Blog Post #3: Workout Option - Bodies for sale! Embodied Cultural-Material Products of Sexuality and Beauty (Due November 13th)

Blog Post #3: Workout Option
Bodies for sale! Embodied Cultural-Material Products of Sexuality and Beauty

Using the 4th episode of Season 2 of Workout, your objective is to analyze the links and fissures between gender and sexuality. Using one character of your choice (one person as focus; however, interactions with other characters are certainly great places for analysis) your job is to investigate the ways in which the character is portrayed in relation to gendered and sexual identity-based norms, ideals, and stereotypes. Focus your analysis on the multiple (often conflicting) ways an individual ‘character’ disseminates messages about gender and sexuality.

• Specifically, use the readings to locate and define concepts of gender and sexuality-based norms/ideals/stereotypes.
  
• How does the character "fit" the concepts related to normative definitions of masculinity and femininity?
  
• What traits are included and omitted when portraying an ideal or non-ideal/pathological masculine and/or feminine subject?
  
• How does your character disrupt the relationship between gender and sexuality vis-à-vis stereotypes/norms/ideals about sexuality and masculinity and femininity (i.e. when the "butch/femme" dichotomy is disrupted)?
  
• How do these categories of analysis illustrate media constructions of your chosen character and hegemonic norms and expectations when they intersect with gender?
  
• Although the show is labeled "reality," don’t get wrapped up in the fake/real issues or the potential ideas and issues of the scripting and editing of the show
  

The Latest from the 27 bloggers

Options for Final Blog Posts & Presentations

Options for Final Blog Posts & Presentations
Gender & Popular Culture Spring 2007 (WGS220 05)
Final Blog Post due April 27, 2007
Presentations April 26th & 30th

1. Audiences & Understandings
Examine audience interpretations of your topic. Because, varying contexts (as in varying groups of people as audiences in different times/places/groups/etc) frequently produce conflicting understandings of the same topic. Your goal is to identify audience consistency and inconsistency (how to obtain this information is up to you) and analyze the reactions (consistent and inconsistent) in relation to the topic and the factors that might be affecting audience responses to your topic (or a specific example of the topic- i.e. episode of a show).
2. Power & Empowerment
For this focus, your goal is to identify and analyze the images that are present in your blog's topic. Which images are empowering, which are less empowering (power over)? Analyze the messages sent by the images you've chosen (these images may not literally be pictures, they can be, but you can also think of it as imagery). Why do certain messages seem more empowering than others?
Be careful if your topic is a fictional one. When dealing with fictitious characters, don't analyze an image in the context of your topic (i.e. a character in relation to other characters or in relation to the plot on a TV show). You may need to provide the context of the character in relation to the show or other characters; however, analyze the messages sent by this character (or whatever the image from the fictional show is that you're analyzing) in relation to social norms, hegemonic belief systems, etc in the world/society that views this topic (in the example it would be the society/culture/socioeconomic environment of the viewers of the show).

3. Autobiographical
If your topic was initially chosen based on a personal identification with the subject-matter, this option allows you to analyze yourself in relation to your topic. This option could get messy (and long) if you provide too much detail about your life or your topic. Therefore, choose the specific moment to relate yourself to initial attraction to topic. Analyze the social norms and hegemonic messages that may have facilitated your interest in this topic/person/show/genre/etc.
Then analyze how your perception of this topic has changed/shifted by virtue of analyzing it all semester. How might you understand yourself differently today (compared to the understanding you articulated about yourself when you first "found" your topic) based on this difference in understanding your topic.

4. Evolution of understanding of your topic over the semester
How has your topic shifted over the course of the semester? What social norms and hegemonic values were you unaware existed in your topic at the beginning of the semester? Were these norms and values explicit or implicit? Are they disseminated on the covert/subconscious level? Do you see the potential for positive change in changing the less empowering/oppressive messages/images that your topic disseminates? Does identifying them and making the invisible (or not immediately obvious, less than overt, etc) visible (perhaps as you've done in your blog this semester?) transform these messages from having insidious power (because they're covertly disseminated) to disempowering the messages by simply illustrating the existence of them (think of the impassioned responses to your blogs--"It's only a TV show!!!" "Get a life!" "Don’t you have something better to do?"---the individuals who left such comments obviously care a great deal about the issues they are trying to diminish when analyzed by your blog--otherwise they wouldn't have left comments telling your not to bother). How do you understand your topic differently today as a result of the analyses and responses over the course of the semester, than you did at the beginning of the semester?

5 & 6 The Real World Casting Tape & Viewing yourself as a “Modest Witness”
For both of these foci, see me for specific instructions, ideas, etc for proceeding (particularly if you’re considering the Modest Witness one).
If you opt to submit the casting tape, the instructions for the assignment were posted to the “big blog” and include the details for my requirements if you chose this option for your assignment.

