I wanted to share a paper I did for my Genders class. It’s one of my favorite ones to date and a great reflection of what I believe in as of the moment. I hope people can be enlightened by this.
“German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song, Shall retain in the world, Their old lovely ring, To inspire us to noble deeds, Our whole life long. German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song.”
Women, loyalty, wine, and song. What is it about these four that led to them being in one “category” under the second stanza of Germany’s national anthem? I turn to Adams and Ware’s “Sexism and the English Language: The Linguistic Implications of Being A Woman” where they discussed the trivialization of women in society (Adams & Ware, 1979). In the lyrics above, it depicts the reality of how women are seen. Why would they be in the same stanza as objects which are desired for, but not separated and respected as women should be?
As Adams and Ware mentioned in their paper, women are treated as entertainment, as something as lovely as wine and song that inspires “us”, or German men only. They are obviously seen as frivolous, inconsequential (Adams & Ware, 1979). Germany’s national anthem also neglects women throughout the song by using terms such as brotherhood, fatherland, and brothers, another issue tackled by both Adams and Ware to be oppressive to women, ignoring their worth.
I, for one, would expect that things would be different nowadays. Greater equality among men and women in society should already be rampant. But it seems the opposite is true. There still seems to be a dominance of men over women, visible in our history, in national anthems, and in the most powerful phenomenon today, the media.
Women continue to be portrayed as impotent against men. Women are constantly being objectified by society. Women are perceived to be equal to the disabled, the young, and the elderly. Women are blamed for what society constructs them to be.
In this critique, I delve into the magazine, T3, and provide a brief background of this magazine, discuss the negative aspects of this magazine, its implications on society, offer suggestions on what should be done, and conclude my paper. I aim to enlighten readers on how the issue of degrading women through media affects society today and continues on to the future.
T3 Magazine
T3 magazine is a technology magazine that showcases all the latest gadgets world-wide, including upcoming gizmos as well. According to Wikipedia, T3 is short for Tomorrow’s Technology Today, but isn’t used in any of its publications including its website. T3 magazine was first published and sold in September 1996 and is originally from the UK and then adapted by the Philippines with publishing T3 Magazines Philippines. Although the publication started as a magazine for people to refer to for technology information, it gradually became a fanzine for tech-savvy nerds who also happen to be “sexually repressed men” as termed on Wikipedia. (T3 Magazine, 2011)
In the latest issue of T3 Magazine, June 2011, it has the A’s-Z’s of technology today. All the details and news about the latest widgets are revealed in this glossy handbook. Any gadget that deals with music, television, communication, and transportation are laid out in T3. It compares the hot devices of today such as that of Apple and Android, whether you should purchase the new iPad 2 or the Android. All the information you need to know about all the technologies in the world are present in the T3 Magazines, plus a little more.
Negative Aspects
Using the above description of T3 Magazine makes it appear as though there may be nothing wrong with this innocent-looking magazine. But incase you were wondering what got my attention when I first saw it, you’d realize the purpose of this paper and where I am going with my point. The cover of the issues I have encountered of this magazine in my entire life have all had women in swimsuits and revealing attires holding phones or laptops in a sensual and provocative way. Flipping through the latest issue of the magazine is a six-page spread entitled “Be a King for a Day” with a blonde and sexy model posing with cars, in a helicopter, on a motorcycle, and on a yacht. Most of the pictures, might I add, depict her modeling as though she is in the middle of an orgasm, seducing men to come take a ride with her. This epitomizes how men are perceived. They become kings if and when they are surrounded by sexy model-like women and the latest gadgets. Not only are they filthy rich, affording all the gadgets they desire, but they are also desired in return by blonde bombshells just like the cover girl who is in a black blazer with a black one-piece corset underneath.
Looking at Germany’s national anthem and relating that issue with this, we can see a specific pattern wherein women seem to fall into the category of an object which brings pleasure and entertainment to men. And if this could not be considered as a plausible case in point for the T3 Magazines, sexy female models are obviously being used to attract men into buying their magazines whether or not they may want it for Tomorrow’s Technology Today. Yes, it’s a realist way of marketing, but idealistically, women would like to be seen differently already and portrayed a different character in society.
Implications on Society
With a magazine internationally-known and distributed, everyone has access to this. Not only that, but, it is part of popular culture. As Bell Hooks discusses, popular culture is where people learn the most about anything and everything. We are surround by media, by popular culture. In today’s day and age, it dictates our way of thinking, our behavior, and our lifestyles. It has shaped into becoming the norm of society.
This frightens me of what women are becoming today. Just by the cover of T3 Magazine, we see that women are portrayed as equal to gadgets, nothing more and nothing less. What a shame it is to be in the midst of this occurrence. Day in, day out, men are feeling more powerful with the help of media. This is manifested by magazines similar to T3. Women are shut down because they are presumed to be incapable as a man, weaker than a man, less knowledgeable than a man, and more gullible than a man.
“The habit of talking becomes the habit of thinking” as discussed in class. Adams and Ware elucidated in their paper that these symbols of degrading women leave greater harm towards society than we think. This harm endangers not only today’s generation, but every generation to come. These representations brought about by pop culture, by the media reflect the values, attitudes, and reinforces them (Adams & Ware, 1979).
Magazines such as T3 unconsciously and gradually leave an imprint in the minds of readers that women are nothing more than the phones and cars we have. Their value is needed solely for satisfaction and enjoyment. They are not any more powerful than the men who read these materials. Men, in turn, treat women this way in public. Disrespecting while harassing women as they walk down the street or stroll around a mall. Because of these magazines, all men see are these beings hungry for sex, for men, best for a night of fun, then left behind like they’re last month’s issue of T3.
Suggestions
If T3 magazine wanted to get the attention of readers, why not choose a man and a woman to be the cover? Why not use male models throughout the magazine instead of one female model? If the magazine wanted something provocative, use a man and a woman modeling as though they’re having sex in a six-page spread as well! Better yet, use all different types of models that don’t necessarily have to be in revealing clothes for every single shot.
T3 Magazine shouldn’t take the shallow route towards pop culture. This magazine offers the best amount of information needed for technology and there are better ways of advertising than using women as their sex symbols who are portrayed equivalent to the gadgets they promote.
Society does not have to be constructed in such a way. It should be conscious of what it is putting out in the media. It is possible for people to become more innovative and create ways to both widen their market yet conform with what society should and should not be learning.
As Hooks stated in her paper, “mass media is being used… to get women out of feminism and back into some patriarchal mode of thinking”. She also goes on to say that popular culture impacts the everyday lives of people. (Hooks, 1994)
Media should be used in a different way, to inform and to enlighten people. It is supposed to bring society together, not undermine fifty percent of the Earth’s population. T3 Magazine is an informative magazine which is highly beneficial to people, but its representation of women is a subtle form of oppression that influences men to look at women as sex slaves and women to look down upon themselves. Once a greater portion of society becomes aware of this issue, changes can fall to place and false images of women will be eradicated completely in the future.
Conclusion
Similar to what is being portrayed in Germany’s national anthem, T3 Magazine objectifies women as being equivalent to any form of entertainment and pleasure. As T3 has become a internationally-known magazine which offers the latest technologies with all the information a tech-savvy nerd must be aware of, it also appeals to sexually-deprived men with its provocative photos of models alongside the various gadgets and gizmos.
This depiction degrade the image of women among men and among women themselves portraying them as frivolous beings and trivial compared to men. This form of media and pop culture molds the way of thinking and lifestyles of society as this is one of the most powerful ways of educating people. “The habit of talking becomes the habit of thinking” and if this is continued, magazines similar to T3 can further deepen the gap between men and women.
T3 Magazine should find a way to both inform and enlighten their readers with its main purpose, offering Tomorrow’s Technology Today, while conforming to the needs of both men and women. Neither should be snubbed nor disrespected. Through this, everyone becomes aware of the issue and creates a new sense of identity whether a woman or a man in society.
Bibliography
Adams, K. L., & Ware, N. C. (1979). Sexism and the English Language: The Linguistic Implications of Being a Woman. In J. Freeman, Women: A Feminist Perspective (pp. 487-504). Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co.
Hooks, B. (1994). Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations. New York: Routledge.
T3 Magazine. (2011, April 18). Retrieved May 14, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T3_%28magazine%29
T3 Staff. (2011, June). T3 Magazine.
