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Bad Feminist-"Bad Feminist: Take One"/Roxane Gay/2014
http://www.roxanegay.com/bad-feminist/ (SY)
Roxane Gay has an exeptional view on what it truly means to be a feminist. She brings light to the many misconceptions of feminism and ways that we can stray away from the inaccurate depictions that many associate with this powerful word. In the chapter, Bad Feminist: Take One, Gay basically summarizes her main points behind her essays in Bad Feminist. One of her main points was no matter if women are standing up for gender equality or adhering to society and being the "good" woman they are expected to be, we seem to face judgment either way. "The thing is, I am not all sure that feminism has ever suggested women can have it all. This notion of being able it have it all is always misattributed to feminism when really, it's human nature to want it all--to have cake and eat it too without necessarily focusing on how we can get there and how can make 'having it all' possible for a wider range of people and not just the lucky ones" (Gay 309). I think the main point that Gay is trying to get at is that it seems there is no way for women to win.
I agree that feminism has definitely been misinterpreted throughout history; I once had a completely inaccurate view of what it truly means to be a feminist. The sole meaning behind feminism continues to be overshadowed by those who go on believing that there is a particular way to be a woman and a feminist. One thing that Gay takes issue with is “essentialist” feminism which basically means that there is a right or wrong way to be a feminist. Essentialism, as Gay calls it, suggests that there is a prescribed set of rules on how to be a "good" feminist and creates a stereotype that feminists hate all men, don't shave, hate sex and only focus on their careers. This narrow perception of feminism prevents people from having multiple points of view which creates a false portrayal of what truly being a feminist means and continues to warp the image of feminists. It is unfortunate that there seems to be expectations that are impossible for women to adhere to no matter what role we choose to play in society. What I personally got out of this chapter was there are no “good” or “bad” feminists. Although Gay percieves herself to be a bad feminist, I don’t agree. There is no right or wrong way to be a feminist just as there is no right or wrong way to be a woman. To be a feminist, in my opinion, you simply just have to believe in the sole meaning behind the movement.
The Reckonings-"Againt Whiteness"/Lacy M. Johnson/2018
http://www.lacymjohnson.com/ (SY)
Lacy Johnson’s The Reckonings brings light to the many topics that are frequently silenced in the world. I really respect how Johnson never shies away from the truth. One chapter brings attention to a serious problem in the U.S. relating to race; a touchy subject for many to openly talk about in this day in age. The chapter “Against Whiteness” is based around the issue that people aren’t sticking up for each other in situations when racism becomes a factor. I do believe that racism is still relevant today, something which I have never been able to understand, but another problem arises when we are aware of racism and don’t do anything about it. Most of the time, as Johnson writes, it is white people who refuse to speak up when they see the mistreatment of people of color. “”Where the fuck were you?” she asked. I didn’t have an answer to that question, and none of the other white women in the room had an answer either. I was wrong to say nothing and I knew it. We all knew it.”(Johnson 114). Johnson thinks back to when she was in a college class and a white professor made some very racist remarks in a lecture. There were 4 people of color who were in that class, one of which decided to speak up and question this professor's meaning behind his teachings. The professor then attacked this brave girl for calling him out yet nobody stood up for her in response to this man’s rage.
Racism has fortunately gotten a little better over time but there are too many people in the world today who avoid speaking up for those still affected by racism. I am sure that a lot of the time this is unintentional by many solely due to the fact that society has affected the way people respond to certain situations. No matter if someone thinks something is right or wrong, I feel that people have become more afraid to voice their opinions in fear of judgment. As a society we need to begin pushing past this worry of being criticized by others and stick up for those that we care about and the things that we believe in. This may be a hard concept for some people to grasp but we have to start listening to those that are frequently silenced without responding in judgement or anger. Once we can all accept each other's differences and support one another no matter if we agree or disagree is when we will finally outgrow this ugly word called racism.
