"Meghalaya, India: Where women rule, and men are suffragettes."

article

Nestled in the hills of India the state of Meghalaya is famous for its overwhelming amount of rain produced per year, however, now as the state’s men’s movement grows Meghalaya is devolving a new claim to fame.

It is not uncommon for women’s right’s movements to frequently appear in the media, however, issues raised addressing men’s right’s tend to be much more rare. Unlike many other places in the world Meghalaya, India is a matriarchy state that offers very little rights to the men. The small rainy state challenges the “typical” age-old traditions that other areas of the world abide by. In Meghalaya men adopt the surname of their spouse, live with their spouse’s family, and have no say when it comes to managing the family money. In their society when an object becomes useful it transitions from male to female, for example, wood is feminine but it’s origin, the tree, is masculine. Men who are fed up with the dominating women have joined forces and started a men’s movement. Through the movement they do not want to revoke the women’s rights but rather increase the rights that the men are entitled to. The main objective of the men’s movement is to make the state of Meghalaya a safe sanctuary for the males as well as the females.

Despite the best efforts of the men many of the women say that they do not think that the traditions will change. My question to the class is should the traditions change? Should men receive the same rights that the women do, and if yes, is there a fear that as the men grow more powerful they will slip into “traditional” norms and dominate the women?

Also, on a more general scale I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on how the rest of the world should view the Meghalaya society? Do you think it encourages society to increase women’s rights? Or, does it make some fearful that if women’s right’s movements continue to grow then the women will become too powerful and men will lose their “control”?

Congolese Women Graduate from Inaugural Rape Survival Class

On Saturday a group of Congolese women graduated from a gender violence survivor program. In eastern Congo rebels are raping women, men, girls and boys, and in some cases the assailants stick chunks of wood and guns inside of them. The program, City of Joy, was founded by Eve Ensler, the author of "The Vagina Monologues", and is run by a program called V-day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. For six months the 180 women participate in group therapy, dance classes, theater, self-defense, leadership and sex education classes. Christine Deschryver, director of the program said, "Upon their arrival, the faces of these women showed signs of despair, discouragement and loneliness". Last year in the Congo 1152 women are raped daily or 48 women per hour. Currently the United Nations peacekeeper are in the Congo, the forces are ineffective in stopping the multiple rapes. Deschryver, "Over time, they have, little by little, been helped to use their past difficulties as a source of empowerment".

The country is poverty stricken and has a lack of authority but it is a rich source of natural resources like, diamonds, timber and copper. The rebels use these resources to fuel wars in the Congo and in neighboring countries. The rebels pillage and rape in the eastern hills of the country due to the country's instability.

Deschryver said, "These women have moved from pain to power and will return to their homes ready to help revolutionize their communities". Due to the country's lack of control and lack of help, do you think this program will be effective for the women once they return to their homes? Do you think the women are ready to face the world after six months in the program?

Transgender Flight Attendants

I thought about the documentary we watched about the four transgender college students. I wanted to see how the world was beginning to become more aware about transgender people.

In The Guardian I found an article about an airline in Thailand, PC Air, which has started to hire transgender people. The president and founder, Peter Chan, wanted to give equal opportunity to all people. He was quoted in the Guardian, "They (transgender people) work as dancers or entertainers or in shops, because society doesn't accept them in other jobs." PC Air currently employs four transgender people, who hope that Thailand and the rest of the world will grow to accept transgender people as a part of everyday life. Thailand has a large number of transgender people, but they are not allowed to change their gender on any official documents. For the most part, people do not mind the change, though some traditionalists may be offended.

Does this airline offering jobs to transgender people help inform the world about transgender people and do you think it will expand their opportunities?

How do we Balance Modern Ideas of Gender Equality with the Protection of rich Traditional Cultures?

Today in Latin America there exists a growing disparity between the cultural expectations of women and modern ideas of gender equality, as family obligations of women conflict with involvement in a professional life. In response, there are many organizations that are working to close this gap by encouraging a cultural shift and empowering women. For example, ProMujer is a nonprofit organization that provides Latin American women with free “business trainings… managerial and accounting skills, [and] the elaboration of successful business plans.”

Although I support the empowerment of women everywhere and feel that women should hold equal cultural power to that of men, I cannot help but think back to my semester living with a host family in rural Costa Rica, a traditional world that was (for the most part) free from modern cultural shifts. My host mother (and the mothers of my Costa Rican friends) spent her days at home—cooking, cleaning, visiting with family, and gossiping. My host father, on the other hand, would go to work at his construction job, drive around town, eat, and watch soccer on tv. When my father wasn’t working, he did as he pleased, with no exceptions. At nighttime we would all eat dinner together, before my host sister and I did the dishes and my host father settled in front of the tv. Occasionally he would ask me to bring him water or a snack or his cell phone, and I would do it without question.

Did I ever question my role as a subservient female in Costa Rica? Did I ask my host father to help me with the cleaning or to stand up and change the tv channel himself? No, I never did.

My host dad is not a mean man, and he cares more deeply for his family than most people I know. Nor is my host mother ignorantly submissive; she works hard each and every day to give her family the happiest life she that she can manage. Frankly, I think that if everyone in the world valued the same things as my host parents, there would be a lot more peace and relaxation and a lot less hunger.

Basically, I am confused. I don’t know what I think is “right.” Is it a breach of human rights and modern ideas of gender equality for life in the small town of Nuevo Arenal to continue this way? Maybe, but isn’t a rich traditional culture also something to be protected?

Playground Talk

In elementary and middle schools today, the students hear and use negative comments such as “you're retarded” or “you’re so gay” in their schools' playground on a regular basis, giving principals, teachers, and other faculty problems who are increasingly trying to battle name-calling, harassing, bullying. Gail Connelly, executive director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals comments, "Elementary principals are painfully aware of the impact that name-calling, bullying and bias have not only on an individual student's development, but also in disrupting a positive school culture that nurtures the whole child,"

A report, from “Playground and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States,” outlines the control that bullying has over elementary schools. The report is based on a national survey of roughly 1,000 students between third to sixth grade, and about 1,000 teachers teaching students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, travels to school districts across the country that grapple with how to deal with anti-gay bullying and harassment. Normally, we hear about the issues of bullying in the high-school grades, largely in part of the numerous teen suicides linked to anti-gay harassment and bullying.

