The Ultimate Shame

The shame a person with bulimia has is something that I have personally experienced. The pressures of society weigh down to create a dreamworld of ideals for men and women and we as consumers of these images suffer completely for it. Not only is this pressure what can lead to extremes like bulimia or anorexia, it also leads to the ultimate shame of knowing that something that felt so right at one moment can turn into such a painful reality.

The truth of eating disorders is unfortunately unknown for many and they see them as something that can easily be fixed. 

Media's Portrayal of the Lesbian Identity Compared to Reality

A common misconception and stereotype surrounding the physical appearance of lesbians is that they are predominantly masculine, with a more butch body type and embody principally masculine mannerisms and characteristics. Granted, there are still numerous other variations in the physical appearance of lesbians, however the strong association between masculinity and lesbians still resides. But, somehow this widely accepted and typecast idea of their identity is solely prevalent only when discussed on a minuscule scale, while the images popular culture exemplifies display a polar opposite illustration of the lesbian sexuality, appearance, and identity. But in the end, said conflicting images are disappointingly never shown together in mass media. Thus, this separation of identities presents a vital issue and conflict because the only “normal” and “accepted” idea of what it means to be a lesbian, shown to the general public, propagates their identities as overwhelmingly and crucially feminine. In reality though, both of these principal lesbian identities work together, and this partnership should be exposed, accepted, and normalized giving every differing type of lesbian the equal merit they deserve. 

Seesaw Couples

This picture challenges the stereotype that in heterosexual marriages, women are the main caregivers of the children and men are the breadwinners. According to Hanna Rosin's book, "The End of Men", many professional couples are becoming “seesaw couples,” in which each spouse alters their role in response to family circumstances. These new forms of couples now try to make more practical decisions about who gets to be the wage earner at any given time. This effectively means that the term “breadwinner” will no longer be exclusively associated with the “man.” The most beneficial part of this arrangement is that theoretically, no one feels forced to stay in one role. Men don't feel trapped as breadwinners and women don’t feel trapped as homemakers.

How do you define beauty?

In the majority of advertisements the models are picked for “perfection.”  Their traits mirror those of “idealized beauty”:  blonde, sexy, tall, thin, white, and etc.  Embodying this “idealized beauty” is impossible, yet the pressures from society lead us to try.  We spend so much time striving to reach that point and no time appreciating ourselves and what makes us unique.

The photos I took are meant to challenge the idealized definition of beauty that we are presented with.  Why is blonde better than black? Why is tall better than short?  Why is thin better than curvy?  The answers are simple, one is not better than the other.  This is the mentality we need to move toward.  By tearing apart the image of “idealized beauty” we are able to see the distinctive characteristics of those that are hidden behind it.

Conforming

In today’s society we are led to believe that if you want to be a popular girl, you have to act like a popular girl. The typically popular girls are represented as pretty, confident, dumb and usually white and blonde. They mainly associate themselves with people that are like them (the popular crowd). Many young teenage girls feel pressured to be popular so they can fit in and be with the “cool kids.” To be popular you have to conform to the stereo type; which means not being who you really are and changing yourself.

Women At Work

This is a photo of my mother working and fixing my car; yes i said my mother. I know exactly what your thinking; why is your mom working on your car. This is a stereotypical image of women because the automotive field is typically dominated by men. Men definatley have hegemony over women in the mechanical field. If women work on cars there considered a lesbian or a tomboy; but my mother is neither. The automotive field defines masculinity and women are often not masculine, but feminine. I choose this picture because I am interested in cars and when I walk into a machanic shop all the mechanics are men. I also choose this because it breaks the norm and I have only heard of a couple instances throughout my life were women work on their own cars or have knowledege about cars. I want to know if women just don't have interest the automotive field or if they choose not to becuase they will get made fun of or criticized.

Basic Human Rights

   So I think of marriage as a basic human right that anyone should be able to engage in, unfortunately this is not the case.  Most people always focus on the couple but the truth is that it is not just the couple that is affected by the choice of marriage, this became a reality to me just recently.  This cartoon is a reenactment of something that just took place in my life, and if it wasn't for my parnters two kids being so vocal about their thoughts and feelings, I wouldn't have realized how our lack of right to marry affects them (MY KIDS).  The choice to Vote NO this fall wasn't just about marrying the love of my life but showing the kids that I acknowledge their love and support for our FAMILY.