Let Your Life Speak-"Leading From Within"/Parker J. Palmer/2000
https://www.amazon.com/Let-Your-Life-Speak-Listening/dp/0787947350 (SY)
Parker Palmer’s book Let Your Life Speak sends a motivational message to his readers; an especially moving chapter that I read was called “Leading From Within”. “Leading From Within” embodies what it means to be a leader in a fast paced world. I really enjoyed this chapter because Palmer tells his story about how he learned how to be a leader to his community and for the things that he cares about. He was finally able to feel like he was a part of something and was able to overcome his paralyzing depression. He really emphasized the fact that in order to be a great leader you need to pay attention to how you handle your power. He also states that many people feel that they are unfit to be a leader mainly due to the fact that it comes off immodest and they also base their opinions off of leaders who are lacking in many great leadership qualities. “But modesty is only one reason we resist the idea of leadership; cynicism about our most visible leaders is another”(Palmer74). I agree with Palmer that modesty is the key component to why many great leaders don’t step up even when they feel it is necessary.
This chapter really spoke to me because I have always known I am a good leader, yet I question myself whenever I feel like I am being too stern and might give off the wrong impression of who I am as a person. I believe that this is a common feeling many people share throughout our society today. There are so many great leaders in the world that are too afraid to come forward and share their influential abilities because they are avoiding judgment from those around them. Unfortunately, this leaves room for many people who are not fit to have such authority to fill in the roles of those we need most. My hope is that not only those who are truly qualified to take on such leadership roles, but every person who feels like they are holding something back will push past the angst and doubt that prevents them from taking a stand. In my opinion, social media has been the main cause of this increase in concern of everyone else’s thoughts and opinions. How many likes a post got, who said what in your comments and how long it takes for someone to follow you back are just some examples of the sources which cause a build-up of anxiety on a daily basis. Personally I choose not to have social media solely because I noticed that it was affecting the way that I saw myself. I would constantly feel myself envying the appearance and the lives of others, then I began to realize that most of it does not portray an honest depiction of the world around us. I truly hope that people will begin revealing their true selves rather than hiding behind a false image for protection. In order for the world to turn to acceptance rather than judgement, we need to exhibit the rawness of our lives to those around us and break down that debilitating fear of ridicule that silently lives within us all.
The Laugh of the Medusa/Helene Cixous/1976
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173239?origin=JSTOR-pdf (SY)
‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ strongly advocates women to write because writing has a powerful connection to women's bodies. The story is about a beautiful woman named Medusa who was turned into a horrifying monster by another woman named Athena who resented her for her beauty. Medusa was pure until she was raped by Posiden who Athena was in love with. Athena punished Medusa for this even though she was forced into the act and turned her into a monster with venomous snakes as hair. Any time that someone looked at her they would turn to stone. In the end of the story Medusa was beheaded by Perseus, son of Zeus. Perseus then continued to use Medusa’s head to keep evil away, therefore she is not a monster but a source of good.
The author, Cixous, explains that the importance of women “writing themselves” roots from the fact that men have suppressed women for centuries and it is time to break away from the past and accept the new ways that feminism is shaping the future.‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ was meant to communicate this through a story. Cixous questions: why should women be afraid to express their sexual desires? There is a common double standard for women to be expected to say or act a certain way that does not apply to men. Examples of this are women are expected to act “ladylike” and to dress properly and modest whereas men typically are not judged for how they act or dress. Cixous states that writing has been pretty much run by men for centuries who use their platform to usually write about political matters. She talks about the New Women Movement which finally allows women the chance to let their voices be heard without being judged or ridiculed for it. This movement has begun a transformation of the social and cultural structure of society and continues to bring the possibility of change for all women in all different kinds of communities.
I strongly agree with this compelling argument from Cixous. There is something omnipotent about having the freedom to express yourself when writing, and that feeling should never be repressed from any person, man or woman. There is no question that women have been seen as the “weaker gender” for hundreds of years. Men have directly or indirectly dictated the reasoning behind just about everything including writing, solely due to women being looked down upon for no apparent reason. Women have always had something to say but they were just always too afraid to speak up. Fortunately, times are different now and we have more freedom to voice our truths, yet we still have further to go when it comes to being respected by those who continue to silence our voices.
