Passion by Parklands Secondary College

p a s s i o n SEPTEMBER EDITION

Why be Barbie? Be You?

HELLO SWEDEN Gender in Sport

Gender in the

media

Gender

Equality? Purple Hibiscus

Book Review

Freeheld Film Review

FWORD NOT THAT BAD?

CONTENTS: 3

genders in the media - tamaryn taylor

why the f word isn’t all that bad - alaia de blanche

freeheld film review - caleigh wehmeyer

interview with sam nordien - thania nordien

why be barbie? be you! - caleigh wehmeyer

is true gender equality achievable? - daniel stein

gender is sport - thania nordien

school uniforms - daniel stein

12-13 15

advice coloumn - alaia de blanche purple hibiscus book review - tamaryn taylor, caleigh wehmeyer & thania nordien

purple hibiscus book review - alaia de blanche & daniel stein

interview with anonymous - tamaryn taylor

20 - 21

the “sex sells” manifesto - saira desai

22 - 23

interview with vincent forsberg - group collaboration

Are Genders Represented Differently in the Media? How are men and women represented differently in the media? In today’s world Feminism is often confused with hatred towards men, but stands for political and social justice for females and equal rights, which include wages for both genders. Inequality between genders occurs in the workplace, sport, social media or any platform.. We can say that media is one of the most influential platforms that people look to whether it’s instagram, newspapers, radio or television. Only recently has the media been open to expressing and challenging gender roles and sexuality. As Katha Pollitt once said “ boys are central, girls are peripheral” and that girls only exist for boys and explains this as her “smurfette principle” which has been a recurring issue in the media as many female roles are surrounded by more men who are more dominant. With children as young as two who frequently watch television and are exposed to these gender roles and believe that men work and provide for the family and are the bread winners in families; while the mothers cook and clean, children grow up with the perception thinking that these roles are accurate and do not question it as the media presents it as something that is correct.

People are constantly reminded on billboards that girls should wear makeup and that boys should be representing sports brands, the media shapes the imagination of not only children, but adults too who raise their children having a rather narrow mind rather than an open-mind on topics of fluidity and teaching them to form their own opinions on gender, stereotypes and sexuality. Forming an identity of their own and not just following what the media has to say. Gender stereotyping has become a topic that both men and women are comfortable with as the media has lured us into buying products that satisfy our needs according to our gender. - Tamaryn Taylor

Why The F Word Isn’t All That Bad. When did being a feminist become a bad thing? When did it become a word that follows with an eye roll and an exaggerated sigh? At what point did it become something of an insult? The treatment of women is no longer just a women’s issue or a women’s movement. It has become a human movement. The feminist society is realizing the other half of humanity is needed to help fight. For years women have been fighting for equal rights and treatment. Regardless of the progress made, women face restrictions daily further worsened by media. It is the same song and dance every time. Women are expected to look and act a certain way to avoid being criticised. The media is a powerful tool that can be used for both good and bad. People blame many of today’s problems on social media, and as much as it has contributed, it has also made our lives much easier. We can not place all the blame on media when we are the ones who feed it. Media sells the concept that being a sex object is accredited. It teaches young influential boys and girls that sexual objectification is acceptable. The main victims falling into the hands of media are women. In addition, men are being sold the perception that they are sexual subjects, it makes them feel substantial to see images of degraded women everywhere. While women are being auctioned this idea that being ‘perfect’ enables them to achieve value and become the ideal sexual object. 4

All of this leads women to self-objectification, they spend hours upon hours of their lifetime criticising their every move and other women too, where they proceed to spend further time comparing themselves to others and analyzing every little thing. What if women were taught to worry less about self-objectification and focus their thoughts and efforts on improving themselves for themselves as well as being themselves, would women not become a lot more than just the ‘perfect’ sexual being? This self-objectification holds horrible effects on a woman’s quality of life. The danger with advertising an impossible ideal as achievable is that it only encourages and makes women and men feel like failures, it is this state that advertisers and media thrive off of. Feminism stopped being a fight just for equality amongst women in a world run by men when we started fighting against each other. When we started thriving on others most vulnerable states of mind. Gender inequality is only a symptom of the real issue but at least it is a step in the right direction. - Alaia de Blanche

