Taylor Swift, Easy A, and the Virgin-Whore Dichotomy

If you were to look at popular media’s portrayal of women, you would quickly come to the conclusion that there are only two kinds of women in the world. On the one hand you have “good girls” who are pure and innocent and never have sex. On the other hand you have the “sluts” who have the nerve to act on their sexuality before being married. This phenomenon goes by many names: “virgin-whore dichotomy,” “Madonna-Mary dichotomy,” “Eve-Mary binary,” etc. For the sake of consistency, the term “virgin-whore dichotomy” will be used in this paper.

The virgin-whore dichotomy has ancient roots, but it did not start to gain its current prevalence until the rise of Christianity (Tumanov 511). The general distrust of female sexuality has been around through most of recorded history, but it was Christianity that cemented the distinction between the “whore” Eve with the virgin Mary as the lens through which we view women. In Christian mythology, Mary is the eternal virgin, devoted mother, and obedient wife. Women are meant to aspire to be her, and men are supposed to want her. In contrast, we have Eve the one to disobey the commands of her (male) deity and commit the original sin, and the first woman to have a sexuality (Tumanov 513). According to Christian tradition, Eve’s disobedience has damaged the purity all of humankind, and we are still bearing the weight of her sin. And yet even within Christian discourse, there is a disconnect in how Eve is talked about. For while she is the catalyst for the original sin, she was also created from one of Adam’s ribs to be a perfect partner for him, and their relationship before the fall of man is seen as ideal. As a result, Eve is as desired as she is reviled. Take this forward to the present day, and one of the problems of the virgin-whore dichotomy becomes immediately apparent. The only reason the “whore” is able to become so tarnished and undesirable is precisely because she is universally desired. While female sexuality seems to have become more acceptable over time, a closer look at “acceptable” versus “unacceptable” sexual activity reveals that activity widely seen as acceptable still falls exclusively under male control (McCormick).

A very clear example of what the virgin-whore dichotomy looks like in media can be found in “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift and the accompanying music video. The song is performed from the perspective of an innocent, desexualized girl who is in love with a boy who is dating a girl whose flaws are explained as being sexual and not being submissive in the relationship:

“You’re on the phone with your girlfriend-she’s upset,

She’s going off about something that you said

[...]

She wears high heels

I wear sneakers

She’s cheer captain

And I’m on the bleachers” (Swift).

The flaws of the boy’s girlfriend are pinned more distinctly on her sexuality in the music video. Here we can clearly see the contrast between the virginal blonde in loose-fitting, somewhat childish clothing wearing unsexy nerd glasses and the slutty brunette in form-fitting, clearly sexual clothing. 

When we first meet her Whore immediately starts making out with her boyfriend. When we next see her, she is cheering on her boyfriend’s football team and then celebrates their win by making out with a boy who is clearly not her boyfriend. Boyfriend sees this and is clearly, and understandably, upset. Meanwhile, Virgin is spending her days watching boyfriend through his bedroom window, exchanging messages by holding up adorable signs, and playing in the school band at the football game. Some days after the game prom happens. Virgin plans to study instead of going to prom, but after Boyfriend holds up a “Wish you were [going to prom]” sign, she removes her glasses and dons a modest, pure white ballgown she either already had or acquired in the hour or so before the dance. 

Upon seeing her, Boyfriend is stunned at her beauty and realizes that Virgin is the girl he has really wanted the whole time, and they hold up matching “I love you” signs while Whore storms off furious that her attempt to win back boyfriend with more makeouts has failed.

Not all media involving female sexuality is as clear cut as “You Belong With Me.” In the film Easy A, the main and most sympathetic character Olive Penderghast is the “whore” in our virgin-whore dichotomy. 

After lying to her friend about losing her virginity one weekend, the rumor circulates around the student body of her high school, and immediately everyone, especially the school’s Christian group, starts treating her differently because of her supposed loss of purity. Later when she pretends to have sex with her friend Brandon at a party to help keep him from being bullied for being gay and then accepts a gift card from a boy in exchange for letting him tell everyone that they went to second base, she is branded a “dirty skank” by even her best friend Rhiannon. To fight the dramatically over-the-top harassment, Olive embraces her whore image by dressing like a “high-end stripper for governors or athletes,” sewing a red “A” on her clothes (inspired by The Scarlet Letter being assigned in her English class), and allowing more male students to trade money for permission to say that they slept with her.  

The harassment gets more and more out of control until Olive is forced to confess via webcast that all the rumors were false and reveal that she had been unfairly persecuted. The webcast and film end with this declaration by Olive about her new boyfriend Todd: “I might even lose my virginity to him. I don't know when will it happen. You know, maybe in five minutes, or tonight, or sixth months from now, or maybe on the night of our wedding. But the really amazing this is, it is nobody's goddamn business.” 

Unfortunately, a deeper look reveals that Easy A’s take on the virgin-whore dichotomy is not all that revolutionary. While the film clearly positions the harassment Olive receives as completely unfair, it does not claim that it is the students’ actions that are unfair. Rather, the film reminds us time and time again that Olive should not be getting this treatment because she is “not that kind of girl” and still a virgin. The text in no way indicates that the persecution would still be unfair had the rumors been true. What actually happens is the film goes out of its way to punish the few actually sexual characters. In one of the film’s subplots, the school counsellor has an affair with a 21-year-old student. As a result of a woman exercising her sexuality outside of her, apparently already failing, marriage, the student catches chlamydia from her and is sent to live with ultraconservative Southern relatives, her husband separates from her, and Olive is blamed resulting in the bullying to increase dramatically. In addition, in the world of Easy A, sex is something so exceptional and taboo that a rumor about a relatively anonymous student losing her virginity literally travels to the entire student body and most of the faculty in seconds. And while Olive becomes more of an outcast with each passing deal, the men she “sleeps” with are treated almost like heroes and become more popular for having sex. It is only female sexuality that is truly punished by the film. 

One does not have to look hard to see how the virgin-whore dichotomy in songs like “You Belong With Me” and films like Easy A affects men and women today. Abstinence-only sex education programs teach women that if they have sex they are dirty and worthless leading to tragic cases where victims of human trafficking do not run or call for help because they feel unworthy of rescue (Domingues). Purity is an impossible standard made to create a system where men have complete control over women’s sexualization (West). Even efforts by women to create spaces to reclaim their sexuality are “constantly invaded by men determined to insert their big, throbbing, veiny opinions into women's personal spaces. Queer women, fat women, women in pain, women trying to practice very basic self-care and sexual reclamation—they're all subject to unsolicited male assessment and exploited for male arousal. Women can't even escape sexualization in the context of attempting to make a statement about their own sexualization. It's relentless” (West). The reliance on the virgin-whore dichotomy in the media serves to reinforce this mindset and provide approval for this behavior.

Works Cited

Dominguez, Alex. "Elizabeth Smart Speaks on Human Trafficking." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 04 May 2013. Web. 20 May 2013.

McCormick, Naomi B. "Preface To Sexual Scripts: Social And Therapeutic Implications." Sexual & Relationship Therapy 25.1 (2010): 91-95. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 May 2013.

Tumanov, Vladimir. "Mary Versus Eve: Paternal Uncertainty And The Christian View Of Women." Neophilologus 95.4 (2011): 507-521. Women's Studies International. Web. 20 May 2013.

West, Lindy. "Female 'Purity' Is Bullshit." Jezebel. Gawker Media, 7 May 2013. Web. 20 May 2013.

Being a Woman Can Be Inconvenient But I Guess That's Fine

A couple weeks ago I wrote a discussion question asking if anyone ever wanted to be a different gender. For me that answer is yes, but fleetingly. I usually wish to not be a woman for a few moments and then realize how weird that would be and settle back comfortably in my gender. This short wish is fairly frequent though and many things set it off.

