Homosexuality: God Given, or Choice?

              Is homosexuality an effect of nature or nurture? This question sparks fire from those who feel that sexuality is a choice, and those that preach the lyrics of Lady Gaga's hit song "We Were Born This Way".  It is important to recognize that, as humans, we have the great ability to be different. More specifically, it is important to express our differences with enough confidence to fit within society's standards. Twins have been used in various studies when it comes to examining sexuality. Growing within equal environments, sharing similar or matching DNA, carrying out the same mannerisms, yet having "abnormal" sexual preferences, raises more than just eyebrows for scientists. National Geographic took a closer look at the biology of twins, making an incredible discovery on homosexuality.

             EXTERNAL LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saO_RFWWVVA

           As National Geographic explains, testosterone is administered to each twin within the first six weeks of development; this is responsible for the "masculinity" within a fetus (body hair, "manly" thoughts, etc.). Typically, one twin has a tendency of taking in more testosterone than the other. Around week eight, the testosterone is released within the body and directed towards to hypothalamus- which tells us who and what we are attracted to. According to some scientists, the more testosterone in the brain, the more likely that person will be attracted to women. Essentially, they are saying that when a fetus does not produce enough testosterone, the brain does not register the signals that make females sexually desirable- resulting in the desire to like men. However, keep in mind this is just a theory.

               The research explains that fraternal twins have a 25% of one being gay, whereas in identical twins, there is a 50% chance. Being a twin, I found this video extremely fascinating. Both my twin and I classify ourselves as straight, and I do not remember a time when we felt otherwise. I have met many twins over the years, and for some reason I do not recall meeting any that expressed themselves as being gay.

               I fully believe that there is oppression among homosexuals, due to the orientation of their sexuality being unknown. Most of the time, people like life in the form of yes/no, black/white, right/wrong, etc. Sexuality breaks the mainstream of "social normalcy", allowing for skewed and independent thought to a subject so personable. Those who do not fit along these lines of "correctness" are for some reason targeted... and persecuted. This system of oppression could very well be attacking something far out of our control- biology.

               When people argue over whether or not being homosexual is a biological or environmental effect, there is no defining line, in my opinion. This video is just one theory as to how homosexuality comes about. Personally, I would like to argue that everyone should have free-range of his or her feelings, regardless of whether or not it was "genetically coded". 

Mrs. Livingston and the Critic

Current Event Link: http://shine.yahoo.com/visit-britain-us/overweight-news-anchor-takes-fat-shaming-bully-task-193700343.html.

Jennifer Livingston is a reporter for WKBT-TV. In October of this year an audience member wrote a pretty scathing letter to Mrs. Livingston having to do with her weight. In this letter the audience member told her that she should stop doing her job because of her unhealthy body weight. He believed that she was setting a bad example for the community. Mrs. Livingston backfired during her morning show where she went into full details about how children are bullied in school due to their weight. She also describes how they should deal with these prejudices against those of a larger size.

This is exactly what we are talking about when we are discussing biological determinism. A person’s biology or genetic makeup is considered what determines someone’s destiny. That is such malarky. We need to realize as a society that we are not just about what fat is in our body. There are other factors like culture and society. There is this “beauty” ideal that our society holds. In this ideal we are expected to live up to what our society believes is attractive in the west. In this case Western tells us that busty, skinny, and blond is the way to be. People like this man who is writing this letter needs to realize that his harmful words (in a weaker person than Mrs. Livingston) could lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

In Analysis there are so many systems of oppression from the system that it is not even funny. We are taught when we are growing up through magazines, newspapers, and our family that not being skinny is wrong. How many times has your mother said that she is fat and needs to lose weight? Those things get passed on to your kids when you say those things. In addition, every magazine out there has skinny girls in designer clothes. We need to teach kids that their health is more important than their body weight. In addition, all these institutions are selling diet pills. Some gyms in Hollywood are told not to let their clients know if they are underweight so that the gym can make more money. The sell is that it is no matter how unhealthy you are in your diet; as long as you are skinny you are considered healthy. This is so wrong.

My synthesis is that it is not being overweight that is a disease. It is society that has put this disease in our heads. We are good people if we are good people. It does not matter whether we are skinny or have a little fat on our bones. Nonetheless we get treated as completely different human beings. It is time that we realized that the inherit goodness in people is all that matters. We need to stop these stigmas about weight. EVERYONE is trying to lose weight no matter how thin. It is sad. All that time could be spent doing something amazing and being amazing. It is time we teach our kids this lesson.

