Class Pulse

The class so far has definitely been interesting and also challenging. From the very beginning of class, Professor Fuqua was very straightforward with how this class would be. I think what struck me most about the class was the first day when we watched Beyonce's "Drunk in Love." I heard the song a couple of weeks before the semester began when I visited family in Alabama, and my cousin played the song repeatedly. When we watched the video in class, it was the first time I had seen it. When Professor Fuqua asked us what did we think of the video and how it made us feel, I was embarrassed to admit that I was very turned on by it, and when the professor expressed her feelings I thought to myself, "She feels the exact same way I do. The articles we have read so far makes me think more about the media's role in gender and sexuality that I would never have really thought of before. Sometimes I do wish this class was more than 3 hours long.
I like the fact that we use Twitter in class. It allows us to interact with one another and it's a way to present our feelings about the readings, lectures and screenings. It is also comforting to me to discuss something without doing it in class since I do not raise my hand very often.

The course has broadened my perspective on gender. I am a very open-minded person. I was taught growing up that there are males and females, but there are also others who may consider themselves as transgender and homosexual. Through the readings and screenings, I get a sense of what people go through; how they're judged because of the lifestyle they live is cruel. They are people, they have feelings, and as a society, we should take that into consideration.

I think Mulvey's article was one of the most engaging for me to read. It is evident in a lot of films how women are used to provide a pleasurable experience for men and Mulvey used a psychoanalysis approach which I thought was interesting because I didn't really know much about psychoanalysis to begin with. Her article also helped me with my artifact paper when I tied it into a fragrance ad and Psycho, which she also used in her article.

I found Judith Butler's article difficult to read. I think it was a lot to process. It was just difficult for me to clearly understand.

Class Pulse

Question: Tell me what you think about me
I buy my own diamonds and I buy my own rings
Only ring your celly when I'm feelin' lonely
When it's all over, please get up and leave

Question: Tell me how you feel about this
Try to control me, boy, you get dismissed
Pay my own car note and I pay my own bills
Always 50/50 in relationships

Although there are tons of Destiny’s Child songs I could reference when speaking of this class, the song Independent Women comes to mind when I think of the concept of feminism and gender roles in society. Like many of my classes within the Media Studies department, this class has proven to be interesting and thought provoking. Even allowing us to use lyrics from a song of our own choice in itself is exciting but also shows how gender and sexuality concepts are present in ways outside of books and academic articles.   

At times difficult to understand (I’ve had my wth moments), the readings are important to the course because they introduce the concepts and topics of discussions. While some may be difficult to dissect, the readings are interesting because they introduce alternative ideas to thinking that may otherwise get ignored due to the hegemonic ideologies of heterosexual males; or in simpler words, they introduce ideas about sexuality and gender that society STILL ignores or glosses over. I think this is where the incorporation of the blog and twitter serves as a bonus because it has allowed me to gain insight on what my peers are thinking. The blog and twitter are helpful additions to the course because there have been instances when concepts that I missed while reading on my own were brought to my attention.

Although I consider myself to be an open minded individual (I guess we all do), this class has not only introduced different notions of gender and sexuality, but has allowed me to question the dominant ideologies regarding gender and sexuality we are taught through media and within society. Prior to this class, I would have never considered a movie like Fight Club as one that could be read queerly, or even knew what reading queerly meant; but this class has given me a new perspective on sexuality which has allowed me to analyze the media differently. For that reason, the Brookey and Westerfelhaus article has been the most engaging for me. The word homosexuality is one of familiarity, however, prior to this class the concept of the homosocial  experience has never been introduced. Even as I write this blog post, my computer marks the word with a red line, indicating that it too has no familiarity with the term.

The most difficult reading so far would have to be Judith Butler. Because of her writing style, her concept was difficult to understand, however, after reading Gauntlett and the video explained using cats, it became less confusing. 

So far, I am enjoying the class and I am excited about the topics to come. Professor Fuqua's passion and knowledge of the course reflects in her teaching, which makes for an interesting course.    

