Ehmke

What would Johnson say? The roles of women in patriarchy in popular televisions shows have been widespread and sometimes very prominent. According to Allen Johnson, author of”Where are We”, there are four core values that make up patriarchy: male dominance, obsession with control, male centeredness, and male identification. While shows like __Leave it to Beaver__ and __The Brady Bunch__ normally did not challenge the four core values shows like __Who’s the Boss__ did. On a male dominance level the show __Leave it to Beaver__ comes to mind. Ward Cleaver is obviously the bread winner and the disciplinary of the house. When the Beaver needed to be disciplined it was Ward who did it, and when June asked about the discipline he sugar coated it by saying what he thought the boys learned. While he was not violent or abusive, he did lecture them often to get his point across. On __The Brady Bunch__, some of the values were the same. Mike Brady had the high paying job therefore supporting the family, and Carol was the patriarch’s typical mom. The spins were that they had a female homemaker, Alice, and both Carol and Mike were divorcees. Their divorce status was scripted on Mike’s part, but Carol’s status changed to her being a widow. Unlike __The Brady Bunch__ and __Leave it to Beaver__, the show __Who’s the Boss__ in the 1980’s was just the opposite and therefore challenging patriarchy. It portrays a male, Tony, as the maid, while the single woman, Angela, was out being the breadwinner. When in the first episode, Angela, who was expecting a female, thought of Tony applying as a mistake. The exchange went like this, which clearly shows what Angela patriarchal expectations were of a female housekeeper. **[|Tony] **: I'm Tony Micelli. I'm here about the job. The male identity factors of __Leave it to Beaver__ and __The Brady Bunch__ are associated with the jobs that they have. Mike’s occupation is an architect, while Ward is an educated middle class professional. Both of which came home to a safe comfortable haven that was away from the aggressiveness of a male dominated work environment. __Who’s the Boss__ also challenges the traditional male identity roll by portraying the male maid of a female work obsessed advertising executive. Tony is portrayed as an ex major league baseball pitcher who got hurt, and took a step away from the male identified sport to do a female identified job. Moreover, Angela challenges patriarchy by holding a powerful corporate job, which according to Johnson is unsexy on women. The show portrays this nicely by not sexualizing Angela’s wardrobe and showing her frazzled from time to time as she comes home from work.. Whereas men, like Mike and Ward, in power are often considered sexy. When it comes to male centeredness, it is not easily identified in the three shows. None of them display competitiveness in the traditional roles of the fathers. None of the fathers tried to be larger than life, because they didn’t need to. They were not competing for the love of a woman, or in a sports world. They already had jobs and have settled down, therefore reducing the need for that kind of portrayal. In Tonys only competition was with other females when applying for the job. Identifying obsession with control it is a little more difficult to notice in parental values of the shows. That is normally seen from the children’s viewpoints. In The Brady Bunch the girls have nothing but girl stuff in the rooms, while the boys only had boy stuff. It gives deep meaning to what a child is grown up to value. The boys are taught that having footballs in their rooms and promoting competition is masculine, while the girls have dolls, fluffy pillows, and vanities are feminine. It teaches children how to grow and instills a level of patriarchy as young children and adults. Although not all of the four core values of patriarchy are noticeable in all three shows. It is interesting that with the exception of a few shows most of the episodes are written and directed by males. This employs the fact that patriarchy is present in all episodes, because we get to see what a man’s brain can produce on all levels of production. 2/28/2010
 * [|Angela] **: Oh, I'm sorry. There must be a mistake. This job is for a housekeeper.
 * [|Tony] **: That's me, Mr. Goodmop.
 * [|Angela] **: Well, my mother's screening everyone. Did you meet her?
 * [|Tony] **: Yeah yesterday. She gave me the once over, kicked me in the tires, put me up on the rack...
 * [|Angela] **: Well, she should've checked under your hood, 'cause you're the wrong sex.
 * [|Tony] **: Oh, wait a minute; she said that wouldn't be any problem.
