How Feminism Is Portrayed in Law and Order

I just read this article on how feminism is portrayed in television and basically, the article just made two points and extended it over eighteen pages. The two points were that Law and Order SVU was feminist in that the female detective was an independent woman who did not have much of a domestic life and the television show was anti-feminist in that most of the rape and murder crimes were the woman's fault. Even if she was beaten and had an encounter with a sex offender, the evidence would point to the supposed victim setting up the perpetrator for personal gain, mostly for money from his wallet or a lawsuit.
Role reversal was discussed in this article. Detective Benson was first mentioned. She is an unmarried female (and the only on the team!), and hardly has a personal life outside her work life (305), so she does not fit into the stereotypical "family woman". However, it is mentioned that she dates a reporter, which means she is not too much of an uptight worker (309). Her partner, Detective Stabler, on the other hand, has a family of his own and that aspect brings out a somewhat more feminine side to him when he is at work. Whenever he is investigates a crime, such as one that involves a woman murdering a man when he was supposedly trying to rape her, he thinks of what would have happened if it was his own daughter in that situation. This trait sometimes gets in the way because there is usually a loophole in the crime, such as the perpetrator being set up. In those cases, Benson is the one that is right because she does not have a family that she could relate the crime to, so she is always trying to dig deeper in the other direction (312). Benson would be the more masculine of the two partners because she goes by facts and Stabler goes by emotions.
This article also discusses how when parents are blamed for the crimes of their children, most of the time, it is the mother who is framed. Mothers who do not adequately raise their children are more of a target then fathers who do not adequately raise their children, because it is the mother who is supposed to be the loving one and give up everything for her child (314).
Another aspect of the show is how many of the episodes blame the women. Like I mentioned in the first paragraph, most of the female victims actually come out to be the perpetrator due to setting the rapist up on purpose or taking a date rape drug.
Well, I somewhat accomplished the same thing this article has done except I stretched my point over four paragraphs instead of eighteen pages. Basically, the show would only be considered feminist because of Detective Benson being an independent woman. Otherwise, women in that show are usually played off as the "bad guys."

Cuklanz, Lisa M. and Moorti, Sujata (2006). 'Television's "New" Feminism: Prime-Time Representations of Women and Victimization', Critical Studies in Media Communication, 23:4, 302-321.

"Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton"

I just finished reading "Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton" by Shawn J. Parry-Giles, and I must say, it almost put me to sleep. I found it really hard to keep up with what his point was, expecially since he just jumps from Hillary being criticized for being a feminist to how camera people zoom in on her face to make the picture seem more "intimate." I also don't like how this writer uses pictures of her as examples, but never shows these pictures to us so that we can inerpret them for ourselves. Half the time, I did not even know what his opinions were because half of his paper was quotes from other sources expressing their opinion.
I don't completely agree with this guy about the how the zooming in of a picture of video clip makes that form of media seem more personal because the only thing that zooming in is doing is allowing viewers to see more details such as the speaker's facial expression or how she is balling up her fist. We can "become recipients of her anger" looking at her from one hundred feet away or two inches away(384). If I'm watching a video segment of somebody on television, I will feel their anger or pain whether or not I can see every little wrinkle on their face.
However, this article did give me some insight into how the media can manipulate pictures from one event to make them look like pictures about another event, such as the time NBC aired a picture of Hillary crying and made it seem like it was her reaction after her husband confessed about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Then we find out that the picture was actually taken at a memorial service for those "killed in the Tanzania and Kenya Embassy bombings," where many people there, including President Clinton and Hillary, wept. This ceremony took place four days before President Clinton's confession (382).

Parry-Giles, Shawn J. "Mediating Hillary Rodham Clinton." p.375-89

Gender Dominance in Advertising

Kilbourne: "The poses and postures of advertising are often borrowed from pornography... such as bondage... (456)"

Me: "Looking at this advertisement, this point makes a lot of sense. Not only is this woman on top of the man in an explicit pose, but she also has him bound by the neck with a belt as if she is trying to choke him. The shape of her eyebrows, the way she looks up, and how she sets her mouth give the impression that she is dangerous and is probably about to do something violent with him. The man is grasping on to her legs, almost in a clawing manner, and looking at her face, as if pleading with her for more action. This advertisement is also set in a desert, which gives off the element of isolation. They probably want to be isolated so they can do whatever they want or there just might be something really kinky about doing the act in a desert."

Kilbourne: "...there is a world of difference between the objectification of men and that of women. The most important difference is that there is no danger for most men, whereas objectified women are always at risk (464)."

Me: "I agree with what you are saying. This Gucci advertisement is considered acceptable because it is the woman who is the 'violently dominant' one. We know everything is okay and if the woman really was a danger to him, he could defend himself. If the roles were reversed, and it was the woman who was being bound on the neck by the man on top, then the advertisement would look like a rape scene. The element of isolation in the desert would add to the discomfort of the viewer because nobody is around to help the woman as she is probably being choked to death. Men are physically stronger than women, so they should be able to avoid physical abuse and rape, but that also gives a male predator advantage when he attacks a woman. Women like me are constantly worried about predators watching us and attacking us, so we go around carrying knives and other forms of defense and avoid going anywhere alone after dark. If the advertisement had a role reversal, it would just be another reminder of why we are always wary."

Kilbourne, Jean. "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence." p.455-475.

Gender Depictions in Media

Bordo: "Women, for their part, were expected not only to provide a comfortable, well-ordered home for men to return to but to offer beauty, fantasy, and charm for a man to 'escape' to and restore himself with after the grim grind of the working day" (195).

Me: "This element of looking beautiful for the men is evident in many advertisements. The women I've looked at in advertisements are always attractive, young-looking, and dressed up for sexual appeal. Especially when I look at the advertisements from the 1950s that portray housewives not only doing work around the house, but they are always wearing a dress, their hair is styled, and they are wearing jewelry, most of the time a necklace and a ring. However, that housewife aspect is long gone. None of the advertisements I see these days are about keeping a nice, orderly home. Instead, I just see advertisements about how the latest product will make a woman look more attractive and desirable for her boyfriend, lover, or husband. In many of the advertisements where there is both a man and a woman, the woman is often pleased because the man is giving her attention and letting her know that she accomplished something with her looks."

Messner: "Women are sexy props or prizes for men's successful sports performances or consumption choices" (479).

Me: "I do agree that this seems to be what sports advertisements want us to think. While men in advertisements are seen as trying to be the best player in their sport or picking the best brand of beer, the women are always in the background, thin and scantily clad in bikinis, shorts, and halter tops. These women only go to the men who make the highest score or buy the best brand of clothing or alcoholic drinks. They are also the ones who are cheering from the sidelines as the strong, manly players are making a score. Some sports broadcasters use young and attractive women to promote prestigious product brands and to welcome viewers back to the show after commercial breaks."

Bordo, Susan. “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body.” Ways of Reading. 8th ed. Eds. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky,Boston: Bedford/St. 168-Martin’s, 2008. 188-205.

Messner, Michael. “Center of Attention: The Gender of Sorts Media.” Introduction. Rereading America. 6th edition. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 1-15.