Jennifer Lawrence Speaks Out About Nude Photo Hack, Sexual Violation

     It's been a little over a month since many nude photos of female celebrities were stolen and spread through the internet and for the first time since the event, Jennifer Lawrence is talking.
     In Vanity Fair's November issue, Lawrence speaks out about issues of consent and why this isn't a scandal; it's a sex crime.
     "It is a sexual violation," Lawrence said. "It’s disgusting. The law needs to be changed, and we need to change. That’s why these Web sites are responsible. Just the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebody’s mind is to make a profit from it. It’s so beyond me. I just can’t imagine being that detached from humanity. I can’t imagine being that thoughtless and careless and so empty inside."
     Laurence also talked about slut shaming and how women are held accountable for things that are not bad for them to do. Taking nude photos is someone personal and she is not in the wrong for taking the photos, rather other people are in the wrong for spreading and viewing them

     "I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for," she told Vanity Fair. "I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”

     I think Lawrence sharing her views about the event is very powerful and shows that this is not going to bring her down. Although this was a horrible event to occur to anyone, Lawrence has dealt with it through a perfect blend of sass and class. She is not going to apologize for her actions (nor should she have to,) but she also isn't going to dwell on this forever. Investigations are going on, but until they are finished, she is gracing famous magazine covers and getting ready for the release of the newest Hunger Games movie.

Don't Be a Racist for Halloween

     We're already a few days into October, which means Halloween will be here in just a few weeks. Delicious candy, children trick or treating, the start of cold weather and ridiculously racist costumes.
     Huh? One of these things is not like the others... But it's true!
     Something about Halloween makes people throw on Native American headdresses, don blackface, and wear provocative scraps of material made to resemble an "exotic princess." There is apparently something sexy and fun in getting to imitate another culture, but for the cultures being appropriated, nothing about these Halloween costumes is fun or acceptable.
     In fact, students at Ohio University created a campaign called "We're a Culture, Not A Costume" through their STARS (Students Teaching Against Racism) student organization. The group has made photo campaigns for the last three years. The 2011 photo campaign features students of various ethnic backgrounds holding photos of their cultures being represented in costumes with texts reading "We're a culture, not a costume" and "This is not who I am and this is not okay." Other years' slogans are "You wear the costume for one night, I wear the stigma for life" and "When this is how the world sees you, it's just not funny."
     These campaigns are very necessary and powerful, but some people still continue to make a mockery of them. On "Chicks on the Right," a blog focused on giving Conservatism a "Makeover," writer Mockarena suggests that "this entire country...[gets] the twist out of its collective panties and freaking LOCATE ITS SENSE OF HUMOR." She also questions if we have "really gotten this completely hypersensitive? Are people really this incapable of just laughing at themselves a little?"
Well sorry Mockarena, a middle-aged white woman as seen in her profile picture, but you'll never experience systematic racism and never need to "just laugh at yourself" when someone wears your culture and lifestyle as a fun, one-night-only identity.
     As a young middle-class white woman, the only stereotype I often get assigned is that of a ditzy person that wears leggings, UGG boots, a Northface or Patagonia jacket, and totes a Starbucks drink everywhere I go. I have never been arrested, killed, racially profiled, or negatively affected by this stereotype. Whereas if I were any other race or ethnicity, any one of the negative things listed above could happen to me on a daily basis. I would also have to come to terms with my identity frequently being used as a joke and a parody by people who have no real connection to it.
     Even though people think it's a fun Halloween costume to throw on some "ethnic" clothes, they only wear that identity for a day and never face any negative consequences because of it. They never have to face the very real negative judgement, discriminations, and other actions that people of color face on a daily basis. For that very reason, I ask you to please not dress like a racist this Halloween.

Please Don't Take Photos Up My Skirt

     Next time you’re in Texas, be mindful of what you’re wearing or who’s around you because the Lone Star State just reversed their decision on a photography law that bans people from taking photography for sexual gratification in public places. In other words, if a pervy guy takes a photo up your skirt for his own sexual purpose, he’s not committing an offense in the eyes of the Texas Court.

     The statute in Texas Penal Code section 21.15(b)(1) stated that “a person commits an offense if the person photographs...or transmits a visual image of another at a location that is not a bathroom or private dressing room: (A) without the other person’s consent; and (B) with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.”

