Reinvented Magazine

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REVIEWS ON GAME OF THRONES, HIDDEN FIGURES & PURPLE HIBISCUS!

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Shonda Rhimes

MEN IN MAKEUP

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CONTENTS 3. Editors note 4. The “Sex Sells” Manifesto 9. Toys R US Him or Her 11. Floyd “Maniac” Mayweather 13. Fifty Shades of Cliché?

15. Gender crossword 16. The Death of Gender Stereotypes 17. Let’s talk about Cereal Sexism 19. The Wage Gap in Sports 21. ‘Are You A Feminist’ Quiz 22. Men in Makeup 25. Sexism in the Eyes of a Swedish Scholar 27. Exclusive interview: Shonda Rhimes 30. ‘Ask Jamie’ Advice Column 32. Gender Roles Survey 33. Review: Hidden Figures 35. Review: Game of Thrones 37. Reviews: Purple Hibiscus 45. References 2

Harley Moriarty

Nicholas Hanel

Copy Editor

Social Media Strategist

Megan Buttgen

Jamie Turnbull

Designer

Art Director

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THE

‘SEX SELLS’ MANIFESTO

By Saira Desai From a student at Maru-a-Pula 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, new perfume or designer handbag. In addition to being ironic that these women are nearly naked to advertise clothing, these ads highlight the mindset that 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 advert 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 frequently used counter-argument claims that female media portrayal is too sexual and is calling such adverts expressions of the female body or depictions of women embracing their sexuality. While I, of course, 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 famous celebrities showing excess cleavage in tight dresses and, while this is perfectly alright, the fact 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 sexualization of 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

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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 rather than 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 America’s 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 housewife.

Moreover, women are frequently 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, but 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 apparent 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 lack 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.

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Simply for a boardroom 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 the perfume, stands as a symbol for how the media sees women as existing simply to show off their bodies and pose for the camera with alluring doe eyes. the media sees women as existing 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.

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RUGBY? That’s cute.

Cape School of Ballet A world-leading ballet school situated in Cape Town offering daily classes for boys and girls of all ages and abilities, taught by proffesionals. Â This advert was created by Reinvented Magazine

Call: +27 883 9472 or visit www.capeschoolballet.co.za for more

His or Hers?

Have you ever noticed that the toy store is split between boys and girls sections? The boys side will be full of trucks and planes, while the girls are forced to choose between Barbies or Bratz? Does this not creates an everlasting mindset for young children, that they can only have a specific set of toys, simply because of their gender?

: m e l b o r p

The Like most toy shops, Toys “R” Us, takes this to the extreme by dictating the type of toys each gender should play with. Genderdivided signage online and in stores, as well as advertisements by the companies, reinforces outdated stereotypes and makes it impossible for a child to feel comfortable shopping outside of this expectation.

The toys that children play with have an immense impact, not only on the way they see themselves but also the way they view the opposite gender, the roles associated with genders, the way their brains develop and the skill sets they learn. Separated play causes girls and boys to sharpen different skills from an early age, which often determine their

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interests and later their career path. Science, construction and adventurous toys are marketed directly for boys, while dolls, arts and toy kitchens are for girls.

A campaign group, Let Toys Be Toys, believes gender stereotyping from an early age can be damaging for children.

They state,

Whilst toys aimed at boys encourage activity and adventure, many girls’ toys send the message that appearance is what matters. It’s no surprise that the vast majority of adults with eating disorders are women.

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? t r a t s l l a t i Where did Since the 1960s, marketing teams of children's apparel and toys were mostly responsible for the trend of gender specific colours. Blue and pink products were seen as more specialized, and toys for boys and girls were aggressively marketed to parents. By the 1980s, the ‘gender test’ determining the sex of unborn babies played a major role in the marketing of baby apparel and the colours used to represent the sexes. Currently, years after toy companies started this trend, newborn babies are still brought home to their ready-made rooms filled with their first visual stimulants, with walls either painted light pink or sky blue.

Face the facts: In 2011, Vanessa LoBue and Judy DeLoache undertook a study that showed that children under the age of two showed no preference for the colour of their toys. However, at the age of four, when the children were more aware of their gender, boys began to reject pink toys. Gender segregation of toys leaves children unable to play with certain desired

Written by Megan Buttgen

toys due to the fear being mocked or ridiculed.

