ENSO BREAKING GENDER NORMS
ENSO ANJINI V DUGAL
A Japanese word meaning “circle”. It symbolizes the beauty in asymmetrical balance. With the imbalance in the male to female ratio, there is an urgent need to find an equilibrium and achieve Enso by breaking the existing gender norms in order to achieve gender equality. Even though most of the performing arts were started and dominated by men for a long time, yet there seems to be a major prejudice against men in the arts today. Some of the best artists in the performing arts industry are men but when we see someone amongst us we often label them as gay, feminine WHY? Do not accept men or women around you confirming to outdated ideals? Question it, stand up for what you feel is wrong. It’s time we all move away from societies’ rigid job descriptions set for us and stand up for what is right. A women’s ‘Job’ is definitely not only to look after the house while a man’s ‘job’ is not just to earn and provide. It’s high time we stand united against those being a menace to society by fuelling this prominent imbalance existing solely due to the prevalent gender stereotypes. It is only then that we can even think of achieving gender equality.
ON THE COVER Model: Alfredo Photography: Mohit Vijh MUA: Aakriti Khurana & Aishwarya Narula Styling: Anjini V Dugal
CKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude and sincere regard to my mentor Ms.Shalini Gupta as well as other faculty members for their exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this project. The help and guidance given by them from time to time will go a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I am obliged to the staff members of Pearl Academy, New Delhi, for the valuable information provided by them in their respective fields. I am grateful for their cooperation during the period of my project.
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ECLARATION
I have read the Ethical Guidelines and Framework for Research and Practice Undertaken by Students. I confirm that the above named investigation “Enso� complies with published codes of conduct, ethical principles and guidelines of professional bodies associated with the research discipline.
Anjini V Dugal April 2017
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LIST OF ABSTRACT
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AIMS & OBJECTIVE
LITERATURE REVIEW Gender Stereotype
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Effects Causes
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Gender Stereotype In Performing Arts
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GEISHA
CONTENTS
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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B A L L E T MEN
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DRAG
REFERENCES
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Top to bottomFig 3-9
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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FINDINGS & ANNALYSIS
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION
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BSTRACT
Embrace your individuality. Love what you love without worrying about being judged. This paper focuses on making people think and encouraging them to do the same by breaking free from the existing gender norms and stereotypes and striving for gender equality.
The methodology relied on for this report was online research, which was further supported by primary research, within which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used by sending out questionnaires as well as hosting a focus group. The results from both demonstrated, while we as a generation have become more excepting there are still a considerable number of people who are wrapped up in a stereotypical image of how both genders should behave. While some blame their parents, others have friends or peers to blame for being major influences behind this thought process.
While it is impossible to change the mindset of all, it is quite reasonable to want to make a change. For which, we must stand united as the future of this country and oppose what we think is wrong, because till the time we do not break free from gender stereotypes and norms, we cannot possibly achieve gender equality.
Key Words: reaking gender norms/stereotypes, unconventional, gender fluidity, equality, balance, objectification, Male gaze, performing arts and pop culture.
know More At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgJZBAZibL4&t=30s
Fig 10: Will Smith’s Children Source: nymag.com
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ims & objectives
The aim of this report is to analyze gender inequality today. To understand how gender norms are being redefined,their causes and the impact they have on society by highlighting the disparity in the performing arts. The objective is to understand and create awareness about the effects of gender stereotypes.
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“ A tree is masculine but when turned into wood it becomes feminine,” says Keith Pariat, President of Syngkhong-Rympei-Thymmai, Meghalaya’s very own men’s rights movement. He further explains in Timothy Allen’s article,”Meghalaya, India: Where women rule, and men are suffragettes’’,that the same is true of many nouns in our language. When anything becomes useful its gender automatically becomes Female (2012). This may be the thought process of many today, however,it has not always been the same. Gloria Steinem,who speculated about the origins of patriarchy as early as 1972, says that in ancient times societies were centred around women. They were respected and adored for life - giving power and honoured as incarnations of goddesses. Subsequently,this
ITERATURE
Fig.12: Equal Pay Protests Source: newsmov.org
changed with the sudden violent political and social upheaval brought on by the wars.Society was now dominated by men and continues to be even today (Eller, 2000).Today, we are supposedly living in a women’s world. We often read that women have become “The richer sex” and that the “End of men” is near. However, Stephanie Coontz (2014) from the New York times further argues in her article “The myth of the male decline” that if so, then why is it that men still control some of the most powerful industries, occupy most of the positions on the lists of the richest Americans, and continue to make more money than women who have similarskills and education? No doubt we have come far but are still far from equality. The many gender stereotypes that have
been created around us today have become a benchmark for both men & women to behave and appear in society and those who oppose these are often ridiculed, judged and deemedoutcastes. For example, assertive women are called “bitches” and “whores”, while men who don’t appear masculine or act manly are called “sissies” or “wimps” or assumed to be gay, which is a very Woffensive stereotype in the LGBT community (NoBullying, 2015). Further according to the primary research, Gurbani supported the sentiment by sharing an incident of her friend being bullied because he wasn’t “manly” enough. These stereotypes almost always have a negative impact and are slowly leading towards hyper feminism (more and more pink) and hyper masculinity (more and more
violence) among other things. This is also shown in the documentary “The mask you live in”,which talks about how at an early age itself boys are taught to hide emotions, be dominating, take control and never shed a tear. This often results in them being lonely and pushes them towards taking their frustrations out on their partners/friends or try and escape by the means of alcohol and drugs abuse. But the question which arises is how all this helps? We are all aware of the mass shootings in schools that happened in the USA but not all are aware of the reason behind them. Many may argue that it is because guns are easily available however here’s something to think about, guns are freely available to all yet most of these killers were men/boys, why? (Newsom, 2015).
EVIEW Fig.13: The Boy Crises In America Source: therepresentationproject.org
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On the other hand, As our girls turn eighteen they are constantly reminded, even if jokingly, about their impending marriage while boys at the same age are told not to focus on marriage and think about their studies.Such behaviour automatically makes the boys feel like the superior sex. So basically what we are teaching our children is that girls are just born to keep as a decorative item at home which is then passed on to provide sex and children to her husband. How is this called progression? Even though most of the performing arts were started and dominated by men for a long time as women were not allowed to perform yet there seems to be a major prejudice against men in the arts. Some of the best artists in the performing arts industry are men but when we see someone amongst us we often label them as gay, feminine WHY? Our top chefs are men but at home boys/men are not meant/expected to enter the kitchen because it's a girls/women's job??
Fig.14: Men do have emotions Source: icah.org
Fig.15: Women’s March 2017 Source: cookiesandsangria.com
We really need to break away from these rigid stereotypes and broaden our mindsets. These stereotypes are further barring our men/boys from participating in performing arts and be who they really are. In a study done on peer attitudes of participants in sports that were “gender specific” (e.g. ballet and football), teens aged 14–18 were found to have been strongly victimized by these stereotypical views (Hicks & Alley, 2005). Males who often participated in a “sex-inappropriate” athletic activity were perceived as more feminine than those who did not. The study also suggested that this might have lead to them participating in certain sports in order to mark their masculinity in society. And likewise away from dance, theater etc. (Hicks & Alley, 2005). Further commented in the primary research, Aveek’s point of view supported the above. As India has the largest youth population in the world (Venessa, 2016) with more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35 (Basu, 2007); by focusing on youngsters and making them question their actions and surroundings at least 50% of the population can be stirred towards making a change and over the years hopefully 100%. It’s high time we stop focusing on modifying women’s behaviour.Why should they be the ones to always settle? Why are they the ones to leave their jobs due to harassment? Why do they sit in a corner and cry as victims when it’s absolutely no fault of theirs? This needs to stop and for that we need to work towards making our boys better human beings. Image on the right - Fig.16: Dance Academy Source: picturethestories.com
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ender Fig.17: Stop objectification Source: sites.psu.edu/ragine11
Fig.18: Boys enjoying arts & crafts Source: moorelands.ca
tereotype
Gender stereotyping can be referred to the over generalization of the characteristics of a particular group based on gender (Davis, 2003). Take for instance something that we have all heard growing up, Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. It was sometime just before World War I that blue and pink became more gender specific. Until then both genders would be dressed in white and around the beginning of the 19th century the norm was quite the opposite.
In the article ‘ The History Of Pink And Blue ‘ Jo Paoletti (N.D) goes on to state that Blue was considered the more feminine color, while pink was considered a more masculine color due to its perceived power. Thus gender stereotypes are actually only what we perceive them to be. Gender based roles have existed since the beginning of mankind. However, at the time of hunters and gatherers, it was purely based on anatomy,
wherein men, who were the more physically powerful would hunt and the women would gather plants to eat (Chinchankar,2015). Apart from this gender roles also arise due to the cultural & mythological beliefs. It has been suggested by Ortner (1981, 1996) that females are viewed as closer to nature and men as closer to culture. Women are often viewed as polluting & dangerous based on their perceived connection to nature,
a lower but powerful element that culture seeks to dominate. Beliefs such as the ones in Africa, where women are not allowed to go to the forest when menstruating as it’ll spoil the ritual the plants and animals are needed for (Owens, 2002), further suppress women in society and helps validate the above saying.