Mrs. Livingston was absolutely right. People like the one who wrote the letter needs to know that the hurt and hate he is forcing on other people is a result of his feelings about himself. This man should be an adult and a good example for children. Instead he is focusing more on the outside than the inside. His judgments are becoming part of someone else’s life and that is unfair. Be kind and caring. Don’t be critical and hurt people. It’s as simple as that.

-Rachael Belcher

Transgender Bathroom Dilemma

Reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucas-waldron/finding-a-place-to-go-the-transgender-bathroom-dilemma_b_2189526.html

                Could you imagine the “black and white” bathroom dilemma? Waldren explains that it is the anecdote which shows two layers of problems to be addressed in choosing a bathroom to use. The first issues is that any person who is not marked "Caucasian" or "African-American" cannot use the bathroom. Secondly, black people and white people have to identify themselves as either black or white to use the bathroom. Waldren says that this bathroom segregation is also relevant to transgender issue; she says “to have "male"- and "female"-delegated bathrooms is to say that there are only men and women in this world.”  Therefore, it is not comfortable for transgender to use the bathroom because they have to choose their gender then. Everyone should grant unrestricted restroom access; her experience with bathroom selection makes me notice less demanding genderless bathrooms and more toward finding a way to fit into the binary bathrooms.

Now many universities in the United States set aside a block of gender-neutral rooms for transgender and gender non-conforming students. A lot of students have been really happy with that because, for them, it’s not overly bringing attention to the fact that this is a change that people want. Interestingly, in Japan, which I am from, people do not think about the problem and institutions does not care about those people by set rooms for transgender. As we learned in a class, majority, heterosexual, does not consider sexuality so much and take the right for granted; on the other hand, minority, homosexual or bisexual, is thinking about their sexuality and facing problem of discrimination. To solve the problem, especially heterosexual should strive to understand minority and think about how we can make facilities more comfortable for all people including homosexual and bisexual.

Gender Roles in Society

http://www.newser.com/story/158321/about-time-toy-catalog-flips-kids-gender-roles.html

In class, we have been talking a lot about gender roles and when we as children became aware at our sexuality. This article talks about how a Swedish retailer called Top Toy who has put out a new catalog with images of girls playing with nerf guns and boys playing with dolls. Growing up, we are brought up thinking that certain things are just made for girls and certain things are just made for boys. The article brought up a great point. It isn't our sex that determines whether we like the color blue or pink or if we would rather play with nerf guns or dolls, it is adults that are telling us that one group of toys is for a certain gender.  It may be a healthy option for a boy to play with a doll every once in awhile. We look at our parents, teachers, peers, music books and even religion to reinforce our gender roles. In our day and age, men should be the breadwinner. Woman are supposed to stay at home with the children. They are also in charge of cooking and cleaning. How do we view those who are not of the norm? Masculinity and femininity are broke down into two completely different categories. Due to the sex we are given, we are expected to fit into one of these categories. Growing up, I was given dolls and beanie babies and barbies to play with. I always wonder if I would have been more of a tomboy if I was given action figures or toy cars to play with. After studying gender roles in class, I think that we shouldn't have to conform to a certain gender just because we were born with what we have. Society has made gender roles based on their biological orientation.

Why Hasn't My Prince Come?

I feel it’s safe to say that a majority of the people taking this class have at least one favorite Disney movie. I bet, despite how much I love Disney, that the movie you can recall has created a false depiction concerning love. I can recall watching Disney movies, specifically princess based ones on a weekly if not daily basis as a child. While growing up I ran around the house singing the famous Disney songs such as, Someday my prince will come featured in Snow White. Not only did I love singing them, I loved believing them. I honestly thought I would grow up to meet prince charming and he would pick me up off my feet and take me some where lovely.
Obviously, I am not so naïve to believe such a thing today. But, I can’t help but think that there are little children hoping that when they grow up life will be all grand, that everything will be perfect, the prince will save the day and love you forever. Today, I know love to be something completely different than what I thought it would be as a child. No man has come and saved me from a dragon or evil witch and then automatically falls in love with me. How come Disney teaches perfect love and never heart aches? Has there been a Disney Princess movie where the relationship goes downhill and they break up? The answer in no. I hope Disney will change their ways in preaching the perfect love, kids take it too much to hear. This video clip points out how Disney can show case a misleading perfect love and relates some ideas of movies with feminism.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oqAcUj_Wgk
-Malissa Katich

