Jennifer Smith
Nina Perez
WST 3015
3/17/10
The show Family Guy is a parody of American culture that takes everyday situations and lets viewers see how ridiculous some people and their actions can be. Its satirical writing also gives people a chance to laugh at some of the unbelievable characters shown in other sitcoms like Everybody Loves Raymond and According To Jim, in which the pretty wives have to deal with less attractive, crude husbands. In shows like these, men don’t treat their wives with respect, but since their spouses are “so in love," they are able to forgive them at the end of each episode.
Megan Seely continuously brings up media’s influence on our society. In “At The Table” she discusses how “women are not in the positions of leadership that would permit them to determine and direct our stories and images in the media” (102). Because of this, women’s lives are often “misunderstood and misrepresented” (Seely 102). In the Family Guy episode “Go Stewie Go," the focus in Peter and Lois’ marriage seems to be on Lois’ age and looks. Peter is rude and insulting, commenting on her gray hair and aging body. Peter has so little respect for his wife and her feelings that he insults his wife around company right in front of her, telling Meg’s boyfriend, “she ain’t what she used to be”(Janetti 3:31).
Lois is so desperate for male approval that after Meg’s boyfriend gives her a compliment, she automatically becomes interested, not caring that he’s her daughter’s boyfriend. It’s crazy that a little bit of flattery from a male affects her so much. Even when she is making out with Anthony later in the episode, she brings up her age and her gray hair; Peter’s words invading her mind continuously.
At the end of the episode, Peter admits that he was only insulting Lois because he was insecure about his own age and appearance. Keeping up with other sitcoms' predictable endings, Lois accepts Peter’s wrongdoing and forgives him for his hurtful behavior. Even though the show is poking fun at American culture, it is still perpetuating the forgiving role wives in sitcoms are given. Hopefully, because of the show’s satirical nature, people realize that, in reality, wives and mothers should be treated with more respect and kindness than on the television shows that depict them.
In this episode of Family Guy the women and girls that are in relationships are all treated badly by their partners. Peter insults Lois, Meg’s boyfriend cheats on her, and Randall treats Julie like a piece of meat. Paula Ettelbrick writes about how marriage is not a path to liberation (320). Although she is discussing marriage in relation to gay and lesbian couples, I think it also pertains to heterosexual couples. If women are going to be treated as secondhand citizens by their partners, maybe they should rethink the option of matrimony.
Works Cited
Ettelbrick, Paula. "Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation?" Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: MCGraw-Hill, 2010. 317-20. Print.
Janetti, Gary. "Go Stewie Go." Family Guy. FOX. 14 Mar. 2010. Television.
Seely, Megan. "At The Table." Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 93-121. Print.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Activism Log # 4
Jennifer Smith
Nina Perez
WST 3015
3/6/10
Activism:
We finally started tabling this week. On Wednesday I went to the front of the Student Union to join some of Equal’s members and some of my group members on my first official day of petitioning. I was really nervous about talking to strangers, since I’m not the most outgoing person, but I felt a lot more comfortable with my community partner, Rebecca, there. She helped me ease into the role of activist and explained the ins and outs of tabling.
Reflection:
We continued to discuss violence against women in class this week. I was glad some of the readings this week were from the Seely text Fight Like A Girl. I feel like not only is she writing to inform the reader about women’s issues, but also to encourage young feminists to be more active about the issues in their community. In the reading “Fighting Back,” Seely writes that “all people, regardless of sexual or gender identity, should be guaranteed the right to safety” (205). This one statement expresses exactly what my service-learning group is trying to show and teach people. I was happy to see that at the end of the reading, where Seely lists ways of getting out there and making a difference, one of the suggestions happened to be what my group has planned; “host a local forum at your school” (212).
Reciprocity:
Karma bit me in the ass my first week of tabling. I’m someone who usually ignores the students in front of the Student Union, passing out flyers and asking for signatures. I found out just how frustrating it is to get people to give up a moment of their time and listen to what you have to say. Then there are those whose attention I captured. They would ask me multiple questions about what I was petitioning for, just to walk away without signing or even worse, argue about why gender identity shouldn’t be added to the policy. I definitely got a reality check this week and I’ve started to realize just how much work really goes into each political movement. Hopefully I’ll run into more willing people in the next weeks of tabling.
Works Cited:
Seely, Megan. "Fighting Back." Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 185-217. Print.
Nina Perez
WST 3015
3/6/10
Activism:
We finally started tabling this week. On Wednesday I went to the front of the Student Union to join some of Equal’s members and some of my group members on my first official day of petitioning. I was really nervous about talking to strangers, since I’m not the most outgoing person, but I felt a lot more comfortable with my community partner, Rebecca, there. She helped me ease into the role of activist and explained the ins and outs of tabling.
