​

That 70s Show Review by B.B.

       That 70s show is a very widely known and popular comedy that has been watched for nearly 20 years and is still loved today. The show first aired in 1998, and ran all the way until 2006, and follows a group of teenagers depicted growing up in a small town during the late 1970s. Obviously the show was not filmed during the actual time period of the 70s, but at the same time contains very historically accurate information and a very real sense of how teenagers grew up in this time period. Upon watching the show over several times, there seemed to be some underlying tones that stuck out, primarily that of sexism displayed in this time period, and gender equality. Women’s rights during the 1970s was a slightly new wave and made some significant strides. However In That 70s Show there are quite a few instances where the gender separation and expectations are very obvious, despite being in a comedic manner. The most obvious and prevalent example seen of these issues in the show can be shown in the character of Kitty, or the main characters mother who is depicted as the stereotypical housewife. In every single episode Kitty is found in the kitchen, cooking the father and sons’ meals throughout the day, and always seems to be worrying about household problems. While this may not be incredibly overwhelming, it shows part of how women were viewed in this timer period, as well as how they are expected to preform duties at home. Another very obvious example can be seen in the characters of Midge and Bob Pinciotti, or Donnas parents. Being another housewife figure in her home, Midge also displays the typical tendencies of women in this time period, however, quickly is seen attempting to change these stereotypes by taking education courses regarding women’s rights and actions. The biggest factor in this situation is her inability to simply be honest with her husband Bob and is  forced to lie and go behind his back to take these education courses because he disagrees with the need for this “education” seeing as he provides for the family leaving her to perform the typical household chores. Examining this today from a society that has very much changed, especially with the major impacts of feminist movements, there are many problems in this show that we recognize today. These problems are mostly resolved at this point in time, however the feminist movement still exists for a reason and that reason is because there are still issues regarding women in society. The depiction of women in this show are very accurate for the time period, and not seen in a demeaning manner simply for being historically accurate. While these differences in society are very recognizable in the show, this is a good indicator of how far women have come  in terms of gender equality over the course of nearly 40 years.

word count:492

​

Michelle Obama's Documentary "Becoming" Review by J.B.

     As the first African-American First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama faced great oppression as a Black female who was held to a high standard by the American people. Her documentary  “Becoming”  exposes the hardships she and other people of color experience as Americans in a real, honest, and vulnerable way. Her gender and race were used against her rather than for her.

​

     The documentary briefly covers her 55 years of life in just under two hours. Michelle reflects on her journey to the White House, the challenges she faced, and shows viewers a snippet of her life post White House. In some eyes, Michelle Obama achieved it all as a Black woman in America. She grew up on the south side of Chicago, went to Princeton for undergrad even when her high school counselor told her, “I don’t think you’re Princeton material”, continued into Harvard Law, worked in a firm, and became the first African-American First Lady. Although, none of her accomplishments were easy to achieve or to maintain.

​

     The documentary also highlights the inequality and racism in America. Michelle Obama profoundly states, “People have been taught to believe in the ultimate inferiority of people because of the color of their skin”. Many people of color, who hold great talents and intelligence, are underestimated and may not have the resources to succeed. They witness those with half of their abilities be promoted past them, because nobody thinks they deserve it. In America, this should not be the case. People of all races and backgrounds should have equal opportunity.

 

     In a compilation of various news clips during the documentary, reporters criticize Mrs. Obama. One clip states, “One way people will try to defeat Obama: If they can’t prove he’s Muslim, then let’s prove his wife is an angry black woman”, a statement that would rarely be addressed towards Laura Bush, Jill Biden, or any other candidate wives. Michelle had to maintain an image of perfection. Despite making speeches addressing crucial issues, the audience was more concerned about the outfit she was wearing. The documentary expresses Michelle is not the only woman experiencing this, many women today face the same issue. Their appearance holds more power than their voice. If their outfit is right, then maybe others will listen. Women have to work harder while keeping their appearance at the same time to gain respect. Men only have to throw on slacks and a button-up.

​

     When Michelle Obama reflects on her time in the White House, she sometimes thinks that the American people were not ready for somebody like the Obama’s in the White House. It was a must in the fight for equality. She encourages others to share their stories, break down barriers, and be vulnerable. Through her documentary, Michelle Obama demonstrated with persistence, grace, and hope you are capable of anything despite your gender or race.

word count: 478

​

Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" Media Review by Z.S.

The 1960’s was a period of social change, but one song captures the feelings of African Americans at the time well. “A Change is Gonna Come” was written and sung by Sam Cooke and his experience as a black man during the American civil rights movement. In “A Change is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke expresses his firm belief that despite all the problems African Americans face, there will be a social revolution where all races will achieve equality. 

