Post 5

 

 

 

A movie that I was really impressed with in recent times was Obvious Child starring Jenny Slate and directed by Gillian Robespierre. While it could be billed as just a romantic comedy, it also focuses on the importance of friendship and dealing with the difficult and messy parts of life. Obvious Child is based off of a short film Robespierre made in 2009. What I loved most about the film was it felt very honest. Jenny Slate wasn't the usual static rom-com lead; she had human moments (more than just being clutzy or having a weird laugh--which is sometimes what Hollywood sees as "human moments"). The story starts right in the thick of things, but doesn't come off preachy or solely about abortion. I can't think of any other romantic comedy (Hollywood or otherwise) that has shown abortion and been willing to talk about people's experiences with it. Usually pregnancies in films are just scares or accidents that turn into exactly what the main character needed, even if that goes against all previously established logic and/or the character's viewpoint. 

 

In a really neat interview, Robespierre explains "We just wanted to bring a tone of authenticity and realism to movie-making in a way that we hadn’t seen in romantic comedies before, and bring a character to life who had previously always been sort of dull, and always blonde and unbelievable, and not relatable, and make that character somebody we recognize, that we could laugh with, and laugh at and relate to." Obvious Child was a tiny indie feature venture that utilized Kickstarter for funding, but grew so much further than its humble roots. This ties in with our discussions in class of following things you love and issues you want to talk about through art and through hustling you can accomplish it. Robespierre continues "[Obvious Child] was a real collaboration of women that we know, our own personalities infused." I want to see what she continues to go on to create because this is a great first feature.

Post 5

Dawn Porter

I used to practice law, but now I make documentary
films about issues I think are important - Porter

             

              While searching through the various female artists, I had a difficult time selecting one in particular. Although there were a number of movies that passed the Bechdel test, not all of them were necessarily something that I would consider feminist work. As well, although there were a number of female directed movies out there, many of them seemed to revolve around male counterparts. For a minute I had thought about selecting the writer and director, Gillian Robespierre, who had created the film Obvious Child, which I had watched maybe over a year ago. The film follows a young woman comedienne in her early twenties, who decides to have an abortion from an unplanned pregnancy. In my research on Gillian Robespierre, however, which was not very rich in that Obvious Child is one of her first works, I found Dawn Porter (Whom Gillian Robespierre tweeted about Dawn’s Kickstarter Account).

            Dawn Porter is a lawyer turned documentarian filmmaker (director and producer), as well as the founder of Trilogy Films. While working in civil litigation for the Baker Hostetler Law Firm, she transitioned into media practice, where for twelve years she worked on media cases. Although she loved her job, she decided that she wanted to create stories that she was interested in telling. The Kickstarter account that drew me into writing this piece on Dawn Porter, was her up incoming documentary formulated to try and protect women’s rights. The documentary is entitled Trapped.

In that women’s reproductive rights have been and still are under attack, this documentary works to criticize the legislation which have aimed to restrict women’s reproductive rights. Since 2010, there have been hundreds of Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) laws which have been passed restricting reproductive rights and closing down clinics throughout the United States. This documentary emphasizes the especially critical situation in the South, where clinics have been forced to fight for their survival. Within this film, Porter aims to portray the “human effects of these politically motivated and medically unnecessary laws.” By human effects, she highlights the personal stories of the women being personally effected by these restrictive laws, as well as the clinicians and lawyers trying to keep the reproductive rights intact. One part that really struck me was when one of the clinicians from a Texas clinic spoke about a patient on the phone who could not come all the way down to San Antonio to receive an abortion. On the phone the patient asks, “What if I tell you what I have in my kitchen cabinet and you tell me what I can do.”  Porter follows the progress and setbacks as the people within the film continue the fight for reproductive rights, especially focused in the South.

