Bethany Si Yue Mong's Final Project

     Through learning about how men and women are portrayed in media, I noticed that both genders are influenced by gender role physically and mentally. Because media is part of our society, gender role becomes an important element for people to classify themselves. Moreover, gender role becomes part of people’s lives and they are influenced by the media unconsciously. Although a lot of people believe the ideal image of men are masculine and women are feminine, many of them do not fit in either category. As a result, gender role becomes a restriction which prohibits individuals to present their true selves in the society. I believe one of the most influential materials which affect men and women physically and mentally is fashion magazine, because it portrays the ideal images of them.

     In my project, I decided to portray a different image of genders unlike the mainstream fashion portrayal. I designed an outfit for people who do not fit in either femininity or masculinity. I drew a male and a female model. In the poster, the male model looks into a mirror and sees a female model wears the same outfit like he does. I have this idea because I want the viewers to see the harmony while both men and women wear the same kind of clothes. They both look at each other through the mirror, which shows that they are the same. This conveys a sense that being feminine is not the priority of women and being masculine is not what only male does.  However, there are differences between the male and female clothes due to their body shape differences. I want the clothes that I design does not either promote femininity or masculinity but femininity and masculinity both blended in together. At the same time, I want to show the differences between male and female’s bodies so women will not “look” masculine, and men will not look “gay.”

     On the fashion template, I designed a pair of baggy pants (pants looking at the back view and skirt looking at the front view). Because most people would think of women wearing laces instead of men, I chose to design a pair of lacy pants which men can wear too. Also, I designed a top made with wires which attached but can be detected from the pants. The top matches with the shoes and they are both transparent. Although I know it is hard for people generally to wear an outfit like this on the street. I want to convey an insight which makes people think of the relationship between gender and clothes. Also, I want the poster to portray the comparison between non feminine female and non masculine male. Next to the sketch, there are a few quotes on the poster that I want to remind people about gender role nowadays. These quotes not only help people to think of why they think choices of clothes would go against their gender roles, but also help us to criticize things that we normally will not accept due to gender norms.

     Through making this poster, I want the viewers to realize that women who are not feminine do not mean they are not beautiful. Similarly, men not being masculine do not mean they are gay or weak. I hope this poster helps viewers to criticize people nowadays who think others dress abnormally or do things against their gender roles. Also, I want the viewers to acknowledge the diversity and understand different people in our society.

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These are the fashion templates that I used in my project.

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These are pictures of Louis XIV wearing lace and heels in ancient times. The history of how men wore clothes inspired me to design a unisex outfit.
 

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This is a picture of the material that I used for the pants on the templates.

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Work Cited:

Guardian News and Media Limited. 2013. “A Brief History of Lace” http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/gallery/2011/oct/19/a-brief-history-of-lace#/?picture=380231215&index=2. Lace is considered as a feminine material for women’s clothing. However, it is used on male and female clothing in ancient time. People such as Charles I and Henrietta Maria wore them.

Webb, Wilfred Mark. 1868. “The Heritage of Dress: being notes on the history and evolution of clothes” http://archive.org/details/corsetcrinolineb00lord. Dress is not female clothes in ancient times. However, our society changed and made dresses a symbol of women clothing.

My F-ing Life

My final project is a web series called, My F-ing Life

While in class throughout the semester, I realized there were several discussions in which many students had several accounts of a certain situation - moments that we all seemed to share some kind of experience with. My F-ing Life is a play on words: while it can be taken as "my EFFING life," it is more-so meant to mean My Feminist Life. It's a common joke that feminist has become the other F-word.

I have created a Facebook page to create a community in which everyone can share their stories and moments as a feminist, or just moments as women and critiquing them in a feminist POV. Men are also invited to share their experience with feminism. I have set up and gathered a few accounts of feminism and was able to start off by recording a few videos. The videos are small vignettes - mostly aiming to be comical - which are called: My F-ing Moments. I've also set up an email for people to send in their stories. The videos are hosted on the Youtube channel: xxMyEFFingLife

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-F-ing-Life/639590952733001

Individual Youtube Channel Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd1YES6u6Qk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06TovUMrYBs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2-gMvsqqAQ&feature=youtu.be
 

Basically my intention for this community is to build up a camaraderie. After deciding on the final project, I looked up similar ideas and much of the inspiration for the videos come from a blog called Awkward Feminist Moments which is a bunch of memes of awkward moments as a feminist. It was clear that we share a lot of the same stories and I'd like this to be a place where we can blow off steam and maybe laugh when things get too intense. Many of my friends have shown interest in contributing - whether through sharing stories or offering help for video production - and I hope to make this a safe, entertaining place for fellow women and feminists.

