1-26-10

I found all of the magazine cover presentations to be interesting and intriguing. I’ve really started noticing and realizing magazine covers and how there lay out has a purpose. I’ve always noticed and realized that magazines usually use the “sex sells” idea for the covers and content, but I have never really noticed much about the text on the page. I didn’t realize what an emphasis is even placed on the size and color of the text, not even including the content.

My group discussed the bridal magazine cover. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever looked through a bridal magazine maybe more than five times in my entire life, but I found the fact about the difference the celebrities make on the cover very intriguing. The content on the bridal magazines is shocking as well. I looked through some other covers of bridal magazines and it seems like the trend continues. I think it is difficult to find a balance because as women we typically want to plan our wedding and would be upset if we had no say in it, but then at the same time we are upset when we do the entire thing by ourselves. I definitely think then the men should have some say in the planning of a wedding so they understand all that goes into it.

Some other headlines that I found on the covers of some other bridal magazines include, “Tuxedo fashion for your man” “having the body you want for the big day” “the ultimate checklist” “11 ways to cut your bill” and “16 things to do once you get the ring.” Even though some of these headlines may have worthwhile content at face value they seem to be degrading and make “light” of the idea of marriage. I searched but still never found a completely credible bridal magazine. If anyone finds one that seems completely legitimate let me know!

1-19

The reading “Unbearable Weight” discussed issues with femininity and anorexia. One quote that I found particularly interesting was “The Body-what we eat, how we dress, and the daily rituals through which we attend to the body-is a medium of culture.” I agree with this statement. We go about our daily lives doing what we think we want to do or should do, but how we act is often influenced by others around us. I believe our culture today shapes and influences us to be how we are. Many things such as clothing styles or certain trends tend to be things that people do because others are doing them. Many things people wouldn’t do if they didn’t see others doing the same thing.
I think this is one of the main problems with anorexia and weight issues in today’s society. Since the strain on being slender is so large and publicly displayed, it seems to almost be the norm. If women see other women worrying about weight and taking drastic measures to stay thin, it almost makes it seem okay, when in reality it is far from okay. While we were in class and talking about the “Biggest Loser” show, I started thinking about other shows as well. Fashion and modeling shows have become very popular, such as “America’s Next Top Model.” In have always loved these types of shows and I’ve never really thought about the negative effect they may have on others. Even though they have sometimes had plus size models on the show, they hardly appear to be overweight. Each one of the models are clearly very skinny, and again, they have the body type that the “Killing Us Softly” movie discussed is unrealistic. I started thinking about how it would affect men if they were to have modeling shows like these. I believe that it would have a negative effect on men as well. The sad thing is that in the future I feel like TV programs like these will only become more popular, and in return, will continue this upward spiral of weight issues in today’s society. I am interested to see if any new shows occur or if changes will be made to shows like these in the future. Perhaps a model TV show with men or all plus size women will be produced.

1-11 Blog

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Tkac. I am a senior this year and I am planning on graduating this June. I am from Columbus, Ohio and have lived there my entire live. The majority of my relatives live in Ohio, mostly Cleveland. As of now I am planning on getting my masters right after I graduate. I’m not sure what I want to get it in yet. I am an Early Childhood Education major. I may get it in counseling or reading education. I will most likely attend Ohio University for my Masters degree. After college I would love to eventually live somewhere warm. My sister lives in California and I always enjoy going out to go visit her. I would love to potentially also live in South Carolina. When I start my career I would like to teach kindergarten. This quarter I am student teaching in the toddler room every day at the Child Development Center at the Ridges. So far I have been enjoying my experiences there. I am also interested in child psychology and would be open to a career in such a field in the future.I thought the topic of women and writing would be interesting and I have talked to people who have taken this course and recommended it. I think the topic of heteronormativity and how sex is portrayed in the media is very interesting. I feel like it is relevant and present in our lives on a day to day basis. The media is such a huge part of our lives and we are exposed to many issues that we are probably not even aware of. After our discussion in class last Thursday I thought about heteronormativity and about how those who do not fall under this norm are sometimes alienated and sometimes even in a violent way. I hope that someday in the future this norm may widen and people as a whole may be more accepting to others and their differences.Today we talked about how heteronormativity can become violent. I agree with what we discussed in class about how women may feel a certain societal pressure to be a certain way, and it turn it is detrimental to our health. I also agree that men have certain issues with being dominant and strong that are detrimental to their health as well. I found the readings that we went over in class today to be true and interesting. Especially how women may use their bodies in social situations. I think the example we used in class about women sometimes dress in a certain way in social situations to receive a desired outcome is definitely relevant in society today. Another issue that I feel is relevant to our lives today is the fact that sometimes women may dress to impress other women and men meanwhile are apathetic to what they are wearing. These ideas are social norms that I believe we often don't notice because we are so accustomed to them.