I'm feeling a little lazy, so sorry I don't have anything else to put up.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Post Secret
Like any number of people out there, I am addicted to Post Secret. Each week, I faithfully check the Post Secret website to see what new secrets have been revealed. I realized while I was looking at them this week that quite a lot of the secrets have to do with sex and sexuality. Here's a quick sampling of some from this week:
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Mary Cheney's Pregnancy
Mary Cheney, the openly lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, has recently announced that she is pregnant. This is causing a bit of a ruckus amongst both gay-rights groups and those who do not support equal rights for the gay community. Beyond the fact that Mary Cheney and her partner, Heather Poe, are planning to raise this child together (an uncomfortable thought for many), the media also brings to light that Cheney and Poe moved to Virginia to be closer to America's Second Family (aka: the VP), yet Virginia is one of a few states that has very strict rules against same-sex couples, meaning that, should they stay in Virginia, Poe will not have custody over this child.
And of course, there is always the fact that the second most powerful man in the nation, who represents a conservative party which generally does not support gay rights, has a daughter who is openly gay and now having a child who will be raised with her female partner.
If anyone's interested, here's the article I read about this: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/06/cheney.daughters.ap/index.html
(Professor, I know you will not be taking this post into consideration for grading, but I thought it was interesting and wanted to put it up anyway.)
And of course, there is always the fact that the second most powerful man in the nation, who represents a conservative party which generally does not support gay rights, has a daughter who is openly gay and now having a child who will be raised with her female partner.
If anyone's interested, here's the article I read about this: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/06/cheney.daughters.ap/index.html
(Professor, I know you will not be taking this post into consideration for grading, but I thought it was interesting and wanted to put it up anyway.)
Clothing selections despite frigid temperatures
That Victoria's Secret ad appealing to the demand for cozy sweaters this holiday season must not be working. Regardless of temperature change, I have observed a large number of people wearing low-cut or sleeveless tops or open-toed shoes while out, braving the elements in the name of looking sexy.
In one bar I observed only 4 women wearing sweaters or any other type of clothing that seemed suited for winter wear. In the same bar, almost half the women present had on some sort of high heel or sandal, equipping them for a more sexualized appearance but perhaps not for winter walking. Of the 12 women I observed walking in the door in the course of 15 minutes, 5 of them removed bulky layers of scarves and coats. The others either came in light shawls, thin jackets or no coat at all. Many audibly complained of being cold but the answer "wear a sweater!" or something similar never came up.
While many of the women I observed sacrificed warmth for a sexy appearance, the men exhibited almost the complete opposite. I saw nearly all of the men in the same bar wearing warm clothes, from turtlenecks to sweaters to one man who even kept his gloves on. Just taking the whole bar in at once, the majority of skin visible belonged to the women. This ratio seems to remain consistent with the changing months and seasons.
In one bar I observed only 4 women wearing sweaters or any other type of clothing that seemed suited for winter wear. In the same bar, almost half the women present had on some sort of high heel or sandal, equipping them for a more sexualized appearance but perhaps not for winter walking. Of the 12 women I observed walking in the door in the course of 15 minutes, 5 of them removed bulky layers of scarves and coats. The others either came in light shawls, thin jackets or no coat at all. Many audibly complained of being cold but the answer "wear a sweater!" or something similar never came up.
While many of the women I observed sacrificed warmth for a sexy appearance, the men exhibited almost the complete opposite. I saw nearly all of the men in the same bar wearing warm clothes, from turtlenecks to sweaters to one man who even kept his gloves on. Just taking the whole bar in at once, the majority of skin visible belonged to the women. This ratio seems to remain consistent with the changing months and seasons.
