Our discussion on Thursday centered around the way in which female aggression is defined and portrayed. It was especially interesting to me to revisit a favorite childhood movie--Snow White--and view it in an alternative light. Like the majority of kids who grew up watching Disney movies without a second thought to deeper meaning, I was at first shocked when confronted with the "Disney is sexist" argument (probably sometime in early high school). It's now very interesting for me to consider the argument in context with our current quest to get to the bottom of how femininity (and masculinity) is constructed.
It was great to watch the clips from Snow White and compare the Evil Queen/Stepmother's physical appearance and portrayal of aggression/femininity with Snow White's. The Queen/Stepmother is physically dominant over all around her, even over the Huntsman, whom we might otherwise consider the manliest of men. She is covered from head to toe in dark or black colors and speaks with a very low but powerful voice. These seemingly manly characteristics serve to completely diminish her sexual identity and allow her (a woman) to be villainous. I can't help but think that if her hair, cleavage, shoulders, arms, and/or neck line were visible, her physical appearance would completely prevent her from seeming scary or threatening; she must necessarily be covered to be evil. Someone in class also made the comment that the Queen/Stepmother takes up much more physical space than do any of the other characters...this relates to our society's common perception that a man must be taller than his girlfriend or wife to be seriously masculine (see Amidia's blog!).
Snow White, in stark contrast to the Queen/Stepmother, takes up little space, has a dress that seriously embellishes her tiny waistline, shows much more skin, has a high, girlie voice, and reacts to things in a typically-female way (screams and collapses in desperation when she's scared, giggles and sings to make herself feel better, etc.). Her physical appearance is in no way scary or aggressive. We discussed toward the end of class how ridiculous it is that Snow White apologizes for being upset and losing her composure when she's scared for her life. When you're scared and upset, just sing. Uh...what?!
Unfortunately, I'm like Snow White in this aspect. I always feel I'm at fault for things that aren't really my fault. If, for example, someone charges me too much for something I buy and I don't catch it until a while later, I feel I do not have to right to go back in and negotiate the difference because it's completely my fault for not being attentive enough. If I'm at a restaurant and they bring out the wrong order, I cannot imagine confronting the waiter about it because I must have done something to confuse them. What is wrong with me?!
I also often feel that I can't be upset about things...like I don't have the right to be mad about something. In these situations, I seriously think to myself: I must have done something that created the situation in the first place, so really I should be mad at myself. There's no one to blame for my unhappiness other than me...sorry, sorry, sorry to everyone who's having to be around me when I'm upset and see me at my worst...etc. Crazy! What.the.hell?! I've talked to my mom about this and she says she has the same complex...so how did we get this way? Should we all be angry with Snow White? Why was she created that way? Where did this definition of femininity originate and why is it still so ingrained in everyone? I want to be more like the Queen/Stepmother...!
On a completely different note, I read a few chapters from Natalie Angier's "Woman" and in one part she talks about someone's theory that women subconsciously wear lipstick so that their facial lips will mimic their vaginal lips and consequently sexually attract men. Because humans (especially women) show little physical evidence of sexual arousal compared to other primate species, the lipstick theorist (his name escapes me) says that amplifying the shape and color of the facial lips with lipstick is an outward way of imitating the way the vaginal lips are amplified in shape and color during arousal. Snow White, the Queen/Stepmother, and so many other Disney princesses and female villains wear red lipstick...is everyone just really horny?
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