Class Pulse

1. This course is definitely something I was not expecting. That isn't necessarily a bad thing seeing that every week I am intrigued at the new information that I am absorbing. Like Professor Fuqua has expressed it is indeed an overwhelming amount of information for a mere 3 hour class. Honestly these topics in our Gender, Sexuality, and Media class has been so stimulating that the 3 hours does seem too restricted and the need for a break is very unnecessary. I partook in the Teen TV course in the previous Fall semester which served me well as a foot in the door for this class. As a result terms like gender binary or author's such as Judith Butler were not something new to me. This course, though, has been much more intense and I am able to effectively enjoy it through the various articles and videos we have watched and especially through the passion that Professor Fuqua puts into her lectures. Being in this class the song that comes up in my mind is one of my personal favorites; Creep by Radiohead. I feel like it fits perfectly with how individuals like Ludovic from the film Ma Vie en Rose where this gender binary confuses those who do not feel like they fit into one or the other. "But I'm a creep/I'm a weirdo/What the hell am I doing here?/I don't belong here."

2. To say that this course material did not affect me in any way would be a lie. This material, excluding the gender in media representation, has turned my world upside down; it really has. I never thought of any of these things like queer reading or how females are scientifically considered the default sex. These things blew my mind honestly. It's insane as to how much of these topics are not taught regularly or on how, like Professor Fuqua stated, we are often told by others that we are interpreting a text wrong. It was that whole conversation of queer reading that had me going back to moments where someone has actually told me in school that the way I was reading something was incorrect. What especially played with my mind was the reading and class discussion of how Fight Club could be read queerly. I have seen that movie over a dozen times and honestly was blind to the vast amount of homo-eroticism that lies within the text. I was so wrapped up in the fighting part of it that I just figured it was a movie for dudes basically.

3. As I was starting to discuss in the paragraph before this one I feel like the most engaging text that we discussed was the Fight Club text; Hiding Homoeroticism in Plain View: The Fight Club DVD as a Digital Closet. That afternoon I found out so many things that were hidden to me before in that movie. Honestly after the reading and then seeing the film it wasn't even hidden it was plain in sight; right in front of my eyes. It's not like it even ruined it for me because it actually made more sense to me after reading it queerly. Things like why Tyler was always shirtless and ripped, or why he wore a pink bathrobe to the "bitch-tits" comment that I just found funny made a much more impact after this class. During the lecture we also spoke about homosocial male bonding which I have never heard about before but truly enlightened me with a whole new perspective. I never really thought of these things before like how sexualized things really are like going to the gym. I will not deny that when I'm at the gym I will compliment someone for their gains or in a way check them out and actually admire the persons fitness. This does not mean there's any sexual attraction or homosexual tendencies but this is what this class is all about. It's these male bonding activities and buddy films that I have only interpreted one way all my life that I am able to read queerly now.

4. Definitely Judith Butler is very hard to figure out all at once. I feel like I understand the basics, the tip of the iceberg, but there's so much more substance to her theories that I was not able to grasp so fast. Although, the Judith Butler Gender Performativity explained with cats definitely did help.

Pulse of class

The class so far has been one that is both interesting and challenging. As it has challenged me to think about topics I would never have thought about in the past.  With the constant reading about topics I would never read about unless I was in this class.  However these reading are essential to the class as they promote discussion between members of the classroom. But this type of subject is one that can not only be expressed through words on the page but also needs to be seen visually. No matter if it means taking a beloved film I have seen in the past such as fight club and causing me to rethink the representation of characters in the film. Or the purpose of the film and what is meaning can be understood   to mean.  However the films that really caught my attention where the class started talking about   the representation of gays and how society understands them.

This topic open my eyes too many things with the different types of gender identification as not only be limited to three or four types but many more. This was defiantly express in a film that is not my native tongue such as Ma Vie en Rose.  As  it open my eyes to  not only  how  people see  someone who is believed to not follow gender  stereotypes are  only seen  in a negative light in America but also international yet it is wrong. This film definitely opens my eyes to how I might have been brain washed in the past.

But now after taking this course I definitely have gotten a new perspective on how gender and sexuality is represented in society’s eyes. And especially the difference between sexuality and gender. Though the reading are not easy as they are filled with constant dry reading that are expressed in more words then needed. The readings are easier on topics I found interesting such as understand what queer is and male subjectivity. As oppose to topics which I find less interest in learning about.  However the one  place where I feel I could talk and see how bad representation and sexual is really in our society is by the post on twitter from my fellow  classmates

If I were to some up my feelings of the course I would have to say the course have given the feeling of trying to pursue the dream talkie about in the song one day by Matisyahu.