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EFFECTS Gender stereotypes and roles lead to many effects both positive and negative. One of the most notable effects being stereotype threat. This refers to being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group (Steele & Aronson, 1995). In a Ted Talk about the gender roles in society, speaker Ria Chinchankar further explains, that we as humans are extremely conscious about how others perceive us and stereotype threat plays on that insecurity itself (2015). However contrary to commonly held beliefs,both genders are affected by it, which was further validated in the primary research as both Aveek and Gurbani (Annexure 1) supported that, men are often more self-conscious than females with regards to their personal dress sense and the way in which they are viewed in public (Solomon & Schopler, 1982).
While growing up, young boys are also taught to hide emotions, become dominating, take control, never shed tears and with the image that a man uses violence to solve problems. This often makes them extremely lonely (Newsom, 2015) and further explains why the suicide rate for men is twice that of females as they are so caught up in this stereotypical image that they are unable to reach out for help (Chinchankar, 2015). The desperation of young men to further prove their masculinity pushes them towards substance abuse as being “high” gives them a free pass to show emotions of any kind and break free (Newsom, 2015). As wisely said in the play Flesh, today men have become victims of their masculinity trapped in their pride (Pattnaik, 2008).
CAUSES
Fig.19: Men Do Cry Source: maudfernhout.com
Fig.20: Boys Boxing Source: flashbak.com
Aristotle once said, “ The relation of male to female is by nature a relation of superior to inferior and ruler to rule” (Borghini, 2016). The impact of this ancient Greek saying can be seen in the mindset of many till today and has been widely exploited by the media. It can be characterised as the phenomenon of the Male Gaze, wherein the women are presented as objects of male pleasure by the media (Mulvey, 1975). This phenomenon further takes its roots from the process of objectification which in turn is directly linked to power; people with more power (men) objectify people with less power (women) (Quora, N.D). The imbalance in India’s sex ratio which in 2011 was reordered as 940 females per 1000 males makes it easier for men to dominate (census2011, 2011). No doubt today men are objectified as well, however, the repercussions are quite the opposite. While women cope daily with the threat of rape, sexual assault, and the constant catcalling men just find it annoying and are afraid to be mocked at by women. Women are afraid men will kill them (LaFata, 2016). Take for example this ad campaign for a unisex shirt by American Apparel (Refer Fig.21). While looking at the man it is clear that they are trying to sell the shirt however the women’s image selling the exact same shirt seems to be telling a different story altogether. It is the women’s body that they
Image on the left Fig.21 : American Apparel Ad Campaign For A Unisex Shirt Source: trustedclothes.com
seem to be selling. This may be an old ad, however, such astonishing images taking the concept of sex sells to disturbing levels are still prevalent in the media today (TrustedClothes, 2016). Further commented in the primary research, Rishikesh and Aishwarya supported the same. These images in the media further make young boys feel that women exist for them to consume and thus they engage in casual sex and hook up to act “cool” amongst the guys (Newsom, 2015). Usually, in such instances, the sex is bad for the girls as the men hardly care if the women even orgasm. Further, they have to deal with the stigma of being called a slut after, even by the men who want them to engage in casual sex. In the Ted talk on Mythbusters: Gender and Sexuality Edition speaker Terri Conley (2016) questions the myth that women naturally dislike casual sex. This myth is based on the stereotypical image of women that they have a biological need to bond with others and thus cannot stand the practice of no strings attached. However, she further questions that men want women to hook up with them, but don’t care if they find it pleasurable and call them sluts after then how can they expect women to willingly be part of such a practice?
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Fig.22: YouTube Star Manny Gutierrez Becomes Maybelline’s First-Ever Male Ambassador. Source: allure.com
Fig.24: Casey Legler - First woman with a contract as a male model Source: fourtwonine.com
Fig.23: Anjali Lama (India’s First Transgender Model) in Amit Aggarwal | Courtesy Lakme Fashion Week Source: businessoffashion.com
Take for instance Romeo & Juliet, upon hearing about his banishment Romeo is instructed to stand up and be a man and stop acting like a women when he becomes overly emotional (Chinchankar, 2015). Such instances are prevalent in society even today and are harming our boys even more than we realize. Be it video games, that many young boys are obsessed with, especially in Asian cultures or porn that is the means of sex education for many. Both give the message that the only emotion a man shows is that of anger and aggression (Newsom, 2015). These video games tend to be so violent that the U.S army
actually trains through them. so one can only imagine the impact it has on a young boy. Furthermore young boys start to idealize the unrealistic image portrayed of men and women alike in these. On a more day to day basis, one can often hear words such as “man up”, “don’t be a pussy” yelled constantly by coaches on the field. The boys who look up to their coaches further start believing in the stereotype that men are to be strong no matter what (Newsom, 2015). Further as commented in the primary research, Archit supported the line by saying that men are expected to be strong, even if they feel weak they have
to be strong. This creates aggression or violence in them.Today even though we have crossed many barriers with Manny Gutierrez, a man being signed as the new face of Maybelline New York, Anjali Lama being the first transgender model to walk an Indian fashion runway i.e. Lakme Fashion Week 2017, many prejudices still exist. When a woman wears men’s clothing she can look cute or if she wears a suit she can look hot, but when a guy wears a dress or skirt people consider it to be weird.Why? Because our society thinks it’s degrading to be feminine (Thegoodquote, N.D).
- GJoria Steinem
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ender Stereotypes
IN erforming arts
Fig.25: Ballet Source: s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
These gender roles and stereotypes further lead to gender imbalances in the industries. and could further justify why for every 54.6 employed men, there are just 14.7 working women in India (Dasgupta, 2016). Take for example the performing arts. Kristin Lieb (2015) explains in her talk how Pop culture is teaching the wrong “lessons” about gender & sexuality that there are about twelve ways for a female to be at the top of the music industry. It starts with the “good girl”, the “girl next door”. It is where
Fig.26: Geisha Source: annaluci.deviantart.com
they all start from to have a long career in the industry. Taylor swift, Britney Spears all started from here. Next, comes the “temptress” this is where their sexuality, sexual availability becomes the more prominent factor and the songs, costumes all become about sex. After this, if one is extremely lucky they fall into the “diva” category wherein maybe just maybe people will actually talk about her accomplishments and not her body e.g. Adele. But more likely one is pushed into the
Fig.27: Actress Katharine hepburn dressed in Drag. Source: in.pinterest.com/hudsonvernon
“hot mess” category wherein the public behavior is kept under high surveillance. Thus there is more bad behavior covered than their work. Generally, people suffering from addiction fall in this category e.g. Amy Winehouse. Thus what remains common is what you look and act like and not your actual expertise. Making it difficult to have a long run in the public eye (Lieb, 2015). Further supported by the primary research (Annexure 1) when asked of the
first word on hearing the name Beyonce, almost all came up with words describing her appearance thus validating the above. Interestingly high heels have signified femininity and glamour-but were once an essential accessory exclusively for men (Kremer, 2013), similarly almost all the performing arts today are lacking male performers primarily due to the rigid gender stereotypes that have been created around us.
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allet for men
Origins of Ballet can be traced back to the 15th century where it was primarily performed by men in the Italian Renaissance courts and only later became a concert dance form in France and Russia (Coreofculture, N.D). As opposed to today’s circumstances i.e. less involvement of men in dance as they are afraid of being ridiculed, outcast, and victims of the rigid stereotypes created by us indicating that a man interested in dance is gay/feminine (Whicdn, 2017). Ballet ironically gained maximum amount of popularity in the French courts under the reign of Louis XIV in the 16th century. Being a man he started it and was extremely fond of dancing so much so that he would often perform in his own ballets as well (Bussell, 2015). In 1661, he founded the world’s first ballet schools Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy). In 1672, he made Jean-Baptiste Lully who is considered the most important composer of music for ballets de cour and instrumental to the development of the form the director of the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) from which the first professional ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet, arose. After 1830, ballet started to decline in France, however, continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, and Russia (Coreofculture, N.D).
It was during the Romantic era of the 19th century that women realised that they could dominate the art and men were pushed aside and are now only used to lift the female dancers in order to create a fairylike illusion. Ballet has long suffered from a diversity problem be it in terms of race, colour or the rigid gender roles that are prominently evident in the performances. The female dancer will usually be portrayed as fairylike waiting to be rescued and wooed by her prince dancing centre stage while on the other hand the male dancers will usually be at the back lifting and supporting them and come out as the more powerful character (Binet, 2015). While ballet has a long way to go in addressing these issues, there are plenty of dancers in the contemporary realm who are actively working towards change - Mikhail Baryshnikov (dancer, choreographer, and actor) well known for his role in Sex in the city among others has gained tremendous respect as a dancer, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp became America’s Favourite on “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 9. He was the first male contestant to identify himself as a ballet dancer, he brought the art form into the realm of mainstream television (Brooks, 2014).