Things that make me not want to be a woman:

• Being mansplained to
• Not being taken seriously
• When my mother panics and gives me a long lecture on protecting myself when I go out
• Trying to buy things from a salesman
• Alone somewhere with a man who gives me the heebie jeebies
• Strangers yelling at me to smile
• Strangers touching me inappropriately
• Creepy old men flirting with me at work
• Getting scolded for "unladylike" behavior that no one is scolding my brother for
• Being told that I'm not allowed to participate in things because of my gender
• Cute sweaters in the men's department
• Wanting to go to my local comic book store
• Days where I wake up and my gender feels all itchy so I put on my most masculine plaid and get unreasonably upset that the only boots I own are pink and that my hair is so long and that all my sweaters are clearly women's sweaters

But (except for itchy gender days) the idea of not being a woman is so completely bizarre. Sometimes I get worried about whether my gender is really my gender or if I've just been socialized into it, but for the most part I don't care where my gender comes from. The way I wear my gender fits perfectly and it would be uncomfortable for me to take it off.

My Kingdom for More Queer Women in TV and Movies!

I don't know if you guys are aware, but there are a lot of heterosexual couples on television. A whole lot. Like more than ten at least. And nowadays they even let white, cisgender, middle class, stereotype-conforming gay couples have TV romances too! We're making huge strides toward equality! Soon all the problems will be solved!

Except not. Where are they hiding the ladies?  I can't help but feel like all these attempts at equality are just an excuse to further focus on men's stories while sweeping women's stories under the rug. You're only allowed to be queer on television if you're a white, able-bodied, cisgender, middle class, effeminate man or if you're evil. They were interesting stories the first time around, but now it's just underwhelming.

I think there might be some confusion over how to write queer people. That's okay! It's difficult to write something you're not familiar with! I'll let you in on the secret: you write queer people the same way you write straight people except they're not exclusively interested in the opposite gender. That's it. Easy, right? Sure there's extra challenges involved in being queer, but you don't actually have to devote an after school special type episode to it. Being queer isn't 100% dealing with hardship all the time. Most of it is keeping a job and paying bills and making friends. Same as everyone else. And you don't need to use the same gay dude stereotypes all the time. Some gay men are super effeminate and like shopping and want to adopt babies, but a lot aren't. There are so many different stories you can tell! So tell those stories so I don't have to see two queer individuals on the screen and know immediately that they're either going to die off or get married/partnered after a shopping montage and bout of homophobia.

(Disclaimer: My kingdom consists entirely of a handful of pocket change, an opened package of Avengers temporary tattoos, and a paper crown.)

Artifact Analysis II: Sparkly Pink Feminism

"Legally Blonde" is a 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon that can be described as the story of a sorority girl struggling to win back her ex-boyfriend by following him across the country to Harvard Law School. At a glance, it is the sort of story you would roll your eyes at and pass on or watch for some mindless entertainment, but if you look a little closer you can find an impressively feminist film.

(Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legally_Blonde)

For those of you who have not seen "Legally Blonde" yet (if that is you, I highly recommend watching it as soon as you get a chance) Elle Woods is the perky, blonde, conventionally attractive president of her sorority majoring in fashion merchandising. Her signature color is pink, her clothes are all the latest styles, and her hair is always perfectly done. All in all she appears to be your stereotypical air-headed girly-girl.

The film opens with Elle preparing for a date where she expects to be proposed to by her boyfriend Warren Huntington III. But despite all her excitement and preparation Warren does not propose to Elle. Instead he breaks up with her saying that she is not serious enough for someone who plans on being a senator to marry.

Elle is devastated, and after hiding in her room for a few days she hatches a plan to follow Warren to Harvard and win him back. She trades in parties for constant studying for the LSAT. All her work is rewarded when her amazing LSAT score of 179 and creative essay video gets her accepted. Once at Harvard, Elle finds out her plan is going to be much more difficult than she thought. The professors are more intense than what she was used to, her classmates constantly mock her, and, worst of all for her plan's success, Warren has gotten engaged to a woman named Vivian Kensington over the summer. Still, Elle refuses to stop chasing the man she loves.

With the power of sparkly pink studying.

(Image: insertsomethingfantastic.tumblr.com)

When Elle hears about a party, Vivian tricks her into thinking it is a costume party so Elle shows up in a Playboy Bunny-esque costume instead of regular clothes. Seeing Warner separate from Vivian, Elle tries
to work on winning him back, but he makes it clear that he will never take her seriously because all he sees is her looks. Furious at being dismissed as a pretty face with no brains, Elle takes her revenge by buckling down in her studies and showing Warner that she is better than him and can succeed on her own.

