I originally wrote this in reply to a comment made about http://www.videosift.com/video/Dita-Von-Teese-New-Orleans-Burlesque-StripTease-Performance because the video annoys me and I got all uppity about it.
People think that feminism is outdated and irrelevant today. I'm really sad about this.
I love men. Men, this is NOT an attack on you. I think you're wonderful people. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated by women just as much as they are by men. I just want to point a few things out to you, so I compiled this list for you in the hope that it will illustrate to you some of the reasons that I am a feminist.
Most people see the world through the eyes of a man and they don't even know it. This is called the Male Gaze. REMEMBER THAT TERM AS YOU READ. Men look, women are looked upon.
Now let's take a look at the Sift, say, Top Sifts of all time. Now, I understand that most of the people with videosift accounts are male and that the comments reflect that. It's understandable.
1. A very talented MAN playing the ukelele
2. Two talented BOYS' well-made lightsaber video
3. Autistic BOY being awesome at a b-ball game
4. Talented MALE robot dancer
5. Prairie Dog, generally accepted as MALE. Thus: Drama KING
6. Very clever rant about Pachebel. Again, a talented and clever MAN.
7. FINALLY, an intelligent WOMAN with integrity. But, wait! She's also very beautiful. Do you think this would be the #7 sift if she hadn't been so gorgeous? I don't think so. Listen to some of the comments:
"Plus, uhmm - she's like a hot Christiane Amanpour. But I like her integrity too."
"She's 40% Kylie Minogue and 60% Naomi Watts."
"...Plus, shes hot."
"Is there anything better than a hot, articulate, angry blonde ... I don't think so."
"Lara Logan is hot. Not only is she drop dead pretty, she is smart, she has an acerbic tongue and she tells the truth. Lately, she has been wearing tight tops with a push-up bra that really make her tits looks great. More Iraq stories, please............"
"shes hot and reaaaaaaly intelligent..."
"I want this woman to have my children."
"Lara Logan, will you marry me?"
I give major props to the guys of videosift for focusing FAR MORE on her integrity, intelligence, and how articulate she is. I'm not being sarcastic. They really were very good about that. But I really, really think that a lot of those votes had everything to do with the COMBINATION of brains and looks. If this had been an ugly woman, it would not have received NEARLY as many votes, I'd bet you anything. Moving on.
8. Awesome commercial. The Wind is a tall MAN doing funny things. Love this sift.
9. Drug spiders. MALE spiders? (Mr. Crack Spider, etc.), Male narrator.
10. Quantum Physics narrated and explained by a MALE scientist.
11. Clever prank, talented FEMALES, MALE narrator. (Yay!) All old/overweight women are the ones being tricked, all beautiful and young females are the tricksters. Some sample comments:
"...also, they were hot."
"Those twins could prank me in the bathroom anytime."
"Twin hot German chicks in a bathroom is guaranteed to make #1."
Again, the majority of the comments had nothing to do with the way the girls looked, but on the prank itself. Cool. Good job, people. Moving on.
12. Jon Stewart (MAN) being funny and clever and awesome.
13. A beautiful GIRL with a great bod doing something pretty cool. Comments:
"She can spin on my escalator any day she likes."
"This is cool and I think it's pure science. For example, it would be interesting also to rub her down in various oils and see how it affects the results. Or underwear versus no underwear for example. What would happen?"
"She's a hottie."
"oh and this is *nature too because humans are part of nature.
and *sexuality because those tight jeans make her look sexy to me."
"I predict a chubby girl stuck between the glass railings of a shopping mall escalator near you."
"Indeed, perhaps she will leave a trail of freshly erected posts behind her as she spins her way from town to town."
"I suspect she already left a trail of freshly erected posts, both at the original venue and among some of the male sift viewers judging by the comments."
"Videosift seems to have an immense fondness for rotating women."
"You males are all full of bull putty. If this was a 15 year old pimply faced fella doing this it have about 20 votes and an eia tag immediately."
14. Dolphins blowing bubbles
15. Cool music video. MALE vocals, MALE hands.
Okay, 3/15. At least we're doing better than the movies.
Here is a list of the top 40 box-office movies of all time. I have pointed out the gender of the protagonist.
Titanic (1997)- Male
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Male
Shrek 2 (2004) - Male
E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)- Male
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Male
Spider-Man (2002) - Male
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)- Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)- Male
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - Male
The Passion of the Christ (2004)- Male
Jurassic Park (1993) - Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)- Male
Finding Nemo (2003) - Male
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Male
Forrest Gump (1994) - Male
The Lion King (1994)- Male
Shrek the Third (2007) - Male
Transformers (2007) - Male
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) - Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) -
Male
Iron Man (2008) - Male
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - Male
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) - Male
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) -
Male
Independence Day (1996) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
(2003) - Male
The Sixth Sense (1999) - Male
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - Male
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe (2005) One could argue that Males/Femalse share the protagonist spot! WOOHOO!!
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Male
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - Male
Home Alone (1990) - Male
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - Male
Meet the Fockers (2004) - Male
Shrek (2001) - Male
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Male
The Incredibles (2004) - Male
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - Male
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. WOW! Women SHARE the starring role in 1/40. NOT BAD!
Any questions?
Fun link courtesy of Mundanest:
http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/04/10/two-female-leads/
People think that feminism is outdated and irrelevant today. I'm really sad about this.
I love men. Men, this is NOT an attack on you. I think you're wonderful people. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated by women just as much as they are by men. I just want to point a few things out to you, so I compiled this list for you in the hope that it will illustrate to you some of the reasons that I am a feminist.
Most people see the world through the eyes of a man and they don't even know it. This is called the Male Gaze. REMEMBER THAT TERM AS YOU READ. Men look, women are looked upon.
Now let's take a look at the Sift, say, Top Sifts of all time. Now, I understand that most of the people with videosift accounts are male and that the comments reflect that. It's understandable.
1. A very talented MAN playing the ukelele
2. Two talented BOYS' well-made lightsaber video
3. Autistic BOY being awesome at a b-ball game
4. Talented MALE robot dancer
5. Prairie Dog, generally accepted as MALE. Thus: Drama KING
6. Very clever rant about Pachebel. Again, a talented and clever MAN.
7. FINALLY, an intelligent WOMAN with integrity. But, wait! She's also very beautiful. Do you think this would be the #7 sift if she hadn't been so gorgeous? I don't think so. Listen to some of the comments:
"Plus, uhmm - she's like a hot Christiane Amanpour. But I like her integrity too."
"She's 40% Kylie Minogue and 60% Naomi Watts."
"...Plus, shes hot."
"Is there anything better than a hot, articulate, angry blonde ... I don't think so."
"Lara Logan is hot. Not only is she drop dead pretty, she is smart, she has an acerbic tongue and she tells the truth. Lately, she has been wearing tight tops with a push-up bra that really make her tits looks great. More Iraq stories, please............"
"shes hot and reaaaaaaly intelligent..."
"I want this woman to have my children."
"Lara Logan, will you marry me?"
I give major props to the guys of videosift for focusing FAR MORE on her integrity, intelligence, and how articulate she is. I'm not being sarcastic. They really were very good about that. But I really, really think that a lot of those votes had everything to do with the COMBINATION of brains and looks. If this had been an ugly woman, it would not have received NEARLY as many votes, I'd bet you anything. Moving on.
8. Awesome commercial. The Wind is a tall MAN doing funny things. Love this sift.
9. Drug spiders. MALE spiders? (Mr. Crack Spider, etc.), Male narrator.
10. Quantum Physics narrated and explained by a MALE scientist.
11. Clever prank, talented FEMALES, MALE narrator. (Yay!) All old/overweight women are the ones being tricked, all beautiful and young females are the tricksters. Some sample comments:
"...also, they were hot."
"Those twins could prank me in the bathroom anytime."
"Twin hot German chicks in a bathroom is guaranteed to make #1."
Again, the majority of the comments had nothing to do with the way the girls looked, but on the prank itself. Cool. Good job, people. Moving on.
12. Jon Stewart (MAN) being funny and clever and awesome.
13. A beautiful GIRL with a great bod doing something pretty cool. Comments:
"She can spin on my escalator any day she likes."
"This is cool and I think it's pure science. For example, it would be interesting also to rub her down in various oils and see how it affects the results. Or underwear versus no underwear for example. What would happen?"
"She's a hottie."
"oh and this is *nature too because humans are part of nature.
and *sexuality because those tight jeans make her look sexy to me."
"I predict a chubby girl stuck between the glass railings of a shopping mall escalator near you."
"Indeed, perhaps she will leave a trail of freshly erected posts behind her as she spins her way from town to town."
"I suspect she already left a trail of freshly erected posts, both at the original venue and among some of the male sift viewers judging by the comments."
"Videosift seems to have an immense fondness for rotating women."
"You males are all full of bull putty. If this was a 15 year old pimply faced fella doing this it have about 20 votes and an eia tag immediately."
14. Dolphins blowing bubbles
15. Cool music video. MALE vocals, MALE hands.
Okay, 3/15. At least we're doing better than the movies.
Here is a list of the top 40 box-office movies of all time. I have pointed out the gender of the protagonist.