Fig.28 18
Most people think of ballet as a ballerina dancing en pointe in a tutu, however male dancers are anequally important part of any ballet performance. Chase Finlay, principal dancer at the City Ballet,talks about how the athleticism and strength required to be a male ballet dancer is often underestimated (AOLOriginals, 2013). Even though the core
while women dance en pointe. But that’s a question of choreography more than technique (Quora,2002). However, Jenifer Ringer Fayette, principal dancer at the City Ballet, states that in a way it is much tougher to be a male ballet dancer and they even tend to have shorter careers as their dancing is more punishing to the body as they are either jumping or have a girl over their head
For those under the misconception that being a dancer makes a man less manly, Ballet for men is actually more difficult as they are to perform numerous lifts and leaps. As a matter of fact, the NFL football stars take ballet lessons in order to increase/maintain flexibility. Apart from flexibility Ballet also make one more agile, builds upper body & core strength and will surely
Fig.30: Louis XIV playing Apollo in Le Ballet de la Nuit Source: laphamsquarterly.org
technique of ballet is the same for both. In general, the only difference between the way a male dancer and a female dancer execute the same move will be that men dance with slightly straighter, stiffer arms and women may add more ĂŠpaulement (leaning or twisting of the torso). On stage, traditionally men are expected to perform bigger jumps and more turns,
(AOLOriginals, 2013). Contrary to the stereotypical image created of a male ballet dancer which is barring the youth from joining the art form, a male ballet dancer does not necessarily have to wear fitted tights they could be coming back from dance class or basketball practice and one would not know the difference.
help one to become a better dancer/athlete whatever be your calling (Bethany, 2016).
Fig.31: Former American football player Lynn Swann, credited some of his greatest plays to dance. ISource: ksnn.netI
Image on the right Fig.29: Mikhail Baryshnikov Source: in.pinterest.com/OakmossLover
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RAG
The term Drag is used for any clothing symbolic to a particular gender worn by the opposite gender for performance purposes (oxforddictionaries, N.D) which may include a stage or street performance, lip-syncing or live singing, dancing and stand-up comedy among others. It is a means of self-expression/exploration, a way to make a cultural statement and also done for spiritual reasons and fetishes (McCarroll, 2012). As shown in the documentary Venus Boyz, instead of being an angry man/women they tend to be a funny man/women by finding their comfort and performing fearlessly (Baur, 2002). Drag artists may be heterosexual, gay/ lesbian, bisexual, transgender, gender queer or any part of the LGBT community (McCarroll, 2012).
They work on the belief that gender is undefined and is purely what you make of it (Baur, 2002). There are two types of Drag artist Drag Kings and Drag Queens. The article " Put a sock in it all rise for the UK'S Drag Kings," in The Guardian, talks about how Drag Queens have been on the mainstream radar for years, from Lily Savage in the 90s to the more recent RuPaul’s Drag Race. Contrary to this the Drag Kings have not been able to get this kind of recognition yet (Stephenson, 2016) and it was only in the mid-1990s that Drag Kings started to gain some fame & attention (McCarroll, 2012). Drag Queens are usually men who dress in Drag and often act in exaggerated femininity,
some impersonate celebrities while some create their own personality. They tend to be associated as gay, however, there are artists of all sexualities and gender (McCarroll, 2012). According to ‘Life’s A Drag’ - a short documentary on Drag Queens, James, a Psychology graduate talks about how Drag Queens arose in roman times and could be prominently seen during early theatre as women at that time were not allowed to perform on stage thus cross-dressing at that time was quite common (Lynn, 2016). As a matter of fact, many of the first Juliet’s in the famous Shakespeare plays were men/boys (McCarroll, 2012).
Fig.32 22
Drag was also actively a part of world war I and II. However, during WWI it was seen as a morale booster and enjoyed. However, sometime between WWI and WWII it began to be associated with homosexuality and as a result was despised (Lynn, 2016). Contrary to this Drag Queens today have created a name for themselves and are extremely popular. Reality TV shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race have further helped popularize and create awareness and acceptance of the same. So much so that American Apparel SS’13 collection of t-shirts enlisted previous RuPaul Drag Race contestants, Alaska, Courtney Act and Willam Belli as brand ambassadors, models and muses (CLIFF, 2014). As evidently showcased in an episode of the reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race dressing as a drag queen is not simple. Apart from the extensive visualising and conceptualising of their looks, some even stitch their own dresses and the makeup to achieve high cheekbones, a slimmer face and a smaller structured nose are an even more strenuous procedure (2009).
Drag Kings, on the other hand, are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag by hiding their breasts and adding an illusion of male genitalia & mitigate feminine features to personify male gender stereotypes by appearing more masculine (McCarroll, 2012). Like the queens, drag kings can be traced back to early theatre & Opera roles, some popular artists being Annie Hindle (USA, NY 1867) who was the first popular male impersonator in U.S. theater and Vesta Tilley (Britain, late 19th & early 20th century) amongst others (Ferris, 1993). They are often considered as a phenomenon of lesbian culture as are most often seen performing at lesbian bars or festivals however they may be of any sexuality/gender. Mady G. in the documentary “Drag King” shows one the extremely strenuous /painful procedure it takes to dress as a drag king. She further talks about how generally, duct tapes/ace bandages are used to flatten the chest.
However, in case the performance requires chest to be shown then using a medical tape the breast tissues are pulled to the side and are taped to the back, It’s an extremely painful procedure and often causes the skin to rip off while talking off. The alternative option to this would be Binders - compressor vests which tend to be less painful but more expensive and thus become a luxury only a few can afford. The makeup generally focuses on strengthening brows & jaw line, making the chin & cheekbones more angled, forehead - bigger & nose- sharper (Churchill, 2015). The kings are less flamboyant as compared to the queens and generally form troupes or performance groups however now more and more are moving away from troupe stereotype and performing individualy. Even today the Kings continue to seek recognition and often tend to be overshadowed by the Queens. Image on the right Fig.33: Poster for RuPaul’s Drag Race Source: bustle.com
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EISHA
Looking back to Shakespearen times, women were barred from universities as they were seen as a distraction to men. As a result, women would get less qualified jobs with lesser pay. This over time shattered their self - confidence and lead them to believe that they themselves are not as capable as men (Chinchankar, 2015). An example of this can be seen in Japan. Japan was a fairly equitable matriarchal society until Confucian ideas trickled in from China. These ideas defined Japanese society up until the end of World War II which marked a prominent shift in the thinking of gender roles. The war further sharply divided gender roles, much to the despise of the women. It had now become the patriotic duty of women to have children and look after the household, they were constantly encouraged to be married to the nation. It was even worse for the underprivileged who would be shipped out by the government in order to sexually service the military men and were called “comfort women”. Contrary to this, woman back home were expected to remain chaste. Subsequently, in modern day Japan even though the American influence has changed the thinking of many with more and more women starting careers and both genders delaying marriages as the stigma of being single is slowly diminishing, gender discrimination is still quite prevalent (Kincaid, 2013).
Take for instance the Geisha - one of the most renowned yet misconceived art form of Japan. The geisha are primarily female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various art forms such as classical music and dance, they further engage their customers that are mainly men with games and conversation (Eliza, 2008). They are often mistaken for prostitutes by foreigners, however one can easily identify between the two. For instance the Geisha tie their obi belt at the back and have simpler hairdos while the prostitutes tie it in front as they would idly have to open it time and again and have fancier hairdos with alot of ornaments and most importantly the Geisha do not offer sex (Eliza, 2008). Reid Carawan, US army Japan 1945, recalls in the documentary “The Secret Life of Geisha” written by Clive Maltby, how many prostitutes started referring to themselves as Geisha as it was easier for the Americans to understand. This may be traced back as the root for the misconception that has haunted the Geisha for centuries.
Image on the left - Fig.34: Geisha tea house Source: yarodom.livejournal.com
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As per Laura Miller, a leading professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis the original geisha were actually only men and were referred to as Taikomochi. The male geisha can be traced back to the 13th century when jesters advised feudal lords on practical matters and entertained the court with various artistic performances. Their roles gradually changed over the years, until finally, the job description of a geisha or ‘arts person’ was that of a comedian. It was only in 1751 that the female geisha made their first appearance and were referred to as Geiko, or ‘arts child’. Their popularity grew so quickly that it took less than 25 years for the Geiko to outnumber their male counterparts (Presser, 2015). As a result, there are only a handful of Taikomochi left in the country today who dress in men’s kimono and usually perform as drummers and singers along with the female Geisha.Infact, Eitaro is Japan’s only male geisha who performs the role of a female dancer today (DailyMail, 2012). The Geisha live in a world where refinement and grace are everything, yet love is sworn as just an illusion. When entering the sisterhood of the Geisha they make a conscious decision never to marry and dedicate their lives to making themselves look like art. Locked away from the public eye the Geisha are a luxury available only to a selected elite.
