I decided to endure in this video after being influenced by a video I saw “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5-SmngOoaQ“. After speaking with Professor, I decided to make this video have more meaning behind it than just looking asethically pleasing. I wanted to play on this topic of Women’s Body and how it is seen as an over sexualized over indulged subject. I wanted to use cake because it is a dessert and can be seen as a sexual example. I decided to reverse the footage of the dripping cake batter because I wanted the end to be Maggie taking back her body as her own. I have her blow out the cupcake to represent the defiance of this sexualized stereotype and quite literally putting out its flame. I used this music as a counter part to what was happening on the screen. Maggie is taking back her body, as seen on screen, but the music is Rihanna singing about “Cake” as a sexual experience. When Maggie blows out the candle the song ends as well. This is to show Maggie putting an end to this stigma and taking back her body. The long awkward slow parts are done on purpose to show that the awkwardness and uncomfortableness of this sexualized issue and raising awareness/ fight for the end of sexualization of female bodies as indulgences and pure sexual objects.

Going into this project I had the inspiration to use Sojourner Truth’s “ain’t i a woman speech” because I have recently read about how it was considered one of the first true acts of feminism in the 1800s. I decided to split this part into both a man and a women speaking because I felt that both voices were needed to truly value the message that Truth reveals in the speech. Questioning and asking if she’s a women.  I then came across a poem that I read in high school by Maya Angelou called “Phenomenal Women”, and felt that by layering this into the piece could in a way answer Truth’s question “ain’t I a women?”. I also decided to layer in another powerful poem by Maya Angelou called “still I rise” because I felt that it showed the potential and fight that all these women, including myself, have in this world and believed it truly brought all three pieces together very nicely.

Overall creating this project I did not intentionally think I would create so many layers in the piece that would fit together.  So often we come across people and things in this world that make us question whether or not we are women. Whatever definition that means to you it commonly is questioned and criticized. I believe that all women are phenomenal and that we all deserve to rise. No matter what or how you define being a women, you are. I have been so inspired over this past semester, and in my entire life, by strong, independent women and this is my ode to them and all those who fight for what it means to be a women!

After putting this on social media I got some response but not a lot, really. I feel that because it was solely an audio piece not many people wanted to just listen to it. I would really like to add graphics to the piece to show an even stronger statement and feel that it would grab more attention.

Sitting in room in house:

-Car driving past

-Typing on keyboard

-Vinyl record scratch

-Car driving past

-Vinyl music playing

-Sniffing

-Car music playing

-Bird chirping

-Car driving past

-Child yelling

-Students walking past chattering

-Car door shutting

-Vinyl music changes

-Door closes

-Friend walking in front door

-Mouse clicking

-Text message alert

-Oneself breathing

-Coughing

-Knuckles popping

So I decided to post the picture of the husky dog I took to Facebook. I felt like it was a picture that would get enough response from my family and friends. They know I love photography so putting this up wouldn’t seem too out of the ordinary. The types of responses I got were all positive and lots of questions. People were asking me if I got this close to a werewolf or wild dog! They were asking me if it was a fake dog!  Or if I got it off the internet. I definitely think this was a good choice because it was a clear example of the ambiguity that is involved in photography.  If I had posted a different picture of this dog next to a person or such you would clearly see his collar or true size and realize that it was a dog not a wolf of such. Overall I enjoyed the compliments on my photography but also believed it to be a valuable lesson of the types of things we see on social media.