Sexes Still Separate

I recently made a new friend on campus who is from Arizona. We were talking about different things in his state when he mentioned a characteristics of most country clubs in Arizona. These health clubs have both a "Woman's Grill" and a "Mens Grill." In both places a member of the opposite sex is not permitted to eat, drink, or socialize. There is also a combined eating area where both sexes are permitted to eat together. I found this very surprising, especially as my friend used the words "separate but equal" to describe the different eating areas. This trend in Arizona takes sexism back to our early readings where men and women were described as different through their intelligence and degree of hotness or coldness. By playing into the idea of sexual differences this community is hindering progress of cohesion not only among the sexes, but among individuals with gender confusion.

- Mandi Brooksbank

Are women really the enemy?

Are women really the enemy?

With all the readings in our class and with information outside of it, I can't help but to think that everywhere we turn....Women are perceived as the enemy in every aspect that they are portrayed. Joan of Arc is a heretic for standing up for what she believed her cause to be, Feminists who fight for women's rights are described as defiant and/or lesbians (which carries a negative connotation), and in our discussion today on "Portrait of a Monster" it happened again. A man cheats on his fiance, marries someone else and yet is absolved of his crime simply because a woman put a spell on him. The moral of that story was not to trust women because they are "Little worms like leeches that suck the blood from your soul and your conscience." Later they refer to women as a "Basilisk" and as poisonous snakes. I guess the point of the matter is that when women try to take charge of their autonomy or livelihood, they are quickly ostracized and sent to the wolves to punish.

What's in a [last] name?

In our discussion yesterday, I found it very interesting when that one guy pointed out about how the male's last name was traditionally an indicator of status. If a family was wealthy, their last name was well known and it was an honor to bear that last name.Even in our society today, a huge deal is placed on the last name. With the recent scandal of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his affair with his maid, it became a huge deal when his oldest son, changed his last name on twitter (click to see the article) to his mother's last name. Which leads me to my next point on how Maria Shriver, despite being married to a name with such a distinct last name, kept her maiden name I see that as Shriver's statement to prove herself independent from her husband, and pursue her own career and lifestyle without constantly having his very distinct last name be associated with whatever she does. And recently, with his scandal about his love child, their eldest daughter Katherine Schwarzenegger (click on her name for the article) spoke out about wanting to change her last name because she does not like how everybody automatically recognizes her last name and starts to question her abut her dad. She commented on how that has made her "hyper-conscious about it." And I guess in older times, the male's last name was supposed to serve for that purpose of it being recognized, it now has become a matter of preference for the women and now even the children, whether they want to bear their father's last name, as clearly seen in the Schwarzenegger family.

Hail Mary

What do you believe is the connection between the three stories and gender roles?

I can see how man is suppose to respect her wife and if he were to commit adultary he would be killed. On the other hand women who commit adultary are mistreated and whipped in front of society, but not killed. The public humilation that women have to deal with after public whipping is more harmful than death? Is that why women aren't killed instantly like when men commit adultary?