The suicide deaths of two teen boys back in October 2010 followed at least three other suicides that year connected to “the trauma of being bullied and harassed for their actual or perceived sexual orientation was too much to bear,” Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education said at the time.

“This is a moment where every one of us -- parents, teachers, students, elected officials, and all people of conscience -- needs to stand up and speak out against intolerance in all its forms,” he said.

The study that was released show that the problems of bullying start early, with three out of four elementary students reporting name-calling and bullying with at least some regularity. Simultaneously, about half of the elementary school teachers believe that "bullying, name-calling, or harassment is a very serious or somewhat serious problem at their school.”

Among the teachers and students that were surveyed, two-thirds of the participants attributed bullying and harassment the students' appearance or body type. They also attributed bullying to students who are not good at sports, how well they do at school, and being a boy who "acts or looks too much like a girl" or a girl who "acts or looks too much like a boy".

"Our latest research on bias-based remarks and bullying in America' s elementary schools provides new understanding of the experiences facing our youngest students," said Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

Eliza Byard’s organization has linked together with the National Association of Elementary School Principals to "develop new lesson plans to increase awareness of bias, family diversity and gender roles," in order to help counter the use of negative speech and behaviors.

"The goal is to give teachers the tools to deal with those issues in the classroom," said Andy Marra, a spokeswoman for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

“It’s about building understanding,” she said.

My guiding questions would be who's to blame for the bullying of these kids at such a young age? What could be done to prevent this?

Indiana Gets LGBT License Plates

Indiana has become the first state to offer pro-LGBT license plates. According to deathandtaxesmag.com this came after the Indiana Youth Group's application, their third one, for a pro-LGBT license plate was finally approved. The license plates will feature the groups logo: "six hands shaded in the rainbow flag's various colors," and it will cost $40, 25$ going to the organization.

The first two times they applied they were rejected because they did not meet some of the requirements, like "gathering 500 signatures and specifying how the money will be used." The DMV claimed that the money would go to paying salaries instead of helping out statewide programs. However, before they reapplied for the new license plates, they were told by the Indiana DMV that they "would most likely be approved." The executive director for IYG, Mary Byrne, said that the motivation for selling the license plates was not just to raise money for the LGBT community. She also said that "the group wanted to shed light on the lack of transparency in the process." Basically, they wanted to shed light on the decisions happening behind closed doors.

My question is do you think these license plates will raise awareness for the LGBT community? Will they have a significant impact on the LGBT community? Do you think that the decisions behind closed doors show that some people, specifically in politics, still aren't ready to move forward and accept the LGBT community?

Young, Gay And Homeless: Fighting for Resources

“Young, Gay And Homeless: Fighting for Resources” National Public Radio

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/20/142364493/young-gay-and-homeless-fighting-for-resources

(All quotes taken from NPR)

“In a number of big cities around the country, a startling statistic has emerged:” thirty to forty percent of homeless youth (under 18 years old) are LGBT. This statistic is startling because, according to variety of sources, namely About.com, only an estimated 3.8% (9 million) of Americans identify as LGBT. So why the percentage skew?

Carter Seabron, the outreach coordinator for the Streetwork Project, agrees that it “absolutely” makes sense that 30-40% of “youth we see identify as being homeless also identify as being LGBT.” Seabron’s partner, Elena Wood, explains why she thinks there is such a strong correlation: “So, the parent might not say you need to get now, like I’m kicking you out, especially because that’s illegal if they are under 18, you know. But, I mean, it’s a very fine line between what’s their choice and what’s not.”

The nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth is the Ali Forney Center, one of only three organizations catering to homeless LGBT kids in New York City. Its founder, Carl Siciliano, explains that now, “kids are coming out at younger and younger ages, and there are so many parents that aren’t being parents to their gay kids. They can’t cope, they can’t deal with it, their religion is in conflict the reality of their kids’ lives, and these kids are being thrown away.”

Siciliano also explains that the gay rights movement has not dealt with and has largely ignored the issue of homeless gay youth. Siciliano says: “The movement was articulated and thought out at a time when it was almost all adults coming out. We've really framed our fight for equality in adult terms, and almost all of the victories that we have won only really benefit the adults in our community…It is not so much laws with the kids; it is economics. It's a fight for resources. That's what our community hasn't quite gotten yet. We have to fight for resources to protect our kids. And how dare we say it gets better for the kids if we're not willing to fight to make sure they have what they need.”

Siciliano hopes that a rally in late October will begin a campaign that will help youth homelessness. He is still angry that youth homelessness is not a priority, as 100 of the 250 beds for 3,800 homeless kids in New York City were almost taken away due to the city’s budget cuts. Governer Andrew Cuomo is “doing so much to help the adults in the community and istaking actions that really harm and imperil the most vulnerable youth of our community. So, what do we do?”

Who is to blame for this situation: the homophobes who loudly protest gay rights, the parents who covertly send their kids onto the streets, the gay rights advocates who ignore the issue, or the homeless youth themselves? Is this an LGBT issue or just one of homelessness? Why have the issues of youth homelessness been largely ignored, and with that, can we fix this without compromising the fight for gay rights for adults?

Preference for XY over XX is causing problems in China

After reading Aristotle’s “The Less Noble Sex” I couldn’t help but feel baffled by the lengths that people will go to justify, and sometimes reinterpret data in order to prove their incorrect point that boys are better than girls (well, at least I believe this notion to be false).
However despite what ever backing they may claim, it is true that in some parts of an area this idea that boys are more desired than girls still holds true, especially in China. Like the Greeks of Aristotle’s time, there is a huge cultural preference towards boys in general than girls in China. This may not necessarily be due to the fact that men are more physically perfect as by Aristotle, but Chinese families see boys as much more practical towards the continued success of their family; namely, they can carry on the family name and legacy. Due to this cultural preference, and China’s governmental policy, there is a huge preference for baby boys than baby girls. According to USA Today News, there is about a 117 boys born for every 100 girls born. Continuation of this ratio can lead to 33 million unmarried men by 2020. As NPR puts it, these uneven birth rates are due to the fact that in China, ultrasound tests and abortions are not uncommon, but rather well practiced despite the fact that they are illegal.
However, this short-term desire for boy children is not only changing family dynamic but also causing societal unrest. The number of suitable wives is decreasing and those who actually are girls actually focus more on their education and rather postponing if ever marrying. This leads to a large portion of lower class men who are left without the option of marriage, and thus as, NPR says, leads to higher crime rates, and even “marriage tours” and trafficking. Thus selection for the traditional boy is actually upheaving China’s society, as it is known.
So my guiding questions are How enrooted do you think this favoritism is into the culture, and do you think that the real life consequences of this favoritism will cause a cultural shift? And more generally, do you think that gender favoritism is prevalent in our own lives?