Because of her studying and determination Elle, along with Warren, Vivian, and outspoken feminist classmate Enid, earns a highly coveted internship with Professor Callahan and his associate Emmett Richmond. The group works to defend Brook Taylor-Windham, a famous fitness instructor accused of murdering her husband. Though Brook insists she is innocent, her stepdaughter Chutney and the cabana boy both claim that she is guilty, and she refuses to provide an alibi. Elle and Brook bond over being in the same sorority and Elle once taking one of Brook's fitness classes in LA. When Elle visits her in prison, Brook admits she was getting liposuction during the murder but forbids Elle from telling anyone because it would ruin her fitness career. Elle agrees and refuses to tell Callahan. Vivian is impressed by her integrity and slowly becomes friends with Elle. As their friendship grows, Vivian reveals to Elle that Warner was originally put on Harvards wait-list and his father had to call the school and pull some strings to get him in.

The case against Brook weakens after Elle deduces that the cabana boy is gay and Emmett tricks him into identifying his boyfriend proving that his previous claim that Brook was having an affair with him was a lie. Callahan is impressed by Elle's intuition and calls her to his office to discuss her future. During this discussion Callahan makes sexual advances on Elle which she immediately rejects. Vivian overheard part of the conversation and verbally attacks Elle for using her sexuality to get the internship. Elle also believes that she was chosen because of her looks and decides to leave law school. While saying goodbye to the manicurist she befriended, she is overheard by Professor Stromwell who encourages her to not give up because of one sexist jerk. At the same time, Emmett explains to Vivian and Brook what really happened to Elle. Furious, Brook fires Callahan the next day and hires Elle as her new lawyer with Emmett supervising.

Callahan is not happy about this turn of events.

(Image: my screencap)

Elle nervously cross-examines Chutney who testifies to being home during her father's murder but unable to hear the gunshot because she was showering. After getting Chutney to confirm her story of showering after getting home from getting her hair permed, Elle reveals that Chutney's story could not possibly be true because washing permed hair before waiting 24 hours deactivates the ammonium thioglycolate destroying the curls but Chutney's curls are still intact. Chutney admits to killing her father on accident thinking it was Brook walking in the door. The case against Brook is thrown out and Chutney is arrested. After her victory, Warner tries to get together with Elle, but she rejects him saying that she cannot have a bonehead for a boyfriend with her new career.

With suitably dramatic exit thanks to the aid of two helpful security guards.

(Image: my screencap)

Two years later, Elle graduates from Harvard with high honors, a prestigious job offer, and is elected to give a speech at graduation. Vivian has called off her engagement with Warner and is best friends with Elle. Warner graduates without honors, without a girlfriend, and no job offers. Emmett has left Callahan's law firm to start his own, is dating Elle, and plans to propose to her later that night.

One thing that makes this movie unique is that Elle is not portrayed as the typical Hollywood feminist. This portrayal of a kick-ass feminist woman who also happens to be a sorority girl who likes fashion and the color pink directly challenges the popular notion that women who do not care about fashion and makeup are somehow superior to women who do not. In fact, Elle's extensive knowledge of hair and beauty products and procedures is what allows her to win the case and prove her client innocent. Elle did not have to change who she is to be strong.

Her favorite color has no effect on her ability to win cases.

(image: my screencap)

"Legally Blonde" also challenges the bubble-headed blonde trope. Elle is a 4.0 student, was able to earn a 179 out of 180 on the LSAT, and built an impressive list of extracurricular activities during her undergraduate career including taking on the responsibility of being the president of her sorority. And none of this was accomplished by luck or breezing by with her looks. Elle works hard for everything she achieves.

Elle's friendship with Vivian delightfully reverses the trope where two women become enemies when a guy comes between them. Their friendship begins while Vivian is still engaged to Warren. It is a little awkward at first, but by the end they are best friends.

