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Sometimes I post asking people to re-write a narrative. It's a way for people to re-imagine the story behind them, even just a tiny one, to feel a different emotion or value to what actually happened.
It annoys me when narrative is used badly, or gives the wrong message, and my first discussion point for the day is a video recently discussed on Hoyden About Town, created by the Government to '“help… the guardians of young people understand the safety risks that the online environment can present to children and young people.”
The Hoyden About Town Article dissects the advertisement pretty thoroughly, so I won't voyage into that too much. The basic premise is that a highschool girl does something cute and naughty and sexy - she takes a pic on her mobile of herself, and sends it to her boyfriend. Who then sends it on to a mate. Who then sends it on... and as more and more people in the classroom see the pic, the girl gets more and more upset and anxious and miserable.
I can't watch it the whole way through. It upsets me far too much. Women have enough baggage without this sort of narrative bullshit still being told.
If I ever hear someone say "I'd love to have a threesome," that entire video is the exact reason why you don't ever get to. If any one ever says "Why don't women like sex more?" there's your reason, in one little segment. Because when women and girls try to explore their sexuality, they get peer pressure and disapproval. It's so damned hard to find a partner who can love you and respect you, trying to find a third? Or fourth? Or even fifth?
So here's my new narrative. I apologize for various bad writing parts LOL but eh, I'm sure my meaning will get across.
Meghan walks back out of the toilets, a secret smile and a bounce to her step. She hits send on the mobile in her hand, and slips it into her pocket. She gives a little giggle to herself, and takes her seat in class, well aware her cute boyfriend George is only a seat or two away, and happy to do her maths while waiting for his response.
She sees him check his messages, and loves the grin on his face. He presses some keys, and she waits but her own phone doesn't buzz. She frowns. A boy on the other side of the class catches her eye, and gives her a thumbs up. She frowns at him, and then someone else gets a message and slowly it dawns on her that her BF has sent the photo on, and people are sending it on again. She looks like she's about to cry.
The teacher's phone buzzes, and he checks it while marking. He looks up.
"Mark Bent, out in the corridor, now," he said, obviously not impressed. The boy shuffles past Meghan, giving her a leer as he does so. In the corridor he slouches against the lockers.
"Whut?" he mumbled.
"Your conduct is inappropriate. That message was obviously not to be passed on. Four week's detention."
"It's not my fault!" the boy whines. "It was Gavin..."
"Four weeks still stands. Get out of my class now." The teacher opens the door to let the boy in. "Gavin. Here. Now." He is even shittier than before.
"This message was sent in trust, and obviously not for re-sending. Someone sent this to you, and you're devaluing her actions..." the teacher is almost shouting.
"Frank sent it to me... it's not my fault..."
"But sending it on was. Four weeks detention and you, Mark, and Frank can do the sexual assault course presented by Miss Deelia." The teacher pauses before opening the door, and thinks back.
"Frank. George. Out here."
The two boys stare up at him.
"Frank, four weeks detention and the sexual assault course. George, I want to have a word with you. Frank, go." Frank almost runs, glad that he didn't have any shouting like Gavin and Mark had. George bits his lip, his gaze following Frank, obviously wishing this was over with already. The teacher is so angry he is pacing. He forces himself to breathe deeply.
"If Meghan ever speaks to you again, you will be a very lucky boy. She sent you a gift, and you trashed it. You will go in there, and you will apologize, loudly and clearly, for devaluing her person by acting like a twit. Do you understand me?" George stared up at him, his eyes wide and huge.
"Apologize for what?" he asked. "For sending on the slut's pic?"
"You will not use that word in relation to any woman or man in my hearing. An extra week's detention. You will go in, and you will apologize, or you will spend the rest of this year in detention. I am so very disappointed in you, George. I thought you were a bright boy with a great future ahead of you." George stares at his feet. The teacher pushes the door open, and George slithers into the room, standing behind the desk.
"Mmm, hi, mmm, I'm sorry, mmm, I sent that pic... mmm... sorry Meghan..." he mumbles his way through. He can hear the tiny noises of her repressed sobs. He starts to realise how bad he has made her feel, and how every one in the room knew what he had done. He starts to realise that no woman in the room will trust him with her self again. He has acted like a prat, and it's going to take a long time to live this down.
"By the way," he hears Meghan hiss. "You're dumped!" He can hear other girls giggling as his solitary, lonely future opens before him.
"George, five weeks detention, and the assault course. Go," the teacher says, and George is so pleased to be let loose he runs to the principal's office to wait his turn with the others.
I just want to reiterate - women should be the gatekeepers of women's sexuality. The disapproval should be placed on those who broke the girl's trust. She no longer feels she can explore her self in a safe way; how many men would have LOVED getting such an sms? It's a sign of TRUST and when you fuck that trust, you should be ashamed and embarrassed, not her.
I am also aware that my narrative is divergent from the purpose of the actual campaign, which is supposedly to let people know what dangers are out there about the internet. Yet why did it have to come with slutshaming too? Bonus sexism for the masses? Because that's what our society does? And that we're Ok with that?
Well, I'm not.
