Class Discussion

I'm not really sure how to sum up what happened in class today because 5 people were talking all at once but, what I did hear really didn't make sense to me. Mr. Heidkamp was setting up a list of what our community and society have told us is "girly" and "manly". He was not saying that exclusively girls listen to Justin Bieber and so on. It was clear that he was setting up this list to get us to think about how difficult it is for people to cross over the gender role barrier. He was obviously not saying that he believed that those are things everyone uses to define their individual gender. I'm not entirely sure that this is what the argument was over but I think some people in the class just really wanted to have an argument about gender and weren't listening to what Mr. Heidkamp was trying to do. Yes, its a little difficult to think up this list because even thinking about these aspects of constructing gender seems offensive and digressive. There was also this other argument about how its difficult for women to wear heels and makeup without feeling like they are being looked down upon by oppressive "feminists" and Mr. Heidkamp was trying to talk about trans genders and I'm pretty sure he acknowledged its true that "girlier" women are also looked down upon but its typically much more difficult for people to cross over the gender role barrier then it is to "stay on your side". If that's what he is getting at then I agree because who is more likely to get disapproving looks in the hallway: a female with unshaved armpits or a female in heels and a skirt. Both women are constantly being oppressed by their peers and community, I would completely agree with that, but, honestly, who is going to get more ridicule.

Gender/Feminism Discussion

Today during Mr. Heidkamp's class, we discussed what a true definition of a feminist is and how most people connect the word with the wrong meaning. Feminist get the reputation of hating men, but they're really aiming at getting equal opportunities. I think the term scares a lot of people off and the misperception of the word is ruining what it truly means. I believe if everyone in the world was educated on the actual meaning of feminism then there would be a large improvement in the quality of living.

Our class also went in depth on the topic of the gender spectrum and discussed what the stereotypical man and women is supposed to be like in society.  Men liking stuff like steak and sports and woman preferring things like skirts and salads. While I tended to see my self fall to the far right of the spectrum where a man is supposed to fall, I began to question why I fell there. Mr. Heidkamp discussed the pressures that most people feel to fall to the far ends of the spectrum and he explained how if you're not there that it is generally a tough thing to do. I do believe that with less pressure from society, most people would fall all over the spectrum and that would be much more normal and not to mention less stressful for everyone.

My Thoughts on Today's Discussion

In short, I only have one problem with today's discussion, and that was the gender fluidity model. I can only speak for myself, and I know that in no way was I, or anyone else for that matter, making the argument that people are not oppressed by the perception of their gender or their sex. I feel that from the conversation today that everyone could recognize that as fact, but had trouble participating in the activity because of the regressive thinking that it would require. Sure, here at OPRF and Oak Park and the rest of the world there are clothing items that are highly associated with heterosexual men and women, but to say that something is decidedly for men or for women just isn't true. Everything has multiple uses. Sure, it is absolutely true that there is an accepted and expected look of members of the male and female gender, and those that choose to oppose these norms will almost undoubtedly face backlash, but to contribute to these norms and acknowledge absolutely any validity in these ideas is to contribute to a culture that we should be fighting against.

Gender Rant

Our discussion in class today was based on comparing two different kinds of identity - gender identity and biological gender identity. However, something struck a chord in me during this discussion. I've come to the conclusion that a biological gender identity doesn't actually exist. Gender is simply an illusion caused by conditioning, a closed-minded concept that will never be fulfilled.

Sex and gender are two completely different things - sex is based on your physical body and gender, now that is something different. Gender is a social construct, almost exactly like race. People in our society look at somebody's physical being and, of course, gather information that helps them come to a conclusion about the person. 

When you look at somebody's body, you see their sex. You don't see their gender. You may see outward expressions of their gender. But this really only leads me to question what gender actually is. Is a man wearing skinny jeans expressing his gender or his sexuality? Or is he just wearing skinny jeans? 

I believe each and every person has both beautiful masculine and feminine qualities within them, and these are nothing to be ashamed of. Feeling like you must be more masculine than you are is simply not accepting yourself and trying to conform to societies hopeless categories. 

Personally, I don't conform to any gender label. I call myself a "guy" for reasons of convenience, but what does that really mean? How am I supposed to know if I feel like a man? 

Is there a potion that I can drink that can show me how a true man feels and then I'll be able to tell if I'm a man? 

Pretty much what I'm left with now is a further affirmation that a given gender doesn't exist. You just are yourself - your ever present personality - and gender is a social construct that we use to try to categorize people and create false expectations. It's really sad the vast majority of people in our society are looking for something that isn't there! It's time to cut out that internal dialogue of "was that manly of me?", "what would a real man do?" out! I promise your heart knows what is best for you. 

So this rant was extremely all over the place but that's okay. I think I mostly got my point across. 

Feminism Discussion

Today in class, we had a discussion about feminism and what the true definition of the term really is.  As I learned today, feminism is more than just for women, it's equal rights based of gender for everyone, including men.  Many people today assume that feminism supports women power, meaning that feminism is for women to be more powerful than men. That is false, feminism supports equal rights for men and women. Feminists don't want women to be more powerful than men, they just want equal for all. Later, we went more in depth into feminism and what a feminist looks like and what it means to be a feminist.  Feminism for women can include skirts, make-up and other things that would be classified as girly.  People that think that women shouldn't wear those things are going to an extreme point.  Their argument behind it, is that they think it takes power away from men, as if men force women to dress that way.  I believe that to be false, style of clothing is a personal matter, the other gender doesn't force the opposite to dress a certain way.  There are dress codes for style and what is currently popular and dressing that way is completely up to the person themselves.  Women and men should both be able to wear what they like without a second thought.  I believe it shouldn't be taken as a gender issue either, people are free to dress as they please.  Our class also failed to list stereotypes because our class said there are always people who don't fit the stereotype.  We mentioned Justin Bieber as a musician who is for girls.  Stereotypically girls listen to him, but that doesn't limit who can like him.  Of course there are some men who like his music, we failed to identify that as a stereotype because we said that there are men who do like his music.  We also talked about hair length and how men generally have short hair and women often have long hair.  I don't believe that is true, there are lots of men who have longer hair and lots of women who have short hair.  Sure, more men have short hair and more women have long hair.  Currently that is changing, more and more women are getting shorter cuts and vise versa for men.  I think our class had a great discussion about feminism and I believe that creating one definition for feminism is impossible.  I think the term should be defined by each person and can mean something else to every person.

The Unspoken Heroes

I was reading over many of the blog post and I can agree with most that is being said. I extremely support the equality of men and women, I do think its a topic that we should talk about. What peeved me in class today, was the exercise with the list of placing objects of our culture into a category wether they were masculine or feminine. I believe that as we put things into boxes we are only cementing the fact into peoples brains that high heels are only for women or suits only men etc. I think what we should be doing is showing the exceptions instead of enforcing categorization.

I firmly believe that the reason Feminist get the stereotype they do is because the millions of women who are not radical Feminist are not the people being talked about. So lets talk about the people  who are not talked about.

To get people to break the stereotype, you must tell them what it is, which I think we have been told many a time, then break it. We have been talked about stereotypes really this whole year, women in particular these past few weeks. Yet, we never talk about the people who are breaking these stereotypes everyday. From the feminist who dresses to how ever she wants to dress, to the transgendered kid that has accepted them self, or the pink boys or the tom girls, to the drag queens, to the openly gay community and I could go on, and to every man and women  who wants equal rights, these are the unspoken heroes of the feminists moment. The amount of people who have taken the stand against gender hate, continues to grow, yet are rarely admired for it.

I believe that it is really [messed] up to call use privileged and unrealistic because we want to talk about these unspoken heroes. We are the generation of change and I think we need to talk about the acceptance and change.

In Defense of Mr. Heidkamp

The class discussion about gender in Mr. Heidkamp's first period was easily the most enlivened of any we have had this year. A vast diversity of opinions came to light; an entire spectrum of feminists gained a voice. The fact that we all essentially agreed about the rigid nature of gender roles and the oppression of women in society seemed to be a side note, although perhaps actual debate on these assertions would illuminate more discord. Our discussion centered around the definition of "feminism," and the perversion of that term in popular culture. 

