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A Transforming View of Women |
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 While watching Transformers 2, I was distributed by the differences between the first and the sequel. There was a level of violence in the first but the level of depicted death & violence was greater in the sequel. There was an implied level of sensuality in the first but an overt level of depicted sexuality in the sequel. The level of profanity in the PG-13 sequel made me wonder what level of language 13 years olds are accustomed to hearing or, even more frighting, using. The courage displayed by the heroin in the sequel was overshadowed by the sexual commodity she was cast as. The movie is but an example of the perceived respect and worth that women have in our society. There is a female speaker of the house but Lady GaGa probably has more influence. There are female heads of companies but Beyonce gets more press.
In spite of what many women would like to believe, the truth is often painful. The worth of women today, as depicted in the media, is that of an object to be, viewed, owned and enjoyed. The noise of this depiction is far louder than the sounds of strength, courage, tenacity, resilience and great intelligence that women have always possessed.
The greater concern deals with how these representations are effecting the minds of our youth, both girls and boys. How are our young boys going to view the women of their generation? Will they use the Lil Wayne narratives, “I'm the cashier, I change girls.”, “Ran into a Super Woman, turned her to a Super b----...”? How are our young girls going to view themselves as women.? Will they use the Shakira/Lil Wayne narrative from her song, “Give it Up to Me”
And she do what I say and I say what I mean
Then I give it to her uncut
Shakira, swing them hips like nun chucks
Now, give it to me
I want the best and the best things in life are free
[Shakira - Chorus]
You can have it all
Anything you want you can make it yours
Anything you want in the world...
The media narrative concerning women today is worse than the, “Barefoot and Pregnant” narrative of yesterday. To respect a woman in public was expected and in private assumed. To disavow that this misguided depiction of women is not effecting each and every girl and woman is a lesson in denial, “No woman is so much of an Island unto Herself that she is immune to a national perception.” Safety in ones House sill leaves Anarchy in the street.
This is a media narrative that boys/men agree with and girls/women are buying into. This narrative influences black, white, hispanic, all women, no matter what their race, color or creed. The effect that it has on the perception of women-of-color is international and exacerbated to a level greater than her counterparts. These girls/women, the world over, are being depicted as video rump shaking, hip gyrating, pole dancing commodities to be used for pleasure and profit.
For any woman to say she is not effected by these narratives, is like a man stating that the Glass-Ceiling is just a figment of the feminine imagination.
Women are being seen as objects before they are considered as individual, property before person, and commodity before intellect. Denial is an invisible veil that smothers an individual, a gender, a race or a nation. To live in denial is to exist in self inflicted ignorance with no hope of escape.
Someone will always present the narrative, the question is who. A narrative is always presented in a way that benefits the story teller, often with a disregard for what is moral, wholesome or true.
The question for women is, “Who is in control of your Story????”
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