Oct
29
Listen up! Christopher says it does matter.
Tags: gender, masculinity, sports
Filed Under Vlog | By Linda Hunter | 1 Comment
Christopher Watson, a friend of mine and a longtime TAASA supporter/former board member, spoke out recently about how dumb it is to put down male athletic teams by saying they do something “like a girl.” We all know it’s just joking, friendly ribbing, right? So does it matter? Listen to what Christopher has to say, then let us know whether you agree — or not.
Oct
22
Golf – Man’s Last Stand
Tags: gender, gender socialization, masculinity, media
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Tim Love | Leave a Comment
Please take a moment to listen to this commentary from sports analyst and commentator, Frank Deford. About one minute and 35 seconds in, he ponders if the American male being â€rendered extraneous†is the cause of golf’s downward spiral. He asks, “How can sensitive modern dads disappear for hours on the links when they have to change diapers, carpool to ballet class and spend their down time getting in touch with their feminine side?â€Â My first thought? Wow, I didn’t realize I’m being rendered obsolete. Whatever will I do?
And then I recalled recent advertisements that have been trying to warn me of my impending doom. There is the car ad title “Man’s Last Stand†and the Dockers ads imploring men to “wear the pants.†How could I not have seen? All of this feminism running rampant and this reverse sexism are robbing me of my very masculinity – Americans’ lack of dominance in golf is just the tip of the iceberg.
How dare I be expected to be an equal partner in parenting? I only have daughters, so I shouldn’t have to parent at all really – they just need their mother. And how can I be expected to take them to ballet class (or soccer, or football or any other sport they might play in this crazy genderless society)?  I’m just a dad. And what is all this about getting in touch with my feminine side – does that mean I have to say “I love you†to my family and friends and acknowledge that I have emotions other than anger and actually, like, talk to people in a meaningful way? Icky.
Oh wait, that’s right, I forgot, I think that this concept of the impending death of the American male is, well, how to put it nicely, seriously flawed. We still live in a seriously patriarchal society, last time I checked. Women still make less money than men for the same job, men still have a stranglehold on the positions of power in our society (ranging from business to politics to the military) and sexual violence is still being perpetrated primarily by men at extraordinarily high rates against primarily women and children, and that is the tip of the patriarchal iceberg. Poor men, poor us. If the current efforts to create equity across the spectrum of gender (and race, class, age, ability status, etc.) are successful, what will we do if we can’t continue to enjoy the perks of our privilege?
My coworker, Morgan, put it best when we were talking about this issue a few weeks ago. She noted that people in positions of power begin to get uneasy and complain about being left out or marginalized as soon as there is a credible threat to the belief patterns and institutional structures that bestow their privilege upon them. The only way the American man will become obsolete as a result of a steady, but slow march towards equity is if he refuses to change and continues to fight to maintain his privilege. The way it is now, society is not working for women and children, nor is it really working for men.
What are your thoughts on the commentary, the ads and/or the idea that the American man is “being rendered obsolete?â€
Oct
4
Dude Looks Like a Latte
Tags: gender, gender socialization
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Morgan J Curtis | 2 Comments
Ok, this is either going to get strange looks, awkward giggles or get my feminist card revoked, but I have to share a funny story about gender socialization. (Yes, I mean exactly what I said.)
I’m known as a lover of fine coffee and funky coffee shops. In fact, I spend entirely too much time drinking coffee, talking about coffee and just generally being around c
offee. I was working from a coffee shop the other day when the barista yelled out “latte on the bar!†A big dude strolled around the corner to fetch his latte and then went to grab a seat. Much to my surprise, this voice popped into my head and said “dude, don’t you know that’s a GIRL’S drink?!†Honestly, I didn’t actually have a thought that was quite so articulate, but I did balk when the guy picked up the latte. As I sat there and thought about why, I realized that I usually look at men strangely when they order lattes and that I do consider them to be girly drinks (even if they don’t have some sugary flavored syrup added to them).
