Princess Culture for Boys

I’ll admit it. I was the boy in the neighborhood with more Barbie’s than all the girls combined. Though I cannot say what my fascination with them was, I just know the “princess culture” can be applied to guys as well. Growing up I was surrounded by the culture of fairytales and Disney. The first movie I ever saw was Snow White and after that my fascination flourished. I will say that today I am no longer into the “princess culture” although I do believe it still exists and may be bigger than ever. My fascination has switched to celebrities. For some reason, like Barbie’s, celebrities transport me to a whimsical world of imagination. It makes me wonder if it my family had anything to do with this. Are they the reason the “princess culture” affected me so much? This culture raised me and is still raising children today. Narcissism is one of those traits I despise in most people but sadly have myself. Isn’t this what Barbie’s and princesses teach us? Everything is “me” when it should be “we”. Media has morphed this culture into something completely different from what it was when I was being raised. Nowadays, I am not even sure if it is escapable. Hopefully one day, there will be a new trend that outshines the “princess culture” and kills the superficial consumerism dreams of these children and makes productive, caring individuals instead. We all latch on to the idea of being someone “special”. But shouldn’t being “special” mean being true to who you are. And I was a little boy who played with Barbie’s, and even now when I see one on the shelf am fascinated.

My "cool pose"

Although I am a man, I don’t necessarily identify with every masculine trait, especially when it comes to communication. Recently during class we were discussing masculinity and the concept of the “cool pose” came up. At first I wasn’t entirely sure if I even agreed with this idea and didn’t know if a “cool pose” even existed. I went home and decided to go through pictures of me at social events and parties and thought about how I act on a daily basis. Then it hit me, I have my very own “cool pose”. My “cool pose” and just the way I carry myself in general is the way I own my masculinity.  My poster and the way I walk are sure ways I define my masculinity. I have, ever since the discussion in class, been noticing my posture more and more. I try to look interested in things, while being laid back at the same time. My posture while in public is completely different from when I am alone in private. In addition, the way I dress shows how my laid back masculinity. I usually wear jeans and a shirt with a hoodie. This shows, in most daily settings that I am comfortable with whom I am and what is going on in my life.  Even the way men dance show their masculinity, and I am no different. I have to ride the line of being funny and suave on the dance floor. It’s hard out there for a guy!

The only kid without a Facebook...

            Social media allows people in today’s society to do many things from forming relationships, being an activist, to posting pictures for all to see. Facebook seems to still reign supreme over all social media. I may be the only one in the world, but I do not have a Facebook. Social media has many benefits, but the benefits Facebook offered me were not worth it in the end. In a way, just like article we read, when I had a Facebook I could tell it was making me lonely. I would be working or sitting at home living vicariously through the photos and posts of others. Facebook made me wish I were living the lives of others and slowly made me stop living my own life. Although, saying I was “made” might not be correct, because at anytime I could have posted my own and exciting things onto the site. Finally, there came a day when I had had enough of the feeling bad about my life and decided it was time for it to leave my daily life. Now, being Facebook-less, I have seen my friends interpersonal relationships suffer. I have noticed people closest to me talk about things they have seen on Facebook. Most of the time, they are things they didn’t like and things that rubbed them wrong. These experiences make me wonder if Facebook is doing the opposite of what it is intended for. Most of the time it seems the posts and photos we see on Facebook don’t even represent those peoples lives. If this is true, then so many other problems can come up. Social media seems to work well for many people and companies, however I question if it is hurting us more than we realize?

Amplification and Reduction

As an avid T.V. watcher the media logic section of class discussion was especially interesting. I am a social television watcher where if I am not watching it with someone else and commenting on everything happening on an episode, I have no reason to watch. However, lately I have been thinking more about how television shows shape what is “normal” and desirable. I, like many others, was completely oblivious to all the influence but now I am starting to watch television under a new light. A part of media logic that I particularly enjoy is the idea of amplification and reduction. Take Teen Mom, which I love, for example. In the first episodes when the show was just getting started and I’m sure the producers weren’t positive how people would react it is interesting to look t the girls lives. I mean, these girls at the beginning of the series didn’t dress well, didn’t live in nice houses, didn’t have a nice car, and the content was a little boring, This is where amplification and reduction came into play. As the show progressed, even into a new season, the girls’ lives were unrecognizable. The girls were suddenly in the best clothes, driving less than a year old vehicles, and had their own houses. The producers reduced all the money talk and the girls never once mentioned how they got all their new possessions. What was amplified? The drama. Their lives were now completely drama filled from abuse allegations to divorce. Amplification and reduction did however make for better television and glamorized being a teen mom. Nowadays I watch T.V. alone just for the sole reason to analyze the ridiculousness of the episodes.

Feminist Perspective in the real world

            After studying the feminist perspective in the beginning part of class I have I have been noticing people who are getting it all wrong. Every once in a while either on television or in the real world, I will hear someone say something along the lines of “I know about women and care about them, you could call me a feminist”. The thing these people don’t realize is that, as we learned in class, a feminist believes in equality for both sexes. A feminist can be anyone, and his or her beliefs and actions don’t have to solely be about women. In addition, I think we forget how there is a difference between gender and sex. As a tour guide, many people ask about how the residence halls are set up in regards to sexes. However, many times someone will ask about gender and use gender interchangeably with sex. If gender is culturally learned, then these people on my tours are presenting a flaw in our society and being insensitive. There are men in the world who identity more feminine and women who identify as more masculine, this does not make them any less their sex. Before this class I didn’t think much about feminism, gender, or someone’s sex. However, now whenever I am out and about I pick up on many things pertaining to gender and someone’s sex. Maybe one day I’ll call someone out for getting it all mixed up and then I will feel much better about myself.