Israeli Women, unfairly treated when riding the bus.

In Israel women are currently fighting for their rights to ride public transportation along side their fellow men, and also they are demanding equal treatment while using these public transportation. The idea of women's rights or the rights of a women in Israel are extremely primitive, where the majority of the population still believe that a woman's place is at home. Even more so the idea of "modesty" is taken to the extreme. Both women and men are supposed to be covered from head to toe, and the idea of men being the head of the household is taken to drastic measures. Another very interesting fact was that men and women are not supposed to gather together in public spaces because it would promote an "immodest" appearance. For a long time if a woman wanted to achieve a higher standing or wanted more power they would be labeled "immodest" and they were treated like a social outcast. Although recently women's rights have gotten better, on various occasions they find themselves still being the subject of harassment. Co-ed bus riding recently has become a very "hot-bed" topic amongst the Israeli citizens. When riding the bus women are forced to sit in the back , and the men are given the preferred seats in the front. Recently, there have been several protests to end this unjust system. Israeli women feel that the bus system is unfair and believe that anyone should be able to sit wherever they want. In the article, "Ultra-Orthodox men rise up in Israel over Women's rights" by Noga Tarnopolsky, the author discusses the recent violent counter attacks by the men in the community against the women's protests for equality. Since these men are super conservative they strongly support the idea that men and women do not belong out together, let alone "intermixed". Since the start of these protest, the men have refused to help in anyway, and recently have taken it upon themselves to end the women's campaign all together, even if they need to use violence. The article reports several women who have experienced harassment from these counter attacks. The article later reports that during a huge mobbing of two television stations one police officer was severely injured when a rock was thrown to the head. Since violence has erupted , municipal authorities have signed - off on the installation of four hundred cameras to discourage the citizens from violence. However, because the Israeli Supreme-Court declared that segregation on public buses can not be forced how can this unjust treatment of women be ended?

Will the addition of these camera's help. What are other ideas that can be used to help these women?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6cF1UbvDPw

Vampire diaries

The show I chose to analyze is the supernatural drama, Vampire Diaries. The show is about a girl who is in love with two vampire brothers. It is set in a small town called Mystic Falls, Virginia. In Mystic Falls there are many secrets and many supernatural creatures, like vicious vampires, powerful witches and neurotic werewolves. The show revolves around Elena Gilbert. Elena is in love with the vampire Stefan Salvatore, but when Stefan’s vampire brother Damon moves into town she is caught in between a complicated love triangle. Elena has her two best friends Bonnie, a witch, and Caroline, a vampire, who help her in every situation. Elena and her brother, Jeremy live together in their parents’ house but their parents died before the series began and for a while their aunt was taking care of them but she was killed by a vampire. After their aunt died their history teacher also their aunt’s boyfriend takes care of them now. Their family isn’t a traditional family. Family doesn’t really influence the depiction of gender in the show since no one in the show has blood relatives, the friends usually look out for each other. There are four male main characters and four female main characters. The show is pretty much balanced. When the show introduces new characters, there is usually one to one ratio of girls to boys. The women of the show are modernly feminine and all the males are masculine. The gender theme is in between subtle and overt because during violent scenes the men are usually doing most of the fighting and the females are either the damsel in distress, an instigator to the whole fight or they aid as a distraction. The females in the show aren’t the ones physically fighting vampires and werewolves. In the show it gives off a feel that males are better fighting physically while females are better at verbal confrontation. The show itself is pretty contemporary because of the supernatural theme, but its gender theme is very traditional because the females are feminine and the males are very masculine.

Woman of the Year, Parks and Recreation

This past winter break, amidst my many hours sleeping and eating, I was able to do something very productive: find a TV series that truly is a diamond in the rough. This series I speak so highly of? Parks and Recreation of course.

Spearheaded by comedian Amy Poehler (who plays the main character Leslie Knope, the noted feminist), Parks and Recreation not only provides witty humor and sometimes ironic office jokes but provides sometimes keen insight into gender roles, namely at an office place. The importance/sometimes lack of gender stereotypes at work is greatly heightened in the episode, “Women of the Year.”

The cast of Parks and Rec includes many traditional and contemporary gender roles, ranging from the typical masculine-mustachioed boss, Rob Swanson to the young ambitious humorous entrepreneur Tom, to Leslie Knope, the woman whose work life in the Parks and Recreation Department equates to her life. (In most shows, the number of men and women are equal, usually 4 main women and men roles each) Leslie’s strong desire to the break old governmental frame of thinking for gender roles and be a successful women in government power is heighted in “Women of the Year” when she hopes to win the Smyth Empowerment Award, an award designated for the woman who made the biggest difference in the Pawnee community. The award clearly should be given to Leslie, the women who’s role model is Hilary Clinton and who founded a teenage-girl empowerment camp (Camp Athena), and yet ironically enough, the AWO (The Feminist Organization of Pawnee) recognizes Ron Swanson, the antithesis of a woman in power, as the inductee.

Thus after this ironic turning point, the show explores the socially accepted gender roles. Despite the fact that the Smyth award is supposed to recognize an empowered woman, the feminist group actually wishes to present the award to man-a man, who not only doesn’t further the good government can do, but a man who feels that there shouldn’t be government in the first place, and thus believes government empowerment is not validated. Then why does this feminist group want to give this award to Ron rather than the ideal raging feminist, Leslie? Because it turns out that the AWO is actually an organization full of sexists-ones who believe that the press will only take notice of the award and merit if it is given to a tall, masculine-mustachioed man rather than a woman. Thus in this show, the producers are ironically showing how the people’s real acceptance on gender norms does not necessarily have to reflect their outward appearance. Ron actually understands the work and dedication Leslie puts into her work (but intentionally takes the award just to annoy Leslie and teach her not to pine for governable acclamation), and thus he actually believes in more gender equality than this so called feminist group. Leslie, after not receiving the award, is rather appalled by the nature of the AOW and soon realizes that she does not have to be accredited to keep her progressive mindset.