 

First of all, Cooke explains the internal struggles he handles with racism and discrimination. In the song, Cooke details the hardships he has to live through as an African American in a violent and racist America. In verse two, he says “It’s been too hard livin’ but I’m afraid to die ‘cause I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky.” In this line, Cooke wonders if there is still segregation after death. We see his fear that after dying, discrimination against blacks may still be rampant and he will be stuck in the same situation. The tension between whites and blacks was high at this time, and Cooke gives insight into the inner thoughts of African Americans at this time. However, the chorus begins, which describes how he is hopeful “a change is gonna come” where there will be equality for everyone. 

 

Next, Cooke mentions the flagrant segregation he is forced to cope with. Cooke says, “I go to the movie and I go downtown. Somebody keep telling me “don’t hang around.” Here, Cooke narrates the hardships of being a black American in the US at this time when they do not have the freedom whites have. Also, he implicitly says the simple liberty of going anywhere is something whites take for granted, and they don’t understand the troubles blacks deal with everyday. Nevertheless, Cooke says next that blacks would have the same rights as whites soon. 

 

Finally, Cooke clashes with other black Americans who do not stand up for themselves to fight against oppression. He says, “I say, ‘Brother, help me please,’ but he winds me up, knockin’ me back down on my knees.” Here, Cooke urges other blacks to speak out against the injustice and racism they experience daily. At this time, blacks did not have a voice to save them from the shameless discrimination they went through, which is why many of them felt too afraid to let them speak their mind. However, Cooke promises next that a change would come when everyone’s viewpoints would be respected. 

 

In “A Change is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke stresses even though there are many issues facing black Americans in the 1960’s, there will soon be equality for all. Since this song was written, we’ve come far to fixing some of the imbalances between whites and blacks. This song is still relevant today because it gives us hope that people of all races, beliefs, and creeds will soon live together in harmony and without fear of oppression based on who they are.

word count: 500 

    White Man’z World Review by J.R.

Tupac Shakur was a revolutionary artist for hip-hop and rap music in the 90s. On an album released following his untimely death in 1996, titled The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory he touches on several issues that affect the black community. The ninth song on this album, “White Man’z World” he details not only race relations in America between Black and white Americans, but also gender relations within the black community. Tupac highlights the connection between race and gender in a unique and thoughtful way throughout this song.             Throughout the song he draws attention to racism in America. In the first verse he details a conversation between him and his mother as a child, where he questions her about their lives and why “they keep on callin me n***a”.  He continues to question his existence and wonder why Black Americans face so much hate in this country. While highlighting the racism found in our country, he does well to not ignore the deep-rooted problems within the black community as well.

He reiterates countless of times the maltreatment of black women at the hands of black men. In the intro of this song he begins by stating how black men “be ridin’ hard on our sisters” and not realizing “the pain we be causin’”. He acknowledges the faults not just in America but in the community. It would not be possible for him to critique how America treats black Americans without recognizing and acknowledging how they treat their own community.

This song heavily hits on antiracism and indirectly feminism in a way. Tupac understood the ways in which black women’s race and gender held them at a greater disadvantage than what is usually talked about. In the beginning of this song he even says, “might even know how hard it is, no doubt bein’ a woman, a black woman at that… in this white man’s world”. Tupac directly suggests that if being a woman is hard in America, he cannot imagine what it is like to be a black woman. This is essentially the idea with intersectionality. The concept that there are multiple intersections within someone’s identity that alters the way they face oppression.

Tupac did a great job of articulating this concept, even if it was unknowingly. He understood the severity of racism in America, as well as the presence of sexism, and was able to recognize and call attention to the way both of those issues affect women of color differently. Not only that, he was also able to identify ways in which black women’s very community treated them in negative ways, not just white America. This song illustrates intersectionality and the need for antiracism in feminism in a unique way that resonates with any audience who listens to it.

W>C: 4666

​

Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own Me" Media Review by H.R.