The Reckonings-"What We Pay"/Lacy M. Johnson/2018
http://www.lacymjohnson.com/ (SY)
The climate crisis has affected more than anyone can imagine; oil corporations have a long history of being power hungry, are primarily focused on profits, and have desecrated life on and off of land. Lacy M. Johnson brings light to the devastating issues that oil corporations have inflicted on not only our society but most importantly our ecosystem in her essay, “What We Pay”. In the beginning of the essay, an environmental activist visits a college class to discuss the recent BP oil spill. She tells the class that those who rely on the oil industry were to stand on one side, and those who do not rely on the industry to stand on the other side. “Many of the students stood on the not at all side, I wanted to stand there too. But I remind my students that in Houston, everything is tied to the oil industry, even, and especially, art” (Johnson 94). It is extremely unfortunate that so many states in the U.S. are so reliant on the oil industry; many people don’t realize how dependent we truly are. Not only have oil spills destroyed shorelines and devastated sea life, but they have also affected those above water. People who help clean up after spills get sick with a wide range of environmental risks; many even losing their lives. As a crowd gathered to march in protest of the BP oil spill in Houston, Texas, an activist tells the crowd of the many years of environmental injustice. “In the early days we had rashes and respiratory problems, but now it’s moved into cancers, very aggressive cancers. In parts of where I live in Louisiana… they say they’re burying about a person a week”(Johnson 103-104). I personally feel overwhelmed with anxiety when the climate crisis comes to mind. Living in Georgia definitely does not make it easy to ignore the drastic changes of weather. I feel that the climate crisis is a common anxiety throughout the world, and even though people are near panic about it, they still choose not to do anything to make a difference; I’m guilty of this myself. I think this is because many choose to ignore the things that scare them, hoping their worries will eventually just go away. People are so focused on all of their own problems, they don’t stop to think about the issues shared among us all that need to be brought to attention. “We all have so many problems,” she says, “and because we can’t even solve our personal problems, like how to pay our rent, how can we even think about, much less solve, the bring problems we all have in common”(Johnson 100)? There are an awful lot of people who deny the fact that the climate is changing. The BP oil spill magnified the impact of oil around the world; people never realized this beforehand. The ice caps are melting, the sea levels are rising, and this is causing serious implications for cities, islands, and communities worldwide. Lands are drying out, and due to this, people are leaving their countries and trying to migrate to other countries who are not welcoming; this is globally affecting mass migration and immigration. There are people who are seriously impacted by the crisis. Even though I have not yet been touched by it, my friends and relatives have, whether it is an increased number of hurricanes on the east coast or unprecedented fires on the west coast. In spite of the fact that there are a lot of people who are still denyers, the youth of the world appear to be much more tuned into the future risk. Young environmental activists such as, 16 year old Greta Thunberg and Isra Hirsi, are getting attention for their ongoing fight to abolish the increasing environmental risks that are threatening the globe. Activism related to the climate crisis and pollution is spreading from nation to nation, and hopefully will continue to aid in preventing the loss of human lives and anomalous environmental conditions.
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSLz0YYsJHA
"Nasty Boys" By: Janet Jackson, Released: April 15, 1986 (RM)
Janet Jackson’s hit song “Nasty Boys” was released April 15, 1986. Jackson describes the crude behaviors of men towards women throughout the song and refers to these men as “Nasty Boys”. She begins the song by writing how you “Better be a gentleman, or you turn me off”. In the second verse she describes how the nature of disrespectful men is unlikely to change by writing “Nasty boys, don't ever change”. Jackson describes how the only kind of “nasty” that is acceptable is a “nasty groove” which in this context means to be a good dancer. The song proceeds to the chorus which consists of the repeated line “Nasty boys don’t mean a thing”. In the fourth verse Jackson goes into detail about how men specifically have disrespected her by calling her “baby” and trying to be intimate with her in public. She writes that she should be addressed “Miss Jackson if you're nasty”. The chorus is then repeated and after another verse in which Jackson asks rhetorical questions about “nasty boys” she brings the song to a close. Jackson artfully displays the crude way in which men treat women in the real world and how this should change through a simple and comedic song.
Janet Jackson uses attentive diction in her song “Nasty Boys” in order to hint at our societal culture of objectifying and mistreating women. She does this very slyly and tastefully by utilizing specific phrases that when analyzed further, obviously depict the crude and “nasty” nature of many men. In her song, Jackson writes that “I’m not a prude/I just want some respect/So close the door if you want me to respond”. In this verse she is actually describing how she does not mind getting physical with a man but would prefer that any intimate acts take place in the privacy of her own home. Obviously getting unwanted sexual attention in public is very disrespectful but somehow it is ingrained in our culture that it just isn’t that big of a deal when it happens and Jackson sheds light on this. Another prime example of Jackson’s clever diction is when she explains that “[Her] last name is control/No [her] first name ain’t baby/It’s Janet/Miss Jackson if you’re nasty”. In this verse she is taking back her body and is standing up for herself when she experiences sexual harassment. She explains now that she is the one that is in control and will only accept the upmost respect from a man and nothing less. This song was revolutionary during its time and still applies to today’s society as women are continuing to fight for equality and empowerment.
ink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeonBmeFR8o
"Hold Up" By: Beyonce, Released: April 23, 2016 (RM)
Beyonce’s 2016 Lemonade album takes listeners through a vast journey of heartbreak, infidelity, self-discovery, and personal struggles. This album will forever be remembered as it is truly original and nothing like it has been produced before. A lot of her album consists of her internal struggle with Jay-Z’s infidelity. She moves through questioning herself and her denial, her anger towards him, and her eventual forgiveness. She also makes it clear that she deserves better and that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. She is arguably one of the largest influencers in the world and this message will help give women the strength to know their worth when facing adversities in their own relationships. She also addresses specific struggles that African Americans face in America such as police brutality in several of her music videos through featuring the mothers of men shot and killed by police as well as several depictions of police cars. In one depiction Beyonce is laying on top of a police car in water as it slowly sinks. This imagery depicts that there is more to do in order to win the war against police brutality but that we can make a difference.
When focusing on the song “Hold Up” from Beyonce’s 2016 album Lemonade there is a lot that can analyzed. In this song she is questioning whether she is crazy for suspecting Jay-Z of cheating on her. In the third verse she sings “What’s worse, lookin’ jealous or crazy? Jealous or crazy? Or like being walked all over lately, walked all over lately/I’d rather be crazy”. This says a lot about the stereotypes that women face in relationships. She said she would “rather be crazy” than jealous which alludes to the fact that jealousy is a often a trait that is automatically assumed of women in relationships, more specifically women dating men and is seen as a negative one, even when their skepticism is justified. In the fifth verse she sings what if you “Never had the baddest woman in the game up in your sheets/ Would they be down to ride?/ No, they used to hide from you, lie to you”. She is essentially stating that she made him who he is today in his professional career and that he owes his success to her. She is making it very clear that she deserves better and that he should be grateful for a multitude of reasons that they are married. Because of her huge influence, these lines will give women the strength to stand up for themselves and know their value in their own relationships and other areas of life.
“everybody told me how good I looked, though” in the collection of poems The Princess Saves Herself in this By: Amanda Lovelace, Published: April 23, 2016 (RM)
The collection of poems titled The Princess Saves Herself in this One is a personal composition of Amanda Lovelace’s struggles as a woman. She focuses on her experiences with body image, eating disorders, the media’s portrayal of women, and sexual assault. Her poems are written in a style in which the reader feels like he or she is right there with her experiencing the same adversity in which some cases they probably are. She includes some rhyming in her poems, but primary uses descriptive imagery in short anecdotals to describe twenty-four of her more difficult life experiences. It is clear that she writes through a feminist lens and is bringing attention to many issues that young girls face in today’s society. The title The princess Saves Herself in this One really speaks to how today’s society is still instilling the ideas that women’s dependence on men is a necessity and even portrayed as charming in many beloved childhood books. Through her poems she is also bringing comfort to those who do experience severe body image issues in the fact that they are not alone and that its not something to be ashamed of as she is publishing a book of poems in which that is their focus.
