Gender Playlist

I picked the song "Supermodel" because it shows the push girls feel towards materialism and the need to be accepted as beautiful. In "Just a Girl," Gwen Stefani sings about the struggle of wanting to be her own person but feeling that there is a cut out version of her gender she is supposed to fit into. She wishes she had more power. "Macho Man" covers the need to feel ripped and masculine as a man in day's society, but on the other end of the spectrum, Katy Perry's "Ur So Gay" brings up the fact that men who are found to enjoy fashion and "feminine" things can be outcast and called gay. "Boys Don't Cry" demonstrates the frustration that is caused by the idea that men cannot be emotional, while "If I Were A Boy" is Beyonce's lyrical accusation that men can get away with anything and be disrespectful to women. In this version of the song, R. Kelly responds to her, mostly stating how annoying women are. I put this version to demonstrate that sometimes we are general and insulting with gender stereotypes and need to be more respectful towards one another. John Lennon's song is about his realization and wish for others to realize that women deserve more respect, and "Whatta Man" by Salt-n-pepa describes a man that respects them and gives them what they deserve. My songs demonstrate the need for more understanding between genders, which I hope will lead to the loss of definite roles for people to get trapped in.

Week 4: Women's Studies

I've been thinking about Women's Studies since last semester, because my roommates are very involved in the department and with the Women's Center. We often talk about issues, and I find myself reading things and being interested in them more than my own coursework, haha. I would be really interested to take the Body and Image class, because I think our society has a very warped idea of beauty, and we are on a path that could lead to no one being content with themselves. Cosmetic Surgeory frightens me, personally, as do women's faces once they've had work done on them. Creepy. I also am interested in taking the Women Writers course since I'm in the English department.

I am thinking about being a teacher, which is a female dominated career. My first job was at a daycare in which I had no male co-workers except for the directors son. It can be difficult for males to get childcare jobs because of fear of pedophelia, and I think this is sad because children also need male role models. I also don't like the fact that men are found suspicious in such roles, because I'm women are also capable of being sexual offenders. I have also been a cashier and drive-thru attendant, in which our roles in the fast food industry were based on gender. The cooks and packers were generally male, as well as the dishwashers. I could always get the guys to take out the trash for me, as well. My female co-workers and I were the pretty faces that everyone got to see and deal with.

Readings: I didn't really know about feminism still being a struggle until I got to campus. I met a lot of socially and politically active girls that encouraged me to be involved. In highschool all the girls I knew were constant volunteers, and I am sad that I haven't been as able to do so much in my community here in Norman. It is strange that women so often dominate volunteer roles. I think this demonstrates the idea that women are supposed to be giving and compassionate, which is ridiculous. I know plenty that are not, and many men who are.

Relationships are also stressful to women during college. Women worry about going through all the schooling then getting married and having children. Will they stay at home with their kids, even though they've become so career-oriented? Oftentimes in the workplace women are expected to hold their career over their family, and I think this something America desperately has wrong with it. America is full of crazy workaholics, and people need to realize the relationships in your life are equally important and necessary. This puts more stress on women because for some reason they are seen to be responsible for house, kids, and thier jobs, whereas men's main responsibility is their job alone. This put undue stress on women

Week Three: Iron-Jawed Angels

I liked this movie so much that I bought it. I am really impressed that HBO put this out there and did a much better job of putting a movie together than many mainstream studios. The riot during the parade really surprised me and made me angry. The men who always said that women needed to be protected from the big scary world were then fighting and beating them. It seemed so hypocritical. It reminded me of the idea that women could only be innocent or immoral. To many men, these women were wanting me than their godly place at home, making them immoral. It is so crazy.

There were tensions between upper class and lower class women and the races. One factory worker voiced that "children can't eat ballots," which showed the conflict with women of lower class. They had to work for their families, and keeping their families healthy mattered more than gaining freedoms they weren't even sure they would get. There was also tension in preparation for the parade when Ida B. Wells asks Alice Paul why the black suffragists would have to walk in the back. She is upset by the fact that Alice Paul doesn't want to lose the South suffragists by allowing the black women to be amongst them, and she insists that it is prejudice, not politics, and refuses to walk with them. During the parade, Ida and a few other women slip into the lines from the sidelines, calmly forcing them to allow her to walk with them.

The women were very brave, still fighting after being assaulted by men, and still fighting when they are imprisoned. Alice Paul begins a hunger strike and the others follow. Through the help of a woman in the prison who gave Alice Paul a piece of paper, allowing her to write of her horrid treatment in jail, she sends her message along to the other women. One women then slips it to her husband who is a politician, and he puts it into print. The women are soon released. Through consistent protest and with the help of both men and women, they are able to reach their goals politically.

