Cara's Final Reflection

I am extremely happy that I decided to take this summer course. Don't get me wrong, there were times where I would have much rather been hanging out with my friends but instead I had to write a three page essay. But looking back, this class has effected me in numerous ways and provided me with self growth as a person and a student. I  can be a pretty nervous person, so with never taking a summer class before, and being somewhat uncomfortable with the online aspect of it, I was pretty anxious before beginning the class. But after completing it, I'm so glad and grateful that I was able to break through those nerves and complete this course. 

I improved on so many different aspects of myself while taking this class. One being my self confidence in writing. I mentioned this in my other blog post "Writing about Writing," but even aside the writing aspect of it, I've gained confidence as just a student in general. I've learned and improved on my communication skills with my Professor and even classmates during discussion. I've gained more organization skills throughout this class (which I struggled with during the fall and spring semester). I've become more vocal about my opinions. I've discovered different areas and work-spaces that I enjoy and work better in. I've learned that it is okay, and even common, to have a different and unique reaction than your other classmates. And it doesn't make you any less smart. I've learned how to write a blog post. I've gained confidence and more respect for myself as a women. I've learned that I do not need a man's approval to be successful and that some things are not going to end better if they go un-said. I've learned that not every professor is "mean" and "scary." I've become a huge fan of Amy Poehler and SNL, and even have my Grandma and Mom obsessed with Nanette. I wrote my first class unit for my hypothetical 11th grade English class. (They were great students by the way). I've learned that it is not only my Dad and Grandpa that use the phrase "lighten up."  And I'm sure I could go on and on with this list. However, my favorite thing that occurred during this class is the joy I felt while writing. 

With the hectic freshman year I had with adjusting to my classes and new professors, with basketball, with all new people and all new friends, all while being 3 hours away from home, it was hard for me to enjoy writing as much as I did in high school. I even began questioning my choice of major. But this class reminded me of why I chose my major in the first place and reassured me that I am capable of doing well in this career. I loved being introduced to women in humor and reading through Harris's Rewriting to improve my own writing in the future. One of my favorite things about this class were the blog posts. Not only writing them, but seeing all the ideas that my classmates came up with and how they interpreted their thoughts. Overall, I feel smarter. I think this class made me smarter as a person and as a student. 

Final Reflection: Confessions of an Angry Feminist

As we come to a close on English 372, one very important fact has become obvious to me: I am kind of an "angry feminist." Most of you are like, yeah what else is new? haha Okay, yes, I have made my views pretty open with you guys haven't I? Well believe it or not, I never really considered myself an angry feminist until I started researching what angry feminism really is. What it comes down to is that the term "angry feminist" is just a mythos set into place by the patriarchy to discredit feminism. It is a trope which is applied to feminists who are outspoken about their views, so that misogynistic people (usually men, but not always) can use this trope to delegitimize a feminist argument before the argument has even begun, to “put animosity— not argument— at the center of political discussions," as Barbara Tomlinson writes in Feminism and Affect at the Scene of Argument: Beyond the Trope of the Angry Feminist (Tomlinson 1). So when you think about it, the term "angry feminist" kind of applies to all feminists when it is employed by people whose goal (whether consciously or unconsciously as a result of conditioning from the patriarchy) is to discredit the work of feminism. So yes, I am an angry feminist. 

Another thing I've realized through my research into angry feminism is that there are so many different types and sub-genres of feminism! I have been openly and actively a feminist for about 6 years now and I knew about some of the different types of feminism, but I had no idea that there were so many. Further, my research made me realize that my feminist views fall under what some people even consider radical feminism! Now I know why my conservative British grandmother always gets so upset about my Facebook page! haha I've never really considered myself a radical feminist. I identify as an intersectional and a cultural feminist. I have just learned, over time, from research done on my own and from a lot of my studies in the English department at Shepherd, that there is a hierarchical power structure of rich white men who have made the rules for our society, otherwise known as the patriarchy. The patriarchy's main goal is to keep their status which often means the oppression of those viewed as "other" which includes women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Colour), LGBTQ+ people, and disabled people. Apparently, this is a tenet of "radical feminism" to some folx. I don't buy into that either though, because I think that term "radical feminism", like the term "angry feminist" is "a convention, a plot trick, a setup, a narrative structure, a character type. Its incessant repetition constitutes part of a cultural training program that makes antifeminism and misogyny a routine element in everyday speech and written argument” (Tomlinson 1). 

But nonetheless, here's a pretty good video about the difference between real "radical feminism" and the idea of the patriarchy which I will definitely attest is a real concept that has affected my life and the lives of all of the women I know. I have also included a second video that includes a more modern view of patriarchy as a cultural structure, its social implications, and how the patriarchy is actually harmful for men and non-binary/genderfluid people, as well as women. I hope that my feminist arguments throughout this class have been somewhat educational and/or interesting to you, or that one or both of these videos clear up some of the more mystifying parts of feminism for those who don't know much about it.

