no ,o u . friday, december 12, 1980
page 12 daily nebraskan 1,1 y'
oaGi?(ifiirainniinifi
Centennial class looks at women's media roles
By Pete Schmitz
No one is going to tic me to this machine
Giving me formula forced dreams
(jetting more hold on me than it seems. . .
Heart
Americans born after World War II would be hard -put
to deny their signifigance of the mass media in their every
day lives. When many of us arc not at work we arc watch
ing television, going to the movies, listening to the radio,
putting on an album, glancing through a magaine or read
ing a newspaper.
After the 50s, it became acceptable for scholars and
journalists to study and write about the effects of the
media on audiences. Yet until recently, little concern was
given to how the mass media, or popular culture, reflect
and reinforce traditional sex roles.
This semester Centennial College offered a course that
deals with sexism in the media titled, "The Construction
of self: Wimmin And The Mass Media."
Feminist perspective
Mary Jo Deegan, assistant professor of sociology, and
Terry Nygren, curator of Sheldon Film Theatre's "Trav
eling Motion Picture Exhibition," taught the class from a
feminist perspective.
According to Nygren, many people were critical of the
idea of a class being taught in a politically-based way.
claiming that to do so was academically irresponsible.
Classmembcr Theresa Holder said, "I think every class
taught at this university comes from a political perspect
ive." Although "Wimmin And The Mass Media" is a femin
ist course, other schools of thought were considered such
as Marxism, Freudianism, and Structuralism.
Instead of viewing these theories as opposed to each
other, the instructors and students explored how each
of these interpretations of history and everyday life can
be combined in order to explain a woman's place in
society.
Theoretical understanding
Many students stressed the importance of learning how
to use "theoretical tools." Aside from looking for examp
les of sexist stereotypes, students in the class were expect
ed to explain why these stereotypes still exist as well as
how they were constructed and accepted.
According to Nygren. "The members of this class have
reached an extremely sophisticated concept of theoretical
understanding."
Early classes consisted of discussing the required texts
and listening to some lectures. Later classes were devoted
to presenting student projects.
Children's television, images of black women in white
magazines of the World War II era, magazines for work
ing women, magazine and television advertisements,
women in popular music, representations of women in
science fiction, women in sitcoms, and the movie Caddy
shack were discussed.
While working in various theoretical frameworks, the
women in this class used an assortment of analytical
methods such as historical documentation, content anal
ysis and statistical analysis.
In the future, the class plans to put all its projects to
gether in book form.
Affects outlook
When asked how this class has affected their outlook
on the media, Lori Grajeda remarked, "We all get sick ol
watching T.V. as a result of being in tins class.
Jean I'otmesil questioned the frequent use ol male
voice-overs in television commercials where many times
a woman is holding the product being advertised. Judy
dangler also mentioned that television was oppressive
in the disproportionate number of men it shows.
One class member said, "I came into this class thinking
that everything is fine. Maybe this class will affVct the way
I raise my children."
Another added, "My little sister will now see things in
television commercials."
Others in class have run into barriers, though. Sheila
Krueger said that others have responded to her criticism
of various media by saying she reads too much into things.
Nancy Grant-Colson added that people cannot understand
the dynamics of the socialization process."
Deegan commented that consciousness-raising is dif
ficult when people are embedded in various traditional
relationships.
Julie Engel summarized the intent of this class saying
that it "is like the pebble in the pond with a ripple eff
fect." The other students said they have gotten friends,
roommates and relatives, to view television critically.
Don we now our clean apparel
D
eck the halls with dirty laundry, Fa let lei
The problems with the holiday season is that the
most banal, everyday things in life go on in spite of the
festive atmosphere.
I look under the Christmas tree and I see not a trea
sure trove of gaudily-wrapped presents, but a couple of
piles of dirty laundry. Mixed in with the daily haul of
Christmas cards is the monthly bill from Cengas. The
electric bill, the grocery shopping and the dirty dishes
also know no holiday. But the task which least reflects
the holiday spirit remains the laundry.
dark
There has to be something about these chores that
could be highlighted so as to make them palatable dur
ing the holiday season. They will never be glamourous,
of course; even the companies that make money on
such tasks, companies like the laundry soap manufac
turers, realize this. You never hear ads like, "If you've
got a very personal message for that someone special
this Christmas, remember to say it with Ciorox."
What we need is a mundane Christmas story, some
thing specifically designed to artificially elevate those
household drudgeries for the duration of the holidays.