 * [|Angela] **: My mother didn't think World War II was a problem (Pilot)

The Femme Fatale Factor: What would Rozario Say? The expression femme fatale means fatal female. Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario uses it in her work __The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, and the Function of the Disney Princess__ as explaining the roles of the evil entity in most of Disney’s films. It is coincidence that most of those evil entities are played by a female. For example: Ursula in __The Little Mermaid__, The wicked stepmother in __Cinderella__ , and so forth. In both __The Brady Bunch__ and __Who’s the Boss__ there are multiple episodes which femme fatale is prominent, but not in the traditional Disney way. They are expressed in sort of sibling rivalry, and an innocent patriarchal way. In one episode of __The Brady Bunch__ Marcia acts as the femme fatale. Marcia gets a date with a boy who beats Greg out of a spot on the basketball team. Marcia goes on to date the boy even after Greg threatens her not to. When she invites the boy over to do homework, Greg invites one of his girlfriends over to get back at Marcia. Greg then gets the girl to be loud with school cheers. After which, Marcia brutally comes out and embarrasses Greg in front of the girl. Rozario would say that Marcia is the femme fatale, because she was being mean, a trait shown in Disney’s movie __Cinderella__ and the portrayal of the stepsisters. They bogged her down with work making Cinderella unable to go to the ball. Marcia bogged Greg down with an embarrassing moment to ruin his time with his girlfriend. In an episode of __Who’s the Boss__ the kids, Samantha and Jonathon, get into a fight and end up running away. Rozario would agree that by running away from parental rule it goes along with the Disney tradition of the princess child undermining the parental role. It started when the kids were actually standing up for Toni’s job. The other kids called him a sissy house maid, and the fighting started. Angela gets mad when Toni expresses that he had been teaching Jonathon some fighting moves. When Angela tries to explain that a woman must not to fight they must just walk away from a potential fight, Sam, with her tomboy persona, rejects the advice. Later, Sam goes on to say to Toni that “She is not my mother, you are” (Angela’s). After which she runs away to her old neighborhood, where she can be her old self. In this episode Angela is the femme fatale, by trying to change Sam into something other than herself. This innocence is connected with other famous femme fatales by trying to make somebody something they are not. For example, Ursula trying to turn Murial from a mermaid to a human in __The Little Mermaid__. Another theme noticed in __The Brady Bunch__ the girls make the boys decide between them and a girl they happened to like. When Greg was head of the cheerleading committee, which was all male by the way, Marcia made him choose between her and a girl that was coming on to Greg. It turns out that they were both competing for the head cheerleading position at school. A different episode Jan, the middle female child, makes Peter, the middle male child, choose between her and a girl he liked to be the head of her campaign both girls were in the running to be the most popular girl in school. Peter helped Jan, who won the contest. Jan did anything to win including making promises she couldn’t keep. After she won the contest, Jan got a big head. This made Peter look bad and made him wish he worked for the other girl. With both decisions being made by the girls in both episodes it makes them both femme fatales. In the end it is the works of the parent’s wisdom that prevails. This goes against Rozario by saying that there is a constant stream of the same femme fatales. In __The Brady Bunch__ the role is shared by all the children. The one common thing between all three episodes is that in the end the femme fatales are denounced, and the roles of the parents prevail as the wiser. The same holds true for many Disney movies where both the femme fatale is defeated, in a sense, and the parents accept the wishes of the growing princess, whether it is about Toni getting to teach Jonathon some fighting moves or the Brady kids getting along in the end. In all the episodes they live happily ever after. THE END 3-7-10 What would Hassel say? Historically women have been labeled as caretakers, and maintainers of the household. Men have been labeled as the opposite, the head of the household, and the sole provider of the nuclear family. These historical roles are the ones that have been accepted by society. Television shows have expressed these values in most shows in the modern era. __Leave it to Beaver__, __The Brady Bunch__, __Father Knows Best__ are just some examples of this. Historically writers have had to write believable scripts and situations that express patriarchal values. Therefore they write June Cleaver to be a typical housewife. Then, after the world of female roles evolved, they write scripts for __The Cosby Show__, where both parents have high paying and demanding jobs. As a result of more men starting to venture into traditionally dominated female roles, writers wrote __Who’s the Boss__. The show depicted a male in the traditional role of housekeeper, proving that writers do not always have to follow patriarchal values in order to make money. In Dr. Hassels article __Monster vs Aliens__ she talks about inter-filmic