The song “You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore is a song that deals with feminism because it is all about being a woman and in control of your own life. The song became a hit in 1963, and Gore was just 17 years old when it came out. Some even consider it to be a feminist anthem. Gore sings about being her own person and that nobody owns her, “You don’t own me/I’m not just one of your many toys/You don’t own me/Don’t say I can’t go with other boys” (Gore). Gore is saying that she can do whatever she wants and nobody can tell her otherwise. She goes on to say that nobody can tell her what to do in the chorus, “And don’t tell me what to do/Don’t tell me what to say/And please, when I go out with you/Don’t put me on display ‘cause” (Gore). The video with her singing the song is very powerful as she was directly singing into the camera and belting out the lyrics. Her face showed so many powerful emotions, and she really convinced her audience that she was singing from the heart and that the lyrics truly resonated with her. At the time of the release of the video with her singing the song, Gore was relatively new to the music industry. However, she made a big impact when she was shouting for her freedom. It was a very different kind of song for the 1960s, as very few, if any, songs talked about revolting against men. Therefore, it was powerful for a song like this to be released. Surprisingly, this song was written by two men named David White and John Madara. The songwriters did not like how songs for women were mostly focused on admiring guys and mooning over them. They decided to write about something different for a change. Even though this song was popular in 1963, it still resonates with many women today. It is still very relevant in today’s world, especially with the #MeToo movement going on. More and more women are realizing that they don’t need to be told what to do by anyone, especially a man that is trying to take control of them. Therefore, this song is their anthem. “You Don’t Own Me” especially gained popularity when it was covered in 2016 with rapper G-Eazy and Australian singer Saygrace. The cover appeared in the Suicide Squad movie soundtrack. Women from multiple time periods have been able to relate to “You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore, and it has been an important part of feminist history.

Word Count: 442 

“The Man” by Taylor Swift Media Review by J.B.

    Taylor Swift has been named the Artist of the Decade, topped charts with her music, shattered records from her Reputation Stadium Tour, but yet still faces the toxicity and disrespect of men in the music industry. When she was only 19 years old, she received criticism that it would be impossible for her as a female to write a successful album on her own. She responded by  self-writing a Grammy-nominated album, Speak Now. Over a decade later, Taylor Swift and many other female artists face this double standard. Females receive critiques that would not be made against a male.

​

    From Taylor Swift’s album, Lover, she released a single titled “The Man”. This song addresses how different Swift’s life would have been different if she was a man. Swift sings, “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can/Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man” (Swift 9-10). Throughout the entire song, she explains how in various positions her life would have changed for the better if she was a man. Her statements are not specific to her, but are universally experienced by other females.

​

     There is a bad habit with society where men are held at a lower standard than women and are forgiven more easily. Swift addresses this in her lyrics “And it’s all good if you’re bad/And it’s okay if you’re mad” (Swift 29-30). When a man acts aggressive or out of control, society accepts it, but when a female gets upset she is seen as showing a tantrum. This occured in Taylor Swift’s life when she spoke up and defended herself against Kanye when he made a misogynistic message towards her. Other women have experienced similar situations where the man was easily forgiven and accepted while the female’s emotions were seen as invalid and dramatic.

​

     If the roles of males and females were reversed in today’s society, Taylor Swift’s song “The Man” accurately predicts the privileges women would have if they were treated equally as a man. Women tend to have to work harder than a man to get to the same position, but are not rewarded as highly. These double standards are unnecessary and exhausting to keep up with, similar to the tone set by Taylor Swift’s lyrics. With artists using their platforms speaking up against and addressing these microaggressions change can be expected.

word count: 394

​

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (Book) Media Review- Z.S.

​

While there many strong female characters in the Harry Potter book series, one in particular stands out. Hermione Granger is introduced in the first novel as a talented and skillful witch, but one that argues and always thinks she’s right. However, she matures and emerges as someone Harry and others can always count on. In JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Hermione is a feminist character because she promotes feminine values and uses them to aid others. 

 

About halfway through the story, Hermione convinces Harry to form Dumbledore’s Army to train students in Defense against the Dark Arts. When discussing Umbridge’s refusal to teach students defensive spells, Hermione tells Harry, “I’m talking about you teaching us Defense against the Dark Arts.” Here, Hermione begs and eventually convinces Harry to teach people incredibly useful and life-saving magic because the school refuses to. Later, Hermione takes a leadership role along with Harry to organize meetings with the group and find secret locations to train. Hermione shows that women are more than qualified to hold higher positions and are able to excel in these roles. In these moments, Rowling uses Hermione to empower women and show that they are just as capable as men to hold leadership positions to help those in need. 

 

Throughout the novel, Hermione’s extensive knowledge of magic plays a vital role in helping others. For example, Hermione uses a highly advanced spell on coins that allows secret communication between members of Dumbledore’s Army. To this, Ron says, “How come you’re not in Ravenclaw with brains like yours?” Ron clearly compliments Hermione’s ability to perform skilled magic that most students her age can’t do. Rowling uses Hermione to showcase women’s intellect and knack for brainstorming good ideas. Through Hermione, women’s creativity and ingenuity are highlighted and she uses these values to benefit Harry, Ron, and others. 

 

Another feminine quality Hermione embodies is empathy. She empathizes with many characters and groups of people in the series, and in the novel this is most prominent with house-elves. Throughout the series, she creates and leads an organization called S.P.E.W. to stop injustice against house-elves. In this book, after Ron sees the horrid living conditions of Kreacher, Sirius Black’s house-elf, Hermione exclaims, “Now that you know what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you’ll be a bit more active in S.P.E.W.!” This displays Hermione’s affinity and feelings for house-elves and shows that she wants to help the underprivileged. Rowling uses Hermione’s empathy to demonstrate that women understand the feelings of others and can help them.

 

In “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Hermione is a feminist symbol because she has many feminine attributes that she uses to help people. While there are other strong female characters in the series, Hermione is most prominent because she is one of the central characters and uses her feminine traits to help others. Hermione will remain one of the greatest written female characters of literature and an icon to the feminist movement.

word count: 499

​

​

                                                                       Trust Black Women Review by - B.B.

In our reading of Nasty Women, author Zerlina Maxwell wrote the short essay titled Trust Black Women, a section that focused on the presidential campaign and overall loss of Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump. In this essay, Maxwell discusses the separation of the black women, from other white voters in the election. She stated that, “ninety four percent of black women voted for Hillary Clinton”. This was surprising statistic, considering the fact that Hillary Clinton was considered to be the public face of white feminism, but is none the less attracting and empowering black women across the country. When discussing feminism, there is often a separate outcome or experience specifically for black women, which the author states by saying, “ History has taught us that ‘progress for women’ isn’t always progress for black women”. This is an extremely powerful and accurate statement that I feel isn’t as commonly understood as it should be. The election of Hillary Clinton would have gone beyond this separation of black and white women, to empower all women. A key example of this is the statistic that shows Hillary Clinton responsible for her campaign employing more black women than any other campaign in history, one main reason she has received overwhelming support from these black women. Not only does Hillary support the Black Women community, but all others as well and is said to be one of the most diverse campaigns ever in existence, showing her cultural flexibility and outreach. Meanwhile an estimated 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump, showing the clear divide in how these two groups of women view issues and choose to respond. The director of African American media stated, ‘These white women need to learn how to step outside of their white privilege and imagine the lives who are at risk under the Trump-Pence administration”. I think this is very important statement centering around the divide between women’s groups, and one that is not easy to overcome, as the discussion of privilege often leads to only confrontation and arguments. If the white women who were statistically Trump voters would take time to understand the hardships and needs of the black women and other minorities, they would end up becoming more educated and rounded as a whole, because they would take other peoples day to day struggles into consideration and vote to make a difference for other people than themselves.

Wordcount: 405

​

 Beyonce’s Lemonade Review- J.R

Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album “Lemonade” was groundbreaking in its release. It does a beautiful job of showcasing the various aspects of life, encompassing what it is like to be a black woman in love and in America. She highlights the pain of infidelity in her marriage, as well as the constant struggle of being a black woman. The songs along with the visuals tell a story of love, loss and redemption. 

Freedom featuring Kendrick Lamar specifically, articulates the pain and suffering of black bodies in this nation, through the lens of grieving mothers who lost their sons to gun violence. In the lyrics she is not asking but demanding freedom. “Freedom! Freedom! I can’t move. Freedom, cut me loose.” She is asking for freedom from the boundaries and oppressive restraints she faces as a black woman. She is demanding the end to the suffering of black bodies. 

            The use of black mothers highlights the power and resilience black women are made to have within this country and their communities. Black women are the backbones of the black community, yet they continue to face extreme amounts of adversity both within their community and outside of it. 

            In an interlude between songs, Beyoncé samples a speech from civil rights activist Malcom X. Malcom X calls black men to action, to take care of and protect black women, stating “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” Malcom X understands the position black women face in our society, and recognizes it is not a good one. 

Beyoncé’s use of this clip for her album helps to round out the idea of black strength and power. As a black woman who grew up in the south and the entertainment industry, she knows wholeheartedly what black women face when they are up against racism and misogyny on amplified degrees. 

Beyoncé did a great job of visually representing feminism and antiracism and the turmoil of black women. Her songs and visuals illustrate the anguish and pain of having to live in a society that values their existence the least. The album details the road to recovery and strength as black women try and heal their wounds and continue to fight for another day. 

Word Count: 393

​

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Review - H.R.

Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give shows harmful stereotypes against black people because it discusses racism in law enforcement, in the media, and within white communities. The Hate U Give is a story about a sixteen-year-old black girl named Starr who goes to a primarily white private school where she feels out of place but tries to still fit in with her peers. One night after a party, Starr and her childhood best friend, Khalil, escape the party because of gunshots from a gang fight that interrupts it. As Khalil is driving Starr back home, Khalil gets pulled over by a white police officer. Khalil questions the officer about why he was pulled over, and then the officer orders him to get out of the car to search him. After being ordered not to move when the officer returns to his car, he still opens the door and checks on Starr. He is then shot by the officer. Starr thinks as she processes what happened to Khalil, “An ear-splitting scream emerges from my gut, explodes in my throat, and uses every inch of me to be heard” (Thomas 15). Khalil’s death was an instance of racism within law enforcement because it is believed that Khalil was pulled over just because he was black. It was also believed that he was thought to be more of a danger to the officer because he was black, so he assumed that he was reaching for a gun in the car when in reality he was reaching for a hairbrush. He did not have a good reason to think that Khalil had a gun. Khalil was already shot dead when the officer saw it was a hairbrush. When the story was reported in the media, it favored the officer saying that the shooting was logical and justified. Starr says, “...they finally gave Khalil’s name in the story about the shooting, but with a title added to it—Khalil Harris, a Suspected Drug Dealer. They didn’t mention that he was unarmed” (Thomas 50). This goes to show that black people are not being treated fairly in the media. In this case, the media was trying to make Khalil seem like less of a victim because he dealt drugs, even though there were no drugs in his possession when he was killed. Being a drug dealer should not justify his killing. He was wrongfully murdered, and that is something that should not be brushed off just because of his choices to sell drugs. People in white communities would have the perception that it’s not a big deal if a black person was murdered because they were a drug dealer. For example, Starr’s friend at her school had this thought process because she heard it in the media. The Hate U Give is a great novel that explores racism within communities and how shootings by law enforcement are portrayed. The messages in it are so powerful and relate heavily to the world today.

Word Count: 496

 

“Kiki Smith’s Lilith, 1984, Bronze with Glass Eyes” - Critical Resource Response by W.F.

     To know what is, we must begin with what was. Before the creation of this work, there was the worker: Kiki Smith. She is a German-American artist who uses her talent to cover the themes of sex, birth, regeneration, and gender. Born in 1984, Nuremberg Germany, she has been witness to the growing change of sex with politics and sex in accordance with, or against, ideals of resistance as well as what was between. The Piece itself of which we will ponder on, takes a name from both Jewish and Christian origins. To the Jewish mythology, she was Adam’s first wife and made of the same substance as him. She did not ask, but demanded her respect and innate right to be equal to her husband. When it was not given, she fled from the Garden of Eden. To Christianity, she did not run, but was punished for her insubordination with eviction and a curse much like Cain would later receive. She was to be the first succubus, the mother of demons, and a scourge upon mankind.

​

Strange Fruit, By Billie Holiday Media Review by W.F.

 

To say that a fruit is strange brings forth the image of watermelons more rind than melon, potatoes grown without skin, or that the base knowledge that the durian is fruit bearing a stark, pungent odor. Billie Holiday's song title may start with such a mental image, but hardly does it stay to those thoughts as over the course of the three minute and two second song. It was a piece originally written as a protest against lynchings by a jewish-american writer under the pseudonym Lewis Allen, as he was both shocked and inspired by a photograph of one Abram Smith and Thomas Shipp lynched in Marion, Indiana.

I remember hearing this song myself, on an average day of some season I can scarce recall, but this song pervades that day like a knife through a soft butter. The haunting tones, the mournful tone carried in every syllable as the singer goes on to describe the bodies hung from trees, the bulging eyes, twitching mouths. I saw myself down a lonely dirt road similar to many I have walked in Georgia, and I saw those poor men and women. A strange fruit, tethered to the tree by rage. It is here I must say, and I say without hesitation, that this song fits so finely into anti-racism that it encouraged members of the southern community to mail the song en masse to their senators in the year of 1939. It did not call for equality, but those that did rallied behind it as their very own “Marseillaise” as one Samuel Grafton put it.

I ask who could dare stand for racism, for the disparagement of people to the point of this abject horror that any could stomach to sit quietly beside while those they called family and friends perpetrated monstrosities upon men after hearing this? The singer herself felt fear of retribution, the image of her father pervading her thoughts, and I myself suffered a grim vision of the song's message. Some will not be moved by logic, nor by ones standing, but if you can make them understand the human condition, make them feel, you can start something. This song is an age old ember of that, and today I hope a modern version comes in the form of a flaming change from that spark nearly a century ago now. 

Word Count: 391