Riot Acts

Tara Caldwell

March 8^th, 2012

Extra Credit

Riot Acts: flaunting gender deviance in music performance

Riot Act is a documentary film that focuses on the lives of the transgender community and there influence on music. They argue the social norms of what makes it a true all girl bands and also cover the perception of a rock band. They show the judgment that is placed on these individuals’ but it also covers their life goals and challenges. It covers the not only their gender experiences but also their stage performances. It talks about how there is a transition with not only their physical body image but also their voice. This shows the independent musicians and bands in the transgender stories during their transition and musical influences.

This film is talks about as much as being on the road as being a transgendered artist. Having personal testimonies of their transition and how the hormones affect each individual differently. The film also covers the fact that the research on these hormones and their affects are almost unknown. Many of the musicians were scared to take the hormones because they didn’t want to have a change in their voices that would affect their musical dreams.

This film really relates to the course by showing that this “other” section is bridging the gap in society and helping make some changes. They are taking terms that have been used to demean their community like “tranny” and using them in a new way. They have found that they may be different to these social norms but are they really different. The film also covers how the community supports each other and how these bands play in “safe” environments because there is still that fear of having a violent act placed on them because they go against the social norms. 

The personal experience of viewing the film from an individual that is not in this course. In the course we have heard many stories and been shown a little of the LBGT communities language. I found that many of the questions were based from confusion with some of the terms and the community’s language. They also were amazed by how these individuals have transitioned and how if they met these people in public there would be no question to their gender role either FTM or MTF one could simply not see this. One thing about music is that helps pull people together. The film expressed that the change in gender role is a challenging experience but is so beautifully interpreted in this documentary film. We feel that these individuals are helping society rethink gender and sexual orientation. 

Straightlaced

Tara Caldwell

March 01, 2012

Extra Credit

Straightlaced: How Gender Got Us All Tied Up

     This is a documentary film that was produced in 2009. Focusing on how society places the pressure on gender and sexuality of teens. The film shows how expectations and hemophilia have been interwoven into society.  The film discusses about how hard it is to go against the rigid gender roles. The roles of gender affect how the youth are not only having trouble with in their social environments but also their gender roles affect them hen entering the workforce.   

     This film showed how homophobia in American schools remains unsafe for many young people. The youth in today’s society that choose to go against the social norms are victimized because they do not match the dominant social norms. This affects these individuals by creating a dangerous social and emotional well-being.  Straightlaced shares stories of many U.S. high school students who speak about their experiences in a very powerful way. They speak about their experiences with gender, sexuality, and homophobia. This film covers the relationships with peers and teachers and they answer the questions about gender identity.

     Focusing on how the gender role doesn’t always fit clearly fit into a box. It also talks about how it is society have decided that there are two genders but nature has shown us there are many more. Many of the individuals interviewed either identified as male or female but it also focused on how society feels like there are only two choices in gender.  The film shows how gender roles have been interwoven in culture, race, and class. They touched on the social mantra of “you’re hiding in the closet?,” and how many of the individuals expressed that is wasn’t a closet but instead it is more like a prison. The personal testimonies of the painful experiences with their social environments and how its personal friends that have helped influence them to feel safe in these hazardous social environment that they are forced to deal with daily.  The youth honesty wants to be heard and trusted. They spoke about how these individuals were sexually harassed and their experiences with antigay harassment. They disclosed how they were close to teachers and adults but these individuals would never stick up for them. Some individuals had to file lawsuits to protect themselves.

     Straightlaced is a film that shows a gender lens into the lives of adolescents across America. The film serves as a powerful introduction to the social environments which the individuals had not only emotionally experience but intellectually as well. This film shows how consistent and committed gender, sexuality, and safety in schools are and how its overlooked by the adults but instead the voices of the youth.  The film touched on how in society girls feel like they need to dumb down so they don’t intimidate boys and how boys need to show that they are sexually active to prove that they are not gay. The relentless bullying is on the non-conforming teens that say the ultimate insult is being called gay. This film has come out at a time where teen suicides are running rapid because of the unhealthy and dangerous impact that they have to experience from their gender role change in life.

