The Bechdel Test is a test for filmmakers to test the role of women in films. There are very few criteria for this test. There must be:
1. two named female characters,
2. who talk to each other,
3. about something other than men.
The idea for this test originally came from a cartoon, but the ideas remain sound. Shouldn't there be films which appeal to females as well as males? While this information on the test did come from a feminist website, the video gained credibility through its examples used. It cited numerous current popular films which did not meet these simple requirements. Today, people view the United States in particular as a place where males and females have equal opportunities, but this test shows that we have a long way to go in order to achieve equality. One element in particular that was effective in the page of the site was the portrayal of feigned boredom. This made the viewer feel that the list was longer than it actually was. In addition, the author gives more resources to the reader for further research. It gives more credence to the potential extremely one-sided views of the feminist organization that produced this video.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Article of the Week 15: IRB Section 3
I really could not stop reading this book. It was extremely compelling in that it showed the dark underbelly of the government. This section was dedicated to Zeitoun's experiences after his arrest by the New Orleans police. Zeitoun was arrested and taken to the city train station where an outdoor prison had been built. Zeitoun was housed in these circumstances with little regards to his medical, dietary or religious needs. Zeitoun was even forced to use part of a can to open up his infected foot to remove a piece of metal which had caused infection. He was then sent then to a real prison, Hunt, where he was still subjugated to more humiliation and the treatment was only slightly better. After a few weeks there, a missionary called his wife and Kathy finally was able to post bail for Zeitoun after much time spent fighting the judicial system. The book ended mentioning the psychological effects this experience put on Zeitoun and Kathy. Most notably, Kathy at times would lose the ability to interact with the world around her, even losing her understanding of English and memory of what she had been doing a few seconds earlier.
Throughout this section, the reader is struck by the unnecessary dehumanization of the prisoners who did not necessarily do anything wrong. Killers were mixed with petty thieves and all were treated as if they were terrorists. Randomized searches for drugs, pepper spraying if not obeying quickly enough, and the lack of available doctors further the exploitation of these people. Overwhelmingly, however, throughout this section was the idea that no one was in charge. The prisoners were always someone else's problem, even while in prison. There was a lack of communication between all parties, and even the trials of prisoners were kept secret. The imagery and juxtaposition were the most impressive features of this book. The juxtaposition came in many forms, including: American government versus Siberian, American versus Muslim religions and prejudices, the government before and after the hurricane, and also Zeitoun's family before and after he was jailed. Throughout all of this the imagery plays a large role in emphasizing these differences and also making the reader care about the people in the book as it was such a short read. I would recommend this book to anyone. It was excellent.
Throughout this section, the reader is struck by the unnecessary dehumanization of the prisoners who did not necessarily do anything wrong. Killers were mixed with petty thieves and all were treated as if they were terrorists. Randomized searches for drugs, pepper spraying if not obeying quickly enough, and the lack of available doctors further the exploitation of these people. Overwhelmingly, however, throughout this section was the idea that no one was in charge. The prisoners were always someone else's problem, even while in prison. There was a lack of communication between all parties, and even the trials of prisoners were kept secret. The imagery and juxtaposition were the most impressive features of this book. The juxtaposition came in many forms, including: American government versus Siberian, American versus Muslim religions and prejudices, the government before and after the hurricane, and also Zeitoun's family before and after he was jailed. Throughout all of this the imagery plays a large role in emphasizing these differences and also making the reader care about the people in the book as it was such a short read. I would recommend this book to anyone. It was excellent.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Article of the Week 14: IRB Section 2
Because of no distinct chapters, this section had three distinct characteristics of which I will mainly focus on one. The book focused on Zeitoun's adventures in the city for some of the time. By far, however, most of the pages were based on Kathy's situation when Zeitoun was taken away. Kathy started having troubles with her family on account of her being Muslim, so she decided to visit her friend Yuko. Yuko lived with her husband in Arizona and Kathy planned on staying with her until she could return to New Orleans. When Zeitoun disappeared, Yuko also provided emotional support for the distraught Kathy.
In the previous part of the book, the author often would jump between Kathy's life and Zeitoun's, but with the abduction of Zeitoun, his end of the story left the equation. This brilliant rhetorical choice left the reader confused and hoping for Zeitoun's safety along with Kathy. This created a heightened sense of emotional turmoil as not only Kathy became worried, but also her children and Zeitoun's family abroad. Most of this 110 page section was based on the family's fears for their patriarch as it even is transformed physically into a white patch in Kathy's hair. This continual worry helps the readers to form a connection with both Zeitoun and Kathy and forces the reader to care about these people, even in such a short book.
Partly to be devious and partly because it only starts five pages before the end of this section, Zeitoun's story will be explained in the next post.
In the previous part of the book, the author often would jump between Kathy's life and Zeitoun's, but with the abduction of Zeitoun, his end of the story left the equation. This brilliant rhetorical choice left the reader confused and hoping for Zeitoun's safety along with Kathy. This created a heightened sense of emotional turmoil as not only Kathy became worried, but also her children and Zeitoun's family abroad. Most of this 110 page section was based on the family's fears for their patriarch as it even is transformed physically into a white patch in Kathy's hair. This continual worry helps the readers to form a connection with both Zeitoun and Kathy and forces the reader to care about these people, even in such a short book.
Partly to be devious and partly because it only starts five pages before the end of this section, Zeitoun's story will be explained in the next post.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Article of the Week 13: Individualism
I decided to change this week up a tad. I will be drawing this analysis from an article about naming babies from Time Magazine and an article about hipsters from NPR.
Coming from two universally respected sources, these two articles may seem worlds apart at first, but they both mirror a growing sentiment in America today: the need to be unique in a flattening and internet-based world. "The Hipsterification of America" speaks mainly about the spread of the hipster ideology throughout America. Once on the outside of society, hipsters have become almost universally accepted and widespread as the internet has spread their message. Now, more and more being a hipster is -- ironically -- popular. It speaks to trying to be an individual in a large population. The article from Time Magazine on naming children follows a similar thread of individualism. Part of the article is written about how people will judge children based on the spellings of their names. "Alexandra may be spelled Alekzandra; the "kz" combo is almost never seen in middle-class families" This then, would promote people to treat the child with less respect because it is a "lower class" spelling of the word. The article mostly, however speaks to the increased role of the internet on choosing names. When choosing a name parents look specifically for negative associations to the name and the uniqueness of the name.
What struck me the most about both articles is the desire to be unique so much that people are willing to alienate themselves and their children. Both articles continually stress this growing American sentiment. To this end, both articles show a large knowledge of their audience and current culture.
Coming from two universally respected sources, these two articles may seem worlds apart at first, but they both mirror a growing sentiment in America today: the need to be unique in a flattening and internet-based world. "The Hipsterification of America" speaks mainly about the spread of the hipster ideology throughout America. Once on the outside of society, hipsters have become almost universally accepted and widespread as the internet has spread their message. Now, more and more being a hipster is -- ironically -- popular. It speaks to trying to be an individual in a large population. The article from Time Magazine on naming children follows a similar thread of individualism. Part of the article is written about how people will judge children based on the spellings of their names. "Alexandra may be spelled Alekzandra; the "kz" combo is almost never seen in middle-class families" This then, would promote people to treat the child with less respect because it is a "lower class" spelling of the word. The article mostly, however speaks to the increased role of the internet on choosing names. When choosing a name parents look specifically for negative associations to the name and the uniqueness of the name.
What struck me the most about both articles is the desire to be unique so much that people are willing to alienate themselves and their children. Both articles continually stress this growing American sentiment. To this end, both articles show a large knowledge of their audience and current culture.
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