Wood, Gendered Lives, Chapter 11, & "Her Body, Himself"

Gendered Lives

Chapter 11

Whether you believe it or not, media affects our everyday lives. People may claim immunity (as most do), but the reality of reality is that we are each affected by media: TV shows, commercials, magazine adds, radio programming, etc. Media also shapes culture's expectations of gender and the relationships between the genders. Most programming and advertising will reinforce stereotypical roles for men and women, and only rarely will media challenging these norms be present.
These forms of media shape our views of self and gender by doing a few things. First, they tell us there is something wrong with us. We are not normal. Second, they tell us we can fix our 'wrongness' by buying product X, Y, and Z, and buy doing workout 1 and starting diet 2. The media is fueled by providing (in us) a false sense of security and non-satisfaction. Their goal is to get us to consume!
Perhaps the most anger-provoking facet of Wood's chapter is that on the continual sexualization of women. This is present is the ever increasing number of movies containing sexual innuendos and sexual scenes. Turn on the radio to a hip-hop station and the rap music is likely to contain prose about 'bitches' and 'hoes' and perhaps even how one can 'smack that.'

*I could continue to write more on this chapter but the result would just be one long rant, and that is not the purpose of this blog.

Her Body, Himself

While I admit this reading was not the easiest for me to follow, I can say I found a few things to be valuable. Playing right along with Wood's chapter on media (movies are media after all) is the sexualization prevalent in many of these horror, 'slasher' films. The killing and murder that is present is centrally located around (in many films) sex and other love scenes. It works, first of all, because media are bias toward sexualization any way and for the same reason that we are drawn most to those scenes, and that is when the unexpected happens.
Another facet I found interesting is the section 'Final Girl.' It comes to me as no surprise that women are the victims of violence. To note, both sexes are killed in these massacre movies. However, it is the preoccupation with women and struggle that dominates the screens and the concluding parts of these films. And even if she survives, it is the female who must go on living with the dreams and haunting memories of a violent past.

Questions to ask?

Why did Wood shy away from the fact that recently, 2 of 3 major network's evening news programs were anchored by women? I can list handfuls of women reporters...

Do feminists argue for equality across the occupational spectrum or just better representation for females?

Links to articles, videos, music, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FpyGwP3yzE
-Jean Kilbourne's 'Killing us Softly 3'

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/weekinreview/09abramson.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
-brilliant article titled, 'When Will We Stop Saying, 'First Women to ______?'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5pM1fW6hNs&feature=related
-Miss Representation Extended Trailer