     This film showed how homophobia in American schools remains unsafe for many young people. The youth in today’s society that choose to go against the social norms are victimized because they do not match the dominant social norms. This affects these individuals by creating a dangerous social and emotional well-being.  Straightlaced shares stories of many U.S. high school students who speak about their experiences in a very powerful way. They speak about their experiences with gender, sexuality, and homophobia. This film covers the relationships with peers and teachers and they answer the questions about gender identity.

Focusing on how the gender role doesn’t always fit clearly fit into a box. It also talks about how it is society have decided that there are two genders but nature has shown us there are many more. Many of the individuals interviewed either identified as male or female but it also focused on how society feels like there are only two choices in gender.  The film shows how gender roles have been interwoven in culture, race, and class. They touched on the social mantra of “you’re hiding in the closet?,” and how many of the individuals expressed that is wasn’t a closet but instead it is more like a prison. The personal testimonies of the painful experiences with their social environments and how its personal friends that have helped influence them to feel safe in these hazardous social environment that they are forced to deal with daily.  The youth honesty wants to be heard and trusted. They spoke about how these individuals were sexually harassed and their experiences with antigay harassment. They disclosed how they were close to teachers and adults but these individuals would never stick up for them. Some individuals had to file lawsuits to protect themselves.

      Straightlaced is a film that shows a gender lens into the lives of adolescents across America. The film serves as a powerful introduction to the social environments which the individuals had not only emotionally experience but intellectually as well. This film shows how consistent and committed gender, sexuality, and safety in schools are and how its overlooked by the adults but instead the voices of the youth.  The film touched on how in society girls feel like they need to dumb down so they don’t intimidate boys and how boys need to show that they are sexually active to prove that they are not gay. The relentless bullying is on the non-conforming teens that say the ultimate insult is being called gay. This film has come out at a time where teen suicides are running rapid because of the unhealthy and dangerous impact that they have to experience from their gender role change in life.

       Focusing on how the gender role doesn’t always fit clearly fit into a box. It also talks about how it is society have decided that there are two genders but nature has shown us there are many more. Many of the individuals interviewed either identified as male or female but it also focused on how society feels like there are only two choices in gender.  The film shows how gender roles have been interwoven in culture, race, and class. They touched on the social mantra of “you’re hiding in the closet?,” and how many of the individuals expressed that is wasn’t a closet but instead it is more like a prison. The personal testimonies of the painful experiences with their social environments and how its personal friends that have helped influence them to feel safe in these hazardous social environment that they are forced to deal with daily.  The youth honesty wants to be heard and trusted. They spoke about how these individuals were sexually harassed and their experiences with antigay harassment. They disclosed how they were close to teachers and adults but these individuals would never stick up for them. Some individuals had to file lawsuits to protect themselves.

Straightlaced is a film that shows a gender lens into the lives of adolescents across America. The film serves as a powerful introduction to the social environments which the individuals had not only emotionally experience but intellectually as well. This film shows how consistent and committed gender, sexuality, and safety in schools are and how its overlooked by the adults but instead the voices of the youth.  The film touched on how in society girls feel like they need to dumb down so they don’t intimidate boys and how boys need to show that they are sexually active to prove that they are not gay. The relentless bullying is on the non-conforming teens that say the ultimate insult is being called gay. This film has come out at a time where teen suicides are running rapid because of the unhealthy and dangerous impact that they have to experience from their gender role change in life.

      Straightlaced is a film that shows a gender lens into the lives of adolescents across America. The film serves as a powerful introduction to the social environments which the individuals had not only emotionally experience but intellectually as well. This film shows how consistent and committed gender, sexuality, and safety in schools are and how its overlooked by the adults but instead the voices of the youth.  The film touched on how in society girls feel like they need to dumb down so they don’t intimidate boys and how boys need to show that they are sexually active to prove that they are not gay. The relentless bullying is on the non-conforming teens that say the ultimate insult is being called gay. This film has come out at a time where teen suicides are running rapid because of the unhealthy and dangerous impact that they have to experience from their gender role change in life.

Gender Code

Gender Code is a documentary film that explores the way the body is presented in the media through advertising. It looks beyond the “norms” about masculinity and femininity that is communicated to society. The film covers the importance of gender, power, and how it is reproduced and reinforced by the culture.  This film takes modern advertisement mainly focusing on the poses of models.