The scene: A laundromat. It is Christmas t i e and I
have gone to do my laundry. I am trying to carry my
load of rapidly mildewing clothes into the laundromat,
but there is somebody in my way at the door.
"Halt! Who goes there!" says the man at the door.
He's real short, about three feet tall, and kind of
swarthy looking. He's wearing one of those jumpsuits
like garage mechanics wear with his name, "Tom,"
written in script above the breast pocket. He is
smoking a cigar.
"I just came to do my laundry," I say.
"I'll bet. Let's see your identification."
"Since when do I need identification to get into a
coin op laundromat, and who are you to ask me for
it?"
You need identification ever since it became
Christmas Eve, and the one that wants to know is me,
Tom, one of Santa's elves."
''Santa's eleves, huh? How come you're dressed
like that then?"
"Union rules. Those stupid little silk jerkins and
belled slippers we were wearing before we organized
were maybe real nice for the cutesy-image, hut they
were uncomfortable and unsafe."
I have no explanation about why I started to be
lieve him, but I did, at least partially. I wanted more
proof that he was the real McCoy, though; I mean,
anybody can go around saying he's one of Santa's
elves.
"If you are one of Santa's elves." I said, pointing
a finger at his pudgy face, "then where is Santa?"
"He's out collecting laundry, dope," said the elf,
blowing a smoke ring in my face in the process, "just
like he does every Christmas Eve."
I thought I had him, and was ready to expose him
as a fake. "Who are you kidding?" I said, "You don't
even know the Santa Claus legend!"
"You may know the legend," said Tom, unperturb
ed, "but I know the real story."
He had me convinced. "Santa Claus isn't the big
toybearer?"
"That's all a front. Geez. you ought to know that
by now. I mean, you've bought Christmas gifts for
years now, so you ought to know that's not his
job. What Santa Claus does is go around to every house
in the world and pick up the dirty clothes. He brings
them here, we launder them, and he brings them back.
What else would he bundle up in those big bags of
his?"
"I'd never thought about it before."
"Probably not. And you've probably never stopped
to ask why you're supposed to hang your stockings
by the chimney with great care, either. Well, what
you're supposed to do is put your laundry list in the
stockings, and list your special instructions; you know,
no starch, no bleach, pre-soak, stuff like that."
I was impressed. "Santa Claus really gets around in
that one night, huh?"
"Oh, that's nothing. We've got people, elves I mean,
running all over the world doing household chores. I
hope you left your door unlocked, because we've got a
representative swinging around your neighborhood
right now to take out the garbage, if you live in the
Nebraska-Iowa-Kansas tri-statc region."
"No. I locked up."
"Well, then get home kid. and hurry. Go. go, go!"
"That's ho-ho-ho, I thought."
"Don't get cute. Merry Christmas."
Japanese 'can' their writers
On his recent stopover in Lincoln, poetnovelist
Richard Brautigan spoke glowingly of Japanese publish
ing. The Japanese are apparently voracious readers, which
has helped publishing in Japan to be somewhat of a boom
industry. This is, of course, very healthy for Japanese
writers, as well as those foreigners whose work is success
ful in translation.
lJUUUou ,
sangari
The publishing houses have their own magazines, which
is a rational way to give their prose wide market exposure.
What is exciting though is that the houses give younger
writers a chance to publish in these magazines, so there is
a constant and healthy influx of new writers all the time.
This is augmented by a great deal of prize money and'
grants being made available to the rookies to encourage
participation.
The quality too, of Japanese fiction is incredibly high.
The books themselves are printed on high quality pap'
and are often very carefully put together. Japanese
books are among the finest in the world.
All this of course is sheer torture in the face of the
pathetic state of American publishing, which has nose
dived in the last few years. Tis a hitter tale for true.
At any rate, the thing I find most fascinating about
Japanese publishing, as described by Brautigan. are the
hotels maintained by the industry.
Brautigan says that the Japanese have borrowed an
American phrase to describe them. The phrase is "can
rung" or "canned." Writers arc literally -canned" at
writers hotels. It s an oddly intriguing idea. What happens
The publishing houses maintain entire hotels for
writers. They pump in the purest breathable oxygen possi
ble, provide the best food and provide pleasant surround
ings. Then the writers (under contract) are locked in their
rooms with their editors, who edit as they write They arc
kept away from family, friend ard an sort of distrac
tion that might get in the way of finishing the., work. If
ired, the editor will allow them to sleep for six hours
then wdl wake them up. and the writing-editing process
starts all over again. 61
Brautigan says that ,t ha, been many a t.me when he
mus, have a ,,, f, , m
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