It annoys me when narrative is used badly, or gives the wrong message, and my first discussion point for the day is a video recently discussed on Hoyden About Town, created by the Government to '“help… the guardians of young people understand the safety risks that the online environment can present to children and young people.”
The Hoyden About Town Article dissects the advertisement pretty thoroughly, so I won't voyage into that too much. The basic premise is that a highschool girl does something cute and naughty and sexy - she takes a pic on her mobile of herself, and sends it to her boyfriend. Who then sends it on to a mate. Who then sends it on... and as more and more people in the classroom see the pic, the girl gets more and more upset and anxious and miserable.
I can't watch it the whole way through. It upsets me far too much. Women have enough baggage without this sort of narrative bullshit still being told.
If I ever hear someone say "I'd love to have a threesome," that entire video is the exact reason why you don't ever get to. If any one ever says "Why don't women like sex more?" there's your reason, in one little segment. Because when women and girls try to explore their sexuality, they get peer pressure and disapproval. It's so damned hard to find a partner who can love you and respect you, trying to find a third? Or fourth? Or even fifth?
So here's my new narrative. I apologize for various bad writing parts LOL but eh, I'm sure my meaning will get across.
Meghan walks back out of the toilets, a secret smile and a bounce to her step. She hits send on the mobile in her hand, and slips it into her pocket. She gives a little giggle to herself, and takes her seat in class, well aware her cute boyfriend George is only a seat or two away, and happy to do her maths while waiting for his response.
She sees him check his messages, and loves the grin on his face. He presses some keys, and she waits but her own phone doesn't buzz. She frowns. A boy on the other side of the class catches her eye, and gives her a thumbs up. She frowns at him, and then someone else gets a message and slowly it dawns on her that her BF has sent the photo on, and people are sending it on again. She looks like she's about to cry.
The teacher's phone buzzes, and he checks it while marking. He looks up.
"Mark Bent, out in the corridor, now," he said, obviously not impressed. The boy shuffles past Meghan, giving her a leer as he does so. In the corridor he slouches against the lockers.
"Whut?" he mumbled.
"Your conduct is inappropriate. That message was obviously not to be passed on. Four week's detention."
"It's not my fault!" the boy whines. "It was Gavin..."
"Four weeks still stands. Get out of my class now." The teacher opens the door to let the boy in. "Gavin. Here. Now." He is even shittier than before.
"This message was sent in trust, and obviously not for re-sending. Someone sent this to you, and you're devaluing her actions..." the teacher is almost shouting.
"Frank sent it to me... it's not my fault..."
"But sending it on was. Four weeks detention and you, Mark, and Frank can do the sexual assault course presented by Miss Deelia." The teacher pauses before opening the door, and thinks back.
"Frank. George. Out here."
The two boys stare up at him.
"Frank, four weeks detention and the sexual assault course. George, I want to have a word with you. Frank, go." Frank almost runs, glad that he didn't have any shouting like Gavin and Mark had. George bits his lip, his gaze following Frank, obviously wishing this was over with already. The teacher is so angry he is pacing. He forces himself to breathe deeply.
"If Meghan ever speaks to you again, you will be a very lucky boy. She sent you a gift, and you trashed it. You will go in there, and you will apologize, loudly and clearly, for devaluing her person by acting like a twit. Do you understand me?" George stared up at him, his eyes wide and huge.
"Apologize for what?" he asked. "For sending on the slut's pic?"
"You will not use that word in relation to any woman or man in my hearing. An extra week's detention. You will go in, and you will apologize, or you will spend the rest of this year in detention. I am so very disappointed in you, George. I thought you were a bright boy with a great future ahead of you." George stares at his feet. The teacher pushes the door open, and George slithers into the room, standing behind the desk.
"Mmm, hi, mmm, I'm sorry, mmm, I sent that pic... mmm... sorry Meghan..." he mumbles his way through. He can hear the tiny noises of her repressed sobs. He starts to realise how bad he has made her feel, and how every one in the room knew what he had done. He starts to realise that no woman in the room will trust him with her self again. He has acted like a prat, and it's going to take a long time to live this down.
"By the way," he hears Meghan hiss. "You're dumped!" He can hear other girls giggling as his solitary, lonely future opens before him.
"George, five weeks detention, and the assault course. Go," the teacher says, and George is so pleased to be let loose he runs to the principal's office to wait his turn with the others.
I just want to reiterate - women should be the gatekeepers of women's sexuality. The disapproval should be placed on those who broke the girl's trust. She no longer feels she can explore her self in a safe way; how many men would have LOVED getting such an sms? It's a sign of TRUST and when you fuck that trust, you should be ashamed and embarrassed, not her.
I am also aware that my narrative is divergent from the purpose of the actual campaign, which is supposedly to let people know what dangers are out there about the internet. Yet why did it have to come with slutshaming too? Bonus sexism for the masses? Because that's what our society does? And that we're Ok with that?
Well, I'm not.
via network
Date: 2010-09-21 08:24 am (UTC)From:Re: via network
Date: 2010-09-21 01:43 pm (UTC)From:Prk
no subject
Date: 2010-09-21 10:17 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-09-21 02:17 pm (UTC)From: