Psychoanalysis and Feminist Theory on the Brain : A Stream of Consciousness
As most of you know (if you read the blog before this one) I went to see Dracula a ballet performed by the Western Ballet Company (did I get it right Vivi?) And I LOVED it. Sure the guys in tights were good enough to eat, but thats not the only reason why I really liked it. While I was checking out the cute buns prancing around I was reminded of "Phantom of the Opera" which I know most of you guys don't like but I LOVE. Then I connected the two things.... the bad guys turn the good girls bad. (A simplification of two great works of art, but there nonetheless.) There is something about the "bad boy" that we just love, not because we can change them (because changing men are as possible as a free-frizz day in Puerto Rico) but because they will turn the "good girl" bad. A perfect example is the movie "Grease." The best part of the movie is when "Sandra Dee" turns into a sex kitten and practically jumps on Zuko's bones at the end. true that he was willing to make a compromise to get the girl but it only lasted two minutes top. So the question becomes, why do the women change for the men? Is it because we want to change for ourselves or for them (men)? Sure we live in the twenty-fucking- first century, but have we really changed the stereotypes that Simone De Beauvoir spoke of in "The Second Sex." Do we really have to think of women as dualities (ur either the virgin or the nympho)? Or can we really say in the words of Meredith Brooks "Im a bitch, Im a lover, Im a child, Im a mother, Im a sinner, Im a saint, I do not feel ashamed, Im your hell, Im your dream, Im nothing in between. You know you wouldnt want it any other way. So take me as I am. This may mean youll have to be a stronger man. Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous, And Im going to extremes, Tomorrow I will change, And today wont mean a thing." It all sounds good, but are we there? How are we going to make a difference? What can I do?
Conclusions: There are none. But I think that if we all do our little grain of sand to help things along in the long run it will get better. Optimistic view for someone so negative as me, I know. Shocking isn't it? Maybe Thea is rubbing off on me? LOL By the way thanks Thea for making me think a little(remembering taking Gender Media and Pedagogy)! Good times, good times.
PS. Sorry Stella for mentioning all the theory you are so tired of. *eek*
Conclusions: There are none. But I think that if we all do our little grain of sand to help things along in the long run it will get better. Optimistic view for someone so negative as me, I know. Shocking isn't it? Maybe Thea is rubbing off on me? LOL By the way thanks Thea for making me think a little(remembering taking Gender Media and Pedagogy)! Good times, good times.
PS. Sorry Stella for mentioning all the theory you are so tired of. *eek*
posted by Sharon Mendez at 5:53 PM
2 Comments:
Wowza! Now there's some theory for you.
Have we gone past the stereotypes that DeBouvoir (or however thats spelled) talks about? Nope. You're either the angel in the house or the hoe (sp?) on the streets. I was watching "Malena" today with a DIS (Directed Individual Study) group at the university today and the film deals with this issue. Malena is either a devil the men crave and the women hate or an angel (married, of course) both men and women love. Same issues...
As for men changing women, it happens all the time. They either turn them into devils or pretty, delicate angels to have and to mold. Or they save them from something. We're just something to have fun with I guess.
What can we do? I don't know. Stop letting men (and women) portray women as commodities or objects? I dunno. I'm just trying to get used to being stared and gazed at. Once I get over that I'll start thinking about what to do to change the images of women in general.
Great post Sharon!
V.
You are so right. Here is my little theory about it.
Sometimes woman behave like predators. Why?, the "machista" concepts that are stapled into our brains since we are born get us to think that if we don't get the guy, some other gal will, and like it or not, this should hurt our pride,(or at least that's the established concept) sometimes unconsciously, because we do try to escape from this stereotypes and gender "clichés" but sometimes we just fall right into them, call it vanity, call it pride, call it cheerleader complex (no offense intended)or we can just call it stupidity, but it happens. And since the goal is to get the men, whether we go up or go down in order to stand to their level instead of them trying to stand to ours,(which is something stupid because i believe in equality)
Main idea of all this crap, In order to "hunt the prey", women will do whatever they have to, that's why the bad boy will never turn to the good boy in order to get the girl, but the girl will become the bad girl in order to get the boy.
That and the fact that a submissive willing to change woman is the perfect woman according to male stereotypes.
Snoopy
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