Who's The Master? I Dream of Jeannie Feminist Critique.

Episode 1 of the 1965 NBC television show I Dream of Jeannie, shows a United States astronaut Tony Nelson’s spacecraft, Stardust One being forced to crash-land on a deserted island in the South Pacific. On the island he finds an odd bottle and when he opens it a beautiful genie comes out named Jeannie, after being released she follows Tony back to Florida and devotes her life to serving her new master. I Dream of Jeannie plays into the common ideology of the 1960 women of being submissive to the man, but also defies that ideology, because although Jeannie is supposed to serve Tony she constantly goes against his wishes and does what she wants.

In the 1960s the woman's role was to be a good housewife, and be totally submissive to the man. In I Dream of Jeannie when Tony arrives at his home his fiancee Melissa finds Jeannie taking a shower and wearing Tony’s shirt, she immediately gets upsets and tells him that she has always been “tolerant” of his behavior, but really gets hysterical and storms out of his house. In this scene when Melissa says she is “tolerant” is falls right back into the ideology of women being submissive, and having accept the behavior of their male spouse and not question it. After Melissa storms out Jeannie tries to seduce Tony, turning her into the other common ideology of the seductress or “homewrecker”.

Although Tony is Jeannie’s “master” she constantly defies him and goes against his wishes and ultimately does what she thinks is best or funny. When the General and Melissa stop by Tony’s home to make sure he is fine after being deserted on the island, Jeannie turns herself into a clone of Melissa and makes Tony look crazy. After they leave Jeannie busts out into laughter but Tony doesn’t find it amusing, when Jeannie goes against his wishes she also goes against the ideology of women being totally submissive, and shows that men don’t have the control and although she is there to serve Tony he isn’t taking all control of her.

Feminism in 2017

The media portrays women as being very feminine and men being very masculine. Women can either be very sexy like a seductress or a housewife. Men are the ones that are seen working to provide for their family and being very muscular and tough. Women in the media are held to impossible standards. To be a man in the media you have to be very manly and tough and be the one to provide for your family. Only very few shows challenge these stereotypes of women.

One show that does not stereotype men or women is Modern Family. In the show Modern Family the family is all mixed. One of the main characters Phil, is not your average dad he is very silly and his wife Claire is very serious and smarter than Phil. The dads in media are always seen as very manly but Phil does not seem that manly at all. Both Claire and Phil work to provide money for their family. This is breaking a stereotype because men are usually the ones providing for their family. Cam and Mitch are a couple who are married. There aren't many other shows that have gay couples especially as main characters. Cam and Mitch are portrayed in a way that challenges the gay stereotype of being feminine and gamophobic. They are just regular guys.

A show that promotes stereotypes is Ugly Betty. We watched one episode in class and from what I can tell it promotes stereotypes for women because the main character, Betty is not the prettiest person in the world. She wants to go into the fashion world, but has gotten shut down by the way she looks. Which is unfair because they judged her ability by her looks. At one part of the show her boss thought she was a nobody because she was ugly, he then he realized she was very talented and started to treat her better.

Lastly, another example of a show that presents stereotypes is I Love Lucy. Lucy is a very bright character. When she suspects her husband of cheating, she does not hold back her anger, she makes sure to see and to stop her husband in the act. In one scene Lucy dresses up as another woman to make sure that her husband is not cheating on her. Lucy is a housewife but she also does what she wants to. She is silly and funny. This show was filmed a lot earlier than other shows, So it stereotypes men and women a lot more.

Now the media portrays men and women differently than they did before. Shows now don't stereotype men and woman as much as they used to. In reality women are successful and can be the breadwinner for their family and they don't have to be housewives. Men I now don't have to be tough.