In the 1970s, Argos Toys were produced and sold in mostly gender neutral colors. It was found that over 80% of this company's doll houses and prams were pink by 2013.

Although the target market was for girls, in the 70s these toys were still welcoming to boys. The popular My Little Pony, a toy directed at girls which back in the 1980s clearly resembled a horse, has been given longer, slimmer legs, huge eyes complete with long fake eyelashes and a wavy mane.

What is that all about?

? e n o d e b o t s d e e n t Wha Toy designers need to stop assigning genders to toys and exaggerating unrealistic masculine and feminine characteristics. They should shift from organizing toys by gender to organizing them by themes. As the largest retail toy store in the US, Toys "R" Us could set a new standard for inclusiveness by breaking traditional gender stereotypes and offering all toys to everyone.

Let’s t alk about...

Floyd “Maniac” Mayweather and his history of domestic abuse.

We all know what was trending all over social media this weekend; Hurricane Harvey, Selena Gomez’s Instagram hack and most of all… The McGregor vs. Mayweather fight. It’s the one thing that people have not been able to keep quiet about, however, the only thing NOT being spoken of is one of the contender’s documented history of domestic abuse.

The fight had been spoken about and hyped up for months, even if you’d never watched a boxing fight, you’d fight yourself intrigued and rooting for one of the two man-machines to take the crown.

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With the so-called “Money Fight” set to happen in Las Vegas, people flew from all over the world and millions of dollars were spent; it was going to the most anticipated and most popular boxing fights of all time.

Many punches and dodges later, Floyd “Money” Mayweather was crowned the winner, earning over 100 million dollars. This was excellent news for millions of adoring fans, watching their idol take the Money Belt with a grin stretched across his face. However, there were definitely a couple of people who weren’t so happy to see this; namely, the women who have been seriously assaulted by Floyd Mayweather since 2001.

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12 In case you were completely unaware that Mayweather had a violent past; in 2001 he assaulted the mother of his eldest daughter by hitting her jaw with a car door and then punching her several times, in 2003, he was arrested for beating up two women in a nightclub and in 2011 he was again charged for abusing the mother of his children. As a result of these various assaults, he has been arrested, been on house arrest for a mere few days, had minimal hours of community service and even got released after 2 of his 3 month sentence. But yet; he is still praised as one of the most legendary sporting heroes of this generation. Seriously?

Can the media be blamed? Why aren’t they portraying this man as the violent, twisted man that he is?

Instead of painting him as an inspirational muse to all young boxers, why not make people aware of the pain/ scars that he has caused several women, including the mother of his children? The media is not helping this serious problem, as they choose to show the positive parts of Mayweather’s history, instead of educating people to make them aware of the reality of domestic violence.

Or are the fans to blame? What truly amazes me is how the public is willing to overlook Mayweather’s violent, misogynistic behaviour outside of the ring. This man should not be looked up to, but rather looked down upon for his horrific behaviour. The millions of people chanting his name do not help to bring justice to the women who found themselves at the end of his brutal outbursts.

By Harley Moriarty

Mayweather vs.

McGregor fight labelled

“Fight of the Century”

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FIFTY SHADES

OF CLICHÉ?

Feeling like a movie night? Why not grab a blanket, some popcorn and cuddle up to an hour and a half of sexual, domestic abuse degrading women? Or as some call it… 50 Shades of Grey.

Although the novel and movie have received immense fame, even setting a record in the United Kingdom as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, it has received just as much criticism and anger. Nearly every interaction between Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic romance Anastasia and Grey conforms to tradinovel by E. L. James, has topped besttional gender roles; the man being domiseller lists all around the world and after nant, powerful and emotionless, whereas being adapted as a the women is romanfilm, has become and submissive. It “THESE BOOKS AND tic one of the most can be argued that the popular movies of OTHERS LIKE THEM story romanticizes an the century. How- SERVE TO abusive relationship ever, it has been unbetween the two main BRAINWASH WOMEN der heat from many characters, as their “rocritics, labelling the INTO THINKING mance” is actually just movie as sexist and THAT A WEALTHY Ana obeying Grey’s orhighly stereotypical ders, including many MAN WILL SAVE towards women. sexual activities which THEM, OR THAT she is not comfortable The storyline folwith. lows a dark relation- LOVE IN THE FORM ship between Chris- OF SACRIFICE WILL It is doing very little tian Grey, a billion- REDEEM THEM, ALL to help the fight aire businessman, against gender inequalTHE WHILE and Anastasia ity and sexism, as it REINFORCING Steele, a shy stuclouds the difference dent who first NOTIONS OF THEIR between love and lust meets Grey at an in- OWN LACK OF SELFand tells young girls terview. Anastasia that they should deWORTH AND is intimidated by sire a relationship INEQUALITY.” the powerful man where they are ‘propand the pair find VIVIAN WINSLOW erty’ to a man. Mr. themselves Grey is no Romeo and strangely drawn to girls should be taught each other. Ana finds herself longing for to avoid such dominant and possessive a romance with him, although he exman, not get into bed with them. The presses that his tastes are singular and renovel is said to have set back another genquires her to surrender herself to him. eration of women and their struggles for Grey urges her to give up all control and gender equality, by portraying woman as experiment sexually with him, through submissive and weak, forced to be conbondage and punishment methods. trolled by a man.

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BY HARLEY MORIARTY

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 5. Possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men.

9. Sexually attracted to both men and women.

10. Prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.

12. The sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity.

13. Socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

14. A hierarchical-structured society in which men hold more power.

15. Relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.

16. Possession of the qualities traditionally associated with women.

17. Hatred towards men

DOWN 1. Dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people.

2. The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

3. Sexually attracted to people of one's own sex.

4. Make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, sex or age.

6. The biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.

7. A person whose gender identity differs from the cultural expectations of the sex they were assigned at birth.

8. Hatred towards woman.

11. The state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunities.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT

D

o you remember the magical times when you would wake up with the excitement of chugging down a bowl of glazed and sugar-coated flakes while reading about the insane adventures of your favorite female mascot on the back of the cereal box? Neither do I. Cornelius the Rooster, Coco the Monkey, Pico the Dog, our best bro Tony the Tiger and of course the original hipsters Snap, Crackle and Pop prove that not all superheroes wear capes, as the underrated heroes of our childhoods made every morning a golden dream.

Yet notably absent from these memories is the presence of any female real mascots.

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cereal mascots. In fact, their presence is predominantly absent in the entire cereal market of South Africa.

Bokomo, the largest cereal brand in South Africa, alone has incorporated only one female mascot on one of their nine brands of breakfast cereals while all of the cereal mascots on Kellogg's South Africa nine brands of breakfast cereals are dominated by male characters.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Cereal mascots are the fictional icons that every cereal lover admires to be. Yet the clear elimination of women mascots on cereal brands fuels the fire of the existing patriarchal society which women are desperately trying to escape, as it subtly enforces the

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When Reinvented Magazine approached Kellogg’s South Africa with the issue they failed to respond about the clear exclusion of female mascots on their products which just reiterates the question on “why is there a significantly smaller amount of female mascots than male?

SO WHERE ARE THE FEMALES? Though a small minority of cereal brands have used women to advertise their products, these cereal companies intentionally use a woman to highlight their exterior features such as their ‘slim

figures’ and ‘tiny waists’. By only using woman's sex appeal to promote products, are cereal companies blatantly indicating that women are incapable of making something desirable unless they are making their bodies appealing towards the viewer.

There is no doubt that we do not love our male cereal mascots, but I strongly believe that a female on the box would not change much. Caroline the Rooster, Chanel the Monkey and Tammy the Tiger all sound pretty good to me.

CHEW ON THAT.

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The Wage Gap In Sports 1900 was the first year that women were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games and since then, many women have become sporting heroes and legends, breaking records and setting the bar exceedingly high. Yet, men who participate at the same level as these women get paid often double or triple their salaries. In 2017, is it not time for this highly unfair and forever widening pay gap to close?

The huge pay gap between men and women in sport is not helping to fix the fundamental problem of gender inequality within our society. Women put in hours and hours of hard work and train until breaking point, but then receive a check half the size of their male friends. For example, take Wayne Rooney, England’s top male football earner, who rakes in a whopping £300k per week. Then, look at Steph

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(Above) Serena Williams plays in one of the only sports to pay men and women equally - tennis.

Houghton, England’s top female football earner, who earns £35k per YEAR. Why is the best female player earning a mere 2,1% of the best male player’s salary?