Titanic (1997)- Male
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Male
Shrek 2 (2004) - Male
E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)- Male
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Male
Spider-Man (2002) - Male
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)- Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)- Male
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - Male
The Passion of the Christ (2004)- Male
Jurassic Park (1993) - Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)- Male
Finding Nemo (2003) - Male
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Male
Forrest Gump (1994) - Male
The Lion King (1994)- Male
Shrek the Third (2007) - Male
Transformers (2007) - Male
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) - Male
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) -
Male
Iron Man (2008) - Male
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) - Male
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) - Male
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) -
Male
Independence Day (1996) - Male
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
(2003) - Male
The Sixth Sense (1999) - Male
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - Male
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe (2005) One could argue that Males/Femalse share the protagonist spot! WOOHOO!!
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Male
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) - Male
Home Alone (1990) - Male
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - Male
Meet the Fockers (2004) - Male
Shrek (2001) - Male
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Male
The Incredibles (2004) - Male
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - Male
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. WOW! Women SHARE the starring role in 1/40. NOT BAD!
Any questions?
Fun link courtesy of Mundanest:
http://blag.xkcd.com/2008/04/10/two-female-leads/
Crosswords - mundanest - Bleedingsnowman - Farhad2000 - rychan - UsesProzac ....
all these guys think yer hot, or else kinna cute inna, "what can I say to help this damsel in distress" sorta way......
now, lemme go read yer,
*long-winded diatribe.....
That's it. I'm going to change my picture to one of a dog or something.
And yes, it is a long-winded diatribe. Sorry.
Mu>> ^mundanest:
Randall Munroe of XKCD, had a post breaking down the 2 leads of the top 20 movies in recent years. since 2004 only the Devil Wares Prada and Scary Movie 4. Had two female leads.
Best definition I can come up with, based on all the bullshit extant on the subject from all manner of damaged goods, well-wishers, and hopeful humans.....
It is input, process, and response that serves to create the word and world kiddies, the response, and subsequent process as well, and for as many perceptions of what the term "feminist" means to as many people, you here rant for all to read .....It's meant different things throughout time and history to many cultures, and in more readily accessible ways, too (unbridled public sexual intercourse, multiple mates, etc.)
Feminism to choggie, is the realization that women are the great balance and stability afforded to the species, and are half of everything males are with regard to self and place i.e. genetics/... and in the current paradigm of strong over weak, helper over helpless, some asshole fucked everything up by deciding their way, was the way to steer the course of what became the eventual unconscious impulse, which drives us in the direction of all this woe-is-everybodyism that seems to be some common vibe.....OR?? Males have an impulse which can't be stifled for the sake of the entire species, and some use more playful language in public forums than others care to....KNOW your territory, and navigate accordingly... Suggestings more sex for everybody, and heroic amounts of not-working, sleeping late, (this is a checklist fellas) over-eating, and all manner of similar debaucheries...life is short, don't stay pissed-off for too long, yer tits will fall off-uhhhh, guys have titties too, so semantics be damned, thank you for letting me bitch....
I definitely don't have the feminist chops to argue with you on feminist grounds, so I'm going to comment here as a place holder. But I'll ask you this: I know that there are different schools of thought when it comes to feminism, and your position strikes me as being particularly extreme. Do you at least acknowledge that there exist those who call themselves feminists who are pro-pornography?
As I said, I'm not "feminist enough" to argue with you on those grounds, but I do consider myself feminist. Actually, I consider myself humanist, that is: I believe that people should be free to their own self-determination.
As for the media being fucked up, well shit- everybody knows that. The movies aren't like real life? Holy fuck, somebody get a news crew over here. This is the first time anybody has ever noticed that movies and television weren't exactly like real life. Wow.
I SUGGEST YOU READ THIS, TROLL.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/377051/What-is-the-Monkeysphere
It's pretty simple if it's tl;dr for you. People rarely give a shit about people they don't know. It's a limitation of our brains. For you to be fighting the great fight and making people aware of feminism, you're really only doing it to make yourself and your friends happy. It relates to your experiences, or it wouldn't be an issue to you. So in fact the reason you are sitting here blabbing all over the sift about how this world is run by guys, when you have it pretty damn good considering your great grandmothers were alive to make babies and clean/cook. If you find injustice in the world, go take actions instead of sitting here posting on the internet with your filter-enhanced image, telling everyone that their way of doing things is wrong. Complaining never does any good.
You need to have sexuality to be normal. Sexuality a basic process of emotional fulfillment and the basic need to want to be immortal by passing your genes to a child. Even my girl (karkarlee) enjoys the female body in it's truest form. A work of art. Women enjoy women, men enjoy women. If you don't like it, go live on an island by yourself. You can call it "The Island Lesbos"
As for the male leads in movies, and lack of female leads, I have one simple answer. It's the media. Never trust the media, they try to tell you how to think. If you want to sit here and call us men on this site sexist, maybe you should take a look about how you're judging the men on this site as a whole and using stereotypes to argue your point.
http://www.videosift.com/video/INSANE-satanic-death-metal-music-video-NSFW
http://www.videosift.com/video/Kaiser-Chiefs-I-Predict-a-Riot
If you're looking for sudden, automatic respect then look somewhere else. These dipshits put me through hell when I first tried getting my bearings around this place and I still barely have more respect than a church mouse. You can look at some of our former conversations as proof.