As further highlighted in the documentary “The Secret Life of Geisha” written by Clive Maltby, to train as a Geisha is an extremely long, strenuous and expensive process costing no less than 500,000 US dollars. On the top is a Geisha mother who funds their training, precious kimonos and provides them with a place to stay. In return, the Geisha pay back through the earnings of their performances. However, in earlier times, somewhat around the 30’s, unlike today the girls joined the Geisha houses, not by choice. The Geisha mother would virtually own her girls and they would constantly live in her debt. She would then much to the dismay of the girls auction their virginity to the highest bidder in order to earn back her investment. The training generally spans over 5 years where the girls are made to excel in dance, music, literature and etiquettes so as to help them have intellectual conversations and keep their clients engaged. All apprentices shadow an elder sister who guides them at each step and teaches them the centuriesold skills needed by one to succeed. Behind the painted faces and delicate smiles is a difficult and intricate way of life. Traditionally the geisha are wrapped in silk finery (Maltby, 1999).
Their Kimonos which change colour based on rank and season (aikohime, 2006) are indeed one of their most prized possession each costing around 10,000 USD. It is said that the geisha are most afraid of fire because if there kimono’s are ruined they would be bankrupt. Their kimono collections are built over the years and the top geisha are said to own around two dozen kimonos. As the kimonos’ restrict movement the geishas are made to learn how to walk all over again. Liza Dalby, the first and last westerner ever to become a Geisha recalls in the documentary “The secret lives of Geisha’ what it was actually like learning a whole new body language. They wear high raised stilt - like wooden sandals so as to make it easier to walk and also so that the kimonos don’t touch the floor. Their faces are painted pale white and only a little region behind the neck is left so as to create a sensual illusion. The hairdo also takes up allot of time and thus the geisha only wash their hair once a week and throughout the week sleep on a wooden block to keep the hair in place (aikohime,2006).
Fig.36: Geisha Source: nomadiclights.com
Fig.35: Eitaro - Japan’s only male Geisha Source: noticias.r7.com 28
In a predominantly patriarchal society such as Japan (Presser, 2015), men rarely socialize with their wives as they are expected to be at home and look after the house and children. This is where the Geisha come in. Visiting the geisha houses is a way for the men to unwind and relax and astonishingly wives take great pride in this practice. The men feel comfortable in telling the geisha anything as they are sworn to their secrecy so much so that after 250 years of shogun rule when a group of samurai came together plotting to overrule, they would hold meetings at the geisha tea houses as they needed places where they were guaranteed discretion. With the help of the Geisha, the samurai defeated the ruling shogun. This resulted in being highly beneficial to the Geisha as when they won and took over the Geisha ended up being allies to the strongest people. Like any other the Geisha have had their highs and lows. During the 20’s with increasing influence of western culture and widespread popularity of Jazz music, survival of the Geisha was immensely threatened. However by 1926 nationalism was at an all - time high in Japan as westerners were regarded as corrupt and the Geisha began to symbolise the very best of Japanese culture and by the 30’s they hit an all time high.
Image on right Fig.37: Geisha Source: iheartalice.com
However during the war in the 40’s with Japans demising resources the Geisha house closed with all focus towards joining the war effort. The Geisha have also long suffered in the hands of the media and haven’t kept far from scandals as well (Maltby, 1999). Keith Morrison further reports that after the release of the book “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden that much to the dismay of many, portrayed the Geisha as prostitutes, many parents in modern day Japan are reluctant to allow their girls to join the Geisha.The Geisha, which were once symbolic of being exotic, sensuous and exquisitely mysterious, whose seductive grace fascinated and confounded outsiders for centuries (geishaworld.wikia, 2014) are now entering a realm of extinction and are slowly losing their charm in modern day Japan. Youngsters now would rather go to karaoke bars than spend lavishly at the Geisha tea houses. Also, the strenuous training further keeps the youngsters away.
Earlier, one of the most private Japanese tradition the Geisha were a rare sighting and could only be seen during the cherry blossom festival, unlike today, where they have become highly commercial for the sole purpose of attracting tourist and have lost their old world charm (Maltby, 1999). It is quite puzzling how in a culture where on one hand men are expected to be well rounded, unlike their “macho” European counterparts (Kincaid, 2013) and on the other hand the Geisha women that have become emblems of history and sensuality and are the only profession in Japan solely ruled by women (Maltby, 1999). Yet their numbers in modern day Japan are dwindling with fewer members to keep the age - old secrets alive.
Fig.38: Geisha tea house Source: yarodom.livejournal.com
Fig.39: Geisha neck paint Source: in.pinterest.com/ennydear
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The significance of this report is the online research done to meet the following research objectives – 1. Gender stereotypes • Causes • Effects
ESEARCH
2. Gender Stereotypes In Performing Arts • Ballet For Men • Drag • Geisha The primary data was collected in order to find out, the mindset of the youngsters today in India. The data was collected within the month of January 2017 through quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative Method A questionnaire was circulated to analyze the above mentioned research objectives. The survey was voluntary and anonymous and the sample selection was random. Sample Size: 137 Male: 68 Female: 68 other: 1 Sample Unit: 18-25 years
ETHODOLOGY
Qualitative Method A focus group discussion was held amongst students from various fields. The discussion was on the prevailing gender stereotypes and how they as a generation perceive them. Group Size: 6 Male: 3 Female: 3 Sample Unit: 20-21 years Secondary data was collected from various sources for which the library at Pearl Academy, New Delhi was visited where research papers, articles and books were referred to. Apart from this a few live performances including a play, dance festival, as well as a Drag King show were also viewed and referred.
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indings
AND
Fig.40: Stereotypes Source: Shutterstock
The research done on gender stereotypes through quantitative and qualitative methods demonstrated the following results. Movies seem to be a major influencer for the target audience who are gradually moving away from the traditional art forms such as plays, musicals etc. Be it the unrealistic action scenes from Tamil movies or the infamous WWF, all seem to be creating this unattainable macho image boys are expected to have.
NALYSIS
Even though we as a generation have become more open minded, somewhere still we are victims of gender stereotypes. We still find it odd if a boy cries. The only words that come to our mind when talking about a female artist at the top of her career are the ones constantly used by the mass media to describe her - sexy, hot, beautiful and nothing about her talent. While some feel that it is our parents that help shape our mindset for others it’s their friends and peer group. Society seems to have over generalised things for men wherein a guy alone in a class with 30 girls is expected to have dated at least one or else questioned about his sexuality. This further creates problems in society and leads to an imbalance.The peer pressure seems to be much more for boys who seem to be less accepting but on the other hand are the ones to be slammed the most when it comes to moving away from gender roles. Even when it comes to clothing women can wear anything but if a guy dresses the least bit feminine he is labeled as gay. Over the years we have brought up our children making them believe that it is much “cooler� for a boy to let his grudge out then emotion, violence is the only way to solve problems. On the other hand, girls would think 10 times before picking up their hand or for that matter stand up for themselves, they are always taught to be dependent on others. (Refer Annexure 1 )
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ONCLUSION
AND ECOMMENDATIONS
Fig.41: London Marathon runner Kiran Gandhi ran the marathon “freebleeding.” Source: alessandradarrell.wordpress.com
Fig.42: Sexist advertisement Source: americanstudiesmediacultureprogram.wordpress.com
The study has come to the conclusion that even though we have become more receptive towards breaking away from the rigid gender stereotypes we still have a long way to go. Somewhere still as highlighted by Gurbani and Rishikesh in the group discussion carried out by the researcher we still find it weird, alarming if a guy cries. On the other hand, Kiran Gandhi who ran the London marathon while bleeding freely, staining her running pants, rejecting her and societies stigma, further questions in her interview with ID magazines Adwoa Aboah how awful it is that we cannot freely talk about our own menstruation, sexuality and masturbations. At a young age itself we teach our girls that their only value is derived from their looks, so we love breasts, makeup, big booty but menstruation NO, we do not talk about that because it is not for the sexual pleasure for men, it’s not a turn on (2016)! We from our childhood itself unknowingly begin connecting specific characteristics to certain genders. Everything from children’s toys to snack packages have brainwashed us completely and have succeeded
Fig.43: Time magazine 2014 Source: wamc.org
in creating gender stereotypical terms that consciously or subconsciously affect us on a daily basis. At the end of this chain reaction is gender inequality, because indirectly and directly gender inequality is a result of gender norms and stereotypes. For example, the reason only six women made it to the Forbes most powerful 2016 list (Timesofindia, 2016) or the lack of men/boys in the performing arts is a result of centuries and centuries of built up expectations and assumptions as to how men and women should behave (Naira, 2016). No doubt it will take a long time to vanish completely, nevertheless, each one of us can work towards making a change in our own way and capacity. With India’s fertility rate which used to be 3.8 in 1990 and has fallen to 2.9 and is expected to fall further, more women are expected to join the workforce. Further fliping the bread-winner ratio and empowering women (Basu, 2007).
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We as the future can be the ones to change and establish new norms. The researcher recommends the following to initiate the same • CHANGE MINDSET View both genders as people and not boys or girls. Teach your children i.e. the coming generation to be more accepting by letting them choose their own path. If a boy wants to play with dolls or join the Ballet then so be it. Teach your boys to respect all and not just someone because of their gender. Give your boys the confidence and reassurance to express themselves and their emotions freely and give your girls the power to be independent and stand up for themselves. Get your boys involved in the house chores etc by doing just that you are raising them to break gender stereotypes.