The top three sports with the highest pay gaps are golf, soccer and cricket. Many people argue that male players deserve to be paid higher salaries, since they bring in large crowds of supporters and make large

“Women put in hours and hours of hard work and train until breaking point, but then receive a check half the size of their male friends” sums of money for businesses and advertising companies, just for putting their faces on the front cover. Although this is true, there are generally more people supporting a male sports game than a female one, but this is not because the women are less talented or are not working as hard. This is because the media chooses to only advertise male games and will make a big deal out of the men’s games, however, if women’s sport received this kind of publicity, it would probably obtain around the same amount of support.

Research into other examples of a severe gender inequality in the sporting pay gap bring up many scary facts. For example the Fifa Men’s World Cup prize money is $576 million in addition to what the players make out of doing adverts for the huge event, yet the prize money for the Fifa Women’s World Cup is only $15 million. Another example is when the International Cricket Council paid for all of the men’s

teams to fly business, while the women’s seats were all booked in economy. The US Women's National Soccer Team have won three World Cups, whereas the US Men's National team have never made it past the quarterfinals, yet the men are earning more. How does this make sense?

However, there are a few sporting codes that are trying to close the pay gap, and treat women and their salaries equally. For example, Grand Slam, a major tennis tournament, pays men and women an equal amount of prize money, even though the men constantly earn more in means of scholarships and endorsements. The large, gender-based pay inequality in many sports is a huge issue that needs to be solved, and many sports need to realise this and help to close the gap forever.

Written by Nicholas Hanel.

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MEN IN

MAKEUP Men wearing makeup has become one of the most controversial topics of 2017. Some are strongly against it and consider makeup solely for women, whilst others question if women can wear it, why can men not?

Reasons Why Guys Should Definitely Never Makeup was written by Emma Webster and released by the Odyssey.

In this article, 4 reasons are given why men should not wear makeup. These reasons include, “makeup is for girls,” “makeup looks completely ridiculous 22

and unnatural on guys,” “girls don’t like guys who wear makeup” and “there’s just no reason for guys to wear makeup’. All these reasons seem very immature and are given by a person who has a very old state of mind.

The Case for Why Men Should Wear Makeup was written by Lux Alptraum and released by Quartz. This article mentions the importance of forgetting the old ideas of masculinity and realizing that men wearing makeup is more than just being a drag queen, but enhancing their appearance to feel more

than just being a drag queen, but enhancing their appearance to feel more comfortable in their own skin. It states that sexism holds both men and women back and discourages men from using makeup as a form of personal expression. This article shows a more mature and up-to-date view on this topic.

These two articles have two very different views about males wearing makeup but why is it still a big issue? Both men and women suffer from bad acne and dark circles under their eyes. Like it says in the Quartz article, women use makeup to cover insecurities so there shouldn’t be an issue with men doing the same.

Majority of makeup adverts are of women, however, it is time that marketing companies take into consideration the amount of men that use their products. They should use both men and women in advertisements to attract more people to buy their products. With men being in cosmetic adverts, it will show the world that men wearing makeup is normal and you should not have a problem with it.

More and more men are wearing makeup and it is be coming normal to

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see. At first, it was understandable for people to have an opinion like the Odyssey article, because it is a new thing to see. But now that it has become more and more popular, it has also become more normal. People should stop getting involved in other people’s business and let them live life how they want to live it.

Men wearing makeup does not affect you or offend you, so why should you care what they do with their lives?

Wesley B. Carter (front cover) is a famous social media influencer, most well-known for his male makeup skills. Carter has millions of followers on his media platforms and is a prime example of a genderstereotype-breaking individual.

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This advert from the 1950s shows a woman with a beer, “the drink of men.� If it was fine back then, why is it a problem now for women to drink beer?

SEXISM IN

THE EYES OF A SWEDISH SCHOLAR GABRIELLA NUNES

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Exclusive Interview:

SHONDA RHIMES Shonda Rhimes, 47, is the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, and is the executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder three shows that have one thing in common; they all have women as their lead characters. Today, Shonda is here with us to speak of her three hit shows and what encouraged her to break the gender barrier to put women at the top.

This is a fictional interview by 27

HARLEY MORIARTY

Welcome Shonda, thank you for joining us here today.

Thank you, I’m very glad to be here.

So, today we want to discuss gender equity, especially when it comes to the media. All three of your biggest hit TV shows - Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder - have a woman cast as the lead role. What was your reasoning for doing that?

