Blue is a colour pink is a label
Even now, there are still issues with equality, whether
these be sexist or racist or homophobic. I have been personally affected by
sexism, especially growing up.
My mother has been a feminist for all of her life, even
refusing to take the title of matron as male staff cannot earn it. She named me
Freddy, like a favourite character from her favourite film, like one of her
great granddads a name that she’d always loved. A joke with her sister soon
turned into a drunk debate on how sexist names are, long story short, they
jested about giving a girl a boy’s name.
This would be the fellow
Freddy, from room with a view
For this trivial decision, half based on a merry jest and
half on a good point, I used to get bullied. I gained
a very masculine persona in youth, one that many mothers where averse to, as
though their child could catch my personality.
Obviously gender identity and sexism has become a very
personal thing, why was it so indecent for a woman to have a name of a man?
Nowadays things are a lot better, you wouldn't bat an eyelid at my name any
more, but it wasn't as long ago as you’d think. For instance the Bechtel
Test, easy to read further on here: http://bechdeltest.com/.
This is a test that looks at how women are shown in films. To pass the Bechtel
test the film must only fill three criteria:
Easy right?
In 2013 37% of films published didn’t pass the Bechtel test, 7%
failed out right*. This is sad, the fact is that women are being shown to have
no interests other than men around them. This is what we show our children. While
that might be called taking it too far these films include Disney and Pixar
films which are aimed at children. A famous example being Star Wars, one of the
first three failing outright. This is such a fantastic and well thought out
presentation on how movies may need to change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueOqYebVhtc
I love how the video
brings up a valuable fact that in the Wizard of Oz Dorothy, a girl, holds
importance and leadership over other people. How? By making friends, by making
clever choices and by avoiding battles. The film teaches our children that the
best way to approve our goals is by making friends and good decisions. Many
years later a film called Star Wars arises, however this time the boy has to
fight all of the battles, and he only gets the girl at the end.
Currently 2013 is one of the best scores for a year on the Bechtel
test things are getting better a prime example being the hunger games; Katniss
is a strong level headed leader who pushes though awful circumstance and reacts
to it, she grieves the death, she scared by the events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc this is another fantastic video on how modern day sexism is often overlooked because it’s become in grained into us, both men and women. It’s not a rant against men, it’s a speech on how feminism is viewed badly in many other cultures. My favourite part being where she’s a happy African feminist who wears lip-gloss and high heels for herself and not for men. Truly eye opening.
However do we really send the worst message to the girls or
to the boys?
To the girls more and more we say, be feisty or super
feminine or manly but it’s you who will choose. Choose to be a house wife,
choose to be a mother but know that the choice is important, The message is
empower yourself.
To the boys we say, you were born strong, you have to be in
charge, you save the day, go out and be muscly while jumping 5 foot and
punching walls and get a girl and do all the things. The message is fit in this
mold.
Where do video games come into this?
Image References
http://goldengazette.com/opinions/2012/09/30/double-standards/
http://thehungergames.wikia.com/wiki/Katniss_Everdeen
http://tribecafilm.com/features/10-films-that-passed-the-bechdel-test-2013
http://gravesdiggers.tumblr.com/post/36947623451/themocknecronomicon-huuuuge-freddy-crush-3
http://rebeccacohenart.tumblr.com/post/63109584167