Within Amanda Lovelace’s book of poems titled The Princess Saves Herself in this One, there is one poem titled “everybody told me how good I looked, though”. It addresses her body image issues as well as her eating disorders. Lines four through eight read “my mother told me / i was too fat/ & that I needed to / go on a diet / immediately”. This depicts how toxic the relationship between Lovelace and her mother was. It also speaks to how much is invested on young women to look a certain way. The word “immediately” is placed on its own line which indicates its importance as she did not have any other choice but to lose weight. In lines nine through seventeen Lovelace writes “for an entire year, / food barely passed / through my lips. / i did not even allow myself / to take a sip of water / because i wanted to be / so thin that i / could blow away / with the slightest breeze”. This indicates that after her mother told her to lose weight, she began having severe body image issues and developed an eating disorder. Even though she was unhealthy after losing so much weight, she still liked this version of her the best. All that mattered to her in this moment was that she measured up to her mom and other women and girls in her life. This poem sheds light on how the expectations set for young women to match a certain standard can truly be destructive to their physical and mental health.
link: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus
“Lady Lazarus” By: Janet Jackson, Published: 1965 (RM)
“Lady Lazarus” is a poem by Sylvia Plath that was estimated to be written in 1962 and published in 1965. This poem is a personal composition that addresses Plath’s many suicide attempts along with her struggle for freedom in the patriarchal and misogynistic eras of the 1950s and 1960s. It falls under the genre of confessional poetry which means that it uses the word “I” and is typically of a very personal nature. Sylvia Plath was somewhat a founder of this genre as it was just beginning to become a classification of poetry in the late 1950s. Sylvia Plath was born on October 27th, 1932 and died at only 30 years old on February 11th, 1963 by suicide. This date is significant because she wrote “Lady Lazarus” only a year or maybe even less than one before her death. This poem was arguably written during the darkest time of Plath’s life as she was clinically depressed and going through a separation with her husband. “Lady Lazarus” is a work of art that Sylvia Plath displays her raw emotion and complete vulnerability through expressing her overwhelming struggles with depression and her thoughts vengeance against her husband and men in general during this time period.
In the first stanza of her poem, Sylvia Plath writes “I have done it again. / One year in every ten / I manage it”. The “it” she is referring to is a suicide attempt. She describes herself in the next two stanzas as “A sort of walking miracle, my skin / Bright as a Nazi lampshade, / My right foot / A paperweight, / My face a featureless, fine / Jew linen”. Her description of her skin as a “walking miracle” depicts a vivid image of her surprise that she is still alive after all of her struggles. She also uses an oxymoron when describing her skin through the simile: “Bright as a Nazi lampshade”. A lampshade is something to prevent a light from being as bright and combined with the word Nazi points to a very gloomy and ominous disposition, especially considering the time period in which this was written as it was just 17 years after World Was II. Describing her face as a “featureless, fine Jew linen” shows that perhaps she is weakened and depressed with the use of the words “fine” and “featureless”. Her tone in these first few stanzas are very different than her tone in later stanzas of the poem in which she writes “Herr God, Herr Lucifer / Beware / Beware. / Out of the ash / I rise with my red hair / And I eat men like air.” She is now literally warning Lucifer and God that when she does die, she will have a vengeance to seek. She has almost embraced her suicide which happened very shortly after she wrote this and will be free in a way from her husband and any other causes of her stress. She becomes so powerful in the last two lines as she says she will “rise with [her] red hair” after she has passed and that will “eat men like air”
"From Hollywood ‘Pretty girl’ to Empowered Novelist"
By Lisa Schwarzbaum – New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/books/review/susanna-moore-miss-aluminum.html
Article about Susanna Moore
Summary: (DS)
In this New York Times article, it speaks on the life of Susanna Moore, at first a novelist, a pretty girl, a model in the 1960’s-70’s-and 80’s. The article talked about her life growing up. Her mother passing away at a young age, and her father not giving a rat’s ass about her, so she moved near the big city to live with her grandmother and hopefully making something out of herself. As the article goes on, she began to audition for shows and modelling careers. She had her first offer to show off jewels, and this is also known as “Miss Aluminum” (1960’s). She was young and fearful at the age of 17 living the model life every young girl dreamt of. She then got a connection in fashion, a designer by the name of Oleg Cassini signed her because of her beauty and long legs. She modeled in NYC on the Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show”. She then later got raped in a hotel room by Oleg Cassini – he took advantage of her and her beauty. He began to sexual assault her, and told her that she can continue her career as a model If she will continue to let him abuse her. Word finally comes out about this issue, and her life story. She took risky sexual choices with not caring about what it might do to her mind. The article states at the end that through the #MeToo lens she became judgement free by the people in society. People saw her as powerful because she wanted to make something of herself. She came, she saw, she took notes, and she left and became one dang good novelist and wrote about her life, and career, and also female autonomy.
