Friday, April 12, 2013

"Transgender Today"

Throughout the semester, we have been talking about and analyzing gender and what gender means. While popular culture is pretty dead set on there being only males and females, transgendered people have been becoming more well known. Take, for example, Chaz Bono, Cher's child who has had tons of support from Americans. While the subject of transgender is still sort of taboo, I think we are beginning to hear more and more about it, which will soothe the shock it may give some people.
I subscribe to a psychology magazine called, "Monitor on Psychology" which basically just gives the latest news on what is happening in this field. This month's issue arrived at the beginning of the week and one of the featured stories is "Transgender today."
While I know psychology to be a rather liberal field, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of their main articles was on a topic we have been discussing in class. And a rather controversial topic at that.
The article basically goes on to say how we have moved beyond diagnosing transgender or gender confusion as needing treatment or being abnormal. According to lore m. dickey, PhD, "Now, being transgender is being acknowledged as part of the human condition."(38) I was thrilled when I read this line because it means that, as a society, we are maybe finally moving beyond looking at transgender as a problem and just accepting it. I think this is a common theme throughout history of topics that start off controversial (think: women voting, black and white people having equal rights, etc.) After that initial shock starts to wear off, and this usually takes years and years and years, we finally accept it.
Later on in the article, stigmas are discussed. So although transgender is moving in the direction of acceptance, individuals still have many obstacles to face. One of those obstacles is the stigma that accompanies the label of "transgender."
In a side box the topic of pronouns and the definition of what is meant when the word transgender is used is discussed. In the context of psychology, "'Transgender' is an umbrella term that covers a spectrum of people with nonconforming gender identities and expression."(39). This article proved to be very fascinating and seemed to be reiterating themes and topics that have been talked about in class. I was very excited to see this in a science magazine.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Artifact Analysis II: Dr. Ellie Sattler


“Dinosaurs Eat Man…Woman Inherits the Earth”

            This Friday, Jurassic Park is being re-released in theaters, but in 3D. The plot is fairly well known, but in case a refresher is needed it is about an island of dinosaurs. Three scientists are invited to analyze the island, so that they can pass it and the public can come enjoy it. There are some difficulties and the island soon becomes a dangerous place where dinosaurs may attack at any moment. Jurassic Park has been one of my all-time favorite movies since the first time I saw it when I was six years old. Dr. Ellie Sattler, the leading female character, was one of my role models and led to an aspiration to be a paleontologist. The movie does not pass the Bechdel test, but Dr. Sattler’s personality and intelligence make up for it. This post will address the key scenes in which Dr. Sattler makes some great remarks regarding women and why her character can be defined as a feminist.
            One of the best lines in this movie is spoken during the initial tour around the park. Dr. Ian Malcolm, the chaos-mathematician, Dr. Alan Grant, the paleontologist, and Dr. Ellie Sattler, the paleobotanist, are in a car together discussing the park.
Dr. Malcolm is commenting on the remarkability of what Dr. Hammond has produced and says, “God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs…” Dr. Sattler adds, “Dinosaurs eat man…woman inherits the earth.” She jumps out of the moving car, leaving Dr. Grant and Dr. Malcolm dumbfounded with their jaws hanging open, to help a sick triceratops. This line is not only clever, but it is not just meant for laughs, it contains truth. In Brit Lit II, a class I took of Dr. Hager’s last semester, I wrote in a blog post about how maybe men are afraid of the power and potential that women hold and this explains why they are so keen on keeping us down. This line is acknowledging the thirst for power that men hold, and how they may even believe themselves able to play God, like John Hammond did in the situation of Jurassic Park. But, like Dr. Malcolm said, that power will lead to their destruction. Now, he probably meant “man” in the sense of humankind, but Dr. Sattler put a spin on it that provided a different perspective to what he said.
            The next scene where Dr. Sattler addresses the issue of sexism is when the power goes out and must be turned back on. This involves crossing the compound where dinosaurs are running loose. She and another man volunteer to do it, but Hammond shows some reluctance, “But you know, I should really be the one going.” Dr. Sattler responds, “Why?” Hammond replies timidly, “Well, because you’re a – I’m a –.” The man accompanying her says they must hurry up and go, so Dr. Sattler says, “We’ll discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back.” This exchange explicitly states the view of most of the men in this movie. The annoyance that Dr. Sattler expresses makes it clear that she gets this reaction a lot. She is not the type to take any bullshit from a man or anybody, and she has worked her way to being the top in her field.
Dr. Ellie Sattler is a woman who is the top paleobotanist in the country, if not the world. She is beautiful, of course- this is a movie, but even in the book she is described as being very attractive. This is not uncommon as most of the female characters in a male-centered book are very attractive. While not only physically so, Dr. Sattler also has the brains and intelligence to go with it. During this movie she never expresses timidity, innocence, or even flirtiness. This is one of the attributes of her character that warrants respect. Dr. Malcolm hits on her during their first encounter together and she simply gives a reluctant smile and looks away. Her behavior and reaction hints that this is a regular occurrence. She has a Ph.D., which means that she has worked long and hard for her position. Being a woman, she has probably had to deal with a lot of situations like the one with Dr. Malcolm.
This movie does fail the Bechdel test: there are no scenes of woman-to-woman dialogue. This is not surprising, as there are only two females in the movie: Lex, Hammond’s granddaughter, and Dr. Sattler. They do exchange a couple words when Dr. Sattler and Dr. Grant come to rescue them from the velociraptors, but it is not for more than thirty seconds. This is unfortunate, but not exactly disappointing because it gives Dr. Sattler more time to develop and show the audience what kind of a person she is. At multiple times in the film, she acts in an assertive manner that could be deemed “manly” by anti-feminists. The scene where she jumps out of a moving car to help the triceratops, leads to her being elbow deep in dinosaur doo-doo looking for the cause of illness. Dr. Malcolm expresses disgust and she does not even acknowledge his comment. She takes risks and will not tolerate being dictated to by the male characters, even Dr. Grant whom she is in a relationship with. Although this movie fails the Bechdel test, it makes up for it with the content of Dr. Sattler’s character.           
Dr. Sattler represents a woman that young girls should look up to and use as a role model. Although she is a fictional character, her values and behavior represent how women should conduct themselves in reality: with intelligence, assertiveness, and a tendency to accept a challenge. This movie was originally released in 1992, but Dr. Sattler’s character will continue to live on in the hearts of those like me. 
For further reading about Jurassic Park, check out this website:



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