Although the gender role disparity between Leslie and Rob is the central lying conflict in this episode, “Women of the Year”, the relationship between gender roles and age are also discussed through the episode. For example, Tom, a just out of college worker at the Parks and Rec department hopes to buy a share in the local Pawnee club, which demonstrates the ideals of gender that change with age. Thus gender issues and factors that follow/go against societal gender roles were essential to this specific episode, and continue to be an underlying concept in the contemporary Parks and Recreation.

Pan Am: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (episode 9, season 1)

As many of my friends are more than willing to point out I get hooked onto TV shows very quickly and so when Pan Am first aired on ABC it was no surprise that I added it to my, already very extensive, list of TV shows that “I have to watch.” Set in 1963 the show, Pan Am, depicts a time where only the most prestigious of men and women where given the opportunity to fly. The show follows the six main characters, two of which are male and the other four female, across the globe on their international adventures. Pan Am’s stewardesses Maggie, Laura, Colette, and Kate are the four main females while Captain Dean Lowrey and his co-pilot Ted serve as the male leads. As far as the numbers are concerned the female leads dominant the males.

The characters in Pan Am each offer a different definition of their gender’s role. Throughout the series Ted, the co-pilot, constantly ridicules the females. Ted often comments on the women’s dress, attributes, and “place” thus he is perceived as the typical male. However, in this episode, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, we are introduced to a different side of Ted. In previous episodes Dean and Collette, pilot and stewardess, have developed a romantic relationship and so in this episode Dean takes Collette home to meet his parents. In Dean’s absence an Old War II veteran is hired to serve as Captain. When Laura, one of the four stewardesses, delivers coffee to the Captain he shows her no kindness. The substitute Captain is not shy about sexually harassing women and passing inappropriate comments and he makes no exceptions for Laura. Sick of (the Captain’s) the tasteless and crude jokes Laura “accidently” pours hot coffee onto his lap. This act, which is conceived as being out of line, gets Laura into trouble. However, Ted, who had grown tired of the Captain’s ignorant comments about women, jumped to Laura’s defense and essentially “saved her” from loosing her job.

Kate Cameron joined Pan Am because she wanted to choose her own path and stray away from the path that society had already planned for her. When Kate escaped to Pan Am she rebelled against her mother’s wishes of settling down and starting a family with a loving husband. Kate defies the stereotypical female even further when she agrees to be a CIA spy. In this episode Kate wishes to resign as a spy, however, due to complications, her wish cannot be granted. Unlike her sister Laura does not defy societies stereotypical female. Her friends often perceive her as a naïve blonde who often needs rescuing.

The roles of gender are quite important in this contemporary racy show. Although it is subtle, the show focuses in on how Pan Am gave the women the freedom to “take flight” and escape their domestic pre-planned life. Pan Am, as a series, takes a strong stand against the objectification of women and portrays an era when women began to gain power and pursue employment.

Once upon a time

For this "gender dynamics project", I chose the tv show, "Once Upon A Time" which is about all of the fairy tell creatures that everyone has heard about when they were little. There are two main story lines in the show the first is about how the "Evil Queen" (from the tale "Snow White" ) traps all the fairy tell creatures in the "real world", in a town called Story-brook. Apparently, the only way to break the Evil Queen's curse is if the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming ( Emma Stone) comes back and releases the people from the Evil Queen. However, when the Evil Queen casted her spell she made sure that none of the fairy tell creatures (except Rumplestiskin) would remember who they were in their past life, including Emma Stone. The second main story in the show follows the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White, Emma Stone, who in her "real world" switch as a baby was found on the side of the road, and put in the foster care. All throughout Emma's life she feels as though there is something missing, partly because of her rough childhood ( being bounced around from home to home). Sometime during her youth Emma gives birth to a beautiful baby boy, Henry whom she gives up for adoption because she feels that she can not provide him with proper care and love. Several years later, Emma's life gets turned around when her ten year old Henry appears on her doorstep and demands that Emma save the people from the curse. Ironically upon returning Henry to his family Emma finds out that he is now the son of the town's mayor. Regina Mills aka " Evil Queen". Instead of fleeing away from her son, for the first time Emma feels an obligation to stay and "help" especially if that means a relationship with Henry. Even though Emma does not believe her destiny. things in Storybrook have definantly started to change.

While watching the show, "Once Upon A time," I found the gender dynamics to be extremely interesting. Even though the actual "sex" girl: boy ratio in characters is about even, the main character list is quite different. Women dominate this show; it is like watching the biggest "Girl on Girl" "show — down" ever! With Emma Stone representing "good" and Regina Mills representing "evil," women rule the show. Both characters in the own right are extremely "strong minded". Emma Stone who is a personal investigator, which is already an impressive job for a woman, uses her skill as long with her moral instincts to rebut the evil Regina. To Emma, honesty and integrity are held in high regard. Time and time again Emma stays honest and never uses manipulation against the Queen, and because of that more people (in the TV show) prefer her to Regina Mills. However, even though Emma takes a “passive — aggressive” method she has a wild streak, and has problem standing — up for her beliefs. Although Emma is the super great character that she is, Regina Mills, is no slouch either. In her own way she is an extremely powerful. Instead of using Emma’s passive-aggressive, Regina takes what she wants by force. Like Emma, Regina also has very high job position as mayor of the town, with which she abuses her power constantly. She exacts terror over the town’s people, and because they fear her they submit and give her what she wants.

This show is extremely “ground — breaking” because it tears away from the traditional themes for television. Women portrayed in today's media are usually shown as the "damsel" in distress or the "weakling" which are terms associated with the "feminine" characteristics or they fall under what is considered the "feminine gender" , and men traditionally play the roles of "hero" and "villain". Men are always depicted as powerful which is a characteristics associated with the "masculine gender". I find that for a woman to play either one of these roles is extremely refreshing, and especially since these women are portrayed as extremely strong individuals.

New Girl or OId Beliefs?

Before I discuss “New Girl” and the show’s relationship to gender, I want to clarify my own definition of gender. I’m still confused a little on our accepted definition so for the purposes of my blog, I’m using the WHO.org’s definition which is that, “"Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” The website also claims that masculine is the term that refers to the “socially constructed roles” of men and feminine refers the “socially constructed roles” of women.