A group within our class seemed to be making the argument that feminism is outdated. Members of the class noted that modern feminists confine women's ability to self-express rather than augment it. Mr. Heidkamp, on the other hand, asserted that no modern feminists are trying to confine women, and that these radical impressions are purely mythical. I would go further and argue that these myths were likely created as a means of silencing the feminist movement and preserving the status quo of gender inequality. 

Beyond contending that modern feminism is confining, members of the class also protested Mr. Heidkamp's employment of the traditional gender spectrum model, citing that in our community these expectations are irrelevant. 

The notion that students at OPRF are free to wear whatever they want to school is absurd. Perhaps part of the reason the "gender spectrum" exercise failed is that some students do feel able to fully self-express. Contrary to these opinions, Mr. Heidkamp's point that a strict dress code for men and women exists at OPRF is applicable and relevant. Imagine a boy shaving his legs and wearing a dress to school, without the guise of a 'dress-up day' to hide behind or a social clique behind him. That student would undoubtably be ostracized and ridiculed. There is a quiet conservatism at OPRF, although I do not doubt it is a liberal atmosphere relative to the rest of our country. 

I do not mean to diminish the experiences of those who disagree with me, but I would like to hear a more genuine diversity of opinions in our future class discussions. 

Gender

In second period today, for a portion of the class period, we discussed the gender spectrum. When we began the discussion and related activity, I thought it might be difficult to find, for example, a food that seemed masculine or one that seemed feminine. This task, however, turned out to be a lot easier than it at first seemed. While it is a relatively simple task to find examples of stereotypically masculine members of some other categories, such as sports or clothing, the unexpected (well, at least to me) ease with which the class found examples of stereotypical gender-specific food shows how deeply ingrained the images of men and women are in the societal mind still today.

These stereotypes don't mean women are forbidden to eat steak, or that men are prohibited from enjoying a cupcake. They don't mean men can't wear dresses, and they don't mean women can't wear a tuxedo. All the stereotypes do is categorize people according to what they like and don't like in relation to what society thinks they should like or not like. These images and examples have been presented to us for most of our lives, and people who contradict these "accepted" societal traits tend to be categorized as strange and different. I'm not saying that this tendency is a good practice. It is merely what society has taught people's minds since they were in preschool. While gender stereotypes are bad, they do exist, and as they do so, society needs to acknowledge them to avoid unconsciously perpetuating them.

Feminist Discussion

In class today, we had a very heated discussion on gender stereotypes and feminism. We talked about how some people are afraid to call themselves feminists because of the connotations attached. Being a feminist is not about being a man-hating, bra-burning, butch lady. It’s about wanting equal rights for women as well as men. It’s not about replacing the patriarchy with a matriarchy, but rather about creating a more egalitarian society that would provide equal rights for all. You can hold beliefs about gender equality no matter who you are, whether that means you wear dresses or pants or whether you cut your hair short or keep it long.

I liked that people felt so strongly about the issues we were addressing and acted accordingly. However, when discussing these issues, we should be careful to express our own opinions and not force them down others’ throats. I felt that from all different sides of the discussion, people were yelling and talking over one another. An important part of discussing these issues is making sure that everyone is heard and feels comfortable expressing their own point of view. I wish the conversation had been more respectful. I felt that some people were invalidating and silencing the opinions of others. Sometimes people began to speak and were immediately shut down, which can be very discouraging. No matter what your opinion is, if you want others to respect it you should respect theirs in return. I’m not saying that everyone has to agree, I just mean it’s important to listen and try to understand where others may be coming from.

Lets Fix These Issues

Our discussion in class today showed many things. This simple blog post cannot in anyway show everything I've been thinking about in the last two weeks. During our time in the gender unit the discussions have been mostly teacher driven. Unlike first period, second period, from what I hear are two very different environments. I honestly am annoyed with the gender unit because I can observe things for myself. What I mean by this is that I have seen this wrong in the world. There is absolutely nothing to justify the under payment of women, or the fact that women don't have many positions of power. This is a critical problem in America! Yes, I will never know how it would be to live as a woman in this life. However I feel that people who have come to these conclusions shouldn't have to sit through a class where we have to be afraid to speak our minds, because either way someones going to take offense. I don't care at all who you fuck (excuse my language), who you are, who you want to be, what you wear, or who you hang around with. As cliche as it is, be yourself, and people who are being themselves thank you for making the world a more free space for people who are persecuted for trying to do what you are doing right now. People will either like this post or be mad at me and not see what I'm getting at, but in my case I am an advocate for progressing towards a less repressive America, and a better world. This post is scattered but hope you get the idea around this. Comment below if you have any questions. Goodnight!