Freeheld Film Review Freeheld, the true story of domestic partners who fight for their rights. Laurel Hester is a police officer in New Jersey who meets the women of her dreams at a volleyball game. The two buy a house together and make it their own, just like any other couple would. Now there have been many bad reviews about this movie where reporters say, “There is no chemistry between the two of them” and “It’s too static”. Everyone has the right to their opinions but these reporters have obviously not understood the message being conveyed. This movie has portrayed the attitudes shown towards same sex partners. Laurel Hester and her partner are able to successfully place the viewers in their shoes and allow for them to experience the challenges in which the face on a daily basis purely because they are not in a “normal” relationship. The statement made by Laurel’s partner which left us all thinking was when she stood up in front of the panel of officers fighting for her to receive Laurels pensions when she passes due to her stage four terminal cancer. This statement was,” We are normal people and… with a house and … with a dog and we even pay our taxes.” This is a powerful movie which everyone should watch in order to really grasp how difficult it is for people who have interests in the same sex to cope with all the negativity steered towards them. Why should those who are “different” go through life with such negativity? Why should those who are “different” not have the same rights as those who are “normal”? These powerful women proved to us it’s possible to fight for who we are and what we believe in so why step back? -Caleigh Wehmeyer

Interview with Sam Nordien I decided to interview a woman from Nordien Law, Sam Nordien. I asked her a few questions regarding gender in her office and her views regarding gender equality. Do you think that women and men are treated equally in the business world?

Definitely not. Men are treated with more respect than women. Women have to try to prove themselves in the business world whereas men are respected and taken more seriously.

Have you ever been treated in a bad way compared to a man, if yes, how?

Yes, I work with my husband and many people that we deal with daily actually take him more seriously than me. Our staff will always take my husband more seriously or they will completely ignore me if he is not there. The staff just seem more scared of him than me.

Do you think men or women are more superior?

Honestly women and men are the same but women are stronger because they have gone through so much, they carry a baby and much more, but that does not mean they have to treat men with disrespect. We are all equal and deserve to be treated equally.

Is there any gender inequality in your workplace? Not that I know of, we treat the men and women in our office the same, we all respect each other and we have never had a problem with gender inequality.

What does the word ‘Feminist’ mean to you?

Someone who stands up for women’s rights and thinks that men and women are equal.

Are you a feminist? If yes, why? If no, why not?

I do think that women and men are equal but I would not call myself a feminist, many feminists now days think that they are better than men. This is not true, we are all equal.

What

do you think about the gender roles in society?

I think that some gender roles are okay but some are terrible. Women are generally more weak than men, we are more emotional but this does not give men the right to be the ‘man of the house’. Men should open the door for ladies because it is a tradition. It has been done for years.

This interview was very informative. -Thania

Nordien

Why Be Barbie? Be You! The development of media in the world has increased and improved drastically within the past years, from books to magazines and movies. As we all know, the media plays a big role in all of our lives as it affects the way we walk, talk and especially think.

Should we all really be so fixated on how women’s bodies are photoshopped in media? We argue that it is wrong and that it makes women feel terrible about themselves, but we haven’t been seeing the bigger picture. The root of this world faced problem is actually the creation of the BarOne of the main issues addressed in the bie doll, it is promoted and pushed onto little media today is how it objectifies women and girls and that is what makes women self shows what the “perfect” image of a woman conscious for the rest of their lives. The meshould be. There are many people and ordia is only provoking what has already been ganisations starting to go against this and started which is the idea of the “perfect” are introducing new ways of how to view body. women and their beauty. There are many Don’t let Barbie show you who to be, she is campaigns where they say that any women plastic. with any shape or size is beautiful. Now this -Caleigh Wehmeyer is all fair said and done but what we all are yet to realise is that the female mind is already shown the “perfect” body from a very young age. With the help of the media little girls all around the world are exposed to the creation of the Barbie doll through movies, books and magazines. She was designed to be 1.7 meters tall and only weigh 54 kilograms, this therefore showed us that the barbie doll would have been too thin to even menstruate if she were a real woman. Now little girls who like to watch Barbie movies or read Barbie magazines subconsciously have their body image sculpted for the rest of their life where they are able to compare themselves to the image of the Barbie doll.

Is True Gender Equality Achievable? An extremely important observation of our time is that the differences between males and females have decreased. With the introduction of new technology changing the new era, we seem to be very interested about the idea of changing the divide of male and female sex. Due to the oppression towards women in the past, the revolution of today’s demands a refined the word, “gender equality”. Women have been treated as being below men for the past years of human civilisation, and this would make it impossible to truly get rid of such a powerful idea, instilled into the people of today. No matter how much we try to block the young women of our world from the history of female oppression in our society, it would be impossible to destroy the sense of being second to males in their minds. The physical limitations of females have made them lower than men by nature, and such an unfair amount of strength makes the prospect of gender equality anything but possible. Although in today’s world physical power would seem to be an unimportant characteristic to possess, it represents power. The symbol of strong legs and arms represents the courage in a person. From the beginning of a girl’s life, she will always end up weaker than an average boy. She cannot imagine overpowering him, or being equal to him.