Response:
This article was a good read. I did not know about this story until I read all of this article. But to say the lease, I personally believe that females in the glamour and the fame right now are being more abused than others think. They have the power of beauty and males will do anything to take advantage of that and hopefully get inside the women’s brain. The article stated that people after the stories came out, they saw Moore as a powerful woman to do what she wanted to do to make herself known in the world. She was seen as a beautiful woman that people could not take their eyes off of. She realized later that what happened to her was wrong and then she even made herself known by her books. It is hard for women to get abused and feel like they are still powerful, but this is a good example of what could happen if this were you. She stood up for herself and became more powerful than anyone could have ever thought. Ladies, stay strong out there if you are getting taken advantage of. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And there is such thing called, Karma, and it’s a bitch.
“How to be a Girl Boss” – Girl Boss Habits - Delainey Saxon
By: Jess Brooke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQ0hP46f4o
Summary :
Jess speaks to others that watch her channel by giving woman the opportunity to become a “Girl Boss”. She tries to inspire women as they go through their daily lives in being productive, happy, and try to have their life together. Jess gives beauty tips on how to make yourself feel good especially on their outer beauty. She says the first habit that every female girl boss should do is save your money. She reasoning behind this is because you do not need to depend on anyone else – especially not a man. You are powerful and you start by saving your money. She talks about buying yourself a nice car because women should roll in style to treat yourself. The next habit she touches on is be a student of life, always be learning new things because you should continue to grow. She touches on reading books and listening to podcast because you will always keep your mind on track. She talks more on self-improvement. She states that the habit three is stay crystal clear on your goals. Sit down and write out your goals and find clarity in these goals and work backwards to make habits and make better decisions on working to the goals, and your habits will fall into place. Create a vision board, to watch and look at your goals there and you can constantly remind yourself what you want. Next big habit is positive self-talk, you should always talk positive to yourself – you should never be negative or harsh on yourself. You will love yourself more and your self-confidence will continue to grow. Say nice things to yourself. If you find you flaws and point them out it will eat your brain alive and you will constantly be negative on yourself.
Response:
Jess Brooke is an influencer for girls and young women around the world. She has a YouTube channel that woman can watch every day and get tips for how to love yourself and how woman can become more powerful. She gives these habits to her audience and they really help – especially if there are girls out there that are really struggling with being pushed down and degraded in society. I love how she takes the time out of her day and just give good advice to anyone that wants to listen. I think it is very important for other women to encourage other women and give them advice or health tips or even life tips on how to conquer something they want because we are all in this together and we can stand up for what we believe in. Jess is a powerful woman who shows a bright light to the world and can give anyone a smile, because she uplifts the bad and finds good in all situations. This is what we need in our society – especially for women. This is a positive influence and I think everyone should take note in treating not only yourself better, but others as well.
"The Secret to Women's Empowerment...is Women" - Delainey Saxon
By: Keemia Ferasat
March 12, 2019
In Keemia Ferasat’s article, “The Secret to Women’s Empowerment is Women,” Ferasat begins by introducing women’s role in Congress. She states that almost 75 million women are in the U.S. workforce and are a part of different organizations that are changing the world. She argues that women need to support each other in order for them to make a difference. Women empower women. By working together, women will have the opportunity to become powerful and help their communities. Ferasat includes three steps that both men and women can take to help equality. The first step is about sponsorship at work. She states that a sponsor is better than a mentor because have the ability to offer career advice and guidance. This sponsor will also fight for you and not against you. The next step is to invest in women. She argues that investment funds not only help other women expand their business, but also allows the person investing to potentially receive a financial return. When the business grow, it can create more opportunities, profit, and a stronger economy. The third and final step is about standing up. Ferasat states that standing up makes a difference. We all need to speak up as individuals. By supporting each other, we will be able to help our business grow and even reach our life goals. In order to attain gender equality, she states that we need to advance women in our communities and office by giving them more opportunities so they can reach their full potential. Overall, she argues that we can fill the gender inequality gap by sponsoring women, investing in them, and standing up for them.
In her article, Ferasat makes many great points. I agree that we should all work together in order to bridge the inequality gender gap. It is often hard for some women to reach their full potential because they feel as if no one will be there to support them. However, if we follow the three steps that Ferasat includes in her article, women will begin to feel more empowered. Afterall, Ferasat does say that empowered women empower women. By working together instead of against one another, everyone will win. This change will not only affect gender inequality, but also our communities. Many opportunities will be created if we support one another. This can allow to more people, not just women, to achieve their life goals. We need to start empowering one another in order to create a new standard. So, when the next generation of women come, they will be able to follow the example we leave.
Arts and Cultural Blog – Delainey Saxon
Women in society to become a “Girl Boss” by Theresa Avila (associate editor for “Girl Boss”). December 04, 2019
https://www.girlboss.com/identity/saweetie-podcast-interview
https://www.girlboss.com/podcast
Summary:
The book “Girl Boss” aims to redefine successful women by providing tools and connections they can use to go into their futures. “Girl Boss” radio speaks on how women go down a road to lead to success. Girl Boss is a book written by Sophia Amoruso that is a woman of success and started her own retail brand called “Nasty Gal”. The book talks about the meaning of women and road to success for women in the society. And how they become the real boss of the world and the society they want to be in.“My type” by the rapper, Saweetie, is a co-host on the podcast. In this podcast they speak about the girls in society and how it is hard to be accepted into society as a woman. They spoke on how a woman gets degraded in colleges and how typically men look down on a female because of the talent they could hold. Saweetie was an athlete and she wanted to prove others wrong and she wanted to have the GPA to tell others that she has worked hard for years to get to where she is today. Saweetie speaks on how she learned the speak up to others and for herself to become better, but she dealt with
Response:
Hearing how Saweetie went through her life getting pushed down in society by others and people who just were jealous was a good story to hear. She touched on women now who will continue to get knocked down by others, but you can never let them get to you or defeat you – you should always get back up again. Listening to this podcast has put another image in our heads that women do struggle everyday with things society makes seem so negative or so terrible. The Girl Boss radio helps other women grow courage and be brave and powerful to do things for themselves. Women years ago were looked as objects for the man, and we were told to stay in the kitchen and do the “Wife duties”, now women today have learned to put a stop to this action and speak up for themselves. For Sophia Amoruso to write a book to help other girls out their lean into being a boss – it was a smart move for her. Amoruso has made a lot of other women become strong and powerful because of this book she wrote. She speaks on women need to value themselves for the right reasons and never change the way you are or your morals for someone else that will hurt you in the end.
Delainey Saxon
Oral Contraception in Females can possibly lead to Depression
Summary:
The article done by Women's Health all about birth control, was a interesting article because it gave more details about the effects on birth control and the female body. the article read more about mental health and younger aged women. These mental health issues would be defined as depression or any symptom of that nature in the female brain and body. The article/study that was talking about birth control and finding a relationship linkage between an oral contraceptive and depression symptoms in females. This article talks about birth controls in females and the hormones that are inside these pill that can affect the body in different ways that not many females even know it is happening to them.