Reflection:
We continued to discuss violence against women in class this week. I was glad some of the readings this week were from the Seely text Fight Like A Girl. I feel like not only is she writing to inform the reader about women’s issues, but also to encourage young feminists to be more active about the issues in their community. In the reading “Fighting Back,” Seely writes that “all people, regardless of sexual or gender identity, should be guaranteed the right to safety” (205). This one statement expresses exactly what my service-learning group is trying to show and teach people. I was happy to see that at the end of the reading, where Seely lists ways of getting out there and making a difference, one of the suggestions happened to be what my group has planned; “host a local forum at your school” (212).
Reciprocity:
Karma bit me in the ass my first week of tabling. I’m someone who usually ignores the students in front of the Student Union, passing out flyers and asking for signatures. I found out just how frustrating it is to get people to give up a moment of their time and listen to what you have to say. Then there are those whose attention I captured. They would ask me multiple questions about what I was petitioning for, just to walk away without signing or even worse, argue about why gender identity shouldn’t be added to the policy. I definitely got a reality check this week and I’ve started to realize just how much work really goes into each political movement. Hopefully I’ll run into more willing people in the next weeks of tabling.
Works Cited:
Seely, Megan. "Fighting Back." Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 185-217. Print.
Activism Log 3
Jennifer Smith
Nina Perez
WST 3015
2/28/10
Activism:
It was kind of a slow week for my activism. We haven’t started to table yet, but I’m glad to say that our project now has its own Facebook page, where people can join up and sign our online petition. My participation this week involved mostly planning and organizing my schedule. My community partner, Rebecca Marques, contacted me and through emails, plans were made to begin tabling and petitioning next week. I’ll admit to being very nervous about asking strangers for their time, but knowing I’m working for a good cause helps calm my nerves.
Reflection:
Our readings this week have been focusing on violence against women and I even did my Discussion Leading on the topic. Since I had to present on subject, I feel like I became a lot more involved in the readings than I normally do. The chapter discussed how much of the reported violence against women is between couples and not reserved only to heterosexuals. “LGBT people are also victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence, as well as being subjected to intimidation, physical, and verbal abuse, and hate crimes by people outside LGBT communities” (Kirk 258). Another place where violence commonly occurs is on college campuses. It’s disturbing to read and think about how much violence occurs on a college campus and, as a woman, I hate the feeling that I’m not safe in my own environment. It makes me feel even more determined to fight for Gender Identity, knowing that there might be people I know, even friends of mine, who feel less safe than me since they aren’t legally protected.
Reciprocity:
Knowing how important it is to get Gender Identity added to UCF’s nondiscrimination policy just feeds the activism bug this Women’s Studies class has created in me. Now that this cause has it’s own website, I’ve taken the time to invite everyone I know on Facebook to sign the online petition and join us on April 16th for our rally. I hope that in the upcoming weeks I can involve even more people in the fight for equality.
Works Cited:
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-73. Print.
Nina Perez
WST 3015
2/28/10
Activism:
It was kind of a slow week for my activism. We haven’t started to table yet, but I’m glad to say that our project now has its own Facebook page, where people can join up and sign our online petition. My participation this week involved mostly planning and organizing my schedule. My community partner, Rebecca Marques, contacted me and through emails, plans were made to begin tabling and petitioning next week. I’ll admit to being very nervous about asking strangers for their time, but knowing I’m working for a good cause helps calm my nerves.
Reflection:
Our readings this week have been focusing on violence against women and I even did my Discussion Leading on the topic. Since I had to present on subject, I feel like I became a lot more involved in the readings than I normally do. The chapter discussed how much of the reported violence against women is between couples and not reserved only to heterosexuals. “LGBT people are also victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence, as well as being subjected to intimidation, physical, and verbal abuse, and hate crimes by people outside LGBT communities” (Kirk 258). Another place where violence commonly occurs is on college campuses. It’s disturbing to read and think about how much violence occurs on a college campus and, as a woman, I hate the feeling that I’m not safe in my own environment. It makes me feel even more determined to fight for Gender Identity, knowing that there might be people I know, even friends of mine, who feel less safe than me since they aren’t legally protected.
Reciprocity:
Knowing how important it is to get Gender Identity added to UCF’s nondiscrimination policy just feeds the activism bug this Women’s Studies class has created in me. Now that this cause has it’s own website, I’ve taken the time to invite everyone I know on Facebook to sign the online petition and join us on April 16th for our rally. I hope that in the upcoming weeks I can involve even more people in the fight for equality.
Works Cited:
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-73. Print.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Violence Against Women: "Goodbye Earl"
Jennifer Smith
Nina Perez
3/8/10
WST 3015
Violence against women is a major issue in U.S. society. In “Fighting Back," Megan Seely writes about how we live in a society where men are encouraged to see women as property and where violence against women is condoned (187). She states, “We create this reality through our movies, news media, and television shows” (Seely 187). The same holds true for the music we enjoy and listen to. While looking over the songs offered for this assignment, I was shocked and disgusted by some of the options. Most of the songs contained lyrics about beating, raping, and killing women. I finally decided on “Goodbye Earl,” by the Dixie Chicks, since it was one of the few that seemed to have the abused woman fighting back.