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play

Pulse of the class

This class is challenging yet refreshing.  Its great to see a class that speaks on topics that may be controversial to social norms.  Besides the fact that we learn terms such as "gender fuck" and "queer theory" the class itself holds no bars which coincides with the topics we discuss.  There are no boundaries to the things we say or watch.  The screenings and discussions really allow us to see passed what our culture has instilled in our heads.  The readings are definitely interesting but at times can be confusing. This is a whole new way of thinking and I'm slowly coming to an understanding of it all.  There's still so much to learn.  From our readings about gender roles and feminism, the lyrics from Beyonce's song "Flawless" comes to mind.

We teach girls to shrink themselves
To make themselves smaller
We say to girls
"You can have ambition
But not too much
You should aim to be successful
But not too successful
Otherwise you will threaten the man"
Because I am female
I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that
Marriage is the most important
Now marriage can be a source of
Joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don't teach boys the same?
We raise girls to each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments
Which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings
In the way that boys are
Feminist: the person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes

On the first day of class Professor Fuqua presented Beyonces' video "Drunk in Love," and asked the rest of the class what we thought of it.  My initial thoughts were that she was going to say that Beyonce was objectifying herself or that maybe she looked like a hooker, but instead, she went on to say that she thought it was sexy! Why can't woman be sexual beings without be judged or looked down at?  From that point on, I knew I was going to like the class.

The course materials are challenging, some more than others, but overall very entertaining.  Its a lot of reading but they are engaging and has allowed me to really think outside of my comfort zone.  I find myself getting into debates with my friends about gender and the roles we're expected to play.  Its funny to see their faces when I describe "bromance" using the term homosocial.  Many people still have this fear of talking about anything with the word "homo" in it.  I have a new found upmost respect to those people who are going against mainstream culture and eliminating any binaries.

Certain topics we discuss have really made me more aware of my surroundings.  Seeing gendered items at the store really make me laugh because I use to be that sucker who'd buy the purple pen with flowers or anything purple for that matter. I also look at Barbie differently lol.

I have enjoyed reading Bornstein the most.  Her outlook on gender, sexuality, feminism, and just life in general is exciting and they way she writes makes these serious topics fun and entertaining.  I definitely found Butler to be the most difficult.  Her writing style was hard to understand and confusing.  If it weren't for Guantlett's article I probably wouldn't have know what the heck I was reading.  

Thoughts on Class

This class has been one of the more challenging and interesting classes I have taken so far within the media studies department. I was initially worried about the tweeting and blogging aspect of the class, but I can see why it is essential to the course. I must admit that it is hard to keep up with twitter because you have to respond and have a back and forth exchange with your fellow classmates. Although it isn’t required to comment to other people’s tweet (the only requirement is to tweet a minimum of 3 tweets per week), it’s hard when you feel like you have to constantly be “on” all the time because twitter is very “in the moment” so there is a lot of comments and tweets you can sometimes miss out on. This course is most definitely mentally taxing; it’s challenging in a good way because it really has changed the way I view the world I live in and the people who live in this world.

I realized that along with the readings, lectures, and different screenings, how almost everything related to gender and sexuality is socially constructed. I was brought up in a very conservative and traditional household, but I broke out of that setting early on. No matter how open minded I thought I was (I did not want to be narrow-minded like some members of my family), this class was definitely a reality check. Because of this course, I am definitely more aware of what goes around in my surroundings. Especially at work and the conversations I have with people, I now have more knowledge when it comes to the culturally and socially constructed views on gender roles. It’s more like I’m hyper aware now. You can’t ignore it anymore because these are the ideas that are the societal norm. People don’t think twice about questioning these norms because everyone has somehow accepted them to be correct.

As far as the readings go, I found a couple of them to be difficult at first. It’s hard (as it is with anything else) when you aren’t familiar with certain theories or concepts and you have to read a couple of pages on them. But of course with the class lectures and the tweets, the readings were a lot easier to grasp and comprehend. The Brookey reading was interesting because I never recognized the homoerotic tendencies of the characters in Fight Club. Granted I watched it when I was younger, but the reading revealed things about Jack and Tyler that I wouldn’t have even thought about. 