This instilled idea of the male being better than a female amongst the people in the society cannot be easily overcome. Although some people believe that putting women in more powerful roles and giving proper value to women’s work would help achieve gender equality, the chances of achieving true gender equality is not very likely. - Daniel Stein

Gender in Sport Sport is a big thing in the world today and many people watch and support it ,but male sport gets more attention than female sport. This isn’t necessarily beneficial for men because they have to try to live up to this expectation of being a sporty ‘jock’ and women now have to try compete against the opposite gender to show that men and women are equal. Firstly, it is expected for men to be sporty people and play matches while their girlfriends sit in the stands and watch, this is put into our minds from young. In children’s movies, the girl is always wearing the boys team jersey and sitting in the stands with posters for the boyfriend. The girls are normally skinny, pretty cheerleaders wearing short skirts and crop tops shaking their body around for the boys and there are hardly any male cheerleaders. Secondly, many boys get judged for wanting to do a ‘girl’ sport like netball because they are seen to be big, tough rugby players and women would get judged for wanting to do rugby because it is seen as a man sport. Sport has caused so many stereotypes in this world today because movies make us think that boys have to do sport and be football/soccer/rugby players to be cool. Women have a stereotype that they don’t want to do sport because they don’t want to get sweaty or dirty. These stereotypes should be broken.

Lastly, women get paid less for sport than men do, there is a huge pay gap between the two genders. There was a male and female cricket competition in India, and the prize money for men in total was 16 times more than the female tournament, and it is like this in many more cases. It just shows us that men are taken more seriously in sport than women are. In my opinion, men and women should be treated equally in sport. It is not fair how a man gets brought up being pushed into sport and when women become great at sport ,the women could be called a man. Women and men need the same opportunity when it comes to sport. - Thania Nordien 9

AD 2

Should Boys and Girls at School Wear the Same Uniform? All schools around the world have their own dress code, some involve wearing civvies and some involve wearing a school uniform. At schools with learners wearing civvies, there isn’t an issue as everyone wears something different, however schools that have an uniform code are dividing their learners into two separate groups, boys and girls. Some people feel that they don’t fit into either category and feel uncomfortable representing a gender that they don’t associate themselves with. When someone who is transgender changes over to the other sex’s uniform, everyone notices and generally makes a big deal out of it. Although I still feel like civvies is the best way to avoid this problem, I am proposing an uniform for everyone to wear. The learners could wear black or grey pants with a white shirt and even a tie. I feel that this change would benefit so many people, especially those who are uncertain about their gender role. Uniforms must do what their name suggests: unify students, instead of dividing them. Doing this won’t solve all gender disparity, but it could be a great reminder that – in schools, at least – we are expected to all have our intellectual incline on the same level. This is why I believe that boys and girls should wear the same uniform at school. - Daniel Stein

Dear passion. Today while I was on my way home from work, I stopped at a red light and a group of men rolled down their window and began cat calling at me.

How do I handle a situation like that? Dear reader. Make sure that your window is rolled up and your doors are locked, you are safe in your car. If what they are saying is making you uncomfortable, turn your radio volume up and ignore them, if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t entertain the idea they have no power. Dear passion, my girlfriend has been going to feminist classes and is starting to act differently towards me. do?

What should I

Dear reader. A relationship is not worth lashing out over a misunderstanding or conflict of opinion. My advice is to sit down with her and ask her what she feels is wrong in your relationship that she is acting differently. Be sure to stay open-minded and calm. The best way to solve conflict or uncertainty is communication. Dear Passion. My

parents are still living

in the habits they grew up doing, specifically regarding the roles of women in the household. beliefs.

however disagree with their

Everytime I bring my girlfriend over for dinner, my parents insist on her following the rules: women being in the kitchen and only speaking when spoken to. How do I tell them that I do not agree with this? Dear reader. You need to speak to your parents and explain to them that your relationship does not follow the old gender roles. Tell them that you would like them to put aside their old ways and treat her as their equal.

Advice

Dear Passion. I was speaking to my male colleague, I found out that he gets paid more for his work though we have the same position, tasks and hours.

