The not so Real Housewives of reality TV.

Bad Girls Club, The Real Housewives of (you name it), America’s Next Top Model …I could continue this list for the entire 400 words of this blog because there are just that many out there. Reality TV is the greatest (and worst) guilty pleasure out there in the television world for us to see.

I do not know if it’s the drama factor, the desire to see how the other half live, or the the yearn for some mindless activity to take a break from the monotony of studying and schoolwork. Whatever the reason, we are all guilty of watching at least some amount of reality TV.

Consuming large amounts of any media is bad for our health and our brain but I am going to argue against reality TV in particular because it is perhaps the most negative form of media to exist -it creates and reinforces stereotypes, causes body image negativity, as well as creates an entire culture of our media that is supported off the mere fact that we desire to consume conflict and drama.

Reality TV presents women in a very negative light -how are most of these women seen on TV? They are presented as the wife, the mother, or that one friend who always goes out and gets herself into mischief. Those are not the only type of women that exist -plenty of women today are scientists, teachers, chefs, and doctors.

Young women watch these shows and desire to be like Kim Kardashian because she lives a glamourous, rich, and seemingly easy life and they might give up other dreams to achieve other types of careers besides socialite.n Reality TV also presents and reinforces many stereotypes of all kinds -men, women, race, how the relationship between a mother and daughter is supposed to be, etc…We internalize what we learn and see through the media so do we really want to teach our younger generations that calling each other obscene names and fighting is the best way to hang out with friends?

Also, reality TV furthers our growing issue of body image by putting these tall, lean, and beautiful women right in front of us who are obsessing about appearance, make up, and body weight every chance they get. It would not be an overstatement to claim that many of these women have undergone some form of body altering surgery to achieve these looks either.

Lastly, reality TV is only popular because we, as a society, say it is. Reality TV is thriving because we cannot get enough of it -we yearn for drama, and conflict outside of our own lives. This speaks a lot about our society -if we solely support reality TV, than what shows are we not seeing? Possibly more Olivia Pope’s (Scandal) and Annalise Keating’s (How to Get Away with Murder) who break the barrier between gender and race within their powerful jobs.

The real Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating’s are out there, it’s just time our media discovers them before we become a culture overran by reality TV, stereotypes, drama, and conflict.

The famous finger point that often takes place during The Real Housewives. (Courtesy of Bravo).

 

Nerd-ing out: Not just a game for the boys.

I am the first to admit that I am a total dork, and I mean that in the most endearing term…geek and nerd are not negative attributes at least in my book. It is one of the best things to be, so why are the boys the only ones who get to have any fun? Girls can be geeky to, and I am not just talking about the “sexy nerd” for Halloween and costume parties, those who wears close to nothing with big glasses and suspenders. I am talking about those girls who are interested in comic books, video games, Fantasy literature, and who have seen every Marvel Comic movie ever created. (LIKE ME!)

It is time for the video game industry to start acknowledging the effects their violent and often misogynistic video games have on society -mainly the youth, our future of tomorrow. We do not want our next leaders to grow up in such a negative and sexualized culture.

The plethora of a realistic war video games combined with games such as Grand Theft Auto 5 are promoting violence, and even worse the abuse of women. So, you can imagine my joy when I discovered that a Target retailer in Australia removed Grand Theft Auto from their shelves. That’s not enough because the game still thrives.

“Although Grand Theft Auto V has received criticism for allowing players to assault, kill, and maim women within its game world, it has also received critical acclaim, won awards, and set a record by earning $1 billion in just three days.”

A game that deliberately sets out to destroy the image of females and openly support misogyny? Hold on, something is not right here….

 

(Courtesy of Buzzfeed.com from change.org)

 

Video games are not the only form of entertainment that is claimed to be “boys only.” The world of comic books and superheroes have also been deemed a “no girls allowed world” UNLESS you are the damsel in distress or if you play the wife role. I am not bashing MJ (Spiderman) or Pepper (Iron Man) because they both have great attributes as side roles, but it would be refreshing to see more leading ladies in the comic book world. 

However, superheroes are not just men, the ladies are taking the world by Storm (X-Men reference) and not just as sidekicks and wives. We have seen multiple versions of Cat Women, quite a few leading females from X-Men (Mystic is my personal favorite) and the latest (at least to my knowledge) Spider-Woman.

(Courtesy of theguardian.com) The comic cover that was condemned after an uproar about the erotic design of the new comic.

 

The evolution of comic books to include such a wide variety of super heroines is great! Except when you take into consideration the costumes these heroines are squeezed in to. It is understandable that certain heroes require certain appendages and flexibility based on gender. However, that does not give a reason for why super heroines are emphasized in the breast and bottom area  in leather suits with flowing hair while the heroes are usually just placed in comfortable tightness of “super clothes” without highly sexualizing them.