The article gives more background on the definition of birth control or contraception, which is any method that can prevent pregnancy for females, but also males (aka condoms). Contraception is a type of “protection” that females use to avoid pregnancy in their future. This typically starts to begin in a female’s life around the age of 16-years-old. Females use this concept because of either sexual activity with their partners, or even just to help their hormones and menstrual periods. Some females will typically start birth control in high school, or once they are sexually active. Most females will start out using a “oral contraceptive”. Meaning this is a birth control pill with hormones in it to help the body prevent getting pregnant. Physicians help find birth controls to use for the patient depending on your health or your desire to have children in the future. The article/study states that scientist have been having an ongoing research on this birth control pill. They have been studying what is does to the female body and brain. Ever since the “pill” came out, researchers have been trying to understand the connection between oral contraception and mood of a female involving the brain. A study done at “Brigham Women’s Hospital and University Medical Center” started an investigation on this subject by interviewing young women using oral contraceptives. Researchers asked questions involving the moods of depression symptoms, or any type of sadness in the female brain. The study continues to explain what depressive symptoms they were looking for. The researchers analyzed data from female participants and compared it to a longitudinal study of teens and young females from the Netherlands. The article states more on what LARC’s could do to the female uterus, in how those hormones effect the brain. LARC’s deliver hormone exposure to the uterus, they do not put off as many hormones compared to an oral birth control pill. Researchers are interested in finding more out about hormone exposure that does go throughout the whole body and brain is less associated with depressive symptoms, such as an IUD, which is known as a LARC.
The ending result of this article is there is not strong evidence to prove that an oral contraceptive will cause depression in females. They did find that 16-year-old girls reported higher depressive symptoms severity compared to with 16-year-old girls not using oral contraceptives.
Response:
As I was getting dragged into this subject because it was so interesting to me, but I found that women need to be more educated on th birth control that they put into their bodies. This pill or anything put into the body of a female to basically help stop their menstrual cycle can effect them in their futures, and possibly the future of being a mother. This is as scary as it may seem, but this is not a joking matter. This study done was to help protect women and to know that they need to do what is right for their body and their brain. LARC's are known as one of the best types of birth controls for women. I personally used a LARC to help my body and my brain because there are many side effects that come along with a hormonal pill when stopping your monthly period. It will effect the hormones hit your brain and also effect your mood for days on end. Ladies, be safe in the choice you make, let it help you and your future.
Websites:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpp.13115
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191002110426.htm
https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/birth-control-methods
Sources and Citations:
Anderl, Li, G., & Chen, F. (2019, August 28). Oral contraceptive use in adolescence predicts lasting vulnerability to depression in adulthood. Retrieved April 13, 2020, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpp.13115
Brigham and Women's Hospital. (2019, October 2). Teens taking oral contraceptives may be at increased risk for depressive symptoms. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 12, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191002110426.htm
What birth control method is right for you? (2019, February 14). Retrieved April 13, 2020, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/birth-control-methods
Link: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise
“Still I Rise” By: Maya Angelou Published: 1978
Maya Angelou was woman of many talents. She is best known for her bold poetry but was also a singer and civil rights activist. Born on April 4th, 1928, she faced many hardships as a black woman in the mid-twentieth century. Her writing was an outlet for her to voice her struggles and shed light on the intense racism and bigotry that existed during her lifetime. One of her poems titled “Still I Rise” describes her fight for equality and her determination to not let anything or anyone hinder that fight. Throughout the poem Angelou asks frequent rhetorical questions in each stanza that emphasize the ridiculous and ludicrous nature of the racist white people she sees in her everyday life. She further reiterates her strength by basically saying that anyone who views her as less of a person due to her gender and color of her skin do not bother her in the slightest because they are not worth a second thought. She uses “You may” statements in order to convey that they can be hurtful towards her because she has all the power. She will not let the negativity of people who are irrelevant ruin her day.
“Still I Rise” is a heart filled poem that speaks out about racism. It not only portrays how she is viewed as a black woman but how she handles being viewed in a negative light because of things she cannot control such as her race and gender. In the first stanza Angelou writes “You may write me down in history/With your bitter, twisted lies, / You may trod me in the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I’ll rise”. There is so much power in just the first stanza as she is able to clearly portray her resistance against people trying to tear her and the black community down through lies and false allegations. When she writes that she will be “like dust” and “rise” she alludes that not only does the racism and sexism she experiences in daily life not affect her, but in fact makes her stronger as it makes her resist even more. In the fourth stanza Angelou asks “Do you want to see me broken? / Bowed head and lowered eyes?” She is mocking racists as she asks rhetorically what they are even trying to accomplish by treating her this way and makes it clear that she will not show them any form of gain by acting this way. This poem not only shows how Angelou deals with the discrimination she faces in daily life but also depicts to anyone else in a similar situation that the ignorance of other people should not affect you as they should not be relevant in your life if they are treating you this way.