Blog Buddies: The 2nd Part of the Assignment

Gender & Pop Culture

Blog Buddy Work

Part 2

Due: April 20, 2007

Follow-up (2^nd Part of Assignment) to Blog Buddy Handout

Do not complete this assignment until the handout from the first part has been finished. Remember to get the first part of the assignment back to your partner in time for your partner to have it for his/her own use.

Your partner will turn in your paper copy of the April 12^th (1^st part of the assignment) handout in class on April 19^th.

This assignment should be completed online and must be done by Friday April 20^th.

Directions:

• On your Blog, create a new post entitled “Blog buddy work with [your partner’s first name and last initial], author of [title of your Blog buddy’s Blog].” In the link field (below the title of the post) enter the address of your buddy’s Blog.

• You will be able to edit this post at any time by clicking on “customize” and then “edit posts” or click directly on “manage posts” from the dashboard. You can start out with simply copying and pasting the questions listed (the numbered list) below “for your buddy’s Blog” to the body of the post.

• Your partner will provide you with feedback in the comments section (“post a comment”) of this post, and you will do the same for your partner on her/his Blog in the post s/he created for the Blog buddy work.

• Create a “new comment” for each part of this assignment under the “For Your Blog Buddy” heading. The assignment doesn’t need to be completed in one sitting…the use of multiple comments will facilitate this process so that nothing you have to communicate to your Blog buddy gets inadvertently deleted.

• On April 20^th, make sure you copy and paste your buddy’s comments (from the comment section of the post you created on your Blog) and paste them into a new post entitled “Feedback from [your partner’s first name and last initial], author of [title of his/her Blog]” and include the address of the buddy’s Blog in the link field here too.

For Your Buddy’s Blog:

1. Where has your Blog buddy shown strong analytical work (be specific—is it a particular post, a type of analysis, a site for analysis that seemed to click more so than others, etc)?

2. How could your Blog buddy use this strength for the final Blog post and presentation?

3. Think about the following statements in relation to your Blog buddy’s Blog and then provide feedback on each area (constructive praise/criticism):

The Blog is on a topic that has been clearly evident in the Blog posts throughout the semester

The Blog is on a topic that seems to interest my Blog buddy

My Blog buddy’s topic is one that has produced a good set of posts that were analytical used gender as a primary category of analysis

The posts make analytical arguments. The posts are understandable and each post logically outlines and supports the argument presented. The posts were clear, provided insight, evidence, and analysis to connect the topic with the assignment for each of the posts

The sources cited in each post are relevant to the topic and help to aid the understanding of the argument and/or assisted in proving the argument.

The quotes used illustrate a broad range of course readings throughout the semester.

The quotes were clear and succinct; additionally, the material was presented so that I could differentiate the Blog buddy’s ideas from that of the author cited.

4. Finally, complete the following:

I thought it was great when you...

I found it confusing when you…

You’re really great at…

I wish you could focus (more) on/alter/edit/explain/expand on/etc these three things…

(Basically, when you read the Blog posts, what do you wish your buddy had done differently, more of, etc?)

Blog Post #5 for Friday 4/6/07 Updated

Friday (4/6/07) Blog Post #5 Now with more options to choose from!

- How has your blog-topic made news? When it has been the subject of the news, how has it been depicted? Specifically, when your topic is the subject of the news/media, how do you see the news/media depict gender, race, class, etc in your topic in relation to the reason that it made the news? In other words, does race, class, gender, etc factor into the reason that the topic became "newsworthy?"

Use at least one class reading and read/watch at least one source of news/media that relates to your topic (when it made news) to analyze this portrayal of your topic by the news/media. Find an example of "mainstream" news for this assignment. Make sure you link to the news/media source if it can be found online or cite it w/ your citation of the course reading you used at the end of the blog post.

Another issue that at least one person brought up on the index cards* was the topics for the blog posts. I want to keep the topics linked to the course readings and class discussions; however, I also want you to pursue areas that are of interest to you (which, hopefully your topic is one already) and blog on those areas of interest as well.

Therefore, for blog post #5, in addition to the original topic of mainstream news issues/coverage of your topic, as currently listed on the SOCS welcome page, you can instead opt to pursue one of the following areas to analyze in relation to your topic:

-Motherhood (great for the topics on female celebrities- mother or not- and for topics on gender and advertising, as well as many of the TV shows chosen as topics for the blogs)
-Infamous Celebrity (as opposed to fame/famous- what constructs notoriety in pop culture?)
-The roles of violence as a technique of social control (we've covered so many- from "Hidden Politics,"
"Homophobia in Straight Men," "Wielding Masculinity Inside Abu Garib," to earlier pieces such as
"King Kong & the White Woman," "Lay theories of Media Effects," and also "The More You Subtract, The More
"You Add")
-Heterosexism (the notion that 2 sexes = 2 genders = marriage between 2 people of opposite sex/gender =
procreation)

Each of the topics above relates directly to recent readings and can (but doesn't have to) replace the topic of your blog-topic in the news.

The requirements remain the same (keep it under 5-6 paragraphs w/ one course reading cited, etc) as the original assignment.

Hope this gives everyone a bit more freedom to scrutinize popular culture :o)
-Jessie

*Yesterday in class, I handed everyone a blank index card and asked the class to alert me to ideas/issues to help me know what will benefit them the most from this class--on top of an adversion to the more technical side of the blog experiment, which I can totally understand, this issue appeared on a couple index cards...just to clarify the index cards for those who were absent yesterday or not in this course at all!

Blog News: We're popping up all over the web

Blog News

Hi Class!
You have quite a following with your collages (I haven't had time to publish links to all of the sites that are displaying them b/c there are more!) and these are just the first ones that you did in class!

They LOVE you...they really LOVE you!!!

(okay...yeah...bad sense of humor...I get it!)
Here's one place I found your collages (so random that I could find your work at any time and anywhere...or have a "hey, there's more of my students' work!" type of moment)

Photos: "Blogging in College: Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism

This week in class...

♦ Before Monday (4/2/07): Click on the technorati link that you added to your blog to check to see if the page that appears on technorati lists your blog (see "IF IT DOESN'T SHOW YOUR BLOG ON TECHNORATI" below the week's agenda for more instructions).

♦ Monday (4/2/07): The first reading is one we didn't have time to get to last week (but was on the syllabus for last week's classes)

Ch 38, "Hidden Politics: Discursive and Institutional Policing of Rap Music," 396-405 (GRCM)

Ch 14, "Who(se) Am I? The Identity and Image of Women in Hip-Hop," 136-148 (GRCM)

Ragonese, "Riot Grrrrls Castrate 'Cock Rock' in New York," 27-31

♦ Before Thursday (4/5/07):Deadline for applying teamwork to blog is BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS (10 am) on this date! The readings for this class are included below the teamwork instructions/guidelines.

Choose one item from one team (just one element of one team's work needs to be completed for this assignment, which we discussed on Thursday, during class).

If you need help, contact the appropriate team's liaison for assistance.

Each team's work is on each team's blog (the links for the aforementioned blogs can be found on the big blog, on your team's blog, and on my "professor-blog")

Even if you don't need the liaison's assistance it's your responsibility to email the liaison from the group whose work you used for your own blog. The liaison will need to bring this list to class today (so be kind to her/him and email the liaison in advance of class-not at 1 am the night before class--or right before class--so get this work finished asap so you can email the team's liaison and everything will be fine for Thursday on your end and the liaison's).

Only 2 don'ts:

Don't use your own team's work

Don't state you used work from a team that you used for a previous blog assignment (i.e. research team & blog posts or collages, creative team and collages for post 3, etc).

This work must be evident on your blog as distinct from each of your other assignments--it doesn't need to be it's own post (but it can be--if you wanted to create an audio or video element, etc) b/c if you used Digg from the buzz team (for example) you wouldn't need to post something to your blog to do the "Digg" digging. You'd contact the liaison if you need help with digging (in this example), but if not, you'd digg the classes' work and related articles as the Buzz team showed you how to do on the day of presentations, and then you'd contact the liaison to let her/him know you used his/her team's work for this assignment.

♦Thursday (4/5/07):

Coates, “Moms Don’t Rock: The Popular Demonization of Courtney Love,” 319-333 (SOCS)
Satrapi, "Kim Wilde," 126-134 (SOCS)

IF IT DOESN'T SHOW YOUR BLOG ON TECHNORATI (when you click the technorati link that's on your blog):

(it may show Amanda's blog when you click the link due to the id in the code that was originally emailed to you-- when you inserted your URL where you were supposed to, it was still linked to her account based on this id)

1. You will need to click "claim blog" link on the left side of the screen (do it when you realize, "hey, this blog isn't mine!)

2. Go through the setup instructions to create a technorati account...sorry...but it's necessary!

3. Once the account is created, click on the "blogs" link (or tab) and enter your blog's URL address in the applicable field.

4. Select the embedded claim (one on the right side of the screen) After that's selected, you will be given some code- click on the code and make sure it's selected/highlighted (control and a = select all). Then copy (control and c).

5. Go back to your blog (it may help if you do this in two tabs or two windows) and click on the little icon next to the technorati button *that looks like some tools- hammer/wrench combo) you'll see the technorati code you pasted earlier in the semester. You can also do this in the "layouts" by clicking edit on the appropriate page section).