I am still hopeful that we can achieve complete absence of any sexualization and objectification of women, someday we will.

 

 

Man Crush Saturday -Nickolay Lamm

I know what you are thinking -“Sam, this is not a Woman Crush for two reasons: 1) He is a HE and 2) It is not Wednesday.” Well, my friends, I cannot deny the day of the week but I do believe in what Nickolay Lamm is doing for this generation and it is too fantastic not to honor him. Plus, he is supporting feministas by giving young girls a realistic doll to look towards.

Don’t believe me? Check out what these kids have to say about the great Barbie verse Lammily debate…

Goodbye Barbie, Hello Lammily!

Many kids (and I say kids because dolls are not just a toy for girls) remember playing with the great Barbie doll: her flawless skin and slender body combined with perfectly arched feet and platinum blonde hair. Barbie always traveled in style with her convertible and lived in her amazing Dreamhouse with her equally stunning group of (somewhat diverse) friends.

As a little girl, I always thought that to be Barbie was all that I could yearn for, she became my idol and when I began the awkward stages every young person goes through, I did not fully understand why my skin was bumpy and freckled, my body was taking a different shape, and why my feet were better fit in Converse than arched into heels.

(Courtesy of intentblog.com)

Admittedly, Barbie has made strides in her career and friend group, but those descriptions above detail the unhealthy body image that Barbies’ have pretty much forced upon many past and current generations and has left many girls wondering why they do not look like Barbie when being a kid all about the bumps, bruises and the belief that boys still have cooties.

Pop culture has made many strides in so many areas, and one of those areas includes a much needed make over to good ‘ol Barbara.

Goodbye Barbie, and hello Lammily!

Nickolay Lamm is the creator behind the new Barbie who is smugly dubbed Lammily. This doll resembles and has the proportions of the average 19 year old female. The result is quite startling when you place the two side by side…

(Courtesy of buzzfeed.com -Nickolay Lamm)

The doll on the right is one of the most realistic depictions of young woman I have seen thus far without ruining the appeal and desire that dolls grant young girls, Lammily also gives them a realistic goal to strive for.

Lammily, does not only just stand around in bathing suits, she also plays sports and has different outfit changes that do not equate to breaking the fictional bank -another refresher for young girls as many will not be wearing the latest styles right off the runway.

Recently, Lamm has decided to add another feature to the well-praised Lammily. Lammily Marks” -various stickers and “stick ons” for Lammily fans to attach to their doll. These adhesive features include stretch marks, pimples, tattoos, bruises, scratches, moles and many more.

(Courtesy of buzzfeed.com -Nickolay Lamm)

Finally, a doll who shares the kiss of a birthmark, the sprinkling of freckles and the desire to not wear pink clothes with high heels every day. I do believe Lammily has the ability to become the new Barbie and finally give kids a realistic view of the female body.

Sorry Ken, looks like you and Barbie will have to move out of the Dreamhouse spotlight, and allow Lammily to take her well deserved spot at the top.

 

 

 

Disney strives for diversity.

There are a plethora of reasons to completely adore and cherish Disney movies -they are the classics that most of us grew up on -we learned about family and lions through Lion King, we encountered a genie and magic carpet with Aladdin, and we even dipped our toes in Voodoo magic with Tiana in The Princess and the Frog.

Disney is making waves again amongst the animation world, not only for great story lines and memorable animation, but for progressive characters. A much need revitalization  and change to the Mickey Mouse Club movie list. This is huge considering the wide scope of an audience Disney movies can reach (as a 21 year old college student, I will proudly admit to still getting super excited over new Disney releases…) The intended target audience is family usually including younger children -a time before the media can grab hold and crowd the young mind.

The latest Disney movies have been breaking down the all too common stereotypes with a much needed breath of diversity, gender defying roles and important life lessons for all to learn -no matter the age.

Frozen (2013)

Perhaps one of the most beloved Disney movies of this decade, Frozen has been adapted into an ice show, numerous YouTube reenactments of the catchy song “Let It Go.” The inspiring lead roles are Elsa and her sister Anna -the two heroines of the film and one of the only “princess” films that did not rely on a prince to save the day. This rare heroine combo taught us about family, bravery as well as love.

Elsa and Anna redefine what it means to be a princess by playing one of the most relatable female duos in Disney history -they love to play in the snow and do not belabor the fact that they are considered royalty. Anna, the female protagonist, is both a princess and tomboy who teaches us it is okay to not be pristine perfect all of the time.

Elsa is having her progressive big sister moment by explaining to Anna she cannot marry a prince that she literally just met (and for good reason too.)

This short snippet from Frozen completely goes against every other princess Disney movie in existence -finally a young woman with some logic other than running away and crying about not being with her “true love” a.k.a. a man she just met a day earlier (in movie time). These sisters do not need princes to save them, they depend on each other with the help from some friends. Frozen opts to not focus on love between prince and princess as a main theme rather the love between two sisters.