I will say, I think I will miss writing these blog entries. I've gotten a lot of really good ideas for writing from posts I've written. Perhaps I should start a blog of my own!

Anyway, it's been a pleasure to be in class with you all no matter what your beliefs are. I've really enjoyed seeing all of you grow as the class progressed, and seeing this blog become more active and interesting (in every sense of the word) over time. We've all come a long way since the start of class, I think!

Enjoy the videos! (I sincerely hope you will take the time to watch them).

 

Chandler's Final Reflection

This class has truly broadened my worldview and taught me so much about a topic I had barely any prior knowledge of. I never paid much attention to comedy growing up, so most of the women we read/watched I had never seen or heard of. I thought I was somewhat familiar with the philosophy/ideology of feminism, but taking this class taught me that I really did not have much of a clue.

 

One of the first things we read was Frances Gray’s piece, Women and Laughter. This was one of the most insightful readings I read all class. She basically gave an overview with different specific insights to the history of women in comedy. Being a history major, this immediately sparked my interest. I was able to use her description of Marilyn Monroe’s comic genius in my final paper as well to show how far female comedy has come from.

 

My favorite selection was probably Tina Fey’s chapter in Bossypants titled, “All Girls Must Be Everything”. I thought this was such a powerful chapter because it both satirized, in a comic way, our sexist culture that objectifies women, but she also criticized this culture in a serious tone. She moved in and out of a serious and funny critique that made this both a really enjoyable and morally serious read. I will definitely be recommending this chapter to friends.

 

Not only have I learned a lot about feminism, but I hope I have become a better writer as well. I am not sure if I have ever written so much in a four week period of time. It was definitely a little stressful and high paced, but I think it challenged me as a writer, and hopefully helped me improve. Initially, I was a little skeptical of our writing textbook, but I gained many practical lessons from it that I had honestly never heard of.

 

All in all, I am extremely thankful I had the opportunity to take this class. Not only did I grow as a writer, but I think because of the subject matter, I grew as a person as well.

 

Chandler's Remix of Major Project

Do we live in a post-feminist society? Angela McRobbie defines this term by saying, “It understands post-feminism to refer to an active process by which feminist gains of the 1970s and 80s come to be undermined.” She expands, “It proposes that through an array of machinations, elements of contemporary popular culture are perniciously effective in regard to this undoing of feminism, while simultaneously appearing to be engaging in a well-informed and even well-intended response to feminism?”

 

Do shows like Parks and Recreation, who present women in an extremely feminist atmosphere distract us from the fact that we still live in a patriarchal society? I think that McRobbie would argue that these shows can definitely be counterproductive in the feminist movement because they might mislead the viewer into thinking that nothing else needs changed.

However, in reality, there are still so many systemic issues that need addressed and fixed.

Here in West Virginia there is still a backlog of rape test kits. http://www.endthebacklog.org/west-virginia

 

Like I argued in my paper, memoir’s like Amy Poehler's can be powerful and important in spreading feminist ideas, but only so long as they do not portray a world in which all feminist goals have already been achieved. There is still so much progress to be made, and it is important that we do not let how women are portrayed on TV or what celebrities say distract us from that.

 

Add caption

"Writing About Writing"

My Major Project is one of the hardest papers I have ever written. Coming into this class, I honestly did not have much prior knowledge of women in comedy/feminist humor. So when I glanced at the syllabus on the first day of class and realized I was going to have to do a research project on this subject by the end of the semester, I definitely got really nervous about doing this project.

Luckily enough, my project idea came pretty early on in the class after reading excerpts from Amy Poehler’s memoir. This definitely calmed some of my anxiety as I had figured out what I was going to write about. What drew me into her memoir at first was the way she used footnotes as both a conversational and metaphoric device. It was something I had never seen before and I thought it was brilliant!

What made this paper so hard for me is that I probably spent twice as much time researching as I did writing. That’s a lot of time considering I wrote an 8 ½ page paper, and I am not an English major ! Before I could write about how Amy Poehler helped diffuse a feminist message, I had to be truly acquainted with what feminism in 2020 looks like. I read respected academic scholars like Bell Hooks and Angela McRobbie thinking I could find a good overview of feminist ideals. Instead, I ended up going down deep rabbit holes where I found a more nuanced and scholarly debate about feminism and post-feminism that fascinated me, but didn’t necessarily apply to my paper. Most importantly, this piqued my interest in the philosophy and practical application of feminism today. And thankfully, I also was able to tie in McRobbie to my paper.

When I finally sat down to write my paper, I was able to write the majority of my draft in one sitting. Sometimes it is hard for me to get my ideas down on paper, but I think finding a genuine interest in my project helped me write more speedily. It certainly was not the cleanest draft, but sitting through a zoom meeting with Dr. Hanrahan and reading my peer review from Elisha helped me greatly in putting the final edition together.