     Sounds pretty valid. I wouldn’t want someone taking photos of me, without me knowing it, and later using it for their own sexual desires.

     Texas, however, changed their mind and decided that due to paparazzi journalists’ and other photographers’ professions, keeping the law in place with its current wording could get them into hot water. Theoretically, any paparazzi could take a photograph that could be interpreted sexually and be charged for it.

     Unfortunately, by protecting photographers and journalists, the law also could protect people like Ronald Thompson, who was caught taking underwater photos of young minors at Sea World in 2011, then tried to delete them before his camera was seized. The 73 photos were mostly of children and were “targeting the children’s breast and buttocks areas,” said District Attorney Susan Reed.

     Although Thompson was initially indicted with 26 felony counts of violation of the Improper Photography statute, the case was sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals; there it was ruled that photography was protected by the 1^st Amendment as an expressive outlet.

     The court also decided that due to the broad wording of the law, and the inability to differentiate between regular street photography and photography with sexual intent, the statute should simply be struck down.

(Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

     Although I can see the desire to protect photo journalists or paparazzi photographers, I also think that by striking down the law creates so many problematic situations of assumed consent. Just because someone isn’t taking a photo of me for their sexual gratification doesn’t mean that I want them to have a photo of me at all! Also, in some cases, paparazzi photos are taken and shared with explicit sexual content, so I don’t think paparazzi are fully innocent in their efforts to do their job.

     Anne Hathaway was unfortunately subjected to this during a Les Miserables premiere. While leaving her car, paparazzi took photos that showed her vagina. Instead of deleted these photos, however, the photos were sold, released, and promptly spread around the internet. What does Texas plan to do about cases like these? Cases that would have been prosecuted under the previous Improper Photography law.

     I think this is an issue that will only become more and more common as the destruction of privacy and non-consensual commodification of human bodies continue to become more commonplace in our society. Although I agree that maybe the original law could have found some people unintentionally violating the law, Texas’ decision is not a move in the right direction as far as protecting victims of sexual harassment.

Closing Hour

     I'm currently sitting in the FLLC at 9:30. I can tell that there are two, maybe three, students in the center right now. We close at 10 and there are usually just a few stragglers that stay to finish up homework or make sure that they can conjugate all the right verbs for their quiz tomorrow. Right now, Shaydon is talking word etymologies and a student is loudly typing away on the computer. 

     "I just don't understand" says a language student. It's pretty common to hear here. 

     A wall of foreign magazines sits behind me and I can't help but think how much I'll miss this place once I graduate. When I think about it, I've spent so much of my time junior and senior year here and it really does feel like a second home. Even when there's not the noise and bustle that comes with afternoon shifts, the center is still exciting. Every day I feel like I find and learn different things. I've been learning a few phrases in Russian and can confidently say a few German words, albeit with a pretty bad accent, but hey. I'm trying.

     About 10 minutes have passed. I'm staring at a lost water bottle that has been sitting in our lost and found for weeks and wondering at what point it becomes socially acceptable to just take it. One would think the owner would have come back, but maybe not. Maybe if it's still here at Christmas...

     Shaydon is talking about gender roles in languages and there's still 20 minutes left in this shift. I love the FLLC, I really do. But closing hour is the hardest.

Response to Ciara's "Is The HPER Doing Too Much."

     As a Wittenberg student and student worker, I think Ciara's article brings up many valid issues. Until recently, I was not aware that HPER Center student workers weren't able to do homework at their job. If I worked my 12 hours a week (an average to light load compared to some jobs) without being able to do homework at work, I probably wouldn't be working 12 hours, or wouldn't be getting good grades in my classes. 

     In fact, I'm typing this entry as I sit in the FLLC right now. There are currently no students needed help with their Spanish and there are also three other Spanish tutors in the center right now. We are all working on homework, but would drop it instantly the minute someone called us over for help. Am I a less dedicated worker because I want to balance my academics with helping people with theirs? Am I not as good of a worker as I should be because instead of cleaning the FLLC and reorganizing our movie collection, I am typing up this blog entry? Dr. Bennett might have some thoughts on that, but effectively, no. 

     I can both be a great tutor and get my work done. In fact, right now, between typing this blog, I am helping a student with her Spanish homework and am judging a game of Manzanas con Manzanas (the Spanish Apples to Apples). Yes, I'm getting paid for maybe not really working, but I am practicing my Spanish and bettering my language skills, which eventually will help my tutoring. When I do homework (which is almost always Spanish as I'm taking 14 credit hours of the language), I consider it making me a better tutor. 