Benevolent sexism in popular television

Benevolent sexism in popular television

Link: http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/watch/Parks-and-Recreation/5883799404534408112/15792707589/Women-in-Garbage/videos

While watching one of my favorite TV shows, parks and recreation, it became blatantly clear to me that this show although funny is extremely sexist. The story line of the latest episode was about attempting to get more women jobs in the government system, especially the sanitation department, because the only woman they had in that department was the receptionist. The men in that department thought that women were not capable of doing the work because it is very physically demanding. This act is known as benevolent sexism. The way the men act in the show are institutionalizing gender biased ideals by teaching children through using popular media sources such as television. The sexual scripts are being perpetuated when shows such as this one continue to discriminate against different genders and gender identities.

Also in this episode one of the male government workers was asked to watch his girlfriend’s two elementary aged children. He being a stereotypical manly man couldn't take care of the girls on his own, so he was forced to enlist the help of a woman in the office. On the contrary to the other story line in this episode this woman stopped typical social stereo types by knowing nothing about children. This humorous story of the young woman not having any parenting skill alluded to the social change that is taking place in society that not all women must be home makers and  can focus on a career.

Super Bowl Cheerleading: A Feminist View

One does not simply sit down to watch an NFL game without also seeing shots of cheerleaders.  Specifically, female cheerleaders lacking enough clothing to make a purchase at a supermarket.  Why doe such a gross gender gap exist here?  In this post, we will explore the issue of female cheerleading in sports through the lens of feminist theory, looking specifically at androcentrism, heteronormativity  and objectification.  We will begin by first looking at the issue of why male sports are so much more popular than female sports, as understood through androcentrism.  This will allow us to then look at why most cheerleading roles are filled by females.  

Androcentrism is prominent in sports due to the concept of male physical dominance being perpetuated as a social norm.  Acting as a polarizing amplifier, social normality takes the average physical difference between males and females and through the development of social constructs such as hunting vs. gathering imprints in the minds of future generations a norm of male physical advantage.  This results in male physical advantage no longer existing as a purely observed characteristic but as an expected one.  Thus, it becomes expected that males will outperform females in any physical social activity.  Given the years of incubation this concept has been allotted in the span of human history (virtually all the time), it is no surprise to find that today's male sports are valued more than female sports, as such sports fit gendered physical expectations better than female ones.

Having established the presence of androcentric sports, it has yet to be specifically seen why cheerleading is an area largely occupied by scantily-clad females.  It is here that the issues of heteronormativity and objectification come into play.  Females in cheerleading roles serve as objects of admiration for largely heteronormative players.  It is very hard for a male to successfully fill this role because such a male could not be sexually objectified to the extent that a female could under heteronormativity.  It is important to recognize the joint partnership between heteronormativity and objectification.  Objectification demands the presence of objects to be adored and appreciated, and heteronormativity demands that males should be interested in females.  In unison, these two concepts create the necessary environment for female cheerleading to thrive.  

Given the trends in pornography consumption, it is not unreasonable to predict that cheerleading in female sports does not exist to the relative extent that female cheerleading does in male sports.  Pornography consumption trends are important as they are an indicator of gendered tendencies to objectify.  Since males on average consume more pornography than females, based on this reasoning, it can be said that females do not objectify to the extent that males do.  Bringing this new information to our formula, we find that lacking an objectification drive, heteronormativity becomes less relevant for cheerleading in female sports, and will factor in only in the sense that the position is stigmatized.  The demand for male cheerleading in female sports is not as great as for female cheerleading in male sports due to object-driven pleasure not being as prevalent in females.

The final result of these three factors is an environment perfectly calibrated for females to serve as cheerleaders in male sports as heteronormative objects of pleasure in an androcentric environment.  Thus, taken together, the feminist concepts of androcentrism, objectification, and heteronormativity can explain the gender-polar nature of cheerleading in sports.  

Why am i not enough

When discussing what is sexy and attractive in class all i can do is groan and wait for all the dudes in the room to say how they want a tall thin girl with big boobs and a cute butt. Personally From a girl's perspective i think that all woman are beautiful. I read an article that described how woman are fighting to fit into the supermodel mold that has been pushed in our faces through magazines and media.. Movie stars are feeling the same pressure, "One actress looses weight to please the media; next all her co-stars are loosing weight to keep up. Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith (size 4) has said that if she had not been on the [now-defunct] TV show Ally McBeal, she’d have been 5 pounds heavier–but couldn't risk it for fear she’d have looked ‘big’ next to her size 2 co-stars." The article commented as what happens among movie stars is a like a domino effect, one losses 5 pounds, so another girls losses 7 to look just as good, and soon enough teenage girls watching them on tv are deciding to go on a diet when they are probably perfectly healthy the way they are. I am frustrated with how media and the overused message that " thin is Sexy" and what men want force us into wanting a new body. I hate that woman are pinned against each other in fight no one can really win

Admittedly I am 5,6 and weight under 120 pounds but it is not from over dieting and exhausting workouts. My body is purely from an over excited metabolism that keeps me looking so trim. In all honesty i would love to wake p and be 10 to 15 pounds heavier just so i wouldn't get dirty looks for being the size i am. People assume that i chose my size but sometimes these things are out of our control, But i still happily look in the mirror every morning before class and tell myself that i am a Beautiful, Strong woman. Inevitably my body doesn't put me ahead of the game of being sexier than other girls because i am too skinny to be attractive so i have been told. I mean seriously, too heavy, too skinny, too tan, too pale. There is always a new perfect, which just leaves everyone on a chase to catch up to it all.  

What really gets me is when people say they want to look like me and almost immediately i respond by saying i rather look like them. In all truths we are many different things based on  the way our bodies look, our skin tone, race, ethnicity, sex, who we fito be attractive but one thing we all are is BEAUTIFUL.

ONE THING WE ALL ARE IS ENOUGH TO BE LOVED!!!!!

Read more: http://www.urbanette.com/obsessed-with-thin-media-gone-too-far/#ixzz2Ju2aG7BK

Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents

http://www.livescience.com/17913-advantages-gay-parents.html

In this article by Stephanie Pappas, the controversy over homosexual parenting is addressed. The article begins by asserting that homosexual couples may actually be better committed to parenting because when they become parents it is by choice. This is juxtaposed with the number of nearly one half of pregnancies being the result of an accident. In turn, this comparison is used as reason to believe that gay parents may actually in fact be better than heterosexual parents.

Although that may be a far stretch, it is important to assess the gendered stereotypes that currently exist causing people to believe that two women, or two men, are incapable of properly raising a child. The overall assumption can be made that societally, roles are assigned to parents as a result of their gender. We find that mothers are supposed to be nurturing, and caring, while fathers are supposed to be more of the disciplinarian, and the lecturer. This article states that, "While you do find broad differences between how men and women parent on average ... there is much more diversity within the genders than between them" (Pappas).

The author blames the overall controversy of homosexual parenting on the reiteration of social oppressions in society. Standards that are believed to exist, paired with legislation that puts non-heterosexual couples at a disadvantage, are the current causes for why homosexual parenting is seen to be improper for raising a child.

Bakery Denies Same-Sex Couple Wedding Cake

Bakery Denies Same-Sex Couple Wedding Cake

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/02/bakery-denies-same-sex-couple-wedding-cake/

A bakery in Oregon refused making a cake for a same-sex wedding because it would be against the religious relief of the owner of the bakery. Discrimination based on the sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited. However, at the same time, the freedom of religion is guaranteed to every citizen as a fundamental human right. The owner of the bakery insists his right to practice his religion. Though the article does not mention the owner’s religion, there are a lot of religions which take homosexuality as guilt. Some sects of Christianity, for example, oppose the homosexuality while what they see as a sin is different from same-sex relationship itself to the sexual act between same-sex members. The idea is that sexual practice lacking the potential productivity can be regarded as a sex for pleasure, and it is against the principle with which seeking pleasure is not good things. I think this article can open up the complicated issue between the sexual orientation and religion, and it is related to the politics about same-sex marriage and domestic partnership statuses in the States.

Reading this article, I realized that heteronormativity in our society is shaped both by physical and non-physical elements and even if we continue to work hard to eliminate unequal political and economical systems, it would be nearly impossible to eliminate the discrimination completely unless we can exclude the inequality in abstract notions like religions. In the society I belong to, heterosexuality is the normal and it makes sense in terms of unbalanced power relationship between men and women in the present condition of our society. It is a normal case that a man supports the family economically and the wife satisfies the domestic and emotional needs of the man. In a sense, getting married to men can be seen as economical stability for women will live their married lives relying on their husbands’ income. I believe this economical inequality can be eliminated by providing support for women to get engaged in higher education or high-waged jobs, and improving women’s social position in the society. However, gender discrimination based on the religions would be far more difficult to be denied because it is non-physical and conceptual thing which can be rooted deeply in the people’s belief system. And religious belief is usually taken as absolute truth and it is difficult to get rid of it from the strong believers. As the case of the baker in Oregon, religious belief can have power more than any other rationality.

