Goodbye to the Blog

Well, this is it. This is my last post. When the semester first started, I was able to pick my font for my posts, and I'm not able to do that anymore. For some reason Verdana font inspired me. I felt like my posts were more insightful and thoughtful when I could use Verdana. Now I just focus on this ugle Times New Roman and do not know what to do with myself.
The only assignment left to do for this class is the final exam. I feel as though I am doing really well in this class, and really want to well on the final. At the moment I'm trying to decide which term/theorist I want to write about that we did not go over in class. I, like most people probably, have narrowed it down to: "de Man," "logocentrism," and "queer theory."
I am enjoying reading about the afterlife of theory according to de man, although I do not know if I want to choose it. We briefly discussed logocentrism in class, and what I am reading about it is interesting....and queer theory, I don't know about that. I feel like a lot of what I'm reading about queer theory are individual intrepretations, and I'm not finding any actual definition. I think I'm going to use the Barry book, and I'll see from there if I want to go with queer theory.

This class was amazing, though. I have never been so challenged by a class, and used it in the world as much as I have with this class. I'm always thinking about the hyperreal now, and recently just read White Noise. For those in the class who were inspired by postmodernism and want to read a novel analyzing the hyperreal, read White Noise. I'm very observant of my surroundings and my reality after this class. I think being in the city really added to the impact of this class becauuse a lot of what we learned about, we are surrounded by. I'm studying abroad in New Zealand next semester, and am really looking forward to comparing Boston's hyperreality to this small town in mountains I'll be moving to. I'm sure once I return home I'll have even more insights.
What I liked most about this class was that it inspired me and influenced me to challenge my environment. I questioned it, I analyzed it, I challenged other to question and analyze it. My two favorite topics we covered in class are postmodernism and deconstructionism. There cannot be any stable or fixed truths in a hyperreality. At first this thought paralyzes me and makes me upset, but then I think of all the vast potential that statement has - if there are no truths, we are truly bound by nothing and are free creatures with the ability to create our own individual worlds. We must take full responsibilty for our actions and our choices. They are precious to us, and they are our own.
Thank you, class, for an interesting and thoughtful semester! Thank you, Dr. McGuire, for leading our class through the tunnels and wonders of theory. I wish you all happiness for your future engagements, and have a wonderful winter break!

Feminism

Thank you, Tonya Krouse for the wonderful post. It sparked a lot of thoughts and ideas, which some of the other guest post have not done. I would like to start by saying I especially liked the section where Tonya talked about Woolf's essay, A Room of One's Own, and the section on anti-pornography feminists. Virginia Woolf is one of my favorie writers. I read a few of her books over the summer and a published journal of hers and found her writing style very captivating, so I was excited when Tonya mentioned her in her post. I have not yet read A Room of One's Own, so I cannot say much about it, but this post have definitely inspired me to read it soon.
I also enjoyed reading the section on anti-pornography feminists because I share similiar feelings about pornography, yet have not been able to articulate myself as well as Tonya did in her post when asked to argue my opinion. I definitely see it as an objectification of women, and the real-life consequences of rape and violence it may inspire. When a woman's body is reduced to an object, it loses power.
I see the same idea in advertising. In commercials, especially food commericals, it may show a woman cooking for her husband and family, yet there is nevr a man cooking for his family. If he is shown cooking, the kitchen is either in flames, or he is making a cup of CHUNKY soup, advertised by strong athletes. The woman is shown as a dainty image, cooking for her family. When a woman is shown in a role of "power" it is a Victoria's Secret ad or some flashy image of a half-exposed body. This is ironic because I don't believe that showing a woman as a sex object is empowering.
To answer one of your questions, I think anyone can "do" feminist theory or be a feminist if they stand for an equality among genders. I do not think there should be discrimination of male or females or anything in between and beyond. To be a feminist to encourage a society of equality, to raise an awareness of issues and discrimination.
Thank you for your post, Tonya, I greatly enjoyed reading it.