I am really impressed by the way the movie handles Elle's sexuality and attractiveness. During her essay video, Elle scolds a man who whistles and catcalls at her instead of smiling and feeling flattered like expected. When she shows up to the party in a bunny costume made out of lingerie, it is not portrayed as a ditsy, slutty costume but just something really cute in her favorite color that she enjoys wearing to costume parties. And when she is the only one dressed up, she refuses to be ashamed of her revealing outfit and continues on with determined confidence and it is the people who tricked her that the film invites us to look down on. Elle also refuses to use her looks as a tool to get through law school with minimal work. She buckles down and studies to improve her grades and earn the respect of her classmates and professors. She is aware of the power her beauty has, but only uses it to help a classmate who is getting cruelly rejected by two young women for being too ugly and dorky.

I also really love how the film plot is almost the exact reverse of a romantic comedy plot. In your typical romantic comedy, a high-powered career woman realizes that she will never be truly fulfilled without a husband so she falls in love and gets married often abandoning her demanding job. In "Legally Blonde," Elle starts out with her only goal being to marry Warner but realizes that she would never be happy married to someone who does not respect her and successfully works her way into a powerful law career. The last scene reveals that she has a new boyfriend that is planning on proposing to her, but I do not count that as resolving her story through marriage since it is only a side note during a scene focusing on her bright career future.

Everything after this point is just an "oh, by the way."

(Image: my screencap)

The movie is not without its flaws. Despite an incredibly feminist plot, the filmmakers still decided to use Enid as a straw feminist who is fighting to get semesters renamed "ovesters" because "semester" resembles "semen" and is thus sexist apparently. (How someone gets into Harvard without knowing that the word "semester" comes from the Latin word "semestris" meaning "of six months" I will never know.) The cabana boy is a walking gay stereotype with flashy clothes, a flamboyant attitude, and extensive knowledge of fashion designers. The movie is also, like almost all Hollywood films, very light on representation of people of color.

Overall "Legally Blonde" sends fantastic messages about women and femininity. My hope is that more movies will be written with this sort of portrayal of women as real and complex individuals who do not need a wedding to resolve their stories.

"Everything Teenage Girls Like is Dumb"

Let's name off a few things that are almost universally mocked:

• Twilight
• Justin Bieber
• One Direction
• Girly magazines
• Fashion
• Malls
• Predictable romantic comedies
• Taylor Swift
• Cheesy novels and television shows about rich kids

What do all these things have in common?

They're all associated with teenage girls.

I don't think that's a coincidence. 

"But Breanna, a lot of those things are problematic and deserve criticism."

It's true that everything on that list has problematic and should be looked at with a critical eye, but do you know what else is problematic? EVERYTHING YOU LOVE.

EVERYTHING.

ALL OF IT.

OWN UP TO IT AND MOVE ON.

But I have not seen anywhere near as much criticism of, say, BBC's Sherlock as I have anything associated with teenage girls. Why is that?

Well, I have a theory.

Did you know that teenage girls are actually really powerful both socially and economically?

Go back to that list I wrote. I bet you're familiar with most, if not all, of the items listed there. I'm sure you can name most of the characters in the Twilight series, list a few songs by Justin Bieber and One Direction, recognize which magazines in the checkout aisle are popular with teen girls, describe a recent fashion trend, name a popular teen store at the mall, describe the plot to several romantic comedies, and identify at least one of Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriends. Why? I have no idea. Somehow teenage girls gained control over what we think is important enough to pay attention to. I think that's amazing. I think the only other group with that much control over what we talk about is politicians, and I'm not even sure about that.

You know exactly who this is because teenage girls are more influential than you.

(Image: twilightsaga.wikia.com)

Teenage girls then spend a lot of money on the things they like. In 2012, teenagers (boys and girls combined) spent $208.7 billion. And lest you think that number is divided equally, the UK's Office for National Statistics show that teenage girls have a huge influence over what their family spends it's money on from food to recreational activities and clothes. Meanwhile, teenage boys showed no influence over how their family spends it's money. (I know it's a different country, but I couldn't find a similar study for the U.S. I did, however, find some articles that hinted at a similar dynamic in American families.) Studies on Americans' spending show that more than any other demographic, teenage girls dedicate the most time to shopping for bargains and strategic networking. When one girl finds something she likes, the knowledge quickly spreads around the country through social media networks. Advertisers are starting to find out that traditional advertising methods are not as effective on teenage girls. Despite the stereotypical idea of a teenage girl pouring over fashion magazines to figure out what's trendy, the vast majority (nearly 80% according to one study) have their purchases primarily influenced by their friends.

