Toxic media and its impact on motives

1/31/2015

If the weather forecast holds, it looks like Monday will be a snow day as well. To make up for the lost class time you will need to head over to our page on Unit 8: Motivation, Emotion and Stress and watch all of the videos for 8-5 and 8-6.

After you've viewed these, please post a thoughtful comment in the comments section below this post. I'm inviting those of you who are interested to continue to comment and help foster a meaningful conversation. Share your thoughts and critiques about what you've seen and what you see in our world. Meaningful discussion will be rewarded not only insight into the human condition but psych immersions as well. (Consider joining the #notbuyingit campaign on Twitter to call out advertisers that perpetuate this toxic media).

Questions/comments to prompt discussion/thoughts:

You marinate in a toxic media environment. Do Katz and Kilbourne accurately summarize this marinade? Find examples of your own and bring them into the conversation.
Does the Guy Code keep men in a box?
Does the constant barrage of hyper-realistic perfect image impact our body image?
Do you think the toxic media landscape outlined by Kilbourne can explain the gender differences that we see in the development of Anorexia and Bulimia?
How does Kilbourne's argument about labeling things like compassion and empathy as feminine and then seeing them as weak play into Katz' argument in Tough Guise?
Do we treat women as objects in our society? If so, what's the result?
Do you agree with Katz' TED talk? If so what do we do? Is He For She a good first step?

101 Comments

Kevin Fairfax

1/31/2015 10:13:12 am

Comment deleted

Kevin Fairfax

1/31/2015 10:23:38 am

After reading my comment and realizing that I sound sexist and arrogant I want to correct my argument. I think that what I said is exactly the problem, that people are motivated enough to achieve this and it's unhealthy. That being said, I stand by the fact that it's an ideal, not an expectation, and that we are responsible for making it the expectation. Also, what are they supposed to do? They're trying to sell you something, they need to convince you that you need it. If an ad says you're absolutely perfect but you should buy this hair cream anyway, nobody would buy it. If you want to sell your product, you need to convince the consumer that they need it.

Amelia Toye

2/2/2015 10:00:24 am

I see where you are coming from. However, I think that the fact people see this as the only way to sell is just wrong. Seeing most of those ads made me sick. I'm not going to buy a bra or jeans if they are telling me the things they "think they need to", maybe that is just me though. During the Super Bowl, the feminine product brand Always had a commercial about the phrase "like a girl". I know that me and millions of other women are more likely to support a company that wants them to be women and wants them to not hate their gender, that they don't choose to have (necessarily). I think that the way to change our culture is to change the mindset encouraged by the ads so I think it is kind of feeding to the warped system in place to say that that's the only way to sell.

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 01:16:44 pm

Well, I think the key issue is in your argument. Too few advertisers are thinking outside of the box of objectifying women to sell their products. There are ads like this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQOpjnEG4GY , however, that think beyond this and aim to empower women. This commercial reminds us that we have more to offer than our body and our sizes. Yes, there is still a focus on beauty as opposed to intellect, leadership and other attributes we should shift towards, but it's a healthier image than the thin girl hiding behind her knees in the fashion ad claiming "the more you subtract, the more you ad."

Paul Cronin

2/1/2015 04:03:41 am

I still have trouble with Katz's argument. I think that what he's saying is definitely true, but his argument falls apart when he starts saying how movies and media defend his point. Some of the movies he mentions use that ideal of masculinity ironically, and he twists it into his argument. Even with the first Tough Guise, he lost me when he started bringing the media into it. It certainly is a factor, but he always loses me when it comes to finding evidence.

Mr. G

2/1/2015 05:42:22 am

Really? So the societal conception of manhood in the US isn't that of a tough guise and Katz is lacking evidence? (Movies: 300, Taken, GI Joe, Transformers, Expendables. Video Games: All Bro Shooters ever, GTA, Saints Row.) Seems like the overwhelming evidence is unfortunately in line with his argument.

So if Katz is wrong, then what is the view of 'manly' in our society, Paul? And what evidence do you see to back up your point?

Katelyn Meade

2/2/2015 06:17:34 am

When talking about how father's are the ones teaching kids violent masculinity I completely agree. This particular theory needed more evidence than some movies. Just because we see this in movies does not mean we see it in real life. Movies are after all fiction, and their plots use themes that they know will sell, not necessarily topics that are relevant in the real world.

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 08:35:29 am

I agree that, on the surface, the use of movies as evidence appears weak. Having said that, movies, books, songs, etc. are only successful when they are able to capture something relevant to your life: when they are able to make you see connections between characters and people you know; when the characters have internal struggles that you are familiar with. Thus, although it is true that many movies have plots that aren't necessarily true to fact and the laws of physics, it is more of what movies like Harry Potter and Star Wars are able to capture about the human experience that make them even more relevant than we believe. Therefore, I do think that Katz's use of films is not weak. In fact, the substantial amount of films that he was able to find depicting male violence and male-role-model-taught-behaviors is further evidence of how society accepts these roles and behaviors which pushes Hollywood to keep creating films showing them.

Reena Chabria

2/2/2015 09:23:28 am

I agree that for this specific argument, there was indeed a lack of evidence. However, although movies are fiction, the ideas of the movies are essentially all derived from society. A lot of movies are meant to mirror what we see in society. Otherwise, were are these ideas coming from? Essentially, a lot of these fiction movies are in some way or another based off society! Andy's comment about how having the purpose of capturing something relevant to your life adds to that argument as well. I believe that films as a whole are successful representations of the real world.

Mike Dwyer

2/3/2015 11:02:50 am

Movies don't seem to be able to compensate for the theory. I believe that in order to be able to be taught such masculine behaviors, it has to be by a parent or someone who resonates very strongly with you. I believe My father would have much more of an impact on me than Clint Eastwood in a movie. However, that doesn't mean that this is true in every case. I believe the attainment of masculine thoughts are attained through several different things, and even people who aren't in touch with media around them are still affected by this "sauté"

Angelica Gahn

2/1/2015 04:23:48 am

Personally I believe that Kilbourne's argument needs to be rethought. I understand where she is coming from and I agree that far too often we see a wide variety of advertisements that try to construct the perfect woman. However, men are subjected to the same amount of unrealistic expectations in terms of muscle definition and lack of body fat. Along with this it is a societal expectation for men to be tough and emotionless. I feel that the media negatively impacts males and females alike, and we need to refocus our attention to include everyone. Sex may sell products, but if a product is good enough, it should be able to sell itself.

Mr. G

2/1/2015 05:45:04 am

She actually makes that point in the video and argues against advertisers doing the same thing to men that they've done to women for years. But really? Are you going to argue that men and women are equally objectified in the media?

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 09:09:38 am

Though she makes the point, she does more to ridicule the effort by saying that it would only be equal if the advertisement were to point out that his penis will never be perfect, which takes away from any awareness that men are also victim to objectification. Of course men are not objectified to the same degree that women are, but that does not mean it is less important nor that it is less damaging. That is not fair and turns this issue into a "women's issue" rather than a peoples' issue. And I don't think Angelica meant to say that they are equally objectified, just that they are affected by it and are held to just as many standards. I don't want to speak for her, but if that is her point then I agree. Women are expected to have bigger breasts, men are expected to have bigger pecks. Women are expected to be thin, men are expected to have less than 6% body fat. Women are expected to wear makeup, men are expected to be toned and have muscles. But we can't solve this issue by measuring up how many ways we are degraded, we need to change the attitude that any body--that's right, not just women's or men's--can reach an optimum level of beauty or perfection.

Beyond the damage of these expectations, I think it's important to note the lack of conversation regarding the objectification of mens' bodies. When Justin Beiber posed for Calvin Klein, his body was photoshopped to make his pecks appear larger and tone his abdomen. Whether he consented to this or not--whether this is true or not--it is appalling that my Twitter and Facebook Feeds were filled with hateful comments regarding the change. But those comments were not geared toward Calvin Klein and the photographers that changed his body. Justin was called a fag or a pussy because he was not actually as toned as the touched-up image showed. Sure, it could be that I just need to clean out the number of bigots in my feed that posted these comments, but it is still important to note the lack of conversation about men's bodies being retouched. Like Katz said, this is not a women's issue. Men are affected by this too.

This also brings attention to a scary but real shift in society: we are beginning to socialize our girls how we socialize our boys, and objectifying our men how we have objectified our women. In Mr. Pappas's Violence in American Culture class, we spent some time discussing violent behavior among girls and its rise in recent years (I can bring in an article we read). Katz discusses violence and masculinity in his Taught Behavior video. This behavior is quickly being taught to young women as the presence of "Sheroes" becomes more prevalent in popular culture. Rather than creating nonviolent role models, we place women in the roles of a hero demonstrating violent action. While Superman flies through buildings and battles villains in the air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is punching bad guys and flailing around guns. As violence in young women rises, we have begun to accept the manipulation and objectification of male bodies. This shift in societal value or tolerance demonstrates that this is not an issue based in gender alone, but is becoming an issue based in values. It is not a women's issue, but it is also not a men's issue. It's a people's issue.

