Jaydeef’s Weblog

Sometimes I wonder why women were treated so poorly all the while there were Queens ruling countries.  Granted, the Kings did have the final say in everything but when the King died before the Queen she ruled supreme.   Queen Victoria was a woman who did so.  Her husband Albert died and she transformed Britain into a developed powerful nation.  The entire span of seventy years from 1830-1901 was named “The Victorian Age” after her.   She did specific things for the advancement of women.  By the end of her reign, women could attain degrees at twelve specific universities and they could study at Oxford and Cambridge.  During her reign the Married Women’s Property Acts (1870-1908) was passed which allowed women to handle and own their own property.  The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, it allowed a deserted wife the ability to apply for her rights for her property after a divorce.  Factory Acts (1802-78) regulated the conditions in labor mines and eventually banned women from mine work. 

Sometimes you have to look at the positive things that have been done for women’s advancements to keep the hope alive.

I came across this video and was reminded of the video we watched in class several weeks ago about airbrushing and advertisement.  This is an interesting example of how powerful  makeup and airbrushing truly is……Now I am not saying these women are ugly without makeup, but some of them don’t even look like the same person.  I would  never allow anyone to completely transform my looks into something that does not even look like me.

http://www.break.com/index/celebrities_without_makeup.html

This is a poem by Coventry Patmore, published between 1854 and 1862.   It’s from The Angel in the House    it was a popular poem among Patmore’s contemporaries. But later, Virginia Woolf and other feminist critics began criticizing it.  They argued that it glorified the “ideal” woman and it portrayed the oppressive effect that this idea had on women’s lives. 

When I behold the skies aloft
Passing the pageantry of dreams,
The cloud whose bosom, cygnet-soft,
A couch for nuptial Juno seems,
The ocean broad, the mountains bright,
The shadowy vales with feeding herds,
I from my lyre the music smite,
Nor want for justly matching words.
All forces of the sea and air,
All interests of hill and plain,
I so can sing, in seasons fair,
That who hath felt may feel again.
Elated oft by such free songs,
I think with utterance free to raise
That hymn for which the whole world longs,
A worthy hymn in woman’s praise;
A hymn bright-noted like a bird’s,
Arousing these song-sleepy times
With rhapsodies of perfect words,
Ruled by returning kiss of rhymes.
But when I look on her and hope
To tell with joy what I admire,
My thoughts lie cramp’d in narrow scope,
Or in the feeble birth expire;
No mystery of well-woven speech,
No simplest phrase of tenderest fall,
No liken’d excellence can reach
Her, thee most excellent of all,
The best half of creation’s best,
Its heart to feel, its eye to see,
The crown and complex of the rest,
Its aim and its epitome.
Nay, might I utter my conceit,
‘Twere after all a vulgar song,
For she’s so simply, subtly sweet,
My deepest rapture does her wrong.
Yet is it now my chosen task
To sing her worth as Maid and Wife;
Nor happier post than this I ask,
To live her laureate all my life.
On wings of love uplifted free,
And by her gentleness made great,
I’ll teach how noble man should be
To match with such a lovely mate;
And then in her may move the more
The woman’s wish to be desired,
(By praise increased), till both shall soar,
With blissful emulations fired.
And, as geranium, pink, or rose
Is thrice itself through power of art,
So may my happy skill disclose
New fairness even in her fair heart;
Until that churl shall nowhere be
Who bends not, awed, before the throne
Of her affecting majesty,
So meek, so far unlike our own;
Until (for who may hope too much
From her who wields the powers of love?)
Our lifted lives at last shall touch
That happy goal to which they move;
Until we find, as darkness rolls
Away, and evil mists dissolve,
That nuptial contrasts are the poles
On which the heavenly spheres revolve.

Why is it such a big damn deal for men to do things around the house?  I don’t understand why women are to consume themselves with housework, errands, meals, baseball games, coordinate holidays and birthday parties all the while men work and expect everything around them just to fall into place.   Why have they become so comfortable sitting in their recliners as we scurry around cooking their meals,  folding their laundry, and cleaning the house?  I sometimes blame myself because I think I have spoiled him.  But often times I think it is a societal expectation for me to go to work, go to school, and do household chores, oh and look good and not be a moody bitch.  HA!  Where did we go wrong?

This is a paper I wrote for my Brit Lit class…..

