Gender Neutral Children

The gender neutral practice described in this article comes across as very disturbing. While researchers may not yet know the long term effects this practice has on children, I believe it effects a child's mental state. This practice is likely to cause Sasha to question his identity, and will forever change who he is. The article mentions his parents are enabling their son to express himself. However, I disagree with their way of thinking. To express one-self means that someone is making their own choices. They are deciding what they want to wear and are choosing it for Sasha. In this case, Sasha's parents are forcing him to adapt to both male and female identities and express both. This is not expression. It is simply a two way street that does not merge and it is unhealthy. Another factor that makes raising a child as gender neutral unhealthy is age. Sasha is simply too young to express himself or even make these choices. 

Another disturbing aspect of this parenting is that they call him 'the infant.' This is a very disrespectful term because again, it will lead Sasha into questioning his identity. The article mentions, "gender affects what children wear and what they can play with, and that shapes the kind of person they become. I start to get cross with it if it skews their potential." However, it only skews potential if one believes that one's race is superior to one another. 

Aside from this, Sasha's peers, teachers, and other people he is associated with in his life become closed off from knowing his true identity. This affects the relationships he will come to have with people. It strips the intimacy of relationships people will have with Sasha. Overall, I think raising a child as gender neutral is grossly unhealthy. A parent should raise their child as their assigned gender. When a child reaches an age where they want to express a different identity or gender, parents should then let them become who they want to be. This is much healthier and will cause less problems for a child in the long run. 

Modern Family, The L Word and telling our stories Article Summary

The article, "Modern Family, The L Word and telling our stories Article Summary" discusses different aspects of ABC's hit television comedy, Modern Family. The article focuses on an episode that revolves around diversity. The two gay dads featured on this television series, Cameron and Mitchell, fight to get their Asian adopted daughter, Lily, into a competitive school system. The article mentions how Cameron and Mitchell become "out-diversified" by a lesbian couple who show up with their African-American adopted daughter. The article then leads into how very few television shows depict LGBT families as they are in reality. The media portrays a common story-line and matching stereotypes.

Another interesting aspect of this article is how LGBT characters are commonly upper-white middle class people. Along with these characters come prestigious nursery schools to fulfill the plot-line. In reality, 72% of same sex couples identity as white, and for those with children, only 59% identify as white. The fact that the network and media portrays LGBT families in this way limits viewers perceptions. Geography, race/ ethnicity, age, and economics are factors as well.

As a culture, we must change this. The author, Dana Rudolph. mentions the different insights from children and parents within the LGBT community. It is vital that people listen to the different perspectives on both ends of the LGBT community rather than what the media produces. There is a plethora of resources out there that give a better understanding and are unbiased. Rudolph lists these resources in the Resource Directory of her Mombian site. Overall, this article illuminates how shows like Modern family can hold stereotypes. We must not limit our lens to the media. Instead, we must take the resources we are given and open our eyes to the real LGBT community.

Trendsetting- Ready, Set, Go Viral!

“Join the movement.” This is a logo that stems from the Miracle Network Dance Marathon. Within our culture, there are so many movements taking place that people become enveloped in and identity with. I specifically chose to tweet about the Miracle Network Dance Marathon in an attempt to go viral because I think it is vital that students become aware of the positive movements they can become involved in to impact the lives of others. My close friend Lauren, who attends Syracuse University, was a part of this movement. The main purpose of my tweet was to raise awareness, as well as to receive donations. I found interesting results after launching and tracking this tweet over the course of four weeks.

I launched this tweet on September 27, 2016. In order to spark this movement, I asked my friends from high school, college, and friends of friends to re-tweet it in order to spread awareness and raise money for the Miracle Network. My friend Lauren’s goal was to reach $100; I am proud to say that by tweeting this and attempting to go viral, she has raised a little over $500.00. While not everyone who re-tweeted my tweet donated, six of the 35 re-tweeters donated. This is significant because by tweeting something like this and attempting to go viral, I helped an important cause. In addition to this, I spread awareness for the Miracle Network. My target audience was around 20 people since I do not usually receive a lot of re-tweets. Surprisingly, I surpassed this goal of 20 and received 35 re-tweets. I appreciated the help of those who reached out to others and re-tweeted my tweet; it demonstrated the importance of collaboration. It also demonstrated how a movement can quickly spread via social media.

