on PolicyMic
Megan Malloy "Legislating the morality of the majority"? For such a constitutional originalist, Scalia should know better that the constitution expressly protects the rights of minority parties--hence why we're a republic, not simply a democracy.
Megan Malloy ...are listed, first among them "a strong personal identification based on familial structure/hierarchy, patriarchal elements, and cultural identity" and "religious beliefs that reinforce the woman's victimization and legitimizes the abuser's behavior." Domestic abuse against women is a national shame, one that hasn't gotten nearly enough attention. But to conclude that this woman died because she didn't feel comfortable accessing domestic abuse services because white feminists have alienated women of color deprives Perkins and other women of agency, and doesn't take into account the complexity of the issues involved.
Megan Malloy Feminism is at its best when it is a multilateral examination of the many different hierarchies in contemporary society: race, gender, sexual orientation, etc But I'm troubled when I read statements like, "Women of color are routinely told to be silent so that white feminists can advance our agenda for us." This paints all white feminists with a broad brush, the same way you (rightly) accuse patriarchal systems of doing. Where is the nuance? Using the case of Kasandra Perkins to say that white feminists have been complicit in the abuse of women of color is a tenuous argument at best. In the very article you cited about victims of domestic violence who seek assistance, a whole myriad of reasons inhibiting women from seeking help (cont)
Megan Malloy By gearing this show towards men and presenting it as the ultimate feminine ideal, women are made fundamentally insecure since this is a nearly unattainable image. The solution? Go out and buy more lingerie, more make up, more whatever. Women need to vote with their wallets and buy products that value them as critical consumers, not as sex objects. My friends and I are obsessed with Oysho--they're just in Europe now but all my fingers and toes are cross that they'll come to the States soon http://www.oysho.com/
Megan Malloy I also don't know if I'd call her a free spirit because we have no idea why she does the things she does. We know nothing about her motivations. I'd call someone like Countess Olenska a free spirit, because I understand her passions and fears and desires and doubts. Summer could have left Tom in the name of freedom, but then why did she get married? We're given no answers as to what inspires this woman to action; yes, that's the point of the movie and what propels Tom's self-discovery, but I'd feel more invested in the fates of these characters with a more sketched-out female figure. (500) Days of Summer has many wonderful elements, but one of them is a caricature rather than a real profile. Summer is the title of the film, after all
Megan Malloy Well simply because she is not the focal point of the storyline--which I agree, Tom's journey is certainly the hero's journey we're looking for--we can still criticize how she is characterized. There are tons of examples of stories where the man's journey is the center but the object of affection is artfully and realistically rendered. I don't think her thoughts and desires are meant to be a mystery--they're just completely absent. Perhaps I am an unobservant viewer, but until it was pointed out to me that we don't know why Summer leaves the job or what she is doing now (besides being married), I didn't even notice that we are told nothing about this woman.
Megan Malloy And it's so cool to see another Gallatin student on here! I actually took Susan Wolford's "Writing About Love" class and we watched (500) Days of Summer and talked extensively about it. Would definitely recommend!! I'll definitely see you around and thanks again for the input!
Megan Malloy Thanks so much, Kaia! I'll definitely have to check out Mulvey's work. As far as writing differently, I'd say actually giving the woman her own story line beyond her "quirks", like Annie Hall for example. We understand the roots of her neuroses, and the performance was so nuanced that the character came to life. Summer on the other hand was more like a mirage...I would have loved to learn why she leaves Tom, why she has a change of heart about marriage and love, why she leaves the company, what her dreams are, etc. But that's not the point of the movie; the point is Tom's personal journey. Summer has no visible flaws except that she doesn't want to love Tom. I think Dunham's Girls are a great example of realistically rendered women.
Megan Malloy I take your point, but as you say, we understand Summer in how she relates to Tom, how she fits into HIS story arc. I think the movie is aware that it creates an idealized woman--the little sister of Tom tells him to take a more critical look at his time with her--but nevertheless, Summer is a flat character. What are her dreams? Why did she leave her home? Why did she leave the company? Keeping Summer's inner life, thoughts, and desires a mystery is undoubtably what allows the story to operate, but she nonetheless fits this stereotype of a flat female love interest who propels the development of the male protagonist. She is not a hero--she has no goal. PS I totally love the movie too, that's why I've given this thought to begin with :)
Megan Malloy The fact that 90% of teen girls have dieted speaks to a larger point that Daniela's article brilliantly elucidates. Women and girls are the ones who are put under pressure to maintain a body weight that is almost always impossible and unhealthy for their anatomy. Additionally, women's feelings actually affect their health tremendously. Women who are exposed to body- and beauty-conscious media are far more likely to be depressed and anxious, and far less likely to perform well scholastically. If you're really interested in promoting healthy body weight, that seems like the worst way to do it. There's absolutely no evidence that skeletal models make girls lose weight, but ample evidence that it lowers their self-esteem.
Megan Malloy I thank you not to condescend to me. I'm neither "little" nor do you have the right to call me "Meggie." This is a professional forum and if you'd like to debate my points, feel free. But do not ever patronize or infantilize me.
Megan Malloy My primary source was the actual document of the GOP platform. I listed all my sources, which you should read for yourself.
Megan Malloy This stuff may not fly on a national scale, but for people in Jersey, it works. I don't agree with Christie on much. But people love his straight-talking and everyone I talk to agrees that while they may disagree with his policies, he stands by them and defends them honestly. He's "the real deal." He actually believes in what he's promoting, which can't be said about most politicians these days. Sometimes it's ugly and rude but I'll take it over all the other politicians like Mitt Romney who are so fake--if they were any more rigid, they'd be dead.
Megan Malloy I'm not sure we could all say that, but that's a conversation for another day. I found the articles that I used to be even-handed and well-researched and chose them after vetting other sources that had clear biases. If you have any literature about this topic from a "right-leaning" perspective, by all means, pass it along. Until then, the sources I have appear to provide a corroborated and accurate narrative. May I suggest you read them before making sweeping generalizations. Regardless, the majority of this article was pulled directly from the GOP platform document, a primary source. I identified most of my secondary sources in the body of the article, but for matters of clarity and flow, some of them were embedded, as is the convention.
Megan Malloy That comment was posted in response to Susan's comment about secessionists and Texas. I linked to the official document of the GOP platform in the body of the article, as well as to the Times articles that my information about the textbook debate pulled from. When writing an article such as this, it's the convention to embed texts and sources instead of citing them in-text. Nevertheless, here you are: http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texbooks-t.html?pagewanted=all http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-18/obama-s-education-secretary-says-perry-s-schools-left-behind.html
Megan Malloy I'm balking at the idea that such an obvious and meaningful "mistake" would find its way into such an official and permanent document (perhaps it's those critical thinking skills that make me skeptical). Even if that stands, the HOTS curriculum instills students with the ability to think with nuance, multiple solutions, and complexity. Students' so-called "fixed" beliefs SHOULD be challenged; if they are truly fixed, they will be unmoved. If they are moved by a more complex way of thinking, then so be it. Perhaps parents should see themselves less as authoritarians, as the platform envisions, and more as temporary caretakers of future leaders and thinkers. And as a sidenote, you need not be so condescending in order to make your points.
Megan Malloy Remember when Sarah Palin's husband, Tod, was an Alaskan secessionist? But Obama is the one that's un-American...
Megan Malloy Springsteen earned his money through hard work and talent, without "selling out" to corporations like Chrysler. He chose to raise his family in New Jersey, moving from paparazzi-saturated L.A. He frequently matches the amount of money raised by ticket sales and donates it to local charities, in particular, food banks in and around New Jersey. You won't catch him schmoozing in typical Hollywood circles, but you will catch him buying a few rounds at a bar in A.P. (as my cousin Jenny was lucky enough to do). Certainly he enjoys his success, but it's clear from the way he lives his life that he hasn't forgotten where he came from. Bruce has always been political; his most recent work just features his politics more lucidly and less abstractly
Megan Malloy Thanks, Ed!
Megan Malloy Exactly right. Studies have shown that kids respond to highly specific, very individualized encouragement--not to empty compliments that everybody else gets. By giving kids the attention that they need as you suggest, they will then look for opportunities to continue to get positive results, not just praise.
Megan Malloy Uniforms exude authority--countless studies have found people are more pliant to somebody when they are wearing doctor's coat rather than street clothes
Megan Malloy I found Hannah's comment on being "a voice of a generation" to be a wry, winking nod from Dunham. It's an impossible aspiration and Dunham knows it; we watch Hannah flail about trying to speak for heterogeneous masses of people. The joke's on the critics who hold Girls up to that same lofty standard
Megan Malloy I was so incensed by that! Sometimes a small anecdote like that speaks volumes of the psyche of these legislators, more than any long-form analysis could. These men are made so anxious by the power of the free and empowered female body that they can't even name it properly & thus seek to sanction it
Megan Malloy What constitutes "profane"? I find the word "moist" far more grating than an f-bomb, but I don't expect my legislators to protect me from hearing it. Deciding what words are profane is such a subjective experience and about as arcane and shrill as banning "Howl" or "Ulysses" from libraries.
Megan Malloy Great article! Bill Maher put it best on this issue by saying that while everyone does stupid stuff when they're young, it's relevant to look at what type of stupid stuff they did. Obama did drugs while Romney bullied a gay kid; both anecdotes paint interesting portraits of their characters.
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Megan Malloy "Legislating the morality of the majority"? For such a constitutional originalist, Scalia should know better that the constitution expressly protects the rights of minority parties--hence why we're a republic, not simply a democracy.
Megan Malloy ...are listed, first among them "a strong personal identification based on familial structure/hierarchy, patriarchal elements, and cultural identity" and "religious beliefs that reinforce the woman's victimization and legitimizes the abuser's behavior." Domestic abuse against women is a national shame, one that hasn't gotten nearly enough attention. But to conclude that this woman died because she didn't feel comfortable accessing domestic abuse services because white feminists have alienated women of color deprives Perkins and other women of agency, and doesn't take into account the complexity of the issues involved.
Megan Malloy Feminism is at its best when it is a multilateral examination of the many different hierarchies in contemporary society: race, gender, sexual orientation, etc But I'm troubled when I read statements like, "Women of color are routinely told to be silent so that white feminists can advance our agenda for us." This paints all white feminists with a broad brush, the same way you (rightly) accuse patriarchal systems of doing. Where is the nuance? Using the case of Kasandra Perkins to say that white feminists have been complicit in the abuse of women of color is a tenuous argument at best. In the very article you cited about victims of domestic violence who seek assistance, a whole myriad of reasons inhibiting women from seeking help (cont)
Megan Malloy By gearing this show towards men and presenting it as the ultimate feminine ideal, women are made fundamentally insecure since this is a nearly unattainable image. The solution? Go out and buy more lingerie, more make up, more whatever. Women need to vote with their wallets and buy products that value them as critical consumers, not as sex objects. My friends and I are obsessed with Oysho--they're just in Europe now but all my fingers and toes are cross that they'll come to the States soon http://www.oysho.com/
Megan Malloy I also don't know if I'd call her a free spirit because we have no idea why she does the things she does. We know nothing about her motivations. I'd call someone like Countess Olenska a free spirit, because I understand her passions and fears and desires and doubts. Summer could have left Tom in the name of freedom, but then why did she get married? We're given no answers as to what inspires this woman to action; yes, that's the point of the movie and what propels Tom's self-discovery, but I'd feel more invested in the fates of these characters with a more sketched-out female figure. (500) Days of Summer has many wonderful elements, but one of them is a caricature rather than a real profile. Summer is the title of the film, after all
Megan Malloy Well simply because she is not the focal point of the storyline--which I agree, Tom's journey is certainly the hero's journey we're looking for--we can still criticize how she is characterized. There are tons of examples of stories where the man's journey is the center but the object of affection is artfully and realistically rendered. I don't think her thoughts and desires are meant to be a mystery--they're just completely absent. Perhaps I am an unobservant viewer, but until it was pointed out to me that we don't know why Summer leaves the job or what she is doing now (besides being married), I didn't even notice that we are told nothing about this woman.
Megan Malloy And it's so cool to see another Gallatin student on here! I actually took Susan Wolford's "Writing About Love" class and we watched (500) Days of Summer and talked extensively about it. Would definitely recommend!! I'll definitely see you around and thanks again for the input!
Megan Malloy Thanks so much, Kaia! I'll definitely have to check out Mulvey's work. As far as writing differently, I'd say actually giving the woman her own story line beyond her "quirks", like Annie Hall for example. We understand the roots of her neuroses, and the performance was so nuanced that the character came to life. Summer on the other hand was more like a mirage...I would have loved to learn why she leaves Tom, why she has a change of heart about marriage and love, why she leaves the company, what her dreams are, etc. But that's not the point of the movie; the point is Tom's personal journey. Summer has no visible flaws except that she doesn't want to love Tom. I think Dunham's Girls are a great example of realistically rendered women.
Megan Malloy I take your point, but as you say, we understand Summer in how she relates to Tom, how she fits into HIS story arc. I think the movie is aware that it creates an idealized woman--the little sister of Tom tells him to take a more critical look at his time with her--but nevertheless, Summer is a flat character. What are her dreams? Why did she leave her home? Why did she leave the company? Keeping Summer's inner life, thoughts, and desires a mystery is undoubtably what allows the story to operate, but she nonetheless fits this stereotype of a flat female love interest who propels the development of the male protagonist. She is not a hero--she has no goal. PS I totally love the movie too, that's why I've given this thought to begin with :)
Megan Malloy The fact that 90% of teen girls have dieted speaks to a larger point that Daniela's article brilliantly elucidates. Women and girls are the ones who are put under pressure to maintain a body weight that is almost always impossible and unhealthy for their anatomy. Additionally, women's feelings actually affect their health tremendously. Women who are exposed to body- and beauty-conscious media are far more likely to be depressed and anxious, and far less likely to perform well scholastically. If you're really interested in promoting healthy body weight, that seems like the worst way to do it. There's absolutely no evidence that skeletal models make girls lose weight, but ample evidence that it lowers their self-esteem.
