Gonna Beat My Wife????

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

20 April 2010

Gonna Beat My Wife

Media is one of the most pervasive influences on the lives of people all over the world today. It can set or break trends, it can perpetuate stereotypes, it can propel elections. It can also lead to violence against people, especially women.

Songs like "I'm Gunna Beat My Wife" create space for people to think it is actually okay to beat their wives and partners (DUH!).Our text confirms that songs that are pro-intimate partner violence or normalize it are effectively a, "cultural legitimization of male violence" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 266). Take this line from the lyrics of the song as an example; "....Oh baby please don't beat me, baby I promise I'll never sleep with the moon in my face no more!". Those lyrics represent the pleading sobs of someone’s girlfriend, wife, mom, and sister, partner before her death. What kind of norm does this set up for the 12-year-old boy who overhears this song? What kind of solemnest does this steal away from victims of intimate partner abuse?

The lyrics in this song are very repetitive and short, however when we look at the line where the woman being killed states; "Baby please, I promise I'll never sleep with the moon in my face no more" it's clear that the lyrics are creating an excuse for the male abuser and placing the blame on the woman. This is something that happens all too commonly, in families, in the police department and in society. These excuses have allowed male violence against women to grow and change over time, according to our text "rape has evolved historically as a form of male reproductive behavior," (Kirk, and Okazawa-Rey 264).

It is fairly uniformly accepted that diverse images represented in the media help to create a more egalitarian and accepting society. Why then is it a stretch for some people to think that images of abuse and violence against women portrayed as positive on TV or in music could lead to an acceptance and perpetuation of this behavior? It shouldn't be.

Men and women in our society have an obligation to stand up against oppressive or sexist language in our media so we can save the future generations from violence and hate. Lady Gaga is one example of a superstar today who has come our and declared her stand against sexist and homophobic lyrics her mantra around messages in the media is a simple but true one, "It's always wrong to hate, but it's never wrong to love."



Work Cited:

Dead Milkmen. "Gonna Beat My Wife." Rec. 1 Jan. 1988. Beelzebubba. Grooveshark. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

Kirk, Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-271.

Activism Log 5

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

14 April 2010



Activism:

This week was a slow one for me. I continued to spread the work about our event that is in just a few weeks through facebook and by word of mouth. I also worked on my info board for the day of the event.

Reflection:

According to Paula Ettelbrick, the author of Since when is marriage a path to liberation?, Homosexual couples “must compare ourselves to married couples” (318). This quote made me think of alot of the friends I know who are gay couples in Florida and cannot adopt. Many of them have pets who they adore and think of as their children . I'm sure that it's doubly important for these types of couples to have a rescource like Animal Safe House.

Reciprocity:

Thinking about the work of Animal Safe House through the lense of my gay male friends and their pets expanded my traditional thinking of men and domestic violence. We're all seceptible to becoming victims of domestic violence regardless of our gender.



Work Cited

Ettelbrick, Paula. "Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation?" Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives 5 (2010): 317-320. Print.

Activism Log 4

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

14 April 2010


Activism:

Our team this week worked alot to build momentum in the run up to our donation drive event. We continued to use every opportunity to hand out flyers, I attended multiple Democratic Party events and used them as a platform to spread the word. I was encouraged by people in the community and their positive responses. I've had several verbal commitments to make donations. I do worry about people being willing to take on fostering, but I got one new foster parent this week who signe up online.

Reflection:

Megan Seely in Fight like a Girl espouses that, “Throughout the world, in many cultures, there is an expectation that women are to be the keepers of the faith in their families and that they carry the responsibility to pass on these traditions to their children” (105). With this in mind it delivers an extra sense of commitment to this cause and the depth of it's importance. If society learns it's values and faith from women we must do what we can as a society to respect and treat them equally. We must have strong women figures for which our youth can look t for inspiration.

Reciprocity:

Recently at a mixer for a local gay rights groups I spoke a little bit about my project with Animal Safe House, the response I got was overwhelming affirming and positive. I was thrilled at the intersectionality that was revealed of the opression of LGBT peope and women in domestic violence situation.



Work Cited

Seely, Megan. Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. Print

Swiss Not So Much Of A Real Family Robinson

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

14 April 2010

Swiss Not So Much Of A Real Family Robinson

Swiss Family Robinson is a film that was one of my personal favorites as a child. As an adult and someone who studies women’s studies I must say I look back in a certain degree of horror at the number of stereotypes and unstable constructions presented in that historic Disney film.
In class we spoke about women and young girls being portrayed as always being whole some and good and feminine. The people in this film who are portrayed as “good”, “wholesome” and “nurturing” are the group of people who make up the group that contains women and looks like the “traditional”, white hetero normative family; The Robinsons. Meanwhile the pirates, who are portrayed as male, are also animalistic, foreign, and brown skinned.
The Caucasian, European, Robinsons are portrayed as people who are outside of nature; they are of the city and of the world and thus toil with nature. We see them in their struggle with the violent, seas and with the challenge of day to day living on the barren island.
In contrast, the brown, indigenous pirates are portrayed as masters of the sea and people can easily maneuver through thick tropical rainforests.
As is typical in many films when women encounter danger from nature/the pirates in this film, the men become suddenly masculine and begin to work to protect the weak and defenseless woman. I was reminded of our class discussion reflecting on the passage from the first Gaia Girls book; “Girls are conditioned to being delegitimized by their parents and society and are constantly sent the message they can’t perform the same ways men can.” (Eco-Feminism)
Throughout the film the characters work to reinforce the idea of a hetero normative nuclear family as well as the unstable notion that men are meant to be fathers and women are meant to be mothers. The father figure in the family does this by calling his wife mother instead of by her own name and visa versa.
In the film the family uses their own form of “Monkey wrenching” to booby trap the Island in hopes of preventing the pirates from penetrating its borders. “Monkey wrenching is a form of eco activism that seeks to prevent humans from harming the environment.” (Eco-Feminism) In this scene the pirates are also portrayed as “masculine” and thus destructive to the island and the family. This unstable idea of masculinity and nature is broken down by Kirk, “based on their analysis of the connections between masculinist social institutions and the destruction of the physical environment” (Kirk 539)
However over sensitive this might sound thinking about Swiss Family Robinson in this way makes me a lot less comfortable with my future children watching it. I don’t want my children trapped by traditional roles as espoused in this film.

Work Cited:

Kirk, Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 535-549.

Eco-Feminism, In-Class Notes, Womens Studies 3015, Nina Perez, April 14th, 2010.

Activism Log 8

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

12 April 2010

Activism Log 8

Activism:

This weekend our group had our donation drive for Animal Safehouse of Brevard. Our event took place Louie and Maria’s Italian Restaurant in east Orlando. Our goal was collect donations to provide to foster parents and, more importantly, to encourage guests to become foster parents for the Animal Safehouse of Brevard. Getting to the event was a stressful time for me, my car ended up breaking down. However, I borrowed a friends car and brought all the donations I had collected through the past months so we could make sure they were all together. We sucessfully collected more than the expected amount of donations we expected we got rave reviews from our service learning agency, and overall our event was a huge sucess.

Reflection:

I was glas to be able to connect with my classmates outside of class. I got to know my collegaues on a deeper level that I have all semester. Although we were very satifsfied with our results, of course everyone hopes that their activism can start a movement. We took comfort in the words we found in Fight Like A Girl, “No act is too small; you may never know the full extend of your impact. Activism is contagious. While you may be one person, your voice and actions can touch others, whose voices and actions can touch others, and so forth” (Seeley 16).

Reciprocity:

I had a fabulous experience meeting people who came by to support our event and enjoy some yummy pizza. Just putting this small event together over this semester has really made me realize the tough work it takes to make an organization like Animal Safe House tick. I felt awesome knowing that we touched lots of new people and brought them into the folds of the work of Animal Safe House, I know lots of these folks will help the organization keep up the steam.

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York UP, 2007. Print.

Activism Log 7

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

4 April 2010

Activism Log 7

Activism:

This week I'm very excited because our event for Animal Safe House is swiftly approaching. I traveled home to Apopka for the Easter holidays and shared with the family the work I've been doing. I got several commitments from family members to make cash donations for Animal Safe House. I also continued compiling data for our info board.

Reflection:

My work with Animal Safe House of Brevard is especially important to me having grown up close to someone who was the victim of domestic violence. Aside from spreading the word about the fabulous service that Animal Safe House of Brevard Provides the simple act of drawing attention to an epedemic of violence that often goes unoticed makes me feel good about my work. According to Kirk violence between intimate partners is very under reported, “Although violence between intimate partners is illegal in this country, it is seriously under-reported” (Kirk 263). My hope is that our work with the Animal safe house will help embolden women and mend to "come out" as surviviors and help others with similar experiances.

Reciprocity:

Having grown up in a home where I saw somone close to me become the victim of emotional and verbal harrassment, I know the high price children and spouses pay for this atrocity. I can't even begin to comprehend the pain that comes from the addition of physical violence for people. Many times domestic violence is a learned habit, and is passed on to children. I know our work will help to end this viscious cylcle and realease children of abusers from being damed to repeat their father/mothers awful mistakes.

Kirk, Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 257-273.

"U.S. Election 2004 From the Eyes on an Iraqi Woman"

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

5 April 2010

For many people in the United States 2004 was a critical year for domestic politics in our country. Many people felt outrage that our country seemed to be on an very swiftly moving downward spiral and Democrats were poised to take control of the White House and the reigns. A huge focus of election 2004 was the war in Iraq, the terms for which we had occupied that country and the thinking behind our extended stay there. All wrapped up in our own fury and self importance we never seem to remember that there were actually thinking, breathing people in the country we were occupying who literally had a life or death interest in our election of a new President and administration.

Luckily for me and for others with an open mind, a woman in Iraq kept a blog that helps serve as a voice for what Iraqi's were feeling in 2004 in the midst of the American elections. Her blog is incredibly powerful because it came at a time when the American media and even people in our own government tried with the utmost eagerness to paint Iraqi people with one broad-brush stroke. Her blog is so powerful that with one fowl swoop her words crush any of the myths perpetuated by the simple minds of the American media and governments. She talks about how even it was true post occupation that most Iraqi's did not pay close attention to American elections that myth was no longer true now that they had become occupied and it was even true in 2000 when Iraqi's feared what a Bush administration would mean for them.

