Two recent incidents have caused vast outpourings of joy: Julia Gillard's ascension to the top job, and the release of Toy Story 3! Online media moves so quickly that while many were convulsing with joy, the party poopers made their move. Reading some of the insightful 'wetblanketry' caused me to have an attack of the Carrie Bradshaw's: I couldn't help but wonder - when it is appropriate to poo poo remarkable deeds?
Firstly to Ms Gillard -- the mainstream media devoted the kind of attention not seen since a major disaster, and the bloggosphere went into overdrive at the news that we had our first female PM. While so many women wept with joy (myself included!) there were others advising caution. Shakira Hussein at Crikey pointed out that several countries have had a female leader who hadn't done much to alleviate the suffering of their own gender -- that many struggles still exist for women in Australia, and we can't believe they're over just because we have a female PM. Helen Razer, writing at ABC's The Drum jumped on the 'party pooper' bandwagon: '[Julia Gillard] was never pointed toward the detonation of any glass ceilings. She set out, she said, to "keep my feet on the floor". And there her feet remained throughout the 90s as she was knocked back for ALP pre-selection three times. That they have now elevated her to the country's top job is, of course, testament not only to her tenacity but to feminism's gains. But, this doesn't give us ladies license to bang on like the epilogue to Sex and the City. First, it's just unseemly. Second, as any sensible woman should know, it's perilous to declare one's self satisfied.'
We may not need to pour water over it all just yet -- Gillard herself stated in an interview with the Herald Sun, no less, that she's interested in a variety of women's issues including female commodification in the media and the rise of raunch culture, violence against women, sexual assault, equal pay and representation in corridors of power such as parliament and corporate boardrooms. Given that she was also a founding member of the group Emily's List (a 'financial, political and personal support network for the election of progressive Labor women candidates') we may even be able to expect some positive changes for women in the not too distant future. We may, as Catherine Deveny pointed out '[be able] to have this moment.' Phew!
And as for Toy Story 3 - I defy you to see this movie and not enjoy it. It's visually stunning, comically voiced and plays with solid themes about the power of imagination, the need to remain flexible to change and the importance of friendship. I just loved it, and then I read this: Natalie Wilson at Ms.blog pointed out that it ain't too strong on the female character front. Wilson asserts that too few of the new toys are female, that Bo Peep seems to have gone missing, and that Mrs Potato Head, Barbie and Jesse the Cowgirl are only empowered in the opening moments of the film -- which is set in Andy's imagination anyway. But what's the big deal, right? It's only one cartoon! Let's not get carried away. Well, Wilson argues that most of the Pixar films are centred around the fellas: 'Wall-E, A Bug’s Life, Cars, Monsters Inc, The Incredibles.' And from that list, she kinda has a point. But what about other animation houses? Do they do it any better? Not so, according to actress Geena Davis, who has an Institute on Gender and Media and who recently spoke to the United Nations on the representation of women in children's media.
Her research indicates that in children's cartoons, TV shows and movies, there is only one female character to every three male characters -- one to five in large group scenes. According to the analysis, when female characters are depicted, they 'tended to be over-sexualized with a narrow scope of character traits.' Barbie, anyone? Davis insists that: 'if we have such devaluing and disempowering images from the first media that children consume, it sets the table and enculturates another generation of children into seeing women and children of a lesser status than boys and men.' Oh jeez -- can't I just enjoy Woody and Buzz? Must I poo poo? I guess the answer is unfortunately, yes. But the solution may lie with the example set by our current PM: we need to establish an Emily's list to increase female representation in the the media! Who's with me?
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