Males and females are governed by codes and rules that have been submerged into our culture for many years, the way we walk, our body postures, our emotions, and our sense of normal. The film enforces that the culture has entirely constructed, assigned, and taught these gender roles. Because these codes are reinforced it brings up the films arguments of, “There is nothing natural about gender identity” (Goffman).

The film covers how society photography is controlled. Men are placed in more powerful positions and women are placed in more subjected positions. Using familiar model’s stances like the bent-knee or contorted torso, to an array of different physical cues, and neck-bends. Also, the film placed men in female poses which I found interesting because they looked silly like it was a joke. 

This film relates to the course work in many ways. It challenges society’s social norms and show us a new path. It helps broaden the spectrum in which masculinity and femininity is formed. My friend found that the men in the more feminine poses weren’t weird to him. He asked if he should be concerned about this as if he it made him question his masculinity. He said that seeing these females and males in the same poses isn’t weird because it’s art/ just a photo. I found that interesting but I have always felt female models poses are weird and when seeing a male in these poses it really through me off. This film really broadened my views of advertisement within our culture. 

orchid

Orchid is a documentary film on intersex. This film started out about a female who grow up knowing she was different. It wasn't until she was 13 that her parents told her that she was intersex and she went in for surgery. After finding out what made Bonnie Hart different she started to enbrace that side of herself. She broke the family secret and found out that her little sister had the same secret. The idea of these sisters going through such a tramatic stage in their lives and never being able to talk about it is very challenging to think of because they didn't know what the other was going through.

Hart did research online about AIS her condition and found others that were having the same experience. She talked to them online and over the phone. The documentary is about her journey to meet all these intersex individuals and hear their story. She even found out that one of her school teachers that help influence her life in the film industry was also an intersex individual.

This film relates to our class because it covers how society feels what our "norms" are and who fall within the spectrum. Hart didn't need the surgery but because she was different the doctors felt she needed to fit in a "box" being female or male only. Hart was different but at the time the social enviroment was telling her that was a bad thing. Hart is unable to bare a child but was able to adopt. She is living a wonderful life w/ her baby and husband. On the out side she fits what society views proper but on the inside she is different because she has a deviant body.

Know I have brought my friend shawn to every movie in the film series. When I first started this course I told him about intersex but didn't go into detail. He was still curious about what intersex was so he found this film very interesting. He was happy that Hart found a male partner that could look past societies perceptions about she her being different and loves her for who she is. He didn't understand why the mother couldn't talk to her daughters about there conditions but he did notice that their father was very accepting of his daughters, just loving them for who they are. The mother was very depressed and close-minded about speaking to her daughters, even at the end when she begain to open up she was still upset speaking in a negative way.

WSU Drag Show 2012

  On Thursday, March 29th, 2012 WSU held a drag show. This was my first experience of a drag show. Now, on our way to the show we got into a little fender bender unfortunately but that didn’t stop us from going to the show.  The environment was upbeat with smiles and laughter throughout the audience. It was a wonderful experience watching people sing and dance. Also, you can forget the tips and how all the proceeds where going to such a great event. 

  
  The show reminded me of a middle school talent show. Maybe it was just the backstreet boys or the energetic atmosphere but the for sure thing is that this event wasn’t PG ☺. Drag is a different form of art. I sat in the back row because I arrived a little late like normal and unfortunately almost all seats where taken. The only thing I didn’t like was that it was hard to see over all the bobbling heads. So sitting or standing on the chairs was what I had to do but the show was great. I wish I could of stayed for the dance show but I had an eight am class so we left after the show.  I enjoyed every performer. The more crowd involvement the better I felt they were. The couples (Amanda and her partner) I felt were the best! They did an excellent job and I loved the song choice. At first I didn’t get why it was the same five performers but as the show went on I got excited to see what performer was next and finding out their song choice. All I can say to the people who couldn’t go is that you all will regret not going next year!   
  