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 09:21:30 am

Here's the article I am referencing if you are interested. I realize it breaks outside of the discussion of objectification, but this does relate to Katz's discussion of the presence of violence in our society and the effects of that presence. Not only are young men subjected to creating a Tough Guise front, but girls are now being taught to develop a Tough Dolls front.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/11/20/beyond_mean_girls/?page=full

Kevin Fairfax

2/3/2015 11:09:38 am

Though I wouldn't say they're equally objectified, she just brushes it off like it doesn't even happen, and Katz completely disregards the second edge of the sword in his videos. Most ads featuring men don't objectify them to the same level as women, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem, and if you're trying to rally both sides to your cause, don't say that only your problems matter, that's an easy way to polarize the argument.

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 11:56:45 am

Kevin, I agree with your point about objectification of men being an issue. I think you need to tread carefully about them saying that only their problems matter. Though Kilbourne did not represent the full spectrum of the issue and was sure to ridicule anything she did not agree with, I don't think that she or Katz have a goal of saying that only their views matter, they're just addressing these issues in the context of what women face because they have been marginalized more than men. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with this tactic, I just don't want to jump to saying that they mean to be one-sided out of ignorance, it's more a wake-up call because women have not been represented for so long.

Zachary Prescott

2/1/2015 05:14:29 am

After watching all of the videos I find the Katz on the most debatable as I totally agree with the fact that women are sexualized in the media and its need to lessened. As far as the "tough guise" theory I really like where Katz is coming form, but I think it is a little outdated. First of all, his use of evidence often came from modern movies where the protagonist refused the ideas of the "father figure" and in doing so showed their audience to step outside the guy code. I belve there was once an issue here, with a tough guy attitude being given to young men, but I believe American society (particularity in this region of the country.) I think as a society at this point of time we deserve a little bit more credit. I do not know if this is just my personal individual experience, but the people still calling boys, fags or pussies for having intellectual thoughts aren't seen as tough anymore, they are just seen as assholes. What do you guys think?

Mr. G

2/1/2015 05:48:14 am

I'll put aside the fact that Kilbourne's argument goes way beyond just pointing out the sexualization of women. How about juxtaposing your comment to Katz's thesis form the TED talk. So this isn't a problem?

Zachary Prescott

2/2/2015 08:28:36 am

I think that it is a problem in some social groups at this point. But I think that it is a problem that has already begun to work itself out of our society as seen through Changing acceptance of differences in males and in the lessons taught in movies and medias

Zachary Prescott

2/2/2015 08:43:22 am

I also have a slight personal bias, as I do not particularly care for being put into a box, so I just ignore it. I sometimes forget that we are taking about the social level, not just the individual or local

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 09:08:23 am

I agree that we don't see much of that bashing on boys with "feminine traits" here in Weymouth. I think our school is one of the better ones in that a lot of people here feel comfortable enough to be open about their sexuality and gender identities. Yet, talking to people from other towns I found that this is not true everywhere. I have a lot of friends that are absolutely appalled by how we have openly gay students in our school and students open with their gender identity.

I do think we deserve some more credit with where we have gotten as a society but we certainly aren't done and I am not even sure if I can say that we are even a quarter of the way there.

Ryan Campbell

2/3/2015 10:17:59 am

Andy, I completely agree because I have friends in Virginia that are absolutely appalled that kids are openly gay and, even worse, that we support them. I believe we've made great strides towards not using feminine traits as put downs, but I can only speak for Weymouth. Even wight hat said, I still tend to use some feminine traits as put-downs towards my good friends, and I need to work on that. But, I am certain there are a lot of other places that have not made great strides on these issues

Ryan Campbell

2/3/2015 10:18:21 am

Ryan Campbell

2/3/2015 10:18:28 am

Kiahna Esquilin

2/1/2015 05:50:19 am

I want to point out something that Jason Katz said about our societal standard: "keep the current system in place because we don't like it when people rock the boat." This shows that the people of society today have the ability to question "what are we doing wrong?" I think that our standard, for both men and women, have begun to change. Although the changes are small, they have effected this men and woman "standard". There are organizations fighting for this change. But, there is still the question the effectiveness in the changes. How can we effectively (and permanently) change the standard that have been in our society for decades? And the thing I find most effective that Katz says is the idea that a change starts with "working together".

Mr. G

2/1/2015 10:05:49 pm

Good point, and I think last night's Super Bowl ads give evidence to your argument as well. Organizations like http://www.sparksummit.com/ or http://therepresentationproject.org/ have made headway. Companies like Aerie that used to advertise with hyper-real simulacra now taut a different approach. Even if this is pandering, at least it panders in the right direction. Your point about working together is key, and I think that is why Katz directs his comments to men. Hence movements like http://www.heforshe.org/.

Emily Nowell

2/2/2015 12:57:30 am

To me, a lot of this information that both Katz and Kilbourne share is very real and damaging to our society.

With Katz videos, I find it interesting to think that the behavior of men is taught to boys at every level. Through ads and movies, boys are taught that violence is the first method to use to get their way. Violence is never the answer and we need to take boys out of the box that Katz showed us society has built and out boys/men into.

With Kilbourne's video, she showed how women are objectified. Although, men are starting to be objectified as well, now, they are still portrayed as powerful instead of portrayed as vulnerable. Kilbourne did mention that boys are not affected by the advertisements like girls are, but I wonder how true that is. Boys may not struggle with self esteem like girls do because of the advertisements, but I doubt that they are completely unaffected by these advertisements.

Brendan Burns

2/2/2015 03:25:05 am

I also noticed how Kilbourne made a significant argument about how women are objectified. While reflecting on the video, I came to the realization that I see women objectified in the media far too often, but its not just the media. One thing that came to mind was a Jason Aldean song in which one of the lines goes "sitting around watching all these pretty things". Aldean, knowingly or unknowingly is stating that women are just things for him to look at, almost as if to keep him amused. It is not just Aldean, this is a cord that runs through many aspects of media and the real world. As for boys, I believe that the objectifying of women leads boys to contribute to this idea, not stop it. Also, I believe that boys are affected by their objectification, but they are forced to hide it because showing that a boy cares about some thing like this would go outside of the guy code box that Katz proposes.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:34:37 am

Good point about Kilbourne's focus on the proportionate effects of media on young girls. That's in part why I like to pair Katz and Kilbourne together. However in Kilbourne's defense the research is stacked on the negative impact of media on females.

Most notably would be Anne Becker's land mark study. http://www.brown.uk.com/eatingdisorders/becker.pdf Thoughts?

Emily Nowell

2/2/2015 06:09:30 am

I definitely agree that the media has a negative affect on females. We studied this in Semantics as well. One of the first comments that Kilbourne makes is that most people tell her that they just ignore advertisements and they have no affect on them as an individual. I think this applies to a lot of people. I would have told you the same thing back in September. But now, I see the way that advertisements are affecting me personally and the society around me. And it definitely isn't a positive thing.

Mikayla Riley

2/2/2015 01:02:30 am

"Quid tacet consentire videtur"-He who is silent, agrees. In one of Joseph Katz's TED Talks he mentions that those who are silent about the issue are doing the same as if they were going to agree with the problem. One of the biggest contributors to the problem of objectifying woman, in my opinion, is Carl's Jr. I watched some of those ads and was shocked at how sexual they were in order to sell a burger. I also saw a commercial on a list of banned commercials in which a man was having sex with a woman but was thinking about how much he wanted a can of Sprite and she became the can of Sprite. These are just a few of the examples I came across when looking for problems in advertisements.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:35:31 am

Well said!

Christina Revilla

2/2/2015 01:23:34 am

I believe that Guy Code does keep men in the box and it is supported by Katz's argument in his Ted Talk "Violence Against Women- It's a men's issue." In his Ted Talk, Katz opens with men's ability to turn the conversation away from men in sexual harassment. No one asks why men are certain way, but the victim is always questioned. Guy code gives men their explanation for their behavior. Men have to be seen as strong, competent, dominant, and an endless list of criteria that makes them manly. The guy code box easily gives men an excuse for their behavior. In effect, this where the bystander effect is deployed. Because men are not questioned for their actions and victims can be, it makes it impossible for other men to call out such behavior in fear of stepping out of the Guy Code box, making it a vicious cycle. Thus, it is necessary for other men to push outside of the Guy Code box and campaigns like He For She is a good first step. As stated in the He For She website, it is "brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all." This is men stepping outside the guy code box, and showing not only equality with women, but also compassion and empathy, which are the feminine labels of Kilbourne's argument.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:45:09 am

As per usual Christina, you are expertly hitting right at the core of the problem. The Guy Code box can certainly make it difficult for men to stand up, but I don' think it is "impossible." I have faith - albeit maybe misplaced - that we can mobilize men to stand up. Like Mikayla said earlier, "Quid tacet consentire videtur"-He who is silent, agrees.

In 2007 the Department of Justice did a national study and found that 1 out of 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college. Why is this ok? Where is the outrage?

Yvonne Munuhe

2/2/2015 01:25:53 am

After watching Katz video I feel the society has put a ridiculous amount of pressure on men and boys to fit into a very narrow definition of manhood, with very real and extreme repercussions for confronting the status quo. The idea is not that men in general should feel personally accountable for gender violence as a whole. I'm not sure if people actually feel threatened by the idea of a male peer culture that doesn't idealize violence.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:45:57 am

All good points from Katz's video that we watched at school. What about his TED talk or Kilbourne's arguments?

Maximillion Young

2/2/2015 01:46:14 am

although I can see the argument in the first video about how boys are seemingly desensitized to violence and this manly tough culture, but something in me just doesn't agree. I think that Katz sees the world as black and white, it was my opinion that he believes this phenomenon is spreading like a cancer. while it isn't disputed that this happens, I think our society, this generation is a lot more accepting of feelings outside out social norm and those who disagree are living in the past. I think it is evolutionary, this sense of manhood. a man is taught to provide for his family, protect and keep them safe, and if he fails, he looses them. in regards to this so called two countries in terms of violence, it brings up the debate about media violence and real violence which doesn't have a proven link. people may worship violence, watch violent movies, play violent sports, be rough and physical individuals, but that does not make them a one dimensional character. they may be compassionate loving and genital. that's what I think Katc fails to see, that a society can be aggressive and there is a man mold that boys need to fit, but we as humans are much more than that

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:47:43 am

Ok, then explain the findings in Katz's TED talk and juxtapose the severity of this epidemic to the rather complacent tone of your take on the problem.

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 08:22:19 am

I disagree with you; I don't think Katz sees this issue as entirely black and white. He acknowledges more than just the media as a factor leading to male violence.

He also spoke of the effect of real life male leaders and their ignorance of this issue and unwillingness to provide the resources required to be proactive in decreasing American violence. Furthermore, I think Katz would argue that your contention of male violence as "evolutionary" and a "sense of manhood" is exactly the type of complacent behavior that furthers this general disregard of it as an issue. Moreover, this is also what would perpetuate victim-blame, what would change "John beat Mary" to "Mary is a battered woman". To say male violence is evolutionary is to therefore, remove responsibility and accountability and blame.

I also don't think Katz made any claim that violence would make a man a "one dimensional character". If anything, I think he argued against that type of perspective during the entire video. He constantly referenced how most men have women they love in their lives but for some reason feel compelled to abuse and batter these women.

Zachary Prescott

2/2/2015 08:41:27 am

I think that the complacent expectation of men being intrinsically violent is exactly what Kats is pointing out that is wrong in society. As I mentioned in my earlier post I believe that this expectation is being worked out of our society more so now, but it still a predominate issue in some parts of our culture.

By saying that it is an evolutionary and intrinsic part of "manhood" paints men exactly as you said Kats does, black and white. We as men need to understand that in order to be manly we don't need to also be interested in violence as well. Men no longer need to act violently to "provide for his family, protect and keep them safe." and by making that assumption that they do, Katz's point is proven.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 10:12:40 am

I agree that we are seeing an expanded view of what it means to be a man in some areas of the society. (Don't forget this is MA - our view of progress may be skewed) For this change, I am most grateful, but how can you say this is working it's way out if we have the epidemic of sexual assault on our college - 1 in 5 college women were found by the DOJ to be sexually assaulted and the plague of domestic violence in our country - 1 in 3 women will be assaulted by a partner. For the life of me I can not comprehend the level of complacency in our society about this. This is what Katz was focusing on in his TED talk.

Brendan Burns

2/2/2015 02:43:25 am

The guy code box that Katz proposes is interesting and something that I believe is true. Boys are limited. Few reach their desired wishes or goals out of fear of being bullied. Boys feel a need to be involved and I believe that many boys make an attempt to be accepted by means of the guy code box. Boys think that by hitting on all the qualities in the guy code box, they can receive acceptance. It is unfortunate that things are this way because for a guy, it is not enough to be yourself, you have to go above and beyond in a bad way just to receive social acceptance on a very basic level. Although I agree with the guy code box, I do believe that slowly, the box is coming out of touch. In the current state of culture and what is socially acceptable, going outside the box will not result in all of the harsh name calling and labeling. I attribute this to many factors including people like Katz, bullying rules, and just an over all greater acceptance for people as they are. There is still a long way to go before the guy code box is completely done away with though.

Rachel Vitello

2/2/2015 03:01:43 am

The second video with Katz presented a very persuasive argument regarding the role men need to play in extinguishing male violence in today’s society. He offered a well-rounded view on the whole spectrum by acknowledging that it is not a battle between the sexes, because both men and women are victims of male violence. By doing so, he immediately eliminates the idea that feminists, and anyone fighting for equal rights, are “men haters” or “men bashers”. He uses the bystander approach as a call-to-action to all adult men to act as leaders, guiding the next generation in the right direction and to not be silent on the issue. One problem I detect with this approach is how he limits it to only men, indicating that they are the only ones who can make a difference. While male violence is not a “women’s issue”, it is also not a “men’s issue”. I believe he should have placed more emphasis on men and women working together to end the silence.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:50:06 am

Good point Rachel. I think he his calling for a course correction on the movement and hence the overstatement but it does need to be everything pulling. However, look at the silence above from our males. Do you see any fierce urgency of now? It think this is why Katz is so direct.

Emma Sullivan

2/2/2015 03:42:50 am

I do believe that Katz and Kilbourne correctly summarize the "marinade" of the toxic media environment we as a society face daily. While I do not agree with some of the movie evidence that Katz used in his argument, other examples can be found all around us. Yesterday during the Superbowl, a fight broke out between the two teams in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. The fans in the stands, as well as those at home, applauded the fight; they took pleasure in the violent outburst. From a statistical standpoint, I would like to point out that men are more likely to take part in violent crimes in a physical sense. This includes crimes such as assault, rape, murder and vandalism. Women on the other hand, take part in self-oriented crimes such as drug use, sex crimes, and occasionally theft.

I also agree that the sexist and homophobic society existing today is what results in the Guy Code keeping men trapped in a box in which they are afraid to escape and go against social norms, due to the pressures of the environment that surrounds them.

Further more, KIlbourne is correct in her statement about the effectiveness of ads; if not the effectiveness, than certainly the overwhelming presence of advertisement in our lives. Almost every ad depicting a women today shows the impossible ideology of beauty perfection. To the average women, they see this ad and they fixate solely on the achievment of such beauty. They ask themselves questions such as "If that mom of 'X' children can look like that when doing 'Y', than why can't I", and they do not realize the reason for this is because of computer programing, or surgery, or makeup/wigs, and the company uses this tool to their advantage. In some women their mentality is so twisted, that self-destructive illnesses such as Anorexia or Bulimia develop and ultimatly take control of the victim. This goes back into what Katz said earlier: society is not taught to hate their image, rather they learn to do that.

I also agree that the there are vast gender differences seen in cases of Anorexia and Bulimia mainly because of the vast majority of adds that depict women. There are far more ads using women for 1. Using attractive women attracts more men and 2. Using attractive women draws the attention of other average women who long to be like the woman in the ad. Another point goes back to the Guy Code, where men are so accustomed to hiding their feelings and defending their opinion, that they tend to not be so twisted into the games the ads attempt to play with them. Society dictates that men must be mentally strong and that demand goes hand in hand with their ignorance of such false advertisement.

Kilbourne is also correct in her assimilation with such things as empathy, sympathy and compassion with the female gender. This goes back to the Guy Code where if men break the box they are trapped in and show such emotions as empathy, compassion etc. they will be labeled by society as gay, or a fag.

I do feel women are objectified by society as seen in the examples shown by Kilbournes presentation. In ads women are incorporated into the video game or into the car. By doing this we are dehumanizing the women, making her a part of a 'thing', and then moving on to reducing her to nothing but a 'thing'.