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Not quite a princess movie but still al lovable tale about a hero who breaks down the walls built by stereotypes. The main protagonist is Hiro Hamada, a bi-racial (White and Japanese) student who has a love for robots and a diverse crew of friends. The story is a set in a hybrid town somewhere between San Francisco and Tokoyo also known as San Fransokyo. Big Hero 6 combines creativity and a mixture of cultures and races.

Big Hero 6 has been hailed as “Disney’s most diverse movie yet” and for good reasons too: Hiro is a rare character portrayed in animated movies -combining two cultures and two races. Bi-racial characters are underrepresented in a forms of media, everyone is eager to place a person in one cultural category, not multiple. Hiro’s crew also brings diversity to the big screen, but does not belabor the fact that these kids are a mismatch crew of friends.

(Image courtesy of http://www.wattpad.com)

Big Hero 6 includes the signature Disney-lesson-of-the-day but has also made strides to promote just one over-arching lesson but a lesson of acceptance, diversity, and the diminish of stereotypes.

Moana (2016)

A look towards the (progressive) future with this one -another heroine for us all to adore. Little about this future has been officially released other than the fact that Moana will be the newest princess to add to the crew. Moana will be Polynesian and she will provide a dose of much needed dose of diversity to the list of already existing princesses. Moana’s adventure is set to take sail in late 2016.

 

(An early depiction of the future Moana movie poster -courtesy of Tumblr.com)

 

I am throughly looking forward to watching these new additions to the House of Mouse classics. It is refreshing to see a media mogul such as Disney making strides towards widening the scope of race and gender with these progressive movies.

Kudos, Disney.

Fall -the season of pumpkins, Halloween and stereotypes?

Autumn -the best time of the year for so many reasons, leaves changing colors & falling, boot & scarf season, and the beginning to the most festive time of the year. The kick off holiday for the chain of festivities is a personal favorite of mine, Halloween.

Binge watching the Syfy channel to catch every Michael Myers’ movie, switching over to the Disney channel to see Halloweentown and then going back Syfy to indulge in some less innocent depictions of the best holiday ever is my yearly routine of the month of October.

But, with every great thing there is always a few downfalls, such as the numerous stereotypes put on women (and men) during this season. The idea of dressing up in costumes has been something that has been ingrained in our Halloween traditions since we were children. (My first Halloween costume was a bumblebee outfit -thanks, Mom….)

And of course with the idea of costumes, you have to put your daughter in the correct princess costume and your son as the Ninja Turtle that they most identify with, and God forbid your children chose the opposite sex costume to sport on Halloween night…oh the horror.

But, these stereotypes go beyond just the fact what we wear for one night of the year, it also involves what we watch during this spooktastic and ghoulful time of the year. (see what I did there? so so punny, -heh heh).

Horror movies dating all the way back to the classics have always placed male and female in certain character roles and expectations.

*LOOKING FOR ACTRESS TO PLAY ROLE IN HORROR MOVIE*

Must be:

-Timid, a great screamer, willing to be stalked, sexualized and pursued in unsettling ways, petite and pretty, and comfortable with being “stabbed” while naked in the shower.

*LOOKING FOR ACTOR TO PLAY ROLE IN HORROR MOVIE*

Must be:

-Creepy, willing to stalk and pursue women, and be fully clothed.

Now, this is no way putting these stigmas on EVERY, single horror movie ever produced, but if we look at the main headliners –Psycho, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween, this seems to be the case -women are often murdered while minding their own business in the shower or even worse the bathtub, kitchen or while taking part in sexual acts.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I cannot think of any successful horror movies in which the main slasher is a female who is NOT a witch or in need of some form of an exorcism….

BuzzFeed recently created an interesting video that would place men in the situation that most females would find themselves in a horror movie -while the recreations are comical, they also raise the valid consideration and comparison of females and males in horror films and what the result would be in a complete role reversal.

Personally, I found an abundance of humor and truth in this video and cannot wait for the day when a gender role reversal would not be seen as comical but actually considered to reckon with.

Woman Crush Wednesday -Beyoncé

 

(Courtesy of Beyonce’s Instagram)

The Queen B posing as a Rosie the Riveter a.k.a. the most well-known pose for feminists. Beyoncé equals my Woman Crush FOREVER! Seriously, what’s not to love about Beyoncé?

What’s not to love about Beyoncé?

Great music with positive messages to women and a fellow feminista?!  What’s not to love about Beyoncé?

Beyoncé does have her fair share of scandalous, semi-questionable music but she also has a plethora of female empowering songs. She has 7 major albums produced, and has been featured on countless other albums and songs. She took a major risk by dropping her latest, self-titled album, Beyoncé, without any pre-release announcement or promotion. She broke the iTunes sales record and sold 617,000 albums in just 3 days (-I will admit to proudly being one of the 617,000 people.)