TV show when all they do is cry after men and get ordered around by successful or powerful men. It’s boring and stereotypical. Women aren’t just “background characters” in real life, so why portray them like that?

Wow, I’d never thought of it like that. So finally, do you consider yourself to be a feminist?

Of course, I think everyone should be a feminist, regardless of gender. It When I first came up with the ideas seems ridiculous to me that women for these shows, a lead woman was are still being oppressed and not just part of the vision. It didn’t even given equal opportunities; this has cross my mind that it would be more been going on for way too long. I’m practical to base the show on a man proud to be a feminist and I’m glad and have women as secondary char- that shows like mine will be at least a acters, less vital to the plot. step towards gender equity in the media.

Some have said that your shows would have received more popular- Thank you Shonda, it’s been a pleasity and views if the lead characters ure having you. had been male. What are your Thank you! I just hope people read thoughts on this? this and realise how silly the media’s I would rather lose a couple of sexist sexism is. It’s time to empower viewers watching my shows than con- women, and I hope my shows can form to gender inequality when it help to do so. comes to media. It genuinely shocks me that it makes a difference to people whether a woman is on screen “It genuinely shocks 90% of the time rather than a man. I believe women deserve bigger roles on screen and it’s time for men to step me that it makes a aside and let our leading ladies shine.

I agree completely. But not all viewers were critical; in fact, many have praised you for creating such strong, independent woman in your shows.

Yes, I knew I wanted to create that image when I first started with the shows. I’m so tired of seeing women as secondary characters on other 28

difference to people whether a woman is on screen 90% of the time rather than a man.”

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This advert was illustrated

by Megan Bütttgen

Don’t sacrifice what you love for the bottle.

E I M A J K S N A M U L O C E C ADVI Got a question? Our expert Jamie Turnbull has an answer. See what she got today!

I’m a girl in 8th grade and my school is putting on a production of Oliver Twist. I really want to play the role of Oliver but I’m not a boy… what should I do?

You should sign up to audition for the role of Oliver. There is no rule saying that you have to be a male to play a male role in a play. With the help of make-up and costumes it very easy and possible for a female to play a male role. Your school should give you a fair chance at getting the role.

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I’m a teenage boy but I love fashion, my room is always spotless and I don’t really like sport… does that mean I’m gay?

No, this does not mean you are gay. Liking fashion, having a clean room or not liking sport is just stereotypes for gay individuals. These qualities are typically associated with gay people, thus causing people to think if you have some of these traits, you are gay. This is entirely incorrect, if you have some of these qualities it does not mean anything, and we need to try and break through these gender stereotypes. Not doing or believing in things that conform to the normal “man” does not mean you are gay.

I really want to play rugby at school but I’m a girl and my school only offers boys rugby… what should I do?

You should sign up for boys rugby, you might get a few weird looks but just ignore them. As a woman, you will be able to offer a different set of skills to the team, making your contribution just as essential to the team as any of the boys. If you are not allowed to play with the boys, ask around the girls and see if any of them are also interested in playing. If you get a positive response, look at starting your own team; no one should be excluded from anything, just because you are a different gender.

I am taking a girl to dinner as a date on Saturday night but I don’t have a lot of money… Do I have to pay for both of us?

Is it wrong if I don’t?

No, paying for her meal should not be expected of you, it is a polite gesture that can be made by either of you. A good solution is suggesting to split the bill, or you pay this time and she pays next time. Some women even see it as sexist to pay for the full bill because you are assuming that a women cannot afford to pay for their own meal. So no, it is not wrong if you do not pay for the full dinner and you definitely should not be expected to. If she expects it, she’s not the one for you!

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S u r v E Y

G e n d e r

R o l e s

This survey was created by Reinvented Magazine

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Re vie wb yG ab rie lla Nu ne s

HIDDEN FIGURES -

A review on the Golden Globe nominated, three-time Oscar Awards winning film, Hidden Figures.

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f society was able to grasp the idea that a human could be projected at a whopping speed of light into a gigantic space of darkness and successfully orbit the earth, then surely it should be easy for society to comprehend the world where men and women are treated equally.

Based on the non-fiction novel set in the 1960’s by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures is a captivating 2016 biographical film, directed by Theodore Melfi. It tells the liberating stories of three extraordinary African female mathematicians who played a part in successfully launching the first American, John Glenn, into earth's orbit at NASA during the time of complete gender and racial oppression.

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The film brilliantly captures the severity of sexism and racism in the American Kyriarchy society in the 1960’s.

Theo powerfully describes the horrific injustices and the emotional abuse experienced by the trio, when they were promoted from working behind the scenes as ‘human computers’ to a working center stage on one of the greatest operations in history. The film focuses on the hardships faced by Katherine Johnson, exceptionally played by Taraji P. Henson, who has to cope with the weighty responsibility of being a single parent to four while trying to break through historical class ceilings in a shatterproof environment.

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Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae delivered a captivating performance in portraying the severity of sexism.

Theo’s work is absolutely liberating.

With his genius script and brilliant directing, he captivates and anchors you into the heart of the film, evoking every emotion.

He incorporates humour, drama and anguish while completely redefining society's gender stereotypes by creating female main characters of colour who are independent, liberal, intellectual, zealous and are trusted in high positions in the workplace.

The characters are truly powerful as these women who are pretty much our modern day's feminist superheroes.

My Rating:

“Absolutely liberating” In all, Hidden figures is a remarkable and passionate film that strongly empowers woman of all colour to continue to push through the many sexist and racial barriers placed within society.

I would highly recommend this book to all especially women as I trust that after exposing yourself to this phenomenal film, you will be left feeling liberated and appreciative the fierce and brave women who remained empowered and driven to break through society’s glass ceilings.

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Game Of Thrones is an American fantasy drama series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on the series of novels called “A Song Of Fire and Ice� by George R. R. Martin. The series is set in the medieval times on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos.

The story consists of three main plot lines. The Seven Kingdoms, Across The Wall and the Narrow Sea. Each of The Seven Kingdoms are unique and differ from each other as they all consist of different cultures, beliefs and traditions. The Kingdoms are based all around the globe. Each Kingdom is run by a king and queen or the equivalent in their cultures. Some of the kingdoms are allies, while some of them are at war with each 35 other.

by Nic ho las Ha ne l

The Wall is a large structure that stretches for 300 miles and is said to be 700 feet tall. It separates the Northern border of the Seven Kingdoms from the White Walkers and Wildlings that live beyond the wall. The Wall has guardians who are sworn to live and protect The Wall for life. The Narrow Sea lies on the east side of Westeros and it separates Westeros from the larger continent of Essos.

Game Of Thrones degrades women, while praising them at the same time, somehow. Women are exploited because they lack the physical strength that men have and therefore women are raped and are forced to have sex 35

unwillingly because they lack the strength to defend themselves. Women are being used for pleasure by men and visa versa. Women also become sexual slaves to the kings and are therefore seen as objects and are dehumanized.

Game Of Thrones praises women in the sense that there are many main characters that are women and there are many queens that are strong women who lead kingdoms. Women do also exploit men sexually by taking advantage of them when the men are most vulnerable. It is not only the men who dominate physically but the women who take advantage of the men emotionally and physically to satisfy their needs. I believe that many people don't see this when watching Game of Thrones and these people believe that the show is solely disgracing women, however, I do not believe this to be the case.

In my opinion, Game Of Thrones is a very intriguing series because of its large amount of versatile characters and uniqueness to other series, making it like nothing I have watched before. The storyline is often complex and complicated but once you get into it the story it becomes exceptionally addictive.

The show consists of a lot of violent content that some people may find too graphic. In my opinion, I think it is necessary because it gives the viewer an idea of what things were like in those times.

There is a lot of sexual behavior and therefore I would not recommend the series to anybody of a young age or anyone who would find this offensive.

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Rating:

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Reviews:

Written by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

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Review by: Gabriella Nunes In 2003, the award winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, brought about yet another phenomenal novel, Purple Hibiscus. Living in Post-Colonial Nigeria, timid 15-yearold Kambili Achike tells her compelling story of retrieving her identity from her abusive, oppressive and religious father Eugene’s control. The novel touches on the political and economic instability in Nigeria, sexism and the effect of colonisation in Nigeria.

go back home and live under their oppressive father's ways.