I agree with what Katz had to say in his TED talk. I feel like in order to solve the problem you must start at the beginning. It should not fall on the victim to speak out against this, but the responsibility of those who have the power. He for She is a great step in tackling this problem head on. I agree with Katz that smaller steps taken can make a big difference, for example an end to demeaning woman jokes made in male gatherings, but He for She gives a direct call to action and makes an attempt at directly addressing the problem so many attempt to ignore.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:51:29 am

Well said Emma! Everyone should read this post.

Kacie Higgins

2/2/2015 03:44:43 am

In the video called "A Taught Behavior", it says we live in a culture of violent masculinity. Our culture teaches boys to be violent and that is what it means to be a man. Katz says part of the guy code is to not show emotion. He says that qualities like compassion, empathy, fear, love, intellectual curiosity, and vulnerability are basic human qualities that boys have inside them just as much as girls do, but it gets driven out of them by a sexist and homophobic culture. This culture labels these things as unmanly and teaches boys to avoid them at all costs. I think it's wrong that boys and men can not show their true emotions and feelings on things without the fear of getting made fun of. In my opinion, however, it looks like the tough guise code may not be as strong anymore. People are working together to show that it is okay for men to show their emotions. The commercials during the Super Bowl last night made me realize this. There were numerous commercials that showed grown men crying or dads playing with little kids. This shows the other side of men, the side that used to be made fun of if a man shed a tear. Also, according to Kilbourne, people have to work together to deal with violence against women. If a man makes a sexist or degrading comment about a woman, another man has to say that's not funny. Bystanders are important in situations like this and cannot remain quiet. Kilbourne says we need adult men with power to start prioritizing these issues. Again, the Super Bowl commercials last night proved how people with power can have an impact over things because popular brands were showing the other, nicer side of men.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:52:41 am

Couldn't agree more, so where are the men in this discussion. Why hasn't anyone called for a WHS He for She campaign? Why the silence?

Amelia Toye

2/2/2015 10:33:16 am

I agree Kacie. I think now, more than ever, men are more able to break out of "the man box" but it is still an ongoing challenge. I know as a girl sometimes I say things about men not being tough, and honestly, I never really admitted it to myself until now. Whenever Russell Wilson from the Seahawks would cry before games, I would always say "oh toughen up!" or "he's such a baby" and I thought it was funny and I was making fun of the New England enemy but now I realize that maybe it SHOULDNT be funny.

Lauren Jensen

2/2/2015 10:46:04 am

I realize that I do this too, and I should not. A couple weeks ago, my friend said that her boyfriend was more of a girl than she was because he was afraid that someone didn't like him. I found this really offensive, and when she proceeded to call him names, I realized that they all were offensive to women, and this really bothered me. Why is calling someone a women offensive, and why is it okay for us to think that guys cant have feelings? Both of these things need to be equaled out.

John Heffernan

2/2/2015 04:03:58 am

My favorite video of the bunch was "A taught behavior" and how it dealt with the "Guy Code". Its presence in modern media forces boys at such an age into such a stereotyped persona of the guy code. Acting Tough and keeping emotions internally, just to mask what it is that make us people feelings. The prevalence of this stereotypes hard wire both children and the parents of the children to teach their children the ways of being a "man".
The one flaw I see in the segment is that some of the examples, as we said in class break the mold of being a "manly man". This movement into breaking the mold of modern day stigmas of man are being changed in order to allow the feelings and emotions of a man define them. This opens the gates for more opportunities for youth outside of soldiers and football players, which are great choices for ones future, to other occupations such as dance or singing which is usually deemed feminine but equally great as the other jobs.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:53:17 am

What about Katz' TED talk or Kilbourne's argument?

Nick Argiro

2/2/2015 04:25:59 am

I agree with both Kilbourne and Katz. As stated by Kilbourne, girls are taught to be as skinny as possible at very young ages. This is very true as we see through ads, models, and even toys like Barbie dolls. Almost all women that are used in advertising are purposely made to look very skinny and maintain many characteristics that an "attractive woman" should have. It is clear that teaching this to young girls is very negative. As they grow up, they will always be thinking if they look good, if they are skinny enough, etc. Many girls even refuse to eat in front of men. This is a clear problem, as it is a huge cause of eating disorders. I believe that a positive solution to this problem is to stop portraying women the way they are in ads. Instead of focusing on the woman's body, the real focus should be on the product itself. Over time, I believe that the way girls view their bodies will change. As far as Katz idea, I completely agree with the guy code box. Many boys are taught to be strong and powerful. In numerous ways, this can be misinterpreted. Yes, men should be able to defend themselves if need be, but it should not be the center focus of male personality. I believe that both men should attempt so solve issues a more mature way, rather than violently. I believe that if this occurs, that over time men will no longer feel like they are stuck inside the guy code box. Many guys are scared to leave the box and respond to something differently. However, I also believe that women being portrayed as objects is a huge cause to the guy code box. Since ads portray many women as objects, men see this and that's one of the reasons why men are insulted when going outside of the box.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:56:03 am

Great point as usual Nick. That objectification is the first step along the road to violence. If we could reduce this constant message maybe it seeps into the ground water and makes at least one more hurdle to domestic violence/sexual assault.

Caitlyn Craig

2/2/2015 04:41:31 am

I beleive that Kilbourne and Katz do a good job speaking on how we marinate in this toxic media environment. Kilbourne really shows how everywhere we look, women are shown that they must be the impossible perfection. When trying to achieve this, they go to serious lengths such as Anorexia and Bulimia. In her video when she showed the model who had died of anorexia I was stunned. The fact that our society beleives that it is okay to have her shown as a model of what girls should strive to look like is unbelievable. Kilbourne also talks about how attempting to be perfect with plastic surgery, women become more of an object for others than themselves. With Katz video, I do agree how the media is negatively influencing men but some of the clips he used were out of context. Some of the movies such as one in particular "How to train your dragon" show the boy being beaten down by his father for not going along with being tough and slaying the dragon. But in the end, Hiccup's father accepts him and sees how he was right. So some of Katz evidence is a bit contradicting. I do understand how the Guy Code keeps men in a box. When they try to speak out they get made fun of or shut out. Men want to keep their society the way it is and are afraid. I think that is a shame that they can not speak out without being made fun of. Our society needs step up.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:58:35 am

Is is just the need for perfection with Kilbourne?

Caitlyn Craig

2/2/2015 05:59:43 am

No it's way more than that. The media not only uses objectification but sexual objectification. This is treating women as an instrument not as a person. Kilbourne does an amazing job showing how the media influences this.

Caroline Wilbur

2/2/2015 04:45:06 am

“The more you subtract, the more you add.”
Kilbourne reiterates how the media portrays and limits the perception of women in the media. Women are forced to fit this narrow representation of what ideal beauty is seen as in the media, and in everyday life are routinely scrutinized, criticized, and judged, based on the “ideal” image of women portrayed by the media. The ideal image of beauty overtime is shifting and changing, and is difficult to keep up with (This idea is expressed well in the short film “Doll Face”). Most likely the most terrifying fact from the film was the statistic that one in five women will be sexually assaulted or raped in their lifetime; one in four women have experienced domestic violence; and three to four women are killed everyday due to violence by their partner. One of the possible roots of this horrifying statistic is the fact that the media objectifies and dehumanizes women in advertising. Women are not given the full range of humanity in some forms of mainstream media. Adolescent girls are bombarded with a range of problems, including low self-esteem, eating disorders, binge drinking and various forms of violence. This isn’t at all a woman’s issue according to Kats. The media, not necessarily to the same degree, also affects men but they are still affected. “In the end, what will hurt the most is not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” (Martin Luther King Jr.) Katz says that men need to break out of the pressures of society, he said that men need to speak up when someone makes a comment that is hurtful to women and to correct that behavior because if the behavior continues it could lead to greater issues later on with possible violent acts against women.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 04:57:50 am

BRAVO Caroline. Everyone should read this. Funny that you are now the third female in our class to call for this, yet none of our males have.

Lexa Marinella

2/2/2015 04:55:27 am

I personally believe that Katz is on point in the TED video. In reality, rape, domestic violence, and gender expectations affect everyone, whether you are male or female. We are constantly bombarded with stories about violence against women, but it seems as if the issues are being ignored. The only way to make a change is if everyone speaks up, not just the victims. As unfortunate as it is, Katz is right when he says how men need to speak up because they will be heard - the media will be more likely to listen to powerful male figures. When we act as if am issue is solely with one social group, we are furthering separating one another from the whole. We are all human. There are certainly men out there who are in no way affected by violence against women, but once they have daughters, nieces, friends, etc. who face it, it becomes their problem. We can't make a change if we identify a problem based on who we are. Men can make a change in women's issues just like heterosexuals can make a change in gay issues.
On a side note about violence and rape, there's an awesome article on cracked.com that discusses the realities of being a rape victim, as well as another that discusses being a male rape victim. I think both of these articles can really apply to this topic.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 05:02:26 am

Well said, Lexa. Your connection between men taking a role in women's issues and heterosexuals taking a role in gay issues is important.