Uniquely Beyoutiful, A Blog for All Women

 I decided to create a featured blog. In the blog I will share post written by other bloggers, videos, links, photos, and other types of medias to make women feel more acceptable as they are, as well as empower them. Women are constantly seeing signs that can make us feel as if we don't belong, aren't accepted or belittled. My goal for this blog is to create a space where all women can have a place to boost their self-esteem, accept themselves as they are and help others do the same.

www.uniquelybeyoutiful.blogspot.com

Asian AMERICAN

      

      Asian AMERICAN is a series in which I critique American media starring Asian characters/actors/actresses and attempt to break down the portrayal of Asians as a perpetual foreigner. This first episode is a critique of the film Memoirs of a Geisha through the lens of Asian American studies inspired by Anita Sarkeesian's Feminist Frequency blog.  The goal is to shed light on the limited portrayal of Asian people in American media and widen the roles that are available to Asian actors and actresses. By breaking down how certain Hollywood movies perpetuate Asian stereotypes, I hope to influence current and future filmmakers to make some changes in their approach to Asian feature films. 

http://youtu.be/P9HDacqndXg

**Disclaimer: There are a lot of "um's," sorry!

References: 

Lee, Robert G. Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1999. Print.

Ono, Kent A., and Vincent N. Pham. Asian Americans and the Media. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2009. Print.

Prasso, Sheridan. "The Real Memoirs of Geisha." The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, and Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient. New York: PublicAffairs, 2006. Print.

Prasso, Sheridan. "Mystery, Sex, Fear, and Desire: A Brief History." The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, and Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient. New York: PublicAffairs, 2006.  Print.

Final Project!!!!!!!

The Santos Report

Eyeing the Strings of the Puppet Master

https://vimeo.com/65461501

This project began as a research paper intended to show a person who has a shopping problem that she is doing exactly what advertisers want her to do and has become trapped in a system of consumerism that is constantly leaving her in debt. The paper is based off of the ideas and findings put forth in Naomi Klein’s amazing book No Logo, in which she does an extensive investigative study of the big brands that make the clothes and products that are marketed toward the general public. However, halfway through the writing of the paper I realized that I, the writer, was becoming slightly bored by the writing; why then would she want to read it? And even if she did, would she retain the message I was trying to send? I did not think so. Therefore, I went back to the drawing board and thought of the things she likes and responds most to. After seeing her watch television one day, I realized she likes to watch music videos, movies that feature a strong female character, and shows centered on the rich and famous. She would also respond subtly to advertisements that depict people having a great time showing off merchandise. I had found my medium; I would create an advertisement that shows the way advertisers use their campaigns to manipulate people to purchase their products. In a sense, using Naomi Klein’s ideas, I created an “anti-advertisement” using advertisements entitled “Eyeing the Strings of the Puppet Master”.

The video begins with two quotes taken from No Logo that would set up and frame what the viewer is about to watch. It then cuts to a clip from a music video by a Hip-Hop artist, Macklemore performing his song “Wings”. This song is about consumerism and the ways in which advertisers manipulate you to feel as though you need their product rather than simply want it- in his case, Jordan branded sneakers. I inserted this in the video because it is not only relevant, but it is also something that I struggled with as an urban youth. I always felt as though I needed expensive sneakers to fit in, and the person whom this work is directed to knows that as well. It was a way of saying that everyone falls victim to the marketing campaigns, even Macklemore and myself. The video then cuts by emphasizing a quote from the song: “I’m an individual, yeah, but I’m part of a movement. My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it.” There is a brief pause as the song “Sweet Disposition” by the Temper Trap fades in. I chose this song because I felt as though it is fitting; we all have a “sweet disposition” to purchase the things we like.

The video then cuts to a woman looking in through a window on a door. The viewer sees her eye through the glass as she looks into a room where mechanical eyes are spinning all around the room as drones are seemingly pumped out of a factory line. This clip is to emphasize the fact that everything is marketed. If a person were to take a look at every single type of fashion sect, they would see that, to some extent, their entire fashion make-up was designed by an ad-campaign, movement, or marketing stunt. In a sense we are all pre-conceived “drones” as consumers; when we shop, no matter what our purchase is; once it is worn we become a product of a factory line.  

The next clip is of a couple dancing in an advertisement cut together with a shopping scene from “Pretty Woman” in which she is dancing around in front of the mirror in a similar way to the couple. These scenes are juxtaposed with a person pulling strings behind a door as people are held up by strings like puppets. This is to emphasize that as consumers, we are being manipulated by advertisers and marketing campaigns.