Megan Malloy I thank you not to condescend to me. I'm neither "little" nor do you have the right to call me "Meggie." This is a professional forum and if you'd like to debate my points, feel free. But do not ever patronize or infantilize me.
Megan Malloy My primary source was the actual document of the GOP platform. I listed all my sources, which you should read for yourself.
Megan Malloy This stuff may not fly on a national scale, but for people in Jersey, it works. I don't agree with Christie on much. But people love his straight-talking and everyone I talk to agrees that while they may disagree with his policies, he stands by them and defends them honestly. He's "the real deal." He actually believes in what he's promoting, which can't be said about most politicians these days. Sometimes it's ugly and rude but I'll take it over all the other politicians like Mitt Romney who are so fake--if they were any more rigid, they'd be dead.
Megan Malloy I'm not sure we could all say that, but that's a conversation for another day. I found the articles that I used to be even-handed and well-researched and chose them after vetting other sources that had clear biases. If you have any literature about this topic from a "right-leaning" perspective, by all means, pass it along. Until then, the sources I have appear to provide a corroborated and accurate narrative. May I suggest you read them before making sweeping generalizations. Regardless, the majority of this article was pulled directly from the GOP platform document, a primary source. I identified most of my secondary sources in the body of the article, but for matters of clarity and flow, some of them were embedded, as is the convention.
Megan Malloy That comment was posted in response to Susan's comment about secessionists and Texas. I linked to the official document of the GOP platform in the body of the article, as well as to the Times articles that my information about the textbook debate pulled from. When writing an article such as this, it's the convention to embed texts and sources instead of citing them in-text. Nevertheless, here you are: http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Final.pdf http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texbooks-t.html?pagewanted=all http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-18/obama-s-education-secretary-says-perry-s-schools-left-behind.html
Megan Malloy I'm balking at the idea that such an obvious and meaningful "mistake" would find its way into such an official and permanent document (perhaps it's those critical thinking skills that make me skeptical). Even if that stands, the HOTS curriculum instills students with the ability to think with nuance, multiple solutions, and complexity. Students' so-called "fixed" beliefs SHOULD be challenged; if they are truly fixed, they will be unmoved. If they are moved by a more complex way of thinking, then so be it. Perhaps parents should see themselves less as authoritarians, as the platform envisions, and more as temporary caretakers of future leaders and thinkers. And as a sidenote, you need not be so condescending in order to make your points.
Megan Malloy Remember when Sarah Palin's husband, Tod, was an Alaskan secessionist? But Obama is the one that's un-American...
Megan Malloy Springsteen earned his money through hard work and talent, without "selling out" to corporations like Chrysler. He chose to raise his family in New Jersey, moving from paparazzi-saturated L.A. He frequently matches the amount of money raised by ticket sales and donates it to local charities, in particular, food banks in and around New Jersey. You won't catch him schmoozing in typical Hollywood circles, but you will catch him buying a few rounds at a bar in A.P. (as my cousin Jenny was lucky enough to do). Certainly he enjoys his success, but it's clear from the way he lives his life that he hasn't forgotten where he came from. Bruce has always been political; his most recent work just features his politics more lucidly and less abstractly
Megan Malloy Thanks, Ed!
Megan Malloy Exactly right. Studies have shown that kids respond to highly specific, very individualized encouragement--not to empty compliments that everybody else gets. By giving kids the attention that they need as you suggest, they will then look for opportunities to continue to get positive results, not just praise.
Megan Malloy Uniforms exude authority--countless studies have found people are more pliant to somebody when they are wearing doctor's coat rather than street clothes
Megan Malloy I found Hannah's comment on being "a voice of a generation" to be a wry, winking nod from Dunham. It's an impossible aspiration and Dunham knows it; we watch Hannah flail about trying to speak for heterogeneous masses of people. The joke's on the critics who hold Girls up to that same lofty standard
Megan Malloy I was so incensed by that! Sometimes a small anecdote like that speaks volumes of the psyche of these legislators, more than any long-form analysis could. These men are made so anxious by the power of the free and empowered female body that they can't even name it properly & thus seek to sanction it
Megan Malloy What constitutes "profane"? I find the word "moist" far more grating than an f-bomb, but I don't expect my legislators to protect me from hearing it. Deciding what words are profane is such a subjective experience and about as arcane and shrill as banning "Howl" or "Ulysses" from libraries.
Megan Malloy Great article! Bill Maher put it best on this issue by saying that while everyone does stupid stuff when they're young, it's relevant to look at what type of stupid stuff they did. Obama did drugs while Romney bullied a gay kid; both anecdotes paint interesting portraits of their characters.