Religions play significant role in socialization process and shaping one’s social identity. I understand that belong to the religion and believing in its principles are totally fine and it should be allowed to every one as a fundamental human right but in terms of a inequality based of gender or race, we should be cautious about its rationality and justice.

Sexy be ... not sexual.

Pop star in early twenties shaves head.

When you hear this phrase I would assume the first picture that pops up into your head is the image of a very distraught, tear streaked face of Britney Spears from 2007.  However, as of last week, that is not the only image circulating the internet that fits that description.

Minami Minegishi, a member of the Japanese pop group AKB48, fell victim to the same pressures. Not long after a photograph showing her leaving her boyfriend’s apartment one morning was circulated, Minegishi released a video on the band’s YouTube page was released. A tearful Minegishi apologized, saying she had been, “thoughtless and immature.”  The video received over 7.3 million views before it was removed.

Much like America saw in 2007 with Spears, Pop Stars are supposed to exude sexuality and desirability to their audience but they themselves should be untouchable, virginal. These sexual scripts, which particularly apply to female Pop Stars, dictate who the woman is in her personal life as well as their public persona. 

The women are encouraged to be overtly sexual on camera, producing borderline pornographic commercials, but are not allowed to be sexual themselves. Indeed a 20 year old woman having consensual is cause for self-punishment. Minegishi, in an act of guilt and shame, shaved her own head as a mark of her disgrace.

Much like the case with Spears, the male counterparts are seen as making no mistake. Minegishi’s boyfriend, also part of a Japanese Pop group, faces no retribution.

Why does this dichotomy exist and how does it inform the young women who see these images and hear of these “scandals” as part of their daily lives?

They are put in a no win situation. If they dress like the media tells them to dress, they are labeled a slut or tease; if they don’t dress in that way they are labeled a prude.

At some point, people are going to have to stop viewing the media as what dictates our social and sexual scripts. 

Team Beyonce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkr_lhpH0qE 

           She is titled as the most beautiful woman in the world. I must say any man I know will kiss the ground she walks on. After watching the super bowl’s half time show her outstanding performance speaks for all. She is a golden goddess.  Who stomps her way through the stage with raging confidence pierces the hearts of my male identified friends. Her dancers, stage, outfit; and everything illuminates the history she has marked on pop culture. Beyoncé Knowles is the product of sex, love and intimacy. In my eyes and the goose bumps that travel my spine, she owns the world. 

            As an artist Knowles was ranked number one on Forbes list as the most powerful and influential musician in the world. Her Artistry in music, voice, and public image is a business legacy. Despite her cross over sex symbol, Knowles sells her voice rather than her dignity to 75 million records worldwide. Stating “I like to dress sexy and I carry myself like a lady”. Many of her music themes and styles were inspired by her role in DreamGirls (2006) to put voice in feminism and female empowerment. Supported in her performance Destiny’s Child band reappears once again by her side. Together not only they paved their heels into the stage have founded Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity for Hurricane Katrina. Their contribution has donated to over thousands to benefit the cause. Knowles continuous community outreach has touched many. She is a career woman, an artist, producer, actress, dancer, model, and choreographer. Although she is known for her multi- occupation in the entertainment industry, she is most of all, a wife and mother.  Embarking the words sex, intimacy and spreading the love Beyoncé Knowles has taken its meaning beyond as a product to a living consumer, she will endlessly digest the world.   

references: 

http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/beyonce-knowles.html 

Creating a Family with a Trans* Partner

When the choice has been made to begin a family with your partner it seems most people have a sort of plan that goes with it. More and more in today's world couples are choosing to raise children in as much of a gender-neutral environment as possible. In the various stories I've heard it's generally because the parents believe in equal rights for all and don't want to pressure a child into feeling as if such a large choice has already been made for them before they can even say their alphabet.