Lexa Marinella

2/2/2015 05:03:29 am

If anyone is interested, I found both articles. I will warn everyone that there is graphic language, but nothing you probably wouldn't hear anyway.
http://www.cracked.com/article_21884_5-awful-realities-being-man-who-was-raped-by-woman.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_21910_8-ways-legal-system-screws-rape-victims-like-me.html

Mr G.

2/2/2015 07:04:27 am

Thanks for the links. It is especially important to highlight the difficulties that people face when trying to report an assault.

Kevin Fairfax

2/3/2015 10:51:17 am

I don't necessarily agree with this. Though I do agree that many people are speaking up on this, it doesn't mean people don't care. If you watch any social experiment looking at intersex violence, you'll see that any time a man is the aggressor, there is a small army against him, whereas where the woman is the aggressor, people just laugh and applaud. Need some evidence? Here (Though this does also support the tough guise theory, a lot, both men and women look at it the same way in these experiments, showing how the tough guise is also a woman's issue, to use his own rhetoric)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRmGOj-Kj4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtVHnZX8E50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNOTWjIJ58E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlFAd4YdQks

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 12:06:09 pm

I want to draw attention to something Lexa says here: "As unfortunate as it is, Katz is right when he says how men need to speak up because they will be heard - the media will be more likely to listen to powerful male figures." She is right, and I don't mean to tear apart her argument. There is an issue with how Katz discusses this in his TED Talks video: he keeps say men need to speak FOR women.

This is linked to Kilbourne's note about how women are often silenced in advertising. Katz's language does this as well--what he is proposing is quickly turning this into a men's issue, which is not necessarily the goal. I understand that when he says domestic violence is a men's issue he means that the issue is with the perpetrator and not just the victim, but his notion that men need to speak for women is alarming. With such a mentality, I see a future where these issues are discussed and addressed without discussion or commentary from women. Though this is extreme its a precaution worth taking. The purpose of addressing these issues through the lens of what women are facing is that women have been silenced throughout history. We should not be focused on men speaking for women on these issues, but on men speaking WITH women. Again, this is not a gender issue, it's a people issue.

Kelly Higgins

2/2/2015 05:06:31 am

I do believe Katz and Kilbourne accurately summarize the toxic media environment we marinade in. Katz explains how in order for guys to be seen as strong they need to be violent in our society. Society needs to focus more on the actions of men in order to protect women. Katz says that in order to fix this problem we need men to stand up for women and we need to portray men as loving and caring. If we portray men as caring they will not get ridiculed when they act that way because it will become the norm. Commercials during the Super bowl did a good job portraying men the right way. I think these commercials showed people it is better for men to show that they care then to act tough. I do believe the guy code keeps men in a box because the box is what they assume society wants them to act. Men are afraid to go outside the box because it is not what is "normal". Kilbourne explains how women are often portrayed in media with compassion and empathy and men feel if they portray this too they will not be seen as masculine. I also agree with Kilbourne's argument that women are defined as objects all over the media. When media portrays women as objects it makes them seem like less of a person and this is the opposite of what we are aiming for. There were also commercials last night during the Super bowl that showed unrealistic images of women. One example is the Victoria Secret commercial. A lot of women wish they looked like the Victoria Secret models but in reality Kilbourne explained the models do not even look like that. Media needs to re-evaluate the way they portray females and males in order to improve society.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 07:07:08 am

Good point about the VS commercial last night. They had another spot where the 'angels' played football fully clothed in football uniforms. Of course at the end their hair is still perfect but it was an improvement for VS. However I didn't see that ad last night, just the typical simulacra that VS usually spills forth.

Stephanie Cole

2/2/2015 05:06:52 am

I think Katz and Kilbourne did a very good job showing us how the toxic media has a big impact on people. Men do seem to be subjected to not be out of the "box" and not show emotion, they must be tough. I believe Katz bystander approach to try and fix this could help the cause. If people, especially other men speak out and tell other people when they've gone to far it could start changing society. I however do not agree that those not speaking out is like they're giving consent, like he said it is not easy to say something, people do not always have the courage to stand up though hopefully that can change. Kilbourne was right on how much media effects girls and women. The media tells women they must be very thin, have perfect skin, hair and be beautiful. This is very unrealistic and cause many of these young girls and women to develop serious problems. There are companies trying to change this and use more realistic people in their ads, which certainly could help the problem, but there is still so much of that toxic media out there destroying our society. Men are depicted differently than women, I believe it still has a very strong impact on men to have the ideal body and to be masculine and tough. The media distorts our views both on ourselves and how we should be and also our views on other people which is a very big and serious problem.

Stephanie Cole

2/2/2015 05:08:02 am

Mr. G

2/2/2015 07:08:53 am

You bring up a good point. Silence isn't consent, but if you see the problem and have a conscious, silence is cowardly.

Lauren Graham

2/2/2015 05:19:38 am

I liked Katz' TED talk and the idea of "He for She" but I have reservations about how well it will actually work out. His paradigm example of the men playing poker and one man just simply saying something instead of just laughing along with inappropriate jokes seems like a good idea but I wish it were more realistic. The realistic truth is that not as many men as he would like would actually do this because there is no motive for them. What motive would make these men actually speak up? The only effects, especially as they would see it on a small scale, would be their friends laughing in their face or other men seeing them as less tough than normal. Since speaking up for women wouldn't bring any of these men an immediate benefit, they aren't the ones being abused or harrassed, I just don't see why they would bother doing it. I think the key part of the "He for She" movement that may actually get it going somewhere is the part about little boys and their sisters and mothers and other female relations. I think that if Katz could further emphasize the hypothetical about female abuse and harrassment: "would you like it if another man was doing this to your daughter?" then they might be able to get men with no motive to speak up to have the motive to speak up not for themselves but for their daughters who they are supposed to be so protective of.

Reena Chabria

2/2/2015 07:02:41 am

I agree with Lauren. While those in power may have the ability to have a wider influence, a sole individual would not. No one is going to go out of there way at the risk making a fool of themselves unless it has meaning. People are only going to challenge these norms if they are given a purpose. Like Lauren says, the idea of using a daughter as a motive is one way to grab men's attention. However, back to the idea of men in power, we live in a culture where so much importance is put on famous people. I would love to see more male celebrities advocating for women's rights. I can only imagine the influence of a male celebrity leading a women's rights campaign. I believe that this may have a more realistic effect on men. This may give them a reason to bother doing it. Seeing a celebrity doing it gives them an excuse to step out of their guy code box and overcome the bystander effect.

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 09:02:41 am

I have to disagree with yours and Lauren's point of missing incentive. Although I can see how there appears to be that issue that people won't speak up if it doesn't benefit them, I think many people do speak up just because something is wrong - even if it doesn't necessarily relate to them in terms of daughters, mothers, or wives. My thinking comes from the show "What Would You Do" on ABC. On almost every episode, I have seen both men and women defend someone they say being treated unequally due to race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Yes, there were people that said "I have a friend that's gay" or "I know what that's like", there are also equal amounts of people saying that they defended the actor just because they "didn't think it was right".

I like the idea of a male celebrity being a part of a women's rights campaign. I think having influential people step up to the plate could be very beneficial. Yet, there will always be that doubt of whether these celebrities would be doing it for morals or publicity. I do think it is a good idea though.

Mr G.

2/2/2015 10:18:03 am

A single individual alone can't do anything, but individuals must take action together. India's independence, the Civil Rights Movement, the American Revolution, the fight for suffrage- these were movements led by great people and carried out by thousands of dedicated individuals taking small actions that cumulatively added up to great change. Each person needs to decide to BE THE CHANGE. But no, here we are with an epidemic of violence against women and we argue about how hard it will be for men to stand up to other men and say that it isn't cool.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 07:14:46 am

Maybe not though. Sure on the surface from a very hyper-individualistic point a male doesn't benefit. But these men have sisters, mothers, friends that are girls, cousins, and girlfriends. They have other men that are impacted and a better world if they step up. I think they have more at stake than you give them credit for.

