Deconstructing Woman

Feminists have long bemoaned the fact that the video game industry all but ignores girls and women in its single-minded emphasis on and development of games for boys and men. This, despite the fact that recent surveys suggest that as many as 41 percent of gamers are girls and women.¹

Even more troubling than the exclusion of girls and women from the industry’s strategic marketing, however, is the shockingly sexist and mysogynist nature of video games themselves.  In the original version of Grand Theft Auto III, for instance, players solicited sexual services from a prostitute before beating and killing her. After public outrage, an updated version was released that no longer allowed players to solicit any sex acts from prostitutes; now they just beat them to death. In BMX XXX, boys created topless female players and “unlocked” footage of naked, performing strippers.

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One hesitates to enter a discussion on porn. It’s been hashed out numerous times before with both sides firmly rooted in their arguments. On the one side, supporters of the constitution advocate for the right to free speech at all costs. On the other, feminists fight for the rights of girls and women who feel that pornography degrades and harms them, and perhaps even encroaches upon their right to freedom of expression. But, alas, there is little that remains black and white in the porn debate, and you will also find constitution defenders who fight porn and feminists who earn their living making pornographic films. Needless to say, the issue is messy.

In the mid-nineties, it got a whole lot messier. With the evolution of popular television cinema into the voyeuristic spectacle now known as reality television, pornography developed its own brand of “reality TV.” Reality Porn, or gonzo porn, appears to feature real people in real time having real sex. The name “gonzo” refers to “gonzo journalism,” a type of journalism that posits the journalist into the middle of the story. Likewise, in gonzo porn the camera is often part of the scene, with the person holding the camera performing many of the sex acts in the film. But what really sets gonzo porn apart from the realness that can also be found in amateur pornography, is its emphasis on nonconsensual and humiliating sex acts.¹

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In 2006, the new drama Heroes enjoyed great success with audiences. Its superhero theme and archetypal characters appealed to many TV watchers bored with the ubiquitous detective and procedural programs that clog the airlines. In a recent article posted in the feminist blogosphere, Susie Hume gives an incisive feminist critique of Heroes and its treatment of gender roles. She discusses, in particular, the vulnerability and victim status of many of the female “heroes.”

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Last season, millions of women tuned in to watch Dr. Meredith Grey nearly die of an apparent suicide. As Meredith herself put it, she simply stopped “struggling.” Gave up the fight. Let go…

But what exactly is she supposed to be struggling against? After watching only one episode, it is made abundantly clear that Meredith is living the good life: she has a “dreamy” boyfriend who adores her, a support system of true friends who are ready and willing to provide her with anything she needs, and a blossoming career as a successful surgeon. The only glitch in her otherwise perfect life was a nasty, uncaring mother dying of Alzheimer’s. But it hardly seems likely that a sick, judgmental mother could cause an adult child to kill herself. And certainly not in light of the extended support system that is constantly available to Meredith.

And then there’s that inescapable feeling that Meredith and her unnamed neurosis seem disturbingly familiar: Another bright, successful career girl on the brink of realizing her dreams suddenly becomes completely dissatisfied with her very successful life.

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In the teen flick She’s the Man (2006), Amanda Bynes plays the likable Viola, a young girl who is passionate about soccer and willing to do just about anything to play her favorite sport. When her high school cuts the girls’ soccer team and the coach refuses to let her try out for the boys team (“Everybody knows girls aren’t as fast or strong or athletic as boys”), Viola decides to impersonate her brother Sebastian and try out for a rival school’s boys’ team.

Not surprisingly, many women and feminists have hailed the movie as pro-feminist, and there are several scenes in the movie that support this contention: When Viola’s boyfriend fails to support her, she immediately dumps him; she resists external influences that attempt to coerce her into a typical feminine stereotype; and she doesn’t shy away from competition. In fact, she seems brazenly comfortable making her own choices and she is not afraid to go after what she wants, no matter how challenging. But in our excitement over finding a fun, spunky, independent female lead, have feminists overlooked some of the traditionally stereotypical and sexist messages found in She’s the Man despite its obvious “girl power” theme?
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This article was originally published under a slightly different format and title by Suite101 in 2001. Reprinted with permission.

Flipping through the pages of your family’s Sears catalogue you may be surprised to discover that there is now an entire page devoted to selling Playboy products. The Playboy Bunny insignia can now be found on wallets, t-shirts, purses, belts, key chains, and more. In a rather clever promotional campaign initiated by the Hefner camp, the Playboy Bunny has returned as a highly marketable image. As ever, the trademark asserts that the woman (or girl) wearing the Bunny is sexy, playful and fun. But is this or has this ever been an accurate representation of the Playboy Bunny lifestyle? Did Playboy Bunnies ever really have fun?

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This article was originally published in 2005. Reprinted with permission.

Joan of Arcadia arrived on television screens in September 2003 with a bang. Not a “big bang,” mind you - more like a Godly “Let there be light” kind of bang. All of America sat up and took notice of this ingenious, fresh and controversial television fare. The film industry acknowledged the show and its main principals with nominations and awards. Right-wing family-values organizations applauded the return of good, wholesome family entertainment. Even non-believers appreciated the show with its likeable Joan Giardi and her wayward but loving family, outcast friends and newly found relationship with God, who, incidentally, comes in all shapes and sizes and even the occasional female form.

Despite its non-denominational, soft-spiritual approach, however, the show remained surprisingly dogmatic, promoting many religious and Christian tenets. In an episode entitled Common Thread Joan and her mother were forced to confront and deal with two very important feminist issues: rape and infidelity. Unfortunately, the issues were diluted and obscured by contrived life-and-death plot lines that only served to downplay and trivialize their true moral significance. › Continue reading

This article was originally published by Suite101 in 2001. Reprinted with permission.

During my first English class in university we studied the Shakespearean play Othello. I must confess I did not like it. It was a tragic tale of greed, jealousy and betrayal. And love—at least, that is what the academics professed. Personally, I never felt much love in the tale between Othello and Desdemona. I was never convinced. I was relieved when we moved onto 19th century poetry; I put Othello out of my mind, eager to leave the play far behind me.

Three years later, I enrolled in the second required English course of my program. The course was offered under various themes; I chose love as my theme. As luck would have it, the professor chose Othello as one of the love stories. He, apparently, was convinced of the love between Othello and Desdemona. For our first assignment, we were to write a love letter expressing our deep love for Othello in the character of Desdemona, or vice versa. I could hardly believe it. I adamantly believed, and will always believe, there was never any such love. › Continue reading