In “Goodbye Earl,” Wanda marries local man Earl and, shortly after, he starts beating her. Trying to escape the abuse, Wanda files for divorce and gets a restraining order. Unfortunately, Earl still comes after her and she ends up in the hospital. Wanda’s best friend, MaryAnn, comes back to town and the women make a plan to kill Earl (which is the only way they can think of to get him out of their lives). After killing Earl and escaping the cops’ detection, both women go on with their lives happily, Earl-free.
One of the aspects discussed in the Chapter 6 is the effect class has in violence against women. The chapter talks about how women of color, poor women, and prostituted women are often not included in surveys that ask women about their experiences with violence. Andy Smith is quoted when explaining with “patriarchal thinking, only a ‘pure’ body can be really violated" (Kirk 263). In “Goodbye Earl” everyone is from the country, and Wanda and Earl live in a lower class neighborhood. Being considered a lower class citizen, not “A”, violence committed against Wanda isn’t taken as seriously as it might be taken by someone who falls into the “A” category.
Also discussed in Chapter 6 is discrimination against women in the legal systems, including “inadequate laws and practices concerning violence against women, and insensitive treatment of women by police and the courts” (Kirk 267). In “Goodbye Earl” some of these flaws in our legal system are revealed and the question of how it needs to be improved to better protect women from abuse is raised. In the song Wanda filed for divorce and got a restraining order against Earl, but he just walked right through it (Linde 1.14). Judgments are further made on the cops in the town. They are depicted as bumbling fools, as they search for Earl and never find him.
There is a plethora of songs that depict violence against women, many that, surprisingly, show nothing wrong with the abusers. While I’m happy that the Dixie Chicks wrote a song that shows violence against women as a negative act in which the abuser gets punished, I feel like when you are actually listening to the song, the upbeat melody might confuse listeners and the message of the song might get lost in translation. Hopefully people will start actually listening to the words in their favorite songs and notice how some might depict violence against women.
Works Cited
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-73. Print.
Linde, Dennis. "Goodbye Earl." Rec. 1999. Fly. Dixie Chicks. Monument, 1999. CD.
Seely, Megan. "Fighting Back." Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 185-217. Print.
Nina Perez
3/8/10
WST 3015
Violence against women is a major issue in U.S. society. In “Fighting Back," Megan Seely writes about how we live in a society where men are encouraged to see women as property and where violence against women is condoned (187). She states, “We create this reality through our movies, news media, and television shows” (Seely 187). The same holds true for the music we enjoy and listen to. While looking over the songs offered for this assignment, I was shocked and disgusted by some of the options. Most of the songs contained lyrics about beating, raping, and killing women. I finally decided on “Goodbye Earl,” by the Dixie Chicks, since it was one of the few that seemed to have the abused woman fighting back.
In “Goodbye Earl,” Wanda marries local man Earl and, shortly after, he starts beating her. Trying to escape the abuse, Wanda files for divorce and gets a restraining order. Unfortunately, Earl still comes after her and she ends up in the hospital. Wanda’s best friend, MaryAnn, comes back to town and the women make a plan to kill Earl (which is the only way they can think of to get him out of their lives). After killing Earl and escaping the cops’ detection, both women go on with their lives happily, Earl-free.
One of the aspects discussed in the Chapter 6 is the effect class has in violence against women. The chapter talks about how women of color, poor women, and prostituted women are often not included in surveys that ask women about their experiences with violence. Andy Smith is quoted when explaining with “patriarchal thinking, only a ‘pure’ body can be really violated" (Kirk 263). In “Goodbye Earl” everyone is from the country, and Wanda and Earl live in a lower class neighborhood. Being considered a lower class citizen, not “A”, violence committed against Wanda isn’t taken as seriously as it might be taken by someone who falls into the “A” category.
Also discussed in Chapter 6 is discrimination against women in the legal systems, including “inadequate laws and practices concerning violence against women, and insensitive treatment of women by police and the courts” (Kirk 267). In “Goodbye Earl” some of these flaws in our legal system are revealed and the question of how it needs to be improved to better protect women from abuse is raised. In the song Wanda filed for divorce and got a restraining order against Earl, but he just walked right through it (Linde 1.14). Judgments are further made on the cops in the town. They are depicted as bumbling fools, as they search for Earl and never find him.
There is a plethora of songs that depict violence against women, many that, surprisingly, show nothing wrong with the abusers. While I’m happy that the Dixie Chicks wrote a song that shows violence against women as a negative act in which the abuser gets punished, I feel like when you are actually listening to the song, the upbeat melody might confuse listeners and the message of the song might get lost in translation. Hopefully people will start actually listening to the words in their favorite songs and notice how some might depict violence against women.
Works Cited
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-73. Print.
Linde, Dennis. "Goodbye Earl." Rec. 1999. Fly. Dixie Chicks. Monument, 1999. CD.
Seely, Megan. "Fighting Back." Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. 185-217. Print.
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