momto4kings Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I need to write a 10 page research paper on a gender artifact (object, jewelry, picture, speech, advertisement, text, icon, symbol, movement, theory, etc. which expresses gender or gender inequality). I need something that makes me angry, not something that I approve of, and I need to write about how and what the artifact communicates. I'd like something interesting, unique maybe. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJ. Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 What about advertising and the uses of photo editing to create an unobtainable ideal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4kings Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 What about advertising and the uses of photo editing to create an unobtainable ideal? Unfortunately, I can't do that one for several reasons: the sample paper provided by the professor was about that and I already wrote a paper on that topic for a previous assignment in the same class. So, yes, that's what I mean by looking for something unique. Thanks for trying to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 How about engagement rings and "right hand" rings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 How about toys marketed specifically to one gender? This toy was linked on facebook and it annoyed some people because it seemed to suggest that if something isn't pink or cutesie that girls won't want to play with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4kings Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 How about engagement rings and "right hand" rings? Please explain what you mean; it sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I need something that makes me angry, not something that I approve of It's a bit hard to know without knowing what sorts of things make you angry. For some people it might be urinals. For others it might be tampons. For you, who knows. I'd go through various scenarios, trying to think of what angers you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I'm usually sort of "Whatever" when it comes to Barbie, but the President Barbie rubs me the wrong way. Can you imagine any candidate looking like this being taken seriously? http://www.styleite.com/media/chris-benz-barbie/#0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 high heels waxing/plucking hair out by the root on our faces and other delicate parts pushup bras that are uncomfortable by the end of the day (or do they only bother me? I worry that I'm injuring myself when I wear one. And yes, I'm vain enough to wear them.) skimpy underwear that shifts when you try to get in/out of the car (or am I the only one with this problem? Why do men get nice roomy undies?) Swim suits that are little more than underwear that make the vast majority of women miserable to be seen in public in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Engagement rings were originally a ploy by jewelers to sell diamonds. It then became a big status symbol to see who would give/get the biggest diamond. Then with the feminist movement (including women having successful careers and earning a good living) jewelers began promoting "right hand" rings for women to buy for themselves. You don't need a man to have awesome bling anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 It's not an artifact in the sense of being old but what about those new legos for girls. I think they're called lego friends. They don't require much of any building from what I understand, they're pink and pretty with skinny girl action figures. Apparently the people at lego didn't think girls would want to build with legos, just have another play set all ready to go. Another that comes to mind and is currently out are the bic for her pens. Read some of the amazon reviews, they're funny. I'll think about it more - interesting topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Sweatpants with words like "juicy" on the butt? Or how advertisers seem to think women are categorized as either sex objects or "moms"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4kings Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 I'm usually sort of "Whatever" when it comes to Barbie, but the President Barbie rubs me the wrong way. Can you imagine any candidate looking like this being taken seriously? http://www.styleite....-benz-barbie/#0 I don't think I can use this for my research paper, but I can and will use it for another project, so THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 What about a women's magazine? One that's been around for decades. You could talk about not only the articles but the advertisements as well. The change over time, or lack thereof, would be interesting too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4kings Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 It's a bit hard to know without knowing what sorts of things make you angry. For some people it might be urinals. For others it might be tampons. For you, who knows. I'd go through various scenarios, trying to think of what angers you. What makes me angry? Violence against women, i.e. rap* and f*g*m*, but while searching online I came a across an academic paper about female to male rap* that was interesting, and I don't mean in an entertaining kind of way, just that I had not considered it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Uniforms. Start w/ softball vs baseball. They play on the same fields, run the same bases, and slide on the same gravel, but women must wear shorts, where men get to wear pants to protect their legs. Volleyball- take the Olympics- Men could wear t-shirts, but the women who were cold and shivering were called out for wearing too much clothes (why must they play in a bra and shorts that are nothing more than glorified underwear?) Military- why do the women HAVE to wear skirts? Why can't they wear slacks as part of their dress uniforms, too? I hate skirts. tennis- shorts vs. skirts again (maybe that's changed..I don't watch anymore) I know there are more, but you get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Freaking "push presents." The idea that women are so materialistic and weak that we need to be rewarded with gifts for doing what our bodies are naturally supposed to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Chastity belts? Female infant feet binders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 If it were me writing this, I would go with three inch long shoes for bound feet. Did you know that foot binding lasted for centuries, crippling generations of women? I could go on and on about that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Scold's bridle? ETA: I like the footbinding suggestion. There are elements of gender, class, politics and nationality in that. Even in 2004, when I moved to provincial China, one would still occasionally see an old lady with bound feet: once the feet are bound and the bones broken, they can never be unbound. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I thought of chastity belts as well. What about something intangible like changing a woman's surname upon marriage? She was her father's property and became her husband's property. Ooh, what about the bridal veil or white wedding dresses? Freaking "push presents." The idea that women are so materialistic and weak that we need to be rewarded with gifts for doing what our bodies are naturally supposed to do. ??? I'm confused. What is a push present? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I thought of chastity belts as well. What about something intangible like changing a woman's surname upon marriage? She was her father's property and became her husband's property. Ooh, what about the bridal veil or white wedding dresses? ??? I'm confused. What is a push present? It's this new trend where women get expensive gifts to reward them for pushing out a baby. Apparently the joy of having a baby isn't enough anymore- now we need fancy jewelry or a designer purse to compensate us for the trouble of creating a new life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 It's this new trend where women get expensive gifts to reward them for pushing out a baby. Apparently the joy of having a baby isn't enough anymore- now we need fancy jewelry or a designer purse to compensate us for the trouble of creating a new life. Not new. As far as I know, eternity rings were given upon the birth of a couple's first child. I thought that had gone way out of fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Uniforms. Start w/ softball vs baseball. They play on the same fields, run the same bases, and slide on the same gravel, but women must wear shorts, where men get to wear pants to protect their legs. Volleyball- take the Olympics- Men could wear t-shirts, but the women who were cold and shivering were called out for wearing too much clothes (why must they play in a bra and shorts that are nothing more than glorified underwear?) Military- why do the women HAVE to wear skirts? Why can't they wear slacks as part of their dress uniforms, too? I hate skirts. tennis- shorts vs. skirts again (maybe that's changed..I don't watch anymore) I know there are more, but you get the idea. I agree with this. But the Military may have changed. I think my friend who just graduated was wearing pants in her dress navy uniform (If I recall the pictures correctly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Military- why do the women HAVE to wear skirts? Why can't they wear slacks as part of their dress uniforms, too? I hate skirts. To the best of my knowledge in the Air Force the only time a skirt would be 'mandatory' would be a female officer in formal evening gown equivalent uniform when males are wearing their tuxedo equivalent uniform (called mess dress for both genders). Mess dress is not mandatory for the majority of the Air Force who are enlisted and, generally speaking, attending formal events is not mandatory therefore making the wearing of a skirt by female officers not mandatory. They might be expected to attend but it would seldom be truly required. The other time a skirt would be required would be when a dress uniform is required for a female who is late enough in pregnancy to need maternity clothes. That woman would wear a dress maternity jumper (yes, it's an unattractive as it sounds). In nearly a decade of living on military bases I have never, ever seen any woman wear it but I've also never heard any woman complain about wearing a skirt, most seem thrilled to be wearing something more feminine than they normally wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4kings Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Update, in case anyone is just dying to know what I have chosen :laugh: My artifact is an Eminem song and I will write about how songs like it promote violence against women. Thanks for all the other suggestions. I can use them for the next project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 You could have done the Bic pen for women. It's got some lovely commentary on Amazon. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/bic-pen-for-her-amazon-reviews_n_1842991.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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