feminism

The article I watched, Terry Crews: Manhood, Feminism & the Mindset that Leads to Rape and the article I read, Why You Shouldn’t Have Children were complete opposites to me. Honestly if they were to have a dinner together it wouldn’t end up well at all, just because what they believe are almost complete opposite from one another. If they had a discussion about feminism it would mainly be about how Terry Crews stated that it doesn’t mean women are better than men but that women are simply trophies to the men. Crews puts down men like that, the ones that think women are simply just objects they can have around, and show off to people. Instead he believes that women are empowering and can take on the world. 

In the article that Caitlin Moran wrote she stated that women don’t have to bear child, and that women who have children burden there lives, I definitely do not believe this and am shocked that she would say that, considering she has a child herself. She also states that women do a majority of things in the household and out in the world, which I agree with slightly, she says that men doe 50/50 work which I believe is true. 

So in the end, I don’t believe that they would agree on much at all, they might agree on some of the feminism things they wrote about but only slightly; an example they would agree on is that Crews says feminism doesn’t mean women are better but are equal, and Moran states that we can do whatever with feminism and that it doesn’t have to mean one thing. There opinions are very different on the way they think about the life some women should live. Feminism in the end means equal rights to all, even if they are women. We help each other out in the end no matter what gender we are. 

Manhood and Womanhood

Terry Crews and Caitlin Moran have quite a bit in common when it comes to feminism and how men and women should act. First off, they don’t say, “Women are supposed to do this and Men are supposed to do this.” They agree that it’s okay to have different qualities than what the stereotypical woman should be or the stereotypical man. In fact, both of them give an example. In the YouTube video, “Terry Crews: Manhood, Feminism & the Mindset that Leads to Rape”, Terry Crews told a story about his son being scared of a movie. They had gone to watch Iron Man 3 and his son was scared. Crews took his son out and asked him if he was scared. He responded yes, and held his head down being ashamed. Men should be ashamed about being scared. It is normal to be scared, it is normal for men to be afraid of something and accept it. With Caitlin, she says that not every woman will have a daughter at some point.

In her book, How to Be a Woman, Caitlin argued that the reason men don’t get asked when they plan to have children is because they can pretty much go on living there life as usual. Which is actually not true. With this comment, Caitlin assigns roles to men and women. She’s basically saying that women have the baby and do everything for it, while the men go to work, eat, and sleep. She does say that some men do divide work 50/50 which is how it should be, but generally it is the women who do everything. Crews differs a bit from this role comment. His argument is Gender Purposes, not roles. No woman should have the role of taking care of the kids and to be in the kitchen. It is whoever is there at the moment. So no, men don’t really live on their life once they have a kid. They are in the same situation with changes going on and having a hard time as well concentrating not only on a career but essentially another human being.

Both can agree that women are treated differently. And men too, but in this case we’ll stick with women. Women can be assaulted, harassed, raped and much more. Why? Because they are seen as possession. They aren’t being respected. In fact the only time it seems that women are respected is when they become elderly. Both Terry and Caitlin argue that feminism isn’t for women to take the power, that isn’t feminism. Terry says that feminism is for equality, which is true. Caitlin says that feminism has to do with who we are and what we’re going to do, which is also true! Feminism really can be taken the wrong way and not only do men mistake it, but women do too. Some women take advantage of it by saying they shouldn’t do something because it is a guy’s work. Which really isn’t that way. Men should hold doors open for women, yeah they should. And women should hold doors open for guys too. Its equality.

Just because I want kids doesn't define me into a damn gender role!

While reading/watching both articles I came across both some very interesting and positive ways for looking at life and also some very negative outlooks. In the video “Manhood, Feminism, & the mindset that leads to rape” Terry Crews came out with a very positive way at looking at a new form of self-worth and prosperity in life while in the article “Why you shouldn’t have children” came off as very hateful and negative towards traditional woman-hood and having children. I believe that if both authors were to sit down and try and have dinner together the restaurant would end up having to restrain the author of “Why you shouldn’t have children” due to the fact that she would probably end up standing on top of the dining table screaming “DEATH TO CHILDREN AND CHILDBEARING WOMEN” with her fork up in the air and mashed potatoes flying everywhere. Okay… so maybe I’m being a little mellow dramatic but my goodness. I have never been so pumped about living life in a more natural form like what Terry Crews is trying to promote to then being slammed in the face by a bitter woman who hates the fact that she has the God given ability to bear children and thinks everyone who does have children should only be looked at as women who obviously regret their decision and wish they could have had more productive lives like “Coco Chanel”. I think Terry Crews would definitely reply to her article by saying instead of looking at her having children as a “gender role” that made her “Fuck it all up” to instead look at her life as a “Gender purpose” and to appreciate her “necessary value in life” and do it to the fullest potential. I really don’t feel like they would particularly agree on anything that I read/ heard from the two articles. Although both articles were interesting to say the least, I was really moved at the message that Terry Crews was trying to convey throughout his interview, and as for the woman in the other article I was really quite offended. I feel like instead of empowering women to be “productive members of the world” like she was before children, she instead made me frown upon her own judgement of women who do decide to have children and be excited to just be a mom. I don’t feel like you have to be a damn CEO, live in a big home, drive a nice car, be CoCo Chanel, or even have kids to be successful in life. Success is about finding true joy in the life you live and loving who you’re around and what you’re about.  