A Cry for Justice

Mary Wollstonecraft can be readily identified as one of the first feminists in the history of women’s rights.  She prepares her audience, both male and female, for the many activists that will precede her.  A harbinger for a historical women’s movement, she verbalizes her educated position and addresses the issues of gender inequality evident in her lifetime and the lifetimes before her.  Wollstonecraft pleads for the termination of women’s oppression in, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. As an activist for an egalitarian society, Wollstonecraft dedicates her work to expose the wrongdoings of both genders, and begins a revolutionary protest against sexual injustice. Packed with societal examples, she uses her extensive rhetoric to display the common problem of her age, the unfair treatment of women.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s most passionate concern is the lack of respect for women, “women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes” (171).  This reputation of women is one that is not only expected by men, but it is also accepted by women.  With this in mind, it is clearly seen that Wollstonecraft is speaking to both a male and female audience in, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Her argument is not that women should be physically equal to men but instead, there should be fairness, in regards to respect, between the two genders.  This idea is obvious when she says:

            In the government of the physical world it is observable that the female in point of

            strength is, in general, inferior to the male.  This is the law of nature; and it does   

            not appear to be suspended or abrogated in favor of woman.  A degree of physical

            superiority cannot, therefore, be denied— and it is a noble prerogative! But not

            content with this natural pre-eminence, men endeavor to sink us still lower,

            merely to render us alluring objects for a moment.(171).

She desires for men to see women as companions, to treat their wives as their intellectual equal, “anxious to render my sex more respectable members of society” (173). She shows her disgust with women’s mistreatment by saying, “How grossly do they insult us who thus advise us only to render ourselves gentle, domestic brutes” (174). 

Another passionate concern Mary Wollstonecraft maintains is the idea of women viewed as grown up children.  She does not only think that women are viewed in this manner, but that they are expected, by members of society and as members of society to act in this fashion, by saying that men are trying to “keep them always in a state of childhood” (175).  In her opinion, women are taught to grow into uneducated human beings and they are to do so with the sole purpose to please man. “She was created to be the toy of man, his rattle, and it must jingle in his ears whenever, dismissing reason, he chooses to be amused” (185-186).  She continues this idea but directs her stance to blame women. “and how few women have emancipated themselves from the galling yolk of sovereign man” (186).  Clearly, it is seen that she is placing fault on men but also on women.  The women are not standing up for themselves so she encourages them to do so.

Wollstonecraft sets out to bring attention to the problems associated with gender inequality and the unfair treatment of women through the listing of societal examples and references.  It must be understood that her concern is not that women be above men but instead, there be a shift in the how the female gender is perceived. “I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves (191).   Her hopes are that if women are allowed to expand their minds, than they can develop into more rational human beings, and the respect from men will inherently fall into place.  This will create an intellectual and respectful equality that will benefit all members of society.

Advocacy for justice among both genders is at the heart of her writing.  She pushes men and women to stand back and examine the current situation and see where the real issues of sexual injustice lie.  She encourages them to seek out a just society with equal opportunity for all.  This cry will be heard for many years to come.  Mary Wollstonecraft devoted her writing talent to start a revolution, a revolution for change.  This change is one that so many individuals credit her for, and so many women are able to thank her for. 

I find it interesting that some women let men jerk them around like some sort of pet.  It is almost as if they are scared of their spouse, intimidated, and unable to stand up for themselves.  Who raised these women to be a doormat to some egotistic male?

A woman in labor was given the option of having an epidural placed to relieve her labor pains.  She didn’t even open her mouth, but instead looked to her husband for the permission to respond.  In her place, he spoke up, ”she doesn’t want one.”  What??!!   It is one thing to refuse pain medication for your own personal reasons or beliefs, or even for this to be a joint decision between your spouse and yourself.  But for this woman to have not even been given the oportunity to respond, and to not be allowed to voice her opinion about her own body and her own pain is a sickening issue that puts a bitter taste in my mouth.

I’m not sure who is to blame more for this, the dominate idiot male or the spinless female.  At what point did she decide to let a man speak for her pain level and decision to control it?  I don’t understand !

I was homeschooled, I think that I am deemed by society as normal. Whatever the definition of “normal” may be, I think I fit in there somewhere. Although, my husband may disagree.

  In class yesterday 9/26 a discussion arose concerning the shielding of your children to the pornographic advertising that floods our lives.  A comment was made that some people shield their children from too much and in turn their children grow up and run off the deep end.  This comment was disputed with the opposing opinion. 

I think both students are correct to a certain degree.   I was involved with a homeschool co-op group and had a friend whose parents shielded her and her siblings from EVERYTHING!  My parents, on the other hand, were balanced on how they raised me and my brothers.  The outcomes to the different parenting skills are blatant and cannot be argued with.  My friend graduated from high school and cut off all of her hair and dyed it black (she was a blonde) and spiked it.  She had safety pins in her eyebrows, ears, and lips, she moved off and lived in a hole in the wall with some random guy.  She started doing recreational drugs, and cut off all contact with her family and friends.  Oh and she has two huge gun tattoos on her chest. 

I’m not saying that this is every case, but I do firmly believe that too much of anything is a bad thing.  There has to be balance in everyone’s life in order to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life.  I think my parents were fairly balanced in most areas of my life and reared me into a happy, healthy, balanced individual.  

