Media Moment: Is Rachel Dratch Too Ugly for Hollywood?

I recently came across an article on the Huffington post web page that discusses, what I believe to be an interesting topic of discussion in light of our recent look at Roseanne. Rachel Dratch has been widely seen on TV and film, mostly known for her career on SNL. Though even on SNL Dratch was placed in more character type roles such as "Debbie Downer" rather then "attractive" lead type roles that co-star's such as Tina Fey were placed in. Since then Dratch as the article points out has had difficulty finding work in lead type roles, having unsuccessful pilot shows and even losing her lead role in 30 Rock to the vivacious and seemingly more physically attractive Jane Krakowski....


"I am offered solely the parts that I like to refer to as The Unfuckables. In reality, if you saw me walking down the street, you wouldn't point at me and recoil and throw up and hide behind a shrub. But by Hollywood standards, I'm a troll, ogre, woodland creature, or manly lesbian..."


 In the article, columnist Torie Bosch argues that despite the evidence to support Dratch being victimized by hollywood, an effort should be taken to consider that Dratch's acting style might just not be for everyone. 


"Delightful as Dratch is in interviews and in her book, there is something uncomfortable about this framing. If we accept the premise, that Dratch hasn't cracked Hollywood because she isn't good-looking enough, then there would seem to be a feminist obligation to support her, to buy all her DVDs, go to her movies on opening night, protest the studio heads who reject her..."


Bosch continues with her case even asking herself despite her support of Dratch if she is "betraying feminism if I say Im not a huge Rachel Dratch fan?". Yet looking at Roseanne as a model for a progressive character type for the image of women in the media, can Dratch's situation warrant her response to Hollywood's framing of her? After reading this article I was torn as to my feelings and position, because while I would love to take a feminist position and full out support Rachel Dratch as a victim of Hollywood misogyny I also can easily take a more observant role of her talent. This though seems a tad bit naive considering how we've seen women portrayed in the media across all races as sexualized attractive beings. It is also naive then to consider Bosch's position or as an audience do we embrace both outlooks on the subject?    

Media Moment: Mitt Romney's "War On Women"

     On the first full day of the presidential campaign trail, governor Mitt Romney declared that there is a "war on women" after many women lost their jobs during President Obama's term. According to Toby Washington's article on the daily mail, he said "Romney sought to address a starting gender gap that he needs to overcome if he is to win the White House." On the first day of his campaign in Connecticut Romney said " Oh there is a war on women lets bring him back to the fact that it is the real war upon women that has been waged by his economic policies." Mr. Romney plans on making this issue a primary issue going into this presidential campaign.

     According to the Romney campaign the Obama administration has caused the loss of 92 percent of women's jobs. However, according to Toby Washington he says that it is "a standard characteristic" to see women lose their jobs after a major downturn because it is part of the cycle.

    My question to the class is, do you think Mitt Romney has a point? Is there a "war on women"? Is this more of a political agenda or a real issue being raised here?

Ashley Judd criticizes predatory press in a new article

Ashley Judd

In an article which appeared this week in the Daily Beast, an online-only subsidiary of Newsweek, actress and philanthropist Ashley Judd responded forcefully to speculation that she had gotten plastic surgery.  According to Judd, the steroids prescribed to combat a recent illness in March caused her face to look a little puffy, and tabloids and ragsheets in the US and Great Britain quickly pounced on her appearance, saying she looked terrible and commenting that she must have "had work done." Even the Huffington Post jeered that her "pillow-face" looked "blotchy, red, and plump" in a video hosted by a thin, primped, decidedly non-blotchy young lady. While such celebrity reporting is common fare for many magazines and television programs, Judd's articulate written response is refreshing, angry, and admittedly unusual.  

Showing enough courage to own the F-word, Feminism, in her rebuttal Judd indicts what she calls the partiarchal assault on women's bodies that takes place in the media.  She breaks down the assumptions that underlie the comments made about her appearance and how they are tied to skewed conceptions of female value in society.  She explains pointedly that "The assault on our body image, the hypersexualization of girls and women and subsequent degradation of our sexuality as we walk through the decades, and the general incessant objectification is what this conversation allegedly about my face is really about." She concludes the article in an uplifting and activist manner, calling for media makers and consumers to "Join in—and help change—the Conversation."

What do my classmates think about an actress calling out the press for being overly critical of her appearance? Would it change the Conversation, as Judd terms it, between media makers and consumers if both expressed disgust with the current media climate as it relates to objectifying women? Or is the power of cosmetics/dieting/gym membership advertising too strong?

Transsexual Miss Universe Discriminated Against

The 23-year old contestant Jenna Talackova was disqualified from  Miss Universe competition after she released to the public that she underwent surgery to become a female. The owner of the pageant,  Donald Trump disqualified Talackova claiming that she was not a "natural born woman." He was later criticized for his statement, and the contestant was readmitted to the competition, assessing the only requirement stated on the Miss Universe Canada website is that to enter, women must be a Canadian citizen and between the ages of 18 and 27. Despite her acceptance back into the contest,  Donal Trump failed to deliver an apology to Talackova, stating that "There will be no apology whatsoever. And frankly, if she competes, that's wonderful, and if she doesn't want to compete because maybe she thinks she can't win, that's fine also. I couldn't care less." This news story really infuriated me,because it demonstrates an ongoing homophobic and transgender discrimination around America and around the globe. The fact that someone can't compete because of their prior sex, is absurd. It's unfortunate that the majority is still unable to grasp the differences between sex and gender, and that one should have the freedom to identify freely as a member of any group if she/he wishes to do so. 

My questions to the class:

Do you think that the guidelines for the beauty pageant should be reevaluated and apply to all demographics? Do you find that Talackova's public release of her prior sex will serve to her disadvantage in the competition?

Media Moment: "Sarah Palin co-hosts NBC’s ‘Today,’ pokes fun of herself by reading newspapers, writing notes on hand"

I came across this article “Sarah Palin co-hosts NBC’s ‘Today,’ pokes fun of herself by reading newspapers, writing notes on hand”on the Daily News’ website and it caught my eye. This article takes me back to the class discussion we had the other day on the news clip about Jon Stewart calling out on Gretchen Carlson for "Dumbing Herself Down.”

So 4 years later after the 2008 Presidential Election, Sarah Palin is brought on the Today Show, and she pokes fun at herself, do you think she’s doing it just to please people? She is obviously an intelligent woman, who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten as far as to being the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election if it wasn’t for her credentials, right?? Either way, do you think the producers of the Today Show asked her to poke fun of herself or that was Palin’s decision?

Reflection on class discussion: Topic on women and veils

I found our class discussion on women wearing the veil, very interesting. I learned that Muslim women, and particularly Middle Eastern and North African women, wearing the veil is not an obligation, instead it is an option. I always thought that they wore it because they were suppose to wear it, were pressured to wear it or did it just out of respect. When I saw Sex and the City 2 for the first time, it never occurred to me how disrespectful the movie portrayed Muslims until I read “Sex and the City and Muslim women,” “Sex and the City 2′s stunning Muslim clich,” and “Sex and the City 2: Orientalist Boogaloo” articles and seeing the movie clips in class. The movie misinforms the audience that all Middle Eastern women are veiled, silent or subdued by aggressive men and it perpetuates the U.S. and the Middle East stereotypes that already exists out there. Our discussion in class has taught me how to see future movies in a different perspective and that information given to us from movies are not always accurate.