If you want equal respect then keep doing what you're doing, get more girls on the sift, band together with the other matriarchs.
In general , the internet forums are a boys club, not by bias but by circumstance.
Also guys will never be ashamed of being guys. We will hoot an holler.
Get more hooters and hollers on your side. No pun intended, seriously, that sounded really bad.
While there are women who strive to be the leaders in their profession and achieve something for themselves, there is a large segment of the female population that is quite alright with fitting in the stereotype of being female, of dressing up, of being sexy, of being chased, screeching when they see a mouse and looking for a big strong man. There is a entire industry centered around this. This is a standard that has been psychologically upheld by society as a whole, and women themselves. Something I see alot in the society where I live, the Arab world, very few girls try hard here because why should they? They are going to marry a Arabian Istallion and have kids and shop in Gucci and Versace. They are perfectly happy in that role.
I think some of that is social, some of it is psychological from media exposure, the barbie dolls, the princess stories and so on that build up a psychological outlook that some connect with and accept as their own and some reject.
For example look at someone like Ayn Rand.
I talked to a lot of medical students, some of them were female, most of them were heading to OBYGN and pediatrics, both deal with kids and children. They choose to do so. You will hardly find many women in the role of surgeon for example. Is this discrimination?
Back in University I had a chance to befriend a woman in her 50s who was doing adult education, she looked and acted alot like a man. Probing her previous profession she told me she was a construction foreman. She explained that for co workers and clients to take her seriously she had to adopt a hard exterior, or else no one would have obeyed her as a boss or took her seriously managerially. But she had no quams about this, she said certain businesses require male standpoint, not to mean the sex but the qualities, hard, aggressive and stubborn.
Look at how Hillary Clinton tried to meld her campaign, did it pay for her to play on her female side? did it pay for her to become more manly? Then look at someone like Margaret Thatcher. She was asexual as far as am concerned in her politics.
The equality of sexes has been reached, and there has been large progress since the 1800s and the suffrage movement. Women have the right to vote, work, enter politics, and professional occupations. There is still inequality when it comes to pay scale but I believe this is balancing out now in the world economy because administration and business is gender neutral most of the time. Results are far more important.
But does it mean the higher echelons of power are male dominated? Not at all. Germany, Bangladesh, US and many other nations have females who reached high levels of power. There is an abundance of strong female role models.
With regards to the comments on this website, this is the internet the demographic of this website is in the 18-25 range most are students, many are lonely introverted types. Most are male, some are here before or after being to a porn site. This goes a long way to describe the "Omfg shes hot" type of comments.
With regards to cinema and the like, its business. Its marketing and demographics, one shouldn't read too much into it.
The problem Hollywood has with creating female heroes is that they work on base levels so they push a hard women, which is psychologically constructed in such a way as being Bitchy. This is frankly because people in Hollywood think on those levels, they never deal in complicated characters. They need standardized themes, of conflict, and love and very often a strange sex scene where you didn't expect one.
Take the example of Lara Croft that was made into two films. The video game portrayed her as a smart intelligent royal who did tomb raids. Instead of vividly exploring this, by way of Batman orgins where she say fell into a cave and explored and developed into a tom boy and found a ancient dagger or something, they instead went simply with telling the audience that she is that way because her daddy was like that. Because Hollywood producers are idiots and they are desperately trying to connect and hit that 15-20 year demographic that needs to see a tit.
Are you looking for fewer incidental obnoxious comments by males about females? More sifted videos with girls? Just altogether incensed by the general tone of the messages in the Burlesque sift thread? (Admittedly, I stopped reading those about halfway in)
I'm really not altogether sure what the fuss is about here?
Are you looking for fewer incidental obnoxious comments by males about females? More sifted videos with girls? Just altogether incensed by the general tone of the messages in the Burlesque sift thread? (Admittedly, I stopped reading those about halfway in)
IMO she just wants something to bitch about. *shrugs*
(Notice the link to this sift talk. I found it offensive in my own right. http://terrible.videosift.com/talk/This-is-why-Im-a-feminist-Sad-sad-sad )
To a large degree I think Farhad is right - much of the over-representation of males and attracive females is a larger sociological thing - but that doesn't make it right.
Men are very visually stimulated. A video of an angry Lara Logan makes us hot - we can't help it. And having this emotion, we're likely to express that in a comment thread.
I would like to make VideoSift more welcoming and comfortable for females. I like women and I don't want VideoSift to be a lopsided gender mutant sausage fest.
Any ideas on how to accomplish this?