All in all, the class so far has been a very pleasing experience. I’ve learned a lot so far and I’m sure there is a lot more to learn. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

1.  The song that comes to mind is "Love Natural" by Crystal fighters.
 When I look at you, oh I feel my heart

Oh, I feel your love deep inside

Oh, love natural, I can't believe how you do it to me

You make me feel, oh how you say, feel so special

Oh, love natural, I can't believe how you do it to me 

You make me feel, oh how you say, feel so special

The course readings and screenings thus far have helped me open up to the idea of Love. No matter what label people may fall under, we all have free will which gives us the right to do whatever makes us happy. Kate bornstein wasn't comfortable being either, or,  so she created a third space, where aunty kate is comfortable and happy. The redings, especially the borstein articles were bold, it challenged me to stop being afraid and to apply rational thinking because everybody deserves happiness. 

2.the course material has challenged my existing ideas about gender, it has forced me to think otherwise. Before this class, gender for me was male or female but i am now starting to  ask myself  what about the others? Aren't they human?  What makes them any different than myself ? Aren't we  all performing a role?

3.Kate bornstein transgender style. Aunty Kate to me is a Lone ranger, i like how she talks passionately about herself in her writings, it makes the reader know that Aunty Kate really loves herself. I also like how she dismantles traditional gender beliefs thus making the reader see the bigger picture of equality for all by erasing all binary. 

4. Ann Fausto How to build a man. She tried at length to explain using biological lingo and i found myself backtracking to make sure i knew what she was talking about. And i don't like biology. 

Pulse of the class

1. Ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange. I feel like that is the best way to sum up this course. Strange in this sense isn’t meant to sound derogatory, but something new rather. That’s mainly what Gender and Sexuality deals with: new ideas about preconceived notions. This course is interesting, engaging, challenging, progressive, entertaining, eye opening. Overall I really like this course. I leave each class thinking about the material we’ve covered and it stays with me throughout the week. Sometimes the lectures are a little intense but that’s a good thing. Every time I walk into class I feel as though I am ready to be engaged the whole time. The screenings are great. A lot of them are shows, movies, or music videos that I’ve seen already but in this class I am able to see them through a gender and sexuality lens, so they almost become brand new. I have seen Fight Club before, but I never read Fight Club queerly which was completely new to me. 
2. This course definitely changed the way I see gender and sexuality. The whole concept of gender being a choice is really interesting to me. Gender really is an entity constructed by society and whether you want to be more masculine or feminine is a choice you make. I also see sexuality differently now. Women being overly sexualized happens in media everyday but we as a society have become so desensitized by this, that it has become a norm. This class helped show me how prevalent it is and it’s very upsetting that this is alright with people. 
3. I think the most engaging reading topic has been everything surrounding gender. This is mainly because the topic of gender is so new to me. I’m familiar with transgendered people but before this course I don’t think I’ve ever been aware of people that don’t associate with a certain gender at all. Kate Bornstein’s ideas about gender are very radical and I like them. If gender doesn’t become an issue anymore then we as a society can judge people on their merits and not what lies between their legs. 
4. Although I find it the most interesting, gender has also been the most difficult topic as well. Readings like the Judith Butler piece were very hard to decipher. It was very dense and filled with a lot of difficult vocabulary. Although the Judith butler as explained by cats did help somewhat. 

Pulse of the Class

I have surprisingly enjoyed most of the readings from the class so far, especially those from The Gender and Media Reader. Many of the articles are insightful, profound, and very different from that which I am used to reading, either in media or literature courses. The independent articles were a bit more challenging for me, perhaps because they lacked the amount of context that the reader’s articles had. While it might have taken me longer to fully understand them (and I’m not sure I do, even now), researching the ambiguous or unclear terms, or learning about them in class certainly helped shed light on topics which were previously very unknown to me. I have been pleasantly surprised by most of the screenings in class, too. I usually don’t particularly care for foreign films and I generally dislike watching with subtitles, but I genuinely enjoyed Ma Vie en Rose, and really enjoyed writing and thinking about it, as well. Fight Club has always been a favorite of mine, but I’m pretty sure I can never look at it the same way again – and I’m so grateful for that! Queer theory and especially the homosocial discussions really opened my eyes and I’m happy that I can use these new tools while reading or viewing other texts. The lectures are less riveting, but I’m glad I stay for them because they do sometimes result in new ideas for me, personally. I’m not the biggest Powerpoint slideshow fan, but when the text is too difficult for me to untangle by myself (like the Fausto-Sterling piece), a very clear-cut, direct visual aid can only prove to be helpful. The discussions have been erratic for me; I enjoy discussing the first few thoughts, but I tend to get slightly bored when it becomes repetitive. At first, I did not fully utilize Twitter, especially not in class, but recently I’ve begun to delve into it a lot more – and I love it! When a thought pops into my head during a discussion, or while watching something, I don’t need to wait to share it with the class – I can just post it on Twitter, and, while there, peruse my classmates’ thoughts, which is such a new and great concept to me.