I believe “New Girl”, starring Zooey Deschanel, is more traditional because the gender roles are pretty typical. The female to male ratio differs from show to show, however, there are four main characters; Jess (the one female) and her three new (male) roommates. The male characters all have the stereotypical male traits while Jess is depicted with stereotypical female traits. The series starts off with Jess telling a story about how she found her boyfriend cheating on her. After four minutes followed by the catchy theme song, the flashback disappears and comes back to present time where Jess is sitting with her soon to be roommates. She then asks, “I’m sorry what was the question again?” to which one roomie responds, “Do you have any pets?” Jess is showing her stereotypical femininity because socially constructed behavior suggests that women are emotional and share their feelings. The scene shows that Jess is incapable of answering the question because she wants to talk about her breakup (clearly an emotional, irrelevant conversation). I’ve seen movies where husbands want to stay out at bars because their wives are at home. The husbands claim that if they went home, they’d have to talk with their wives and share their feelings. I’m not saying that this is an accurate portrayal of men or women but I think that this example illustrates my point that society gives women these “talk about your feelings” traits and so to be feminine is to be emotional and open. When one of Jess’s roommates mopes around after getting dumped, the other roommates tease him about and tell him to get over it. The show uses his emotional trait to get “easy” laughs out of viewers but his emotional state is never taken seriously.

Additionally, after Jess has begged for her boyfriend to take her back, she lays on the couch, watching Woody Allen films and sobbing. Only with the help of her three manly roommates is she able to get over him and build up enough courage to go get her property out of her ex’s house. When she pulls up to the house and goes to get her stuff, her ex tells her and her roommate has to go in for her and beat up the guy. The show portrays women again as emotionally weak, pathetic, and easily forgiving because Jess is so torn up about this breakup she can’t even move and she begs for her ex to take her back (she is easily forgiving). More importantly, she needs a man to save her. The male characters are aggressive (they beat up her ex) and hero’s saving the damsel in distress. The show gives Jess feminine characteristics and the roommates male characteristics.

Jess is a school teacher while her roommates’ jobs consist of a basketball player, a bartender, and some office job. These occupations reinforce the more modern gender roles in society. Jess is caring for children while the male plays sports, drinks, and works in an office.

“New Girl” illustrates that men and women struggle living together because there are differences in living styles; for example some men (or women) may leave the toilet seat up. The producers focus on these differences because of course, when one sex does something wrong, the other sex tends to interfere and this interaction tends to create laughs. The gender themes are overt because if women and men were society’s definition of feminine and masculine, then no wonder it is impossible to live together. The media portrays men and women as being on the extreme opposite ends of the scale. I know some people say that opposite’s attract, but I’m pretty sure this is not the same sort of thing. If a woman is on one extreme side and the man is on the other then it is hard to find similarities between the two. Instead of creating relationships with the opposite sex, “New Girl” illustrates that men and women should just interact with one another because the extreme opposite ends make it hard to find any common ground between the two sexes. The differences make for good TV but in reality, men and women aren’t so opposite or extremely masculine or feminine. There is a common ground between men and women that producers tend to forget (at least in this show).

Vegas, baby!

The FX show, The League, is a male dominated show about a fantasy football league made up of men who went to high school together over 10 years previously. The point of this show is actually for comedic purposes, while being centered on football and advice.
Masculinity has a huge emphasis in this show, being a show tailored thematically and comically for men. Football has a huge emphasis in masculinity that is more often than not translated to those who are merely fans as well. Often one of the characters, Andre, is ridiculed for his “metrosexuality”. This means that while he is straight, he considers his looks to be of a large importance. Often times the show goes a bit overboard on the sexual orientation jokes that are rampant in male inclined humor and sports. He is also picked on largely because he says annoying things and wears things like Ed Hardy.
Despite the humor and theme, the ladies are not unspoken for. Two of the five main characters have wives. While one is the standard “hot wife” who is a stay-at-home mother to their lovely and intelligent kid, the second wife is not nearly the same. While still being acknowledged as attractive, she is “one of the guys” and is adopted into the fantasy football league during season two, for she essentially runs her husband’s team for the first season and most of the second season. She is regarded as almost masculine, though it is never forgotten that she is, in fact, female.
In this particular episode, they are in Las Vegas for draft picks. While at a strip club, a standard demeaning place for women, they encounter a stripper who won her league in the previous year. The main characters use them entirely for football information and actually pay more for the strippers to keep their clothes on. After this happens, they have to vote whether to invite one of the member’s brother-in-law’s into the league, or the second “one of the guys” wife. She is ultimately not invited into the group, mainly out of fear that she is too knowledgeable.
Gender plays a large role in “The League”, while being very downplayed at the same time. It is there, and it is addressed, but it remains to be an extremely respectful show towards both genders. Women are not depicted as obnoxious or petty or weak, but rather the opposite. The show is clearly generated for men, the gender most commonly part of fantasy football leagues, though it does not disregard the fact that women can dominate the football field without actually being on it.

New Girl: The 23rd (Season 1, Episode 9)

New Girl

Premise: Jess moves into an apartment with three guys after a painful breakup.

-Right off the bat, gender is a clear part of the show's focus. Much of the humor in New Girl (Jess) comes from the awkwardness of the girl-living-with-three-guys situation. In general, gender is actually a very prevalent theme in the show. It exaggerates and laughs at stereotypical gender roles throughout the entire show. The humor, especially relating to gender, is not at all subtle which makes the show funny.

The balance of the sexes is usually skewed toward the male side and it is a new and contemporary show.

Scene: Jess is driving the three guys home from the mall and she takes them through Candy Cane Lane. "At night, the whole street lights up with Christmas lights and it's sooo beautiful." The guys all laugh and make fun of her, like they are too cool for Christmas, and like describing something as sooo beautiful is designated only for women.

-Jess and Paul's relationship turbulence:

Paul tells Jess that he loves her, but she says "thank you" in return. Nick, one of Jess' roomates, lets it slip to Paul that she doesn't love him. Then, in classic guy fashion, tries to run away from Paul to avoid explaining himself. He, like most men, hate the emotional heart-to-heart. Nick sticks around though, even hugging Paul to comfort him. Jess arrives on the scene and Nick desperately tries to escape but is stuck listening to the two struggling lovebirds hash things out. Nick yells for help: "THIS IS MY NIGHTMARE!!!!!"