Finally, I'll give a word of advice. If you want to point out how wrong our world is because it is run by men, by all means, do so. But don't sit here and blame a casual internet viewer of videos of being sexist, because that's not where the problem lies. Most people on this site are above average intelligence. It's like that for a reason. Give us the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming everyone here is an asshole for objectifying women, and give us the right to speak our minds. "That chick is hot." Is a completely acceptable reply to the viewing of a beautiful female body. By ANY gender.
This is an interesting discussion - and I agree with the main thrust of your argument. Women are under-represented here and sometimes the threads read like an all guy fishing trip. Minus the farts and beer.
Ohhh. Well, if this is what it's all about - I can understand. Perhaps I'm rather desensitized - some people can be, and are, quite frequently taxing to put up with on the interwebs for the whole gamut of reasons, sometimes least of all sexism! There is nothing much to do about the demographic of the sift or the videos it results in save for trying to change it. tell your family, your friends, that sort of thing? Personally I find a lot here I do like and just disregard that which disinterests me, I don't see why what content other people tend to like on any side of the gender fence should become some sort of an issue.
Me, I just let my eyes glaze over and move on when there is dorkery in progress.
Harry Potter may be the protagonist of his books and movies, but his creator is a female billionaire. The world is changing.
I believe in equality between men and women just as much as you do. As I see it, equality isn't just about being able to do the same exact things. People are unique. Broadly, men and women, function differently emotionally as well as physically. It's something that I find absolutely fascinating and it always makes me sad when someone can't understand that while men and women can be equal, the complexities of that equality reach far deeper than a list of who what when where why. Both genders are unappreciated by each other. Even more sadly, people are unappreciated for things they do that are either subtle or against gender roles.
Our society might make women objects, but men aren't anything more. A man has to be strong, tall, rugged, handsome, has to support his family with acceptable work, can't be gay - and has to prove his heterosexuality, has to succeed in subjects such as math and science, be caring - despite all the emotional repression, etc etc. Why does this sound so old, so traditional and behind the times? Unfortunately, it isn't.
On the net it's easy to see men as nothing more than the comments they say. 'Oh, he's such a shallow bastard!' How is that, in any way, fair to a man? Women, having had their fight to equality, don't realize that they can stop fighting now. It's gone too far. A man can't bitch at a woman for commenting on the hotness of another man, it'd make him horrible and repressing. A woman can tell a man he's disgusting and shallow for looking at porn, and it makes her strong and independent. Feminism is about equality, not about women. Why should women get more rights than men just because they're supposedly suppressed? If someone is human, then they hurt. They feel pain. Imagine not being able to express your pain, having to be strong, being misunderstood and unloved for your anger that's there because you aren't allowed to express yourself. Can you imagine that? Have you ever had a really bad day where you tore everyone apart, people you cared about, because you were upset but didn't feel it was in your place? Did you know while it was happening, what it was that you were doing - hurting others, but not being able to get passed it? Imagine feeling like that every single time you get upset. Even worse, imagine not being able to express yourself when it comes to beauty. Men are fascinated by women, attracted to them in ways that are far more than sexual. Women are mysterious and beautiful to them. But they get punished for saying such, they're shallow for it.
What can you expect from a guy if he gets the anonymity he needs to be able to say whatever he wants? I bet it's a thrill for them to be able to joke about how hot a chick is, in public and not having to be careful around the women that they'd hurt with such a comment. What can you expect from a man that isn't allowed to cry, is pressured to make the money and keep the woman that doesn't bother to understand him satisfied? I've been around so many little boys that were just.. true gems of humanity, that were punished by their parents for liking things they shouldn't. 'No, don't go picking the flowers. Yes they're pretty, but that's what girls do. Your sister can pick them for mommy. You have to be a big boy now, go play with your trucks.' Little girls get the same treatment, but not to as harsh of a degree. A girl that can count in her head and run just as fast as the boys is rewarded for her behavior. A boy can't be interested in certain colors, but girls can like all of them. Women can have pretty much any job and be considered a strong, working woman. A man can't sew, or make certain types of music, work as a florist. He's seen as gay generally, or in some way less of a man, if he does. Is this right?
When it comes to porn.. I used to have a lot of trouble with my guy watching that. I saw it as him not wanting me, that I wasn't satisfying sexually. But as you said, women in porn are nothing but objects. That's what porn is for. There is nothing in mainstream porn that tries to make a viewer love the people within the video. It's about the raw, instinctual response to sex. There aren't supposed to be any emotions around it. It doesn't make the man want you any less, or see you as an object, unless there are other, REAL problems in the relationship. Porn makes us time between me and my guy more special, and there's nothing keeping me from sharing it with him. We can enjoy our sexuality
I find a lot of beauty in the female body. Added to the unique qualities of every single woman, emotionally and physically, and you've got billions of masterpieces all over the world. While some might be more famous, or more symmetrical and therefore aesthetically attractive, every single woman on the world supports and wields more power than she or anyone, really, will be aware of. When the power is realized it's used for negative things a lot of the time ( seducing to get what she wants, like money, for example ) but it can be used for good just as much. But while women have a lot of power, men have just as much in ways that they won't reach because of their required roles in society.