I am usually a last minute kind of person, but I was able to turn my final paper in on the morning it was due, not at 4:59 PM! This paper definitely taught me how to prioritize preparation and research, and to value peer review as an invaluable resource. Although I was super anxious about this project at the beginning of the semester, I am glad that I had the opportunity to do it and gain invaluable writing lessons and a whole new breadth of knowledge when it comes to feminism.

Final Project Remix: Could You Be an Angry Feminist?

 Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an "angry feminist?" Look no further, I've got your comprehensive guide right here! Read on for the answer to your burning questions...

First things first, are you a woman?

If the answer is "no," then sorry, you can't be an angry Feminist. Good news though, you can still be a feminist! (Yes, men can be feminists too.) The bad news is: the preferred vernacular for you, especially among other men, would be "egalitarian." You can call yourself a feminist, but your credibility after that point will take a significant hit. If you go with the label of "egalitarian" then people will take you much more seriously because they don't know that "egalitarian" is just a fancy sounding word for believing in equal rights for everybody. What they really don't need to know is that "feminist" is just a dirty different word for believing in equal rights for everybody. Whoops, I let the cat out of the bag. Yes, egalitarianism and feminism are pretty much the same thing. Egalitarianism is just a more palatable word to use with people who are still influenced by the patriarchy enough to wince at the very thought of the word "feminist." Trust me men, your feminist beliefs will get a lot more traction when they're disguised by the label of egalitarianism.

Hmmm sounds so reasonable...

This sounds so familiar, but it's got the prefix "fem" in it: it must be an attack on men!

If the answer is "yes," then great! You're a great candidate for being an "angry feminist." See my next question to find out if you've got what it really takes.

Do you already consider yourself a feminist?

If your answer is yes:

Congratulations! You're an "angry feminist". The patriarch has already instilled the mythos of the "angry feminist" into a large portion of the population with which you will come into contact. The term "angry feminist" is an oppressive characterization of feminists which has been set into place by the patriarchy to discredit feminism and makes lots of people automatically assume you're an "angry feminist" if you speak up for things like equal pay, a woman's right to control what she does to her own body (or what she won't allow others to do to it), equal distribution of domestic chores between genders...woops, sorry, my angry feminism is showing. Let me just shove that back under the label of egalitarianism. Phew, that's better, huh?

If your answer is no:

Do you believe in equal rights for all people?

If the answer is yes: 
Congratulations! You're a feminist! Shhh, it's okay. Don't fight it. You're a feminist. Just accept it.

If the answer is "no," I don't really know what to do with you. Why are you even still reading this?

Now my last and most important question for you is:

Are you a woman who is outspoken and/or fed up enough to start defending your and or other women's right to equality? Further, are you "brave" enough to defend these rights for all people regardless of their race or ethnicity, how much money they have, or who they choose to love?

If your answer is yes:

Oof, I don't know how to tell you this but you're a shameful angry feminist. You should probably calm down. Have you tried yoga?

If your answer is no: Are you lost? How did you end up reading this far? Finally and most importantly, have you time-traveled here from the 1950's? Or perhaps you're a British woman from the 17th century and your corset has cut off the oxygen flow to your brain so that you just can't seem to think straight. I'll excuse you if this is the case because you just don't know any better yet.

However, if you don't have a good excuse (and misogynistic reasons are not good excuses) for not believing in equal human rights for all humans, I really only have one thing to say to you: "Pull your fuckin socks up!" (Nanette).

Remix of Major Project

I decided to choose the unit option for my Major Project, as if it was for a class of secondary school students. Considering I am an English Education major, and hope to be a secondary English teacher one day, I thought this prompt was appropriate and a good opportunity for me to become familiar with creating and putting together a unit of my own. 

In this week's unit, I will be focusing on my student's learning to comprehend Harris's methods of forwarding and countering. While doing this, the students will use texts that include women and humor as well, such as Yes Please by Amy Poehler. This unit will serve as an addition to a previous unit which would consist of reading through Poehler's book together as a class as well as analyzing and creating a better understanding of it. So the students will already be familiar with her writing and the text. I also include Tina Fey's Bossypants in this unit to introduce the students to more modern literature as well as another successful female author that uses humor. 

In the beginning of the week, the students will just becoming familiar with forwarding and countering. They will be provided with handouts and will participate in group work to fully grasp Harris's methods of forwarding and countering and their purposes. They will look at reviews from Yes Please and even some of their classmates' work and be asked to forward and counter them. For the final project, the students will have the option to choose from any text that was included within the unit and either forward or counter that text. The choice is completely theirs. I also made sure to include the state and national standards within this unit. 

At the end of each day, each student will fill out an "exit ticket." This will provide me with what the student's got from that day's lesson and what they feel confident on or not so confident on. It reflects my teaching from the day as well as informs me where the students stand with comprehension towards the topics we discussed that day. 

My goal for this unit is to introduce the student to more modern literature, to introduce them to women in humor, as well as being able to comprehend and perform Harris's forwarding and countering. I hope the students will be able to use all of these aspects to improve their writing and comprehension skills in the future. And of course I hope they are able to enjoy this learning process and have fun with the included humor and modern part of these texts.