• QUESTION THINGS HAPPENING AROUND YOU Do not accept men or women around you confirming to outdated ideals? Question it, stand up for what you feel is wrong. Be it some snarky customer care official or even your boss for that matter stand up for yourself do not let anyone treat you differently because of your gender or any other factor. Take, for instance, a 7 -year- old found it extremely unacceptable how the Lego kits lacked any smart female toys. So she sent a hand written letter to the company questioning the same. Lego thereafter came up with a new kit with female scientists (Zarrell, 2014). So if this little girl can make the slightest change so can we.
• CHANGE YOUR OWN ACTIONS We need to stop thinking about what others will say and start living for ourselves, don’t be afraid to be who you are because life is short, live it to the fullest so there will be no regrets. Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and take a stand because we came alone in this world and are going to leave alone so we cannot and should not be dependent on others. If you’re a man who always wanted to dance or a woman who likes to dress in drag go ahead and do it.
Only when we succeed in establishing these norms in our fight against gender stereotypes and norms, will our society reach complete gender equality.
Fig.45: Columbus Dance Theatre Source: columbusdancetheatre.wordpress.com Image on left Fig.44: Women’s March Source: blog.peteradamsphoto.com
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NO SHAME
Fig 46 - 55
It’s time we all move away from society’s rigid job descriptions set for us and stand up for what is right. A woman’s ‘Job’ is definitely not only to look after the house, while a man’s ‘job’ is not just to earn and provide. Traces of this backward mindset can be seen in the quaint Geisha houses. In Japan, like anywhere across the globe women are expected to look after their houses, while the men go out and socialize, to unwind and relax. Women work equally hard if not more, do they not deserve to be entertained as well?We need to start getting our boys more involved in the house chores and stop making them feel superior and help them positively embrace their masculinity. By doing just that we are raising them to break gender stereotypes. 42
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all men can
Fig 56 - 64
Even though most of the performing arts were started and dominated by men for a long time, as earlier women were not allowed to perform yet now there seems to be a major prejudice against men in the arts. Some of the best artists in the performing arts industry are men but when we see s omeone amongst us we often label them as gay, feminine WHY? For those under the misconception that being a dancer makes one less manly, Ballet for men is actually more difficult as they are to perform numerous lifts and leaps. 54
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HEIL EQUALITY
Do not accept men or women around you confirming to outdated ideals? Question it, stand up for what you feel is wrong. Women have been oppressed for centuries, be it being banned from entering the workforce or being treated like sex objects, but not anymore. No doubt we have come a long way but are still far away from equality. Even today, to every 4 men there is only 1 women in the Indian workforce. It’s high time we stand united against those being a menace to society and fuelling the prominent misbalance existing solely due to the prevalent gender stereotypes because it is only then that we can even think of achieving gender equality.
Fig.65 - 68 66
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Triumph Over Trump
Fig. 69 - 72 72
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IST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Page 10 Fig 18: http://www.moorelands.ca/moorelands-messages-july-23-2015/boys-arts-and-crafts/ Page 11-12 Fig 19: http://www.maudfernhout.com/what-real-men-cry-like Fig 20: http://flashbak.com/boys-boxing-in-british-schools-1950s-when-the-noble-art-was-a-force-for-good-45141/ Fig 21; https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/05/19/objectification-in-the-fashion-world/ Page 13 Fig 22: http://www.allure.com/story/manny-gutierrez-first-male-maybelline-new-york-spokesperson Fig 23: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/global-currents/transgender-movement-inspires-indian-fashion Page 14 Fig 24: http://fourtwonine.com/2013/05/15/2146-androgynous-models-and-gender-non-conformists-in-fashion/
Fig 1: https://in.pinterest.com/gaspar0779/gender-roles-stereotypes/ Fig 2: http://veritepublished.com/tag/womens-march-la/ List Of Contents Fig 3: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/les-danseurs-matthew-brookes_us_55df1506e4b029b3f1b1b346 Fig 4: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5208679/order-bars-in-ggplot2-bar-graph Fig 5: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Igualtat_de_sexes.svg Fig 6: http://aplus.com/a/still-a-boy-girl-photos-martine-zoer?no_monetization=true Fig 7: https://in.pinterest.com/ennydear/geishas/ Fig 8: http://succedeanuoro.emioweb.it/agendati/novita-assoluta-in-sardegna-con-il-kollettivo-drag-king.html Fig 9: https://georgegillett.com/2014/10/02/gender-equality-isnt-enough-the-very-concept-of-gender-is-the-enemy-of-liberation/
Page 16 Fig 25: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/01/bb/d9/01bbd951c08f1ae43cf8d2b5165279ff.jpg Fig 26: http://annaluci.deviantart.com/art/Geisha-583660815 Fig 27: https://in.pinterest.com/hudsonvernon/in-drag/ Page 17 Fig 28: https://in.pinterest.com/giuliam81/charismatic-dancers/ Page 19 Fig 29: https://in.pinterest.com/OakmossLover/mikhail-baryshnikov/ Page 20 Fig 30: http://laphamsquarterly.org/celebrity/art/celebrity-louis-xiv-playing-apollo Fig 31: https://ksnn.net/benefits-of-ballet-for-young-boys/
Page 1 Fig 10: http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/08/willow-and-jaden-smiths-interview-magazine-cover-story.html
Page 21 Fig 32: http://more-sky.com/WDF-479560.html/ladygaga/singers-crossdressing/
Page 3 Fig 11: http://www.balletnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/pointe-football-072.jpg
Page 23-24 Fig 33: https://www.bustle.com/articles/9750-occidental-colleges-rupauls-drag-race-course-is-just-what-the-worlds-been-missing
Page 5-6 Fig 12: http://www.newsmov.org/equal-pay-protest-2015.html Fig13: http://therepresentationproject.org/
Page 25 Fig 34: http://yarodom.livejournal.com/571830.html
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Page 27 Fig 35: http://noticias.r7.com/esquisitices/fotos/conheca-o-unico-homem-gueixa-do-mundo-06122012#!/foto/1 Page 28 Fig 36: http://nomadiclights.com/japan/ Page 29 Fig 37: http://iheartalice.com/kyoto-japan-travel-diary/ Page 30 Fig 38: http://yarodom.livejournal.com/571830.html Fig 39: https://in.pinterest.com/ennydear/geishas/ Page 34 Fig 40: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/victim-mouth-related-95556718?src=pp-photo-46365940-4&ws=1 Page 36 Fig 41: https://alessandradarrell.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/women-see-red-as-tampons-continue-to-be-taxed-as-a-luxury-item/ Fig 42: https://americanstudiesmediacultureprogram.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/why-im-not-waiting-for-my-happy-ever-after/ Fig 43: http://wamc.org/post/who-runs-world-time-magazine-says-beyonce Page 37 Fig 44: http://blog.peteradamsphoto.com/womens-march-on-ventura/ Page 38 Fig 45: https://columbusdancetheatre.wordpress.com/the-school-of-columbus-dance-theatre/boys-scholarship-program/ Page 43-76 Fig 46-72: Authors Own Page 43-76 Authors Own ANNUXURE Page 85- 89 Fig 73- 82: Authors Own Page 92 Fig 83: http://fourtwonine.com/2013/05/15/2146-androgynous-models-and-gender-non-conformists-in-fashion/ Fig 84: http://www.allure.com/story/manny-gutierrez-first-male-maybelline-new-york-spokesperson Page 94 Fig 85: https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/05/19/objectification-in-the-fashion-world/ Page 96 Fig 86: http://blush.com.pk/gender-imposition-on-kids-are-we-taking-it-a-step-too-far/
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1. Research Objective - Lifestyle Evaluation In order to evaluate how the target audience consumes pop culture which is a major influencer of their views today. Q. On a free day would you rather o Watch A Movie o See A Musical o Attend A Festival o Watch A Play o Do Nothing
NNEXURE
Q. On a free day would you rather Watch a movie
See a musical
Watch a play
Do nothing
4.4%
Attend a festival
10.9% 52.6%
20.4% 11.7%
ANALYSIS Watching a movie was the most popular choice amongst the respondents to spend their free time while watching a play was their least favourite. Further highlighting the lack of interest in the performing arts.
Q. How would you say you consume popular culture the most? 1 being the max and 5 min. o Music o Movies o Social Media o Magazines o TV shows
Quantitative Method
Q. What is your gender? Male
A questionnaire was framed for this purpose and distributed amongst 137 students from various fields. The target audience were male and female that fall in the age group of 18-25.
Female
Other
49%
49%
The result of the questionnaire in relation with research objectives were as follows.
Q. What would be your stream of education? Arts
Commerce
7.3% 20.4%
ANALYSIS From the above findings it is concluded that majority of the respondents claim to consume pop culture through movies and the least through music.
Science
31.4%
Other
2. Research Objective - Male Stereotypes Q. Which of the two images would you find more “manly”? o Dancer o Businessman o Both ANALYSIS From the above figures it is concluded that 80 out of 137 (58.4%) respondents consider both images as “manly”. However a considerable number i.e. 44 out of 137 (32.1%) consider the businessman to be manlier.
Q. Which out of the two images would you consider more "manly"? Dancer
Businessman
Both
9.5% 32.1% 58.4%
40.9%
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Q. Why do you think there is a shortage of male students in any of the performing arts? o Lack of interest o Scared to be mocked o Lack of acceptance from society, friends and family o All of the above o other ANALYSIS From the above statistics it is clear that lack of interest, the fear of being mocked, lack of acceptance from society, friends and family are barring majority of the young boys from the performing arts.
Q. Why do you think there is a shortage of male students in any of the performing arts? Lack of interest
Scared to be mocked
Lack of acceptance from society, friends and family
All of the above
Q. For any given adaptation would you rather o Watch the play o Read the book o Watch the movie
13.1% 27.7%
Q. If given an option how would you prefer to watch a performance?
59.1%
Q.How aware are you of the cultural events happening around you? Extreamly
Moderatly
13.1%
ANALYSIS 99 out of the 137 respondents (72.3%) are only moderately aware of the cultural events around them. Further highlighting the lack of interest of the same.
Watch the movie
24.1%
Q. If given an option how would you prefer to watch a performance?
o Live o Online
3. Research Objective - Consumption of performing arts Q. How aware are you of the cultural events happening around you? o Extremely o Moderately o Not at all
Read the book
The above statistics further highlights the obsession with films amongst the respondents as it seems to be the most popular choice with 81 out of 137 (59.1%) respondents choosing it over a book or play.
10.9% 47.4%
Watch the play
16.8%
ANALYSIS
Other
Q. For any given adaptation, would you rather
Not at all
14.6%
ANALYSIS The above findings validate the fact that even today when everything is available online almost immediately the respondents still prefer watching a performance lie than online.
Live
Online
23.4%
76.6%
72.3%
Q. In which of the following forms would you prefer watching a cultural program? o Reality Tv o Musical o Film o None o Other ANALYSIS From the above statistics it is clear that majority (46.7%) of the respondents would only see a cultural program if shown in the form of a film and would not go any were next to a musical (19.7% respondents).
Q. In which of the following forms would you prefer watching a cultural program? Reality Tv
Musical 8%
46.7%
Film
None
Other
19.7%
21.9%
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Qualitative Method
Protector caretaker - that's how the ego factor starts.
A focus group discussion was held with 6 students, 3 male and 3 female from different feilds between the age of 20-21.
By the age of 20 and all grown up e.g. you're a straight guy who has been surrounded by all this ego issues and all and when you have discussions in class and someone's against you and your ego is hurt you go to no lengths to insult that person. see this mainly after the age of 13 when the actual peer pressure happens, building blocks for all this egoistic activity and getting into brawls and insulting people just because your ego is hurt.
The main aim was to analyze the thought process of the target audince and their awareness about the prevailng gender stereotypes. The questions were asked keeping this in mind and they were shown images as well as a clipping.
Q. Which Words Do You Think Describe & ? o Self Confident o Strong o Nurturing o Submissive o Rebellious o Independent o Clumsy o Sexually – Aggressive o Sensitive o Boss o Aggressive o Innocent o Dancer o Weak o Non – Emotional o Athletic
Arushi Shrivastava: Agrees with Rishikesh on WWF Men are supposed to be violent The whole society is at fault. Subconsciously at some level they know what's happening.
Aveek Mitra: Depends on our parents also, that's how we have been brought up being taught that if you're a boy you should get into athletics should get into sports. As a child never interested in sports. Cricked was the only sport that was interested in that also a very casual thing like did not have anything to do so go play and chill. Never liked it that much, friends would go crazy, its afternoon lets go and play cricket or football. But he enjoyed the moment, situation never enjoyed sports. But in that way his parents were quite liberal. however there has also been to some extinct some peer pressure some pressure specially from his dad constantly told him you're a boy and you're not playing anything? Tried so many times, put him in a cricket club, volleyball club but nothing really worked out because it was something that he did not like. And that’s how started lacking in his confidence because that’s how you’ve been told that that if you’re not involved in anything athletic then you’re not really a boy you’re not really a man and then how will you grow up to be one? That’s how it creates a dilemma in your mind and it’s just ridiculous, how can you just put a certain thought or inhibition that you have to do this otherwise you’re not a man. There are certain things for example he has seen boys excluding him, was never interested in playing with dolls but they were some cousins that were slammed by their own parents like you’re a boys how can you play with dolls. Think about it at the age of 4-5 they are slammed just because their playing with dolls. He was never interested in playing with dolls was really fascinated with cars and use to have these small small superman and batman. But feels that its completely ridiculous about the whole point of putting some inhibitions.
Q. Discuss the trailer of the documentary “The mask you live in”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc45-ptHMxo Points of discussion o How You See It In Your Daily Life o Are You A Victim Of The Same o Girls Give Example How They Face Similar And How They See It Happening With Siblings Friends Etc o How To Stop o Why According To You
Definitely society is at fault when we are talking about the whole impact as a child, definitely the society is liable to it. But as a child at least till the age of 10 or 12 parents are the closet proximity you have in your life. So even if the impact comes from society parents are more responsible to make their kids rid of it.
Rishikesh Maskar: Since a child never really got a chance to interact with girls as always in an all boys school. When in a boys school everyone involved in sports or things that give you a feel of adventure like running and if you get angry then it just ends up into physical fights. There’s nothing like sitting and sorting things out, it’s just I’m angry I’m going to bash you up. As a child one subjected to just one kind of thing, everyone doing the same thing creates an impact that boys are suppose to be that. Look at your seniors in school, always look up to them talk to them when need direction and they too do the same. when you’re in 1st standard you look at someone in 3rd or 4th standard and think that doing the cools stuff. Maybe if I beat someone up like that I’ll be cool. There were things like WWF that were extremely famous so people would try choke slam (Arushi agrees) and that created an impact that men are suppose to be violent ,aggressive and there’s nothing like sitting and talking and sorting it out but just go for it beat them up.
Archit Tayal: Feels that it is not limited to our parents what we have been told in our childhood. The boys are also influenced by the movies for example if we see Tamil movies we see those actors that they smash one guy and they guy goes flying and Salman Khan movies so in our childhood boys get influenced by such movies. Moreover if we see the peer pressure, the friends they also push their friends to go and their supposed to be strong suppose to be violent. If two boys are fighting and one guy goes to the other person and says something bad the peer pressure tells the other guy that why he is even listening to all this and should go back and reply or get into a fight or something like that.
Parents should make more effort to make them get rid of the entire thing. When parents tell boys that they are caretaker protector of the family. That’s how it grows a little amount of superiority.
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Parents always tell the boys that you're the caretaker of the family you need to support the family , take care of your sister even if the boy is younger. you're the protector, caretaker of the family. This basically pushes the guy to develop the anger or violence. He has to be strong even if he feels weak he has to be strong. That creates the aggression or violence.
Gurbani Anand: Has a friend of hers who was always interested in arts, would always paint and more than the parents it was his school, he was bullied people use to tear his stuff. All the boys who were more involved in sports would beat him up would bully him. So obviously his confidence level fell down drastically. Even though parents were at home but most of the time you are in school. You're seeing what the other students are doing you see that I'm not interested in something and the other are so you obviously feels that your lacking something. So he felt that he's different and what wrong with me ? He would go back home and how much can the parents even help even they started to feel that theirs something wrong with the child, shy is he not responding like the other kids do? as a society everyone is equally at fault. If our friends are bullying someone we never stop it we always are a part of it. It's never like well be like okay stop its wrong. At that moment everyone enjoys it. Even the movies are at fault we guys are at fault, school, teachers, parents everyone is equally at fault. Disagrees with Aveek for blaming parents - Feels that most of the time your with your friend in school spend more than half your day at school your home for like 4 hrs out of which 2-3 hrs you would sit with your parents then you'll watch a movie go to the park again it's the same cycle.
By the time change that change actually comes its ...... Can only change a certain percentage of the society . There is still a very large section that is still very backward and would still have that thinking. If crying in a group, crying out socially you would console a girl. Honestly very rare chance that have ever seen a guy going up to a guy and consoling him (Aishwarya agrees) Also if a guy cries people feel something really major, you never feel like a small thing will effect a guy. You feel that there’s something super super major that has gone wrong. It is a very different reaction never same reaction towards both of them. You feel that there is always a little bit of difference in everyone’s back of the mind.
Rishikesh Maskar: Also if a guy cries people feel something really wrong
Q. Your Views? How Would You React To Someone Like This In Your Daily Life?
The home anger is taken out in school and the school frustration is taken at home.
Aishwarya Narula: Agrees with Gurbani on friends being major influencers. Boys as children are always told to keep their emotions to themselves, don't cry , don't be a girl. So when they go to school they need to bring out their emotions so do sports, bully each other, fight to bring out their aggression.
Q. If your male friend is crying, is upset or has picked up a fight. How would you react to that? What would be your reaction when you see it one on one?
