Blog # 6- Cosmetic Surgery

Lizard Man- trying to change his body as much as he can to resemble a lizard. In society he is deemed as an outcast.

I'm not sure who this lady is, but its clear she has had plenty of plastic surgery. Who is more acceptable, her or lizard man? Or neither??

This women went to a consult while writing a paper about plastic surgery. The surgeon told her that she needed to change all of those things.

Cosmetic surgery was initially created for fixing soldiers hurt or disfigured in combat or other situations. Since, then cosmetic surgery has done a complete 360 to be focused primarily on women and their "problems". Cosmetic surgery is focused on women, because that's where the money lies. Cosmetic industries were already making a killing off of advertisements towards women, and the surgery industry just jumped on board.

Plastic surgery is a tough subject. On one hand, I completely oppose 90% of the surgeries that are preformed on a daily basis. Although, on the other hand the 10% of surgeries really do some good. Plastic surgery isn't all boob jobs, theres lots of reconstruction surgery for burn victims or other victims of violence. I think these types of surgeries are excellent and help the self-esteem of the victim.

It honestly, all comes down to the reason behind the surgery. Are you getting it for yourself or are you getting it to please your significant other?

Plastic surgery is a form of enhancement and altering the body, which is the category as tattoos and piercings. If one is allowed to get DDD and it be acceptable, one should be allowed to turn their body into a lizard.

I dream of summer...

Blog 5- Gender and Toys

Toys have always been gender specific. I don't think that having certain toys for girls and certain toys for boys is part of a master plan. I think it started out as something very simple: kids need things to play with, and kids usually want to have a choice of what they play with. Dolls have been around for hundreds of years. This would show that there has been a need for a baby like toy, and girls have been known to pick the doll to play with. I imagine boys played more active games.
This doll head is from the 1800 China


Things are a little bit different now. Toys are specifically marketed for certain genders. When toys are marketed so specifically it greatly limits the choices of the child for the rest
of their life. Unconsciously or not the child will pull towards certain items forever. I'll use myself as an example. I was given toys like this when I was younger...


This is probably from the 1960s and I wish I got something this cool. Instead mine was made of plastic and broke after 5 minutes.



After receiving make-up toys, I honestly feel that it has led to my love of make-up. As soon as I allowed to I started wearing and buying make-up. Toy companies are exploiting the wants and needs of children. I don't feel that the toys should be so gender specific. Children in Sweden feel the same way, and sued Toy'R'Us for their catalog.
Apparently, as one boy was quoted, “guys want to be princesses sometimes" and “Small girls in princess stuff…and here are boys dressed as super heroes. It’s obvious that you get affected by this." (David Landes)

"A woman should have..." by Pamela Redmond Satran

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a youth she’s content to leave behind….

a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .

one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..

whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…

what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

Dove evolution

This is slightly older...but I feel that its important to realize that EVERY image you see commercially has been edited and photo-shopped. Nothing is at it seems.

Post # 4

I think that some of the general ideas that I've found during the readings all surround the theory that things need to change and that although things have changed, they just haven't changed the way the need to. Yes, women are able to vote. Yes, women are able to have careers. The problem lies within marketing. At what point does one person say, enough is enough?
Social constructing is everywhere, no matter where you look, you are likely to see some evidence of social construction. Body image and sexual attraction is very molded by social ideals. Men are supposed to be attracted to thin, tall, and blonde woman. Where as women are told that to be wanted by men, we need to try and fit those descriptions. The blonde can be Bernette, thats okay, but the woman can NOT be fat, that is not okay.
I'll use my brother as an example. He has been hugely affected by advertising and such. He believes that his girl friend should be thin, tall and talented. I have tried to explain to him, that such a person is rare and its not good to limit yourself like that. My brother will not budge, and if women continue to strive for these ideals, he won't have to.


The perfect women does not exsist. Once we stop trying to achieve a specific look, we, as women can focus of trying to perfect other aspects of our lives.

Post # 3

The problem that has no name is the feeling that housewives felt during the 50's and 60's. It was a feeling of dissatisfaction. The reason the problem is nameless is simple, its because the women we unsure for the reason of their dissatisfaction. They were told for their whole lives that the purpose of their lives is to be a wife, a mother. They were also told that they should be satisfied and happy with that.
When Friedan dropped her own career to pursue the The Feminine Mystique it made her question a lot of different things, and it changed her opinion of women who have done similar things.
Feminism is definitely held hostage to the beauty myth. Women are still expected to look beautiful while achieving success everywhere else. Not only do women need to have their nails done, but they also need to have 2.3 kids and have a career. The standards for women have been changing, but not in the right direction. Women are more than ever anxious about their bodies, and worried about the opinions of other men and women. I know that I have problems over my own weight and I'm fairly successful and educated. Its a problem that affects all women across all generations.