It was something that India knew about, but refused to talk about in open. Few months ago, it was a shame that they made Homosexuality became illegal. This was another act that made me ashamed of the country that I have my roots from. However, this video shows the reaction among the youth who created it with the intention of making a change. The video shows that a guy is being forced to marry a girl, but he brings his guy friend over instead. This is very common act in India where the guy is forced to marry a girl against his will. This does not even ruin his life, but the girls life as well. I really like the way that this shows a positive message and it shows how the older generation needs to think about their children s happiness rather than thinking about the society. The video is funny, but i think it works with the message.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Museum Visit Blog
I few weeks ago, I was in Forest park and decided to drop in
to the Saint Louis Art Museum on Art Hill. I initially was thinking of this as
simply an enjoyable afternoon, but it is hard to look at anything the way you
used to before taking a Women’s Studies class. We primarily lingered around the
European Art section (we can discuss my Eurocentric inclinations at another
point) and I personally was attracted to the intricate nudes painted by artists
such as Lovis Corinth and Max Beckmann. While they are stunning pieces of
artwork, they remind me of how women are primarily depicted in vulnerable
positions, and made to look fragile and ornamental. These nude portraits are no
exception. Additionally, in this museum as in most, it is far more likely to
see a nude painting of a woman by a man than any other gender variation. This
is largely indicative as the theme of women being used as props or sources of
inspiration, rather than as the creators themselves.
Saint Louis University Art Museum Blog
I went to the Saint Louis University Tradition Redefined exhibit. It is one of the largest private collections of African American art in the country. There were several pieces that stuck out to me, but my favorite was the bluest eye.
I read the book by Toni Morrison, which was really powerful for me, and I thought that the painting was an interesting interpretation of it. In general there were about as many female as male painters in the exhibit, which I thought was interesting. We had discussed in class groups such as guerilla girls that are fighting for greater gender equality in art, and I think that this art exhibit was a good example of this in work. Guerrilla girls as a group seems to be less inclusive of women of color, I noticed in all their ads the women beneath the mask are white. I think that minority and greater gender equality are both important to having greater representation of the oppressed in art, and that this exhibit does a good job of showing that representation.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
St.Louis Art Museum-Event
As I approached the St. Louis Art Museum, I noticed three
statues. One at that very forefront of Apotheosis of St. Louis, and near the
entrance, two female statues who sat partially dressed. I
viewed the European Art section of The Modern Body. I was excited to see the art work of full
figured women was on display. Then I
came to the realization that women are over sexualized in the art world as in
the media. In the majority of the work women are depicted nude, minimally clothed
with breast out, or posed in seductive positions when they are clothed. I didn't see any women portrayed in positions
of power or authority. These women are depicted in ways that our patriarch society
has deemed as normal gender roles for women. The interesting thing is that
these artists are European. This just
goes to show that women in their society face the same challenges with women representation
as in America.
Event Post
For my event for Women’s Studies, I went to see the key note
speaker for Atlas week, Shobana, give her key note address. The topic of her
speech was “Dare to Educate Afghani Girls”; Shobana herself is Afghani, and was
only a bit older than most of her college-age audience. She told of how, as a
child, she and her family had risked their lives to provide she and her sisters
with an education, even whilst the Taliban was in power. Though times in Afghanistan
have changed for the better, it is still difficult and dangerous for girls to
get an education. Shobana started the first all-girl boarding school that
Afghanistan has ever seen. I found her speech to be incredibly inspiring. I am
familiar with literature that Americans have written to promote the education
of girls, but I found her story to be especially moving as it was she herself
that had risked her life as a child, her family that had put themselves in
danger. There is a clear tie between this event and Women’s Studies, as
feminism is in support of the empowerment of all women, and there are few
things as empowering as an education.
Girls, Sex and the City, McCarthy's "The Group", and the Sexual Narrative
I just read this very fascinating article about the large
role that the sexual narrative has played in the portrayal of modern women of
the 20th century. I came across it because I had read Mary
McCarthy’s “The Group,” a novel about eight friends that have just graduated
from Vassar College in the 1940’s. The storyline follows each of their lives as
they become involved in careers and romantic relationships. Personally, I found
the book the context of the book to be infuriatingly chauvinistic, though I
should cut it some slack knowing the era in which it was written. Something I
found really interesting was how the modern TV series “Sex and the City” was
actually inspired by this book. The article mentions this as well as the series
“Girls”, and how the vary in terms of the feminist message they attempt to
send, but in the end, the focal point is still the sex lives of the characters
rather than their other life pursuits. I am certain that “Sex and the City,” is
far more progressive than “The Group”, while “Girls” is far better than “Sex and
the City,” but I do believe that it is time to start moving away from the
sexual narrative as a central plot line for these women-dominated shows.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Museum Post
I went to the Science and Industry Museum over Easter Break and it again made me realize how our society tends to put label onto certain jobs. It was a very interesting trip and the museum was really cool. However, throughout the walk I always heard people talking about "this is soooo cool", but then they would say something about a male creating it. I understand that women began their education and starting their work later on in the time period, but don't assume that there are no women contributors. I just find it disgusting that people still try to discriminate gender by the job types. One of the biggest one's that bothers me is the ratio of male and females in engineering. I know that they are less females in this field, but don't underestimate females in the industry. I hope that the ratio equals out in every field or people stop labeling jobs according to gender.
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