Patriarchy in pop culture?

I find myself in shock of the existing remnants of patriarchy in our U.S. society. Ask anyone, we are no longer a patriarchy. More women go to college and more women earn advanced/professional degrees than men in the U.S. today. But women still make less money than men and face unwarranted biases in multiple aspects of life. I see every day double standards for men and women attempting to perform the same roles. One particularly extreme example comes to mind: depictions of sexuality. For softcore pornography and movie sex scenes…why is it acceptable and common to display any and every inch of a female body, but extremely rare for male genitals to be depicted? The last movie I can remember seeing a full-blown male figure in (aside from the CGI Dr. Manhattan) is Schindler’s List. Yes, that’s right, Schindler’s List. And it most certainly wasn’t a steamy love scene, it was depicting a historical event as accurately as possible, and nudity in this case was meant to evoke and emotional response in the viewer. I’ve seen plenty of movies that flaunt multiple female figures…and I’m left dumbfounded on this question. We’re left, movie after movie, without coming even close to equal exposure times or levels. I have no problem with displaying genitalia in films; I just don’t understand why it’s so consistently one-sided. Do filmmakers have some idea that women might grow faint at the sight of a penis? For instance, the movie Knocked Up delivers plenty of images of boobs, and even delivers two (somewhat more shocking) of a vagina in mid-birth, but fails in the penis department. This film will provide a good segue to another example; this film’s big star is the overweight-pothead Seth Rogen, (before he lost 50 lbs (or something like that)), hooking up with supercareerwoman Katherine Heigl (close enough to Barbie in looks). Again, I have no problem with the plot, but the same would never be in a film with a role reversal, and if it were, it would never be as well-received by moviegoers in general. Senseless double standards carried over to pop culture speak to the current state of remaining patriarchy, but also misogyny. It’s utterly depressing to see gender portrayals perpetuate outdated stereotypes, and to see those stereotypes manifest in real people’s lives; after all, art mimics life, and vice-versa.

An open letter on criticizing religious beliefs

The background of this bit is that I’ve been emailing with a relative about philosophical ideas. Religious/spiritual beliefs came up in an indirect way, and I was thanked for not delving into religious criticism. The part of the return email where I address this issue is below; it ended up being a general statement which really applies to everyone [“you” applies to you, the reader]:

“First, let me establish that I don’t care either way what you believe about “God”. What you have described as a point of view is something very similar to my own ideas up until relatively recently, in fact [No Abrahamic God exists, but there must be a “higher power” which is the origin of the universe]. I only want to dissect one specific idea I’ve heard others express time and time again—that I should not be critical of another’s belief system. This is something I do struggle with, not just with you but almost everyone outside the ‘atheist’ circle. It is the notion that religious/spiritual beliefs are somehow ‘above’ criticism or critical evaluation. That we shouldn’t touch it or talk about it as a society or as individuals. Yes, we split paths on the existence of god, but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as this attempt to suppress the expression of ideas. This argument tends to go hand-in-hand with the misguided idea that criticism of a belief system is synonymous with criticism of the believer. You should know that I cannot promise that I will never talk about this issue or speak critically of religious ideas; but when I do so, it is not personal. I can logically describe why a religious dogma is sending a negative message to a follower or make a joke about religious belief, but that does not imply that I think the follower is doing something wrong or bad in practicing the religion. Like I have already said, I have dealt with these issues multiple times before, even though I could only describe myself as an atheist reaching back maybe 2 years or so. I have experienced a good deal of strife within my own family on this issue. Extended family members have personally attacked me and disowned me for this perspective. I’ve often thought about going back into the proverbial closet about my beliefs (and obviously I keep this a secret from many people), but I do not think I can stomach the subsequent feeling of being put into a cage like a damn animal. I make a point not to express my ideas around family, but some have come into contact with them regardless via my facebook page and/or blog(s). I’ve had a negative experience with ‘coming out’, but I hope telling you won’t result the same way. To be frank, I have no interest anymore in those who would condemn my life and character for my ideas about religion.”

In a time where atheists face more discrimination in the U.S. than Muslims, Jews, and multiple ethnic minorities (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1), I think people are taking the wrong approach. I would dare to challenge the widespread perceptions about this group of people. In truth, our ideas are very transparent, and in my experience, we are very open, aside from some fears of being misjudged and miscategorized. But we still have work to do when it comes to society’s willingness to have a free exchange of ideas, and an atheist’s right to freedom of expression without fear of persecution.

In response to *this* thoughtless piece of garbage…

“Joyfully celebrating the killing of a killer who joyfully celebrated killing carries an irony that I hope will not be lost on us. Are we learning anything, or simply spinning harder in the cycle of violence?” -Brian McLaren on the death of Osama bin Laden

It is not ‘wrong’ to celebrate the death of a person committed to practicing evil wherever and however possible. That death is ideologically significant, and that significance reaches beyond national borders and into moral borders. I don’t care which side you’re on; when your house is being attacked, you defend your house. But today I stand in solidarity with the citizens of this country—and a global population beyond—and I am confident that we are in the house of “Good”. And in our struggle for good, we have just had a solid strike against our attacker, both literally and symbolically. People celebrating today are celebrating that one small victory in a sea of powerlessness. If you are a person putting all of your efforts into attacking your own housemates for being ‘overly celebratory’ about the death of a man, open your damn eyes. It is not a celebration of violence or murder, it is a celebration of triumph over fear and helplessness. It is a celebration of Good ideas winning over Evil ones. We are in this house together, we fight our battles together, and we win or lose together. Whatever qualms you have with your housemates, save them for tomorrow. If you don’t feel like celebrating, fine. But using this situation as an opportunity to criticize your fellow citizens’ behavior is uncalled for and makes it seem as though you are just looking for excuses to be divisive. In closing, I very deliberately choose *not* to say something malicious to you, though I very well could find something *if* that’s what I were looking to do. I’d simply like to point out the fact that we are all…on.the.same.side.