Ovarian Feuds: Featuring Old White Men (for some odd reason)

It took me a while to write this because I didn't know what I wanted to focus on and how to go about such a huge issue. As a person who is not biologically female I cannot speak from experience and my opinion is only as valid as my research and understanding.Having male privilege I will never be as discriminated  women are about their bodies every day. Although I may experience discrimination due to my femininity and how I dress, it is not the same way women are treated daily. 

Now that I have stated my privilege and have clarified my comprehension of the issue it's time to tackle the root of it, sexism. Sexism is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "Prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex." Sexism is what fuels the bigot into believe their sex is superior to the other. Women face sexism more often than men due to the fact that our patriarchal society uphold men and oppresses women. This patriarchy is what allows the objectification of women and what allows men to feel entitled to their sexist behavior.

A great example of sexism is this social experiment. This project depicted a woman being verbally abused for dressing however the way she goddamn pleased. The actor playing the role of the bigot is very convincing and the point is to see how people would react to a man being offensive to a woman and how they would intervene. When the man appears to be more violent people tend to avoid the issue and dismiss it until an act of violence occurs.The fact that people went about their lives while this man was screaming sexist slurs at this woman, shows how wrong our society really is. The core issue of his argument is "she is dressed like a slut." This argument is so problematic because victim blaming has been used to justify rape and other acts of violence.

Victim Blaming

This notion is implemented early on in our society. I remember hearing as a kid women in my family telling young ladies that respectable girls covered up, and that men wouldn't take women seriously. What this is doing is placing the blame of men's action solely on women and not taking into consideration that "provocative wear" should not be factored in as a cause of rape. This also translates into the school system. Dress code for me sucked because I hated conforming to gendered clothing, but for girls it is much more than that. Girl's body are sexualized by the school and they are punished, at times sent home, for wearing things which would be too "distracting" for men. This puts the learning of young women second to that of young men. Men are not being held accountable for their actions and instead women's bodies are to blame. 

Women's bodies are not treated the same way men's bodies are treated. When it comes to reproductive rights a woman's body is not her own. She is not allowed to do with her body as she pleases due to all the intrusive laws which some states have. Laws that police what a woman can and cannot do with her own body even though it is a basic human right. She is instead seen as a reproductive machine and this is the what's valued the most over her own rights. 

The most messed up thing about this is that the people deciding on these laws and legislations are predominantly white rich men. This is the most confusing part, why should men decided what women do with their reproductive organs? Do these men have uteruses that we don't know of and are able to make statements such as "women should carry stillborn fetuses to term because cows and chickens do it too."(Gay 272). This man voicing his opinions on what's "right" is another way in which sexist laws are implemented in our society. He is comparing women to farm stock and by doing so he is reducing her worth, dehumanizing her.

Golden scene from Veep.

Abortions have been demonized by society. People have considered it a form of murder even when giving birth could run the risk of the mother dying. Not only were the mother's depicted as villains but so were the women who assisted them "During ancient times women used jellies, gums, and plants both for contraception and to abort unwanted pregnancies. These practices continued even into the 1300s. When Europe needed to repopulate and started to hunt "witches" and midwives who shared their valuable knowledge about these contraceptive methods." (Gay 258). The demonization of people who provide these services and women who get them is institutionalized misogyny. Government getting involved in abortion laws is the equivalent of it getting involved in private affairs. Making women get ultrasounds, listen to the baby's heartbeat and extensive restrictions on the matter is meant to discourage the woman and does not value her decision. 

Overall the government does not care about women (don't even get me started on women of color who are stereotyped and slut shamed more than white women when they get abortions). This treatement of the female body is then implemented into the way the media depicts women. This oversexualization of the young female body is seen on magazine

Britney Spears for Rolling Stone March 2011

covers and on tv shows. The fetishzing of these bodies is then used to justify acts of violence which then lead to teaching young girls not to draw unwanted attention. Women have to live in fear instead of rape culture being dealt with. 

The media also depicts certain women in different ways. It drives different messages into our brain and recreates images we have seen before. Women who are "Straw Feminist" are also seen as castrators and misandrist, these are the women to most likely bring up real issues and then add misandry into the mix, therefore discrediting them. 

We have seen good example of great icons who have spoken up in the media. Orange is The New Black is an example of media which tackles women's issues and focuses purely on their stories. It is a safe space which shows sisterhood in a community which has been outcast for committing crimes. If we get more media like this and How To Get Away With Murder it brings feminist issues into the home and provides strong female roles for young women. Shows like Veep making that joke we previously discussed opens up the viewer's eyes to a serious issue. This is what we we need from our media.