What I'm more interested in was stemmed by an article I read from the Huffington Post (linked at the end of this post); parents choosing to raise gender-neutral babies because one of them is trans*. In this article a couple, Erin and Evan, were only months into the process of trying and conceiving a child when Evan came out as a trans* woman. I particularly enjoyed this article because it addresses the benefits and triumphs of the couple, but Erin also discusses her struggles with Evan's transition. She addresses how her "years of gender socializing" guided her initial thoughts of her partners transition. It was interesting to see the concepts of our readings and class discussions be applied so heavily to a real life situation. As a queer woman I've gone through various challenges but I don't feel I've ever experienced anything of this magnitude.

For some, a partner's abandonment of their heternormative privilege and social status would be too much. Fortunately for the couple they were able to support one another and continue forward in raising their child. Erin discusses that Evan's transition led them to make sure they would raise their child as gender-neutral as possible, though they had been considering it prior to Evan coming out. With this they acknowledged the challenges they may face in a society where everything is color coded based upon the gender of a child/person. What I gathered from a family photo posted with the article is that they've been successfully doing the most important thing of all; raising a happy child that is very loved.

My Partner Came Out As Trans While I Was Pregnant

How Men View Women In Relation To Their Clothing

Does the way women dress influence the way men view them? This has been a long debated question, some groups and protesters such as 'SlutWalk' have come about to raise awareness to the idea that just because a women dresses provocatively does not mean she is at fault if a man accost her. While reading the chapter on female sexuality I began to think about this topic. I decided to do a little bit of research and was surprised when I came across a study done by Princeton University. According to this study men view women in bathing suits as objects instead of actual people. The study stated that "Men tend to associate bikini-clad women with first-person action verbs such as I "push," "handle" and "grab"... They associated fully clothed women with the third-person forms, indicating these women were perceived as in control of their own actions."The study also mentioned that this maybe a subconscious though and that men didn't look at women in this light intentionally.  While reading this it brought to mind the reading from Chapter 3 entitled Unraveling Hardwiring, as you may recall this article was about how our minds are programed from society and why we all think the way that we do. It's like our brains are computers and certain images connect with certain ideas. Now I'm not saying that it is any way okay for men to view women in bathing suits as objects rather than women but I do believe that our culture with the advertisements we show on T.V have a huge impact on the males perspective on how to treat a woman. Below I have included the link to the article with the full study explained and a clip from youtube which shows the objectification of women in commercials. I believe in order to change the way that men see and treat women we should change the way that women are portrayed in advertising and on television shows. If we start here I believe that we could change the way that our cultures brains are hardwired and possibly improve how women view themselves in the process.


Women Objectified

Princeton Study

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-siebel-newsom/challenging-sexism-and-vi_b_2602775.html?utm_hp_ref=media

"Challenging Sexism and Violence in Super Bowl Commercials"

This week there has been a lot of talk about the big game, Super Bowl Sunday is finally here. I chose an article talking about the game that was also directly linked to what we’ve been talking about in class. The article explains how over 100 million people will get together on Sunday February 3^rd to watch the Super Bowl and about half will be women. But yet a ton of the commercials and advertising we will see will be sexist and degrading to women. Not only that, but the entire concept is encouraging violence. The article says, “what's being broadcast is that men are only men when they are big and strong, and that to be a valued as a woman you must be sexy and on the sidelines.” This quote caught my attention immediately because it’s true, we are promoting such negative things to such a huge group of people. We blame the system to say that people are sexist and women are fighting to find equality yet our social media and the most viewed thing on television all year is still promoting degrading things.

It’s rationalized every year because it’s “tradition” and football is a huge American pastime. When people are used to something, they tend to be comfortable with it. The Super Bowl is known for its good commercials, advertisers pay millions of dollars to get an ad in during the game. So as long as these commercials continue to bring in revenue and get people buzzing, they will continue to make them. I think it’s sad that America is okay with the way things are and I feel bad for the kids that are going to be exposed to it all today. We need to do a better job with our youth because they are the future of our country.

Companies benefit from these commercials because it makes people talk and generates revenue for their business. The viewers are the people that lose from these advertisements because they are a bad influence. I feel like I am old enough now to neither benefit nor lose from these ads because I have my own values and opinions already formed so I know right from wrong and where I stand in the bigger picture. Little kids on the other hand, that don’t know better yet, won’t have that advantage. Sadly, I am contributing to the problem because I will be watching the game and I won’t be able to change the channel every time one of the ads plays to make that company lose a viewer. But if enough people catch on to the problem, maybe eventually we can branch off from the negative side effects linked to watching the Super Bowl.