Paige Miller Norve

2/2/2015 05:44:26 am

In the TED talk with Katz, he talks about the idea that gender issues are often referred to as women's issues, but he himself argues that he sees them as a man’s. In part, I agree that most gender violence issues stem from a man creating them, but women can alway portray themselves in ways that antagonize men to think of them as these "sexual objects". (which Kilbourne also touches upon in "Killing Me Softly 4") For example, if a women wearing provocative clothing puts herself in a situation in where she is surrounded by 5 guys and they are drinking, and she gets clumsy, they often think of how they can take advantage of her. I believe that it would be not only the man's fault, but the women is also putting herself out there completely in the wrong way. I do not believe that it is only a man's issue in some cases, but both a man and woman's because they both in part, wrong. The other points he makes with the bystander approach and even talking about victim blaming I can agree with. Many people often victim blame because they do not always see themselves as the source of being wrong. Katz is a very intelligent man, and it shows. It follows the idea of this “marination” of the toxic media, but I do not believe that all the evidence he shows is completely correct.

Touching on the guy code box, I do believe there is a problem with boys and men stepping out of the “norm” because boys are taught to be strong and aggressive. They tell boys not to be sensitive. They believe that stepping outside the box will portray them as “gay”, “homos”, “faggots”, etc. But I believe that it is okay for a guy to step out of the “norm” because that shows courage. To me, that would show more strength being different than every guy there is out there. Katz does a great job hitting on this point and I do agree with his idea and perception of this “guy code box”.

In Kilbourne's "Killing Me Softly," she emphasizes on the idea that women are portrayed as "sexual objects" in the media. She not only has been collecting media over decades, but she has seen a pattern of how women are seen throughout the years. I see in the media everyday that women are objectified and often only looked at if they have a nice body or face. Many women in the media are retouched to have perfect bodies, perfect faces, with little to NO flaws. Younger generations see this and strive to be what these women look like because they admire these women in the media. Many famous actresses, singers/songwriters, etc. have many young followers. This leads young girls to become obsessed with their figures and the idea of looking pretty and feeling beautiful. This can lead them into having low self esteem if they can not look like these girls in the media, never mind the pressure of girls in middle school and high school to look pretty all the time no matter the occasion. It can also lead to depression of not feeling good enough, or illnesses such as anorexia. Although there are many powerful and strong independent women in the media such as in politics, acting, and other careers, there is no doubt that in the media, women are portrayed/posed as vulnerable and "childish" as Kilbourne says, while men are portrayed as powerful and strong. This goes to show that women are still seen to be less than a man. Are women being dehumanized?? Men nowadays can also be depicted as objects, but what do you see more of? Women. Women are seen for what they can do or put out. Kilbourne does an amazing job describing why women and girls feel the way they do about the media and how we feel about how our gender is portrayed in this toxic environment.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 07:17:52 am

I'm sorry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hC0Ng_ajpY

Paige Miller Norve

2/2/2015 08:53:55 am

My word usage of "fault" was misunderstood. I believe that it is not necessarily the women's "fault", but there can not be only focus on men. My commentary was meant to exemplify that men AND women should both be sparking up the conversation on such things as rape, for it is seen in all cultures. I am not assessing blame, but wanting to provoke this conversation between both sexes because it happens to both sexes. In today's day and age, the real question is "How does one have a discussion on topics like these?" "Is it morally acceptable?" "Is it what the media wants?" Just like the media tries to do, which is assess blame, is not my intentions. I personally just wanted to point out there should be the conversation between women and men on what could be morally and socially acceptable between the two sexes.

Tara Balan

2/3/2015 01:02:49 pm

The intent of Paige's comment regarding consent and sexual conduct is important, and she is right to say that men and women should be sparking conversation regarding sexual conduct and sexual abuse. While victim blaming needs to end and society needs to begin questioning the motives and actions of the aggressor, Katz's call for education on sexual conduct at universities is definitely necessary. It should be brought to high schools as well. We can't expect that a problem can be resolved just by asking questions after an assault. We need to be educating our youth and trying to undo what society has done. The expectation that men should be violent and sexually aggressive towards women, the expectation that women should act like objects or that their looks are their only attribute, the belief that everyone is having sex and it is wrong to feel that you are not ready to do so, these all need to be undone and addressed through education. Like Paige is saying, this affects both sexes and is a societal issue. We should be working toward a society where everyone can feel safe in whatever they want to wear wherever they want to walk or party or hang.

Katelyn Meade

2/2/2015 06:13:58 am

While I agree with Katz's guy code, I felt as though he spent much of the video, "A taught behavior" discussing how the idea of violent masculinity is taught by our fathers. The evidence he then used were movies where this theme occurred. But, movies are just movies and they do not provide hard evidence for this theory. He didn't take into consideration how the rest of society plays a role in this phenomenon which is a much bigger part of the argument. In my opinion, I feel as though boys are taught this violent masculinity trait mostly by their peers. In our society, boys who show any sort of emotion or think too much are criticized as being faggots or gay. I see this happen every single day at school. But, something Katz's Ted talk and "Killing us softly 4" share is that both take note that it is MEN who need to be the ones to stand up to this kind of behavior. While most men do not act on this sort of violent behavior, other men who take notice of it and do nothing may as well be a part of it. If men do not start to take a stand and fight for a change, there will never be any sort of progress in this battle.
In regards to ads, I think that our current day society treats women as objects. The result is that is desensitizes men's relationship with women. Sex becomes meaningless to them, because they do not have the affection and emotion that women have and abuse means nothing because it's as though it is not actually affecting a real person. If a man is abusing something it sees as an object then he will not feel remorse or guilt for his actions. The media is encouraging these actions by making women into objects of sex: by only using photos of their breasts or turning their bodies into actual objects.
This behavior can obviously not change over night but one would think that we would see a slight improvement over time, however Kilbourne says since the time she has been working on this issue, it has gotten worse. How is that even possible? At some point we need to look at the actual models who are letting their bodies be used like this and realize that they are the ones who can truly stop this from happening. I know it is not that simple but it certainly would prove a point. As a nation we need to work together and make our voices heard. He for she is a great first step and by finally getting men to be on board with what has always been a "women's issue" I truly believe that we can change the world.

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 08:48:01 am

I agree, Katelyn. I think a lot of the learned behavior does come from peers as well. After all, these are the people that boys will spend more than half their days with.

Reena Chabria

2/2/2015 06:34:59 am

I believe that leadership training, as discussed in Jackson Katz’s Tedx talk, is definitely a solution for the growing prevalence of gender violence issues. The importance of leadership training is truly emphasized when juxtaposed to some researching findings found in the HeforShe action kit. They talk about researchers who found that a majority of women’s political participation and leadership “are constrained by a range of institutional or structural constraints, underpinned by cultural and attitudinal barriers that suggest women should not have a role in public life.” While there are plenty of women in leadership positions who use that position to empower women, there are simply not enough. There are not enough women in power to make a social movement big enough to really end gender violence issues. I mean, women comprise “only 21.8% of national parliamentarians around the globe, despite there being virtually no legal restrictions on women running for public office” (HeforShe). The sheer lack of women in leadership positions truly highlights the significance of Katz’s argument. Men make up a lot of those leadership positions. Adult men with power should be using their power to challenge the norms. Male leaders need to use their power to redefine. Men truly need to grasp the fact that this is a men’s issue and not just a women’s issue or else there may never be enough momentum to overcome gender violence. I believe that through leadership training, more men will take a stand against gender violence. It is really important that men learn the positive impacts that they can make! Looking back over my comment, I want to add that this is not only a men's issue. It is both and while women can use their voice to spread this message, it is important that men know that they can too. It is important that they recognize they have a part in this fight too.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 07:19:55 am

Amen Reena, your point about more females in leadership positions is spot on. I can't wait for you and females in your generation to step into leadership positions. We need you.

Jess Stephens

2/2/2015 07:38:23 am

Overall, I agree with both Katz' and Kilbourne's arguments and points that they feel are important to change in the media as well as our own teachings throughout generations. I found it interesting how the male (Katz) stayed within the boundaries of what men experience as well as what men need to change. Also that the female (Kilbourne) stayed within the boundaries of what the media and females themselves need to change. Katz spoke about how men discriminate women and other men. How men look at themselves as ultimately superior to women and how they seem to have in their minds that they have full control over any woman. However Kilbourne seems to touch on the same topic of women being seen as vulnerable to men. However rather than stating that men need to change (like Katz), she says simply that the women need to change in the advertisements that this act is seen in.
Katz showed a series of video clips in, "A Taught Behavior" of how men are doomed to be thought or seen as the slightest bit of feminine. How men teach men to never be feminine, how it shows weakness and eventually media has evolved to being alright with the concept of accepting men not just being testosterone-filled jugheads. However Katz did not seem to even think of the fact that being seen as feminine directly connects to the discrimination of all females for being feminine.Sure, he shows how we have come to accept femininity in men, but not exactly changing, as Kilbourne points out that men being feminine is not exactly an empowering trait. So men stop controlling women, but still fear of becoming one.

