A constant interest of mine is gender and the “tidy organization” of what it culturally/socially means to be male or female. I’m curious about Judith Butler’s gender work and what she’s come to understand as gender being “done”.

“The relationship between biology (female/male) and culture (feminine/masculine), however, is more complicated than the assertion that sex is biological fact and gender is the social interpretation of that fact.” It would be so easy to separate the two notions, easier to understand and categorize, in fact. But, it is not so. As the two are intertwined, so do the identities of both. As Judith Lorber states, “gender is a process that involved multiple patterns of interaction and is created and re-created constantly in human interaction”.

Gender is a performance constricted to certain parameters, but this is the postmodern view.

“Gender encompasses not only the socially constructed differences prescribed for different kinds of human beings but also the values associated with these differences.”
“Sexism works by viewing the differences between women and men as important for determining access to social, economic, and political resources.” I found that knowing this is very important to understanding sexism through the feminist perspective and what makes it possible. To understand the foundation of sexism in turn means the ability to debunk it.

In Judith Lorber’s reading The Social Construction of Gender, I identified with what she said in regards to the social institution of gender as “one of the major ways that human beings organize their lives…human society depends on a predictable division of labor, etc.”

We know her, we know her foibles, and we know all of her past.

Her performance from the 2007 MTV VMAs was considerably less than par, obviously. Her movement was lacking, she was obviously lip syncing, and she looked drugged; but, her body was in excellent condition. Or was it?

Should she not have been parading around in such a skimpy ensemble after bearing (and rearing?) two children? Was her body not fit, in both English senses of the word, to be seen in such sequined numbers?

Frankly, my only critique was of her performance–it was awful. A comeback? I think not. Yes, she’s popped out two kids, but some women can only HOPE and/or PRAY that their bods resemble that sans children-bearing. Quite possibly, her body ain’t what it used to be. (and that’s fine)

The strikingly ironic part is who were commenting on her physique–women. Double standard anyone?

With this Course in mind, every action comes into play; one is made more aware of said gendered implications we place on each other, the banal exploitation of each sex, and the stereotypes each of us perpetuates. How unnerving it is to know the stagnancy of sexism, that it occurs, and then have nothing be done about it. WTF.

So much to say, friends. I must collect my thoughts and finish this scattered, free-thought essay later.