"No, mom. I'm not 'wasting time' on Facebook. I'm helping form an online network that is probably going to force the advertising industry to completely rethink how it sells us things."

(image: Getty images)

Teenage girls are defining our culture and redefining how we make our purchases, and I think that scares people. In order for the patriarchy to remain unchallenged, women, especially young women, cannot be in control of so much power. So instead of encouraging young women to embrace this power and use it to make the world a better place, society encourages us to attack the source of their power--the things they like. We tell girls that the things they enjoy are stupid and worthless. And, of course, the reason teenage girls like these stupid and worthless things is because teenage girls themselves are stupid and worthless.

The girls who like teenage girl things learn to hate themselves, and the girls who don't learn to hate their peers.

But go ahead. Keep mocking fashion and hating on Justin Bieber. It's not like it matters or anything, right?

As for me, I will defend even the Twilight series with my dying breath because it does matter to me.

If you're really interested in helping teenage girls, spend less time tearing them down and more time introducing them to other, maybe less problematic, things they might enjoy as well as more time teaching them how to critically analyze the media they enjoy.

Artifact Analysis I: Protector of the Small

Many children's books are written with a particular gender in mind. These books usually reinforce stereotypes and teach girls that these gender rolls are how they should be behaving. But sometimes an author comes along who refuses to continue telling girls that there is only one way that is appropriate for a woman to act, and creates a host of strong female characters with varied personalities that save the day with their own talents.

When I was a child, I was very aware that there were books for girls and books for boys. Nancy Drew was for girls, and Hardy Boys was for boys. Books about babysitters were for girls, and books about superheroes were for boys. Books about princesses were for girls, and books about knights were for boys. If there was a girl on the cover, it was for girls. If there was a boy on the cover, it was for boys. There were a few exceptions, but for the most part there were strict, unwritten rules about who was allowed to read what. Luckily for me, I had a wonderful third grade teacher and a dedicated school librarian that showed me early on that there were all kinds of books for anyone to enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was the first book I fell in love with that was neither a "girl book" nor a "boy book." It helped introduce me to a wonderful new world of literature that I otherwise may not have explored, and completely changed my life. This is a common story I have heard from countless other Harry Potter fans. For me, the story is a little different. It was not so much the story within the Harry Potter series that was so important to me. It was its use as an introduction to another author that was far more valuable to me.

(Source: tamora-pierce.com)

Tamora Pierce is the author of more than twenty-five books set in two distinct universes. I was introduced to the Tortall universe by my elementary school librarian through the first book in the Protector of the Small quartet. First Test tells the story of Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to train as a knight since women were given the right to train as knights a decade before the start of the story. Training is not easy for her, and she has many challenges to overcome. Just as today women often have to work harder than men to prove themselves "worthy" of respect or inclusion in groups, Keladry has to complete a year's probation before she is allowed to be considered a true page, a requirement that had never been necessary of any boy page. Lord Wyldon of Cavall, the training master, is firmly against letting women train as knights. In his words: 

"Girls are fragile, more emotional, easier to frighten. They are not as strong in their arms and shoulders as men. They tire easily. This girl would get any warriors who serve with her killed on some dark night."

The other knights in training are clearly in agreement with Wyldon as Keladry is the target of relentless bullying and hazing. At first she has few friends, but as she stands up against a notorious bully and protects her fellow first years from over-the-top hazing she wins them over and gains their friendship. By the end of her first year she is able to complete every challenge set by her training master, earn his respect, and gain permission to stay and continue her knight training.

(Source: Tamora Pierce Wiki)

First Test was the first book I read that acknowledged that girls and boys are treated differently and set about explaining that it was not fair or okay.

"They ought to treat me the same. All I want is the same chance as the boys. No more, no less. That's right, isn't it?" -Keladry of Mindelan

 And unlike other stories, there is no "real girls vs. girly girls" in Pierce's books. Protector of the Small features a girl who enjoys fighting, but in the Circle of Magic series one of the main characters, Lady Sandraline fa Toren, is a feminine noble who proves to be every bit as strong and protective as Keladry, but through different methods. There is a bit towards the beginning of First Test that comments on the ridiculousness of the stereotype of women as weak and defenseless:

Instead [of commenting on Keladry changing into a dress] she pointed to yet another piece of writing [left by bullies]: Girls Can’t Fight! Salma’s mouth twisted wryly. "What do they think their mothers do, when the lords are at war and a raiding party strikes? Stay in their solars and tat lace?" 

