Please view Ryan McKelley’s “Unmasking Masculinity: Helping Boys Become Connected Men” and be prepared to talk about this video on Wednesday, 9/10/2014.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
“Violence Against Women—It's a Men's Issue”
Jason Katz's “Violence Against Women—It's a Men's Issue”
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
"Trope Vs. Women": Violence against Women and Video Games
As we continue our discussion of representations of women in media, we turn to violence and exploitation perpetuated against women in video games. To prepare for class on Thursday, September 4th, please view and take notes on the following video from Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency. These videos are installments from her "Tropes vs. Women" series wherein she examines popular tropes or motifs centered around the representation of women in popular media.
I would like to note that these videos show graphic sexual and violent images which may be difficult to watch. You will be viewing graphic scenes from various video games through these Feminist Frequency videos and you may, if you so choose, skip ahead in the videos so as not to see some of these potentially disturbing images. We are viewing these videos which contain these graphic scenes purely for critical academic inquiry, so please bear that in mind while you watch and take notes.
I would like to note that these videos show graphic sexual and violent images which may be difficult to watch. You will be viewing graphic scenes from various video games through these Feminist Frequency videos and you may, if you so choose, skip ahead in the videos so as not to see some of these potentially disturbing images. We are viewing these videos which contain these graphic scenes purely for critical academic inquiry, so please bear that in mind while you watch and take notes.
The video below is not required but is recommended for viewing:
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The Bechdel Test and Representations of Women Onscreen
This week we will be exploring the ways in which women are represented onscreen in movies, televisions shows, video games, and advertising. We this exploration with what is now known as the Bechdel Test, a "test" often used and cited when examining representations of women in media. Named after graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, the Bechdel Test asks the following questions as a way to evaluate the quality of female representation in a film: does the movie have 1) more than two (named) women in it who 2)talk to each other 3)about something else other than a man? This "test" evolved from a comic strip by Alison Bechdel published in 1985 and it was meant to be a joke about the female representation onscreen.
Alison Bechdel's "The Rule" (1985)
Today, for many media and cultural critics the test remains a gauge with which to measure the level of participation female characters in film. One such media critic is Anita Sarkeesian, the creator of the website and video series Feminist Frequency. Through a series of educational on-line videos, Sarkeesian examines the ways in which various media from film to video games depict women onscreen. To prepare for the class discussion on Wednesday, September 3rd, please view the videos below and take notes on points the Sarkeesian makes women on film. Please come to class prepared to discuss these videos.