What

I do? Dear reader. It is rather difficult thing to help and deal with. If you feel very strongly about it, start by going to Human Resources and opening a case. If you are unable to solve the issue, maybe finding another job might be what you prefer. Though if the payment gap is not very large, I would say to rather continue the case but do not be drastic to the point of losing your job. you suggest

Dear passion, my boyfriend has started telling me that I need to quit my job and stay at home instead. He has started speaking to his dad again, who is pushing him to follow past gender roles. He is an amazing person and I love him very much, however I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree with what he wants me to do. What do I do? Dear reader.I think you need to sit him down and explain to him how you feel, if you love what you do then you should be allowed to do it, ask him what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan of action would be if he were to be let go. How would he deal with having no income anymore. It is important for you to be happy and if staying at home will make you happy then try it out, but my suggestion for you would be to find out where he sees your relationship going in the future that way you will be able to get an idea of why he wants you to stay at home. If he does not have a reason that you agree you should tell him. Let him know that he is very important to you, but you do not agree with the old gender roles. It is important to stay calm and patient with the conversation and be clear about what you want and need.

- Alaia de Blanche

Column

Purple Hibiscus Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW BY THANIA NORDIEN Purple Hibiscus is an amazing novel written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in 2003. She focuses her novel on a young girl and her life, Kambili Achike. She writes the book from Kambili’s perspective, Kambili is the narrator. Kambili is an excellent student, she is very quiet at first but by the end of the book, she is a bit more talkative. She lives in Enugu in Nigeria with her dad, mother and brother. Her dad is a very strict Christian and gets upset when they don’t obey him. He is very violent towards the family and has actually caused the mother (Beatrice) to have a miscarriage from being violent, only because she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t go to church. Throughout the book there are many twists, and that keeps it very interesting. Kambili meets new people, she falls in love and she learns new lessons like how to be brave. The book is a great read for women around the world because many women go through similar things. I think that this book was an amazing read and I would definitely recommend it to many other students, it also is a reality check for women and people in Africa. BOOK REVIEW BY TAMARYN TAYLOR The novel purple hibiscus is an intriguingly unique and diverse book written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi, and takes place in Enugu it is about a 15 year old girl called Kambili who lives with her mother Beatrice, brother named Jjaja and her dad Eugene. Kambili faces a number of challenges throughout her life, both personal and political as she lives in Nigeria and has had a tough upbringing. The book itself discusses a range of problems in today’s society and brings them to light. Culture, domestic abuse, gender roles, “silence”, and religion are a few themes presented in the novel. The name itself is a flower and represents “freedom” in the book, which characters Kambili and Jaja fight for. The book shows the growth of characters and their hardships that they face. Clashes in culture and religion occur frequently in the book as the Achike family is raised strictly Catholic by Eugene Achike (Papa) who resents his African past. The novel also shows that domestic abuse is still present in today’s society as males are shown to be more dominant and have an aggressive presence as shown by Papa Eugene towards his wife and children. The novel captivates the readers and describes the characters in detail to help the readers understand the characters and see each character’s different perception on life, religion and development within the character. The novel grasps your attention as things begin to crumble in the family and you see the growth of kambili and maturation especially when Kambili visits her aunt Ifeoma in Nsukka where she is meets her Grandfather and experiences her culture and the Igbo traditions that her father kept her away from.

From there on Kambili had fought for freedom and had looked at life with a new perspective. The novel captivates you from the start and unleashes many plot twists which keeps you interested. I would highly recommend it as it’s a beautifully written novel. BOOK REVIEW BY CALEIGH WEHMEYER Purple Hibiscus is a novel written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which has acquired many awards. This novel is based in Nigeria which is a country situated in Northern Africa. One of the main things this story is known for is the way Adichie exposes us to the danger of a single story. This means that she aims to show everyone that these poor countries aren’t only about wars and everyone fighting for food, she proves that there is a lot more to it. Adichie pulls us into the novel straight away with conflict in the Achike family. She then takes us back in time to show the events which lead up to this conflict. The Achike family is a Christian family who go to church every Sunday and receive communion. Eugene Achike is the father of Kambili and Jaja and husband to Beatrice. Eugene strongly enforces the Christian religion in the family even though they are actually of Igbo culture, Eugene refuses to practice any form of African tradition. He controls the entire family in everything that they think, say or do because they are too scared to step out of line. The structure in the family starts to crumble when Kambili and Jaja are allowed by Eugene to go and stay with their aunt and cousins for a few days in Nsukka. Here they meet their grandfather who Eugene despises, we aren’t really told why but one main thing is that their grandfather follows by the Igbo religion. Jaja and Kambili start to experience freedom with this side of the family and learn new ways of seeing things, this is where Kambili first finds her voice. Adichie uses many parts in nature to symbolise the different characters and the family as a whole. The main piece in nature which she uses is the Hibiscus flower. This flower has great symbolism throughout the novel as it shows the growth and development of Kambili Achike and her family. The strong symbolism which has been portrayed in this novel will make you think of things in another way. It will open your mind to what’s really going on and will show you how we have never realised the danger of a single story. This is definitely a novel you need to read.

