Body image across the world

Out of all the readings done for this past week, I was amazed and floored by one poem. When I think of body image I think of that perfect body. You know, the one that’s on the cover of all the fashion magazines, in the movies, and on television. The body that has the flat stomach with a little bit of definition, the long and skanky legs, a cute butt, and some nice big boobs.


MTV's The Hills star Audrina Patridge

Yes, you know the body I’m talking about.
Surprisingly, this poem talked about a different kind of body image, the kind of body image that not many people understand or experience. This poem was written by Nellie Wong and titled When I was Growing Up. This Chinese American poet talks about her personal experience wanting to become white when she was younger. This body image isn’t about the legs, butt or boobs. Instead it’s about the color of one’s skin and wanting to fit into a different culture. As I read this poem I felt like I was struck by lightning. When I was younger I thought I was white. It wasn’t that I WANTED to be white, I thought I WAS white. As I got older, I realized that I was not white because that body image was completely unattainable. That is, unless, I wanted to bleach my skin like Michael Jackson, get some hair implants on my eyebrows, and get surgery to change the shape of my eyes. The next body image I began to assimilate was from Asia. Wait, that didn’t really work out either, I mean I’m not small by any means. I’m a towering 5’8. 5 with broad shoulders, long legs, and big boobies. After a bit I became more or less ok with my body, I didn’t fully fit either body image, I was like a mutt. A very loveable mutt! After thinking about it I had the best of both images because I have the obvious Asian features as well as the long legs, and boobs Americans want.

Sadly, I didn’t stay at that happy medium of body images because I was going back to the land of my birth. I was going back to that country where the women are short, pale, fashionable, they live in heels, and everything I was not. I was going to Korea. Oh lord, shoot me now or let the plane crash. All I wanted was to fit in….ok well at least not draw any attention to myself more than I had to. I was traveling with a white/blonde American, so much for not drawing attention…haha. My body image got so contorted. I suppose my body image is like looking at a mirror. Instead of a nice flat mirror, mine became a crazy mirror from a fun house. I wanted to cut my legs, pull a Michael Jackson, and have my boobs detached from my body. Then I arrived in Korea.

Oh lord, the women were short! They had bobs and bangs and looked exactly like a very pretty doll. The men were tall and lanky, I didn’t expect much from them. The majority of Asian males have a very hard time building muscle. Then I began to see some taller women, even with heels!! Sweet! I began to realize that most of my body image was just a mind game that I had put in a blender and still tried to play. I actually made a very interesting discovery while in Korea. The younger generations of Koreans have become vastly influenced by the Western culture. There are American clothing and shoe brands, food places, coffee shops, music and movies all over. I was told that for younger Korean men, their ideal female body image is a mix of Western and Korean. They refer to this as Eurasian. The men want a girl with the boobs and the butt.


South Korean Model Im Ji Hye


Men on the other hand value their masculinity. They take jobs that are considered masculine, and some even show their masculinity through their body. I'm not quite sure what exactly this body image, but I'm guessing that this body will be defined. I say "defined" because it is harder for Asian men to gain muscle. At least how Americans think of muscle. Eg weight lifters.


South Korean Olympic Swimmer Park Tae-Hwan



American Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps




Looking back on this experience and particular conversation I am struck by the similarities in female body image. Who would have thought?