A challenge I encountered was keeping the tweet active. At first, many users re-tweeted my tweet, but as time went on, the re-tweets started to decline. This is a common aspect of social media and pop culture. It signifies that people will keep up with a trend in the moment, yet, when the trend dies, people drop it and move on to the next big thing. A Huffington Post Article, Why Content Goes Viral: What Analyzing 100 Million Articles Taught Us mentions that, “adding images to your content and posts will help it get shared on Twitter as well as Facebook.” I find this to be an interesting aspect of going viral. I attached an image to my tweet, and because I attached an image, I had a positive outcome. More people re-tweeted my tweet than the average user. This information is relevant because pop-culture has adapted to images rather than reading a statement on social media. As a culture, we have become attracted and interested to the images on social media.

The article, To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter, found in Chapter 33 of the textbook, exemplifies how tweets result in a “constantly-updated stream of short messages ranging from the mundane to breaking news, shared links, and thoughts on life.” This quote is key to understanding how our culture accesses twitter and gives social media a purpose. My tweet would fall under “shared links” because the link Lauren provided was copied in my tweet. However, many twitter users use their social media account to provide their “thoughts on life.”  I believe social media’s purpose is to rather share interest among young individuals through the collaboration I sparked in my tweet: towards a movement that embraces positivity as well as a realistic goal. In my opinion, my attempt in going viral was a success. I attracted friends, and even strangers, to a movement that I wanted to raise awareness to. In addition to this, those six people who donated to this movement had an impact on the Miracle Network and helped to give my viral attempt significance. 

Social Networks

Facebook is one of the most commonly known social media websites. When scrolling through Facebook, a common theme I became aware of was how many posted about their triumphs of the week. For instance, I viewed images of awards my fellow cross country teammates from high school received. I noticed updated statuses about how a fellow peer of mine made the Student Government Board. With everything I viewed, I was attentive that these people were only portraying few of the many aspects of their lives. Essentially, their posts were the highlights of their lives. The few things they posted about constructed a perfect identity rather than the identity they would be seen as in reality. 

A few of the posts I noticed are overall gendered. Over working at a pool this past summer, a mom I came to know added me on Facebook. Many of her Facebook posts  stem from the highlights of her children's life. She has a son and a daughter, and the difference in gender is clearly represented on her page. One of her posts was even titled, "Boys will be boys," with a picture of her son in the center of a doorway drenched in mud. This shows the playfulness and activeness that is associated with males. Her daughter, however, is portrayed as a gifted dancer. Her daughter's talent is illuminated through her posts on Facebook. Social networking is a source that portrays one's identity. People are able to construct views of themselves as well as their family and friends. It has become a part of our culture; society has adapted to social media and the way they want to be portrayed. Unfortunately, they are becoming obsessed with their social media identity, and it the obsession is increasing more and more everyday. 

Chapter 33: To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter Article Summary

The Article, To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter, focuses on how media outlets are dramatically changing celebrity culture. A shift is prominent in the changes of the traditional interaction between a celebrities and their fans. Mediated forms are the main cause of this shift. There is no doubt that celebrities are a significant aspect of mass media. Celebrities are influential figures that make social media an exciting world to become enveloped in, especially for a fan. Fans draw out texts from social media in regards to what celebrities post. This brings meaning to the average fan's daily life. 

The article introduces a term known as, "Micro celebrity," defined by Theresa Senft. This term is key to understanding many of the article's key points. It describes a certain style of behavior depicted online and off. It popularizes self fame; the fans include friends and followers with the goal in mind being popularity. Online, media users are able to construct their own view of themselves and how they want to be seen. 

The article defines celebrity as a practice, and recognizes the need for research on the daily practice of celebrities by non-famous individuals. Both celebrities and non-famous individuals are connected through the social media paradigm. This leads into the social media website Twitter, where users of all social statuses can connect. The article mentions how powerful figures have contributed to fascination on the site. Twitter is used as a data base in order to understand the interactions of dialogue vs. engagement with fans. Another common user practice has to do with re-tweeting, which demonstrates what fans are attracted to and what they are uninterested in. This is one of the factors that effect the "unequal power differentials." For instance, commonly, celebrities will get well over 100,000 re-tweets, while the average user receives 10 re-tweets. 

The media provides celebrities to explore and further create their identity, as well as common users. Their fan bases are able to interact with celebrities by making their conversations "publicly visible." This study of celebrity culture has validated that celebrities have been transformed because of the personal qualities intertwined with their lifestyle and social media. 