The course material has certainly changed my existing ideas about gender, for better or for worse – but I like to think, for better. I’m much quicker to point out gender theories, inconsistencies, reinforcements and other ideas when watching or reading gender texts on my own, or within a larger group. It helps for me to verbalize these concepts because it elucidates them for myself, as well as for others who are even more sheltered and naïve than I am (if you can believe those people exist…they do!) I hope the material continues to challenge my preconceived notions, although I think I’m at least partially on my way to paving a new path for myself in this area.

I loved reading Kate Bornstein’s Gender Outlaw excerpts. She was entertaining, insightful, informative and very frank. She was unapologetic, which is something I had previously not seen in other “queer” texts, and the accompanying video of her which we screened in class only complemented the wonderful work she has done thus far. She definitely changed the way I view those who identify as “gender outlaws,” and while I may not be able to relate to them all on a sexuality-plane, I still feel like I understand where they are coming from, a lot more clearly.

I had the most difficulty reading Fischer’s Birth Traumas. The abstract language about the maternal versus motherhood versus femininity made my head spin a little bit. I usually enjoy lofty concepts that are thought-provoking, but for some reason, this particular reading (and the others that were very similar in their abstractness) was hard for me to decipher what the authors were trying to convey. I felt like no matter which way I leaned, I was getting the information and their messages wrong. Hopefully by the end of the course, I’ll be much more adept at analyzing and comprehending those types of texts.

Pulse of the Class

This was not a class that I had initially signed up for. I became interested in the class at the beginning of the semester, and thought that it would be a great and interesting class to end my undergraduate career with. I had taken another "W" course with Professor Fuqua in the fall semester, and that class was also just a great time, so I figured, why not try another? Another concept to the class that I really enjoy is that there is knowledge to be gained, and material to be learned, but it's not lectured and directly told to you. This particular class allows for students to contribute their own ideas and understandings and then communicate those ideas with the professor. Unlike the entry-level classes where concepts and ideas are told to you and you have to memorize and regurgitate, this class allows for complex thinking and sharing as well as different mediums in which to share and experience the material. Tweeting and blogging are two great tools for this type of class. It allows for sharing of thoughts and ideas between students, and also gives people a place to be more personable and not as timid about speaking their minds. 

I never honestly gave the idea of gender much thought. I was one of the people who thought there were males and there were females; some people may be born both, but somewhere along the line identify with either gender. Clearly, I have learned otherwise since the beginning of this course. The most shocking part to me from the class so far was the film Ma Vie en Rose. This was a film that really touched on a sensitive subject and I didn't even know that they had/would make such a film. Now-a-days we see boys wearing pink and having ear rings, but we don't put much thought into it. To see an eight-year old boy going through such a confusing and difficult childhood really disturbed me. Bullying or out-casting someone, especially a child, doesn't sit right with me. I personally believe that if in the home, the parents allowed Ludo to be who he felt, it may have very well been a phase that he would have grown out of. I think because the parents and people of the town payed so much attention to it, it made him confused and suffer for a while. Boys Don't Cry on the other hand was a film that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a real story, with true meaning, and held the audiences interest throughout. Seeing this film when it premiered must have been such a shock for audiences to see. Homosexuality is becoming more and more excepted in today's society compared to the 1900's early 2000's. Girls with short hair, wearing plaid and jeans is not uncommon anymore. Times are changing, along with society and societal norms. 

The most interesting topic and reading to me thus far was Male Subjectivity & Media and Martha Nochimson's, "Waddaya Looking At? Re-Reading the Gangster Genre Through The Soprano's." The Soprano's was a show that I watched after the series had ended. During it's original air dates I was too you (according to my parents) to watch this show. This obviously made me want to watch it more. When I got older, I began watching the series from start to finish. All the while, I never once thought about how gender played a role in the show. I have a big Italian family as well, and could always relate to the Soprano's in more ways than one, but I never thought, "Tony is this alpha-male who can do what he pleases and get away with anything..." I simply would watch for enjoyment, and didn't even put thought into the idea that there was multiple ways of interpreting a show such as The Soprano's. 

