Activism Log Week 3

Alexandria Bergeron
Nina Perez
3/18/10
WST 3015


Unfortunaly I can not say I have done much of anything this week for my Service Learning Project. Coming back from Spring Break meant lots and lots of work all do in this one week. I did collect a few signatures from more friends of mine that go to UCF, so the week wasn't a complete was for me. My plan this up coming week is to be caught up on all my work and to get to do some tableing. Prior to Spring Break I was so sick that I wasn't able to do tableing. I actually am a little discouraged because I am the only one in the group that hasn't done some tableing time. I am looking to make up for the missed time and to start progressing forward with the rest of our group as the finally rally approaches.

Go Stewie, Go

Alexandria Bergeron

WST 3015- Perez

Blog Assignment-Vixen in the Kitchen, Angel in the Attic (T.V. show blog)

3/17/10

Go Stewie, Go

We see Louis as a mother figure, who if you are an avid Family Guy watcher like myself, we know as a women who embraces her femininity as well as her sexuality. I this particular episode Louis's focus become the attention of Meg's new boyfriend. This attention is so important because of comments about Luis aging that are made by Peter, which left her feeling unattractive and needy for attention. In Seely's Fight Like A Girl, on page 103, she discusses how women are often shown in a limited light, often obsessing about "trivial issues" such as their apperance. This episodes shows how as women we would go to extremes to feel beautiful. Luis was not able to have a feeling of self beauty on her own and required the acknowledgement of a male to feel complete. As a women who knows what makes me feel good, I would like to see the media show a women who is confident in her own unique style, and that embraces aging without making a wrinkle or a grey hair change their outlook on their lives and on themselves.

Family Guy often depicts Louis as the care giver and the stay at home mom. She is the brain of the family but often takes the back seat so that Peter can play the role of "man of the house". She is a mother and a wife, but often we see glimpses of life dreams she wants to fulfill. In ever instance where Louis goes on to follow a dream she ends up returning to the at home wife and mother life style. Yes, I realize that "women's labor, both paid and unpaid, must be recognized and respected" (p. 99), but this doesn't mean that a women can't do both. Louis always decides to leave her dreams after achieving a little bit of the goal, so that she can return to her rule as an at home mother and wife. I think that women need to know that you can still be that good mother, and dream wife without sitting at home waiting on everyone all day and maintaining the house as your profession. For some this may be the dream life but is it the dream because we have made it a normal dream that women should aspirer to in society's eyes?

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

Discussion Leading

Alexandria Bergeron

Jeannina Perez

2/16/10

Discussion Leading Abstract

WST 3015

The idea of women embrasing their sexuality is a new idea

Kirk, Gwyn/ Okazawa-Rey, Margo. "Chapter 4: Women's Sexuality"

Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5. (2010): 149

This chapter focuses on the ideals of women's sexuality, the movement to embrace it, and the struggles of breaking free from the traditional roles women in the realm of sex. The discussion focuses on the changing mind set that women are non sexual beings. For countless years the norm has been that man and women come together in intercourse, that women should be pure but submissive to all that is desired of them, and that pleasure being sought out with sex by women was not acceptable.

With the creation of such things as birth control and other contraception women are under going a transformation as to how they embrace the world of sex. For many however the act itself is still ruled by patriarchal ideals and racial/ ageism stereotypes. The world of advertising plays into these thoughts through images of young, attractive, innocent looking women selling the "dream" of sex through product promotions. Young adults and teens are learning to act as pure "virgins" by engaging in sex play as a way of being sexually empowered. This empowerment comes at a cost. Though sexual freedom and expression is pushing forward, education on the subject of sex is still being held back in programs at schools and in communities. The idea of abstinence and traditional heterosexual marriage are the only federally aided education programs offered. This lack of knowledge not only leads to an increase in teen pregnancy but also in an increase in sexually transmitted diseases as

The chapter also continues on with the idea of gender binaries and how they limit the world of sexuality. The Idea of two opposites monopolizing areas such as gender, and sexual preference are to close minded for this growing society. Bisexuals (which many women fall under) and intersexual/ transgender persons are excluded from this system which creates even more oppressive actions and prejudices to form.

With empowerment comes vulnerability. Sexual violence, rape and battery grow hand in hand with the world sexuality.These issues have caused for a split in feminist opinion on how this "revolution" should be approached and has lead to heated debate as to whether or not restrictions would be beneficial to women or if restrictions on the sexual freedom would encroach on there sexual freedom and identity. Questions also come as to why women are heterosexual especial do to the fact the other women play such important roles in our lives earlier and more often then men.

Critical thinking question: Do these sterotypes effect how we view ourselves or effect how we act as individuals when it comes to the topic of sex? Do you feel like you have to live up these expectations set for each "group"?

Critical Thinking Question: At what point in youth do we start being exposed to the idea that men and women are the sexual norm in society?