If you've ever had a problem with a guy over porn, then it's a misunderstanding. If you don't want to be open about a guy's feelings regarding porn, if you're that strongly against it, then it'd be best if you added that to the first date convo. 'I don't accept porn.' Eventually you'll get a guy that agrees with you - yes there are guys out there that don't enjoy porn. Stereotypes are nothing more than a generalization.. Men can be wonderful and women can be horrible and disgusting.
Men and women are equal. Equally surpressed. The best way to get around that is to just love yourself, appreciate you for who YOU are. Not for what you're supposed to be because you're a chick. If you can really and truly do that to yourself, then you should be able to see the true beauty in others, and leave these stereotypes behind. Guys are just as repressed.. And worse yet they're not allowed to talk about it.
I hope something I've said has reached you.. I'm sorry that you have to feel all this anger and that these posts are probably just upsetting you more. Like Obsidianfire said, monkey sphere.
I would like to make VideoSift more welcoming and comfortable for females. I like women and I don't want VideoSift to be a lopsided gender mutant sausage fest.
Any ideas on how to accomplish this?
Maybe theme weeks that emphasise certain tags and channels could be a good start?
Woman CAN NOT be objectified without becoming objects. Pr0n "actresses" are objects of desire. Yes. That is THEIR choosing.
And really? Complaining about the top videos because they're all male? Sift more awesome clips with women. It's not that hard. I can run through your list and tell you which ones would have just as many votes if they were of a female:
1. A very talented MAN playing the ukelele.Doesn't count - those votes were all cronies. I've ben tempted to just discard it.
2. Two talented BOYS' well-made lightsaber video. Yup. If it were girls, it would have had the same. Thing is, you don't see many uber-geek girls, do you?
3. Autistic BOY being awesome at a b-ball game It's not the fact he has wedding tackle that made this video great, it's that he triumphed through his autism
4. Talented MALE robot dancer Again, it got the votes because it was really cool to see, not because he's got a banana and kiwis.
5. Prairie Dog, generally accepted as MALE. Thus: Drama KING I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't check for a prairie pecker before I clicked upvote.
6. Very clever rant about Pachebel. Again, a talented and clever MAN. What's that first adjective? And then the second? Those would be the reasons for the votes, not his twig and berries.
7. FINALLY, an intelligent WOMAN with integrity. What can I say? I like getting my bad news from someone that's easy on the eyes..
8. Awesome commercial. The Wind is a tall MAN doing funny things. Love this sift. I got nothin'
9. Drug spiders. MALE spiders? (Mr. Crack Spider, etc.), Male narrator. If they had made the crack spider a crack spideretts, I'm sure feminists would be pissed about that instead. Gender of the narrator does not make a difference. The script was the humor.
10. Quantum Physics narrated and explained by a MALE scientist.Maybe you want to get a degree in quantum physics and deliver that same speech? NO ONE watched that video and said "oh, I LOVE that Captain Q guy!" - No, they loved the explanation.
11. Clever prank, talented FEMALES, MALE narrator. (Yay!) All old/overweight women are the ones being tricked, all beautiful and young females are the tricksters. Oh come on. Are you really suggesting that they only let fat old women into that washroom? And are you forgetting about the guy? "No! You can't go in there! You're too hot to be pranked!" I think not.
12. Jon Stewart (MAN) being funny and clever and awesome. Again, the three adjectives?
13. A beautiful GIRL with a great bod doing something pretty cool. I would bet that at least 85% of the votes were received because of the comical novelty of the act.
14. Dolphins blowing bubbles
15. Cool music video. MALE vocals, MALE hands. Again, are you telling me that people only voted after they looked and made sure they could see hair on the arms? I sincerely doubt it.
The lesson here is that you could see shit anywhere you look for it. That doesn't mean it's true.
Some time ago I found this an interesting clip to discuss, still needs some follow up..so what do you think?
http://www.videosift.com/video/Top-Gear-Boobies
When discussing feminism the masculist perspective also needs to be considered, even though a bigger focus on feminism is often justified these days.
Other interesting examples:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Ghahr-o-ashtee-by-Shaghayegh
http://www.videosift.com/video/Awkward-Meg-Ryan-interview-by-Michael-Parkinson
When we named our top film directors there happened to be no women included (also has to do with the art form)..I tried to find some, but apart from Jane Campion I personally could not find other candidates:
http://cinema.videosift.com/talk/Top-5-Directors#comment-355936
In general in the world of ideas there's an underrepresentation of women, despite opportunities for women to bring out their ideas.