The most difficult reading was Judith Butler. Not that I don't think I'm smart enough to eventually follow what she was saying, I lose interest if I feel I'm not grasping the material and it's a lost cause. Compared to Kate Bornstein who speaks about similar ideas of Judith Butler, but speaks from real personal experiences, makes light of the past and unimportant matters, and makes that quick connection with the audience. Watching the clips of Kate Bornstein speaking also increased my interest in what she had to say and kept me intrigued. 

Overall, I truly enjoy this class so far, I look forward to a great second half of the semester, I look forward to watching more interesting, insightful, and entertaining works, and most importantly, graduating!!

People Are Strange..... But it's not a bad thing!!

1. Using plenty of adjectives and also lyrics from a popular song, describe your impressions of the course so far. How would you describe your experience of the readings, screenings, lectures, discussions (Twitter and in class)?

The song which came to mind while thinking about how I was going to answer this question was People Are Strange by The Doors.

“People are strange when you're a stranger 

Faces look ugly when you're alone 
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted 
Streets are uneven when you're down 

When you're strange 
Faces come out of the rain 
When you're strange 
No one remembers your name 
When you're strange 
When you're strange 
When you're strange”

This song is all about how strange people are, and honestly too many this can be a bad thing but I have always been amazed and in awe of how different humans are. Over my time in this class, and over the past four years of my college education, I have certainly changed how I look at media. I’ve found that within what we watch and hear that there is just as many ways to interpret as there are people watching or listening. Being able to express and share thoughts at an instance while doing the readings through twitter has been fun, mainly because I am terrible at having a pen when reading so my thoughts often get lost and forgotten.

2. Has the course material challenged, reinforced, surprised, baffled, you-fill-in-the blank, your existing ideas about gender, sexuality, and media representations? Please remember that you have seen a range of media representations in this class -- mainstream and independent and or "alternative."

The material we have covered has not only reinforced my own thoughts on the ideas of gender and sexuality, it has also expanded them. I myself decided a while ago that I would look at a person for who they are and their actions, not by how they look or how others see them. So far it has worked out well. Through the weekly readings and in class discussion in have found links with my own thoughts and that of others and the course topics. The readings about the history of and the different theories surrounding the various LGBTQI activist groups I found the most eye/mind-opening. It has also caused me to really appreciate my family and friends more as they accepted my lifestyle choices without any great issues. They are happy as long as I am, and this is amazingly awesome.

3. What has been the single most engaging reading/topic so far and why?

The reading I found most engaging was the J. Jack Halberstam piece. I found it to be of familiar content and it really broke down the flaws within the binary system for something so varied. I think I had the most connection with this piece as I had a somewhat rough time with others when I was younger as they didn’t understand why I wasn’t “like all the other little girls”. Thankfully those I care for have found ways to accept me for me, which can’t be said for all those in similar positions.

4. What has been the single most difficult reading/topic so far and why?

The Anne Fausto-Sterling was probably the most difficult for me to get into, mainly because the writing style was so hard to follow at times. I found myself having to re-read most of it a few times to even begin to try and figure out what was being said. The work put in was worth it though, after getting through the writing style it was full of interesting ideas.

There's a pulse, alright. Not sure if I'm getting proper circulation, though.

Interesting.  That's the first adjective that comes to mind when it comes to this course.  On the surface, the topic of gender peaked my interest enough for me to hop on this bandwagon.  Inside the course proper, "interesting" also holds true.  With each reading, I gradually ended up realizing that all the topics of interest that I was expecting from this course had a lot more going on than I had originally had thought.  Even when I think I have a grasp on some of the readings, the discussions that come afterward also hammer home that there's something else going on.  Screenings and discussions are very eye-opening as well, not so much because of the discourse (though that can be fun too), but because it always raises my interest to see how these readings come together the moment we meet for each session.  I would say a great example, interestingly enough, is Ma Vie En Rose, which I thought was a great movie that demonstrated how social constructions brought about by the gender binary can drive people apart as much as they can bring people together.  

But "interesting" is just only the beginning



When we get down to it, this course is confusing.  This is second, and probably most important adjective that comes to my mind in relation to this course.  Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.