            Porter’s works, not only Trapped, are mainly focused on politically focused issues. Being a lawyer provided Porter with an edge to look at the world, question it through a legal lens and create something. Trapped, in essence, was centered on the Supreme Court ruling of Roe vs. Wade, where women, up until the second and third trimester (regulated by the state) were allowed the right to choose to terminate their pregnancy. Although that ruling was determined in 1973, the fight for reproductive rights still continues. Porter’s first documentary Gideon’s Army (premiered on HBO), was centered on the 1963 Supreme Court ruling of Gideon vs. Wainwright, through which the defendant has a right to a defense lawyer. Within that documentary, Porter focused on the stories of public defenders in the South whom are vastly underpaid, but can have literally hundreds of pending caseloads. She also did a short documentary, interviewing President Obama on his initiative “My Brother’s Keeper,” which was created to “address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.”

            Through watching Porter’s pieces, it is clear that one of her goals is to question politics through highlighting these personal stories. There are negative connotations and stereotypes associated with abortions, women who receive or want abortions, defense lawyers, and the people who go to jail (wrongfully or not), young boys who aren’t able to reach their full potential. The tendency is for the general population to criticize the person, blame the victim, instead of calling out why the system is in place, what is keeping it that way. Much of her focus so far has been on the Southern states, to tackle issues where policies especially reflect tendencies towards racism, sexism, and disregard of poverty or financial capabilities. She received much praise for Gideon’s Army and was been nominated for various awards (Sundance, Georgia Film Critics Association, and Independence Spirits Awards) and has won two awards at the Miami Film Festival (Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award). Trapped is still in the works, and as of now is in the process of editing and festival submissions. 

                                                                   Trapped Trailer

Works Cited

Trapped Documentary Kickstarter

Trilogy Films Website

Rise: The Promise of My Brother's Keeper - Preview (Available for Purchase)

Interview With Obama

Gideon's Army - Preview (Available for Purchase)

Interview on Gideon's Army

Post 5

           Linda Woolverton is a screenwriter who helped create three of the most popular Disney films: Beauty and the Beast, Alice in wonderland, and Maleficent. In an interview she discusses the “trend of turning animated classics into live-action films.” Her trick to “re-invent fairy tales for contemporary tastes and attitudes without losing the essence” is by retaining what Woolverton calls the “icons” of the film. For example, for Beauty and the Beast it is the rose, while in Sleeping Beauty it is when Aurora pricks her finger. So using these central aspects of the film, Woolverton retains them but creates the story in the point of view of the protagonist. When creating a film with a female protagonist, she tries to portray the character with a variety of emotions and characteristics, not just an emotional damsel in distress. On top of that, being a feminist, she exhibits that through female characters that possess enough willpower to handle situations and settle them. 

      

Maleficent begins the movie with large, dark wings 

However, once her wings are stolen, it begins the story of how
she became the character everybody knows her to be.

 The scene that garnered so much attention for Maleficent is the scene where her male love interest betrays her, drugs her, cuts off of her wings and takes them; a scene that is reminiscent of rape.  So this scene essentially becomes the one that turns Maleficent into the revenge seeking villain that she is. Despite the underlying plot in this film that when a man does  something bad, revenge is the best solution, the movie nonetheless depicts rape in such a way that even children will grasp the concept. The movie includes a message about rape, which is a global issue that many people, including Angelina Jolie, hope to create awareness for and try to combat. So to include such a message, in a “global blockbuster,” it helps to create awareness by making people think about the horror of rape without having to witness the gory reality of it.

By the end of the film, Alice has amassed strength
and the capacity to fight for herself, but did not give up
her femininity to do so. 

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is another great film that possesses key elements of feminist characters. The movie has multiple female characters who are strong, but yet are still feminine, so the two characteristics do not deviate from each other in order to validate societal beliefs that a woman can not be feminine in order to be powerful. The film also reflects how woman can make their own choices, and make choices that do not follow societal gendered rules. For example, in the beginning of the film, Alice is pressured into accepting a marriage request. Considering this film was during the Victorian Era, woman had little to no other options than to marry and have a family. Nonetheless, Alice's ability to fight towards the end of the movie, reflects her decision to fight against such gender roles, and refuse to be reduced to go through a life of marriage that she does not desire. Alice's decision ultimately creates a film that proves that woman can be heroes, and claim victory without the help of a man. The movie also captures the ability for woman to have a happy ending, and a successful life, without finding a love interest or being married at the end. 

