Leah Wyman: discussion and interveiw
The Now Body Image Survey
What
the mainstream feminists are saying about
the media’s portrayal of women in modern
American culture.
interview
by Girlphoria
Leah Wyman
is the current president of the Long Beach Chapter of the National Organization
for Women. In addition to her work with NOW, Ms. Wyman teaches the class
Gender and Communication at Cal State Long Beach. In addition to her work
with NOW, Ms. Wyman teaches the class Gender and Communication at Cal
State Long Beach. She is a published author of articles and essays in
the field of Female Sexuality including, "Transcending the Virgin/Whore
Dichotomy: Telling Nina's Story in Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Primal
Urges and Civilized Sensibility: The Rhetoric of Gender Archetypes, Seduction,
and Resistance in Bram Stoker's Dracula". Ms. Wyman holds a committee
chair on the Women In Film board and reviews films for Radio Station 90.7
AM in Los Angeles airing Wednesdays at 7:00pm. Leah has kindly agreed
to chat with girlphoria.com about the results of the 1998 NOW Body Image
Survey. Also, look for Leah’s monthly film reviews at girlphoria.com.
Olivia :
What initially attracted you to the feminist movement and why did
you choose NOW as the venue to channel your activist energy?
Leah:
I was initially attracted to feminism while in college. I learned about
the history of patriarchy. Throughout history gender affected status and
power and I learned how women have always been subjugated. I chose NOW
because I’d heard that they have done a lot as far as activism and
getting things done. In academic spheres they do a lot of talking but
NOW actually "walks the walk."
Olivia :
…less talk and more action.
Leah:
Right. I attended their National Conference this year in Los Angeles and
became a member. I met a lot of interesting people and made a lot of contacts
at the Conference. That’s how it started.
From
Now Body Image Survey:
1) What
advertisement, TV show, movie, trend or product most annoys you in its
treatment of women’s and/or girl’s bodies? The three most
popular answers:
-
Calvin
Klein advertising
-
Ally
McBeal
-
Baywatch
Other common
responses: cigarette ads with skinny/glamorous women, beer commercials,
Carl’s Jr. restaurant ads, Bally’s Fitness ads, Beverly
Hills 90210, the lack of women over 35 anywhere on television, Disney
movies, Hollywood movies in general (the one token female, fixation
on prostitutes, men protecting women), small women modeling for plus-size
stores, women’s magazines, emphasis on cosmetics, breast implants,
diet drugs, sexist video games.
Olivia :
While I can understand, from the mainstream feminist point of view,
the inclusion of Baywatch, though actually it’s equal opportunity
eye candy, and Calvin Klein adverts, I am rather puzzled by the respondents
choice of Ally McBeal in the top three most negative portrayals of women
in the media. The cast is primarily a female ensemble, within which are
women of color and a wide range of bodytypes. Why pick on one of the few
shows that deal with real issues such as sexual harassment, body image
and the need for love in one’s life with insight and humor? And no,
David E. Kelly is not paying me to say this. {Laughs}.
Leah:
I’m not too familiar with the show, as I don’t watch much television.
One of the things to remember is that since women are raised in the same
society as men, a lot of times we co-opt male values. We tend to internalize
the very messages we should be questioning. Women have grown up with a
media culture that usually features men and tells men’s stories.
We are not as quick to warm up to stories of women as we should be because
it’s not what we’re used to.
Olivia :
One of the points you’d made (in previous discussion) was that
sometimes women are our own worst enemies.
Leah:
Exactly. That’s how we as women perpetuate patriarchy. We can be
so judgmental and critical of each other and, of ourselves. So we are
our own worst enemies because we have internalized those values. That
could definitely be part of it.
Olivia :
What would NOW do if it could, to change this situation? Would you
prefer that above mentioned (negative) influences be removed completely
or is what respondents are reacting to is lack of what would be viewed
by most as "positive" content along side the "offending
material?"
Leah:
In an ideal world we could eliminate all of the negativity out there but
the problem with that is then you get into the issue of censorship and
that gets very sticky because then it becomes a question of whose ideas
do we censor? Inevitably you wind up censoring things that maybe are offensive
to one person but not to others. So what would be more practical would
be to get more positive images out there to counteract the negative ones.
Olivia :
It seems that some quarters within the feminist movement, especially
the anti-porn factions, their solution to sex and violence or whatever
else they don’t like is that it should be banned.
Leah:
Well, the old cliché on that is that the political conservatives
want to ban sex and the political liberals want to ban violence.
Olivia :
So the key is to support women who are helping to create culture.
Leah:
Yes, and also, there are men who create film and television shows that
feature positive portrayals of women. It’s really about supporting
positive images of women and educating women about what positive images
are, and further, educating women about how to question the images they
see instead of just passively accepting everything as entertainment. We
tend to accept it as "the way it is." It doesn’t even occur
to us to question anymore.
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