The theme of manipulation by a person behind the scenes is consistent throughout the video. The next cut shows a person manipulating shadows behind a light bulb. As she turns her hands, the dancing couple moves in the same direction her hand is moving. The next clip shows a well dressed woman running up a flight of stairs who is then pulled by a shadow that originates from the person behind the light bulb. She is then made into an electric current and sent to a room where she is forced to walk on a hamster wheel. The next clip shows the couple moving in a circular motion. This emphasizes the idea of control by the person behind the scenes. It also emphasizes the fact that she is slave to the system. The next cut shows that the dancing couple is a commercial for GAP. The fact that the woman on the hamster wheel was powering their dancing toward the end was intentional; it demonstrates that the corporation is run by the consumer. At the end of the day, they must cater to the consumer and the money the consumer spends drives the corporation.

The next couple of scenes deal with “looking” and control. There is a scene where a couple is playing around and filming themselves. This is juxtaposed with the person behind the scenes looking through a microscope before cutting to a clip with the same woman who was filming her boyfriend extending her hands up in a defensive motion. This is to emphasize that advertisers study people- especially “cool” people; people who can drive their sales. Everyone likes to look cool, which is why the couple was filming each other. But once the advertisers begin to look at you to analyze your “coolness,” you become like a lab rat; defenseless and under microscopic investigation.

The next cut is to a scene in Pretty Woman where she sort of stops and stares out at the viewer before the clip is cut to another one of drones being made right before a woman is seen walking and depicting fashion throughout the years. This was done to make the viewer stop and see how arbitrary fashion is; how individual can you be by consumption if fashion can be tracked through the years? You cannot. We are always mass produced products of an advertising campaign.

The next couple of scenes emphasize control. There are a set of scenes that depict people being controlled by the person behind the scenes. There are people being made to run on hamster wheels, there are people walking in a cage like lions in a circus, people running through mazes like lab rats, and there is one person sitting behind a set of monitors looking upon all of it. She is the person behind the scenes making sure all is going to plan. Then it is made clear that all of the clips emphasizing the notion of control was taken from an advertisement itself. This was done to emphasize that advertiser are thinking about control when they create ads.

The video ends with another quote from Klein’s work, as well as one of the most powerful notions taken from her work; the fact that we are nothing but advertising space for big brands. When people see a cool looking person wearing something, they are more likely to spend money to buy into being “cool” as well. The idea is to not give them too much money to sell their products for them.

final project

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MbOa2gr6wwE

The men in our society can be divided up into three groups; one of those men who follow the trail of morals and value all through life, second is where men know not to spread the act of terror but slip of time causes them to forego those teachings and third are those who are raised to think women are their property and they have every right of them. It’s not how girls dress, it’s how guys think is aimed at those boys in our society who know rape isn't such a manly act yet fail to stand against it in time of pressure. I feel these are the people we have to focus on in order to decrease the crime rate because regardless of how much one tries to spoon feed morals to those belonging to the third group; they just won’t comprehend and continue to spread the terror of rape.

 This video is a montage of a few recent rape cases and rape statistic. The images are of rape victims from either India or the Middle East while the statistics are those pertaining to the USA.  Living in the US somehow makes us think we are invincible when it comes to rape because our media tends to bombard us with reportings from other nations and tries to cover up our own flaws in that term. Regardless of where rape takes place it always comes down on the girl as ‘she had asked for it’ or ‘she shouldn't have dressed that way’ or ‘why was she out’ and gets scrutinized for it. She gets punished for it by her own people, by the society she is a part of even is the perpetrator(s) don’t. The fact of reality is that rape isn't a foreign issue; we can’t turn a blind eye and we, especially the men in our society, have to act against it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2256444/Revealed-How-youngest-Indian-gang-rapist-cruellest-men-youth-charged-murder.html

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-167-2012

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/bangladesh/7073191/Rape-victim-receives-101-lashes-for-becoming-pregnant.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/bangladesh/7073191/Rape-victim-receives-101-lashes-for-becoming-pregnant.html

http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/journals-magazines/article2/0303/the-destiny-of-a-rape-victim-in-pakistan

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/130110/pakistan-delhi-gang-rape-india

http://www.ibtimes.com/india-has-rape-crisis-pakistans-may-be-even-worse-1011268

http://www.significancemagazine.org/details/webexclusive/1424839/Rape-more-common-than-smoking-in-the-US.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/us/teenagers-found-guilty-in-rape-in-steubenville-ohio.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/17/ohio-rape-case-football-players/1993975/