  You can relate this to our class work because it gives to you a better view of the LGBT community. The performers didn’t match the “norm” of society and are considered deviant for being who they are. It really gives the extra push on our society to broaden our definition of normal. I feel that WSU is going in the right direction by having the Drag Show and then next week having gender-neutral bathrooms. This class has really helped me broaden my norms and I’m proud to be part of these experiences.

Obesity is an illness?

Obesity in America is a very hot topic. The question is what makes someone obese? The medical community is constantly challenging the number of misguided assumptions about obesity and other misguided facts that have come from old wives tales. Chocolate, coffee, and beer are many things that have been known as unhealthy treats but now all confirmed to be healthy treats with major health benefits. Society learns more about the true nutrition values and health benefits of foods as science and studies evolve.

In process of science the BMI chart was made. Now the picture below is an image found from Google Image and may not be the best and most updated graph.

Mr. Adolphe Quetelet was pioneer in the field of polymath and helped the concept of Body Mass Index (BMI) move forward in society. This concept is not based on how much fat an individual really has but instead the BMI is a measurement of the body fat based on the height and weight of an adult man or woman. “BMI calculator does not actually show the percentage of body fat that you have but it is just a mere proxy of your obesity”  (1). Quetelet was a Belgian scientist that found an easy way to find out how healthy an adult is in their current health state.

Now obesity is a, “chronic, relapsing, neurochemical disease with a genetic basis” (4). The theory of eating less and exercising more is ineffective because for many people it is a life long challenge. With long-term calorie reduction and exercise enhancement it is not necessary for adequate weight loss because there are biological and environmental reasons that we overlook. Diet and exercise are obviously key elements to a better lifestyle change and plan against obesity, but there is so much more. Obesity patients that have chronic conditions will require lifelong treatment and interventions, which will be from many lifelong components such as diabetes and hypertension. Obesity deserves serious treatment and it is hard for many people because of financial costs. To be healthy and thin in today’s society is hard because healthier foods cost more. The image below, “I can’t afford to be skinny,” talks about how being skinny is looked at as one being poor. This was considered a negative in the 1960s and this ad talks about how you can talk to your doctor about your bad eat habits.

Now how do we know someone is suffering from obesity? Many may think this is a funny question because everyone knows what an overweight “fat” person looks like. But if we look more in depth on things like their behaviors and less on their attributes it becomes a little bit harder to describe. Someone who eats larger unhealthy meals and sits around all day is the common unscholarly definition. But when reviewing studies I found that Obesity has a relationship with stress and eating behaviors, “Stress appears to alter overall food intake in two ways, resulting in under- or overeating, which may be influenced by stressor severity. Chronic life stress seems to be associated with a greater preference for energy- and nutrient-dense foods, namely those that are high in sugar and fat. Evidence from longitudinal studies suggests that chronic life stress may be causally linked to weight gain, with a greater effect seen in men. Stress-induced eating may be one factor contributing to the development of obesity”(5).  Many studies have been examined in animals and humans on how stress influences eating behaviors. The relationship between stress and eating behaviors gives the conclusion that it can influences ones chances of being diagnosed with obesity.

Many doctors are worried that people will use the diagnosis of obesity a way out. By having a diagnosis many people believe that there will be this magical pill that will make them lose weight. Unfortunately it isn’t that easy because every individual is different. A pill may work for certain people who have other underlying conditions but exercise and eating behavior will be needed.  

The major players of the decision making is not the “lazy” individual but as an article describes, “that human overeating is  not just a passive response to salient environmental triggers and powerful physiological drives; it is also about making choices” (6).  Most articles covered that an obese individual hasn’t made the right choices health wise but they also factor in what kind of lifestyles these individuals lead. Why is there a diagnosis if it is just a simple lifestyle change? For a doctor to diagnose a patient with obesity they will usually take these steps: take the health history, check for other health problems (tumors, etc.), calculate your BMI, measure the waist, and run a blood test. When doctors measure the waist they are looking to see how much fat storage is held in that area of the body.  The fat stored around the waist is called visceral fat or abdominal fat. This fat may further increase the risk for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

There are many parties that gain from the diagnosis of obesity and there are many that lose. Obesity is a topic with lots of detail because everyone is different.  The label of obesity is heartbreaking to many individuals and empowering to others. In society we believe that individuals should be thin and in shape. Women are fed the stigma of being thin and there are many groups that support eating disorders to help them succeed. Below are images I found from a group that supports eating disorders and being the ultimate thin. 

