From: Jazmine
In today’s society, standards for woman are set so high that they are actually very unachievable by most women in America. The “rules” for how to be a woman in this society are very linear. You cannot deviate from those rules or you are considered an outcast or not “normal”. Girls at a young age are told be super thin and not too smart and that they must follow the makeup guidelines set by supermodels to feel pretty or to show the world that they are in line with the norm. Society has laid the framework for “how to be a girl/lady” and if you do not fit into that box or those categories, you cannot possibly be a woman or have any feminine traits.
I chose two different photos of my friend throughout her life to represent how nature vs nurture plays a role in children and how they grow up. The fact remains that there is no one way to be a woman, despite society’s opinion on that. Girls and boys are expected to wear certain articles of clothing based on their biological sex, but not based on their gender or even what that child is most comfortable in. We put these presumed standards on children before they even know who they are. Girls are told to play dolls or house and take care of the family because that is what women are supposed to aspire to be; mothers and wives with no other ambitions. Boys are told to play with cars or guns, and go out and conquer the workplace because they are the bread winners and provide and protect the family. We have put genders on specific toys, behaviors and even careers because we want our children to behave a certain way based on societal ideals.
I chose these two photos to represent a masculine presenting woman and to show there is no one way to be a woman, no matter how you identify. Additionally, the photos show that nature vs nurture has a lot to do with how children grow up. In this first picture, Britani is a baby, probably about 2 years old in a blue dress with a white hat, holding a stuffed bunny (so I would assume this is Easter Sunday.) As a black girl, I recognize the shoe and sock combo that Mom put her in because I had the exact same ones; it was your typical Sunday best outfit for little girls. At this age, we really had no choice in what we wore because our parents had the power over that.
The difference between today’s society and society 20 years ago is that today kids have the freedom to be who they want and express themselves more freely than back then. It was inconceivable for a young girl or boy to say “no mommy, I want to wear a skirt” as a little boy or “mommy I want to play in the dirt and play with cars” as a little girl. And that is what it looks like when we look at Britani 20 years later, all grown up and very masculine presenting in the next picture with her friends out for a night on the town.
This photo with her friends is different than any of the other photos in this module because unlike how some girls would be in this setting, Britani is very comfortable with herself and around other feminine presenting woman. She is very confident in the way she presents herself by what she is wearing, how she is standing, and the smile on her face. This is not an awkward picture where she is standing towards the back and trying to shy away from being different and not fitting the norm. Britani is breaking this norm because, to me, she takes up the most space in the photo in the best way. She is standing facing the front with her entire body. She is smiling, and she is confident in bring her masculine energy into the space with her very feminine presenting friends. The other girls are close together, as to represent that the “normal” beauty standards are “one size fits all” and that their looks are very similar so they do not need to take up as much space in the actual photo. They are standing all to the side, which is a pose that women tend to do to accentuate their physical assets. Yet, Britani is standing in a very traditional male pose. The other girls have on makeup and the one closest to Britani has a crop top on to show some skin because that is what media says will make you an attractive woman. They also all have their heads tilted towards each other, like they have to touch each other to feel complete or connected in their picture (this was something I could relate to because subconsciously, I grab my friend’s hands or tilt my head in or try to show some type of connection to them
I have witnessed so much growth in Britani over the years of being her friend because there was a time when she was not comfortable being exactly who she is because of family or friends or society telling her that she has to fit into the singular box of womanhood. It is so fulfilling for me to see her live her truth for herself and to live solely for Britani.
2 comments:
Hi Jazmine!
I love the creative elements you used in your photograph on the right! The differences in the gazes and poses of the three women on the left are provocative. These symbolically capture the expectations foisted on girls/women by the media. Their poses and looks project that beauty and comeliness are their highest priority. In contrast, Britani’s gaze and pose projects a person who has ignored the media gender message. He/she is entirely “comfortable in their skin.” By facing “full frontal,” Britani’s pose symbolically represents his/her openness.
Another creative element you used was color. Britani’s white shirt is a symbol of purity – her thinking has not been tarnished by the media. His/her shirt contrasts with the dark outfits of the women on the left and reinforces Britani’s freedom from the “dark” influences of the media.
The contrast between Britani’s outfit and those of the three women on the left visually brings Britani more to the forefront. Therefore, he/she becomes more dominant. Our focus naturally gravitates toward him/her.
The four figures are holding similar flaming cocktails. This symbolically ties them together. Yet, Britani’s drink is held at waist height while the three women hold their drinks at chest height. This symbolizes her desire to not conform to the gender role dictated by our all-pervasive media.
Thanks for share your wonderful photos, and insights!
From: Sarah
Hey Jazmine,
I really like the whole message behind your photo because I can relate to Britani's battle with gender norms. As a kid I was always dressed more feminine whereas now I wear more masculine clothes because I'm more comfortable in them. This is one societal norm I wish we could get past as it is hard to live your life almost disguised and not the truest version of yourself. If we stopped this continuous pressure on children then there would be more people struggling with their outer appearance and what they "should" wear.
Something I loved that you mentioned was that “there is no one way to be a woman”. A lot of women in our society feel like their appearance equates to their self worth, this is such a toxic perspective on life that has pushed a very similar narrative on many women. What women wear, how they walk, and how they talk is always being held under a microscope and the moment they stray from how they “should” be, they are seen as less.
The techniques you used were really good as well. I loved the use of color and space, Britani is seen in more light colors and the women she’s with are all in black which is a good contrast. She also takes up more space to show that she is the focal point of this picture. These techniques make her stand out and draw attention to exemplify your point that she “sticks out in a good way”.
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