Wednesday, February 26th- Women's Media Literacy

Today we’ll be looking at Media Literacy from a woman’s perspective. As we begin to define what makes media positive or damaging, the students will view videos that use a variety of methods to address the issue of sexism.

*10 Cliches Framed in Comedy

 We’ll begin the discussion by showing a clip from Parks and Recreation, during which Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, takes the blame for shooting Ron Swanson. Although this clip is from a comedy show, Poehler’s character plays into a variety of very real clichés about women.

  (extended version- http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3091268889/)

*The “Shared Experience” and Artistic Accountability

Let’s begin to think of media literacy as a filter that can be applied to the media you consume and create. Whether watching television, out at the movies, or reading a magazine we are constantly being bombarded by stereotypes of what women should be.

Author, feminist and social activist, Bell Hooks, describes movies as providing “a shared experience, a common starting point from which diverse audiences can dialogue about these charged issues.”

In her writings, Hooks brings up the idea of artistic accountability, meaning that artists are responsible for the views portrayed in their work. According to Hooks, “Thinking in a constructive way about accountability never diminishes artistic integrity or artistic vision, it strengthens and enhances it.”

*The Bechdel Test

The Bechdel Test is an uncomplicated test to determine if there’s gender bias in a film. Although it appeared in a 1985 comic strip, few Hollywood features pass this test. In the comic, one of the characters says she only watches movies if it satisfies the following requirements:

1. It has to have at least two women with names

2. Who talk to each other

3. About something other than a man

This video looks at the 2012 Oscar nominees and where they stand with the Bechdel test 

(screening from 01:06- 4:47)

Additionally, here’s a list of 10 Famous Films That Surprisingly Fail the Bechdel Test:

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/10-famous-films-that-surprisingly-fail-the-bechdel-test.php

*War Zone

The film War Zone, by Maggie Hadleigh West, shows what it's like to be a woman on the street in a cultural environment that does little to discourage the heckling, following, touching or disparaging of women in public places.

As a class, discuss the students’ reaction to the film. Was her filmmaking method effective in showing a woman’s perspective? What shocked you? What creative choices did you like? What changes would you make (if any)?

*Beyond Beats and Rhymes

Director Byron Hurt created the documentary Hip Hop- Beyond Beats and Rhymes to look at the negative ideology portrayed in mainstream hip hop. Not only does the documentary look at how women are objectified, it also explores the complex idea of masculinity.

*The Future

(15:25)

 Filmmaker, author, and performance artist, Miranda July, takes a comedic approach to dealing with the influence of the media in her film, the Future. Sophie, a character played by Miranda July, decides to quite her unfulfilling job and follow her dream of being a dancer by releasing a video series called 30 Days, 30 Dances.

Afterward, discuss the class reaction to the clip. Has Miranda July incorporated the pressures of society into her film? Does it seem realistic?

Shut Up and Sing

(38:07)

Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck’s documentary, Shut Up and Sing, looks at the Dixie Chicks’ career following an anti-George W. Bush statement at a 2003 concert. Both the subjects and filmmakers in this documentary faced creative choices regarding the portrayal of women.

The Dixie Chicks were propositioned by a number of documentary filmmakers, including Michael Moore, but decided to have female filmmakers Kopple and Peck share their story. Rather than having a narrator or text explain the events in the movie, the filmmakers decided to let the women speak for themselves.

After watching the clip, discuss class reactions. What choices did the filmmakers make? What emotions did that evoke? Do you think the Dixie Chicks would have received a different media reaction if they were the Dixie Dudes?

Additional Sources of Inspiration:

-Here's a blog dedicated entirely to bashing sexist advertisements:
http://sexistads.tumblr.com/

-This is an editorial photo shoot that had a skinny model and a “plus size” model pose in the same clothing:

 http://skinnyvscurvy.com/skinny-versus-curvy-battle/regular-model-plus-size-model-pose-side-by-side-outfits.html

- Here's a fascinating TED talk led by author Chimamanda Adichie. She tells several stories that explain the danger in telling only one side of a person or community's story: