Response Post

Fausto-Sterling's "Hormonal Hurricanes" had a theory that I had never heard before in my life. She argued against the theory that women are inferior and incapable of certain professions because of their monthly gift of PMS. Fausto-Sterling talks about this "double bind" idea. She wants to know how scientists and researchers are making the judgement of emotional disturbance and whether it is based off of men's emotional stability. This is a completely legitimate point on Fausto-Sterling's part.

I also never knew the other symptom's of PMS before reading this article. I never knew that crimes and physical abuse by women are blamed on symptom's of PMS. This fact was really interesting to me. Also, I couldn't help but laugh at the argument that women eat less than men so they are overall smaller and therefore men will always think more then women. This argument might be the dumbest and most idiotic thing I have ever heard of. First off, my entire women's Ice hockey team can probably eat more food then a lot of the boys at Colgate so the statement that men eat more than women is a stereotype and completely false. Also, how much food you can eat has no effect on how much you can think. There are so many other factors that contribute to thinking power.

In Douglas's "Lean and Mean" chapter, I thought she touched on some very important points, as she has done throughout this entire book. She talked about the stereotype that Victoria Secret portrays as sexy. What is sexy? Victoria Secrets answers with wonder bras and the hottest models. They are basically saying that your body is the central place for you to gain power. you can only be powerful if you are sexy. This is followed up by other examples of what is sexy when stores like Abercrombie and Fitch design t-shirts that say "Who needs brains when you got these?" This puts emphasis on the fact that women need their bodies to be successful in life instead of their brains. The media has made more women today dissatisfied with their bodies then in history and the only way we can stop it is if we put an end to enlightened sexism and the media supporting it. However this is a far fetched goal when the media plays such a huge role in our nation today.