Intersectionality in Bamboozled

1. Intersectionality in Bamboozled • Sloane Hopkins (assistant) • Marginalized by being both black AND a woman • Had to sleep with Delacroix to get her job • Not takes seriously in meetings • Thomas Dunwitty white boss)ignores her pleas • Voice of reason in film

2. Angela Davis (Former Black Panther) “Black teenage girls do not create poverty by having babies. Quite the contrary, they have babies at such a young age precisely because they are poor -- because they do not have the opportunity to acquire an education, because meaningful, well-paying jobs and creative forms of recreation are not accessible to them... because safe, effective forms of contraception are not available to them.”

3. Sexual Stratification • Intersectionality - the view that women experience oppression in varying configurations and in varying degrees of intensity" (Ritzer, 2007, pg. 204). • intersectionality experience within black women is more powerful than the sum of their race and sex (Kimberlé Crenshaw, 1989) • ''Every time I embrace a black woman I'm embracing slavery, and when I put my arms around a white woman, well, I'm hugging freedom” Eldridge Cleaver (Soul on Ice. 1968)

4. Privilege • Unearned advantage • Thomas Dunwitty -white man acts and talks like an urban black man • Uses the word "nigger" repeatedly • Proclaims that he is more black than Delacroix and that he can use nigger since he is married to a black woman. • Almost all writers for a “black” show are white

5. Inequality reproduced • Media • White writers perpetuate myths • Show what whites want blacks to look like • Stereotypes include – wise cracking large black women • Wise foolishcracking male http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciwhh3fB6vE • Gangsta Rapper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7-TTWgiYL4 • What else? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C45g3YP7JOk

6. More examples • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcxYwwIL5zQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v19PpD5uqL0 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUYqwR1vc5Q

7. Social Stratification • The representations of each class in characters • Hierarchy in TV station: Sloan subordinate to Delacroix , Delacroix to Dunwitty and Dunwitty to “the boys upstairs” • Inability to break from those roles – Delacroix has to get himself fired to break free

8. Oppression • Raid by police of Mat-Tan’s home • Sleep and eat & Man-Tan not being allowed into Delecroix’ office • Sloan being treated as unimportant • Eventual shooting of Mau Maus

9. Media’s role in stratification • The Minstrel show itself • The fact all of the writers are white • Even the Mau – Mau’s don’t realize they are being stereotypes

10. Social mobility • Man-Tan & Sleep and Eat’s upward mobility is short lives and based on their willingness to ridicule themselves, become buffoons • Sloan’s upward mobility based on sleeping with Delecroix • Overlying message that Man-Tan & Sleep and Eat have “overstepped” their place and return to norm in tragic terms

11. Class Inequality • The repetitions of each class • Lower (Man-tan, Sleep and eat squatting in slum and dancing for change • Middle – Sloan’s reasonably small apartment • Upper – Delecroix’ outlandish loft

12. Stratification by gender (Gender inequality) • Sloane Hopkins (again) • Compare her apartment to Delacroix • Started as INTERN (low paying – learn on the job) • For a woman to get half as much credit as a man, she has to work twice as hard, and be twice as smart. (Charlotte Whitton) • “Glass ceiling”

13. “Men often perceive an attractive young lady as having to sleep with somebody in order to get to the top," (Sloan) • Sloan: "It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I'm intelligent maybe? Or have anything to do with the fact that I have drive?“ • Message of that scene, when coupled with her earlier argument with her brother, is that whether a black person is perceived as an upstanding "house nigger" or a scheming "field nigger" doesn't matter.

14. Message of that scene, when coupled with her earlier argument with her brother, is that whether a black person is perceived as an upstanding "house nigger" or a scheming "field nigger" doesn't matter.

15. Racial inequality • The entire context for the film: • Blacks only way out is by entertaining whites • Sports, music, entertainment industry and evnn in those cases, they must play the role of the “good” blacks (look what happened to Ali) • whitewashed shows that Delacroix was making before Mantan, to present very positive images of blackness (Bellamy, 2012) • montage of stereotyped movie moments

16. Feminism and feminist theory

17. Feminism • Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. • The movement organized around this belief.

18. Relevancy • Feminism can be defined as a social movement and an ideology in support of the idea that a larger share of scarce resources should be allocated to women. • Feminist believe that women should enjoy the same rights in society as men and that should share equity in society’s opportunities.

19. Feminism • Feminist Theory is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower women worldwide. • Feminism can be defined as a recognition and critique of male supremacy combined with efforts to change it.

20. Feminism • The goals of feminism are: • To demonstrate the importance of women • To reveal that historically women have been subordinate to men • To bring about gender equity.

21. Feminism • Feminists fight for the equality of women and argue that women should share equally in society’s opportunities and scare resources.

22. History • First wave feminism (1830 – 1930) - suffrage movements promoting women's right to vote • Second Wave – Legal and social equality (Bette Friedan) • Third Wave - women and girls as assertive, powerful, and in control of their own sexuality

23. First wave • Suffrage movement (women should vote) • Often conservative Christians • Fought for right to divorce (men could/women couldn’t) • Blacks not permitted

24. History • 1917 Canada allows women to vote • 1920 U.S. women won the right to vote. • Quebec 1940 • Women still cannot vote in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Brunei, Bhutan and Lebanon

25. Weber • Weber thought that women should be treated equally in the social institution of marriage, along with all the other social institutions.