and extra-filmic values. The difference is one is how the characters are portrayed in the body of the film, and how a film is marketed. Extra-filmically Hassel would say that __Who’s the Boss__ challenges patriarchal values. In her article Hassel reports that “filmmakers produce write and market narratives that reinforce patriarchal values”. If this were true __Who’s The Boss__ would not have lasted eight seasons, and 196 episodes. It also spawned nine shows in other countries, and spun off some short lived American shows. Having lasted eight years puts it in contrast with popular shows like __Leave it to Beaver__, which lasted six years, and __The Brady Bunch__, which lasted only five years. Both shows depicted traditional nuclear family values that supported patriarchy. Although I am not sure how the show was marketed, I would think that marketing a show that challenges patriarchal values for eight years is surely more difficult than a show for five or even six years. Inter-filmically, in many of the episodes Tony has put into awkward situations of women’s groups. One particular episode “Supermom Burnout” Tony was strategically put into a group labeled “Supermom Burnouts”. It is this episode where he becomes one with his identity of super mom. Another episode “Housekeepers United”, deals with the adage of the man getting more pay for the same work. Another female housekeeper happens to catch a glimpse of Tony’s check and tells the other housekeepers. A neighborhood housekeeper strike ensues. After the housekeepers demands have been met, Tony is given a raise. Both episodes show him in these awkward moments that challenge his gender ideology, both episodes hint that he is still a manly man, by his physique and some of his mannerism.

4-3-10 What would Hager Say What the __Powerpuff girls__ were trying to do for the revolution of the female superhero, __Charmed__ took it away in one episode. Lisa Hager, author of “Saving the World Before Bedtime”; The __Powerpuff Girls__, citizenship, and the Little Girl Superhero, would say about the __Charmed__ series are similar with very opposite portrayals of their characters. Hager states that “the __Powerpuff Girls__ can be girls and superheroes without always being made into sexual objects for the male gaze”. __Charmed__ comes across as being the exact opposite, but with subtle similarities. The __Charmed__ sisters each have their own unique powers like the __Powerpuff Girls__, but their images have been highly sexualized. The __Powerpuff Girls__ are drawn to have straight line bodies and wear color coordinated dresses, white tights, and black Mary Jane shoes. The charmed girls show off their womanly curves, with push up bras, low cut shirts, and hip hugger jeans. Also during the entire run of the __Powerpuff Girls__ the three girls do not change costumes, whereas the __Charmed__ series have been written so that the characters must wear extremely revealing clothing and costumes. For example, one episode depicts Phoebe as a mermaid. In another episode, Piper gets transformed into a character that wore an outfit that made her like a hooker. Outfits like that create a draw for men to watch, which supports the patriarchal value that women must be sexualized to be noticed. This could explain why the show was noted to be the longest running show with all female leads title in television history. That should make them worthy of a spot in the Smithsonian museum where the likes of the Fonz’s leather jacket and Archie Bunker’s chair are showcased. For their display they could use the mermaid costume or maybe a push up bra. Hager would say that the show __Charmed__ stereotypically reinforces the meaning of the sexualized superhero persona that the __Powerpuff Girls__ were trying to stay away from. Other similarities exist where they are trying to play two roles at the same time. The __Powerpuff Girls__ exist as children and superheroes, while the __Charmed__ girls exist as a members of society, where they are considered powerless, and superheroes. Both are saving their communities from ultimate evils and both have a soft alternate side of them. They roles may be differently portrayed, but follow the same recipe. Hager calls this “Diva citizenship” Hager also states that by showing at the beginning of each episode that the Powerpuff Girls were created by, the male character, Professor X “thus, ultimately keeping authority in adult male’s hands and undermining the authority of the superheroes” This is also true for the __Charmed__ series, who are constantly dependent on a male character to save them when they are hurt. Also present in __Charmed__ that is not in the Powerpuff Girls are the love interests the __Charmed__ girls encounter. The show has them going out on dates, and marriage. Often times when the men find out about their identity as powerful they end the relationship rather quickly. Both shows portray the patriarchal value of male domination. There are definitely similarities and contrasts amongst the two shows. Both display “Diva citizenship” and a battle between good and evil, but there are astonishing differences as well. The highly sexualized portrayal of the show __Charmed__ surely reinforces patriarchy while the __Powerpuff Girls__ is geared against it. This is done on purpose to attract viewers. The __Powerpuff Girls__ are a cartoon geared towards innocent young children, who do not know about adult values, and __Charmed__ is aimed towards young adults who do, or should.

