Post 1

This week we covered gender and sex constructs and also the Bechdel Test in modern media. A few things really caught my attention and made me think deeper about gender equality today.

Gender and Sexuality
The societal push to conform to the gender normative's that align with your sex, to be socially accepted.
What I find most interesting with gender vs. sex is the way that society has constructed so much of what we define as gender or sexuality, and what that means. According to "Stuff Your Mother Never Told You" podcast hosts, Cristin Conger and Caroline Ervin, usually sex describes the biological or physiological characteristics that make up the male or female form. Gender describes the socially constructed roles, behaviors and attributes that are stereotypically male or female. Gender should be referred to, or understood as, masculine and feminine characteristics.
Ultimately, the individual has the choice of how they feel and how they want to express themselves in terms of sexuality or gender roles.  But, since society has built boxes of female and male, and decided what defines those things, you are supposed to just align yourself with the closest one. This usually means aligning with your biological sex, which is really problematic for a lot of people who don't fit into these boxes. There is a whole spectrum to be considered when describing ones identity. The fluidity of identity is what allows us to move across the spectrum, but gender roles from society push us to one side or the other.
Because society also defines what actions, characteristics, personality qualities, etc. are feminine or masculine, it makes it really difficult to go outside of those boxes. The media perpetuates these societal norms and continues the damaging gendered rhetoric. An example of this would be the implication that women are not meant to be in power. This stereotype can be displayed in numerous ways such as powerful women are bitchy, and women are emotionally unstable under pressure. The idea being perpetrated is that men are better fit to be in power. In this example, you see the power struggle between men and women and how it arises in media.

In this News segment, the author explains the proper ways that women should be in a professional setting. Some examples of advice on how women should behave include making sure you keep your voice low, and dress appropriately. They specifically identify that these are feminine characteristics that should be 'worked on' by all females in a professional world.
This continues the stereotype of women that we cannot handle the working world all on our own, and that we need help to navigate through it properly. This stems from the overarching idea that women should not be working, or be involved in a man's world. Characteristics like having a soft voice and not speaking too much are feminine characteristics that society has pushed on women for ages. Because loud, strong voices are a masculine thing. The idea that women need a guide to figuring out the world outside of the home is unequal. Why does society keep trying to guide women or help women? The ideal is that women cannot help themselves and need guidance in order to be successful in a "man's world". But the guidance of men isnt always the right guidance and leaves women having to keep feminine stereotypes, like being ladylike, while also trying to be properly professional.

The Bechdel Test
The Very Low Bar That Media Can't Even Reach
What surprised me the most was how many movies do not pass this low bar of expectations of equality between genders. Like, this test is a very low bar to reach and the media cant be bothered to even pass this test. Even kids movies dont pass this test. I found that 10 out of 14 pixar movies do not pass this test.
When regarding race, having two non-white actors talk about something other than a white character is even more difficult to provide in movies. Even if we think we have come a long way in means of equality, it is 2015 and basic tests of equality like this are largely ignored and not followed by the movie industry.
I found an entire blog dedicated to finding what passes the bechdel test here
Its amazing how many of your favorite movies are problematic. Even if the test is just a minor base test, it is conclusive in finding movies that are not centered entirely around men. The movies that do pass aren't the most equality seeking in all cases, but passing the Bedchel test is a good start.