I think now would be a good time to explain why.  Like I said, I went into this course thinking that all the material would help me bring so much to the table, reinforcing what I already know.  Turns out what I already know was just the beginning.  Sure, when it comes to representations both in and out of the media, gender inequality exists and it sucks dinosaur balls.  But as mentioned before, there's more to it than JUST that.  When we reached the turning point of the course with that discussion about how The Sopranos deconstructed hegemonic masculinity, and ESPECIALLY our encounters with Judith Butler's concept of gender performativity, I honestly felt like this course brought more questions to the problems presented to us earlier on in the course than answers.  No matter how hard I try, I still feel like I'm in the same place I was before back when I read that introduction.  This has grown apparent outside the course.

Yeah.  It's clear as day.  Gender is socially constructed, very much like a cult.   Yes.   I get that even in the realm of science, the fact that somebody is christened a boy or a girl is all based on social and cultural criteria.  I get that the bathroom problem can be an easy fix if we just do away with the signs.  I get that society constantly strives to maintain an ideal status-quo that basically doesn't exist.  If said status-quo has been practically embedded in our culture, is there even a solution that people are willing to march towards to try and break those social constructions?  And if so, wouldn't that create a new slew of socially constructed things as well?  Wouldn't assuming another form of sexual identification be considered giving in to another set of social constructions?  If so, is there something we must do, or do we just roll with it and know that it's there?  These are the main questions that still burn in my mind.

And yet, for some reason, I feel like letting them burn is the easy way out, and I don't know why.  By questioning everything that's been thrown at me, am I missing the point solely because of the fact that media perpetuates social constructions through fictional representations and insightful food for thought?  And if so, how much has flew across my head?  Are we encouraged to break the binary?  Or has the point been all along that we should be encouraged to defy it?   Or at the very least, is the point that we should look at the media we're presented with in a different way based on the topics that are thrown at us?

I think the preceding wall of text has made clear which readings were the most engaging, and the most difficult.  The readings that point out the problem of the binary are the most engaging ones, since they're the things we can easily spot, like the bathroom problem, and Kate Bornstein.  On the other hand, when we start to explore how we can  transcend that binary, things start to get grayer and grayer.  Judith Butler's concepts were the clear game-changer for this course, and I thought I had them down pat.  I was wrong.  I was so terribly wrong.  And confused.

Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.  Confusion.  (And no, I'm trying to pad this response out, by the way.  Those are lyrics to a song.  It's not a pop song.  But it's a song.  Of confusion.)

Pulse of the Class

1. Using plenty of adjectives and also lyrics from a popular song, describe your impressions of the course so far. How would you describe your experience of the readings, screenings, lectures, discussions (Twitter and in class)?
The course has already gone above and beyond on what I thought it would be about. In just eight weeks, this class has increased my knowledge of gender and sexuality in the media. Some of the readings we have experienced in class so far have been a bit confusing to me. But when we discuss in class and watch the screenings, it really has the readings come to life. Therefore, with the discussion it allows me to fully understand what the author is trying to point out. Although I may be pretty quiet in class, I thoroughly enjoy this class.

 2. Has the course material challenged, reinforced, surprised, baffled, you-fill-in-the blank, your existing ideas about gender, sexuality, and media representations? Please remember that you have seen a range of media representations in this class -- mainstream and independent and or "alternative."
This course material has surprised me about gender, sexuality, and media representations. I have always known how women's representation in the media was not the same as men, but never really thought about the different levels of breaking it down. This class has really opened my eyes to what is going on in the media when it comes to gender and sexuality. Although this class is just 3 hours long, it has opened my eyes up outside of class when I am watching television, a movie, or even just simply looking at an advertisement.  Through out the movies we've watched in class, it has really opened my eyes up to the social "norms". While watching Ma Vie En Rose, it created such a mix of emotions from being upset to super furious. Ludo goes through the struggle of not being accepted by society and his own family. Even though this movie was created in 1997, people still are faced with the same struggles today as Ludo did.
 
 3. What has been the single most engaging reading/topic so far and why?
The most engaging reading so far I would have to say is the Kate Bornstein's piece. Her choice of words really made it easy to connect with the author. As she compared gender to being like a cult, it was really shocking to me how correct she is. Although it seemed a bit drastic, but I believe that it is the truth. Today society's views on gender & sexuality for what should be and should not be accepted is so wrong. Bornstein's style of writing made it easy and an enjoyable read.

 4. What has been the single most difficult reading/topic so far and why?
When reading Butler's article at home, it seemed to be the most difficult reading so far. Although after getting to class on that Tuesday, it seemed much easier after Professor Fuqua and the cats broke it down to simpler terms. It was difficult when reading at home that Butler's article related to the previous weeks reading from David Gauntlett's article.