Thinspiration - inspiration for a thinner society

It is also not young females that are sucked into being thin but even men. The photo below is an image of a young male trying to fit society’s image. Also an image of a young boy making the change from skinny, healthy, and ending with being obese(look at his face in the image to the right).

 

Where is society’s line of healthy and fat? The media plays a big role in what men and woman should look like. The advertisements are everywhere and now are focused on children. It is more common for a child to watch TV in their spare time and with the increase in ads it begins this slow drip of what an individual should be instead of seeing and loving who they are. Parents are already worried about TV’s influences on their children behaviors. Many groups have come together to help fight childhood obesity, but is childhood obesity a disease? The video below covers the topic of childhood obesity and the ad’s that are being used in the state of Georgia.

The underlying social constructions of obesity are based on this image of the person being a poor/middle class individual who is usually female. If it is an obese woman than she will be called “the cat lady” meaning she is living alone with multiple cats(her friends since society befriends the obese),  in which she has multiple allergies (breathing problems, infections, etc.), constantly goes to the doctor for Rx, uses a motorized wheelchair, and upset/bitter individual (because she has either been enabled or lonely). Many people have the perception that they are overweight but not obese. Obesity is an illness but it is also a perception in many ways.  The label that is placed on the individual is proof that it is their fault that they are like this. “Fat people are considered less worthy human beings than thin people are. They receive less of the good things that life has to offer, and more of the bad” (8). The simple fact that the media covers the head of any image of an obese person is society’s way of showing how it is shameful to be overweight.  But there is too much research against society’s perception that every individual just needs to exercise more and eat less. The weight loss companies like weight watcher and food companies “ORGANIC” are making a huge profit off this simple perception that being obese is a “social disgrace”  (8).

Word Count: 1,375

Citations:

1.       "Calculate Your Body Mass Index." Calculate Your BMI. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/>.

2.      Discovery Health. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/bmi3.htm>.

3.      "Bmi Calculator “ How Does It Work." Bmi Calculator €“ an Estimate of Your Obesity.” Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://weightlosscalculatorfree.net/bmi-calculator-an-estimate-of-your-obesity>.

4.      "Obesity: Character Flaw or Neurochemical Disease?" The Huffington Post. Web. <https://lms.wsu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=1E37BB054E3C46C2A62E056B3753C45D>.

5.      "Relationship between Stress, Eating Behavior, and Obesity." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17869482>.

6.      “Decision-Making Deficits and Overeating: A Risk Model for Obesity." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v12/n6/full/oby2004113a.html>.

7.      Grinberg, Emanuella. "Georgia's Child Obesity Ads Aim to Create Movement out of Controversy - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 07 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/07/health/atlanta-child-obesity-ads/index.html>.

8.      Erich Goode, “The Stigme of Obesity,” Social Deviance. Boston, 1996

Film Review: Generation Rx

Generation Rx

This is a documentary film that focuses on the society and how pharisaical companies are controlling the medical field. We are medicating our health active children because it is the prefect babysitter. The pharmaceutical companies are profiting billions of dollars each year by brainwashing the public. These companies advertise on billboards, TV’s, magazines and anywhere else they can put an ad. These companies also invest money into school’s and help further the education of the next generations MD’s. Many MD’s are being given commissions if they prescribe certain drugs. Most of these big pharmaceutical companies have been covering up and botching studies. This in turn allows them to clam the drugs are safe but in reality they’re not.

Generation Rx argues that the FDA is not acting against these drug companies because the members on the board have too many ties with the pharmaceutical companies. The film focused on a drug call Prozac. This drug has more negatives than positives, mainly having psychological and physical side effects. The FDA had a conference about Prozac and the board members where shown the testimony of hundreds of people that were personally affected by Prozac or they shared the tragic stories of their loved ones. After hearing hundreds of negative results the FDA said that there was no factual conclusion that shows Prozac is an unsafe drug. The film also focused on Ritalin. With the increase of diagnosis of ADHD in the 80s and 90s our nation consumed more than 400% of Ritalin compared to all the other nations combined.  The fraud and deception that had been unrecognized by the public for so long can be shown from many of the startling statistics that Generation Rx provides. This documentary wasn’t an opinion, it was a fact.   

