How To Grow Your Geek: Parenting and More!

Girls in media
Hey guys!!

Yeps i know, I know. I been slacking in my postings again. Well….get ready for a Darcy flood!!! hehe, Yeps, i will do a movie review, a couple dvd reviews, a game review and this topic to make you think.

Over on the Farpoint forums, Chris the Fixed Kitty wrote about girls and women role in the media. And how the media has it all wrong. And I agree, she’s totally right.

Here is what she wrote:

” What girls can expect, via media msgs – Posted At: 05-29-2008 06:14 PM

1. Only cute/sexy gals will be the hero’s girlfriend, heroine, or villain. Not cute or sexy? Doomed to obscurity, pathetic sidekick-hood, or psychotic vengeance on the cheerleaders (non sympathetic villain).

2. Films with mainly male characters have lots of exciting stuff happening, and may not contain any named female characters (maybe some love interests). Films with mainly female characters will not be action-packed, mainly about emotional trauma about males or health issues *lifetime TV*, and pack hierarchy struggles over one’s standing within the bitch pack and access to the prime males. This often convinces girl geeks not to like pink, purple, or to identify positively with mainstream girliness.

3. Actresses have to be way hotter than the average non-obese female, much more so than male actors compared to the average non-obese male. Also younger. All your ability to act in the world ends with age or loss of hotness.

4. An active woman will find being “tamed” part of falling in love, apparently. This is true in most SF and all bodice-rippers.

5. All girls the age of ~10 should receive the “Hero and the Crown” and “the Blue Sword” by Robin McKinley to counter most of the above. They truly saved me from lots of pressure to lose my personality at that age.”

Okay I agree that we get stereotyped a lot in tv programs and movies, even some books. But look there for what girls should be and choose as a role model? No way! Now i like some shows and movies, and I love actresses like Dakota Fanning, Sandra Bullock, Queen Latifa (she’s my fav! She does it all and keeps it real.) And I also like Katherine Hepburn, yea that’s right I like old school too. Okay let’s look at her a minute, she was very pretty, but she was also strong willed and not afraid at all to stand up for herself. Yea she made some really bad choices and wasn’t perfect. But she was human like everyone else. And I think she rocked hehe.

So here is what i wrote back today. And the original post was close to a year ago, but it is still important today.

“RE: What girls can expect, via media msgs – Posted At: Today 07:00 PM
Maybe things are changing. We just got home from seeing the new street fighter movie, and it’s main character is a very strong women. And one that girls could get into. She was kind to people, strong willed, and stood up for herself and her beliefs. over all the movie was good. Sure, it was a popcorn movie but still.

Another great movie and book was the secret life of bees, that was all about strong women.

But seriously, if you are looking at media for heroes, role models, or a picture of what girls or women should be you are wasting your time. Real heroes and role models are people in the real world, not some made up character some actress is playing. Or a character someone wrote about in a book.

Here, check this out:

http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=150

This a non photo shopped image of a woman fighting for her home. There is someone I feel sad for, but still have to admire. She isn’t willing to just move aside, and is probably protecting her children.

I turned 14, and I am in high school now. They teach us every day about the world around us and how hard things are and will be when I get older. But I have also learned who the real people are to look up to and admire around us. It’s the every day person.

We girls get a bum rap, seriously. Sure we like Jonas Brothers, shopping, boys, and things. And yea we are given Barbie dolls to play with and pretend with. But sooner or later, we grow up. We see what’s important and whats not. (okay some of us do, some like Paris Hilton never will. Tongue)

All i am saying is I agree with what you are saying, and disagree too. Maybe we shouldn’t look for the media to do anything more than entertain us.

Darcy

Pretty fly for a person getting a C in math, huh? hehehe”

The media is fun and sometimes there are good things there. But we can’t use it to choose how we should be or run or lives. There are heroes and strong people all around us, we just need to look. Parents would be a good place to start.

Okay, let me know what you guys think. You can comment to anything on here anytime.

darcy