Sunday, May 15, 2011

Anaylsis # 6- Gender Studies

Susan Bordo in “The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity” discusses how “they body- what we eat, how we dress, the daily rituals through which we attend to the body is a medium of culture” (2240). Our society today functions through what Bordo calls the “norms of cultural life” (2240) Whether it is television, magazines, or movies society is telling us how we should look, what we should like, and how we should behave.
I agree with Bordo greatly when she sees that “it is difficult to avoid the recognition that the contemporary preoccupation with appearance, which still reflects woman far more powerfully than men… may function as a backlash phenomenon” (2241).  Eating disorders run rampant in our society. The pressure on woman to be powerful yet also fit the mold of femininity becomes a struggle for many. This is shown in many movies where there is a female superhero.  What is she wearing? The answer is close to nothing, because in our society in order for a female to be powerful she must also be sexy.
“The Voice” is a new reality show that has celebrity mentors Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton pick the new up and coming music sensation, based on nothing but there voice. They cannot see the singer and must choose who they want to mentor without seeing them. This is relevant because they are trying to show that these people will be picked based on their talent and not their looks. This is a novel idea, but the outcome I think will only serve Bordo’s point. By the time the mentors are done working with their talent, I am sure they will be “hollywood ready,” meaning new hair, makeup, clothes, and diets. It is also interesting to note that three out of the four judges are male.





Works Cited

Bordo, Susan. "Unbearable Weight". ed. Leitch, Vincent B. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. Print.

"NEW NBC "The Voice" Promo." YouTube. Web. 15 May 2011.

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