Gender Roles, Feminism, and Personal Ranting

The blurring of the "feminist" label in pop culture is troubling to say the least; creating a culture that looks down on crusaders for equality is incredibly disgusting. The fact that the name had to be defended in our discussion today was evidence of the utter perversion of the term. Gender equality is nothing to be scoffed at. The oppression of someone for their biological traits has manifested itself throughout history before: does racism ring a bell? There is no reason that those opposed to gender equality are any less backwards than those opposed to racial equality.

When speaking of gender equality, sexual orientation usually is an accompanying topic, as it was in our class discussion today. Whether judged by chemical make up or personal identification, sexual orientation and identity is a problem that, as with feminism, is often belittled by close-minded fools who aren't comfortable with themselves. The definitions of masculinity and femininity have become much less stratified as time has passed, creating, to some extent, a society that is much less confined to gender roles than previous generations. Clothing has become more unisex and occupations have been largely unbound from the "Separate Spheres" ideology that gripped America for so long, as two examples of a much more widespread cultural trend.

The discussion today quickly transcended into a shot at defining gender through exemplifying objects and actions as male or female. Doing so is impossible; everyone has varying levels of acceptance for non-traditional choices, and some items and actions can even be argued for either gender. To me, the whole discussion raised one answer: we must disassociate gender with certain sets of characteristics. People should do whatever the hell they want however the hell they want without having any limitations placed on the because of their gender. This is obviously a very open approach, but why not? The world would be so much happier if people truly felt free.

Gender Equality

In second period we had a discussion on one of the most sensitive topics; feminism and gender equality. This stirred up a good amount of interactions but it also made me realize even more that men and women are still not equal. When a fellow classmate brought up the fact that everyone in the room laughed at the thought of a man wearing a dress, makeup, and heels to school, (meaning that it wasn't something that you would see everyday) wasn't up to par with the typical masculine image.  People shouldn't be bothered by others decision on what gender they identify better with. Women are at last not the only ones who identify themselves as feminists anymore. More men are pushing past the manly stereotype and are thinking for themselves. 

In the past, feminism was shunned and was seen as a negative belief in the past. Nowadays men and women are starting to realize that its important to not automatically assume the way a person is simply based off of their clothing or interests. Just because someone may be different than you doesn't mean that you or the other person is superior to each other. 

Gender Discussion

The discussion we had in class today regarding feminism was not a first for me. I have had the debate before assessing feminism's true definition and the societal definition that has been created. When asking nearly anyone to name a feminist, most respond with a woman figure such as Susan B. Anthony or Abigail Adams. I have to admit that when hearing the word feminist, Anthony and Adams immediately spawn in my mind. A feminist, however, is merely anyone who believes in gender equality. As a result culture's influence, however, feminist is now a word associated with a woman who is incredibly radical and forceful of women's equal rights. During class, an incredibly accurate explanation for this new definition was given; the socially constructed definition of feminist is a result of media's portrayal of feminists. The feminists most of the public hears of are the incredibly radical women who take extreme lengths to create a sense of gender equality. The feminists that are most common, however, are solely people like me who believe in and support gender equality, yet do not commit to extreme advocacy. No matter to what extent, all who believe in gender equality are feminists and should be proud and willing to say so.

Furthermore in our class discussion, we began to list the stereotypes that are existent in today's society, however, our class failed to do so as our discussion turned into an argument. The shifting of the discussion to an argument occurred mainly because children of this era are educated to believe that gender stereotypes are bad, and therefore blind themselves to their existence. When we began characterizing music and clothes are either feminine or masculine, our class had trouble agreeing, as people believed that everyone should have the freedom to listen to and wear whatever they want. This freedom, however, clearly does not exist as if it did, there would be no discussion at all regarding gender equality. I think that it is important to identify and be aware of the stereotypes that exist in today's culture, even if we do not support them. Everyone started getting angry at Mr. Heidkamp for having us do this activity of listing gender stereotypes because it forced us to recognize and continue gender stereotypes. I think that the activity, however, would have been incredibly beneficial and that it was not fair to shut out gender stereotypes as means of ending their continuance. In order to put a stop to gender stereotypes and the "proper" ways of women and men depicted by our culture -- clothes, music, toys, etc... -- we need to recognize the stereotypes because ignoring them and stating that we do not believe that they are accurate will only hide their existence and allow the stereotypes to continue to exist.