The males' argument was that men discriminate and teach other men that they need to be powerful and controlling.
The females' argument was that women discriminate and teach other women that they need to be beautiful and perfect. Advertisements to women are with the female voice speaking to any women watching, "You need to change, he wants this, you want this, etc". However there is never a male-spoken advertisement saying, "You need to be good enough for me." It's always women giving advice to fellow women on what they can do for men rather than men saying what women can do for them.

Emily Cronin

2/2/2015 08:00:16 am

I agree with Katz that domestic violence feeds off one another and that it will need other men to change this violence. The bystander approach is a good way of putting domestic violence. Men that are not abusive need to change the men that are abusive, which is not easy for men. The man code shows that if you show any emotion that you will be called "gay" or a "sissy". This happens everyday and I personally see it a lot throughout the school. I agree that fathers can show younger boys abuse and the younger boys will think its normal and do it when they become fathers. But like many other people have been saying he does not use great evidence. Movies show this, but that's just a movie and most movies are made up. I think that the evidence would be a lot more persuasive if there was a study to back up his thoughts.
As for Kibourne I agree with her when she says that our society is getting worse and that all young women want to be is flawless. This starts at a young adolescent age from seeing perfectly skinny models. It is also sad that men look at supermodels and judge real women in their lives harshly. Women are aimed too much to be a perfect Barbie doll and can lead to depression and eating disorders if young women don't achieve this look. Perfection is a disease of this nation.

Andy Pham

2/2/2015 08:06:10 am

I thought that Katz and Kilbourne both did an amazing job on summarizing this marinade. I have heard a lot of very valid discussions about this toxic media and its overall effect of producing a violent society, but I thought these two speakers only gave me more insight. I especially appreciated how both of them were not naive in their discussion. For example, Katz acknowledged how, as a man, his thoughts are more likely to not only be noticed but actually heard than if a woman were to speak for gender equality.

These two videos really opened my eyes to how toxic media really is. Even on my mom's make-up, you see only the lips or eyes or other cropped parts of women. Of course it can be argued that this is due to the fact that those products are designed for those body parts. Yet, there still remains the dehumanization of women by cutting them down to nothing more than a body part, a desired image, and ultimately a product. Kilbourne spoke of this in her video and I never realized how relevant that really was.

I think something very important that both speakers also discussed was the parallelism of gender equality to race, sexual, and religious equality. I really liked how Katz used this as his opening statement in order to illustrate how no matter who you are, when most people hear the words "equality" they assume it to be in reference to the societal lower group. I think this is important because people often forget or ignore how much more voice and power they have as a man or a white person or a heterosexual person. With that unintentional or intentional ignorance of which groups have the most power comes the trivialization of these movements and the dehumanization of non-dominant groups. I see this type of ignorance most often when it comes to questions of police brutality. A recent example of this is Ferguson. Many people argued that this was not a race issue; yet, claiming that this case was not a race issue was only further perpetuating the race issue in America. By ignoring that there is a problem, the imbalance of power remains and with that comes the side-effects of unpunished violence and unequal opportunities.

Thus, I think the point that both Katz and Kilbourne made is immensely important. One group's inequality issues is not just their responsibility to rectify; as a nation we have to find the courage to stand up and speak out when justice is not apparent. Hopefully one day, with people like Katz and Kilbourne leading these types of movements, there will one day be justice and balance - and then just like we look back on slavery as extremely atrocious, we can hopefully reach that point in the future where we look back and see the inequality and violence created by this toxic media environment as similarly atrocious.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 10:22:49 am

Well said, sir. Bravo. Your point about the 'high power' group needing to help perpetuate change is spot on.

Madison anderson

2/2/2015 08:44:04 am

After watching these videos I found myself looking for where I most saw this toxic media environment's effects in my own life. I feel like I am so used to the pressures placed on women which Kilbourne studies and the pressures on men studied by Katz that I barely ever notice the effects on my peers. However what causes me alarm in when I observe the effects in girls and boys much younger than myself. I am the one of the older cousins in my family and I also have two younger brothers and sometimes it scares me how differently they are maturing from their exposure to this toxic environment. I don't know what it was like for boys of my own age or older growing up. But my younger brothers seem to be expressing thoughts and ideas I had never even heard of until I was much older. My three year old brother has his own iPad and spends his time learning from games and advertisements as opposed to playing with toys. I feel like the video "A Taught Behavior" was extremely appropriate in providing a lot of evidence for the idea of violent masculinity in the form of movies and television because this is where young men are focused. My younger brother spends more time playing video games and watching movies than any other activity and he craves the spectacles Katz describes of violence and carnage.

I feel like it's so obvious as to why men have a disposition to violence and the prevalence of victim blaming is so frustrating for women and will also never get to the root of the problem. I think movements such as HeForShe are effective and important because this truly is an issue of regular guys perpetuating toxic ideas in their every day life, however there remains the issue of the ever growing media industry. We need to change people's attitudes but ultimately there needs to be pushback against the media to stop depicting men in these ways so that attitudes can truly and more permanently shift, when the exposure is not so persistent and consistent. HeForShe and similar movements can start the chain reaction necessary to speak out against injustices men see for not only women but themselves. As Katz describes, stopping violence against women has an equally beneficial impact on men who experience violence.

As I mentioned earlier I constantly see the manifestations of the toxic media environment not only in younger boys but the girls too. Year after year the upperclassmen claim that the incoming freshman are the worst group thus far and as much as this is seen as a joke I am always unnerved by the attitudes and clothing options adopted by such young girls. The middle school girls are going to parties and shopping at Victoria's Secret at an age where I still collected Littlest Pet Shop. I remember reading an article on a study once which said that the thing young girls wanted to be seen as more than smart or pretty was sexy, girls as young as 5 and 6 years old. These observations all bring me back to the ideas put forth by Kilbourne's research. The sexualization of young girls in the media is just as problematic if not more so than the pressure to be thin. Young girls are learning who they want to be and how they should act from these ads and there will never be a call for change from the youngest demographic if they are continually taught to be sexual and submissive. I think there needs to be a greater movement to provide young girls with better role models in the media as opposed to the big stars like Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian and I don't see a push for that being made. Seeing Emma Watson's work with the UN is so inspiring to myself and other girls and I wish this was the type of woman who was in the media's spotlight.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 10:24:46 am

Exellent and valuable connections to your life, thank you. You are very correct in the concern of our younger media consumers. They grow up in media environment without all of the analytic defenses that we have.

Amelia Toye

2/2/2015 10:20:10 am

Both Katz and Kilbourne both make pretty valid arguments to me and I think the evidence they supply is overwhelming. Advocating for a change and standing up to our fellow peers is a difficult task to take on but I agree that if older men (and women) start to stand up, it will be a learned behavior just like violence and aggression is in today's day and age. I think that yes, men are subjected to being objectified in the media but far less than woman. In magazines, movies, even song lyrics, they dehumanize women and make them seem like objects that men can use. I think this ties in well to what Katz tries to point out with the derogatory comments that people say and no one is willing to stand up and change it. Why does our society let all of these rappers and artists produce songs that have lines like "my anaconda don't want none unless you got buns"? Sorry to just put that out there in text but I think people sing along to songs and they don't think about the lyrics and what we, as a culture marinate ourselves in. Not only does Katz's argument stand well alone, it stands well with Kilbourne's. I think it is going to take a serious knock down of high up people to really make a change (as Katz says) so when are we as a culture going to make that effort? With the NFL issues this past year, they could have kicked Adrian Peterson, and any other people who are acting publicly in such violent, ways off the team! Aaron Hernandez is on trial for murder, which clearly calls for being removed from the NFL, but who's to say that Peterson's actions should be accepted too? Shame on the NFL and all of these institutions of high power for not standing up. I honestly think we need them to truly make a change

Lauren Jensen

2/2/2015 10:34:04 am

I like your point about the songs in our culture. Even songs that are supposed to be empowering, such as "All About that Bass" by Meghan Trainor, is still telling girls that they should have a certain body type. I also like your point about the NFL. I think they have had so many scandals that they could have taken a stand on, for example Ray Rice who was involved in domestic violence against his wife, and I don't think they made a conclusive decision about what to do about this. If they do not take a stand against these crimes, will other large organizations do so? They are on of the leaders Katz talked about.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 09:17:35 pm

And notice where the domestic violence PSA ran during the Super Bowl - the commercial slot right before half-time. If the NFL was really serious about helping this issue I think they could have found a better slot than the one where every goes to the bathroom.

