Month: February 2018

Reading Log #5

This week’s readings focused on the different ways in which men and women view their bodies and how they can alter them through exercise. In Jenny Ellison’s chapter, Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985 she discusses how many overweight women found comfort in exercising at classes hosted by “Large as Life”[1]. Ellison explains how the women who were a part of this movement were allowed to “participate in health and popular culture in a way that they had not previously believed was available to them”[2]. Ellison’s chapter highlights the fact that at this time women began to feel as if their bodies were there own. Although the problem was not entirely fixed, women came a lot closer to being able to feel as if they had some control over how their body was perceived and also how they felt. This is an interesting contrast to Thomas Wendelboe’s chapter, The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era he explores how many men were controlled by heterosexual stereotypes, that were dominating marketing campaigns. Wendelboe highlights how masculinity was linked to “the image of the male athlete”[3] and also how “the healthy male body was a disciplined body”[4]. This is interesting, because it shows how early advertisements began to push men into a certain direction. Furthermore, it proves how men have had issues with their body image for far longer than most people think. The link between both these articles, is the fact that both sexes have issues with how their bodies look and feel. However, in Ellison’s chapter, the women are dealing with being overweight, however, there is a much more positive takeaway from her chapter. Through the LAL movement, many women found empowerment and a sense of community with others who were experiencing similar circumstances. Whereas, Wendelboe’s chapter focuses on how advertisements have led to men feeling very negative about their bodies. Furthermore, Wendelboe shows how these ads promoted homosexuality as a type of disease and that healthy men should refrain from any homosexual tendencies. That notion is extremely psychologically damaging to any man struggling with their sexuality. On a purely physical level, these ads promoted the use of steroids in men for them to fit in and be more masculine. Again the difference between approach is astounding. However, Wendelboe is studying ads that are made to sell a product, whereas, Ellison is focusing on a group of women who are trying to help each other. It is psychologically viable that the overall tone of the chapters are different. However, although the chapters are different, they both show how important body image is and how there are both negative and positive ways to negotiate these images. This week’s readings were enjoyable and I think that the Wendelboe chapter could be useful in my research paper.

[1] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[2] Jenny Ellison, “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017), 193-210.

[3] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

[4] Thomas Wendelboe, “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light (Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011), 245-263.

Bibliography

Ellison, Jenny. “Let Me Hear Your Body Talk: Aerobics for Fat Women Only, 1981–1985” in Gender, Health, and Popular Culture, Historical Perspectives, ed. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh, 193-210. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2017.

Wendelboe, Thomas. “The Heterosexual Nature of Health and Hygiene Advertisements in the Cold War Era” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Ed. Tracy Penny Light, 245-263. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011.

In my own readings this week, I looked at the article by Stephen Edwards and Catherine Laudner. In this article, they discuss the results of a recent survey they conducted to determine how men feel about their bodies. What is interesting is that many men wanted to be more muscular, in order to become more attractive to women. They also found out that men were just as concerned with their body image as women were. However, the different sexes go about it in different ways. Men want to be muscular and women want to be thin. I think this article will help to highlight how men are very concerned with how they look. Furthermore, they are specifically interested in becoming more muscular. This may help to link to the film Pumping Iron. Also almost every secondary source I have found was written in the 1990’s, so there may have been a resurgence in physicality or just a stronger interest in studying men’s obsession with body image.

