09/29/09 The film “Boys Don’t Cry” is a powerful work of art, made more visceral by the fact that it is all based on a true story. It tells the tale of Teena Brandon, a young woman whose natural attraction to other girls leads her to live her life as a male under the alias “Brandon Teena”. It tells of the discrimination and even violence she encounters based on her sexuality, and her ultimately fatal attraction to another young woman named Lana Tisdel. One aspect of the film that interested me was Teena’s overall personality, influenced by her confusion of what gender she is and what gender she wants to be. She clearly is sexually attracted to girls, and identifies with herself as a boy.
There are many things that I agree with in the movie. One particular point that was made was that we are not born with a sense of sexual identity. Therefore, we seek out what it means to be a male or female from our surroundings. If that is truly the case, which I suspect it is, the Video for “Birthday Song” does a very good job of making it seem that all women are there for the sole purpose of pleasing men no matter how degrading they must act and or dress. In the video there is ratio of ten to one in favor of the women.
They then set out in Louise’s ’66 Thunderbird for the adventure of their lives. Throughout the movie, there are times in which you find yourself wondering what in the world the character is doing and how they could possibly be so naive, but Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are both so vibrant, funny, and sweet that you can’t help but feel for them. Many people view this film as sexist, attacking the male gender. However, I have quite the different outlook on it. Although it is overall empowering to women, that does not have to automatically mean it must be downgrading to men.
Lysistrata, by Aristophanes, was the most pro-feminist work of its time, a comedy that is essentially about women using sex as a barganing term, threatening their men that they will not have sex with them until they help restore peace and end the Peloponnesian War. Because , the audience it was performed for was familiar with the Thrives on character. In Lysistrata, context becomes important; Lysistrata was written during the time of the Peloponnesian War and therefore plays on the ironies in the connections between what was happening during the time and what happens in the play. At the time, the audience needed to know that as well as know what other Greek playwrites were doing as well. Physical humor was also used in the staging of the play - the actors portraying male characters wore phalluses that were erect due to lack of sex.
Along with the use of comedy as a means of critique, Fey also incorporates humor as a tool to downplay the serious aspect of her topic and as a way of keeping the attention of her audience. Fey incorporates humor throughout her entire narrative in order to critique the patriarchal society that she finds herself surrounded by. Fey’s use of humor is made up of sarcasm and does a good job at making her harder to refute. “The only person I can think of who has escaped the ‘crazy’ moniker is Betty White, which, obviously, is because people still want to have sex with her” (Fey p.3). Fey makes choses to talk about the way women are treated in the entertainment industry with a joke on Betty White, which targets both sexism and ageism, which Fey repeatedly addresses, but with a softer approach through the use of humor.
Despite trying to portray her feelings in an abstract and metaphorical way, Miley’s music video ended up coming across as overdramatic, inappropriate, and in a sense, masochistic. These themes present in the music video along with the sex appeal override the ethos and true meaning behind the song. As a young female, Miley Cyrus hopes to relate to her main audience, who are teenagers and young adults that also experience heartbreak and emotional pain in similar ways. Those teenagers and young adults who have grown up with her and support her through her career love her just the
Recently, the songs have been popular due to the meanings of his songs. The lyrics that he conveys are a common theme amongst other rappers. For that reason, his vulgar lyrics are generally disapproved by the National Organization for Women, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation, and feminists. Although he may be an easy target for being known as a sickening individual, people don’t account for many of his other songs. Sure, the words used may still be used in a vile manner, but the meaning behind the words are completely different.
Society seems paradoxical in its reverence for innocence and purity, while at the same time indulging in the very hedonistic lifestyle it so condemns. Sober productivity to work and sexual purity are exalted, but everywhere scantily clad women peddle the best product that will achieve drunkenness in the hopes of leading to casual sex. ‘Sex, drugs, and Rock ’N Roll’ has become the mantra of an entire generation, yet people still hold in esteem the values of living a virtuous and wholesome life. Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) explores this contradiction between thought and action through the protagonist’s psychological state and mental breakdown. Polanski argues that the human ideal of wholesomeness and purity cannot survive in a male- dominated civilization ruled by sex.
This implies that he may be suppressing his feelings towards Othello. He might also be in denial about his sexuality- his reasons for plotting against Othello do not make much sense and are not realistic- claims Othello slept with his wife, but he’s not sure but will go with it anyway< weak argument. Hides his motive, goes against S.T Coleridge< malicious malignity. Iago does have a reason; he is in love with Othello and wants to posses him completely. He is also jealous of Cassio, perhaps he thought he would get the position of lieutenant as he felt he and
Over drinks, Frances confronts him about his wandering eyes and questions his love for her. Michael’s way of looking on women as mere bodies could suggest a kind of degradation, which is to define a woman only as an erotic or sexual figure. Michael reveals that he loves the way women look and when Frances asserts that one-day he will be unfaithful, Michael agrees with her. Frances feels that the day is now ruined and resorts to calling the Stevensons. The universal truth behind this story is that the innate differences between men and women coupled with lack of communication will cause a marriage to stagnate and become an uneasy compromise.