Generation Rx relates to our course work in many ways. The construction of deviance is societies way to have the “others” box. These pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of these boxes and making a profit. Our medical field is being controlled by the nations pharmaceutical companies and this is demonstrated by the fact that we go to the doctors because they have “what is best for our health” in mind. They will give us a prescription and advice to calm us in the worst circumstances.  But how can these doctors be trusted if they are being given financial incentivizes to prescribe these drugs. Do our doctors really prescribe what is best for us or is it what is best for them? The pharmaceutical companies have now found a new label and target consumer. They now take these drugs and have them prescribe to our children. Children are now expected to behave like mature adults. It is no longer acceptable to be a kid anymore. The quicker a child matures the more successful they shall be. These new drugs that are being poured into children’s systems are causing a chemical imbalance in their brain. This is because the drugs are 5-HT antagonist (aka: blocker of Serotonin in the brain).

The scary fact is that about 56% of the MD’s on the FDA board are in financial ties with these pharmaceutical companies. This is a huge conflict of interest and it is effecting our nations youth. These minors are being fed doses of these clinically unsafe drugs. Where is the FDA to protect them?  Should these minors be punished for having the psychological side effects? Out of the 13 school shootings researchers have found that 8 of the children were on anti-depressants like Prozac. The stories are always the same but there is no change to our nations system.

The film also showed a conference on ADHD. A question that was asked to a doctor was, “What symptoms does a child with ADHD typically exhibit?” This doctor has diagnosis hundreds of children with ADHD and he simply could not explain what ADHA symptoms are. This was very upsetting because it shows how flawed the medical system is and how this doctors financial ties with these companies is so strong. It is the prefect example of how children in today’s society are being given ill-informed diagnosis.  

I would like to hear more about how these companies produce these drugs.  I’m really interested in how the United States allows these companies to advertise so much when other countries do not. I would like to see the comparison that other countries have with financial ties with these drug companies. Also hearing a little more information on the top schools that our doctors can go to for there education and find out how many of them are financed through these big drug companies.

R U suffering from NRNS?

I just saw this on TV and thought this would go well with the next blog posting. "Are you suffering from NRNS?"

Film Review: Tough Guise

Film Review #3

            Tough Guise is a documentary film that focuses on how the media portrays masculinity over time. The film compares society and how the public is feed this version that a true man has to be strong, have huge muscles, and smell good with old spice.  The stigma that men are given is well known in today’s society.

By showing how men have been given this slow drip about how manly they should be it has created this impossible version of a man. Society has also reassure men that women are beneath them. In movies like horror films they are shown a highly attractive female in a sexual way. Then the next scene is the female being murdered, beaten, or raped. These films arouse men right before a violent act is going to accrue. The media constantly is showing men that they are suppose to treat women in a negative manor.

Tough Guise explains and points out how the United States media views men. This fits into this course because this film shows how men are deviant. This film covers the emotional damage that is inflicted on men’s masculinity. The film also covers the fear that many men have if they choose to go against the social norms.

The film covered how masculinity starts being enforced when children are young. Starting with everything blue if it’s a boy and pink for girls to what their toys look like. An example of this was G.I. Joe toys and how the toy has changed over time. This stood out to me the most because it gives us a better understanding on how at a young age children are given these toys. They are not an example of the normal man but our society wants everyone to think that more muscle is better. And its not just the toys made for boys that help give them the idea of a true masculinity but the female toys do this as well. Barbie’s are now the image of perfection. Barbie can do everything from being a nurse to a childbearing mother. She is a skinny and usually a blonde haired blue eye doll.

One thing I would like to see in society with children toys is the Average Joe doll.  This doll would be the correct size of an average female and male in America. Why is it bad to have curves are a female? It’s natural to have hips and fat on the body. Why should our society strive to be these images of perfection? I feel that many are forgetting that they are stuck in there bodies until the bitter end. The drugs and alternations that they perform on their bodies will have affects that are unknown at this time.