Google Walks for Women

NPR.org/Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

   Around the globe, Google employees walked out of their offices in protest of the company's mistreatment of women. Reasons for the protest were not solely based on sexual misconduct, but unequal pay and opportunities for their female workers. Richard DeVaul, a director of a parent company associated with Google, resigned in late October after he made advances on a woman he interviewed. 

   The walkouts were based on 5 major points shown above, which employees demanded to be implemented (npr.org). Arguably the most popular search engine and one of the most successful companies on the planet, Google is the standard for Internet users. Women who climb the corporate ladder are not the only ones facing sexism and discrimination. Female office workers are often belittled and "asked to take notes" during meetings about stereotypical male activities, even if they hold a leadership position. The aforementioned article discusses Nicole, who was interrupted by male clients during meetings about college football. The field of sports is typically associated with men, however, when a woman is involved, they may feel challenged by their male coworkers about their knowledge of topics discussed. Older women in the workplace may also contribute to sexism, as they observe their younger counterparts who are assumed to begin their own families. 

   Major companies like Google will hopefully raise more awareness of women in the workplace and how they seek equality, not superiority, with their fellow male employees. 

Zine Uploads from Summer 2016 And Spring 2017 Students

   I enjoyed editing and uploading other students' submissions onto the zine website because I had the opportunity to see the world (and feminism) from their perspective. As I read each essay and personal/political zine, I looked for a developed storyline that was  both creative and relatable to current issues affecting women. My goal was to include a range of zines, including raising awareness about preventing women's abuse, reproductive rights, hardworking mothers and feminism from an African American female and gay male's point of view. I edited each essay to represent the student's individual zines and learned more about the history of these unique projects. My observations led me to believe that, although feminism is based on equality, it is largely interpretive due to people's individual experiences in life and how they are treated by society. 

August 1st - From Schoolgirl to Rebel (from Grrrl Power blog)

   The last blog post that I decided to write involves the perception of women and gender roles in music. Women in the 1950s and 1960s were drastically different than today, especially when they sang about their relationship status or roles within their community. Most of these songs by female artists seem to be taken out of the lovestruck daydreams of an innocent schoolgirl. Themes of obedience and thankfulness were traits idealized by young women decades ago in order to meet a boyfriend to protect them. I enjoy listening to music from any era and after examining contemporary songs, I found that today's music videos have more dramatic visuals. In Beyonce's video "Sorry," summarized far below, exotic face paint, dancing and emotional lyrics relate to audiences' true feelings about their breakup experiences. In summation, today's music illustrates realistic situations and people's reactions to current issues, as well as the culture of the majority of its audiences. 

August 1st - FeMEME Fatales (from the Virtual Girls blog)

   Memes are images that are humorous depending on how they are perceived and I discovered that their relation to women was an important topic to discuss. An overwhelming majority of the search results for "women in memes" appeared to place women in 3 separate categories: sexually attractive, naive, or crazed with a knife. I noticed that many memes depicting intelligent-looking women had messages mocking their professionalism or physical traits, such as glasses being a symbol of geekiness. Similarly, the infamous meme of the "crazy girlfriend" with wide, staring eyes and phrases about her clingy, violent nature, attempts to be entertaining to men. Young people who view memes that are derogatory to feminists, as shown in the last two images in the blog post below, may be persuaded that feminism does not stand for equality, but wrongly benefits women alone. 

July 16th - Living A Double Life (from Virtual Girls blog)

   As a camp counselor of preteen girls, I am updated with the latest trends in social media and improvements to personalize smartphones. I decided to write a relevant article to the "Virtual Girls" blog on how social media encourages its users (often teenage girls) to document their daily lives. In return, these girls gain followers and an apparent "fanbase," which is similar to the celebrities whom they admire. I researched an image that shows Demi Lovato, Kim Kardashian and Simon Cowell engaging in popular Snapchat filters, which promote the popularity of the app and its features. The dog filter that adds ears, a nose and tongue to its users has gained mixed feelings, as girls have often posed flirtatiously with it selected. Options like this create a duality of silliness and sexiness that girls desire to showcase on their profiles, which attempt to summarize how they want others to view them online. 

July 10th - Stone Cold Survivalists (from Grrrl Power blog)

   I chose to include a family from "Life Below Zero," an Alaska-based television show that is familiar to me. The Hailstone family has 6 daughters whom they teach subsistence living off of the wilderness, as well as survival techniques. Gender roles present in American society are abandoned in Eskimo culture, as women are often alongside their husbands during hunting season. I was fascinated by their way of life, so I embedded videos about how their family traditions are being passed down to each daughter. Their determination and bravery against the weather and native animals gives audiences a glimpse of how tough young women can be in different areas of the world, therefore, I included the article in the "Grrrl Power" blog. 

July 6th - Activism is SO Not A Drag (from the Protest! zine)

   For this zine contribution, I decided to choose a topic that I enjoy, which is the world of drag queens. This branch of entertainment is different than other stage acts, as the show is unique to the performer's past and interpretation of what cross-dressing is as an art. Sasha Velour, the winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 9, is an excellent example of an activist who uses her lifestyle to benefit others. Velour remarked that drag is "countercultural" and challenges traditional conservative views with its various styles. I learned more about how people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community in Russia suppress their lifestyles and behavior, as well as how celebrities like Velour establish charities to aid them.