4-4-10

What would Zipes say? What is a phenomenon? According to Jack Zipes, author of “The Phenomenon of Harry Potter, or Why all the Talk” it has two definitions: an occurrence, change, or fact that is directly perceived; quite often the event is striking” (4). The second meaning is used to describe an “extraordinary person, someone with exceptional talent, a phenom, whiz kid, or superstar” (4). Zipes also goes on to state that “the phenomenal thing or occurrence must become a conventional commodity that can be grasped or consumed to fit our cultural expectations (6). Therefore it breaks down into an out of the extraordinary character like Harry Potter, or the conventionality of real life situations. This in turn, could make any TV sitcom a phenomenon in its own time. I will examine the artifacts that I have chosen and determine whether or not they were extraordinary or ordinary. One would have to think that the homogenization of magical ability and an ordinary person in Harry Potter makes it an extra special phenomenon. The volatile effect that the media could have on a TV series could affect its conventionality. A show like __Who’s the Boss__ would not have gotten very far in the years of __Leave it to Beaver__, because, conventionally, society was not ready for such a show. I think that the media would shine negative light on it and it would not have made it out of its pilot stage. In the case of __Leave it to Beaver__ we have the head of the household father, the housewife mother, then the zany children and their friends. The children are always getting pressured to do things that get them into trouble. The parents are always getting them out of it by making them apologize and having some kind of discipline handed down to them. These actions are what I consider ordinary and conventional, but not extraordinary by any means. There is no magic, and no out of the ordinary things going on. In my opinion, it is just kids growing up. Parents and kids alike most likely watched the series together in hopes to educate themselves on forms of discipline, or just for a laugh at the kid’s expense. The effect of mass media in __Leave it to Beaver__ is minimal because it portrayed a conventional patriarchal view on life. I think Zipes would agree that this would make the show phenomenal in its own time. The popular series __The Brady Bunch__ is some what like __Leave it to Beaver__, but with more hormones. It showcases a hard working father. A mother that doesn’t seem to have a job, nor needs one, and six zany children, most of which are maturing sexually. Most of the episode’s plot descriptions portray either one of the children getting into trouble, or one of their dating debacles. So, does this make it a phenomenon? Zipes states that “for anything to become a phenomenon in western society, it must become conventional” (6). The Bradys did in fact put forth situations that were directly perceived and understood. They showed a natural growing maturity that teens could relate to, which makes it conventional and ordinary. In its time this could be considered a phenomenon because it had a large following and a mass merchandising campaign. Brady merchandise ranges from trading cards, paper dolls, and board 4-10-10 What would Beavis and Charles say? __ Leave it to Beaver __, __The Brady Bunch__, And __Who’s the Boss__ existed virtually before video gaming became a part of society, but still has things in common. One connection that can be made is through the writers. In the Sims video games the player is given a blank piece of space to call their own world. A writer of sitcoms is given a blank piece of paper to make whatever world they would like. Both the players and the writers must use some sort of imagination to create what is needed in those domestic spaces. The writer must create a plot which then transposes into a set and then onto film. The player decides his or her sets and plots by their actions taken in a game. Another connection can be made between writers and players in Cathy Beavis and Claire Charles article “Challenging Notions of Gendered Game Play: Teenagers playing the Sims”. The statement made that “Media technologies allow men greater access and control and that domestic spaces are characterized by gendered practices in which women are more generally responsible for chores and men have more time for leisure”. This is proven in many episodes of __Leave it To Beaver__, and __The Brady Bunch__. Ward Cleaver spends a lot of home time either in his office or reading the paper, Mike Brady spends quite a bit of time in his office as well. Neither man spends time doing the dishes. Those chores are done by either the house maid, Alice, or by the housewife, June Cleaver. Although __Who’s the Boss__ goes against traditional gender roles it still shows Tony’s character having his free time and enjoying male associated leisure, and activities. In the Sims games, the trade off would be to a male is that he can make enough money within the game to afford someone to do the cleaning for him. Beavis and Charles quote “The boys, in contrast, after building quite a complex house, decide to burn it down”(362). This refers to the self destructive qualities of game play. The relationship occurs when a writer is writing for a media outlet; the writer has the option to “burn it down”. This thinking goes along with the subversive differences between females and males. The females may tend to rewrite certain portions of the script to improve it, or nurture it, while a man would rather destroy it and start over. I think Beavis and Charles would say that the relationship between a writer and a game player is similar when talking about a reality based game like the Sims, but when it comes to a fantasy based goal style game the gamer then becomes subject to a game writers agenda.