Equal Gender Roles in Families

Terry Crews and Caitlin Moran are two authors that have similar views when it comes to the roles of a man and women. It is kind of difficult to compare their ideas because both pieces of writing are so one sided. If the two were to sit down and have dinner together, they would probably agree on most things. They would agree that men and women are viewed very differently in their societal roles. They would also agree that the way men view women needs to be changed and they need to be looked at as equals, and not one gender above the other. Caitlin Moran, the author of How To Be a Woman, spends the bulk of a chapter in her book talking about women and the expectation of them wanting to have children. She starts the chapter by talking about a question that women are asked in interviews that people would never even think to ask men, and that is “So, when are you planning on having babies”? Moran looks at this question as something that women are asked because society does not know how to handle a woman that doesn’t want children. If a woman doesn’t have children, she is not fulfilling her purpose to society. She counters this by explaining her habits before and after she had a baby. Moran states before she had a child she recycled, gave to charities, etc.; however, after having a baby she was so displaced from society that she would not have known if her own mother would have passed away. Maybe women would feel more comfortable about completely altering their bodies and lives if there were more men like Terry Crews, the author of Manhood, a man who appreciates the mother of his child and believes in gender purposes. He explains gender purposes as being different than stereotypical gender roles. Crews explains that it is all about gender equality and that the main problem is that men have always felt like they are more valuable than women. I think that at a dinner table the two authors would agree with the concept of gender equality and that the way society views family responsibilities, should be equally as harsh on men, as it is on women.

Dinner with Feminists

        I enjoyed both readings, they both had good points to them. I think if both authors, Terry Crews and Caitlin Moran were at a dinner together it would be kind of enlightening. I think they would mostly agree on topics, especially on feminism, since they are both considered feminists. I liked the Terry Crews video, when he was talking about guys winning and thinking girls are their "trophies" and they deserve them, he quotes: "in fact she don't even wanna be with me, but I don't care." Crews then says "what kind of mindset is that?" That is really sad, but it is true in many cases, men think women are objects that they just "deserve". Obviously Crews disagreed with men thinking like that, and I believe Caitlin would also strongly disagree with men treating women like objects.
         Caitlin seemed to believe women should be able to choose what they want to do in their life, and choose whether they want to have babies or not. She wrote, "we need more women who are allowed to prove their worth as people, rather than being assessed merely for their potential to create new people." I really liked that sentence, because I find it very true. She believes that women who don't want to have kids should not be judged. I think Crews would agree that women should be able to choose if they do or don't want kids without being judged or frowned upon. At the same time, Crews seems to be more sensetive towards kids, because of the story he told about when he and his son went to watch Iron Man. I don't mean to say Caitlin is harsh towards children, she herself is a mother, but I felt that at times she made it seem like kids are such a burden, and can ruin women's lives, but I guess thats up to peoples opinion.
        Both Terry and Caitlin are parents, so I think they would agree that gender equality is very important, because they would want their children to be raised in a society where women are treated as equally as men are. Hopefully, with more and more people starting to talk about feminism, we will see the equality soon.

DADBOD

Dadbod / Death of pretty

The two articles are based on different aspects of physicality. They shine the light on two issues that are currently seen and praised by society today.

“Dadbod” goes on to encourage the fact that not all men look alike physically and have the same motivation or drive for an exceptional body. I disagree with this article because not every man has the time to actually, in this case, work out and maintain a better body. Dadbod is just a trend in which explains why most dads are looking the way they are and it’s not like they want to look like that, they just don’t have all the time in the world to be doing things they used to. Plus, comparing these dads to the moms, they don’t always have to look their best either. I bet moms would read this article and would apply this to themselves just to think of the types of judgements or thoughts they would be getting from other people... they would be pissed. I totally disagree with the term, whether it be “dadbod or “mombod”.

“The Death of Pretty” goes out to point out several instances where girls have lost their own sense of self-conscious and self-esteem. I believe in the fact that girls can dress however they’d like, not for approval of others, but just to satisfy themselves. The term pretty can be seen with the essence of innocence. Most girls would disagree with this article because they believe that they can be however they want to be. Not all men seek “hot”, not all men seek “pretty”, there’s other terms to place on a girl that can take away these different assumptions based on the way they look, dress, or act.

The two articles provide solid inquiries and  show how society inflicts the way we see people and interact.