 

Different Understanding of Television

      Social norms have been constructed in social media and TV for a long long time. Men and women play a significant part in social norms and how society wants them to be and appear to others. Though men and women play very different roles, both genders have been assigned ideal characteristics that make them a man or a women. This is called a stereotype. These stereotypes are assigned to a person’s nationality, sex, gender and even sexuality. People can be based off these “stereotypes” because it has been portrayed everywhere. The television show Two and a Half Men focuses on the objectification of women and the men’s behavior towards them in order to show that women are sex objects and do not seem to respected unless they are older and less attractive. Only when humans acknowledge and become mindful with the truth, then society can begin to solve the problem of stereotypes being held towards anyone.
       In “‘Camel Filters and Pheromones” (season 1, episode 12), the most important stereotypes being portrayed are the player, the seductress, the old maid and the sex object.  For example, Berta’s granddaughter asked Charlie if he could play the piano which was pretty obvious he could as she was staring at him play but she gets closer enough to the point where she starts asking for one on one lessons but he said no but she still tries to come onto him. She desired to get their attention. Prudence would be stereotyped as the seductress but also the sex object. She enters the show in almost half dressed and she has to clean and while she is cleaning she is wiping the window in the most provocative manner right in front of Alan and Charlie. Her appearance conveys a powerful erotic impact, the camera focuses on her body, mainly when she has a bikini or her other provocative clothing rather than us seeing her face of something. This is a construction of women being objects in men's eyes.  She is being watched and drooled over by Alan’s 10 year old son.  Plus, she was not the brightest person. She is not viewed for her intelligence or her cleverness or any other characteristic, only her body is what matters. Nothing else. Another example is Berta herself. Berta was a single mother but she was a housekeeper for the men of the house. She is a very outspoken, over 30 woman. She was barely put into the show, she had a little part and when they show her, the camera is not focused on her body but what she is saying and even her face. She is very well respected by the men. While the character Charlie is a very sexual, uncommitted man. For example, the reaction from Charlie of when Berta entered the room and. when Prudence entered the room. Charlie was very shocked and he had to maintain his boundaries because she was underage but if she was older, he would have taken the chance. Another example is his neighbor, Rose. She is  very much in love with him and she hopes that they will sleep together again but he all he does is reject her. Charlie uses Rose to make Prudence stop coming on to him, only using her to his advantage and benefit. He slept with her once and after that, he just messes with her emotions and uses her whenever he needs her. He does not care for these women, he just uses them.

In conclusion, this work is just one of the many examples of where you can find stereotypes within media. It can be portrayed in life as well. In my life, my dad always feels as if a man should always care for the woman. He believes that because I am a female, I do not lift heavy objects and I am to cook and clean the house when necessary. While my brother cannot help with his sister’s hair because it affects his sexuality and it is making him not masculine. He is not allowed to let females do heavy labor because it is not meant for a female. Stereotypes are within our nation and more around you then you realize. It is fair for my brother to be put on with so many expectations and pressure just at the age of 13. Honestly, being a son to a father might just be harder to be a daughter to a father. There is more of a expectation to be just like “his old man” and if he does not, there might not be an acceptance. That is what social norms, pressure from society and stereotypes have constructed for people to believe.  It is only when we pay attention it and do not further allow it is when we have end it for good.

Does Disney Stop Loving Little Girls Once They Hit Puberty?

Walt Disney’s The Story of Menstruation is an informative video sponsored by Kotex discussing periods to school age girls. It was made in 1946, a time between the first and second wave of feminism.Despite the good progress it does for reproductive education The Story of Menstruation is very patriarchal in nature. It it uses stereotypical images of women, features derogatory comments toward young girls, and sugar coats the process of menstruation.

Throughout the video, the girls shown are all fair skinned, wear lacy dresses and skirts, act air headed,and have makeup on. The film does not consider women of color, and does not let the characters speak for themselves. Real women of the time had much more brains and not all looked like housewives or innocent. Women have more personality than portrayed in the film.

The video also features a seemingly nice narrator, who makes comments toward the viewer that would not be acceptable now. At 7:36, the narrator says ”After all no matter how you feel, you have to live with people; You have to live with yourself too.And once you stop feeling sorry for yourself and take those days in your stride, you’ll find it’s easier to keep smiling and even tempered.” The narrator has failed to explain the reality of menstrual pain, minimizing it to something women feel sorry for themselves about.

Periods are made to sound like no big deal. For example, the video has a soft art style and ballroom type elegant music in the background playing. The narrator is also very motherly sounding. By putting on a sweet spirit to menstruation, the creators can make girls feel as though they should not complain or take menstruation as something to be too concerned about.