Class Pulse

This course has personally been very eye opening. I have never thought about many of the aspects that this class has been exploring. Each reading has brought up ideas and theories that I not only had never heard of, but also have never been exposed to in any manner. For example the binary divide being more than just male and female is one aspect of this class that was confusing to me since I never thought of an ambiguous gender, or of a gender at all that is not defined as male or female. I also came into this class with the idea that biological determinism is what defines gender, and learning in this class that this is not the case has been a little mind boggling to say the least. Many aspects of this course, since they were quite unfamiliar to me before the class have been surprising and baffling. The screenings have been very eye opening, especially the reading and screening on Fight Club that brought up many background concepts of masculinity that I had never given thought to, even though I have seen the film before. The material for this class has definetely challenged the ideas of gender and sexuality that I had before entering this class. The reading of Laura Mulvey was the most engaging for me, since it layed out the way that film is formulated on the basis of female sexuality yet passivity and highlighted how the female is a visual pleasure that is in the film to be gazed upon by the active male of the film. The Kate Bornstein reading was also extremely engaging especially when she speaks about traditional gender roles creating an imbalance of power amongst the genders. Rosmarys Baby instilled the imbalance of power amongst the genders by Rosemary being controlled by her husband and the male doctor she is seeing. She looses her power over her situation because the men in her life hold all the power. Media plays into traditional gender roles in the most extreme ways by defining woman and men as separate entities that should each play into society's traditional views and conceptions of what a male or female should be. This is shown through the use of masculinity and femininity since those are simply just social constructs by society, yet they are seen on a wide scale as the defining factors of each gender. The reading of Alexander Doty was the most difficult for me since it laid out the idea of queer which is confusing to me. The framework of queer, as I understand is an umbrella term that encompasses ambiguous gender roles, but the idea of what queer really means is still a little fuzzy to me. The idea that gender is not based on flesh, and is not biologically determined which is pointed out in the Judith Butler reading is a very puzzling concept for me since it goes against the mindset I've had of gender up until this course. Through this class I have learned to keep an open mind and learned that there are many things about gender and sexuality that I do not know and there are many ideas that contradict what I thought I knew about gender and sexuality. This course has replaced my seemingly know it all perspective on gender and sexuality, with a blank slate that I am filling with opinions and ideologies that are completely new to me. As Lou Reed sang Take a Walk on the Wild Side:

Holly came from Miami F.L.A.

Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.

Plucked her eyebrows on the way

Shaved her legs and then he was a she

She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,

Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

This class has allowed my mind to "take a walk on the wild side" and free my mind of what I think I knew about this topic, and let myself learn new perspectives and ideologies of gender and sexuality.  

pulse of the class

This class definitely helped me understand sexuality and gender in another different perspective. Gender and sexuality are really something that we will see and experience in our life everyday, but people don’t really pay attention to the subjects. People often-think gender only includes female and male, and there are certain rule to be a man and woman. The readings from this class really led me to pay attention to gender and sexuality in real life. For example, when I watch TV now, I am always looing for evidence that support what I learned in class, such as stereotyping women’s body in advertisements and how usually media portrays masculinity and femininity in movie and TV shows. The readings along with the screening in class also give me so much information that is new to me. I think because our social norms we can be blinded when it comes to the topic gender. Ma Vie En is a great example and it is extremely heart breaking, to see someone like Ludovic fighting against the world just to be himself. This is when I realized just like me (before I learned anything from the class) many people don’t have knowledge about gender identity and they judge people from what they think is right or wrong. That is why I think the words should be spread in our society so less people will suffer from the harms of our social norms and stereotypes.

     The most engaging reading for me is “visual pleasure and Narrative cinema” by Laura Mulvey, Laura explained some terms that I think are very true about cinema or perhaps just media in general. The concept is films depend on visual pleasure such as scopophilia and narcissism.  When we think about it, we really enjoy watching other people’s story and sometimes imagine ourselves to be them. I think her concepts are very important when it comes to the relationship between audience and the film. She also mentioned about how women are usually passive objects while men are active subject. Although I think this concept is not as obvious in today’s media, but it definitely applies to the old films.

    The most difficult reading will be “ Imitation and gender insubordination” by Judith butler.although David Gauntlett  already summarized Butler’s main concepts, it still seems confusing. Such as identity and performance, I have to go back and forth from the two reading to understand