Blog 6

 

The scene from the episode of Shrill addressed issues associated with body image. The segments we viewed in class showed a woman at first uncomfortable with her body. Before the episode ends however, the audience sees her begin to embrace herself and be more open. She strips her layers and swims in the pool surrounded by other people. This scene parallels one with her as a child waiting until nighttime and an empty pool to swim unseen. I believe this episode is significant because it challenges hegemonic ideas of beauty standards giving representation to varying body types. It teaches body positivity and makes me hopeful for more realistic media portrayals of insecurities, self-esteem, and body image misconceptions. The first reading from this week (excerpts from Bad Feminist) addressed issues regarding the term ‘feminism’ and what it means to be a feminist versus a Feminist. Many of the author’s points about feminism resonated with me and her humorous anecdotes and examples made the piece feel conversational and relatable. The passage from “How to Be Friends with Another Woman” was formatted as a list acting as an instructional guide. This was again a humorous, light-hearted way to convey applicable, truthful content. As a reader it felt less aggressive and preachy, and more like advice you would get from a friend. The next assigned media was “Un/Tied Shoes”. This work combined visuals and text to create a story addressing gender identity. The fictional shoe website operates like a typical online clothing store, however, in place of the product description is a personal story relating to the shoe selected. The shoe fits into a timeline narrative about author Evie Ruddy growing up genderqueer. I thought this format was powerful as it subverts audience expectations of the piece and highlights existing challenges for those who identify as genderqueer such as facing a heteronormative fashion industry and the opinions of society at large.  The last media assignment was a Vimeo video titled, The Problem that Has No Name. The compilation of film clips, narration, and music was anxiety inducing. While I am unsure of the message the medium was trying to convey, I did notice representations of traditional gender roles. The women were occupied with domestic activities such as cooking and cleaning whereas the men did more physical tasks. I would have liked a video description to accompany the media to offer some explanation of the project that would have strengthened or reinforced the content.