Gender Equality

I definitely learned a lot about what feminism means from several of our classmates opinions. Feminism in the past was used to describe women to who took some extreme measures to make a point that men and women should be treated equally. In our society today, many people are feminists but do not take these drastic measures. Although we do not hear about these people, they are supportive of equal rights for both men and women. Our society is changing the way we bring awareness of this conflict in different ways. We are evolving.


In class, we shouldn't look at the little details that creates or separates the similarities and differences of what it means to be a feminist. Feminism itself is commonly connected to women who want gender equality and I am curious to hear the male perspectives of what feminism means to them. Gender equality involves both genders.

Gender Identity and Public Restrooms: a quick thought

Gender Identity has been a hot issue in the United States for years, although it only truly affects people who were born a different gender than they identify as. Personally I believe that people should be able to cross-dress if they like, etc. although I do not agree that transgender people should be able to use the public bathrooms of the opposite sex. I say this because although it may be exclusionary against transgender people, who are a very small percentage of our population, it gives predators opportunities to find prey. More than likely people who have fetishes of sexual interactions with children, or pedophiles, will take advantage of the legal right to use the restroom of the opposite sex to find children to exploit, who may be unattended by an adult. The legal right to use restrooms of the opposite sex would also result in an increase of "peeping-toms". Although Transgender people may not be very happy about it, I believe it is in the best interest of the general population to keep public restrooms for people of that sex.

Gender Equality Discussion

I think it is apparent now that we have a pretty lively class. Our discussion on gender today helped provide a lot of insight (for me at least) on what it means to be a feminist. Feminists are no longer a group to be defined by radicalism and in fact many celebrities now confess that they are feminists. Before, feminism was almost unpopular and women could negatively judged for being a feminist, however now it is the popular opinion to support feminism. 

From my observations feminism is on the rise, and I dont think people are trying to put the group in a box, only that it takes time to change the opinions of a society. Still, I like the term gender equality more than feminism. Feminism is a word clearly geared towards women because the root word means "women". Feminism and gender equality have the same meaning but gender equality seems more inclusive.

Still I like this discussion and how we can have so many sides voice their opinion. Let's just work on being able to move past details and focus on the bigger picture.

Gender Expression

     Clearly, the gender binary and the expectations for men and women are much too strict to encompass everyone. The stereotypes we have discussed in class create unrealistic images of men and women. As we discussed, this can make life difficult for anyone who doesn't seem to fit either of the two categories. 

     As a female, I feel I am well accepted by society with the way I dress despite the fact that I don't aim to be extremely feminine. I don't wear make-up, high-heels, dresses or skirts, yet I still feel accepted by society. If gender is truly a spectrum,  then everyone should feel free to express themselves freely without scrutiny or harsh judgment.  However, as a feminist, I feel like males in our town/society do not share this freedom from isolation and harmful criticism if they do not fit the masculine ideal. 

      So why do we laugh at the idea of a boy wearing a dress? It seems that subconsciously we are all confused by the idea of a male trying to fit into the weaker gender. Men are the privileged group right? To be a man means to be tough and strong; it means to have power in our society. Supposedly, women are weak and fragile. Our society condescends to women, disregarding their equal capabilities, intelligence and strength.  Therefore, it seems abnormal for a man to want to express himself in feminine ways. This stigma surrounding the idea of "feminine" men won't go away until our culture finally realizes that women are just as capable and strong as men. This will make life easier for everyone. 