"Many, many people have asked me about the elections and what we think of them. Before, I would have said that I really don’t think much about it. Up until four years ago, I always thought the American elections were a pretty straightforward process: two white males up for the same position (face it people- it really is only two- Nader doesn’t count), people voting and the person with more votes wins. After the debacle of four years ago, where Bush Jr. was *assigned* president, things are looking more complicated and a little bit more sordid (Enloe)."

Another thing I think is striking from this quote is the inherent "feminist" language it contains. Such broad swatches of Americans think that Iraqi women are an oppressed, uneducated group who are kept away from society and politics. Her asserting this intellectual well formed opinion about the American election is such a powerful myth buster about the nature of women in Iraq and the existence of a woman's movement there.

In my opinion her blogs primary function is one of education. Although, this particular entry and many of Riverbends other entries are also inherently political. Even though Riverbend and her fellow Iraqi's cannot themselves participate in American elections, (which to me seems an atrocity given they are essentially a conquered territory) her blog and her voice can definitely have a powerful effect on her American readers. It's clear she knows this when she passionately implores Americans to live up to the best of what we are and vote for John Kerry. "I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Americans, the name of your country which once stood for ‘freedom and justice’ is tarnished worldwide. Your latest president has proved that the great American image of democracy is just that- an image. You can protest, you can demonstrate, you can vote- but it ends there. The reigns were out of your hands the moment Bush stepped into the White House. You were deceived repetitively and duped into two wars. Your sons and daughters are dying, and killing, in foreign lands. Your embassies are in danger all over the world. ‘America’ has become synonymous with ‘empire’, ‘hegemony’, and ‘warfare’. And why? All because you needed to be diverted away from the fact that you’re current president is a failure (Enloe)."

When I received this assignment I immediately navigated to Riverbend's blog entries from 2004. I hoped that she had made entries based on the American election. What a fascinating record of Iraqi thought during that time. 2004 was an especially disappointing election for me and for many Americans, but none of us can know the depth of despair people occupied can feel when they literally "lose" and lose big. The result of occupation is summed up well in chapter ten of our text, Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspective, women in the military is discussed. “Perhaps one of the most far-reaching effects of war is the normalization of violence in everyday life…” (504). This normalization is perhaps the most awful result of the 2004 elections that is forgotten, and the biggest burden left behind.

Enloe, Riverbend. "American Election 2004." Web log post. Baghdad Burning. 25 Oct. 2004. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women and the Military, War, and Peace, Women's Studies. Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. 493-510.

Activism Log 3

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

1 April 2010

Activism Log 3

Activism:

This week my group and I brainstormed possible venue locations for our event via the web. We all bounced around a couple idea's, I mentioned the First Unitarian Church of Orlando and the Orlando Gay and Lesbian Center. Finally, we settled on choosing a restaurant. A couple of my group members agreed to go check out the venues to ensure that they worked for our purposes. In addition to helping out with the venue, I've continued work on data for our information poster boards and flyers. I've also chosen to register as a puppy foster parent with Animal Safe House of Brevard, which I'm very excited about.

Reflection:

This week I'm super excited at the prospect of us having chosen venues for our events, and possibly event having two locations. I hope that the locations are in areas accessible enough for the maximum number of people to attend, education around this issue is so very important. I'm a little bit worried about the prospect of fostering a dog in my home, but also excited to help and for a new challenge.

Reciprocity:

Up till now I feel like we've gotten the bulk of the core parts of this projected ironed out. Excited to see what happens next and to do some good solid education about Animal Safe House Of Brevard. Feeling a little nervous about the possibility of fostering a dog and what that means for the contents of my home. But, I know I'll be helping some inspiring women and learning alot myself.

Work Cited:

Activism Log 2

Michael Farmer

Nina Perez

WST 3015

1 April 2010

Activism Log # 2

Activism:

My group and I are on a good track with our project, we communicate regularly via the web and bounce ideas off of one another. This week I've been working on the research for a poster board full of information about Animal Safe House Of Brevard, the work they do and why it's so important. I'm also planning to take the same data and create flyers that can be distributed about our event and the organization. I'll place these flyers around my apartment building, my neighborhood downtown and at the gay and lesbian center.

Reflection:

This week was again a week of planning and reorganzing as things developed. Always in my mind was the “Twelve Step Method”, from Fight Like A Girl (Seely 19), it's helped me to organize our work in my head.

Reciprocity:

Working with Animal Safe House of Brevard has been a very eye opening experiance for me. I've long been invloved in praxis, working in the LGBTQ rights movment and I've always though of myself as a feminist. But, I've never really seen te physical effects of what happens to women when they are abused by their spouses. It's so important that their animals, sometimes the only happiness they have in their world have a safe place to stay so that their moms can become free. I'm glad to have gone "outside the box" on this one and strayed from my normal praxis.

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York UP, 2007. Print.