BOOK REVIEW BY ALAIA DE BLANCHE The novel is narrated in first person by Kambili Achike, a 15 year old girl living in Enugu, with her older brother Jaja, mother Beatrice and father Eugene. The setting of the novel takes the backdrop of post colonial Nigeria, and the political struggles the country was facing during this time. Kambili takes us through two main places during the novel, each representing the contrast of freedom and oppression. The leading themes within this novel are freedom and oppression, these two themes are shown through the setting, characters, symbols and the language used during the novel. This novel can be described as a Bildungsroman, as it deals with the development and maturation of young Kambili Achike. The reader is able to see as Kambili develops and matures, she starts to see the world around her in less naive observations. During the start Kambili parrots the ideas and views her father, the school and the priest has told her to be true and right. Her voice is silent to her own thoughts. As Kambili grows, she starts to question her views and reflects on what she previously thought to be normal. By the end of the novel Kambili is able to find her own voice. Purple Hibiscus is written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She drew on her own personal experience and knowledge to create this novel. Though she was not directly affected by violence, her values and ideas sprout from the struggle and conditions of Nigeria during her childhood. Purple Hibiscus follows the life of Kambili Achike. The novel is broken up into four sections, each showcasing an important part in Kambili’s story. The novel starts at a dramatic turning point. Kambili’s brother Jaja has rebelled against his father, publicly shaming Eugene by not going to Communion at Palm Sunday Mass. Jaja’s disobedience leads the reader to a shocking secret. The central section, takes the reader back in time. Kambili and her brother went to visit Aunty Ifeoma and her children in Nsukka. It is here that Kambili experiences a different version of what family and faith is. Kambili experiences love for the first time here. When the two return home, the father’s violence proceeds and escalates, This novel takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotions, but allows for a very eye opening read. Despite all the twists and turns I did enjoy reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting read.

BOOK REVIEW BY DANIEL STEIN I felt so helpless reading the book. She never said the word helpless. For the first two-thirds of the book, she never expressed the pain she felt, but all the details made me feel like something was extremely wrong not just at home but also in the country. The demanding regime. The demanding father. The demanding religion. It sounds like a daunting story, it’s not. A young girl finds her voice. She learns how to laugh. She learns how to play and run in an area where purple hibiscus grows. The balance is very joyous despite all of the gruesome events that aren’t articulated but are still felt by the reader as if one were reading every word. I enjoyed this book even though I didn’t always understand what was going on. I’ve never been to Nigeria. I know little to nothing of the country’s language, culture and history. There are no wrong literary mistakes. The plot turns on a sentence. I loved Aunty Ifeoma’s character. I always seemed to be curious about Jaja. I hated the father, but he was speaking for the country against the leadership and he fed lots of people and he loved his family the best way he knew how. He was breaking them because he was broken. I could understand why Kambili wanted to make him proud. So much powerful though such words. So much feels unreachable for the main characters and yet their narrative is so beautiful because of how simple it is.

Test Your Knowledge: Purple Hibiscus Crossword

1 3

5 6

11 12

ACROSS 4. Kambili and Jaja’s aunts name. 5. What religion does Eugene practice? 8. Where do Jaja and Kambili visit their aunt and cousins? 11. The African religion expressed in this novel. 12. Where is the novel set? 13. The family priest.

DOWN 1. The main flower in this novel. 2. Aunty Ifeoma’s eldest child. 3. Author of the book. 6. Where does Kambili’s family live? 7. 15 year old girl. 9. The main characters surname. 10. Wealthy factory owner.

Interview With Anonymous Do you see yourself as a typical man or woman? Why or why not?

I see myself as a women despite being homosexual and “butch” but because of my body I am a women and see myself that way.

Are there different expectations for sons and daughters?

Yes, as in my house daughters were taught to cook and clean and sons to basically do nothing and depend on women to get things done in the household.

Do you think it’s OK for men to cry?

Of course it is, I think it’s important for any gender despite their biological make up to release their emotions in a healthy way.