There are so many ways of looking at gender. It's difficult to give clear cut answers..
I'd just like to point out that Titanic has both a male and female lead protagonist.
And ships are always female...
I really hope you're an atheist, because this would be fucking awesome for telling you "You want to see why males are the way we are?"
http://www.videosift.com/video/Orangutan-Sexual-Terrorist
I'm pretty sure I understand where you're coming from, and I respect that. I also respect that you put yourself out there by posting this article in the first place. Even if it makes many defensive, you still made people think. That's better than most the stuff I read on the internet these days.
A rule of thumb I try to follow for posting a comment anywhere on the internet is this: If I were to go to work and say out loud what I wrote here, would I possibly get into trouble? I'm not talking about my occasional use of profanity, but would I make a remark that could be construed as disrespectful to females, a minority, or the handicapped, or what have you? I do my best to avoid making those kinds of comments, though I know I've screwed up on more than one occasion. I don't want this place to turn into a locker room, but maybe you feel it already has become that way or that it is becoming that way, and so you feel compelled to attempt to reverse the trend. I can definitely respect that.
As far as women in film, music, news, etc. are concerned, I think Farhad addressed that issue quite well. All I can add is that the news and entertainment industries are still largely run by males, so that's why we largely see males in movies, music, and the news. Hopefully that will change (slowly but surely) over time. In the mean time I can say that I LOVE listening to great female vocals in music, and I've told several people here that already. It's not at all a sexual thing; I just really appreciate the sound a good female voice can create. Not that one man's taste is going to change the world, but I think we've seen an increase in successful female musicians over the years, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. That's got to count for something.
I know several women have already weighed in on this discussion, but I'm hoping to hear from more. Again, thanks for taking the time to share your opinions.
Fork! What the hell is that I wrote all rambly'...sheeeesh!(sake)
hehehe MG, bananas and kiwis.....
Girl POwer!!!
http://www.videosift.com/video/Dita-Von-Teese-New-Orleans-Burlesque-StripTease-Performance#comment-464035
The lesson here is that you could see shit anywhere you look for it. That doesn't mean it's true.
I am a woman. I am a lover, a mother, and I am a hedonist. I love the quote above.
You make your reality.
If you like having a victim mentality, you will see all this shit.
It IS a choice. Seriously.
There won't be any "banding together" with this female (me), because I am "causeless"...just enjoying my life and all the variety therein. Good and Bad.
I hope you get there, too because you're a smart girl and could really be enjoying your life.
Like choggie said, don't stay pissed off for too long!
"Shut up and show me your boobies."
I've got a girlfriend that I treat fairly and equally to me. I don't have to prove shit to you people on the internet.
Women, the same goes for you...
I like women and I don't want VideoSift to be a lopsided gender mutant sausage fest.
Any ideas on how to accomplish this?
Honestly, I've got nothing. It already is a sausage fest. I am more than willing to give you a list of problems I have with the site, though.
1) The way of judging whether or not a video stays is if you, a MAN, get an erection after watching. When was the last time a woman's perspective was taken into consideration? Never. Chances are women either feel objectified or get irritated for whatever reason watching a video like the one that prompted this post. I know I did. But because someone with a vagina posted it and the rest of the boys like it, it won't be removed. The thumbnail blares her breasts across the front page (or did for several hours yesterday), forcing me to not visit the front page at all either at work or at home, because I don't want my boss or my parents walking over and seeing that, and yet no one has felt the need to change it. If I could, I would.
2) Go take a look at some of the comments thepinky listed earlier, or any comments on a video where the woman is hot, or a stripper, or that stupid Wii Fit video... any of them. That is another reason I've grown to dislike the Sift. I joined for the discussion, not for the videos. I don't have a working TV in my house. I have never gone to see a movie in theaters that I have paid for, and the only DVDs I own were gifts. Do I give a shit about the videos? As a general rule, no. If I see something that I feel objectifies women, yes. But the discussion - is there anything to discuss with a bunch of pigs? No. Form intelligent discussion, please.
3) Sausage fests promote and encourage nasty man behavior - something that would never be acceptable at home. For all the men who watched and voted for that video, how do you think your girlfriend would feel if she came home and saw you watching some other woman's breasts bouncing around your screen? I'll tell you. Pissed. Irritated. Livid. Betrayed. Hurt. Just because it doesn't give you a raging erection doesn't mean it's not porn, or that it is in the least bit acceptable.
I wouldn't complain if everything with the NSFW tag that wasn't tagged that way because of language was taken off the Sift. Those stupid videos have caused enough problems in my personal life.
>> ^dag:
I like women and I don't want VideoSift to be a lopsided gender mutant sausage fest.
Any ideas on how to accomplish this?
Honestly, I've got nothing. It already is a sausage fest. I am more than willing to give you a list of problems I have with the site, though.