Lauren Jensen

2/2/2015 10:21:49 am

I very much agree with Katz's TED talk. I really liked his point at the beginning about calling it a gender issue, and thinking of women, because it made me realize that I also do that. When I think I gender equality it often leads into women's equality, but I would rather not think that way. This is why I really like the he for she campaign. I watched Emma Watson's speech when it first was released, and she made the point that men should, as Katz would put it, break out of the guy code box, to help women. She said that men should step down from their dominant acting roles so women can rise us to meet them. I like how Katz pointed out that when women stand up for themselves it is often translated to "men-hating." This is shown in the bad name feminists receive. He says that men need to be leaders to stand up and fight with women, not call them names and fight against them. I like his idea that powerful men need to be these leaders, because they are leaders in other aspects and usually are already respected, so if they stood up it could really help. I am not saying that only men need to stand up, but I think more men and women need to stand up together and fight for what is right. I have talked to a lot of women that are passive and don't want to change because they are afraid of being called feminists or other nasty names, which shows the gravity of our situation. For a change to really happen, many people have to stand together, so people will follow and not fear being called crazy.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 09:19:26 pm

Good point Lauren, I forgot that Watson made a similar point to Katz's. You're right it will take genders stepping outside those boxes.

Dom Dellamano

2/2/2015 11:08:14 am

I am a little late to the party but better late than never! Honestly, there isn't much that I can say without already repeating what everyone else has talked about. I have read through all the comments so far, and I agree with many of the points and assertions people have made. I have one concern, though, that seems to really be bugging me. It is in regards to what Kilbourne said in her video about solutions to the objectification of women, and in particular the modeling industry. In Europe, some laws have been passed to counteract some of the horrors that come out of modeling, from individual and institutional deaths to things like the sexualization and objectification of women. Kilbourne pointed this out, but what about the U.S.? Is Congress too afraid to pass legislation to protect the multi-billion dollar industry (in order to protect the economy) or are they not aware of the problem? I think that is the solution to this problem, awareness and action. People can become aware, but being aware and actually doing something are two completely different things. We need to counteract the selective attention that so many people seem to have, and in order to get people to be aware of the problem, activists need to grab their attention in a very out-of-the box way. If Kilbourne and others can do this, she might get even more of an audience, and for the first time in years we can see some drastic changes in our society.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 09:20:42 pm

Excellent point Dom. Probably our deep seated belief in free market, but should that really stop us from passing legislation on this?

Joe Brav

2/2/2015 12:17:56 pm

I like Katz's argument. I especially like how it is a man telling people that other men need to take responsibility for ending the mistreatment of women; it seems to be more effective when a person stands up for a group of people that is being mistreated even though he or she is not a part of the group. The most important thing his works do is raise awareness about the tough guise and the way some men mistreat women. Simply being aware of these things and acknowledging that they are problems is a huge step in the right direction, as opposed to accepting them for what they are. I believe that with time, social consciousness will be so high that these problems will greatly reduce. As many other people have said in their comments, the new generation(s) seem to be more accepting of men that do not fit into the "box" and I believe this ideology will slowly but surely spread.

One issue I had with Jackson's Ted Talk was that he said something about how men should not make jokes about women. I think making jokes about anyone is a good thing. Let me be clear: I do not think it is good to degrade anyone. However, tasteful jokes about stereotypes and whatnot are important because they remind the audience of what those stereotypes are and where they come from. We must be aware of generalizations, because to deny their existence is incorrect and harmful. I believe that being aware of stereotypes is instrumental in understanding the outliers of stereotypes, and thereby understanding the complexities of society as a whole. I think comedy is healthy because, when it is understood, it reminds people of the extent to which some stereotypes or other beliefs are valid or invalid.

As for Kilbourne, her video was quite persuasive. I think it is important that people are educated on the matter so they understand the impossibility of achieving the "perfection" that is presented in advertising. However, I do think that the advertising world is a necessary evil, as the advertisers need to make the consumers want to buy their products, whether it be by convincing them they are imperfect or by associating the product with something the consumer likes. I think that to have a healthy society, it is important for consumers to understand this "necessary evil" of advertisers which I have just highlighted, as it keeps people from having unrealistic expectations and potentially hurting themselves, while still keeping them interested in the products.

Mr. G

2/2/2015 09:23:30 pm

Well said. Advertising - when done well - is masterful. Getting a viewers attention and selling your product in 30 sec is a very hard task. As consumers we have the power to dictate with our dollars what type of ads get green lighted.

Olivia Owen

2/3/2015 04:29:47 am

I agree with Katz and Kilbourne. They both emphasize how men and women are put into "conformity boxes." Men are supposed to be tough and strong and show no emotions, while women are illustrated as fragile, small, childlike and unnaturally perfect. Katz argues that if men stray from the idea of how a man should act then they will risk getting called names like "fag", "sissy" or simply not a man. He supports his ideas by using clips from multiple movies. The example that surprised me the most was the one from the movie “Shark Tales” which I watched as a child. At a very young age children are told who and how they should be by parents, friends, movies and television. Kilbourne brings up the fact that girls are told at a very young age that they should be most concerned with their looks and should feel ashamed when they fail at being the ideal image of absolute flawlessness, which cannot humanly be achieved. There was a commercial for P & G’s feminine care brand Always, which asked multiple people, male and female teens, “what it is like to fight like a girl, run like a girl, and throw like a girl.” They all replied by acting it out in a derogatory way. They acted cute and funny, illustrating girls as weak and incapable of fighting, running, or throwing. Then they asked young girls, all below the age of ten, what it is like to run, fight and throw like a girl. Each girl did each task powerfully the way men would be expected to do. The ad then said that “A girl’s confidence plummets during puberty.” This ad is very powerful and definitely supports Kilbourne’s argument that women in the media are thought of as weak and are and should not stand up for themselves and should just disappear. Actors, singers and especially models are constantly scrutinized for not being small of skinny enough. What horrifies me the most is that clothing designers make their clothes so small that even the tiniest of models cannot fit into them. This pushes models to become even smaller, if thats even possible. Many models and pictures for advertisements of women are images that have been photoshopped and worked over 20 to 30 times. They take different body parts and place them together to make one perfect women. They do this to all the stars even Oprah Winfrey, they put her head on Anne Margaret’s body for a TV guide cover without either women’s consent. Kate Winslet issued a statement saying that the altercations to a photo of her were done without her consent. She goes on to say that her legs were cut down by at least a third of what they really are and that she does not look like that and has no desire to. I think Kate Winslet was right to do this. I think more women and men who are altered by photoshop in ads or magazines should stand up and tell people that they are human and could never look that perfect. This would change the way many women and men see themselves and could potentially create a more positive environment where the average person is more confident. People then could put all of the hard work that they put into perfecting their physical characteristics and use that energy to work on their actual health and well being.

Kira Goodwin

2/3/2015 05:43:46 am

I very much agreed with Jackson Katz's TED talk video. I have been researching rape and the psychological effects on the victims for my capstone and I agree with what he said about it needing to be regarded as more than just a women's issue. I read an article that was proposing a solution to the issue of rape and it was about teaching women to defend themselves. The solution should not be left in the women's hands. That goes off of the assumption that men can't help but rape women, that there is no way to stop them and so the solution is to have women take defense classes so that they can defend themselves. That builds off of victim blame as well, basically promoting the idea that if you can't defend yourself, you will get raped and are therefore to blame. And the statistics I've found on this issue are astounding as well. 68% of rapes are not reported to the police, 2% of rapists spend even a day in prison, and 1 in 6 women will experience a rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes. These statistics are too high and it's because, like Katz has said, that the people who have the power to do something don't. And on top of that these issues are rarely the ones you hear about in the news. Rapes are extremely common but we never hear about them, and the fact that only 2% of rapists are convicted says something about our country. It goes on the belief that without proof the victim is lying, and don't get me wrong they could be lying, but it is much more likely that they aren't. There is a serious issue in our society and how women are looked at and treated. People should not be told that because they dressed provocatively they are responsible for their own rape, especially considering Kilbourne's discussion of ads and how women are basically driven to strive to be sexy. From one end they are told that they need to dress a certain way to be considered hot or beautiful and from the other end they are accused of being responsible for their own rapes because they dress that way. It is a lose lose situation and it is completely absurd. And the major problem is that people don't think about these things. They don't realize how large of an issue rape and society's views towards women really are, and because nobody with power deals with them or thinks about them, little progress can be made.

Austin Maskell

2/3/2015 11:59:09 am

I do not agree with the point in people who say nothing give their consent. As it was stated courage is not always present at the time for the opportunity to stand up and say something that it is not with the populous. It is brought out a lot in movies and television. If those who do not appear weak stand by those who appear weak then those who are believed to be powerful will stand with them and ridicule the weak. If those who are in between do not have the courage to face the "strong" then they will join them so they do not appear "weak"

Toxic media and its impact on motives

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