4-17-10 What would Inness Say? Sherrie A. Inness’s article ”Anti-Barbies” ‘The American Girls Collection and Political ideologies’ talks about three ideologies of children’s literature. The ideologies are advocacy, attack, and assent. Each has their own meaning and each their own approaches. Advocacy is the upholding an idea that is being countered by society. Attack shows the opposite of a concept that is normally subversive to “good and evil, justice, decency or truth”. Assent is where texts or ideas are hidden that reinforces the status quo. This is normally seen in wardrobe, makeup, hairstyles that relate to patriarchy or other ideas of sometimes current pop culture. Each of these can be seen in various television shows through out various time periods. The assent seen in __Leave it to Beaver__ is in the wardrobes of June Cleaver. She is often dressed in a housedress that is not flashy or revealing. She even wears a headdress while doing the housework. This makes her look like a maid, and seems to strengthen the status quo of the times. I have found many other pictures on the internet depicting this style including Lucille Ball of __I Love Lucy__, as well as Audrey Meadows of __The Honeymooners__ period. Advocacy is the support of something that is happening at the time of conception. __All in the Family__ was, even with its racist views, an advocate for the black movement by writing in black characters. In one particular episode a black family moves into the neighborhood. Despite Archie’s movement to stop it; the family moves in anyways. In the end of the episode Archie admits that it was not so bad having them moved in after all. Another example is __Who’s the Boss__. The show became the advocate for the women’s movement; proving that women can be the bread maker and have male servants. Other shows have done episodes that raised the conscience of a particular movement such as breast cancer and alcoholism. Each show would be written as someone is discovered to have such problems, and in the end there would be a message on how to donate to whatever cause they were promoting. Lastly, is the attack ideology which shows the opposite of what a writer likes to sees as the status quo. __All in the Family’s__ views on the gay movement is one example of attacking. The opening song lyrics speak volumes about this. They go like this “And you knew what you were then, girls were girls and men were men”. One particular episode “Judging Books by Covers” Rob Reiner’s character, Meathead, invites a man over to the house who dresses in what Archie would brand him as gay. The episode depicts Archie making fun of this man. Meanwhile, he is friendly to a guy in the bar who he does not know is gay and has known for years. This man is the complete opposite of the man earlier talked about. He played pro football, and has a macho look to him. During the episode Meathead finds out the man is gay. When Archie finds this out he confronts the man at the bar about the issue the man admits to Archie about being gay. After which, Archie gives a surprised and defeated look right before the closing credits. I am not sure if this has changed Archie or not, but I think it a sure blow to his ego. And a sure lesson to not judge a book by its cover. I think Inness would agree that all these examples follow her definitions of Assent, Advocacy, and Attack, and that in most sitcoms these examples can be found of all three ideologies. I am led to believe that Inness would think that although it would be hard to escape from these ideas when they are so deeply ingrained in society as status quo, things must change.

4-24-10 What would Inness Say: Part 2 The Sacrifice Statue Dictionary.com defines dolls as  a small figure representing a baby or other human being, esp. for use as a child's toy. Action figure is defined as a toy doll representing a person or fictional character known for heroic or superheroic feats. Sherrie A. Inness defines them in her article “It’s a Girl Thing”: Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store as “Action figures comprise a broad category of small figures with plastic bodies that can be posed for action… and even have hands that can grasp” (76). With those definitions given I searched the internet to find that for a measly 129.99 you could own the Sacrifice Statue figure (doll) from sideshowtoy.com. This 13 inch tall representation of a human, doll by dictionary.com’s definition but not for kids, is wearing nothing but, well I would not even call them clothes since they are indescribably petite. The story behind this very revealing item is that “she is offering herself to her deity, her lover, and soul mate. She is pure and true, unembellished by the ravages of society…She is the ultimate sacrifice?” The description supports Inness’s claim that “Women must not appear to masculine and tough; in order to be marketable, they are frequently presented as feminine and heterosexually desirable” (83) and that “Children learn that men and women have different duties in life”(79). In the case of the sacrifice statue (doll) it is hopefully not found in the toy isle at Wal-mart, but is sold to collectors to sacrifice to themselves. In searching most of sideshowtoy.com’s 2937 item inventory the ratio of female figures to male figures were about 30:1; virtually all of the females were highly sexualized by their skimpy superhero or villain outfits and most of the time in high heals. The one exception was the Sarah Conner figure from __The Terminator__, which depicted her in combat boots and a cigarette in her grasping hand. After seeing what was on this website it was not surprising that I did not find figures depicting artifact choice, but it did give me a good view point of what is on the market in the line of female action figures and how women are dressed to emphasize a woman’s sexuality.