1) The way of judging whether or not a video stays is if you, a MAN, get an erection after watching. When was the last time a woman's perspective was taken into consideration? Never. Chances are women either feel objectified or get irritated for whatever reason watching a video like the one that prompted this post. I know I did. But because someone with a vagina posted it and the rest of the boys like it, it won't be removed. The thumbnail blares her breasts across the front page (or did for several hours yesterday), forcing me to not visit the front page at all either at work or at home, because I don't want my boss or my parents walking over and seeing that, and yet no one has felt the need to change it. If I could, I would.
K0MMIE's RESPONSE: You feel the human body is a shameful, and sexual activity should be repressed. Sorry we men like talking about our feelings, even if those feelings are carnal.
2) Go take a look at some of the comments thepinky listed earlier, or any comments on a video where the woman is hot, or a stripper, or that stupid Wii Fit video... any of them. That is another reason I've grown to dislike the Sift. I joined for the discussion, not for the videos. I don't have a working TV in my house. I have never gone to see a movie in theaters that I have paid for, and the only DVDs I own were gifts. Do I give a shit about the videos? As a general rule, no. If I see something that I feel objectifies women, yes. But the discussion - is there anything to discuss with a bunch of pigs? No. Form intelligent discussion, please.
K0MMIE's RESPONSE: Anything to discuss with a bunch of pigs? I'm a pig now? At least we get out of the house a bit. I guess I have nothing in common with a crazy cat lady who has a bad case of cabin fever.
3) Sausage fests promote and encourage nasty man behavior - something that would never be acceptable at home. For all the men who watched and voted for that video, how do you think your girlfriend would feel if she came home and saw you watching some other woman's breasts bouncing around your screen? I'll tell you. Pissed. Irritated. Livid. Betrayed. Hurt. Just because it doesn't give you a raging erection doesn't mean it's not porn, or that it is in the least bit acceptable.
K0MMIE's RESPONSE: See, again you're assuming our better half's are sexually repressed and terrified of their own naked body. Mine's not. None of my friends are either. My gf saw the thumbnail, watched the video, and enjoyed it. Don't assume everyone has your values, and we should be judged by them as well. This is the internet, and until some politician decides otherwise, you're gonna get ALL our opinions, not just the ones that you think are worth hearing.
I wouldn't complain if everything with the NSFW tag that wasn't tagged that way because of language was taken off the Sift. Those stupid videos have caused enough problems in my personal life.
K0MMIE's RESPONSE:The fact that a video on a fucking web site has caused you personal life problems, says it all. Turn of the glow box with the klik-klak keys, and do something else.
The 100 People Who Made The Millennium
What, no Babe Ruth? How, ask you, could a list of millennium's most important people not include the Sultan of Swat? Plenty of other monarchs failed to make the lineup as well. To get on this team, a person had to change more than just a corner of the world-he or she had to divert the great stream of human history, alter our perceptions perceptibly. A runner edged out Ruth (and Jackie Robinson) by setting a new standard for any owner on two legs. You'll find his name at No. 92 on the following list, which ranks the honorees by importance. Many names will be familiar from the events section, but not all. A few-Watt, Koch, Gutenberg-appear there but not here. Some of history's paramount figures are remembered more for a single accomplishment (such as ushering in the age of print) than for the force of their personalities. Though the actions of the individuals who made the list affected all kinds of people, they are an overwhelmingly male, pale bunch. All but 17 are of European extraction; only ten are women. This reflects not the biases of LIFE's editors and expert advisers but the sociopolitical realities of the past thousand years. For most of that time, as Virginia Woolf noted, women have served largely as "looking-glasses...reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size." Likewise, the millennium's most conspicuous historical movement has been the rise of the West-which means Westerners often borrowing ideas and technology from other peoples, have done a disproportionate amount of global moving and shaking. The next millennium's list of planet-rattlers promises to look strikingly different.
LIFE magazine
http://www.tostepharmd.net/hissoc/top100people.html
I included this in the discussion because I consider it to both vital and relevant. Also, it's from a kick ass book(The 100 Most Important Events & People of the Past 1,000 Years), one of my favorites.
I also feel this is relevant to the discussion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dichotomy
The truth is, humans prey on other humans in the society we live in, it gets worse, as the breakdown of society becomes more glaringly apparent, relative to the leadership, and the complacency and dumbing-down of the subjects. People have always had free will, few exercise it or are capable. We are reaching another transition/Armageddon(figuratively speaking) stage in world societies, and these are some of the signs: Violence, self-servitude, Nihilism, self-abuse, and unconcern for one's fellow man, to the point of self-extinction(the folks who want the world to themselves, want it however they can get it)
I understand the phenom, that from one's process and exposure extant in any individual's life, through their unique filter, the world becomes what they want, or think it should be-There are talente