-Gender situation with Shmidt:

Shmidt is often mocked for his feminine tendencies; he is very particular about his appearance and works hard to maintain his exterior.

Line:"I had figure-skating lessons till I was 13 when my mom sobered up and realized I was a boy."

Shmidt has a big crush on CeCe, Jess' friend and a beautiful actress. He stops by while she is working (a before and after commercial for a diet pill in which she is wearing a little black bikini) to give her a bottle of perfume. He chose the scents specifically for her and has a drawn-out explanation for each component. It all seems too thoughtful for a gift from a guy. Then, CeCe's smokin' hot  but very rude boyfriend Kyle interrupts, immediately assuming Shmidt is the hairstylist because he does have very done-up hair and looks particularly feminine. This guy is tough and macho looking, dressed all in black. While Shmidt is talking to CeCe, Kyle smirks at Shmidt in that "I'm so much better than you" sort of way, which he thinks because of that macho-guy vs. feminine guy stereotype.

 Shmidt also the only man that works in an office full of women. He is consequently forced to dress up as "sexy Santa" and has the women sit in his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas all night long. He wears a pretty degrading outfit: a Santa hat, a white fuzzy collar, and tight, red short-shorts. While he doesn't like the task, he pretends to for a significant portion of the episode. Fact is, he is pushed around a lot at the office, even bullied. The women, especially Kim take advantage of him. Kim is always making rude reminders that start to sort of de-humanize Shmidt.

Also, CeCe starts to see the quality and true caring in Shmidt and decides to wear the nasty smelling perfume he made for her. The nice guy may triumph overthe macho jerk?!

So CeCe tells Shmidt that he shouldn't let Kim control him like that. Empowered, Shmidt goes to tell Kim that he works harder than anyone in the office and deserves both a promotion and some respect. Kim tells Shmidt that she can't believe it took him 5 years to say that. Shmidt makes a degrading comment to Kim, she gets offended, and Shmidt says "I get it. You can dish it out but you can't take it." Kim says, "I like it" in a moment of softness, referring to Shmidt's newfound empowerment. As a woman, Kim likes men who are stronger than her. That is, in fact, the stereotype.



Having seen most episodes of New Girl, I am so surprised that I missed its emphasis on gender. The show plays up existing sterotypes and relies on dramatized gender roles for its humor. The show does not come off as offensive, however, because the humor is not meant to be thoughtful, but inherent. I did not notice the gender-related humor, though I laughed at it, because it is so inherent and natural that I don't have to think about it. Shmidt's character is always laughed at (both by the characters and by the viewers) because of his femine tendencies, but I certainly don't have to think about why I am laughing. This show is a perfect example of just how ingrained gender stereotypes are in society.

Glee S1 E4 : Preggers

Glee is a musical T.V show that depicts different teens who are all very different, but are connected through their love for music. I must say, I was very skeptical about watching a show at first because of the constant singing. When I finally watched the show I fell in love with the drama of the teens and adults. Glee touches upon all problems of teenagers from self -confidence, sexuality, alcohol, popularity, etc. The women to men ratio are balance to me in my opinion and I believe the show is very contemporary.
In this episode Kurt is struggling with coming out to his father about his homosexuality. In his struggle Kurt decides to try out for the football team in order to impress his dad. Kurt hopes that by trying out for the team it would hide his sexuality from his father. Kurt is also bullied by the football team, and the football team believes he has very little athletic ability. This part of the episode in my opinion brings up the issue in society about Homophobia and the fear of being homosexual.
Another issue in this episode is When Quinn tells Fin that she is pregnant. Though it was impossible for Fin to be the father, Quinn was confronted with the issue that she cheated on her boyfriend. As well she broke her celibacy vows also she did not want to face the fact that Puckerman was her baby’s father. This issue is a representation of the double standards of the female and male society. Meaning if a girl has sexual relations with more than one boy she is a slut versus a boy can do the same thing and it is okay. Women are preached to, to save themselves for marriage versus the males are loosely cared for.
Gender issues are very important in Glee and it takes on issues that most teens struggle with in a humorous and musical way. I think that Glee allows the viewers to dive deep into to the show and connect with the characters. There are so many issues dealing with teens as far as gender and I think that glee does a wonderful job with showing those issues.

Wrong In All the Right Ways -- How Entourage Makes Offensive Hilarious

Hangs up phone on wife.

“I hate women.”

A woman’s lower half crosses the screen.

“Well, not all women.”

For this assignment I chose to contemplate my most recent television obsession. In the past day and a half I have watched 2 and a half seasons of Entourage. I am fanatic like that. This show is particularly interesting because it simultaneously exaggerates and mocks the utmost stereotypes of insensitive men while also celebrating the very same “disgusting” habits. The combination, among other things, makes the show positively hilarious and a relative comment on society. The show is based on the lives of one super star actor, his three best friends, his insane agent and their supporting cast of Hollywood crazies. The main character, Vince, is constantly praised for bedding a woman a day. Almost the entire storyline for two of his friends’ misadventures is based on their few successes and infinite failures in the quest to get lucky. Vince and these two constantly harass their other best friend Eric for developing feelings for women too quickly. Not one of the major movie players is a woman, only their vice presidents. As the men run about Hollywood like very handsome headless chickens, they check out every girl who walks by. It is an ongoing joke in the show, but it is also a prescribed part of their lives. Ari, the agent, continuously verbally abuses his very beautiful trust fund baby wife, though to be fair he abuses just about everyone.

However, all of these portrayals have their counterparts. Vince falls hard for Mandy Moore who breaks his heart not once but twice. Eric ends up with a consistent girlfriend who he not only shares his problems with but also listens to when she gives eloquent advice. Vince’s publicist is potty mouthed, fast walking power woman who always knows what to do and could put any man in a vice. All of the boys bring their mothers to Vince’s biggest premier. Ari becomes partners with a woman named Barbara who is even more ruthlessly business minded than he is and could con him under the table. My favorite is Ari’s wife who does not put up with the mistreatment. She knows how to get exactly what she wants from him, be it a cellphoneless Jewish holiday during the closing of a deal or exchanging the privilege to attend a Playboy Mansion party for a three week vacation in the south of France that, surprise, he has to be present for. He repeatedly admits to being frightened of her and remains alarmed that she and his charming and very gay assistant speak frequently.

