your Man." In this episode, we can see hegemonic masculinity at it's "finest" in 1990's popular culture. In the first clip, the first 2 minutes or so, we can see Dan and his "buddies" playing poker and adhering to their ideas of hegemonic masculinity within their

Sticky Fingers, Male and Female

2011-10-22T21:35:00.002-04:00

This article addresses the differences between male and female shoplifters. It was surprising to read an article for the New York Times (written by a female) include assumptions like a "lesser" gender, bored and lonely women who steal just because they are broke, or repressed female sexuality and psychic injuries woman suffered as children. Although the author (somewhat) attempted to debunk these

Dealbreaker: She's a Bro

2011-10-21T14:30:00.002-04:00

Okay, there is so much to unpack in this article! It definitely reads like one of the more problematic articles in "Men Speak Out", but there are many interesting things going on at the same time. The author (a heterosexual man) is talking about girls that he dates who he deems "bros". The term "bro" or referring to something as "bro-y" is somewhat new to me in pop-culture, although I think I

Hormone Therapy for Pre-Teen

2011-10-21T09:31:00.003-04:00

We recently talked about different "types of lesbians" and we watched Venus Boyz so I felt this article was pretty relevant to what we have been discussing in class.Personally, the biggest issue I see is that the long term side effects are unknown for this therapy on a child. From what I know medicine works differently in adults than it does in children. I feel like more medical research should

American Military Officer "Schools" Iraqi Police

2011-10-19T14:50:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JGbQBl8KlCo This link will take you to a video where American military hyper masculinity is clearly displayed. This video is about 5.5 minutes of one American Military officer shouting at and insulting Iraqi police for being "pussies" for being "women" for not initiating aggression and conflict but instead relying on American soldiers to do

"No means Yes, Yes Means Anal"

2011-10-19T10:38:00.002-04:00

This was discussed in last night's chat if anyone did not know the reference I've linked the article.

Heinz Deli Mayo Commercial

2011-10-18T23:35:00.000-04:00

Heinz Deli Mayo CommercialTake a look at this video. Would they play this Heinz commercial in the U.S.? I will answer for you...NO!

Paws for Peace

2011-10-18T15:22:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, one of the ways that masculinity is expressed in American society is through domestic violence. Often, pets are harmed in violent homes. According to Harbor House, Orange County's DV shelter, 48% of DV victims delay leaving their homes because they fear for the safety of their pet. 88% of animals living in DV households are either abused or killed, and 57% of survivors entering DV

Update: Dr. Pepper TEN's Sexist Campaign

2011-10-16T21:20:00.005-04:00

If you remember a few blog posts back, I wrote an entry about Dr. Pepper TEN's campaign about how it "isn't for women". Stefanie Harmon made another post with some more info. In any case, the website has been edited to remove the 'not for women' bit. But the commercials are still going strong. Sign Change.org's petition to help get it removed!

Milk PMS Advertisement

2011-10-15T10:13:00.000-04:00

I'm sure we've all heard about this pleasant advertisement from the "Got Milk?" campaign....I found a video online of the commercial. I have been reading about this since July and clearly repulsed but I have yet to see an actual commercial or advertisement for it other than their website. They pulled the ad campaign early but still called it a "success". http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/

Michael Monet

2011-10-12T11:23:00.002-04:00

http://michaelmonet.wordpress.com/This is the Michael I was talking about in class last night. This website documents his experience with transitioning. He is a beautiful writer. He's also a personal trainer and has designed programs specifically for the trans body. Hope you'll check out his thoughts and writings. He removed his videos from youtube, so I'm not sure if he's going through

When I Was a Boy

2011-10-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs and I thought it applied to this past week's focus on female bodied masculinity (and male bodied femininity for that matter.) Dar Williams: When I Was a Boy Click Here

Dr Pepper 10 "Is Not for Women."

2011-10-11T15:01:00.001-04:00

A great Article on the most recent campaign by Dr Pepper. Here is the current commercial airing. CLICK HERE What do you think?

Legalizing Domestic Violence(?!?!)