That made Kel smile. "My aunt lit barrels of lard and had them catapulted onto Scanran ships this summer." 

"As would any delicately reared noblewoman."

Important feminist messages are tucked inside Tamora Pierce's amazing stories. But despite how wonderful these books are, it is difficult for me to convince people to give them a read. Some simply do not like fantasy novels. Some are bored by knights and fighting. Many refuse to take the books seriously because some are kept in the children's section of the library. (Children's literature is tragically ignored by most.) The most common objection from my male friends though is that they are "girl books" so they could not possibly enjoy them.

They tell me that they have no idea how to identify with female characters so they just avoid them. Meanwhile, I have been expected to empathize with male characters since I first learned how to read. The double standard is ridiculous, and keeps men from discovering fantastic books.

More dangerously, if a man cannot empathize with fictional women whose thoughts and motives are spelled out for him, how can he be expected to empathize with real women? We know that violence against women happens most easily when women are seen as objects instead of people. Not being able to identify with women is an early step towards not seeing women as fellow human beings.

"But, Pounce, this [making women and men eat at separate tables] is crackbrained," I told him in the same manner. "How do they expect folk to understand each other if they're separated when they aren't rushing about their work?" 

"They aren't expected to understand one another," he replied. "The women will learn to flirt over a friend's shoulder, instead of close. The men will see the women as distant and unknowable. Their friends will be only men. The women will see men as strong and unknowable. Their friends will be only women." 

-from Mastiff,  the third book in the Beka Cooper trilogy, a part of the Tortall universe.

Books like the Protector of the Small quartet shouldn't be easily dismissed as "girl books," and I highly recommend everyone gives them a chance regardless of the gender of the person on the cover. While Protector of the Small was my introduction to Tamora Pierce, I recommend starting with either the first series in the Tortall universe, The Song of the Lioness, or the first series in the Emelan universe, The Circle of Magic. This page lists all her books in order of publication. The Emelan universe is best read in publication order, but for the most part you can choose whichever series sounds the most interesting in the Tortall universe without encountering much confusion. 

Miss Representation

Sometimes being a woman and engaging with media is just exhausting. It can seem like television, movies, and video games are just for men. There are few women compared to men, and the female characters we do get are oversexualized and underdeveloped. And commercials are a constant barrage of "you're disgusting and no one will like you unless you fix yourself with our products." 

"YOU HAVE TO DO ALL THE THINGS AND BE CONVENTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE WHILE DOING THEM!"
"BUY OUR STUFF!"
(Image: The Sociological Cinema)

No one can be exposed to all that constantly without negative effects.

I don't think I've ever met a woman who hasn't been hurt by the media. It's so pervasive that even when women try to climb out of the trap of self-hate, they just end up in a different one.

Most women I know have said something along the lines of "I'm not like most women. I like [insert thing a lot of people like but isn't stereotypically feminine by media standards here]. I get along better with men because all women except me are shallow bitches." Even I've said similar things in the past.

One of countless "other girls vs. me" images.
(Image: beekkake)

But that statement isn't true. Most women aren't like the depictions of women we see in the media. Even women who like traditionally feminine things don't match what the media says a woman should be because the "ideal woman" doesn't exist. She can't exist. As the documentary explained, no one can actually be the mess of contradictions we're supposed to aspire to. 

Women end up spending so much of our time and energy battling each other that we as a whole aren't able to realize that women aren't the problem in this mess. The problem is that right now mass media is a tool used by the patriarchy to maintain inequality. 

The main issue that I had with the documentary is that it didn't present any ideas for how to fix the problem. (Or perhaps it did, but we just didn't get to that part.) It hinted at maybe having more women in working in the media could help, but part of the film talked about how women are trying to hold media jobs but can't get hired. 

It seems like unless we get a majority of men to fight for women's representation there isn't any hope for change. But how can we get men to fight for change when they're already benefiting from the current system?