In the novel, Adichie reiterates the dangers of a single story through the creation of complex and versatile characters. The novel scores through Adichie’s subtle, yet powerful, touch on silent world issues such as sexism and the extreme impact of colonization on African countries. Adichie has the ability to place her readers into the mind of Kambili and enables them to relate and Eugene's discipline and brutal enforce- feel her endless spectrum of deep emoment of Western Culture and a patriar- tions which allows the oppression Africhal system onto his family strip them can women face to be truly reflected in from their African roots and barricades this novel. their own identity formation as his authority silences them.When things The dehumanizing physical and emobegin to fall apart in Nigeria and Kam- tional abuse faced by the woman in the bili and her older brother, Jaja, are novel emphasise the severity of sexism sent to visit their aunt in Nsukka, they in our modern society which is why Purare exposed to a liberating world, ple Hibiscus is highly respected by paradoxical to the oppressed social feminist activists and shows the chalenvironments they are used to. The lenges faced by teenagers when dispair begin to discover their own identi- covering their own identities and why I ties and inner voices in unexpected would strongly recommend this to all ways while experiencing their previteenagers. ously suppressed Igbo traditions for the first time. However, the problems My rating: 38 creep back in when they are forced to

Review by: Harley Moriarty Purple Hibiscus, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is set in post-colonial Nigeria and follows the story of Kambili Achike, a young girl oppressed and restricted by the high walls built by her religious father, Eugene. From growing up in a rigid home, as a member of a privileged, catholic family that is dominated by her father, Kambili does not speak unless spoken to and has never heard her own laughter. Other issues within the family happen behind tightly closed doors, such as Papa Eugene, a highly-respected man within the community, beating his wife and children as a punishment.

When Nigeria begins to disintegrate under a sudden military coup, Kambili and her brother, Jaja, are sent away to stay with Eugene’s sister, Aunt Ifeoma. In this home, Kambili experiences a whole new world of love and laughter, where they soon begin to discover their own unique individuality and a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority.

The novel then follows Kambili through her journey of finding her own voice and becoming a women.

As the children start to rebel against their father’s strict rules, Kambili’s family unit begins to deteriorate and tensions slowly increase.

I thoroughly enjoyed this eye-opening story that explores the hardships that many women, especially traditional African women, go through every day. Purple Hibiscus also looks into the danger of a single story, focusing on the many stereotypes that appear within the novel; such as that of religious people and the appearance of domestic abusers. Pape Eugene, the strongly religious and extremely generous man that he is, would appear to not lay a finger on another person, however this novel emphasizes the importance of pushing these stereotypes aside.

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a phenomenal writer, with a first-hand experience of many of her magnificent stories. She captures the true beauty of Kambili’s development and the true pain behind the struggles, without the characters even speaking. I believe this book is truly outstanding and would recommend everyone to get their hands on it. However, since the content

can often be distressing and violent, I recommend it more to older audiences, as many of the traumatic experiences within the novel may be hard to read.

My rating:

Review by: Megan Büttgen Purple Hibiscus is a coming-of-age novel by a Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The novel is set in postcolonial Nigeria, a country at the time experiencing political instability and major economic issues.

The story is told through the eyes of a teenage girl, Kambili Achike. Her wealthy family lives in a patriarchal household controlled by her Catholic father, Eugene, who throughout the novel shows the dangers of fundamentalism, by how seriously he takes religiously. He plays a violent and dominant figure in the family home, physically and psychologically abusing his wife Beatrice, Kambili and her older brother Chukwuka (Jaja).

The story exhibits the disintegration of the Achike family, as well as the adolescent Kambili and the struggles she faces as she matures.

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A prominent part of the story is when the children spend time in Nsukka at the house of their aunt, Ifeoma, with their three cousins. This household offers a happy and liberal place that encourages freedom of speech; the polar opposite to what Kambili and Jaja experience at home. Like the Achike family, Ifeoma’s family is Catholic but practice Catholicism in a manner which is strange to Kambili. In this new but encouraging environment Kambili and Jaja become more open and are able to voice their opinions for the first time.

While staying in Nsukka, Kambili experiences intimate love for the first time with a young priest, Father Amadi. After Eugene causes Mama to have her second miscarriage, she can no longer cope with Eugene’s continual violence so poisons him, but Jaja takes responsibility for the

crime. Aunty Ifeoma and her family move to America after she is unjustly discharged from her job at the University of Nigeria. The novel ends three years later with Kambili, now aged eighteen, a confident young woman, while her brother is soon to be released from prison, hardened but not broken by his experience there. Beatrice, Â however, has been immensely psychologically weakened. Â This book is universal in the sense that there are a variety of diverse characters, each with their own abilities, opinions and faults. Anyone, regardless of culture, morals and social

status is guaranteed to relate to and sympathise with at least one of the characters in this novel.