My Thought on the Feminist Discussion

The conversation we had in class today, was, to say the least, interesting. Over the past couple years, the word feminist has changed from a word that was disliked, to a word of power. To be called a feminist today, would be good. To me, it means someone who wants equal rights for everyone. Not just women. It has no qualifications, or criteria. I can be a feminist wearing what I wear everyday, just as much as the girl sitting next to me, who has short hair and wears clothes bought in the men's section can be. The same thing goes for a man. He can be a feminist and still own his man card. We can all be feminist.

While I think our discussion in class may have gotten out of hand, I do think that we were all trying to say the same thing. We don't need to be judged by what we wear, and we don't have to fit the norm of the group we place ourselves into.


To be a feminist, I believe that I should be able to do what I want when I want, and expect the same treatment a man would receive. I, or anyone else really, should not be judged by the reproductive organs in their body, or the color of their skin. We deserve to be treated how we treat other people. So if I am every really rude to you, than I say it's okay you don't give me the best treatment next time we talk.


To make our conversations go over more smoothly, I say we make sure never interrupt anyone speaking, and don't yell. Please. For the most part, we are all agreeing, and we are all trying to make the world a better place. Am I right?

Music Poetry

The name of the song is On Top, which is an electronic song by producer Flume and featuring rap artist T-Shirt. The album that this song is a part of is simply called Flume: Deluxe Edition (the song can also be found on the non-Deluxe edition).

The album's central theme is dealing with issues during adolescence, and growing up in the world. This particular song focuses on what a young person's aspirations to be "on top". More specifically, it discusses and reiterates the universal desire to achieve success. This song includes lines that explain to the listener why this goal is difficult to accomplish. I think T-Shirt is trying to send a message to youth who aspire to be the greatest and best that if you really want your dreams to come true, you have to work hard for them. Many people decide that they want to be this or that in their youth, but do not end up pursuing their aspirations. The song is not sending the message to discourage people from chasing their dreams, but rather is encouraging people to follow their dreams.

The song uses repetition to convey the desire to reach the "top". The line "All I want in this life is the chance to do my thing" is repeated at multiple intervals in the song. The chorus also uses repetition to show the desire to reach the "top". The chorus goes:

I want the top
All my people right there at the back of the spot
I need the top
If you know me y'all now need to stop
I need the top
All my people there back of the spot, now don't be shy
Yeah

Each phrase that repeats "I want the top" and "I need the top" is intersected by a phrase that is pertinent to the main theme of the song. The lines that intersect show the idea that the person climbing to the top wants to bring his "people" with him.

However, this is not the only example of poetic language that T-Shirt uses on the Flume track. In the beginning of the song, he touches on the difficulty that is a part of reaching the "top". The verse goes, "And you don't just wake up rich one day / This kind of life never just slip your way". T-Shirt is alluding to the fact that you cannot expect to reach the top by chance, but that instead you must have the drive to reach the "top".

T-Shirt uses more poetic language nearing the end of the song, putting the situation in a broader perspective. The verse goes, "History favors the bulldog / Roast something, make sure my story gets told". Here he refers to those who are successful as bulldogs, and personifies "history". History is doing the action of favoring, while comparing the dreamer to a bulldog. The artist is saying that the dreamer needs animalistic qualities like that of a bulldog to be remembered.

Mad World

In the song "Mad World" by Gary Jules, there are several poetic lines. Jules is able to sing about how our world isn't progressing, and how an epidemic of depression is hitting people.

The lines "All around me are familiar faces / Worn out places worn out faces / Bright and early for the daily races / Going nowhere going nowhere / " People were not happy with their jobs and were struggling with emotions and success in life. Nobody wanted to be honest about the fact that they would be perfectly find with the idea of "no tomorrow."

The next verse brings up a dark topic; death. "And I find it kind of funny / I find it kind of sad / The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had / When people run in circles its a very very / Mad World / " This verse contains imagery because it shows the true madness of today.

When Gary Jules miserably sings the lines "Children waiting for the day they feel good / Happy Birthday happy birthday / And to feel that every child should sit and listen sit and listen / " Its sad because he is saying that children have prolonged the day that they can be happy. Everything is almost two dimensional to them because children can't see the real picture. Birthdays are celebrations that don't represent anything other than the continuation of a flawed system. The paradox remains, meanwhile the lesson that one needs to learn in this "Mad World" is to simply be happy.

Mad World Lyrics