Packaging Girlhood

Super-Lonely!

Check out the cover of this week's USA Weekend, that ubiquitous magazine that accompanies 23 million Sunday papers across the country. Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Maggie Gyllenhaal are "The Girls of Summer" who promise to "turn up the heat" in "3 upcoming blockbusters". Except these "leading ladies" aren't actually leading much. They're the only women in comic book series turned movies, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and Batman's The Dark Knight. Paltrow is Ironman's "trusted assistant", Gyllenhaal is a "lawyer friend" of Bruce Wayne's, and Tyler is The Hulk's love interest. And the first question posed to the three in their collective interview pretty much says it all: "Was it lonely being the only woman in a comic book movies?" Lonely indeed, for way too many talented women actors these days. If you're interested in where the women are and feminist issues related to women and Hollywood, check out Melissa Silverstein's blog:
http://womenandhollywood.blogspot.com/

Another Spin Around the Track with Danika Patrick

Checking the comments we received below we thought we'd respond with a full-fledged blog entry. Amy's commnt, from Shaping Youth, is kind of like saying a woman who dresses provocatively deserves to be harassed, isn't it? Or that the A+ a high school girl pulled on her history exam is tainted or undeserved because her skirt is short. Of course we know that Patrick posed for men's magazines and ads. It's unfortunate, very unfortunate, that even though women are 40% of athletes in this country they get only 3-5% of coverage in sports media, and so young women athletes draw attention to their sport in the one way they can ensure attention. So it's more than simplistic to put the blame squarely on Patrick's shoulders for this scenario, or to say her choices make it okay to dismiss her achievements on the race track in sports column analyzing the race and her place in history for winning that race. In this crazy bi-polar world, we had the choice of standing with the sexists or with her on this and we chose to stand with her. Maybe sexualizing herself was a path for getting the funding to do the kinds of athletic things she wanted to do. So instead of shame and blame, let's hail her victory, support her sport, value her athleticism, and sit back now and see if some of the self-sexualization can change now that she's been honored as a winner! And if we can keep the marketers and media ready to re-sexualize her at bay, maybe the next Danika to come along will make a different set of choices.

Racing History Made

So, race car driver Danika Patrick has made history. We're celebrating with the first woman ever to win an IndyCar race, the Japan 300. Three years after finishing fourth in the Indianapolis 500, the race car driver can finally -- what? Prove hard work pays off, regardless of gender? Prove that athletes are athletes? Prove she's the best driver on the track? No, AP writer Mike Harris writes, she can now finally "avoid comparisons to Anna Kournikova, who built a reputation based on glamour but never won a title." Say what? This is what matters? Beating out the last sex symbol? What's historical about that? Proving she's more than just a Sports Illustrated swimsuit pin up? Will that go down in the books? Of the win, Patrick says, "I'm definitely just part of a wave of women that are doing different things, great things, outside of the normal world. I think it's showing we're capable of anything.There's so much gender crossover now than there ever has been. So I really just believe that I'm part of a really big picture." Oh, and she won by beating Helio Castroneves. Funny, no one reduced him to his sexy moves on Dancing With The Stars!