Fig.83: Casey Legler - First woman with a contract as a male Ford Model Source: fourtwonine.com
Aveek Mitra: Would never say that you should not cry because you are a boy. Crying is something that person is letting his emotions out so everyone has the right to cry. So would never ever say that boys should not cry. It is there(boys dont cry) in the back of your mind but the situation is changing. change always takes time, gradual. Would be in a neutral okay for both girl or guy to cry. Never put the motion of that being a girl or boy so donnot cry (Arushi agrees)
Gurbani Anand: Feels that If today we are sitting in a group and a guy starts to cry somewhere deep down every single person in that group even if they say it out load or inside will be like why his he crying? He should be strong! he's a boy. I f a girl reacts in the same way you would go console her. You would never go up to a guy and be like oh okay stop crying, why are you crying (Aishwarya agrees) you would always do that to a girl. So somewhere deep down you say it or not everybody has that thing.
Fig.84: YouTube Star Manny Gutierrez Becomes Maybelline’s First-Ever Male Ambassador. Source: allure.com
Gurbani Anand: Has a friend who carries makeup off and she feels that he carries it off better then allot of girls who would do it. And Manny Gutierrez the face of Maybelline is caring it out really well, so why not? There are so many stars that put makeup on for their movies so if a boy wants to apply makeup it’s a personal choice. So if a boy wants to apply makeup on his face it’s a personal choice you cannot be like he cannot do it because he’s a boy. Nowadays so many boys get their eyebrows, waxing done so many hair removal things . So feels it’s perfectly okay and I have seen it around me two of my guy friends who would apply makeup. Personal choice and nothing to do with society. Whatever you do it is for yourself. Initial reaction... but eventually grows on you. The more you stop it the more the person would want to do. So should give them the free thing to do whatever they want to do. So once you stop it, like for my friends when his parents were like oh you cannot do this you cannot do that he shifted to Paris because there is so much freedom there he’s living his life. So the more you stop it the more at one point it’ll break out in the wrong way.
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Once you start excepting it the whole concept of it being starts stopped goes away. We all would be okay, that's how it adds to the society if one is okay allot of people would start to accept.
Aveek Mitra: For boys its more "cooler" to letting your grudge out then letting your emotions out. Holding on to emotions frustrations leads you to certain extent that you cant even keep it in you and the explosion happens at maximum levels.
Arushi Shrivastava: Feels that it is all right. Hasn't had like a brother or a friend that does that. Maybe for once would be taken aback but then it's okay. Eventually it's okay it's his choice. Use to seeing him in a certain way then suddenly totally different. Will genuinely accept it and not because a brother or friend.
Aveek Mitra: Initially shocked because you might have not seen that before.
Rishikesh Maskar: The anger is build up to such an extent that it explodes and the shootings were just another level of explosion. For e.g. Orlando shootings, this guy was supposedly gay and he went to the same club twice or thrice he talked to a few guys like there were reports and not completely sure what the whole back story is but thinks that it was about this whole societies anger and frustration that he just channeled through all these shootings that happened(Gurbani Agrees).
Archit Tayal: Believes that all this is related to when you do not let out your feelings. If you control your feelings that becomes your frustration and that frustration is actually coming out by shooting and all.
A choice. If I want to put makeup. Boys are really self concerned these days get eyebrows, everything done. Depends on what makes you happy.
Q. Anything Wrong Or Odd With This American Apparels Ad For A Unisex Shirt?
You can never stop it.
Rishikesh Maskar: Impressive how the two (image) are breaking the gender norms. To accept you need to understand it so once you understand what the person is going threw not going through the person is built that way. You cannot stop people from judging. It's like a human nature.
Aishwarya Narula: Also like with us, we are the new generation if would see her brother putting makeup I would not mind but my parents would (Gurbani agrees).But I feel like as an individual whatever my brother/friend wants to do should do. They should not think about the society. We do not think about the society why should they?
Fig.85 American Apparel Ad Campaign For A Unisex Shirt Source: trustedclothes.com
Q. Majority of the US shooting have been by boys/men, why? Gurbani Anand: Feels that somewhere they have been trained like this, a girl would think 10 times before she pikes up her hand anywhere in public and she feels that the boys have got that liberty to do something. So they feel like if they have done it it's okay, it's perfectly okay, I'm a boy I can do it its cool. Its accepted in the society.
Rishikesh Maskar: If asked him the same 5 years ago would have felt this is okay because what he feels.. then he would have thought that women are portrayed this way but then after studying and after learning allot of things he would say that the women is highly sexualized(Aishwarya agrees) whereas the man is literally plain flat deflated. Just objectifying the lady. Pretty sure that the women’s shirt would have been sold more than the mans. Basically objectifying.
Further agreeing with Rishikesh's point on shootings - Has a gay friend too and she feels that he deep down when he comes back to Delhi he is so frustrated that it so many times comes out in a wrong way like we would say something and he would pounce back and its nothing just his frustrations. When he's in Paris he's the happiest person, enjoys life does whatever, is accepted in the society and when back in India it goes back to square one. 94
Aveek Mitra: Just how you can make something provocative that's it.
Aishwarya & Rishikesh: Argue that they said Queen B and not other words like everyone else.
Does not agree that sex sells if that was the case then this man also would have been clad in some other way. Shirt is for women (Nope Unisex)
Gurbani: Feels like even that is also on the same lines. Not based on her singing. Would never take that to her singing. Its the way she portrays herself
Aishwarya Narula: Just like sex sells. Trying to show that sex sells. Read an article where one of the singers left her band just because her managers were telling her to dress very sexually and she felt very violated. Just because in the industry sex sells doesn't mean that she needs to dress up sexually and put her body out there.
Aveek: Her sexuality becomes more point of talk then her talent. (Rishikesh agrees- comes in the way)
Men are not told to, do you see singers .....
Q. Which Of The Two Images Seem More “Normal” And Why?
See difference between Beyonce and Justin Timberlake.
Gurbani Anand: Male singers are super casually dressed. It is always a female member.
Q. Say the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the name Beyonce.
Fig.86: Gender Roles Examined Source: blush.com.pk
Archit Tayal: Sexy Gurbani Anand: Hot
Gurbani Anand: Would be completely okay if brother/son plays with dolls and girl with opposite (Aishwarya agrees). Now days many girls into good cars, sports and everything. Boys do enjoy like creative things like playing with dolls or being in the art sector. Whatever it is its fair you can’t define it, you can’t be like you can’t play with cars because you’re a girl or you can’t play with a doll because you’re a boy. You should just have fun and enjoy whatever your doing.
Aveek Mitra : Hot
We are more open. The kind of generation, allot of people are very open minded. Like people would not mind if a boy picks up a doll you would be okay with it. So once you have the freedom surely the crime rates, suicides everything would go down because the frustrations inside you would be reduced.
Aishwarya Narula: Queen B
Now kind of has reduced. We all have put up a change. Would be completely normal with a guy/ lesbian friend or person but if it is our parents it would take them allot of time to get use to it.
Rishikesh Maskar: Queen B Arushi Shrivastava: Hot • Researcher - Do you realize all of you are kind of objectifying her. Have not once heard she is a good singer, she's talented, she amazing (Gurbani agrees), she's a rock star. All of us have said sexy, beautiful.
Aishwarya Narula: As a parent, when the kids are small we should let them play independently and be who they are. our older generation like my parents would give me a doll would not ever give me a car to play with. So if we are the new generation, if we have kids we need to let our kids live more freely. Rishikesh Maskar: We need to be more open. Even when it comes to clothing women can wear anything .... (Gurbani agrees) Also if a guy does something even slightly feminine he’s labeled gay. 96
Thinks it's all about the millennial, the 90's kids started understanding more because we were subjected to the media
Lesbianism is more accepted (Aveek agrees).
Aveek Mitra: As a child have seen these things. It is always the boys that are getting slammed because he is playing with dolls never seen a girl been slammed if she's playing with cars .
Gurbani Anand: They haven't really interacted with someone like that (Aishwarya agrees).
Clothing - women can wear anything but if a boy is wearing a skirt that's the point of talk (Rishikesh and Gurbani agree) that's something obnoxious. It's always actually, men playing with dolls always been a point of talk more then girls (Gurbani agrees) More obnoxious, there are straight men who as a child use to play with dolls like I talk about my cousins even I played with dolls with him so many times but that does not mean that we are gay, he's straight I'm straight. And I think it's just a stereotype created. Do you realize that this stereotype has been created since your birth? Forget when by the time your 30 you will be the one blaming these stereotypes. It's how you've been brought up. We should put a change. Even people 4-5 years older to us not that open the way we are discussing(Gurbani disagrees). Not like us our generation more receptive than anyone else , any other generation.
Jessica Roberts (camera person) : Even in that scene in friends where Ross tells Ben that you're playing with a doll no no , exchanges it (Arushi agrees). Even in television people are stereotyping.
• Researcher: Still a few people who would not except it or something. So what do you think is behind that?
Aveek Mitra: They are, even people from my generation they still think that omg he's gay? Think a guy should always get married to a girl (Aishwarya agrees). I would not really slam them cause it's their choice, belief.