Should boys and girls be brought up differently?

Definitely! Children take after their children and its important for all children to be raised without gender stereotypes and be able to be themselves; I think its so important for a children and future generations to be raised “open- minded” do you think more teachers female or male in your

S.A?

When I grew up teachers were mostly female, but has changed over time and I think it’s a equal amount between male and female as younger generations are challenging stereotypes, which makes me happy.

Can a man and a woman be only friends?

Yes, I’m attracted to women and have many male friends, but despite a person’s sexuality it’s okay for anyone to be friends despite their gender.

Can men wear female clothes?

Yes, the best designers are male and I wear a lot of male cloths. So people should wear whatever they feel comfortable with and not be afraid of expressing themselves whether that means wearing a skirt of boy hoodies.

What are your views on same sex marriage?

I think it should be allowed worldwide to be able to fall in love with someone’s soul and not for his or her genitals. Love is love and should be able to be expressed freely and marriage should be allowed for anyone who wants to be married.

Do people still treat homosexuals differently than straight people?

Yes, especially in religious settings where people aren’t as accepting, but overall the world has changed in their perceptions of homosexuality and become more understanding.

- Tamaryn Taylor 18

Word Search C F EWT L F Y I E NG I R L A P GH B U S L F AMYMR E N I N I ME F F U P H L A U Q P R Y MQ T A H I Y L P S B R Q J MN X P H O Q S I E O J O O L O Y S F V E A S WW R I D R B K Q P V V B K H Z N FMY I MN E Y T H G N P DH K K Y AN F E A D I MA DD Y B A J KN T R K I Y E O WM L L B M Q B S D Z X L V G D OWU R E D N E G S N A R T D Z J E F V Y Q T F Z WD C S L U E N C Y M S E E M K J K A D M K O F B S U MM E W L O L G B CA T T E A J ZG I F JDP FD I AB M Y A H A V F S I I S A MQ I K B Y MX T QHP Q EWY C P ZHNT R R P GV A I Y F C I J S T S U I Y TDK L UHY X L A T C U Y Q I J S L G O A HWO E D H C P R CM I L DK VN I J B C J R C YO C NH R N BWE X U B DN L S QQ J OG B T V S R HO T Y P J X F P S A S Z C C E V C D R V HW J A O P E V N P I Z UW MALE FEMALE GIRL BOY MAN WOMEN TRANSGENDER MEDIA

GAY LESBIAN MASCULIN FEMININE FEMINIST

The “Sex Sells” Manifesto How the media has exploited female empowerment She is sweaty, with her red-painted mouth wide open and a bottle of perfume resting between her large breasts. No, this is not a crude scene from cheap online porn but a 2007 ad for Tom Ford’s fragrance for men. Before being banned, this ad, along with an even more vulgar one of a naked woman lying with the bottle now placed between her legs, donned the pages of elite magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair to promote the perfume. Though extreme, its portrayal of women being used as sexual objects is not unique. Today, it has become near impossible to even casually flip through a magazine without being accosted with images of women dressed scantily to promote some clothing line or new perfume or designer handbag. In addition to being ironic that these women are near naked to advertise clothing, these ads highlight the mindset the media has developed that women should only be shown to be sexy or, at the very least, a socially accepted degree of attractive. This has spread from underwear ads to all brands advertising female clothing or lifestyle products. An example of this is a 2013 American Apparel ad which portrays a woman posing on an unmade bed with her legs in the air wearing a sweater, and nothing else. Here, a seemingly innocent item of clothing has been twisted to make it look “hotter”. The most frequent counter-argument to claims that female media portrayal is too sexual is calling such ads expressions of the female body or depictions of women embracing their sexuality. While I, of course, 20

believe that women should be able to wear whatever they want to, the media, despite these contrary claims, does not. Instead, it is clear that they believe that women can only wear less. Even magazine covers have celebrities showing excesses of cleavage in tight dresses and, while this is perfectly alright, that this is all that these women can wear, is not. Furthermore, these conventions certainly do not apply to men. Yes, the cover of magazines such as Men’s Health do display young and attractive shirtless men with six-pack abs but this is not true for every ad or magazine cover that features a man. For example, David Beckham appears entirely clothed on the covers of Maxwell, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, Vogue, Elle and more than twelve different GQs. His wife, Victoria Beckham, however, is almost always wearing tight clothing or posing in a seductive manner. One cover for Elle goes so far as to have her lying on a sofa wearing lingerie while eating a tray of desserts. This makes it quite evident that men and women are not given the same level of respect or personal preference in the media. What is perhaps more frightening, particularly for our generation, is the increasing sexualisation of young teenage girls. A frightening example of this is 2011 Marc Jacobs ad for the perfume Oh, Lola!. Not only does the name of this perfume have eerily similarities to the novel Lolita, a book which centers on a man infatuated with his twelve-year-old daughter, the ad showed the then-teenage Dakota Fanning wearing a sheer dress with a large bottle of the perfume