To me, the themes brought up in this book were compelling because they are not commonly addressed in coming-of-age novels, especially not in the explicit manner seen in the book. I would recommend this book to a mature audience, from seniors in high school and above, as it explores mature topics such as violence, death and oppression, that can be disturbing to a younger audience.

My rating:

Review by: Nicholas Hanel Purple Hibiscus is a fictional book written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and published by Algonquin Books in October 2003 that takes place in Nigeria. The story follows Kambili Achike, a 15 year old girl who has grown up in a wealthy family in Enugu.

Her family consists of her mother Beatrice, her brother Jaja and her father Eugene who is a very powerful, wealthy and well-respected man.

Eugene is very Catholic man who is high up in the church, yet when

people cannot see, he violently abuses his wife and children.

The story starts at a later stage in the book when Jaja misses communion and this makes his father angry.

Throughout the book, Eugene mits violent acts against his family members causing his wife to lose her unborn child. Kambili and Jaja spend time at their Aunt Ifeoma’s house, which really opens up their eyes to see 41 what it is like to live in a different

environment where there is true love and no violence. It is a nurturing environment which encourages people to speak their minds, which is very unusual to Kambili and Jaja.

At the end of the story, Beatrice is unable to live with her husband’s continual violence on her and her children, so she poisons Eugene, but Jaja takes the blame and goes to prison.

The end of the story takes place 3 years later, where Aunt Ifeoma and her children have moved to America and Jaja is about to be released from prison. When the book ends, it shows that Beatrice is scarred psycologically and physically yet Beatrice is a whole new, independent person.

In the beginning of the book, Kambili is a very reserved and shy person but as the book goes on and she starts to

spend more time away from home, Kambili comes out of her shell and starts to become more confident and talkative. In the beginning, she is filled with fear but in the end she has become outgoing and independent, making her a dynamic character.

I found Purple Hibiscus a very entertaining book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The style of writing was exceptionally captivating and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next throughout the story. The book is a feminist piece of work, since Beatrice was strong enough to protect her children even through her abuse. This shows the strength of Beatrice and women. I highly recommend this book to anybody over the age of 16 years old as the book explores sensitive topics for younger readers.

My rating:

Review by: Jamie Turnbull Purple Hibiscus follows the life of Kambili and her family. Her father, Eugene is a very respected man in Enugu, Nigeria. He is a catholic man and appears very strict when it comes to his children. Kambili’s mother, Beatrice, is a submissive woman who takes 42

abuse from her husband on a daily basis, however Jaja, Kambili’s brother, shows more defiance than the rest of the family by standing up to Eugene.

Eugene provides his children with very strict schedules and if they are not followed, they find themselves in severe

trouble which leads to receiving abuse.

issue with people not speaking out about certain issues. If Beatrice spoke about her problems at home, she could have saved her children from being abused by Eugene. This book opens your eyes to real issues out there. This book is perfect for school use as it teaches students about very important issues that occur throughout the novel.

Kambili and Jaja visit their aunt, Ifeoma, in Nsukka where they experience a new way of living. Back home, they live a luxurious life, Aunty Ifeoma, however, lives in a small apartment with no running water, but Kambili finds her Aunt’s home more ‘homey’.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in Abba, Nigeria in 1977, and went to school and university in Nsukku. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including; Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Shortlist (2004) and Man Booker Prize Nominee for Longlish (2004) and many more.

Kambili changes as she starts to come out of her shell, by learning to laugh and opening up to people, such as Father Amadi who she soon develops feelings for. Kambili’s mother becomes tired of how Eugene treats his family and ends up poisoning his tea. Eugene becomes very weak until he eventually dies, yet Jaja takes the blame for the death of his father.

In conclusion, this book is worth reading and provides insight to how tough people’s lives can be. It shows that you should put yourself outside your comfort zone to be able to learn new things, just like Kambili when she lived with Aunty Ifeoma.

At the beginning of the book Beatrice is submissive to Eugene, following the stereotype that men are the dominant one in the relationship, however, this changes when Beatrice kills Eugene and she becomes the dominant one. This is a powerful book showing the issues of a broken home; corrupt government and the

My Rating:

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