I can’t explain why I think this. No one ever said the words, “lattes are for girls†to me nor do I recall serving lattes predominantly to women when I worked at a coffee shop. So, where did I get this idea? Somehow the idea was formed through a series of impressions that clearly didn’t have a conscious impact. This is a small example of how our ideas about gender are covertly formed and often acted upon without question – until one day when we realize, much to our own surprise, that we have some silly notion in our head about which drinks are for men and which are for women.
Do you have any example of little things you’ve noticed about gender socialization that have surprised you? (It’s okay to share… none of us are immune to the internalization of these messages. I promise I won’t revoke your feminist, humanist or activist card if you share your story!)
Aug
18
Silly Girl, Muscles are for Boys
Tags: gender, media
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Tim Love | Leave a Comment
Okay, so maybe this is old news to some, but I just saw a commercial for a One A Day vitamin that made me jump off my couch and do that funny yelling at the TV thing as if anyone on it could hear me! The commercial markets two separate vitamins to young men and young women. The formula for young men helps grow strong muscles and the formula for women helps keep skin healthy.
I mean, what marketing genius. I’m so glad that finally someone figured out a way to simplify things and then sell us what we all really need – a product for the essence of who we are as men and women. They had the courage to market a product for young women’s appearance and young men’s physical strength. It just makes sense on so many levels: a)why encourage strong muscles in women when they don’t need strong muscles, they just need a man with strong muscles; b) why promote overall health when outward appearance is paramount for women; and c) why fill a young woman’s head with ideas that she would need to be strong or smart, or anything other than attractive. And as for you men, we all know that “real†men are strong and… and… well, that’s pretty much the entire definition of masculinity. Why worry about anything else, anything at all?
I recognize that this is just another in a long line of troubling over-generalizations and stereotypes based on gender that we see portrayed in the media, but this one floored me and broke my heart. Just hours before watching this commercial, my four-year-old daughter struck the most amazing pose to show off her muscles to me. Am I supposed to go tell her that she’s got it all wrong, that she should just strive to look good and that strength is for boys?
Jul
16
Alito Cares; Sotomayor is Racist
Tags: gender, race, social justice, Sotomayor
Filed Under News | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
Today is day four of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings. Throughout the hearings, critics have continued to characterize Sotomayor’s background and personal experience as an impediment to impartial rulings.
On Monday, Dr. Tom Coburn, Senator from Oklahoma, released a statement on Sotomayor: “The American people need judges who will interpret the Constitution, not rewrite it based on ideology or personal opinion.†As you probably know, her opponents have repeatedly accused Sotomayor of racism for discussing the way identity shapes judicial decisions. Coburn’s statement stresses the importance of objectivity and fairness and demonstrate his fear that Sotomayor’s life experiences (i.e., her gender and ethnicity) will negatively affect her decisions as a Supreme Court judge.
In 2006, amid Judge Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court nomination hearings, Coburn seemed to think that Alito’s personal experience and background served to benefit the court, rather than limit his ability to serve. Take a look at the video.
An excerpt from the exchange:
COBURN: I think at times during these hearings you have been unfairly criticized or characterized as that you don’t care about the less fortunate, you don’t care about the little guy, you don’t care about the weak or the innocent. Can you comment just about Sam Alito, and what he cares about, and let us see a little bit of your heart and what’s important to you in life?
ALITO: Senator, I tried to in my opening statement, I tried to provide a little picture of who I am as a human being and how my background and my experiences have shaped me and brought me to this point… when a case comes before me involving, let’s say, someone who is an immigrant — and we get an awful lot of immigration cases and naturalization cases — I can’t help but think of my own ancestors, because it wasn’t that long ago when they were in that position. [Emphasis mine.]
I have expressed my disdain about the accusation of racism against the first Latina woman to be nominated as a Supreme Court justice previously. It is not my intention to attack Dr. Coburn, but to underscore the condescending overtones of the hearings. Dr. Coburn’s (and others’) words and sentiments speak for themselves and I believe offer confirmation that many of the attacks against Sotomayor are unfair. When Alito expressed his unique outlook due to his personal history, Coburn approved, but Sotomayor’s personal experiences are a liability. What’s the difference? What are your thoughts on the hearings? Are gender and race an issue in the way Sotomayor is being treated?