More sexy advertising
When I saw this, I immediately thought to myself, "do cozy sweaters really qualify as the world's sexiest gift?" The blatant display of sexually charged advertising seems to appeal to the gift-giving sensibilities of a romantically linked couple or maybe those who would like to be romantically linked. The slight, coy way the model cocks the pink, stylized Santa hat is a manner of channeling appealing imagery (like Santa's hat, maybe symbolizing gifts or happiness) and turning it into something sexually engaging. While this isn't the most obvious example of fetishizing and sexualizing otherwise neutral imagery and behaviors (a better one would probably be for Herbal Essences shampoo, for isntance), this ad is considerable in its attempts.
Sidenote: The location of the model is somewhat awkward, as she doesn't seem to stand out as much as the dark pink box advertising express delivery. The asymmetry at one time works to clearly define the model from the text, but at the other time prevents her from really being the center of attention. That further indicates the model's superfluous nature and her role as a selling device for cozy sweaters and scented lotions.
Private party
Tonight hosted a private party of which I arrived for the aftermath. With empty drinks and plates of picked-over food littered about and only a few stragglers in the back sections talking over drinks, onlookers might have been curious as to what had taken place. Well over a majority of the couples talking were same-sex. The glassware selections ranged from dainty martini glasses to sugar-rimmed shot glasses, and the server seemed to be making no attempt to clean up after the party. To do so would have been an interruption. The patrons' clothing was business casual but nothing that would lead to speculation on the theme of the party. Still not a jeans and t-shirt crowd, though. Nonetheless, those who stayed remained coupled off. Surrounding the reserved section were the usual customers, seated with laptops, textbooks and coffee mugs. Despite their isolation, the private party appeared intimate and concealed. They contrasted the busy workers around them and made no moves to get up and leave, even when last call was made. A few couples left in twosomes eventually, but for the most part everyone left alone. The party that fostered a strongly-felt intimate atmosphere was evidently unsuccessful in translating it back out into the real world.
It Is Way Too Late and I Am Way Too Tired…
…and there is simply not enough caffeine available at the moment. However…
LK is complaining about a professor and how he is not very pleasant to work with and hasn't graded papers they turned in at the beginning semester.
CK: Well, he needs to stop having sex with his wife and get some sh*t done!
Well, you probably had to be here for it to be funny, but it's interesting that we blame people's faults (in our eyes) on sexual habits that are not socially acceptable (like excessive sex).
LK is complaining about a professor and how he is not very pleasant to work with and hasn't graded papers they turned in at the beginning semester.
CK: Well, he needs to stop having sex with his wife and get some sh*t done!
Well, you probably had to be here for it to be funny, but it's interesting that we blame people's faults (in our eyes) on sexual habits that are not socially acceptable (like excessive sex).
Gender Differences in Ads
Most media seems to present women in a rather unflattering light by highly sexualizing them, such as in this image:
Here, we see the woman dressed only in bra, panties, heels, and nylons, draped across a seemingly indifferent man fully dressed in a business suit.
This image, in contrast, is sexualizing the man. He is wearing no shirt to show off a well-toned body and is surrounded by women who are dressed fairly conservatively, as you might expect to see regular women dressed if you were walking through the Mall on a spring day.
Interestingly, the second ad is selling jeans (it is Guess, after all), but you really can't see the jeans in the add. And what the first ad is selling…I really couldn't say (if it wasn't a cut out, I might know better).
Another point, the ads probably sexualize the people shown based on the audience they are aiming it for. If the Guess ad is for men's jeans (which I presume it is as the man is the focal point of the picture), then they sexualize the man to say "If you wear Guess jeans then you, too, can have this amazing body and be surrounded by women!" The first ad could be aimed either at men or at women: to women, it could be saying that "You too can be this sexy if you buy product X!" but to men it could be saying "You too can have women in lingerie draping themselves over you if you buy product X!"
And if someone with more media understanding wants to give a better evaluation of the ads than I am capable of doing, do feel free. This, after all, is what we have comments for.
These images were taken from about-face.org.
Here, we see the woman dressed only in bra, panties, heels, and nylons, draped across a seemingly indifferent man fully dressed in a business suit.