Reality Television

In an episode of Law and Order Special Victims Unit, specifically season 17 episode 2, I paid close attention to Amanda Rollins' character and how her gender is portrayed. In the opening scene, when talking about a man who is brought into questioning, detective Amanda Rollins states, "You know he is more open when it is just the two of us." However, detective Benson shuts her down by stating, "Nice try, Rollins." This statement suggests how Rollins is aware male criminals are more open with females, most likely because of their nurturing and caring stereotyped characteristics. As a female detective, Rollins uses this to her advantage. Here, her gender is portrayed as courageous because not all females would put themselves in a situation as such. Rollins uses this strategy to find answers rather than to flaunt femininity. 

When on the stand, Amanda Rollins's gender is also portrayed. She is questioned and interrogated because she visited Dr. Yates multiple times. Her reasoning is because he was able to confide in her more easily, and it is suggested because of her gender. If Rollins were to be a man, she would not have been questioned as intently. Yates's lawyer even asks, "is that common practice for a female NYPD detective?" rather than just stating "an NYPD detective." Detective Amanda Rollins is vulnerable on the stand because of her gender.

This episode is interesting because Detective Rollins finds out she is pregnant. Other co-workers send signals which evidently display she cannot handle the job as a pregnant woman, despite her being very capable since she is only at the very start of her pregnancy. Rollins later mentions, "this is not going to effect my ability to do my job." Benson replies with "Actually, yes it is Amanda... as soon as the department hears about this they are going to put you on restricted duty." Amanda is again limited in what she can do because of her pregnancy and her gender. Many women are limited and set back in their careers because of unexpected pregnancies. Overall, it is evident how female detectives are limited in all aspects of their career; Detective Amanda Rollins displays this in her role on Law and Order SVU.

Reality TV resets tween, teen girls expectations about own lives Article Summary

Reality TV Resets Tween, Teen Girls' Expectations About Own Lives focuses on teen and tween girls and discusses how reality TV affects them emotionally. When watching an increased amount of reality TV, young females expect a higher level of drama, bullying, and aggression in their own lives. This is unhealthy and a very negative aspect of watching television. The article relies on a"Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV" survey to back up their statistical data. According to this data, 86% of girls found that TV shows often turn girls against one another in order to evoke drama and make the television series interesting. When the study further investigated this, it found that 78% vs. 54% argued that gossiping was prominent in their life. The effects TV has on these females' lives is definitely something our culture should be aware of- especially if the effects of watching television can be negative and unhealthy. Females are constantly exposed to romantic relationships on television which can also be unhealthy. This enables young girls to seek pleasure and identity in a relationship when it is healthy to be independent and single. According to the article, females portray television and its effects on their mindset differently. For instance, some girls may say TV allows them to believe they can achieve anything in life, while others mention they cannot relate because television portrays characters with different backgrounds.

The data that is retrieved from this article clearly demonstrates how television is idolized, especially by young females. Not only is television idolized, but it impact them on a physiological level. One of the main aspects of this article that caught my attention was how television portrays a "mean-girl" stereotype which illuminates the competition between girls. This competitiveness is again unhealthy and should be brought to our cultures attention. Young females need to collaborate rather than competing against one another. Television is a the core of solving these issues. Families must pay close attention to what young females are watching so that television does not develop a negative mindset in young females' lives.

Fighting Fire With Fabulous Article Summary

The article, "Fighting Fire With Fabulous," written by Dana Casadei, is about the Dambacher brothers challenging the Westboro Baptist Church for its "vile hate mongering." The article focuses on the brother's latest project: The Freaka in Topek. This project is a rock and roll based show consisting of music will that is Detroit influenced. The show will be produced by the brothers- Scott working on the story and Dave doing the score. According to the article, the show’s goal is to bring a diverse amount of people together. The Dambacher brothers feel very passionately about fighting against intolerance and celebrating freedom, which is why they will put on the show for free, despite the $50,000 cost to produce. The Dambacher brothers intend to change people’s perspective by interacting with the “freaka” group of people.

This diverse group of people includes “artists, musicians, freaks, everybody.” However, Scott and Dave cannot put on the show alone. They will need around 15-20 people to fill roles in their show to make it come alive. The brothers will be advertising through social media. Both Scott and Dave feel very passionately about putting on the show for the people and changing their perspectives. I am intrigued by how they want to bring a diverse amount of people together, and I support the show’s purpose. Diversity is important in many different aspects because it enables people to have a better understanding of each other, and this show will bring that understanding to a whole new level.

Jack White – and the cast, which includes Scott, will all be
local. There will be an open call, probably in February, to fill

the rest of the 15-20 roles.

Halloween and Gender Performance

Halloween is a unique holiday in American culture. Gender and culture appropriation are threaded into this holiday in a plethora of ways. It is vital that we recognize how corporations are not only selling costumes. Hypersexulized images are brought to the minds of young females in these costumes. Costumes for young males portray a desired image such as a superhero. Halloween is a time to have fun and to dress up, however, females and males are extremely limited in what they can and cannot dress up as for Halloween.

The article, “Girls Halloween Costumes Promoting Gender Bias,” states that “costumes for young girls are becoming more sexualized, raising concern for experts and parents alike.” These sexualized images are seen because of the poses of young girls as well as the short dresses/ skirts they wear in Halloween ads. Another article, “Halloween costume showdown: Superheroes beat princesses this year” correlates to this statement because it describes how females are focused on looks when it comes to costumes, while young males are focused on their powers. The article, “The Corporate Masquerade: Branding Masculinity through Halloween Costumes” also aligns with this statement. An “analysis of 100 images of men's Halloween costumes, demonstrates the considerable power commercial culture has today in constructing and limiting ideas of American masculinity through licensed/branded costumes.” This shows how males need to associate their identity with being powerful, a hero, or very masculine. Our culture has constructed the identity of males and females and on Halloween. The images associated with the identity of males and females are evident in the costumes. According to a study, only 8.7% of costumes were gender neutral. This is unfair because both genders have to confine to a costume on Halloween, and again, are limited with what they can and cannot wear. 

This is a problem because, as the article mentions, “Girls can't run and be active with short skirts and boots." A company’s main focus should be for children to run around and have fun on Halloween, not to expose the bodies of young females. In addition to this, they should not limit young boys on what to wear. Both parents and boys “strictly define what boys should wear,” as mentioned in the “Girls Halloween Costumes Promoting Gender Bias” article. Even if a girl desired to be a superhero, her costume is sexualized because these costumes include tight clothing or skirts. Another article, “Mom takes Party City task over ‘sexualized’ costumes for little girls,” shows an image of a young girl in a sexualized cop uniform. This is grossly inappropriate for a young girl to wear. Companies like party city need to start making costumes for young girls that include pants over dresses and skirts. It is unfair for females to be limited for what they wear on Halloween. In my own life, I have observed how the majority of my past costumes have either been dresses or skirts. At the age of 10, I wanted to be like my Dad and was a firefighter. I was aware that he did not wear a dress to work; however, my costume was a dress. Why must companies do this to young girls? Young females are just as active as young boys, and all young children, regardless of their gender, are adventurous. A costume’s main focus should be focused on the adventure that young children crave, not the look or image that confines gender roles.  

Boys, Girls and Toys- Oh My

When shopping, it is evident that the boys and girls sides of toys differ. The gendered packaging and marketing of toys defines gender and clearly limits the minds of young males and females. If you go on the Toys R Us website, you will find two categories: Boy's and Girl's Toys. It is unfair to separate males and females with what they can and cannot play with. The common difference between boy's toys and girl's toys as seen on this website is the difference of the top category: dolls and action figures. The first image below is significant because it portrays the mom in pink and the dad in blue. This is a major problem because young girls play with this doll set and are already being exposed to gender conformed roles. The image to the right of what is sold in the girls section is an action figure sold in the boys section. This is another major problem because like most action figures made for boys, weapons are included. This sends a message to young males that it is okay to be violent.

  

In the you-tube clip, "Riley on Marketing," a young girl named Riley describes how boys and girls can interchangeably like both princesses and superheroes. This young girl acknowledges what manufacturers fail at acknowledging. For decades, companies have been producing superheroes for males, princesses for females. Riley even mentions how companies try to "trick the girls into buying the pink stuff." While it is comical for Riley to go off on a tangent, she is completely correct. Companies align products for girls and have the majority of these packages in pink packaging. Girls should not only be limited to buying princesses, as Riley has explicitly stated in the video. The same goes for young males, if a boy wants to play with a doll, he should go ahead and play with a doll without having any questions asked.