Watch Out!... For Women?

          In Susan J. Douglas's article, "Girls Gone Anti-Feminist", Douglas argues that the idea of "girl power" and "feminism" is an idea that is way too overrated in today's society. She argues that the media places unrealistic images and thoughts into women's heads about "how their lives should be" and how much they should spend being invested on improving  their lives. The images portrayed in the media "insist that purchasing power and sexual power are much more gratifying than political or economic power".  Douglas suggests that women have lost sight of their "place" in society and that wanting more than simplicity is something that has been put too high on a pedestal.
          Douglas's argument is that "women in fictional settings can be in the highest positions of authority, but in real life maybe not such a good idea." I completely disagree with her argument and her reasons for it. I believe that women haven't been trying hard enough to achieve that "power position" simply because it's not expected of from a women. I believe that women have so much more potential in many aspects of life whether that's in the form of political or personal power. I believe that women are expected to fail in today's society and that it's ideal to "be supported by a man" and to let the position of power be something "the man" attempts to achieve.  I believe that especially in today's generation, it's time for women to take their stand and tie for women to emphasize their place, emphasize their wants in the world and achieve that achievable goal of being in top and in power.


LINK TO ARTICLE:http://inthesetimes.com/article/5575/girls_gone_anti-feminist

B U T...

In "Media, Men Should Stop Objectifying Women" by Joanna Rothenberg, Rothenberg caught my attention by comparing women to beer bottles. Rothenberg argues that people accept women's seductive portrayal as something accepted in culture. She pulls in the reader by providing examples of advertisements that included women posing seductively advertising a product that is not relevant to the product. She made me realize that with women being portrayed a certain way in the media can cause women to think of themselves as objects that need to be a certain set of beauty. Her argument is pretty persuasive but I disagree when she suggests "But until the media starts to take women seriously, not as objects but as real people with real thoughts and feelings, I fear realistic representation is too far off," and when she mentions that women go exercising for a chance to escape the world and men take advantage of the opportunity to honk or whistle. I have to disagree because most women run to stay fit and to please the media's perception of beauty. By them exercising for the media's ideals it allows the media to choose the idea of beauty and continue to define it. If women want the media to take them serious I suggest women first start with themselves. Women should not let the images they see on TV or the media get to women's "thoughts and feelings." If women are "supposedly" these strong individuals then they will not let the thoughts of others perceptions on what you have to look like in this society get to them. I do agree with Rothenberg on the part of advertisement and I could see how these arguments can be persuasive to women, specifically teenagers.