between her legs. Adverts are now showing young girls in sexual positions and this, not only maintains the view that women can only be objects for sex, but it gives other young girls the idea that this is what they should aspire for. I know that, personally, I once had the misconception that being a “proper” and “sexy” woman could only entail revealing clothing, copious amounts of makeup and six-inch heels. This is not surprising given the number of magazine covers and adverts that had engrained this very idea in me throughout my life Women who have tried to break away from normal media depictions have faced sexist and rude comments and not commendation for promoting the idea that women can be independent and ambitious. Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, has appeared on the cover of countless magazines throughout her political career and time as First Lady. However, these covers, which usually show her dressed in suits, have been called “unwomanly” and she herself has been declared a “feminazi” both for her appearance and her desire to continue working instead of becoming a house-wife. Moreover, women are often shown to be powerless and submissive in the media which only serves to suggest that women are at the mercy of men. Not only does this encourage beliefs that men are “better” than women, it also conveys the idea that they have the right to control or dominate women as well. A 2007 Dolce & Gabbana advert which showed a woman being held down by a shirtless man while three other men watched made this degrading notion clear and was eventually banned for promoting rape culture. While it is satisfying to know it was quickly removed from the market, the very fact that a group of marketing executives sat down and agreed to such an

advert is appalling and shows that views of women in the media have not really changed in the last fifty years. This absence of progress is even more pathetic when we look back at the feminist movement of the 60’s and 70’s where a woman’s right to embrace her sexuality was painstakingly fought for by hundreds of thousands of women. For a board room full of men to twist this achievement in order to make money and reassert their power is truly disgusting. Overall, the crude Tom Ford ad, which was most likely intended to entice men to buy perfume, stands as a symbol for how the media sees women as being there simply to show off their bodies and pose for the camera with alluring doe eyes. This is an issue which is so ingrained in this business that it will take many more decades to fully eradicate and, while I am not calling for women around the world to boycott magazines and brands which show women as sexual objects (although I doubt I will ever buy a Tom Ford product), it is essential for the teenagers of our generation to not simply sigh in defeat and say that “sex sells” but to instead strive to change these ideas so that the next generation of young girls will not feel that they have to appear submissive while wearing little clothing to be a “real” woman or look like their favorite celebrity. -Saira Desai

Interview with Vincent Forsberg The Passion Magazine group interviewed a student from Rudbeck Gymnasium in Stockholm, Sweden about gender. Are

women

CEOs

common in

Sweden,

have a high rate of females in power?

or do you

Explain.

I would say that female CEOs exist in Sweden but I’m sure that there are more males who are CEOs. Swedish television say that only one in three CEOs are women. I’m not sure how this is in other countries but I believe that Sweden is one of the highest ranking countries.

Do schools in Sweden have transgender friendly and how do they implement this?

Yes, as in my house daughters were taught to cook and clean and sons to basically do nothing and depend on women to get things done in the household.

Do you think it’s OK for men to cry?

Rudbeckskolan have toilets that are for both genders. There are no sections for only boys or for only girls. We don’t have special lockerrooms made for transgender people.

What do you understand is the character of a feminist? A person who fights for the equality of both sexes. It could be both a male or a female.

Do you think that women and men are treated equally in Sweden, why?

I personally believe that men and women are both equal and we try to treat them as such. Though I struggle to believe that everyone has the same beliefs.

Is Gender equality a problem to you? Explain

No, I don’t find Gender equality a problem. I believe that men and women should have equal opportunities.

both parents get paid leave when a child is

born.

does one parent have to continue working?

In Sweden both parents have the right to be off work for 18 months. They both get paid but not very much. Usually they take turns working so they can pay for their expenses.

What are your views on same sex marriage?

Interview with Vincent Forsberg Do you feel same sex relationships are accepted in Sweden? Please explain why you have given this answer. Same sex marriage is allowed in Sweden, at least now. Before 1944 it was illegal to be homosexual and even a long while after that it was considered a mental disorder. Luckily it’s now legal to marry whoever you like.

