While taking my GSS101 course this semester, I noticed that there was little to no Asian and/or Asian American representation. I propose the development of an interdisciplinary course that combines Asian Studies with Gender and Sexuality Studies. The goal of this course is to provide Asian/ Asian American representation within the field of Gender and Sexuality Studies by introducing Asian/ Asian American theorists and the discourse revolving around Asian/ Asian Americans and gender and sexuality. This course will provide students with a perspective that deviates from the dominating white narrative.
Author: Former Student
Feminist Mix-Tape: “Don’t Hurt Yourself” by Beyoncé
In “Don’t Hurt Yourself” by Beyoncé, she unleashes a flood of anger in response to her partner’s infidelity as well as the generational trauma of black women. Her song’s main message is that hurtful actions reflect the other person, and when you are hurt like this, do not hurt yourself and let go. Her lyrics demonstrate her power, independence, and dominance because she realizes her self-worth and is not letting the hatred she feels for herself rule her life. Her own hatred reflects the hatred black women have felt for themselves because of the social construction that whiteness is beautiful. However, Beyoncé embraces her natural hair and calls it a lion’s mane. Not only does the rock and roll vibe of this song demonstrate Beyoncé’s rage, but it acknowledges the history and legacy of black women as Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Tine Turner have shaped rock and roll. In her visual album, she quotes Malcom X to highlight the violence, injustice, and mistreatment of black women throughout the centuries; however, Beyoncé shows how strong, beautiful, and resilient black women are by redeeming the black female body. Beyoncé’s focus on the experience of black women highlights intersectionality that is present in Audre Lorde’s There is No Hierarchy of Oppression. Lorde states that “one aspect of identity cannot profit from the oppression of any part of identity” (Lorde). Not only does Beyoncé target generational sexism, she also targets generational racism. Although this song contains black feminist ideas, it may not be the greatest representation of feminism. “Don’t Hurt Yourself” and many songs from the Lemonade album contain Beyoncé’s personal experiences, so it is not our place to use to song as a representation of feminism and it’s message may not extend to every listener. However, “Don’t Hurt Yourself” is a powerful and meaningful song.
*Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia* Review
Unlike existing historical scholarship, Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings is one of the first historical studies that emphasizes the interconnectedness of race, gender, and morality in the development of thin fetishism and fat phobia. Strings argues that anti-fat bias is not recent discourse, instead claiming that fat phobia has been circulating since the Renaissance. The transatlantic slave trade and spread of Protestantism were key historical events that contributed to the bias toward slenderness and fear of fatness. Another important point Strings makes is that fat phobia did not originate from health issues but was instead implemented to justify the race and class hierarchy.
Continue reading “*Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia* Review”Smelling Like a Female: Versace Eros Pour Femme 2014 Campain
Written by Tramanh Le for Jezebel www.jezebel.com
Two years after the launch of Versace Eros in 2012, Versace launched Eros Pour Femme. The story of Eros continues when the ad opens with the return of the male model from the 2021 campaign entering the same mysterious setting. He is again shirtless to show a sculpture-like muscular physique holding a bow and arrow to symbolize the Greek god Eros. A few seconds later, we see a slim, female figure with an elegant pose floating towards the light from the dark water. From her silhouette, you can see she wears a dress with gladiator sandals, which continues the Greek motif. When the female model emerges from the water, the two encounter each other.
In this snapshot, there is a sensual scene where the female model, Lara Stone, slowly brushes Eros’s hand to take the golden arrow. Enchanting music accompanies this scene to help create a dramatic effect for the seduction of Eros by Lara Stone. Although this sensual act is supposed to symbolize the strength of women, her strength is only validated by the ability to seduce a male. In the 2012 Versace Eros campaign, there was only a male actor, who was accompanied by a fast-paced and intense soundtrack. This choice in focusing on just the male model assumes that men are powerful by themselves and do not need to have a woman to contribute to this power. However, a woman’s strength is characterized by the ability to successfully seduce a male. This depiction of women is a common trend in advertising with a woman depicted as a support or the seductress next to a man.
In this last snapshot, the light from Olympus shines on Lara Stone as she lies on her side with a seductive pose while holding the golden arrow she had successfully taken from Eros. Placed next to her is an enlarged, glamorous, and golden fragrance bottle adorned with the iconic Versace Medusa head. In contrast to this scene, the Eros campaign’s ending scene is dark and mysterious with a turquoise blue bottle, which has historically been a color associated with males. We can see the different marketing techniques companies use in order to sell specifically to men and women. This bright and gold bottle is for women, while this dark and blue one is for men.
Not only does the bottle look like it is for women, but the fragrance smells feminine. The words pour femme show that this fragrance is the female scent interpretation of Versace Eros cologne. Those words also state that this perfume is only for women. The heart of the Pour Femme fragrance contains jasmine infusion and jasmine sambac absolute, which Versace states on their website, “conveys an authentic and timeless femininity.” Unlike its counterpart, Versace Eros does not have floral notes that dominate the scent. The Versace website states that the fragrance was supposed to “interpret the sublime masculinity through a luminous aura with an intensely vibrant and glowing freshness.” My question is what determines which scents are feminine or masculine. The answer is the cultural and societal frameworks that have constructed certain scents as either feminine or masculine, not that we are biologically wired to do so. Perfume companies have taken advantage of these frameworks and contributed to the manufactured idea of gendered smells in order to sell products specific to men and women separately. Because we associate floral scents with femininity, it shows normativity of gendered scents.
Versace Eros Pour Femme | Fragrances – YouTube