In further searching other internet sites for my artifacts respected replications, I did find figures for each of The Brady Bunch characters except for the father figure. This is ironic considering that most action figures are male. All the figures have movable bodies, and are not sexualized, but Alice’s figure shows patriarchy in her housemaid persona. Inness would say that the Alice doll does not question the woman as the homemaker stereotype, it supports it. Further into my search I found all the __Charmed__ character’s figures. Definitely the Charmed series questions the stereotype of the homemaker’s duty to what Inness describes as women’s work. These women are depicted as independent and heroic much like Ripley’s character in the __Alien__ movie series. Although the dolls are sexualized by their skimpy outfits that sensualize their hips and breasts, they are not as showy as most of sideshow.com’s figures are. All in all, Inness would say that while the industry has made great strides in depicting female action figures on toy shelves, but are we paying with our futures by over sexualizing those same figures. It is creating a new body style image that a female has to be over-sexualized to get attention, which could devastate the growth of some males and females.

5-2-10 What would Gaunt Say? The history of hand clapping debatably started back in the third century BC. The use of hand clapping used to make noise, keep a beat, and jeer since then. In 1740, the slave act banned the use of African drums which led to other forms of self expressionism by the slave population of which were clapping and foot stomping. This proves Kyra Gaunts improvisation reports in her book “The Games Black Girls Play”. She reports that Africans bring the ability to choose amongst a variety of sources in their music making, and improvising wasn’t new to their society. Although, the improvisation was eventually banned, it failed to stop them completely. Some of these rhythms and beats have been passed on through the generations. One particular chant set to the clapping rhythms is Miss Mary Mac. Its origin has two possibilities one of which is about an iron clad Civil War, US Naval ship call the “Merrimack” that was destroyed by fire, the other is said to be about a union ship that confederate soldiers took over called the Miss Mary Mac. The rhyme and meanings, in the parenthetical are the meanings for the later possibility, goes like this:

 Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack (name of the ship) All dressed in black, black, black (ironclad ships were popular at the time.) With silver buttons, buttons, buttons (bolts) All down her back, back, back (ships are referred to as females.) She asked her mother, mother, mother (the Confederate States of America) For fifty cents, cents, cents To see the elephants, elephants, elephants (elephants are the symbol of the Republican party, which was the majority of the North-the Union) Jump over the fence, fence, fence (the boundary line) They Jumped soo high high high They touched the sky sky sky they never cam back back back Until the fourth of july, ly, ly (American Independence Day) She asked her mother mother mother for 5 cents more more more to see the elephants elephants elephants jump over the door door door they jumped so low low low the stubbed their toe toe toe and that was the end end end of the elephant show show show.

The rhyme has deep meanings of patriarchy that goes along with what Gaunt says about symbolism and patriarchy. Gaunt says “black popular music has rested upon symbolic representation of patriarchy and a necessary repression of feminine aspects” This chant is still a mildly popular, but its meaning has been lost on today’s playgrounds. Despite its mild popularity it fails to appear in today’s pop culture television shows. __Leave it to Beaver__ is predominately white show from the sixties, a time where segregation was at its peak, __The Brady Bunch__ was cast at a time where black culture was fighting for their collective rights, __All in the Family__ portrayed a prejudice side of society, and __Charmed__ focused on adult drama and not child like antics. These shows are of predominantly white cast members, and white writers. Although, in exploring __The Cosby Show__ episodes two of Rudi’s friends play an adlibbed hand clapping game. The chant goes like this:  I met my boyfriend at the candy store He bought me ice cream He bought me cake He brought me home with a belly ache. Mama, Mama, I feel sick Call the doctors quick, quick, quick. Doctor,doctor will I die? 1,2,3,4,5 I'm alive! (Slumber) This episode portrays a symbolic patriarchal game where the boyfriend buys food for the date. This is a stereotypical view on traditional dating that the man must buy the woman’s meal, and the traditional role of caretaker for the child. Gaunt would say that this childhood hand clapping game is teaching women, and maybe training them to be a pawn in the game of patriarchal teachings.

