Blog 5 - April 10

Cooper Thompson reading: A New Vision of Masculinity (1a)
I really liked the tarot card part and how the picture depicted male and female interaction between the woman and the lion. Being one to collect tarot cards myself, I never thought to take the cards aside and stare at the pictures and see how they were depicted. I understand how this picture fails to be understood by the system of males values of masculinity. This is something completely foreign to what men see. Like the wrestlers, who “show” strength, this picture shows it in a different context.

bell hooks: Feminist Manhood (1a)
When hooks talks about how teachers do not give boys the same girls, I was surprised. I never thought to look at it that way. I always see teachers tell the girls that they don’t have to play rough or do anything that has to do with physical activity if they don’t want to, but I have never seen one tell a boy that he could stay and play with dolls instead of going out on the playground. I think that we have come to the point in our lives that it is automatic to tell the boys to go out and play on the jungle gym or go play tag and football with the other boys. In my whole life, I have never seen the latter. It makes you wonder if your son really wants to go out and play with the other boys or if they are being told to do so.

bell hooks: Loving Men (1b)
“The most vicious man-hating comments are always made by women who are with men and who plan to be with them for the rest of their lives.” Well, obviously. You are planning on living with a man forever and they never live up to your fairy tale expectations. So, you spend your whole time talking about who dumb and cruel they are to you. I especially like the ones that are like, “that asshole. He needs to die in a hole. He always leaves the seat up in the bathroom.” I hear that one a lot. Of course, there are worse complaints.

Katz: More Than A Few Good Men (1c)
Hmmm, men in today’s society going out of their way to help prevent women violence? Uh, I really don’t think so. I’m sorry but I know a lot of my guy friends would not do so because they would not want to be called ‘gay’ or ‘whipped’ or something along those lines. Our society labels men who favor women’s rights as weak. Its funny how men tell women to look inward and seek help. You think that we don’t know that or something? Man, some men sound like psychiatrists on their days off.

bell hooks: Loving Men (2b)
My father once told me that my grandmother never was happy with my grandfather, that she always complained that he didn’t love her enough. Ironically, my grandmother was not a feminist and she never accepted that part of my grandfather when he said that he was in love with her, even though she spent her whole life with him.