“In a world of thin models, we could stand to see a few more women with curves.
Photographer Victoria Janashvili hopes to spread the gospel of average body size in a crowdfunded coffee table book called “Curves.” The book was created with the help of plus-size models Denise Bidot and Marina Bulatkina.”
http://elitedaily.com/news/world/photographer-curves-kickstarter-all-bodies/886484/
This is an interesting short documentary about Beyonce where she discusses the hardships of being famous, being a feminist, happiness and much more. I recommend watching it, its beautifully shot!
After re-watching Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino, I revisited the topic of explicitness in films. The thought came to me after I viewed the crushed and bloody ankles of the slaves due to the constricting shackles. The thought was reinforced after I later watched a man get eaten alive by dogs. There are many other scenes of this nature, too. I appreciated that Tarantino included this. If a film is set during a truly horrendous and shameful time period, it should be depicted as such. How else could one begin to fathom how the people who experienced these injustices felt?
Lastly, I believe this idea extends to rape scenes as well.
If I had more time during my presentation on Friday, I would have loved to share some lyrics that I find useful in the discussion of Nicki Minaj as a necessary force for women in the music industry.
Aside from Fly by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna that I showed during my presentation, the song Still I Rise by Minaj indicates her role:
Still I rise, still I fight, still I might crack a smile
Keep my eyes on the prize, See my haters tell them hi
One day you’ll remember this, One day when we reminisce
Nothing I do ever is good enough for the music biz (x2)
…Every time a door opens for me that means you, just got a better opportunity to do you
They don’t understand these labels look at numbers it’s statistics
I lose you lose ma it’s just logistics
Anyway, real b*tches listen when I’m speaking,
cus if Nicki win then all of y’all gettin’ meetin’s! (Ayyyy)
Next, from her song Can Anybody Hear Me:
In the nick of time it just dawned on me,
I am Nicki Minaj and it’s all on me
Maybe I’ll never win, maybe I’m settlin’,
Can’t let the devil in I’m a comic book heroine
But when the wind blows, I’m so Marilyn
…I came to save a thing called Female Rap
But I hope my ninja powers,
don’t f*ck around and offend you cowards
And finally, from Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday, Here I Am:
Why is it that you can only see the worst in me?
I swear sometimes it feels like it nurtures me
But to keep it all real it’s kinda hurtin’ me
I could say I’m done with it but it lurks in me
So I’m a just tell myself that it works for me…
…It’s a joke, It’s a game
Why am I still keeping score?
I’m in pain, I’m ashamed
I’m A Woman Hear Me Roar (x5)
With my new found love for femme fatale cinema, after viewing the opening scene from Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct, it was confirmed that I was going to love the film. Initially, I was annoyed by the prominent male gaze in the scene, but my faith was soon restored.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/10232783/basic_instinct_hot_scenes/
The clip goes beyond the opening scene and presents a small collection of suggestive moments in the film. I am not as moved by the other scenes as I am with the first. However, the last scene and the first one go hand in hand as far as the plot to the film goes.
Recently on Twitter, a story popped up about Jaden Smith wanting to have his penis removed on his 18th birthday. The story originated from a satirical news site, so it is fiction. However, Jaden’s fake comments tie into the discussion of male and female identity. I thought this would have been a powerful message. How would you react? Take a look:
http://www.360nobs.com/2014/11/does-jaden-smith-really-plan-on-taking-out-his-penis-surgically/
During my presentation, I referenced an interview with Anne Marie Slaughter. Unfortunately, I did not have time to play it; so here it is if any of you are interested in watching it. The interview provided me with further insight into Slaughter’s perspective and I found it really useful while interpreting Slaughter’s article, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.”
thought id make this my last blog post! very inspirational! it obviously deals heavily with feminism in the media
http://mic.com/articles/105102/the-39-most-iconic-feminist-moments-of-2014?utm_source=policymicFB&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social
also, ‘bed feminist’ made the list!!
This article takes a new look one of the world’s most prolific pop stars. It discusses how Swift is photographed straight on, eyes watching the reader in two magazine cover, Time and Bloomberg Businessweek. There are two magazine that are well known for discussing individual’s power, career, and economic strength.
This article discusses how pop stars are usually shot showing off their bodies in fashionable clothing or photoshopped. Instead Swift forces the reader to consider her as a serious forced to be reckoned with in these photos. She is not sexualized and instead framed as most men are on these important magazines.
An interesting article about one way to get closer to gender equality in the workplace.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/5/7291295/from-here-to-paternity-how-paid-leave-for-dads-will-help-women-at-work