Myself and 616,999 other people will tell you how awesome her latest album is, but put aside the addicting beats and the phenomena that is Queen B and look at what her lyrics tell us….

(Courtesy of mtvstyle.tumblr.com)

“We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way boys are
Feminist: a person who believes in the social,
Political, and economic equality of the sexes”

Those golden words are just a few from the interlude by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -a Nigerian-born writer and feminist- from her  TED Talk on feminism.

“***Flawless” = the anthem for anyone getting ready to head out for a night on the town. Beyoncé’s song reminds us that we, as women, are not just here for our male partners. While being married to the hip-hop king Jay-Z would seem like enough reason to be content and step down, Beyoncé disagrees…she makes her own and does not allow her male counterpart to outshine her -“But don’t think I’m just his little wife…”

An ability to combine fun and sexy with a feminist overtone? That sounds pretty feminista to me….it may seem like the Queen is trying to put down her husband and other successful males but to me, she isn’t. She is just asking to be seen aside from her male companion (and also wanted to provide us with a great confidence booster and catch phrase -“I woke up like this, FLAWLESS.”)

Perhaps the most inspiring of all songs on her album is “Pretty Hurts” -the song featured above. The emphasis put on looks by media and today’s society is damaging. Now, Beyoncé is one of the most genetically blessed females on this earth but she also acknowledges what that can do to someone. Even better, she takes the blame off of us for wanting to be perfect and places it on society as a whole-“Perfection is a disease of a nation.”

She makes a compelling argument against society’s idea of pretty and what the side of effects of these expectations have on us -beauty pageant contestants to the girl next door.

One of the greatest things about Beyoncé is her ability to be able to speak to an array of people -women, men, kids, adults -pretty much anyone. Even those who need help, through her philanthropy –#BeyGood. I see fans across the board which I think truly speaks to her greatness as an artist.

Woman Crush Wednesday -Shonda Rhimes

(Photo Credit: http://www.eurweb.com)

More like Woman Crush Everyday…Shonda Rhimes is one of the leading ladies when it comes to producing TV hits. She is one of the main parents behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Private Practice. Join the club, visit Shondaland every Thursday to witness some true woman power both on and off the screen.

“Shondaland” -The place to be every Thursday night

“Shondaland” is my home away from home every Thursday night. For those of you who haven’t been enchanted by her “producing power,” let me fill you in.

Shonda Rhimes is one of the only producers to have a night, on a major TV network such as ABC, dedicated to her. It is even accompanied by the hashtag #TGIT -Thank God It’s Thursday. These two reasons alone make Shonda amazing. Even better, she’s a she. EVEN better, she is African-American and continues to break down the stereotypes week by week.

Her 3 headliner shows- Grey’s Anatomy (11 seasons), Scandal (4 seasons) and the new comer, How To Get Away With Murder (1 season) take up the most coveted spot in prime time TV, 7-9 p.m every Thursday. Perhaps the most popular night for prime time television. At first glance, these shows may not seem all the different from the other typical TV dramas but we must dive deeper into Shondaland.

SO, here are 3 reasons on why Shondaland is the place to be on Thursday nights (especially for Feministas):

Doctors, lawyers, professors, OH MY!

1. All 3 shows depict strong, professional women in the LEADING role -meaning the story line revolves around their personal and professional lives, not a males. This is huge considering that “on prime-time television, 44.3 percent of females were gainfully employed — compared with 54.5 percent of males.”

In Shondaland, women are not the “side characters” who play victim to males. Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Miranda Bailey are prominent female doctors within the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for 11 strong seasons. Olivia Pope from Scandal is the most sought out defender of public images and one of her most common cliental is the White House. And last, but not lease, How To Get Away With Murder‘s Annalise Keating is a law professor at a prestigious school as well as the choice lawyer for many high profile cases.

2. While these women do achieve great levels of success within their professions, they are still normal. One of the biggest achievements Shonda makes is the ability to relate such powerful and beautiful women to the average one (still beautiful but maybe not quite a doctor…) sitting on the couch. Work drama, friendships, relationships and even their closets are relatable. (I would love to take a shopping trip through Olivia Pope’s closet…)

3. “Shondaland is the most integrated and interesting geography in America” -a very accurate statement. These shows touch on all kinds of social issues and continue to break the norm -interracial couples, gay and lesbian couples, war veterans, the list goes on. Each show features an array of characters with varying personalities and personal feats.

What better way to end your Thursday night than with 3 intelligent, sexy, women powered shows -in a row!

In the words of the great Olivia Pope, “consider it handled,” and I will meet you in Shondaland this Thursday.