5-8-10 What would Lamb and Brown say? “Sex sells”. Is that the basis of TV shows today? When looking at shows like __Baywatch__ or __Charmed__, the idea of “sexy” is why those shows have been so popular. Images of sleek girls, turned playboy models, in bathing suits on a beach and magical witches that get transformed into half naked mermaids and other fantasy figures wearing form fitting outfits was probably the basis if these shows popularity. The ability to attract men into such shows is easy giving the circumstances. The article by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown “Pretty in Pink: What Girls Wear” states that “Everything is sexed up” (52). Make-up companies claim that longer lashes are sexy, and dolls and cartoons for young kids mimic this by depicting them with long lashes, for example the __Power Puff Girls__ have big eyes and long lashes, the Bratz dolls show them with the same long lashes, Barbie dolls can potentially come with make up kits, that the kid eventually turns to themselves to mimic their mothers doings. Clothing manufacturers are pushing the cleavage issue by constantly lowering those lines, and making jeans that are tighter around the hips. Girls are getting more sexualized at a younger age by these fashion trends forcing schools to counteract by making strict dress codes. Therefore, what becomes taboo in a school setting has become a big seller in media, ranging from television shows to the Halloween costume racks in department stores. Lamb and Browns article states that “girls often wear provocative clothing simply because it looks like something Paris Hilton would wear or something they saw on an older celebrity role model they saw on a popular kids TV network like Nickelodean or MTV” (47). Lamb and Brown would say that shows like __Baywatch__ and __Charmed__ are advocates for the sexing up of teenage girls. They protrude a sense of fashion, body shape, and patriarchy that men like to see. Girls pick up on those trends and a sense of body image becomes an obsession to them. This obsession makes them wear the more provocative Halloween outfits that gain the attention of boys. Lamb and Brown state that “some middle school girls haven’t even connected looking sexy with sex but with some vague feeling of being desirable” (47). Meaning that they are dressing provocatively and not realizing what it means, or the potential message it is sending to boys. Mentally, Halloween costumes range age wise from what a child would like to be when they grow up to what the girls think boys would like to see when they are older. Lamb and Brown’s article reports of a woman that dressed up in a skimpy devils costume got her a lot of attention from boys, and another dressed up in a particular sexy costume because the man in her life liked it. The same attention would be given to them if a girl would dress up on her own in a mermaid outfit like in __Charmed__, a __Baywatch__ swimsuit, or even an __I Dream of Genie__ outfit. Lamb and Brown would say that these sexy outfits could be part of a dangerous game of risk a person could bring on themselves by the mistreatment of them by boys, rejection by their female peers. Lamb and Brown states that “Dress is one way girls get attention; no one would deny that given the emphasis on fashion in magazines they read and the TV shows they watch” (45). Hollywood has been creating shows depicting women in scantily clad outfits for clichés for years, and has been successful doing it. Therefore, a change is probably not futuristic for them; after all it is all about the money and if sex sells then that’s what they will be doing. Works Cited: "action figure." //dictionary.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2010. Allan Johnson,"Where Are We?" from The Gender Knot:Unraveling our Patriarchal Legacy "Angela's First Fight." //Who's the Boss//. ABC. 23 Oct. 1984. //youtube.com//. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. Beavis, Catherine, and Claire Charles. "Challenging Notions of Gendered Game Play: Teenagers playing The Sims." //Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education // 26.3: 355-67. Print Do Rozario.Rebecca-Anne."The Princess and the Magic Kingdom:Beyond Nostalgia,the Function of the Disney Princess"from Women's Studies in Communication "Doll." //dictionary.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2010. 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