Week 6 Post

I have come to the realization that taking this course is both a blessing and curse. This course is a blessing because I have learned how gender/communication is at the very essence of how we behave in our society. Learning these things has truly enriched me and has allowed me to have open honest discussions with people about these topics. The things you uncover when talking to people can give you a whole new prospective on people in general and help you to understand why they act or behave in certain ways.

This course is a curse because I find myself analyzing every conversation I have, my own and others behavior, television shows, commercials and media outlets I watch. My actions have become an addiction that may lead up to me needing counseling. Are my actions a good thing or bad? I would say that it’s a good thing because I am a more aware of what is going on around me (I’ve been enlighten). As a student we are suppose to take what we learn in the classroom and connect/apply it to real life. Being a student is about thinking a little differently and educating others not to agree with what you have learned but to consider different perspectives. So when I say a curse that’s not true this to is a blessing.

On another note, I was watching several television shows such as Law & Order SUV, Saving Grace and the Closer. What I observed is that all of these shows challenge the traditional stereotypes of women to some degree. All of the women are smart, knowledgeable about their area of expertise, challenge the systems they work in and are in careers that have been dominated by men. In Saving Grace the main character played by Holly Hunter drinks, curses, is tuff, and has a lot of sex. In the Closer the main character played by Kyra Sedwick is strong, always in control and doesn’t show emotion (except for when her cat died). Then you have the women on Law & Order; what can I say? They don’t let their jobs define them; they define and challenge the jobs they have.

When you compare these women to other shows of the past such as Charlies Angles you see a real difference in how women are portrayed on television. In Charlies Angels the women may have had some of the qualities of this new generation but the women’s sex appeal was at the very essence of the show which catered to the stereotypes about women. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE Charlies Angels and do understand that regardless of the depiction of women the success of the show was very significant for women at this time. Even though it has been slow; women roles on television are changing which shows that most of our society is accepting that those traditional stereotypes of men and women are not reflective of our society as it exists today.

Good luck to everyone and Thank you Professor.