Dadbod/Death of Pretty

    The “Dadbod” is the new nickname given to the body type of the stereotypical dad and a good portion of college-age males. The name gives a lighthearted connotation to the idea of a decent sized gut and an equally decent muscle mass. Frat guys all over the U.S. proudly show off their dadbods which has consequently led to men feeling more confident in their body. The goofy trend that originally almost made fun of the “dadbod” actually was a relief to a lot of men out there. Being a young man, the term originally made me a little bit annoyed. I wondered why guys (and girls too) were so intrigued by this body type and why it was so incredibly admirable to them. I was always told that men need to stay fit and in shape in order to be attractive. I was brainwashed by the media’s standards of men and I didn’t even realize it. This article helped me realize that the idea behind the “dadbod” is more about giving out-of-shape men confidence, and less about making fun of them.
     The Death of Pretty was a very interesting piece to read. It describes the downfall of women’s views of themselves as the years go by, and how being pretty and innocent looking is less favorable to being hot, sexy, a sexual being meant to attract men. I have noticed that in this age, women in the media tend to be portrayed this way very often. However, I do not think women are at fault for this. I disagree with the author of this article who says that women don’t care to be pretty anymore, they want to be hot and they want to be used. I do not think this is the case at all. Men want women to be this way. Men are the ones who want women to be hot and consumable. Men aren’t interested in pretty women. Men want sex and they want it from multiple partners and they want it all the time. They don’t want to take a pretty girl on a date and get to know them anymore. They just want what they want and that’s it. Pretty women are not gone. Pretty women are all around, and men don’t want them, so they pretend they don’t exist. As a man, this makes me ashamed. I want women to feel that we value them and we want to get to know them, but we are ruining that for ourselves. Men need to help women bring pretty back to life, because we killed it in the first place.

Evan Granberry

The Death of Pretty and Dadbod

The Death of Pretty

"Pretty, pretty is dying."

     The Death of Pretty, by Pat Archbold can best be understood in that simple sentence. The article points out that in today's society pretty as a term is being replaced by hot. Pretty things are dying and by extension the innocence of a modern woman is also dying. Where once women wore sundress and shirts, those things have been replaced by short shorts and yoga pants. Archbald makes the claim, one which I can agree with, that men prefer pretty and all that in entails, over hot. Where pretty and innocent inspires a man's desire to protect, hot simply inspires a man's desire. Of course men want to protect but for the modern women, what is there to protect?
     Archbald hints that this shift has come partly as a result of men, partly of women, and mostly of idols. The people we look up to as stars, as icons of our modern age, have inspired women to become hot, gorgeous, and sexy. Our icons pursued this image because, as everyone knows, sex sells and women were just following their role models.
     It is perhaps ironic that the modern woman, in her effort to be independent over past women, have only succeeded in becoming objects of a different variety. A change that is not entirely for the better.


Dadbod: A New Word for a Timeless Physique

Dadbod is a term that has been around for a while but recently has seen a rise in popularity. It is a term which is jokingly leading to the objectification of men. Men have always been the ones to "play sports and eat pizza" as Spencer Kornhaber writes, but gives a word to it. However perhaps the most important idea that Kornhaber writes is that " a catchy name for you're physique doesn't mean you're special; it means that finally, you're like everyone else". The term dadbod is more important than it looks because it is just slightly bringing men down to the level we view other people at. It is making a joke and stereotyping a group of males away from the cultural norm.

the fundamental idea of Dadbod and the Death of Pretty

Dadbod and the death of pretty share many similar characteristics in each article. Both portray images of affection that society dwells as acceptable or attractive. Each has their own flaws as they let escape some morals for their new profound look. Dadbod showcases the idea that flabby fathers are considered the new norm and our deemed attractive to women. They have their beer guts and let loose the idea of physical fitness and the basis of a healthy lifestyle that many adults prioritize. Each Dadbod gives their children the image of being loose and not taking care of their body. Not all dad bods are but many who do not support the trend will argue.  The trend dad bod seems better fit for young men who are not fathers like fraternity college students.

In the death of Pretty, women throw away their self-proclaimed innocence for attention of the opposite sex. Women would rather be seen as hot or sexy than pretty. A woman’s appearance is one of many traits that classifies them. Why be hot, then pretty, smart, or even a caring individual. The problem itself starts with how society now looks at when and what is argued as an ideal woman. If men just look at appearance in woman only, they have a problem by not giving the time to see the whole image and not just the cover. The death of pretty is projecting the change of women ideology.

 

Dad bod's and Pretty girls!

To start out I have never even thought about the term pretty into depth like this article did. I knew it was a better thing to be called rather than hot but I never thought of it meaning a girl was innocent in any way. Now that the meaning has been brought to my attention it makes sense. Pretty is a better word to be called and I would much rather be referred to as that then hot. I do agree with the author when he talks about wanting the pretty girls back again and I also do believe they are out there it is just not as common in young girls. In the “hot” girls defense, this is what a majority of men are looking for. Society has shaped girls to be hot rather than pretty by showing off more skin and not being as innocent. This doesn’t mean that the sweet gentlemen aren’t out there it just means they are harder to find. This relates to the dad bod article in the sense that people usually like what is common. It is common for boys to like hot girls and now it is common to like guys with dad bods. Society has shaped us into fitting in with the crowd so the demand for these two types of people is what a majority of people want. I do think that a dad bod for men would make women feel more secure with their self in a relationship. I do also think this may be an excuse for men to just not care and let go because the boys are the ones wanting the hot bods. They don’t want the mom bods like the article states so when you really take it into consideration it all just doesn’t make sense and doesn’t seem fair.  All together these are just two funny concepts that most people don’t think too far in depth about.