     But even if I wasn't actively improving my Spanish, me doing homework at work shouldn't be seen as a negative thing. Yes, I am a student and my main priority is my academics. Working is just an added benefit that helps me offset the cost of college living. And while I understand the argument that student workers should focus on their jobs, I don't understand why they can't also do their homework during slow periods at work. If students ask me for help while I'm doing homework, I instantly put my homework down and help them. When they say "Sorry, I don't mean to be a bother, but..." I tell them it's my job to help them and that is always a priority. But there are also times where during my five or six hour shifts, I'll only have two or three Spanish students. There must be a more productive way to spend my time than looking at decorations in the FLLC and that is by doing homework. Hopefully the HPER Center work rules won't spread to other areas on campus; I literally can't afford to not work on any homework at work.

     

On Moving to Canda

     I'm obsessed with Canada. It's no secret. I'm in love with the hockey, the friendly people, the landscape, and the aspects of their socialist system are just an added benefit for me.
     Ever since visiting Vancouver my freshman year, I fell in love with the city and started to think about moving to Canada after graduation. While I did visit Niagara Falls (on the Ontario side) when I was about four years old, I mostly remember being amazed by the falls and crying in a tall building because I was terrified of falling.

Mountain view from downtown Vancouver (Elizabeth Doll)

     A lot has changed since then; during a Torch conference in Seattle, two friends and I made the drive to Vancouver to go to a concert that was 21+ in the U.S., but only 19+ in British Columbia. I was still a few weeks shy of turning 19, so I took to the streets of Vancouver and walked around for hours while Martin and Kate were in the venue. While this might've seemed very gutsy for someone that was walking alone at night in a city they've never been to before, I felt very safe and there were a lot of other people out as well. I got to see Rogers Arena, home of the Canucks, as well as the Vancouver Art Gallery and many shops downtown.  The city was incredible and even though I just saw a few parts of it, I fell in love. That night, we couch surfed at a home outside of the city. Even though we got in late and left fairly early in the morning, the owner of the house pointed us in the direction of a great breakfast diner. She apologetically told us that she had work that morning, otherwise she would have given us a tour of the city. As is, I felt like she was a great host and gave me a really positive view of the city. Later on, we walked around the Gastown District downtown. 

     Now, I'm halfway through my last real semester at Wittenberg and next semester I'll be teaching Spanish to high schoolers at Shawnee High School. Before student teaching, the Education Department has various meetings to talk about licensure and testing and basically getting ready for life after graduation. At one of these meetings, I found out that my Ohio licensure is reciprocal with British Columbia! So now I'm working out the details and looking up jobs and legal forms, but if all goes well, this time next year, I'll be in Canada, living out the dream.

Vancouver at night (Elizabeth Doll)

Why I'm Obsessed with Emma Watson and Her United Nations Speech on Feminism

     Emma Watson, the actress most famous for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter series, recently spoke to the United Nations about feminism and her fight for equality. I have always been a fan of Watson's acting and knew that she was very involved with human rights, but while listening to her speech, I realized that she summed up exactly how I feel about gender inequality around the world.

(Wikimedia Commons)

     "I decided I was a feminist and that seemed uncomplicated to me, but my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word," Watson said. "Women are choosing not to identify as feminists."
     All I could think of was an experience sophomore year when a girl in my choir said that she would never be a feminist because she loved her boyfriend. I tried to explain that loving your boyfriend and believing in equality of the sexes weren't mutually exclusive; she could be in her relationship and still fight for equal rights, but she too viewed feminism as a men-hating religion and she wanted no part in that.
     "For the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities," Watson said. "It is the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes."
     I am a firm believer in feminism and I too want to change its connotation. I think any woman could and should be a feminist. Some people have told me "I could never be a feminist. I want to be a stay at home mom and take care of my kids," but as a feminist I believe that women should be able to do what they want with their lives and not be held to a lesser standard because of it. I hope that with more visibility and education, more people will realize the benefits of feminism and that the equalities of the future that Watson talked about can come true much sooner. For now, I challenge everyone, especially men, to educate themselves about feminism and gender inequalities throughout the world. Like Watson says, "gender equality is your issue too."