Reading Responses for F-Word, Chapters 3 an 5:

Chapter three discusses some of the changes that occurred before our generation, which now seem to be normal. Birth control, for instance, is more easily accessed than ever, and many women take advantage of it. There are some that say it encourages sexuality without committment, but that also deals with the dichotomy of having women only be virgins or hoes. One point the author brings up is that birth control allows women to pursue their education and careers. Whereas in the past, women got married and got pregnant, thus having to stop school and stay at home, now they can have a sexual life and be just as successful as their counterparts. This I am thankful for. Children are a big responsibility, and while I want them one day, I could not handle them anytime soon. Right now, my education is the most important thing.

This chapter also deals with sexuality, which illicits many end of the spectrum responses. Feminist pornography vs. Anti-Pornography, Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life, Abstinence and Sexual Exploration. These fights can get pretty crazy because people don't want to see a middle ground. After reading an article, I went to check out if their were feminist porn sites on the web, and I liked what I saw. They were very respectable and didn't degrade women, and it felt empowering that people were behind such a movement. The sites and articles I read talked about women being equal sex partners with men and taking control of their sexuality. One site even focused on women having sex on their periods, arguing that the male pornographers would view this as being obscene, yet they find men ejaculating all over women to be fine. Even thought I'm not one to hit the porn sites too often, I thought that was really cool. I also like that the author of the book referenced a woman who was abstinent without religious reason. I had never heard of that, and it was very interesting to think about.

The fifth chapter talks about the third wave, whether or not there is a definition. I agree with the author that so many people nowadays don't like labels because they feel it traps them. There are many things going on in the third wave, dealing with homosexuality and gender issues as well as race even still. It is hard to get everyone to agree on all the topics, and I think the third wave shouldn't be limited to general views. I definitely think a feminist should work towards what she believes in, but I also hope he or she is accepting of all individuals. This chapter made me think about how much I don't know about not being a straight white girl. I was expected to go to college and be independent and marry someday, whereas some girls are expected to start a family right after highschool, or go to school to be able to support their family back home. I am very lucky.

A Look into the Mind of Mary Borror

I decided to interview my mother about her experience with feminism, and I had forgotten how much she talks. Obviously, she had forgotten that I was supposed to be writing this done as she was speaking, and I had to stop her every once in a while to catch up. Hopefully, our forgetfulness did not detract from my transciption.

What is your experience of gender?

M: I am able to reproduce beautiful children. I have expereced day to day hormonal changes, where I don't think men do.

What is your history with feminism?

M: Jeraldine Ferraro ran for vice president with Walter Mondale, and was teh first woman to run for the office of vice president. She was my first glimpse at a woman telling me and the world that, "Hey, I know more about politics that my husband does."

Somewhere in the 80s, early in my twenties, someone was on a mission to tell women that they didn't have to stay home and clean, that they could make their presence known with men and work rather than stay at home watching the children. I never had that look on it; I thought I should raise my children rather than others. I was ridiculed, and people made me feel like I lazy, that I should be out doing something, or that I was dependent on my husband. But in reality, it was the other way around, because he couldn't handle it emotionally to stay home with you all. I also worked part time when we needed help financially, and it was really hard for me when I finally left you all to go to work. I feel very lucky that your day had enough money me to stay home. It was more rewarding ot me than if I had been vice president of a company. To me, it was an achievement to see your first steps and hear your first words.

What is feminism?
M: It is a state of mind, not in the way that you do your hair or wear your clothes. To me, feminism is how I tell myself to react to how I am a woman. I have breasts--I have to put them in a bra everyday. Do I like to feel pretty? Yes. Do I have a hard time with the hair growing on my chin? Yes. To me, I emit, I personfiy feminism. I don't think it is having a "voice" or burning my bra--that is just crap. I know what I am; I'm very comfortable with who I am.

What is an experience in your life that made you conscious of gender?
M: When I was nine-years-old, I went to Catholic school. In Catholic school you have to wear little white Peter Pan-collared shirts. I was a chubby little girl, and when you are chubby and you are nine, sometimes you look like you have breasts. I wore a white shirt underneath, but the nuns called my mother and told her that my nipples were showing and it was time to get me a bra. Back then there weren't bras like there are now; there were two kinds: ugly and really ugly. They also didn't have the sizes for little girls like we have now, so my mother squeezed me into one, and this is why I have never liked bras. They also made me wear a sweater over my shirt from then on. I became very aware at a young age that any inclination that you were female was innappropriate. Boys could wear whatever they wanted, while we had to waear shirts with sweaters to cover up every inch, including a knee-length skirt with knee socks underneath. Any development of femininity had to be covered.


I should ask my mother to tell more stories. There are so many things about her I don't know, even when she is the one who birthed me!

And yes, the first thing she said was that she can birth beautiful children. We Borrors are pretty amazing like that.