6. Delete all of the original technorati code (be careful that you don't delete the stat counter code if you placed it in the same "page element" as the technorati code).

7. Paste (control v) the new code in the page element and then click the "save changes" button (at the bottom of the editing window).

8. Go back to technorati and click "release the spiders" and it will check your blog for the unique id that you just added in the code automatically...then it will take you to the final screen...yay!

9. Make sure that you select the check boxes for "search this blog" and "blogs that link here." Whether you want to select the photo and profile check boxes are up to you. Then select all of the code (control a) below the check boxes. Copy this code (control c).

10. Go back to your blog (or the layouts page for your blog). Click the "edit" link where the page element for technorati is located (or the little icon w/ tools shown if you're viewing your blog's page normally and are logged in). Paste the code (control v) and save the changes. Finally, go to your blog's page (if you were on page elements from the layout link on the "dashboard" if you select the little tool button, then you'll be on the blog when you've saved your changes). Hold the shift key while you click the refresh button in your internet browser (this forces the page to really be reloaded - just pressing refresh rarely shows the updated page- especially if you use internet explorer--the blue "e" browser). If you see your new technorati button and the settings you chose, then you did it!

♦ After Thursday's class, the self-evaluations and the team member evaluation will be on SOCS for the liaison- this eval will be online from Thursday at 10 am until Sunday at Midnight.

♦I'm still contemplating the second round of group-work as well as the subject for this Friday's scheduled blog post...

Are you alright Spencer? It's 1:19, do you know where you're blogging?
If this is some kind of coded message and you're being held captive somewhere-- I guess I won't see you in class on Monday!?!?
Just kidding :o)

The 4th Blog Post (Collage) due on Friday 3/30/07

For the blog collage assignment; use images to analyze your topic. Your collage should have a "thesis" (i.e. it makes a statement/argument about your topic using images instead of written language) that makes a claim about your topic, which is grounded by an author's claim from any of the course readings so far this semester.

Therefore, the image collage will need to be titled appropriately for the argument it makes, include the source used for the basis of the "statement" your collage makes, include gender as a primary method for analysis, and should be followed by a 1 paragraph explanation of the collage's representation of your topic (include direct quotes from the source that you used to base your collage's "thesis" on in this paragraph).

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The 3rd Blog Post due by Friday 3/30/07

To recap the 3rd blog post assignment (that can be turned in by this Friday), find examples from your topic to analyze the ways that your topic is a part of popular culture and disseminates both counter-hegemonic and hegemonic messages.

Look at the conflicts in these messages and use the readings from the course to get you thinking about what to look for in your own topic, and also to support your claim(s) about the(se) message(s).

Please keep this post clear and concise (and make sure you hit "enter" two times to mark the beginning of a new paragraph b/c tabs don't always show up on the blog and a single "enter" makes the paragraph differentiation tough to decipher). 3 or 4 paragraphs are ideal for this assignment and make sure you cite sources appropriately (both from course readings and from your examples for your topic).

Dugg, on Digg after a Mobile Blog Post Image of the Buzz Team Presenting on Digg.com in class

The buzz team is digging on digg in class!

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As they presented on photo blogging, I photo blogged the creative team...

The creative team presenting on mobile blogging

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Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 6

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 5

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 4

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 3

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 2

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Self Portraits in Consumer Capitalism 1

Student Collages

 

 

 

 

Blogs tagged as Celebrities - Blog Top Sites

Blogs tagged as Celebrities - Blog Top Sites: "43 Report Site

Blogging in College: The Gender & Pop Culture Blog Experiment
27 students, blogging on a topic within the broad category of pop culture. Blogs are central to the (on-campus) course, where s/he will examine his/her topic of choice through the lens of gender. Feel free to visit the blogs & leave comments!

Other Tags: college, blog, tv, music
Unique Visitors this Reset 59
Pageviews this Reset 163
Total Unique Visitors 115
Total Pageviews 215
Total Out 4
View Details for Blogging in College: The Gender & Pop Culture Blog Experiment"

Blogs tagged as College - Blog Top Sites

Blogs tagged as College - Blog Top Sites: "14 Report Site

Blogging in College: The Gender & Pop Culture Blog Experiment
27 students, blogging on a topic within the broad category of pop culture. Blogs are central to the (on-campus) course, where s/he will examine his/her topic of choice through the lens of gender. Feel free to visit the blogs & leave comments!

Other Tags: blog, celebrities, tv, music
Unique Visitors this Reset 59
Pageviews this Reset 163
Total Unique Visitors 115
Total Pageviews 215
Total Out 4
View Details for Blogging in College: The Gender & Pop Culture Blog Experiment"