This work is shrouded with patriarchal images, and expects to seed sugar coated sexism into young girls in the seemingly innocent disguise of an educational video. Do not be fooled, this Disney film reeks of sexism.

Role Models vs. Mirrors

Hillary Clinton's new campaign advertisement, Mirrors should have succeeded where Role Models failed to show the detrimental effects that Donald Trump could have on the future and the youth of America because of his poor character and the dangers of having a leader who does not lead by setting a positive example. The Mirrors advertisement ultimately failed because it did not show that Clinton is the positive role model that America needs.

The new advertisement, Mirrors might as well be a revised edition of the Role Models advertisement that she released in July. Role Models did not succeed because it portrayed Hillary Clinton as a positive role model in contrast to Donald Trump. This was not received well because in July, when the Role Models ad was released, only 28%-50% of the population had a favorable view of Hillary Clinton. Mirrors makes the same arguments as Role Models did, and follows the same format except that it shows only young girls, they are looking at themselves rather than Trump and Clinton does not appear in the ad. The most significant difference between the two advertisements is that Hillary Clinton is not included in the Mirrors ad. The most prominent complaint about the Role Models video was that it attempted to portray Clinton as a positive alternative to Trump in the last few seconds of the ad. This part of the video is somewhat hypocritical in that it is saying Clinton is a positive role model and a strong character-ed alternative to Trump at the end of an attack ad. The Clinton campaign's solution to this problem was to make a new ad in the same format but without mentioning Clinton at all. This decision only led to another failed advertisement. The Mirrors ad has no positive alternative to Trump's rhetoric which will draw unfavorable response not only from Republicans and independents but from Democrats and Clinton supporters as well.

The failures of these two advertisements to convince voters to support Hillary Clinton is evidenced by the viewer's responses on YouTube. The Role Models video has 1,283,781 views 11,424 likes and 13,322 dislikes. This puts percentage of viewers who liked the video at 0.890%, almost five times lower than that of the average YouTube video. The video's 46 to 54 likes to dislikes ratio means that it is in the most unpopular 4% of YouTube videos and is about 11 times more unpopular than the average YouTube video. Contrary to the intentions of the Clinton campaign, Mirrors performed even worse. The Mirrors video has 4,717,092 views, 27,042 likes and 45,156 dislikes. While Mirrors has bring in about four times the viewership of Role Models and therefore more likes and dislikes, its percentage of viewers who liked the video is 0.573%, about 1.5 times lower than Role Models and almost seven times lower than the average YouTube video. The video's 37 to 63 likes to dislikes ratio means that this video is also in the most unpopular 4% of YouTube videos and is about 15 times more unpopular than the average YouTube video. Therefore, Mirrors has had an audience response about 1.5 times more unfavorable than that of Role Models. This contributed to making Mirrors an even less effective advertisement than Role Models. Role Models gained 575 new subscribers for the Hillary Clinton YouTube Channel while Mirrors gained only 394 new subscribers. About 0.048% of unsubscribed viewers subscribed to the Hillary Clinton YouTube because of the Role Models video while only 0.0085% of unsubscribed viewers subscribed to the Hillary Clinton YouTube because of the Mirrors video. This means that Mirrors was about 5.6 times less effective at bringing in support to the Clinton campaign than Role Models.

Just How Sexist Is Donald Trump?

Hillary Clinton nailed this ad. This ad is made for not only the daughters out there, but the mothers, the fathers, and even the sons, because we can be self-conscious sometimes too. Hillary Clinton shows in a short amount of time just how sexist of a person Donald Trump is. Do we really want our president to be sexualizing his employees and our daughters?

This ad appeals to people of all nationalities. It does not appeal to just rich white people, as Donald Trump does, and it also appeals to people of all ages, which Donald Trump does not do either. This ad will help persuade people on the fence, because it shows how Donald Trump does not have a filter, and it shows what Donald Trump is really like.

Hillary Clinton: Can she make our children proud?

An ad for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was released titled, ¨Role Models.¨ This ad shows young children as they watch all of the controversial and unpopular things that presidential candidate Donald Trump has said throughout his campaign. It then shifts to young children watching Hillary give a speech on TV about how America needs to set a good example for the future generations and electing her would make the future generations proud of their families choices.

To persuade the people of the United States to vote for Clinton this ad appeals to ethos. It calls out Trumps character and presents him as loud, obnoxious, and ignorant. It sets him up as a leader who the future generation would be ashamed of and they would be embarrassed their families chose to elect him. It paints Hillary in a much different picture, as a leader who the children can be proud their families elected and even look up to her as a role model.

To back this argument the ad uses clever lighting to vilify Trump and make a hero out of Clinton. Whenever the children are shown watching Trump, the lighting is very cloudy and gloomy, almost as if to say if Trump is elected the bright days in America would be over. When the children are watching Hillary however, the lighting is much sunnier and the children are smiling, bringing a sense of a bright future for the United States if Hillary is elected.

With the United States getting closer and closer to the day that the next president is elected, this ad helps strengthen Hillary's campaign tremendously by making her out to be a president that would make the future generations proud, along with the many other great presidents the United States has seen.

Times have changed.

The summary is that the television program,  I Dream of Jeannie was an old show that  focused on a genie who had been trapped in a bottle for 2000 years because she refused to marry the Dijon.  Like so many television programs during this time period female characters were portrayed as not having equal rights. Although this show was created clearly for entertainment purposes it showed our society that women were inferior to men and was quite sexist.

An example of the show being sexist was each time Major Anthony Nelson called Jeannie or whistled for her to come to him she would always comply. Throughout the years our culture has changed how women are viewed in Hollywood, Politics, & everyday careers which is a good thing.

Nice Guy's promotes racial/gender equality?

The film The Nice Guys is a true story because of how it is designed to defy expectations through its portrayal of death, its positive message about environmentalism, and its characterisation designed to subvert stereotypes. Death is portrayed sudden violent, and almost in a comedic light. This reinforces a recurring theme of how people die for stupid mistakes and coincidences, the best examples of this is that when the character Amelia escapes an assassin meant to kill her then proceeds to walk up to a car to ask for a ride out of there only for it to be the assasin’s car. Another example is when the two main characters talk about Richard Nixon coming across someone who was dying in a car crash and telling him he’ll be okay only for him die immediately after that. In both instances the deaths are unexpected and abrupt as opposed to the usual deaths in films that are foreshadowed and give the characters memorable last words.

Another truth the film portrays is a positive message about the environment which is done subversively by not having the movie revolve around environmentalism, but instead having the story gradually move towards it becoming the focus. At the start the environmentalists are shown to be dumb hippies playing dead in the middle of a park to protest, they were mostly used as comic relief. However as the film progresses the main characters slowly realize that the hippies were right and their isn’t ridiculous having the third act revolve around them protecting a porno film containing an environment message exposing the big car companies.

The final truth that the film how it betrays the usual stereotypes of people. Almost every character that isn’t one of the two main characters subverts some stereotype. Holland March and Jackson Healy (the main characters) would be nowhere without Holland’s daughter. She helps get them to find clues and is shown to be competent and useful in the many dangerous situations she is put in despite everyone around her assuming that her character is a naive and helpless child . Another example of this subversion of stereotypes is the character Tally, a black woman who is one of the two biggest obstacles for Holland and Jackson, and is able to trick both of them twice, and whose race isn’t brought up despite the film taking place in the 70s. The final example of this subversion is the old lady who got Holland and Jackson into the case in the first place. At the beginning she is shown to be senile and delusional, but by the end she is able to help the two find the final clue that would help them solve the case.                    

                

Another Love Song

In the song “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood on the album I Love You, reveals about how a man fantasizes about himself and his love together, having sexual relations together, living together, and facing the cold world together.

Jesse James Rutherford begins “All I am is a man / I want the world in my hands / I hate the beach / But I stand / In California with my toes in the sand / Use the sleeves of my sweater / Let’s have an adventure / Head in the clouds but my gravity’s centered / Touch my neck and I’ll touch yours / You in those little high-waisted shorts.” You might be thinking, Jesse is speaking about fashion, clothes, hating the beach or being in California. No that’s not what the artist means at all. Jesse James Rutherford wants to say make the best of the situation you're currently find yourself in. That’s why the Jesse James Rutherford says “Let’s have an adventure / Head in the clouds but my gravity’s centered." 

 Jesse James Rutherford sings “Cause it’s too cold / For you here and now / So let me hold / Both your hands in the holes of my sweater.” The artist is using imagery to describe a romantic moment where himself and his love face the cold world together, that’s why Jesse James starts with / “So move to a place so far away.” Another example where the artist implements the thought of imagery, moving far away from the “cold world” meaning society, with his girlfriend.

 
Jesse James Rutherford speaks about having a sexual moment with his girlfriend, Jesse James Rutherford sings “The minute that my left hand meets your waist / And then I watch your face / Put my finger on your tongue / ‘Cause you love to taste, yeah.” This reveals how their is butterflies in his stomach and is imagining sexual intercourse with her, and describing his love and romance for her.

Blondes Prefer the Rich

The 1950s was an era of change, and new ideas were being introduced. Gender roles, for example, were changing. Marilyn Monroe supports the ideal body image of the era within her movies. In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe was best known for the “dumb blonde character,” fulfilling the sex object stereotype. As time moved on, Marilyn Monroe became more of a seductress stereotype, seen by society as a sex icon and was part of the change in the era’s attitude towards sexuality in the 1950s.

One of Marilyn Monroe’s best movies was “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” The movie is based upon on a character “Lorelei Lee” (Marilyn Monroe), a beautiful showgirl who is engaged to a wealthy character named “Gus Esmond” (Tommy Noonan) who believes that Marilyn is only after his money and discovers later, she really was. As Gus gets deeper into the mystery to disqualify “Lorelei Lee” from marriage, and stopping her from receiving his money. 

As the movie continues Gus sends Ernie Malone, who is a private detective, to investigate what's going on. Lorelei says, “Don’t you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty? You wouldn’t marry a girl just because she's pretty, my goodness, doesn’t it help?” The character displays that she can be a seductress, Esmond Sr asks, “Then what do you want to marry him for?” Lorelei Lee says, “I want to marry him for YOUR money.” This is one of the many moments in the movie where the stereotypes still continue.

In the 1950s women were thought to be stupid since women didn’t go to school or didn’t finish college. “Gus” thought “Lorelei Lee” is stupid, and he was expecting her to sound stupid too. “Mr. Esmond Sr” (Gus) says, “Say, they told me you were stupid! You don’t sound stupid to me!” Lorelei Lee says, “I can be smart when it's important.” This reinforces a stereotype of women being dumb and mistreated. The only time when men wanted to listen to women, were only if they were sexy.

Our final stereotype is the character “Gus” in the movie. He is a wealthy man with lots of money and power. In the movie he is seen as an opportunity for Lorelei to get anything she wants. Also Lorelei Lee can keep all the money to herself after a divorce. This example is important because Lorelei is breaking the stereotype of a woman being dumb and only there to serve her husband. She thinks of a method to receive all the money to herself so that she can enjoy life without any worries at all. Lorelei Lee says, “I want to marry him for YOUR money.” 

Our pop culture slightly changes over the years, but can still support the stereotypes that are being presented today. Women today are still being mistreated more or less. Movies, music videos, television, radio, social media or any entertainment supports the stereotypes. The movie The Wolf of Wall Street, who is a wealthy man, constantly throwing parties. As well as having sexual relationships with women throughout the movie. The movie supports the universal idea that has been continuing since the 1950s. As opposing to women they’re only there for his sexual purposes and needs. In conclusion these stereotypes keep continuing no matter what year it is, and wondering if these kind of stereotypes will continue in the future.

Blurred Lines- Clear Lyrics

The song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke has been talked about as one of the most degrading songs of the year. The song describes how the male is in complete control of the woman no matter what she wants. Women become just sex objects. The woman is also shown as submissive because of the way Thicke convinces her she wants it. Finally, in the video, multiple men are shown as players while women parade around as they watch. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke is a clear representation of contemporary art that represents the still sexist dominant ideology towards women in America today. 

In patriarchal societies, men are known as the superior gender. In the 1950s especially, women were being treated as nothing but housekeepers and sex objects. Today, it is 2016 and for the most part life is very different in terms of equality. Women are getting jobs that they were never able to have, they are able to vote, and they can live a life of their own. Although there are many good outcomes of many feminist movements, there is still discrimination portrayed through social media and society as a whole.

Music has always been something that brings people together, creates strong relationships, and can lift everyone’s mood. The song “Blurred Lines” did just that. It spread throughout the nation and became a catchy tune everyone could get up and dance to. Pop music is known for sounding fun and exciting, making it easy for listeners to get hooked, but then things can turn the other way once you really understand the lyrics. Thicke sings, “Baby, it’s in your nature,/just let me liberate you”.

The context of these lyrics is him mostly likely at a bar or party where a girl is being harassed by another man. He tells her he wants to save her from him and prove he is the better guy. He most likely does this so she will think of him as a tough guy. From this, you may think he is meaning no harm, but then he continues to sing “I know you want it, I know you want it, you’re a good girl.” clearly hinting at sexual acts. This makes him out to be the dominant and her as a submissive because he is telling her what to do and is telling her how he thinks she feels.

As if the song was not enough, there is a video, which magnifies the lyrics and shows them visually. The video consists of multiple men singing and standing there in nice tuxedos while women parade around half naked as objects they can look at. This video clearly objectifies the women as only something nice to look at. The director clearly prefered the male gaze because of the way the men look at the camera. When the women walk by, the men stare and smile and joke to each other as if it was entertainment.

This song and video reflects the patriarchal structure of society by showing men superior from women. This is shown by having the men sing and be the main focus of the song and video, while the women are shown as something hot to look at. The lyrics sung by Robin Thicke are made clear to see the discrimination happening and chauvinism being shown by making it clear the woman does not have a choice in what they do together. 

Is Notorious "Big Poppa" Sexist?

Notorious “B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa” is a extremely sexist song, in the eyes of a man and a woman. The ideal man according to this song is someone who is a player and makes fast money, while the ideal woman is a seductress and uses her body as a sexual object to get money for men. In the end, the song says that the more men make the more fame that they have among themselves. With money comes with fame and fame and money comes women. The more a man seduces a woman in a sexual manner the more women will be drawn to them. 

He raps , “The back of the club, mackin hoes, my crew's behind me”. This becomes a significant and striking line throughout the song, because it refers to how men in that day in age and even now treat females and see them as nothing more or less than sex objects and that their not even worth taking them to either a hotel room, their house , or even the woman’s house their good for having sexual intercourse and at that sexual intercourse in the back of the club. He continues on and says “ one of these honies Biggie gots ta creep with/ Sleep with, keep the ep a secret/ I got more Mack than Craig and in the bed. This continues to let women know that, that when you are messing with a male in the industry you become nothing to them but a sex object. You receive no respect from a man unless he wants to have sexual relations and once those sexual relations are over your passed over to the next person in the industry. Many women enjoy being a sex object to men in the industry especially men like “B.I.G”, because they know the benefits with messing with a rapper in the industry. Women do not respect their self either , because if they did then they would not let men such as “Biggie” and his crew screw them. As a women you should never allow a man to discriminate you whether it's through a song or not and it becomes worst , because these women still allow these men to enter their sexual parts into their bodies , but cried about it when it’s all over.

He continues, “Got enough to feed the needy/No need to be greedy/I got mad friends with Benz/C-notes by the layers.” This gives off the “hoodness” of this industries and how it displays among the men that he is around that he has more money than the average person expect his friends in which he put on in this business. Biggie continues and states “ If you got a gun up in your waist please don't shoot up the place/ Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin my baby Bay-bee”. This line is striking, because it lets you know that the only thing the industry values is money , their lives and women. Nothing else matters when your life is put on front street and you have no other choice but to survive, in this game you either live or die. 

This song connects to this generation and many generation before hand , the reason being is that artist like Biggie Smalls has set the pathway and foundation for other rappers , artists , even men and women and it gives them the ideal of how a man and women should act and what they reputation is when it comes to society as a whole. Most African-American men and even rappers look up to a legend of Biggie as such , Biggie gives off the style that you can be bigger and size and rock the mic , have all the chicks you please , have multiple sex partners , fall in love and be successful while doing all of that and then some.

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