Tag Archives: chapter 2

Disney Plus Size Princess Petition

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Jewel Moore, a junior right here in Farmville, VA has made international news with her petition on change.org for Disney to include a plus-sized princess. In just under 3 weeks, Jewel’s petition has amassed over 25,000 signatures and national and international news coverage.

In part, Jewel’s petition reads:

I made this petition because I’m a plus-size young woman, and I know many plus-size girls and women who struggle with confidence and need a positive plus-size character in the media.

Studies show that a child’s confidence correlates greatly with how much representation they have in the media. It’s extremely difficult to find a positive representation of plus-size females in the media. If Disney could make a plus-size female protagonist who was as bright, amazing, and memorable as their others, it would do a world of good for those plus-size girls out there who are bombarded with images that make them feel ugly for not fitting the skinny standard.

The Huffington Post reports that Jewel is correct in her assessment of how girls engage in unhealthy eating behaviors.

The reaction to this petition also demonstrates social learning theory – how positive and negative reinforcement from others influences gendered norms (in this case, the importance of and type of ideal appearance for women).  For negative reaction, check out hostile comments made about Jewel in response to her petition and even broadcast on national news.  However, Jewel has also received a great deal of support in her quest for more realistic and a variety of body types to be represented in children’s media – my favorite is this great video created by an artist of his work to create a princess in Jewel’s image!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh5bYIubbIg[/youtube]

 

Albanian women choose celibacy to become men

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This is a great example of how culture and personal interactions help us develop our ideas of gendered identity.  In this case, people who are born biologically women in Albania choose (or are told as children) that they are male.  They then act as, dress as, and perceive themselves in ways that are associated with masculinity.  The pictures in this article are fascinating.

‘Man up’ — the fear that keeps men from acting human

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Great reflections on the Richie Incognito bullying scandal from LZ Granderson on how language and interaction with other men help reinforce narrowly defined versions of masculinity.

From the article:

You know those electronic collars that zap dogs that stray outside their electronic fences?

That seems to be the purpose of everyone’s favorite and seemingly innocuous phrase, “man up.”

Just mumbling those two words in a typical guy’s direction delivers a psychological shock that discourages him from venturing outside the restrictions of our traditional view of what it means to be a man.

Artist Puts Disney Princess Filter On 10 Real Life Female Role Models

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Check out this artist’s parody of real influential women as imagined by Disney.  From the artist, David Trumble:

“Fiction is the lens through which young children first perceive role models, so we have a responsibility to provide them with a diverse and eclectic selection of female archetypes. Now, I’m not even saying that girls shouldn’t have princesses in their lives, the archetype in and of itself is not innately wrong, but there should be more options to choose from. So that was my intent, to demonstrate how ridiculous it is to paint an entire gender of heroes with one superficial brush.

‘Normal’ Barbie By Nickolay Lamm Shows Us What Mattel Dolls Might Look Like If Based On Actual Women

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Here’s an example of what Barbie would look like if she reflected average measurements.  The creator of these photos asks, “If there’s even a small chance of Barbie in its present form negatively influencing girls, and if Barbie looks good as an average-sized woman in America, what’s stopping Mattel from making one?”

The article draws from a blog published by artist Nickolay Lamm – another example of an “everyday” person bringing national attention to a gender-related issue via social media.

Former Navy SEAL comes out as transgender: ‘I want some happiness’

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Transgender civil rights are gainer wider national attention.  Here’s a great example of how Kristin Beck, former Navy Seal, came out as transgender after retiring from the military.  She talks about how she had to hide the “real me” for 20 years in the military because people who are transgender are banned from the armed services.

Outting Athletes & Promoting Equality?

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Here’s a thoughtful article written by one of my favorite columnists, LZ Granderson, who writes for ESPN and CNN.  Granderson is gay, so he’s writing from a personal and professional perspective.

He asks here if reporters are, in fact, contributing to the idea of being gay or lesbian as shameful by not reporting on gay or lesbian athlete’s love lives in the same way that heterosexual athlete’s romances are covered (e.g., the extensive coverage of Tiger Wood’s affairs). 

On the other hand, given the bigotry that still exists, Granderson acknowledges that these reporting decisions protect the lives of athletes who are gay or lesbian.  It’s a great question of respecting the rights of individuals or promoting the rights of a group as a whole, since increased coverage demonstrates the acceptance and normalcy of a variety of sexualities.

This article reflects how gender is created through how we culturally link gender to sexuality.