Tag Archives: social media activism

Your Boycott is a Waste of Time

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I’m sure by now many of you have heard about the boycott of Target for those who are against their change in bathroom policies. If not, basically the American Family Association (AFA) started a campaign that already has over 500,000 signatures of folks who plan to stop shopping at Target because of their gender-matching bathroom policy. This potty policy allows transgendered employees and customers to use the restroom they feel that matches their gender identity. AFA members and supporters are furious because they believe this policy will endanger children to exposure to pedophiles. In response to their anger, they created this campaign that has been AFA’s most popular thus far that boycotts Target for everyone who signs the petition. Yet, do they really think Target is the only store/business that is going to accept this policy?

The Daily Beast wrote an article called “All the Things You Can No Longer Buy if You’re Really Boycotting Trans-Friendly Businesses” that details a list of businesses/stores/restaurants that support transgender rights. According to the article, if Target boycotters were truly against businesses that support transgender rights, then they “can’t buy an iPhone, eat an Egg McMuffin, drink a Sprite, stock up Budweiser, or fill your prescriptions at either of the nation’s two largest pharmacy chains (Walgreens and CVS)” (Allen, 2016). That is because Apple, McDonald’s, Sprite, Budweiser, Walgreens, and CVS are among a large list of popular and large companies that support transgender rights, which includes gender-identity bathrooms.

Perhaps AFA members, supporters, and all Target boycotters should have done a little more research before creating and signing that petition. Then maybe they would realize that the world in transforming into a transgender friendly place and they are simply falling behind. If the boycotters really wanted to impress me, then perhaps they should plan to boycott all places that support transgender rights. What do you think?

Check out “All the Things You Can No Longer Buy if You’re Really Boycotting Trans-Friendly Businesses” by The Daily Beast here:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/26/all-the-things-you-can-no-longer-buy-if-you-re-really-boycotting-trans-friendly-businesses.html

Naked Selfie (Dis)Empowerment?

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Since some of our recent class presentations, I had been thinking about the line between women feeling confident and unrestricted about their bodies, but also only having a small range of body types that we typically see on social media with this type of #empowerment.  Is it really empowered if only young women with small waists and large breasts/butts get to flaunt it?  And, does being celebrated for their bodies yet again direct attention to “appearance matters” as a more important sign of value than their actual capabilities and character?

The New York Post recently ran an editorial on the Kim Kardashian naked selfies that stated, “Whenever a woman suggests, explicitly or implicitly, that her worth or value or power comes from her appearance, she loses. Women everywhere lose. And feminism, the kind that taught that a woman’s life is not about her body, loses, too.”

On the other hand, if we had more men, women, and people who are intersexed of all ages, shapes, sizes, and gender identities posting, and those people were celebrated instead of shamed, then perhaps the whole idea of “appearance matters” would lose it power for women.  Because if everyone’s appearance was considered one of many interesting and unique parts of who they are, then we could celebrate the whole person.  

Check out this Tumblr #redefiningrealness that is trying to do exactly this!  I’d love to see that get as much attention as Kim Kardashian.  Related image

What do you think?

Cat calls or barking dogs?

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A[/youtube]

We’ve talked recently about how it feels to be a woman walking down the street regardless of the time. It’s honestly scary and potentially dangerous because, well, I am woman. It would be unfair to claim that all men bark these absurd remarks and inappropriate gestures to women walking by just as it would be false to assume that all women find it attractive. Videos like these bring attention to the “silent” harassment that happens everyday and I say “silent” because harassment like this go unseen, and worse, unacknowledged. Or if it is acknowledged women are berated for “overreacting” and being “stuck up” or “too  good”.

This video shows a woman walking through all sects of NYC for 10 hours not speaking a word, simply recording the reactions around her (the comments under the video are worth a read).

I believe that more videos like these should be created to show that cat-calling does not only happen in cities but in all environments. Maybe people would pay more attention and take an active stand if they knew that the clerk at the grocery store wasn’t just checking out prices.

A Fight Against Photoshopping or Objectification in Feminist Trappings?

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We’ve all seen the images… celebrities who look completely different than the pictures we see in magazines.  Here’s a few of the latest ones:

But, as well known feminist and columnist Jessica Valenti published in The Guardian, these “leaks” represent a violation of privacy, and celebrities who don’t wish to take up the fight against the narrow representation of body types in media shouldn’t be forced to do so. For example, Lena Dunham angrily responded to Jezebel’s offer to pay anyone who could obtain the original photos and publish them without her permission.  CNN’s Peggy Dexler points out that publishing Cindy Crawford’s picture without her approval to make a political point is just another form of objectification.

The publishing of pictures without approval is a violation of privacy.  Is Jezebel’s offer to pay anyone who could obtain Dunham’s pictures so far different than the hackers who broke into celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton’s personal social media accounts, stole pictures, and sold them to be published?

On the other hand, celebrities like Cindy Crawford’s pictures of her real 48-year-old’s body, with sun damage, cellulite, and a small belly, have the power to help women realize that the body type consistently shown to us in media is not real.  These doctored images have real world effects on women ranging from eating disorders to purchases of products to “fix” these issues with money that could be better spent in other ways.

What do you think?  Should these pictures have been published?  Would you share them on your social media accounts?

Ban Bossy

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About a year ago I watched the video for the Ban Bossy Campaign. It’s message rang true for me and hit me hard because as a little girl I was oppressed with words like bossy. I think that this campaign really applies to our class. Take a look at the following information and I think you’ll understand why.

Their Campaign Pitch: “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a “leader.” Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded “bossy.” Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys—a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.”

Their Video Outreach:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dynbzMlCcw[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1q1CiuCET8[/youtube]

#LikeAGirl

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs#t=113[/youtube]

I was scrolling through Facebook and I always find myself getting sucked into watching all the videos posted on my newsfeed. I took a second to watch this video and couldn’t help but to think about Gender Media. The video makes a very good point, why is the phrase “like a girl” an insult?

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]

 

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.