Have

you ever been discriminated against because of your gender?

I’ve never been discriminated for my gender. I believe there is a higher chance for a girl to discriminated for her gender rather like a boy. It’s hard to find concrete evidence about this because a girl being discriminated probably draws a lot more attention than if a boy would be.

Do you agree with Feminism and why?

For me it’s obvious that men and women are equal. We are not so different after all. What makes us different is the social norms which say that all men should behave like this and all women like this. If we remove that we are pretty much the same and if everyone is the same why should some of those have privileges that others don’t.

Is violence against women common in Sweden? If so what are recent studies done to prove your answer?

I had a problem finding any statistics on how many women compared to men. In my research, I found out that women are much more likely to not feel safe late at night rather than men.

Do you think that there will ever be true Gender Equality?

There probably will never be a time when everyone is worth the same. Humans are great at finding someone to discriminate and that’s not a good thing. Maybe one day there will be a time where men and women will be equal. At least I hope there will be.

What

do you think a feminist is or what it means to be a feminist?

To be someone who fights for the equality of both men and women.

Are you a feminist? Yes.

The interview was a great opportunity to find out diffrent insights and different ways regarding gender equality in Sweden.

Refrences & Special Mentions Tamaryn: Genders in the Media Dototot. (2015). Gender Roles and the Media • Dototot. [online] Available at: https://dototot.com/ gender-roles-and-the-media/ [Accessed 21 Aug. 2017]. Wolska, M. (2017). Gender stereotypes in mass media. Case study: Analysis of the gender stereotyping phenomenon in TV commercials. | Krytyka. org - Nauka, Polityka, Kultura, Społeczeństwo. [online] Krytyka.org. Available at: http://krytyka.org/ gender-stereotypes-in-mass-media-case-study-analysis-of-the-gender-stereotyping-phenomenon-in-tv-commercials/ [Accessed 15 Aug. 2017].

Daniel Stein: Inequality Leach, A. (2016). 12 steps to achieve gender equality in our lifetimes. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/ mar/14/gender-equality-women-girls-rights-education-empowerment-politics [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Opinion Piece McInerney, L. (2014). Why the need for a gender divide in school uniforms? Or loos? | Laura McInerney. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/21/letsscrap-gender-divide-school-uniforms [Accessed 5 Sep. 2017].

Thania Nordien: Book Review LitCharts. “Purple Hibiscus Summary from LitCharts | The creators of SparkNotes.” LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/purple-hibiscus/summary. Accessed 17 Aug. 2017. Gender in Sport “Sport’s gender pay gap: why are women still paid less than men?” Sport’s gender pay gap: why are women still paid less than men?, www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2016/08/sport-sgender-pay-gap-why-are-women-still-paid-less-men. Accessed 27 Aug. 2017.

Alaia de Blanche: F Word MAXWELL, K. When did Feminism become a bad thing? | HER Magazine ™ In-text: (Maxwell, 2017) Your Bibliography: Maxwell, K. (2017). When did Feminism become a bad thing? | HER Magazine ™. [online] HER Magazine ™. Available at: http://hermag.co/when-did-feminism-become-a-bad-thing/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2017].§

REFRENCES

Caleigh Wehmeyer: Why be Barbie? Be You? Barbie And Body Image .....The Connection. 2017. Barbie And Body Image .....The Connection. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mirror-mirror.org/ barbie-and-body-image.htm. [Accessed 27 August 2017]. Film Review Freeheld - Wikipedia. 2017. Freeheld - Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Freeheld. [Accessed 31 August 2017]. The Guardian. 2017. Freeheld - video review | Film | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www. theguardian.com/film/video/2016/feb/18/freeheld-video-review. [Accessed 31 August 2017].

SPECIAL MENTIONS Alaia de Blanche Alisia Pretorius Caleigh Wehmeyer Hermias Smit James Dale Nikita van Taak Shannon Martch Tamaryn Taylor Tertia Photograpghy Thania Nordien Free illustration: Flowers, Mandala, Hand, Drawing - Free Image on Pixabay - 2147870. 2017. Free illustration: Flowers, Mandala, Hand, Drawing - Free Image on Pixabay - 2147870. [ONLINE] Available at: https://pixabay.com/en/flowers-mandala-hand-drawing-2147870/. [Accessed 11 September 2017]. Pixabay.com. (2017). Free Image on Pixabay - Stockholm, Sweden, City. [online] Available at: https:// pixabay.com/en/stockholm-sweden-city-scandinavia-2082591/ [Accessed 11 Sep. 2017].

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