So to the opposing opinions in class, you are both right!  And you are both intitled to your own opinion and freedom of choice.  Thank you to the United States military!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Last weeks Observer had a front page article titled ” Girl Meets Boy.”  The article was about two transgendered youths named Liz and Amber.  These two girls are friends through high school but after dating people of the opposite sex they realize that they are attracted to each other.  After a series of events that include Liz changing her name to Jay, moving out of their parent’s houses to live together, and discussing sex change operations, they sit in a counselor’s office trying to figure out how to function and fit into a society that looks down on their life choices. 

I think that the entire issue is depressing.  These confused individuals are searching for something to make them feel whole.  And they seem to be so lost that they are willing to completely alter who they are biologically and who they have been historically, and it seems that all they are looking for is acceptance. 

The subject is two sided in my opinion.  On the first hand I feel like every human being is intitled to a choice, whatever that choice may be, but at the risk of not being socially accepted.  On the other hand I feel like we, as a society, are too stiff and narrow minded, and it is our fault that these individuals have to hide their life-style choices like they do.  In the article Megan Feldman says” This is precisely the problem facing transgendered people every day: How do you live your life and find happiness when the neatly drawn boxes into which most of humanity fits don’t apply to you?”   

It is to a fault that humanity has created this so-called “box” that only certain people that act a certain way, look a certain way, speak a certain way, sex a certain way, love a certain way and live a certain way are allowed to be in.  It’s dissapointing to see so many people appear lost and neglected and it is depressing to know that it is my own fault.

I beg to differ with Susan Shaw and Janet Lee.  The say in chapter three of WV that “Other men more overtly express their desire to take back the power they believe they have lost as a result of changes in contemporary notions of femininity and the gains of the women’s movement.  These include the Promise Keepers, a group of Christian-affiliated men who want to return men to their rightful place in the family and community through a strong re-assertion of traditional gender roles.  They believe men are to rule and women are to serve within the traditional family system.”   

Upon reading this I remember a friend of my father’s who was a Promise Keeper.  It struck me as odd that someone would make such an assumption that all this organization is about is getting back the power.  So I proceeded to pull up the promise keeper website and click on their “Statement of Faith”.  It says “our primary calling is to communicate the Gospel to EVERYONE in our generation and nuture desciples.” And if you click on FAQ and look at number one the question is “What is a Promise Keeper?”  The answer reads ” Promise Keepers is a ministry designed to ignite and unite men become passionate followers of Jesus Christ through the effective communication of seven promises to God, other men, their family, their family, and their community.”  

I think it’s interesting that people, even educated ones, can be so closed minded and make such definite assumptions based on little or no facts.  This is not just a judgement being verbalized, this judgement is being read and passed along to hundreds of thousands of people.  Not just any people but students!  We are like sponges soaking up this wealth of information that is being misrepresented in this case. Shame!

I’m not sure what this has to do with women’s studies besides false teaching, but it sure did grab my attention. 

I figured this title would grab someone’s search…….It’s not what you think so get your mind out of the gutter.  I was re-reading chapter one in my WMST textbook and the particular reading was the “Myths Associated with Feminism.”   The particular word that yanked at my attention  was “Postfeminism”, what?    Is that a really a coined term?!?!  Anyways……I started thinking about all the things that are availabe to women.  The freedoms are overwhelming, do we or do we not have a woman standing by awaiting her presidency.   Think about that, a woman running our country!!! It’s such an accomplishment when you actually stop and think back to where women stood just 100,  50, and even 30 years ago.   So in a way I can see where someone could view our current time as a “post” period.  But then I start thinking “post” what?

   If I recall correctly the definition of “post” is “following”,  so postfeminism would mean following feminism.  Are we finished? Are we finished fighting for the remaining rights?  Not only the rights, but the respect we deserve.   What I have a major problem with is the issue of respect?  Yes we may have a woman president but, is she getting the respect that she deserves?  We may have women in the workplace but are they getting the respect they deserve?  The answer is no.   Women don’t receive the respect they deserve.  More importantly they don’t receive the respect from men that is deserved.  And not only is this an equality and respect issue it’s a regression issue.  According to the text “Things are worse for many women than they ever have been.”

A topic that enrages me is the lack of respect for women sexually.  This lack of respect is plastered everywhere you look,  pornography in particular.  Show me a “boys gone wild” video, or how about a gang bang porno with seven girls and one guy.  Better yet, let’s see a pornography where the GIRL actually gets off !  I’m enraged at these females who slut themselves out everywhere.  I sit here and watch the Dallas Cowboy game and laugh at the dumb cheerleaders shake their breasts in the camera!   WTF!  Sex is everywhere but the dissapointing thing is it’s the women who are the sex symbols.  And for those of us respectable women who desire and deserve respect don’t get it because of these bimbo, mindless, individuals that call themselves women.  I feel like we are stuck in the same position sexually (no pun intended) because no one will stand up to stop madness and demand respect from men.

This is the regression that the book speaks about, this is the inequality that enrages so many females, and this does appear to be “post feminism”  Guess what?  We still need feminism!  We need to fight for our equality and respect in all aspects but in my opinion, we should be demanding respect in sexuality in particlar.