Citations:

• http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/maleficent-writer-linda-woolverton-on-     adapting-fairy-tales-for-a-new-generation
• http://www.themarysue.com/maleficent-review/
• http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/06/angelina-jolie-maleficent-rape
• http://www.genderacrossborders.com/2010/03/21/tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland-is-almost-a-great-feminist-fairytale/

Post 4

               Policing women’s bodies are a controversial topic. I remember a class discussion “Undue Burden” that happened in the course American Government last semester. According to Nolo dictionary, undue burden means having the purpose or effect of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a fetus that is not yet viable. In the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey about in1992, the Supreme Court upheld a so-called “informed consent” law adopted by Pennsylvania. The law requires that all women seeking an abortion first be given literature produced by the state enumerating alternatives to abortion and wait a minimum of 24 hours before the abortion is performed. The state law also requires young women under 18 to obtain written consent for the abortion from a parent or guardian. Supporters believe that the goal is to protect women. However, opponents claim that it is against women’s right. They think imposing undue burden on women is not constitutional. In Casey case, the Court declared that it would not now ask whether the restriction placed “an undue burden” on women seeking to have an abortion.

               If we think outside the box, it might be a moral choice. In our modern society, we are accustomed to rely on laws and rules to regulate our behavior. It works; but it does not work well. Laws and rules can regulate people’s surface behavior, but they cannot regulate people’s hearts. As we know, human beings are not angels; their selfish nature will mess things up. It is like ThomasJefferson said, “experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind.” When they believe no one watching them or they can bypass the monitor of the laws and rules, they still commit wrong deeds. That is why no matter how many laws and rules we make to organize the behavior of the government and the citizens, there are still huge social problems and potential crisis.   

               When a problem occurs, people try their best to find a way to fix, and then make a law or a rule to prevent it happening again. Afterward, when a new problem arises, we find a way out, and then make a law. This process goes on and on. People live like animals are kept in the cages. In the end, the solutions what we create are sealing ourselves off. Today, under the big wave of commercial economy, in order to pursuit maximum interest, people’s moral values are deteriorating daily. Consequently, many kinds of problems continue to emerge. The debate of policing women’s bodies will keep going.

               The key point is what is the standard that we should follow or measure things right or wrong rather than making laws to regulate people’s behavior. I believe the God created the world. Therefore, the God’s teaching certainly should be criterion that we should follow. We can see “In God We Trust” in our money bill. The first time “In God We Trust” appeared in the currency in 1957. Later on it became the official national motto. “President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law H.R. 619, a bill that required that the inscription “In God We Trust” appear on all paper and coin currency.”  “‘Nothing can be more certain than that our country was founded in a spiritual atmosphere and with a firm trust in God,’ [Representative Charles E.] Bennett proclaimed on the House Floor. ‘While the sentiment of trust in God is universal and timeless, these particular four words In God We Trust are indigenous to our country.’ Furthermore, Bennett invoked the cold war struggle in arguing for the measure. ‘In these days when imperialistic and materialistic communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, we should continually look for ways to strengthen the foundations of our freedom,’ he said. Adding In God We Trust to currency, Bennett believed, would ‘serve as a constant reminder’ that the nation’s political and economic fortunes were tied to its spiritual faith”(“The Legislation Placing ‘In God We Trust’ On National Currency”). The idea is pretty awesome. It is very meaningful to our society today.