2011-10-07T14:52:00.000-04:00

I just ran across this article and I have to say that this is absolutely ridiculous! I think it is important not only to think about the immediate implications of this plan, but also what this says about masculinity and domestic violence. It seems that this plan is saying that it is not that big of a deal to act violently towards women, as long as you are not a repeat offender. WHAT?!

Masculinity in Disney Movies

2011-10-07T13:08:00.001-04:00

This video illustrates the various portrayals of masculinity in all of our favorite Disney movies. It's crazy that you never even think about it or realize these things when you are a child, even though they play such a huge role in your socialization!

Rethink Breast Cancer Campaign

2011-10-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

This video caught my eye and made me smile. The men in this video embody stereotypical "masculinity" however in context of the video they do not come off as "aggressive" or "powerful" or "dominating." How do these men fit into the modern concept of masculinity?

2011-10-06T20:09:00.001-04:00

Why Men Are in Trouble

2011-10-06T12:55:00.002-04:00

I would like to preface the article by noting that it is woefully problematic. The author, William J. Bennett, is an upper-middle class white man- and that is exactly the angle presented in the article. The most startling statistic he offered was "Today, 18-to- 34-year-old men spend more time playing video games a day than 12-to- 17-year-old boys." Although his points of men's lack of maturity

The Fountainhead

2011-10-05T14:03:00.000-04:00

In one of my film classes, we recently watched The Fountainhead. The basis of the film (written by Ayn Rand) revolves around her desire for people to be individualists above all. Attached is a clip (http://youtu.be/VkAz8rw8kqY) from the film including the protagonist of the film, Howard Roark, played by Gary Cooper. Disregarding that, what is glaringly missing from the speech?

Gisele Bundchen Ad: Degrades Women or Underestimates Men or Both?

2011-10-05T13:50:00.001-04:00

Recently, I read an article (http://gu.com/p/329p6) about Gisele 's sexist ad and the subsequent banning of it in Brazil. The attached article discusses the heightened female violence (domestic violence and murders) in Brazil and how this ad relates to the serious and severe female issues there (Portilho-Shrimpton). Furthermore, the ad can be dissected in a myriad of ways in relation to the

Should Facebook Ban Rape Jokes?

2011-10-01T09:59:00.003-04:00

Found this article from Slate.com this morning. It's very frustrating to read, because the author just attributes these rape jokes to "silly male teen humor". The author also asserts that the point of comedy is to make light of tragedy. What the author completely ignores is the fact that Facebook is a main source of information for teenagers, making these "silly" jokes viable sources of social

Chief Raoni, I cry with you.

2011-10-01T00:51:00.004-04:00

Chief Raoni crying when he learned that the President of Brazil approved the Bel...o Monte dam project on the Xingu indigenous lands. Belo Monte will be bigger than the Panama Canal, flooding nearly a million acres of rainforest & indigenous lands. 40,000 indigenous and local people will be forced off their native lands (as well as millions of unknown species & plants) In the name of "

Congratulations, Television! You Are Even Worse At Masculinity Than Femininity

2011-09-29T11:13:00.002-04:00

Click the title for a link to a great NPR article on the ineffective representation of masculinity in television. It mainly critiques a new show, How to Be a Gentleman, that premieres on CBS tonight and literally is about one man training another to be a "real man". I can't think of anything more pertinent to this class!

My Love Hate Relationship With Feminism

2011-09-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

Today has been a tough day for me. I have a lot of anger, better explained as rage, directed to men. Before this class I was one of those people that rationalized masculinity and its oppressive nature as "boy will be boys" and "this is how men act". I am not going to go into detail of where most of this anger originated, but to provide some background from the age of 7 i promised myself I would

Dr. Pepper is Not for Women

2011-09-28T15:56:00.004-04:00

Advertising executives sit around all day trying to think of clever ways to get consumers to buy their product. Dr. Pepper TEN should be easy enough. It's Dr. Pepper! With ten calories! Luckily, in America, we love learning new ways to lose weight. Ta-dah! Easy sell, right? It must be much more complicated than I thought. For you see, Dr. Pepper TEN is not for women. The site doesn't say why. I