Gender Relations

We love some good satire at here Gender Relations, which is why the other nights Daily Show had a great segment about men losing their status and power here in America. Samantha Bee goes head to head with sociologist, Dr. Warren Farrell, and I think she does a great job. Her expression of traditional masculinity (the hunting at the end being the best example) against the men’s expression (which seems very unmasculine) shows a very interesting dynamic of men losing power, and how they choose to act..

The men explain the problems they face (although they have a hard time really coming up with answers) in a way that is very sensitive through talking circles. So, there is a irony between the fact that they are losing their traditional senses of power and the fact that they are acting more ‘effeminate’. At the end, Bee even suggests that they are turning her into a lesbian and that they are ‘vaginamen’, which illustrates perfectly that the worst they have to lose is the traditional sense of masculinity (which is very aggressive at times), and that the images of men can be something different. There is a thin line with satire, because by calling them vaginamen, she could be emasculating them even further. There is also an irony that men are upset about WOMEN taking over their positions, yet they are “acting like women”. Maybe the gender struggle is more about power than anything else. When you feel like you are at the bottom (even if it is an illusion), then you become more sensitive, open, communicable, etc. An interesting theory to mull over.

Samantha also cracks a joke about reclaiming their manhood (after making a joke about masturbating in a circle) in relation to their sexuality, which is hard to tell if the joke is clumping sexuality and gender together or not, but something to consider.

On a more serious note, the ominous news clips at the beginning of the segment are not unlike the feelings these men are expressing in these groups. I don’t find the groups themselves to be hurting anyone, inherently, but you must look at why they are there. They seem like relatively sensitive men (talking sticks?) who are hurting about a loss of power, yet reacting unlike a man of power would react in the situation. Maybe because they are large cultural changes that are happening allowing females to take positions of power, education, and presence in the media, men cannot directly do anything about it.

This feeling of defeat that the men are feeling should be used as a reflective one to both :

Empathize women’s past struggles // There is a huge increase of women coming into power, but have they not earned it? In the past more women have sought out higher education (which makes them more qualified for a large amount of the jobs in our country). Although, matriarchy is not a better model than patriarchy (and I certainly do not see it coming to that, as men are STILL in power), I think this gives men a unique opportunity to try to fit into the ‘high heels’ of women’s historic disadvantage.

Focus on creating better relationships with women // Men and women are not that different. There does not have to be large power differences (shouldn’t the best person get the job?). When men and women work together, really the only loss that can occur is one of traditional power structures. Focusing on how everyone can work better as human beings and not men or women can be beneficial.

I have seen a lot of these men’s groups popping up lately. Magazines dedicated to the proposition, entire organizations functioning on the sole thought that men are losing their grips of power, but when you look at the statistics (which I believe Samantha and The Daily Show point out quite eloquently), it becomes easy to see that men have nothing to fear with their hands grasped tightly to the major corporations in our country. I can see how women becoming equal could threaten a man’s position, but it has been a position that fits wrongly in the place of decency. We are equal people, and before this gets too corny, I would like to end by saying that these groups could help awaken men to be more sensitive and open (but without the banter of losing power).

Feministing (where I found this clip), really positions themselves in the area that the segment was unsuccessful and that it seemed to be making fun of men who weren’t meeting the traditions of masculinity anyways. I would agree with this (which was addressed in some of my comments above), but at the same time, it is important to realize why the men are there. I think the groups are great because men are expressing themselves in non-traditional ways, but it is as a backlash to women becoming more equal. Even though they do break out of traditional dominance of masculinity, they aren’t doing it for the reasons of safety or progressive attitudes, but because they feel like they are losing something (that does not inherently even belong to them) If men becoming more sensitive and women becoming more equal is the end of the formula, then why not? I do understand the point of the target, and I feel like the nature of TDS is to draw attention to a group like this (to get an alternative view – agreed they could have done it a little better), but I think Bee’s behavior in the segment is really reflective of trying to reject traditional masculinity that those men feel like they have lost (which I think the origin of why the group is formed is very integral to understanding why they are breaking out of the traditional format of masculinity). It’s a touchy line, and hard to discern one way or the other, but her gross representation of masculinity was one I felt paired interestingly with the gross behavior of the men.

A tip of the hat to Feministing, where I found this story.

What is your take on the segment?

I am a huge fan of Sarah Silverman. I realize she isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (although I would argue that people don’t take the time to realize she is being ironic and playing an ignorant character), but I think she has a lot of important social messages she puts forth in her comedy. Those who are fans can rejoice at the new season coming up with 10 new episodes. Reading the description, I am sure I will have some insightful response to the episode. Although gender and/or sex isn’t a huge focus of her comedy, I think her writing style allows for a lot of open-minded discussion to occur. The premier episode entitled “The Proof is in the Penis”, should have enough to talk about. Below is the info a la press release : ‘The Sarah Silverman Program’ is Finally Back! The Third Season Begins Thursday, February 4 at 10:30 p.m. on COMEDY CENTRAL

Welcome back to the wacky world of Sarah Silverman.  Follow Sarah and the rest of the gang as she takes on pedophile vans, rigs a mayoral election, takes a stance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” and reconnects with her imaginary childhood friend (played by Andy Samberg), among other adventures in this irreverent new season.  COMEDY CENTRAL’s hit series, “The Sarah Silverman Program,” returns for a third season with 10 all-new episodes beginning on Thursday, February 4 at 10:30 p.m. with a secondary run on Logo beginning Tuesday, February 9 at10:30 p.m.  The new “Important Things with Demetri Martin”/”The Sarah Silverman Program” block airs on Thursdays.

“The Sarah Silverman Program” stars the Emmy® Award winner Silverman who plays a character (aptly named Sarah Silverman) whose absurd daily life is told through narrative and an occasional song.  In each episode, Sarah falls into unique, unsettling and always hilarious predicaments, with her sister (played by real-life sister Laura Silverman), her nerdy gay neighbors, Brian and Steve (Brian Posehn and Steve Agee) and dim-witted Officer Jay (Jay Johnston) never far from her side.

In the premiere episode, “The Proof is in the Penis,” Laura wants Sarah to “man-up” and start taking responsibilities for her life, so she falsely informs her that she was born a hermaphrodite.  Sarah accepts her manhood and decides to move into the woods and live off of the land.  Meanwhile, Brian and Steve are haunted by Mr. Jenkins and must dig up his grave and replace the remote that killed him in his corpse’s chest.

Source : TV By Numbers