26. Second Wave • The contemporary feminism movement began in the 1960’s. • Free love helped escape the sexual double standard. • Divorce became commonplace • Women were “happy housewives” no more • Higher level employment and fulfillment outside the home were becoming the norm

27. Second Wave • 1957, Friedan was asked to conduct a survey of her former Smith College classmates • Found that many of them were unhappy with their lives as housewives • Research for The Feminine Mystique, conducting interviews with other suburban housewives

28. Liberal Feminism • All people are created equal and should not be denied equality of opportunity because of gender • Liberal Feminists focus their efforts on social change through the construction of legislation and regulation of employment practices • Inequality stems from the denial of equal rights.

29. Marxist Feminism • Division of labor is related to gender role expectations. • Bourgeoisie (bosses) =Men • Proletariat (workers/peons)=Women • All jobs became equal in communist states

31. Radical Feminism • Sexism is the ultimate tool used by men to keep women oppressed • Women are the first oppressed group • Women's oppression is the most widespread • Women’s oppression is the deepest

32. Radical Feminism • Men control the norms of acceptable sexual behavior • Refusing to reproduce is ultimate act • Do not take husbands name • Do not try to look good (for men)

33. Socialist Feminism • Views women’s oppression as stemming from their work in the family and the economy (all about jobs) • An increased emphasis on the private sphere and the role of women in the household • Equal opportunities for women in the public sphere

34. “Radical feminism argues women must create, at least initially, their own media environments where they can learn to speak freely and openly in their own language. Liberal feminism assumes specific changes within the existing system ultimately can achieve freedom of expression and equity for women.” (Steeves, 1987: p. 98)

35. Third wave • Attempts to criticize order. • About reproductive rights, rape, sexism, AIDS • Rejects claim that only rational, scientific methodology can lead to valid knowledge (using “I” in essays, informal, friendly academic writings). • Realization that women are of "many colors, ethnicities, nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds“ (2nd wave white middle-class women).

36. Third Wave • Looking to the past is no longer the way to go. • We are a global economic world by technology. • “Girl Power”

37. http://g4gyourebeautiful.blogspot.com/2012/01/girl-power.htmlhttp://g4gyourebeautiful.blogspot.com/2012/01/girl-power.html 1990’s – early 2000 • Meant for girls to take charge of their sexuality • Mixed messages of hyper-sexuality • Media movement - Spice Girls • Co-opted by media (girl bands) • Little girls can be anything they want when they grow up (Barbie) • Gets politicized – adapted by punks • Also associated to Riot Grrrl (video)

38. RIot Grrrl • Born out of Punk movement • Do It Yourself • Started in music • Went on to ZINES and then WEB-ZINES

39. Recap • 2nd wave challenged double standard: promiscuous man = stud – woman = slut • Take control of body: • 2nd wave concerned abortion and birth control • 3rd wave concerns rape, sexuality and sex as a tool • Backlash: • Girls taught to flaunt sexuality at younger and younger age?

40. Porn and sex workers • Some feminists FOR sex work as empowering • Some Against • Actual attitudes vary greatly – as individual as people (no right answer) • Get into groups and come up with three reasons FOR right to work unharrased and three against • Good topic for Sociological study

41. Media affects women's perceptions • Douglas Rushkoff‟s Merchants of Cool (1999): mass media seeks out an image of society which it in turn portrays as an image of society • Pierre Bourdieu‟s (1993) notion of “Normative Reflexivity.” We live and learn our behaviour through the media • Johansson (2007) we find gender relations and expectations through our negotiations with media representations

42. Theorists

43. Dorothy E. SmithSchooling • Lack of issues concerning girls and women in schooling • Universities and colleges have incorporated successful programs, but public schools have not • Would like to see a change to allow girls a larger say in school dynamics

44. Patricia Hill CollinsBlack Feminism • Outside within status of black slaves • Black feminism by black women clarifying standpoint for and of black women • Three key themes in black feminism: • The Meaning of Self-Definition • The Interlocking Nature of Oppression • The Importance of African-American Women’s Culture • Gender, race, and class are interconnected • Society has attempted to teach black women that racism, sexism, and poverty are inevitable

45. Carol GilliganSocial PsychologyDevelopmental Theory • Masculine bias is everywhere • Human moral development comes in stages: • Orientation to Individual Survival (young children) • Goodness as Self-Sacrifice (Conventional Morality) • Defined by ability to care for others • Responsibility for Consequences of Choice • Choice and willingness to take responsibility for that choice = moral decision

46. Joan Jacobs Brumberg

47. Females Bodies and Self-image • In contemporary Western society there is an obsession with female body. • The mass media, as an agent of culture, has reinforced an ideal image that girls are to strive for and attain; therefore placing more emphasis on good looks than on good works. • Women today enjoy greater freedom and more opportunities than their counterparts of the past, they are under more cultural pressure to look good.

48. Gender Differences • Girls begin to suffer bouts of clinical depression form the frustration they experience when their bodies changes. • Girls are more vulnerable to eating disorders, substance abuse, and dropping out of school. • Body is at heart of the crisis of confidence for adolescent girls. • By the age thirteen, 53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies; by the age of seventeen, 78 percent are dissatisfied.

49. Media Influence • Fashion and the film industry are two huge influences on societal expectations that women display their bodies sexually. • The sexual revolution liberated women from the Victorian of modesty but also demanded a commitment to diet and beauty.

50. Lauzon (2006, 2011) • Girls compromise 50 percent of students in high school computer class but only17 percent of the computer science students • Although women outnumbered men in Canadian universities in general (61%), the number of women entering ICT at the university level has declined by 18.2% past 10 years • Females accounted for only 11.5% of workers in the Game Development Industry • • Women comprised only 20% of all TV creators, executive producers, producers, directors, writers, editors, and directors of photography