                No matter West or East, all righteous religions ban killing. When a woman gets pregnant, a fetus is also a life. Abortion means killing. If we are back to our nation’s motto “In God We Trust” and use God’s teaching as a standard to measure everything, there could be easy to discern what we should do or should not do. Hence, not only women’s bodies should be policed, but also men’s bodies.

 Works Cited

“The Legislation Placing ‘In God We Trust’ On National Currency”. History.house.gov. United

                        States House of Representatives. Web. May 6, 2015.

Power, Agency, Representation: Movies, Independent Film, TV, Literature (Presentation Summary)

"Only 12% of all clearly identifiable protagonists were female in 2014. This represents a decrease of 3 percentage points from 2013 and a decrease of 4 percentage points from 2002. In 2014, 75% of protagonists were male, and 13% were male/female ensembles. For the purposes of this study, protagonists are the characters from whose perspective the story is told....the findings aren't surprising, but the results are still depressing." (Indiewire)

Sexism, racism, and misrepresentation have always occurred on screen and through major media outlets that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Contrary to advertisements, viewers take ownership of the movies, televisions shows, literary novels, and independent films they watch and/or follow and acknowledge their influence, or lack thereof.

In this presentation, we will expand on three major media outlets that have shaped, influenced, or otherwise challenged our understanding of gender roles, ethnic (mis)representations, and stereotypes. The three media outlets we selected for this presentation include: independent film and video, television, and literature. Throughout our presentation we will be identifying and expanding on power, agency and representation in those major outlets.

Presenters:
Asmaa Abbas
Jonathan Ayala
Thalia Primitivo

Alternative Media Presentation Summary

Alternative Media Presentation: Emma Nutter, Alexis Furnans, and Alex Rosario

For our presentation on alternative media we wanted to focus on something other than emerging and/or established social media sites. We decided to focus our attention to a cultural phenomenon--video games. While Emma and I are less knowledgeable on the subject, Alex is a wealth of knowledge. Emma and I felt that the issues within the gamer community and video games themselves, tied in smoothly with some of the issues we has been discussing in class.With these varying backgrounds, we were able to come together to create an informative and interesting presentation. We felt it would be beneficial to start it out on a personal note and then expand it to a broader level. We also wanted to address our gendered experiences growing up and how they contributed to our involvement (or lack thereof) in the culture. 



We wanted to have a somewhat recent touchstone to ground our presentation and provide a jumping off point, which is why the timing of #Gamergate was so serendipitous. Our brief overview of the event covers its origins, growth, and backlash. Although #GamerGate is a year old, convoluted, and messy issue to cover, we felt that it was necessary. For the first time, on a mass media level, the game industry was being called out for negative and stereotypical portrayals of gender, race, sexual orientation and anyone who did not fit the accepted default (white male heterosexual). But almost more importantly it called out “Ethics in Game Journalism”.

 From there we decided to go into female and male depictions in video games. Alex was able to gather some really good examples of good and bad female characters, as well as males. We felt this echoed a lot of the readings in regard to representation and feeling that if you aren't represented/it's a very limited scope you feel as though you don't belong (as we noted in our reflections).

Then we focused on important feminist voices in the community, namely Anita Sarkeesian. While we've had some exposure to her videos in class, we didn't get to fully dive into her role in the video game sphere and the danger and harassment she is exposed to. We learned more about the work that she does in promoting feminism in video games. Emma was able to bring in elements of her psychology background in order to further qualify the issues brought up in video game culture.We have a slide displaying statistics of what game developers look like (within the States, very male, very Caucasian). And next some of the psychological detrimental effects of video games. We felt these facts highlighted further issues brought up in gamer culture. 
 

Works Cited:

What is GamerGate

#GamerGate

Anita Sarkeesian - Ted Talks

Milo Yiannopoulos

Gay Gamer - Problems with GamerGate 

International Game Developers Association

Effects of Exposure to Sex-Stereotyped Video Game Characters on Tolerance of Sexual Harassment

Sexism in Online Video Games: The Role of Conformity to Masculine Norms and Social Dominance Orientation