Not from a fashion school , but the college I go to , from a girls college. There are so many lesbians and thinks that everybody is so okay with it, like you would go out you would know this girl is dating this girl. Whatever it is you automatically start to except it. There are allot of people who do not except it, so when she was in 1st year there were allot of girls who would say omg how can this happen but now we have reached that point of aicha thekh hai! Like if their doing something its perfectly okay. like why not. When you have interactions, you know about it and most importantly when you see it in front of your own eyes you like it or you don't like it after a point you will start liking it. You will accept it. It's all about the interaction, when you are sitting in a group , when it's a boys group and they've never had a person whose a boy and is attracted to the same sex so feels that once that starts happening you automatically, because gays enjoy girls company they enjoy being around girls. So once in your in a group and start interacting then, probably over the years that would also like be okay. It's just like a group of boys who've interacted with gays would be perfectly okay. So once people start interacting and all that's when the change will come and people will start getting it in their heads that its okay.
Aishwarya Narula: If she or her friends would see someone whose gay we would accept it but would say that the boys, they don't accept it (Gurbani agrees). Girls are okay having lesbian or gay friends it's just the boys they find t very difficult. Gay men enjoy girls company also because their boy friends don't really accept them.
• Researcher: Do you also feel that those who do not accept it, is because of peer pressure or what society would say. Allot of it comes because we tend to be part of the herd culture, if someone like it we like it and vice versa?
comes after allot of exploration. Like we all are in a fashion school not only that it depends on where you are living (Aishwarya agrees). Metropolitan cities like Delhi, Kolkata Mumbai defiantly the mindset is different from if you are living in somewhere...
Gurbani: Yes, quite a bit.
In this case would actually say being a man, girls are more sensitive in this case. Have only seen most of the times the boys are being slammed for being gay.
You do not want to move out of your comfort zone.
It's just a sexually orientation.
Rishikesh Maskar: The thing is that we are social animals and we find our group to be comfortable with so you look for some similarity and once you do you just say okay I'm part of this.
Rishikesh Maskar: They are unaware. Not well informed (Gurbani agrees). Sexuality and gender both are such broad topics. When its projected as normal then it's okay.
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Aveek Mitra: Since talking about peer pressure, will talk about one thing that actually happened with him. Like there are so many friends from Kolkata who actually say that okay you stay , you have been with these girls (only boy in a class of 30) since four years and none of them have been your girlfriend. Hasn't even ever come in my thought, just because you have 30 girls around you and just because you are straight you need to have someone as your girlfriend. Like haven't you explored? The peer pressure you're talking about this is really something I have faced , it is a very practical example. Never really had an answer for that, what should have said ? Feels like girlfriend is having , just a very personal emotion you have with someone. Even if you can't find it with those 30 girls or 60 or 100 girls maybe not in this country I can't really help it. But it's always this peer pressure, it's been 4 years and you've been with 30 girls. it's like I'm the lucky charm of the guys, 30 girls and their all amazing but then I've never felt that way. Then they say is there any problem, you're not straight or something else but it's just not that. you just don't feel that connection.
Aveek - Yes Arushi - No
• Researcher: Maybe sometimes the media portrays it in such a way (Gurbani Agrees) that it's taken for granted that women are there for men to consume and give birth to their children. Do you guys relate?
At every point of your life even the bedroom it has to be that the man has to be a man and has to be aggressive.
Archit Tayal : Thinks that society over generalizes things for men. So it creates problems to accept it in the society like for example there is one guy in a class with 30 girls and he should or must have a girlfriend or a guy should not dress up like a girl and be brought up with dolls that creates the problem in the society in the beginning. So parents should not force them and it will take time for the society to accept these things because they have been followed from a long time (Gurbani agrees) .
Rishikesh Maskar: Somewhere or the other if you make a girl date a guy that is the least bit feminine she would back out (Gurbani and Aveek agree). It's not just men who are like .... Have a few bisexual male friends who are interested in women but women would not date them just because they are bisexual but gay men would date bisexual guys (Gurbani agrees). Worst part when it comes to accepting homosexuality is when straight men actually like lesbian porn (Aveek and Aishwarya agree) and they get revolted by actual male homosexuals having sex with each other. Researcher : Maybe that backup happens because today even though we are so liberal and we come out there are many men who come out, who are not completely aware of their sexuality (Gurbani and Rishikesh agree) or just do not want to accept it. So somewhere the girls are scared (Gurbani agrees). Also when talking about porn most of the time it is very aggressive. Porn is a way for sex education in this country for many boys and girls alike(Rishikesh agrees). Now many a times its the guy whose being more aggressive so the girls feel that it's okay and many a times the girl may be experienced and knows about what she stalking might not like to see that on screen while girls doing it might be more gentler. Similar to porn you see an actor abusing a women , SRK today is your idol and hes abusing a women you think that’s right (Gurbani and Rishikesh - bhaitards Salman Khan fans- agree) Aishwarya Narula : would you date a bisexual?
With girls also what happens is that they like gay porn and they get violated with seeing this lesbians and all. Aveek Mitra: Isn't it vica versa (Aishwarya agrees) , like I have heard for girls it always.... Porn is something doesn't think we should consider it in this case because it's just acting.
Gurbani Anand: Many people try to base their real life on that acting (porn) which kind of disturbs them. For someone who is not experienced and is watching porn as a medium... as in India there is no sex education for them it's very disappointing after that.
Q. Have You Been Treated Unfairly Because Of Your Gender? All said yes Gurbani Anand: Have had. Was interning with this startup company, so two girls and two bys and it was always like, we all know how a start up works, everyone does everything not like your restricted to a certain department or field. So every time it was something related to the field of finance or the accounts sector or something to the most math’s scale of things her boss would always be like... the boys you handle it or you do it . And when it was something more towards the fashion sector she would tell us okay you handle it. But she feels that all four of them were equally aware of all the things like it wasn’t that the boys were any less aware of the fashion world. Working in a company that is fashion related how are they like not aware or how are we not aware. We are as aware as how much money is transferred any little, smallest bank thing it be and she would tell the boys okay you handle it. So obviously at one point you feel that if I can do something then why is she telling the other person to do it. You feel, is there something wrong, am I like lacking something. Personally feels that allot of boys make better designers then allot of girls. Guys would design keeping everybody in mind. A super skinny girl will design only for a super skinny girl. Girls very narrow minded. Happens allot of times when you are out for dinner also when the final bill comes its always given to the boy. Aveek Mitra: Faced a similar thing. Was interning at a E commerce website and same thing happened. Applied for styling and they took me for social media. Then when I actually went up to them , talking to the stylist. They were like that they did not take you because you are a boy. For styling they only want girls. Actually felt... thinks its unfair. If your studying fashion it’s your study, education it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl it’s just knowledge. You want to do styling you can do. It doesn’t matter on your gender. Aishwarya Narula : Prabul Gurang said in one of this article that he is a better designer than other females because I understand women’s body better.
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Recently called the customer care people and was talking to them and they were not understanding me and as soon as she gave her phone to my brother he made them understand and they were like ya ya you are right. Felt very violate that you cannot understand, customer care person was a man thought I was being rude and he did not understand her and now he could understand her brother?! Even though he was talking in the same tone, complain about the wifi.
Don't say it allot but when there is someone who is really clumsy usually it is said don't do it like a girl
Archit Tayal : Society has already assigned particular professions or jobs to that particular gender (Aishwarya agrees).Be it as a stylist, fashion they consider it to be the girls job.
Don't use it often but I would say it when I want the person to be a little more feminine.
Arushi Shrivastava: She and her brother had gone out for a vacation and while checking out they were going to pay the bill and she was filling out everything all the details, feedbacks and when time came to pay, had to sign for the thing at that time they gave the slip to my brother so at that time felt a little that what's happening why can't I sign it.
Q. When would you use The Term “Man Up” and “like a girl”? Archit Tayal: Would use it while playing sports with his friends. If someone is crying would say don’t cry like a girl.
Gurbani Anand: For her if a man does not stand up for something that is happening in his surroundings. If someone is crying be like don’t cry like a girl.
Aveek Mitra: When playing sports or in a group or out partying with someone that is the time.
Arushi Shrivastava: If a girl or a boy does not do something or they are hesitant on something that would use.
Q. On a sheet of paper write down 2-3 words that you as part of any gender group are sick of hearing. Now on the opposite side give an appropriate # to put them to a stop.
Archit Tayal : Shadi karle, Kaam kare #Mendohaveemotions
Gurbani Anand: How much will you study? #liveyourlife
Aveek Mitra: SWAG, be a man, start earning #Behuman #Likeahuman
Aishwarya Narula: Like a girl, What's the need to study, You'll get married soon, Get married already. #Womenempowerment #Likeaboss
Sounds very sexist but whenever we need someone to do something with allot of poise or some kind of femininity that’s when you say like a girl.
Aishwarya Narula: For both the situations for male or female she would say “man up”. was recently talking to a friends and was like man up whatever you are doing. Would never use it. Saw an aunt telling her cousin to eat like a girl, like what do you mean?
Rishikesh Maskar: If someone doesn’t have the guts to do something we just tell them to “man up” no matter if it’s a boy or a girl.
Rishikesh Maskar: Grow some balls #screwgenderroles #breakthesystem
Arushi Shrivastava: Khana banana sekh lo #Notacook 102