Reading Log #4

This week’s readings focused on cancer and the various effects it has on gender ideals, psychology and the physiological body. Miele and Clarke’s article focused on how men can be overlooked on the issue of prostate cancer. They contribute this to the fact that “hegemonic masculinity”[1] inhibits the ability to talk about and come to grips with the reality of being sick, let alone having a disease like cancer. This kind of toxic masculinity stops men from discussing their individual health for fear of being unmanly. Furthermore, men were afraid to admit that they may be dealing wit prostate cancer because it could lead to “impotence”[2] and a loss of “sexual function”[3]. This suggests that cancer does not just have the physical manifestations that society is aware of but it also has a psychological effect on many men. Similarly, in Patricia Jasen’s article she speaks to the psychological aspects of breast and cervical cancer in women. Furthermore, Jasen comments on how many of the psychologists were working with the “Freudian vision of the female psyche”[4]. Which in the context of the time was absolutely ridiculous. These researchers even go as far as to say that cancer in women was linked to the idea that women wanted to have a “career”[5]. They were labouring under the delusion that any woman who did not fulfill the ideals of traditional feminity was more likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, they argued that sexual deviancy and cancer went hand in hand in relation to women. It is extremely troubling that these researchers were more interested in diagnosing women based on some outdated Freudian psychology, than actually dealing with the psychological issues that arise from cancer. This is also seen in Wendy Mitchinson’s article, where she suggests that doctors would remove “the breast”[6] without “a definitive diagnosis”[7]. This is absolutely terrifying. It shows how doctors at the time did not even consider the psychological impact that a women would have after losing both of her breasts. What becomes clear after reading these articles, is that the real needs of cancer patients were often being overlooked for multiple reasons outside of their control. In Mandy Hadenko’s article she speaks about the difficulty of arranging screenings for cervical cancer. Hadenko highlights the difficulty that many women had with these screenings, especially considering many women found them invasive and cruel. She also hints at the fact that there was an obvious class distinction when it came to these screenings. She states how fees of many clinics were as high “as $19.13”[8]. The reality of the fees of testing, prevented many women from a lower social class from being screened. All of these articles highlight the fact that cancer is extremely difficult to deal with both psychologically and physically. Furthermore, each article seems to want to discourage people who would try to diagnose and treat cancer patients in one certain way. Instead a multi-faceted approach should be employed, that takes into consideration all the aspects of cancer such as: psychological effects, racial and economical issues, and gender issues.

1] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[2] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[3] Rachelle Miele and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

[4] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[5] Patricia Jasen. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History no.2 (2003): 265-297.

[6] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[7] Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

[8] Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Bibliography

Hadenko, Mandy, “The Challenge of Developing and Publicizing Cervical Screening Programs: A Canadian Perspective.” In Cheryl Krasnick Warsh (Ed), Gender, Health and Popular Culture: Historical Perspectives. Waterloo: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 2011: 127-152.

Jasen, Patricia. “Malignant Histories: Psychosomatic Medicine and the Female Cancer Patient in the Postwar Era.” Canadian Bulletin of Medical History 20 no.2 (2003): 265-297.

Miele, Rachelle, and Juanne Clark. “We Remain Very Much the Second Sex: The Constructions of Prostate Cancer in Popular Magazines, 2000-2010.” American Journal of Men’s Health no. 1 (2013): 15-25.

Mitchinson, Wendy. “The Womanly Body: A Cancer Threat,” in Body Failure: Medical Views of Women, 1900-1950, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013: 215-238.

The article I looked at for my own research this week was Evolving Ideas of Male Body Image as Seen Through Action Toys. In this article, the authors emphasize the difference in action figures and how they reflect the changing ideals of male body image. This article will be useful because it shows how more and more men are feeling as uncomfortable about their bodies as women are. Furthermore, it helps to show how young children are playing with these toys and as a result are forming ideas about how their body should look like one of their action figures. It is also beneficial to my thesis statement that many of these figures were influenced by bodybuilders and Hollywood. Because of these action figures, many young adults become confused about how their bodies should look. Furthermore, the article also speaks to how many young men want a muscular body, which is something more unique to men and body image. This article will help argue the fact that the growing popularity of gyms and male body dissatisfaction, could be a result of films like Pumping Iron, which helped to influence how men want to look. In conclusion, I think this article will be helpful to further my thesis and show a different aspect of body image, specifically how children think of their bodies through their action figures.