Now that I have way too thoroughly outlined my examples (you can tell I have watched way too many episodes in a row), I will make my point. Entourage celebrates and depreciates almost every stereotype, especially those in Hollywood. In this way the show encourages society to look at its most ridiculous aspects, especially those surrounding the sexes and what they do together. It would be simple to call the show sexist, or derogatory, but that statement would simply be giving in to the pressure in this class, and in society to call foul play. Violating what is politically correct not only makes this show interesting and really, truly funny but it also draws attention to the things that are wrong and bizarre in the way our culture addresses the genders, the sexes, the act of sex and the power that goes along with all three.

Victorious Season 2, Episode 11 "Terror on Cupcake Street"

Victorious is about Tori Vega, a girl at Hollywood Arts High School, and her friends. The show tells all of the adventures and problems she goes through. Tori has a sister, Trina, who goes to the same school. Her friends are Robbie, Jade, Cat, Andre, and Beck.

In this episode Mr. Sikowitz, Tori's teacher, asks her and her friends to design and create a float for the 'Parade' Parade. They randomly choose Cat to pick the theme for the float, which turns out to be a giant pink-frosted cupcake. On the way to the parade at 1:00 in the morning, the float gets a flat tire in a dangerous back street of LA. Mr. Sikowitz goes to find help, but ends up getting his pants stolen by 'hooligans', then getting arrested by a couple of police officers. Tori finds a few scary looking men who were really quite nice, and they help her change the tire. The men had actually been planning to watch the parade, and Tori invites them to come along in the float. Mr. Sikowitz escapes while the policemen are distracted, and the episode ends with him running after the float being chased by the policemen.

Victorious has a fairly balanced cast, though there are slightly more girls than boys. Tori is the main character and often solves the problem unconventionally. Cat and Trina are stereotypical dumb, pretty girls. Jade gives Cat her 'shiny' keys to occupy her, and Cat ends up eating one of them. Cat also designs the float to be pretty and cute. Jade is more of a dark, mean girl. She can be a bully and scares people into doing what she wants. Robbie is kind of a nerd, while Andre and Beck are more 'tough guys'. At one point in the episode, Tori tells Andre and Beck that they should go look for Mr. Sikowitz because they are the only guys in the float. Robbie is offended at not being considered a boy, which brings up the fact that many people think that guys who don't act tough or follow the stereotype are not really guys. Mr. Sikowitz, who teaches improv, dresses eccentrically and acts like he is high most of the time. The police arrest Mr. Sikowitz, because they think he is crazy or on drugs when he asks them to help children inside a giant cupcake. Tori is scared of the men that she finds, even though they turn out to be helpful and polite. They do not act like thugs, nor like the 'hooligans' that jumped Andre and Beck. Overall, the show has pretty solidly stereotypical characters.

Degrassi Season 10, Episode 11: Try Honesty Pt. 1

Today I watched an episode of Degrassi, a show that I was formerly an avid viewer of, but have lately strayed away from. I used to love this show, but once my favorite characters were taken off of the show and slowly replaced by casts of new seasons, I lost interest. The show is based at a high school, Degrassi, in Canada. There are about twenty characters in the show, the male to female ratio being relatively balanced. The show represents the typical cliques and types of teenagers found in average high schools – nerds/wannabes, preppy/rich kids, popular kids, jocks, and bullies, and aims to tackle the usual issues and drama found in the daily lives of teens. In this episode, Adam, a transgender teen faces problems with a bully. Biologically a girl, Adam is starting the school year with his transgender identity remaining a secret. He tries his best to blend in as a boy, wearing a wrap to cover his breasts while, often a bit awkwardly, trying to make typical “guy conversation” among his peers. As Adam is getting bullied, his friend Eli comes to his aid, unfortunately getting caught in the bullying at the same time. Claire, always the pacifist, advises Adam and Eli to simply ignore the bullies. But in an angry rage, Eli convinces Adam to refuse to be victimized, and so, the two begin to scheme and plot ideas in order to get the bullies off of their backs.

This episode also features Holly J, a preppy and formerly rich senior, who is in a constant effort to get her grades and test scores to Ivy League material. Her boyfriend, Declan, currently lives in New York, and so, the two have a long-distance relationship. Every move that Holly J makes is geared towards getting into Yale to be with her boyfriend, as she struggles to find work and maintain a steady flow of money. The story changes though when she suspects that Declan is cheating on her while he is attending a Yale trip. Holly J now contemplates whether she wants to go to an Ivy League school for the education, or simply because she wants to live out a fairytale fantasy with her boyfriend. In an effort to gain back her independence and refocus her dreams, Holly J breaks up with Declan through a voicemail.

I think that Degrassi does a great job of depicting the different issues of teen life, especially those pertaining to gender. It represents characters of every group, tackling issues important to gender, race, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, money, family, and social life. I believe that the show has a pretty modern view of society, as gender is depicted in a myriad of ways and on a large scale. For this reason, I think that Degrassi breaks the traditional gender roles.

TV Analysis

The show that I chose to analyze is actually the movie
Princess and the Frog. It is a Walt Disney movie that most would think is
focused around the female role, because of the title; but when it comes to the
roles the movie is male dominant. When including both lead roles and even the
smaller ones there are seven male roles and only four women roles. The men’s roles consist of James, which is
Tiana’s father who is presented to the audience at the beginning of the movies
but, but no longer has any lines after the first scene. Another role is Louis
who is an alligator and also Tiana’s friend who she meets after she is turned
into a frog. Ray is another male role in the movie he is a lightning bug;
another friend that Tiana meets after she is turned into a frog and journeys
through the bayou in search for someone who can turn her back into a person. Some
of the other male characters consist of the shadow man, Eli “Big Daddy”,
Lawrence, and most importantly Prince Naveen. The female roles consist of
Princess Tiana, Eudora; Tiana’s mother, Charlotte; Tiana’s best friend, and
Momma Odie, a voodoo priestess. In this movie the men tend to have more
powerful roles, meaning that they tend to have more authority within their
roles. In this movie the numbers are skewed, there are more men roles than
women. In this movie they try to go about giving women and men a role of
independence but in the end they all seem to rely on the help of a man or women
whether it may be financially or emotionally. This movie is a traditional fairy
tale movie where everything ends happily ever after and the bad guys are conquered.
The gender themes in this movie are very subtle seeing as it’s a kid’s movie.
However, it did prove the point that my article covered about androcentrisim;
and how most children’s movies are male dominant.

How I Met Your Mother: S3E7 "Dowistrepla"

How I Met Your Mother is a funny sitcom about how the main character, Ted Mosby, meets his wife, Lily Aldrin. Each episode starts off with narration by future Ted, who is telling a story to his children. Every episode depicts a funny, crazy, happy, or sad time in the couple's relationship, whether it be something that happens to them or one of their friends. There are five main characters in HIMYM: Ted, Lily, and their friends Robin, Marshall, and Barney.

The episode I watched was about Ted and Lily buying a new apartment. They are looking to rent an apartment, but Ted finds their "dream apartment" located in the up and coming neighborhood Dowistrepla, which can only be bought, not rented. At this point, a major problem arises as we find out that Lily is a raging shopaholic, maxing out 15 credit cards and having a debt as high as "Mount Rushmore". Instead of telling Ted of her problem, she sort of tells him that they can't afford it, but then Ted believes it is due to his student loans. They then decide to go look at, and possibly buy, the apartment. Eventually, Ted discovers Lily's secret when they are applying for a loan, and they get into a huge argument. Lily proposes that they "get a divorce on paper," that way the interest rate will go down significantly on the loan. Ted quickly dismisses this idea, and the two end up buying the apartment even under terrible conditions.

I noticed some gender differences when watching this episode. While both characters have debt, Ted's is due to school related purposes, Lily's is due to her addiction to shopping, which may be a nudge toward the stereotype that women like to shop. Another gender issue I noticed was with Barney. Barney is a womanizer, and that fact was not hidden in this episode, where Barney takes a woman back to Ted and Lily's "dream apartment" in order to impress the girl so she would sleep with him. When morning comes, he simply gathers his clothes and walks out the door. I believe this to be a nudge toward the stereotype that all men want is sex.

Other than that, there are a few times when both the male and female characters do something they wish they hadn't, which is shown by the narrator saying "that is what ____ should have done, but this is what they really did".

I think that How I Met Your Mother does a really good job in balancing the gender differences between the characters. While some gender themes are subtle, others seem to pop right out, but in the few episodes I have seen, there is no real bias towards one gender or the other.

Family Guy (so morally and politically incorrect, yet I love it so much)

I am an avid viewer of Family Guy. It’s almost disgusting how much I enjoy the relentless crude humor that is somehow only appropriate because no group is spared from the show’s cruel jokes. When we were assigned to watch a TV show and comb through its action for issues of gender, my mind immediately jumped to Family Guy—how the familial plotline of the episodes embraces common gender discrepancies and stereotypes to the point where the depiction could only be a mockery.

Today I watched an episode that took place during the Thanksgiving holiday. Within the Griffin family itself (Peter the father, Lois the mother, and their children), the discrepancies in actions based on gender are truly appalling. While Peter sits on the couch watching TV and drinking a beer, Lois pleads with him to maintain his manners during their upcoming dinner party. During the dinner itself, Peter sits at the head of the table and is served food by Lois. Later, Peter becomes very drunk and begins to shout abusive comments at his son, only to have Lois scold him to stop drinking. It seems as though Peter does whatever he wants and that is Lois’s responsibility to maintain the composure of the household. Although Lois frequently emits sighs of exasperation and anger, she usually acquiesces eventually.

I noticed many other differences in the way that men and women behave at the Griffin Family Thanksgiving dinner party. The women are very polite while greeting one another and complimenting Lois on her cooking. The men, on the other hand, often make insensitive and sexual comments about the women and other characters. In one part of the episode, the scene switches to a family eating Thanksgiving dinner in the past (my guess would be the early 19th century), and a man yells at his wife for showing her ankles in public. Later, when the atmosphere at the dinner table becomes intense, a woman suggests that “it’s time for us girls to use the powder room.” The intense matter being discussed at the table was apparently unsuitable for women.

The dynamic between males and females in this particular episode of Family Guy (and in most other episodes of the show as well) is so harshly overt that the show could only be mocking both men and women, and that is what makes it so funny. Sure, it’s extremely politically and morally incorrect, but in all honesty I find Family Guy to be hilarious.

Once Upon a Time: Episode 4 "The Price of Gold"

Once Upon a Time is a modern take on the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales in which the Evil Queen has cast a spell in retaliation against Snow White and Prince Charming. The spell has thrust all the storybook characters into the town of “Storybrooke, Maine” which they cannot leave. Not only have all the characters forgotten who they are, but they can never have their happy endings. The male and female leads are ten year old Henry who is the adopted son of the town’s mayor (the evil queen) and Emma, a twenty-seven year old woman who is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Henry is the only one who has figured out the curse and knows who in the town is which character, and Emma is the only one who can break the curse and restore the happy endings. Each episode plays in parallel the modern story in Storybrooke, Maine, and the original story in the Enchanted Forest.

Episode 4 “The Price of Gold” is a blend of Cinderella and the story of Rumpelstiltskin. The number of men and women are fairly balanced so far, though not all of the characters have been introduced yet. At this point there are slightly more women (Snow White, Cinderella, the Evil Queen, Red Riding hood, Granny, and Emma), but each episode more male characters have been introduced (Prince Charming, Rumpelstiltskin, Jiminy Cricket, the Sherriff, and Henry). Masculinity and femininity are very different in the modern town and the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest fairy tales have the classic set up of damsels in distress and the male prince to save them. However, in Storybrooke, Maine no matter who is in distress, Emma saves them. While the contrast is not highlighted, or a main feature of the show, it presents a new angle on the damsel in distress conundrum.

As for gender issues, they are not very subtle. In episode 4, Ashley (Cinderella) is a nineteen year old, pregnant maid in the local bed and breakfast. Because of family pressures, the father of the child has left her, and believing there is no other option she has entered a contract to sell the baby to pawn shop owner Mr. Gold (Rumpelstiltskin). While the show focuses on the story of Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin, it creates interesting commentary on single and/or young mothers and whether or not they are fit to raise a child on their own. The town of Storybrooke, Maine says no, pushing to uphold the contract, but Emma fights for Ashley to be able to keep and raise her own child which eventually leads to her boyfriend retuning.

Overall, the show is fairly upfront with gender themes and issues and usually creates a contrast between traditional and non-traditional views on the matter at hand. In the end the show tends to fall more on the non-traditional side of the issues.