blog #4

Many issues can be connected to Patriarchy, some of which include, inequality and privilege. For this blog, I will be concentrating mostly about patriarchy and inequality.
Patriarchy essentially is about “the valuing of masculinity and maleness and the devaluing of femininity and femaleness.” Well, that isn’t surprising. The Latin word for father is pater and mother is mater. Even looking at the word I can see that males take priority. I suppose that’s my embedded Latin from 6th grade coming out. Gee, I guess I did learn and retain something from that class! Anyways, from these readings, I believe that patriarchy is a main cause for feminism. The reason for this is because of a certain quote in one passage. “So change typically gets limited to the most oppressed, who have the least to lose and are in the weakest position to challenge the system as a whole…” In other words, women were able to change patriarchy. Women were oppressed by the patriarchal system. Women had to dress the way men wanted or deemed presentable, cook the food men wanted, submit themselves to men in all ways, shapes, and forms. Women had nothing to loose by rebelling against the patriarchal system and they had everything to gain.
In addition, under the patriarchal system the women were also facing inequality. Before the first feminist movement, women did not have the right to do anything but what the head of their family said. Throughout the many years since the first feminist movement, inequality has been a reoccurring theme. To be general, and blunt… White Anglo women were the first feminists. Due to inequality, black women formed their own feminist group to deal with issues that went hand in hand with their race and specific needs. These women have named themselves “womanists”. After watching these two groups of women band together to fight for their rights and goals, another group joined the fray. The Mujerista group was formed. Like the womanists, these Latin women have their own agenda. Though the womanists and mujeristas are branches of feminism they all share the same origin. The origin was from patriarchy and the inequality that was instilled by that system.
Patriarchy… I know the word but only one or two examples come to mind. The main example is the Bible. The bible is chalk-full of examples of patriarchy. I suppose I should say that there aren’t many current examples of patriarchy that I see and affect my life. Perhaps the main reason for this is because I was raised by my mother in a single-parent home. Patriarchy wouldn’t directly affect me in anyway. Patriarchy for me in this current time is crap that has been thrown out the window. I’ve never had a “head male” in my life, unless you count my mother who has had to play both roles of mother and father. Haha, I call it dictatorship (just kidding!). Instead, I know of a thing called respect. “Respect your elders” and such similar phrases.
There’s a song that I heard in my later years of high school. In fact, it was quite popular with my graduating class because there were many die-hard hockey enthusiasts. The song was from a very popular cartoon show called South Park. The whole song talks about “blaming Canada”. How does this fit into this week’s bog you might ask? After this week’s reading and my 20 years and some months of experience of male rule, I would like to change the chorus to, “blame men”. (Just for fun!)

Times have changed
Female single parents
Are more popular
Should we blame to government?
Or blame society?
Or should we blame the images on TV?
No, blame men
Blame men
With all their laziness and macho-ness
And flapping heads so full of crap
Blame men
Men

Original lyrics…
Times have changed
Our kids are getting worse
They just want to fart and curse!
Should we blame the government?
Or blame society?
No, blame Canada
Blame Canada
With all their beady little eyes
And flapping heads so full of lies
Blame Canada
Canada

Blog #3

I’ve always been under the impression that history is recorded for a reason. The reason is to remember and learn something from the past and apply it to benefit the future. In other words learn from the past and don’t make the same mistakes. For me, this week’s reading has really reinforced this impression. The feminist movements have kept repeating, but always moving forward and learning from the past.
I’ve never really paid much attention to feminists. In fact, until this year I never truly realized what feminists have done for me. The only thing I remember from high school that touched on anything related to feminism was about women who burned their bras. I never really realize how much blood, sweat, tears, burned undergarments, and time went into the rights I have today. I don’t see “feminism” anymore I see a movement. A movement that continues to fight to give me more rights.
In class a metaphor was made about social movements. These movements push till they hit a peak and then they slowly fade into the background only to repeat the process. Social movements are like a wave against the shore. The waves start as little ripples and grow bigger as they gather strength. Eventually, a huge wave will reach the shore and will wash over the shore. After all the energy has expanded it will slowly back up and repeat the process. The water is like many social movements and the people’s discontent. The shore is like the rest of society, unwilling to move or bend to anything else until overwhelmed and then it will give a little.
So far throughout history there have been three distinct social movements or waves that pertain to feminism as a social movement. The first wave occurred in the 1840’s. This movement brought to light human rights, oppression and inequality. In addition the biggest victory of the history of feminism happened during this wave. The 19th amendment occurred. The second wave happened in the 1960’s. This movement demanded birth control, pro-choice, legal rights (NOW), to name a few. The third wave occurred in the 1990’s. This time the focus is on inequalities of all types. This wave isn’t as specifically geared towards previous feminist goals, but instead humanism.
I wish that feminism, especially as a social movement, were taught more in depth in high school. I feel like I have missed out on so much important history. The lessons that might have covered these topics were few and far in between. By understanding the history of how feminism came to be, I understand how they got such a negative reputation. This weeks reading has definitely changed the way I view feminism, and social movements. I eagerly await the ending of this third wave and the beginning of the next one.