This image, in contrast, is sexualizing the man. He is wearing no shirt to show off a well-toned body and is surrounded by women who are dressed fairly conservatively, as you might expect to see regular women dressed if you were walking through the Mall on a spring day.
Interestingly, the second ad is selling jeans (it is Guess, after all), but you really can't see the jeans in the add. And what the first ad is selling…I really couldn't say (if it wasn't a cut out, I might know better).
Another point, the ads probably sexualize the people shown based on the audience they are aiming it for. If the Guess ad is for men's jeans (which I presume it is as the man is the focal point of the picture), then they sexualize the man to say "If you wear Guess jeans then you, too, can have this amazing body and be surrounded by women!" The first ad could be aimed either at men or at women: to women, it could be saying that "You too can be this sexy if you buy product X!" but to men it could be saying "You too can have women in lingerie draping themselves over you if you buy product X!"
And if someone with more media understanding wants to give a better evaluation of the ads than I am capable of doing, do feel free. This, after all, is what we have comments for.
These images were taken from about-face.org.
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Blogthings . . .
What kind of sexy are you?
This is a quiz that girls are encouraged to put in their blogs. If you answer the questions an appropriate type of sexy is selected to "fit" you. Its interesting to see what kind of questions they ask and the fact that is is targeted to younger girls. Is sexy an appropriate topic for girls??? Check it out and find out what kind of sexy you are?? Post your type of sexy as a comment.
This is a quiz that girls are encouraged to put in their blogs. If you answer the questions an appropriate type of sexy is selected to "fit" you. Its interesting to see what kind of questions they ask and the fact that is is targeted to younger girls. Is sexy an appropriate topic for girls??? Check it out and find out what kind of sexy you are?? Post your type of sexy as a comment.
Sex at work Part 3: Sexuality and the Internet
It's been quite the trip taking the time to really observe the quantity of sexual displays that take place at Tryst. I noticed that a few of the other mass observation blogs made note of Tryst's intense role among the D.C. youth demographic and just the sheer number of observable trends that transpire here, be it via clothing choices, laptops, sexual endeavors and dating rituals and more. As an aside, Open City (also mentioned in another M.O. blog) is owned by the same couple who owns Tryst and there is a significant amount of attention afforded to creating these atmospheres. To assume that none of this is at least a little intentional would be misguided.
The Internet thing has become a whole new beast in the dating game. Looking across the crowded floor, I see at least 25 laptops and on those screens that are visible, at least 5 are on MySpace. At least 3 are on craigslist.org, a dark horse in the online sexuality front. The "missed connections" segment of the craigslist.org community comes off as quite popular, with people seemingly screening the vast listings of people looking for people they may have passed by on the Red Line or in an elevator somewhere. Do people actively look for themselves or is there something to be said for observing the huge quantities of felt connections in the course of one day in one city?
Here are a few links to craigslist missed connections pertaining to sightings at Tryst:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mis/242578045.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mis/242440467.html
MySpace lacks the definite anonymity of craigslist's missed connections but still bears the disconnected, technological method of finding potential mates. Throughout the day, many people are observed taking breaks from what appears to be legitimate work to peruse MySpace profiles.
The Internet thing has become a whole new beast in the dating game. Looking across the crowded floor, I see at least 25 laptops and on those screens that are visible, at least 5 are on MySpace. At least 3 are on craigslist.org, a dark horse in the online sexuality front. The "missed connections" segment of the craigslist.org community comes off as quite popular, with people seemingly screening the vast listings of people looking for people they may have passed by on the Red Line or in an elevator somewhere. Do people actively look for themselves or is there something to be said for observing the huge quantities of felt connections in the course of one day in one city?
Here are a few links to craigslist missed connections pertaining to sightings at Tryst:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mis/242578045.html
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/mis/242440467.html
MySpace lacks the definite anonymity of craigslist's missed connections but still bears the disconnected, technological method of finding potential mates. Throughout the day, many people are observed taking breaks from what appears to be legitimate work to peruse MySpace profiles.
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