Pregnancy as Choice and Excess

Caleb Parsons

Kelly Oliver's piece "Pregnancy as Choice and Excess" delves into the representations of reproductive rights and pregnancy within Hollywood and popular media. At the core of Oliver's debate lies the depiction of innocence and a relational lack of control in motherhood. The difference between "accidental" pregnancies and "chosen" pregnancies blurs the reality that encapsulates pregnancy. While some women may want to become pregnant and engage in sex in order to achieve this, the physical act of conception does not follow the will of the mother. The debate around "choice" conceals connections to class and race as well. The portrayal of white, middle class women who are "baby hungry" can be humorous to audiences, with the narrative typically ending with the woman discovering that traditional family life leads to existential fulfillment. On the other side, many women do not have the luxury to decide between family and work. In the film Precious, the protagonist navigates the terrain of teenage motherhood in a violent household. Impregnated twice by her father, and facing additional abuse from her mother, Precious struggles to liberate herself from her traumatic past and harrowing experiences. This particular instance strays from popular representations arising in the entertainment and media industries. Ultimately, the issue of choice boils down to if the mother can "choose correctly." By resorting to traditional patriarchal paradigms that present successful women as child-bearers, Hollywood reinforces a culture that places the interests of the nuclear family over those of the actual women forced into these ideological corners.

The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter

Caleb Parsons

In Cynthia and Julia Willett's chapter "The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter: Bitches, Whores, and Other Fumerists,"the topic of feminist humor is at the forefront. For Cynthia and Julia, humor serves as a better outlet for "moral suasion" than fact or argument. Humor's power lies in its ability to make subjects recognize intersubjectivity. This recognition connects consciousness beyond identity politics. Cynthia and Julia's chapter focuses on humor's ability to reconfigure notions of motherhood and sexuality. Two realms that have historically suffered under male-dominated representation. The erotic force of feminist humor, or "fumerism," enable this medium to free women from the oppression of societal norms. Janet Halley elaborates on her concept of "governance feminism," which takes into consideration pleasure in female humor. Much of fumerism relies upon the shock value of the "obscene." While the female comedians humor may appear to be "obscene" from the outisde (male) perspective, it really just flips male comedy on its head. So much of male comedy focuses not the female body and body parts as a source of ridicule and entertainment. Fumerism subverts this system by doing the same thing, yet doing so in a way that leaves the women empowered rather than objectified. Subjects such as menstruation, abortion, and female genitalia become topics in female humor. This in effect turns men's comedy "inside out."

The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter

Andrea Gamboa
"Not holding in your anger is what feminist comedy does best. You may be a victim, but you will have your revenge, and a clever one at that" (21). 

In Cynthia and Julia Willett's chapter, The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter, the two authors analyze what characterizes feminist humor. In particular, the authors focus on how humor can be used a tool to fight back against oppression. In a passage describing Tina Fey's ostensibly "immodest" sense of humor, the authors also noted how feminist humor tends to subvert the traditional ideas of who the victim and the oppressors are. Using satirical rhetoric, feminist humorists, or "fumerists," warp and exaggerate the reality of living in the patriarchy in order to magnify the importance of feminist issues. For example, Kristen Schaal's bit on the Daily Show satirized "money rape" as a faux-consequence of providing abortions for rape survivors and in turn made advocates against abortions seem frivolous, illogical, and even cruel.

I really enjoyed reading this piece because I agree that feminist humorists are often ignored and erased. This erasure is due in part to the culturally-ingrained idea that women are not "naturally funny." Being a woman who spends time with considerably humorous women, I do not understand the roots of this idea. I suppose that this idea originated because traditional views of femininity place little value on a woman's personality and experiences, two things critical for being a good humorist.

The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter

I thought this chapter was incredibly interesting because it seemed to take a less philosophical or theoretical approach to feminism and more of a practical, pop culture-esque approach in attempting to shape the discourse surrounding feminism through laughter and satirical comedy. When I think of comedy, I most often think about the fact that women really lack visibility in the industry. From late night comedy talk show hosts to TV shows such as South Park and the Simpsons, women are noticeably absent. The few women in comedy seem to adapt by becoming more striking and assertive, taking on culturally tagged "male" qualities in order to survive and become successful much like women in corporate America. It seems like in order to actually reshape the discourse, women would have to actively reshape their role within comedy (much like every other industry) to create laughter from a place on entertainment and not from the snarky roasting sessions that have come to characterize comedy now, I wonder if Kristeva's concept of internal revolt could come into play here? I would think she would argue too that women need to bring a certain degree of "intimacy" back to comedy in order for the process to create the internal/external revolt dynamic that she sees as so necessary.

The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter

When I started reading Cynthia and Julie Willett’s essay, “The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter: Bitches, Whores and Other Fumerists,” I was immediately draw back to the work of Lloyd early on in the semester as they discuss how all women (particularly feminists) aren’t associated with humor and how typically men are. In Lloyd’s work (“Reason, Gender, and Morality in the History of Philosophy”) a groundwork is placed for why women are associated with emotions and men are associated with reasons. As the Willetts say in their essays, there are plenty of serious issues that feminists try to deal with, and the seriousness of both the issues and their approach to them may create this image, but I see a large disconnect somewhere.

If men are seen as the people more associated with reason, how can they also be seen as the people with humor? Yes, a good joke sometimes requires well thought out rhetoric in word play or irony, but then again people also laugh at some very unintelligible things.

Another thing to consider: There have been multiple studies that show that women who smile seem more attractive (than woman who don’t) and men who don’t smile seem more attractive (than men who do), so why is it that men are more associated with a something that makes people smile? And why should attractiveness go against a general association?

People must really not know what they want. Do you even know yourself?

Erotic Powers of Laughter and the Guerilla Girls

Cynthia and Julia Willett argues that humor is a powerful tool for feminists and they define a new movement called fumerism. They refer to humor as the master’s tool and consider turning the tables by using humor as a liberation.  I do agree with their stand point but I also understand the feminist distancing from humour. “… coming of age with or soon after the second wave of feminism, it is hard for us not be well versed in the sad facts about hostile workplace climates, statistics on violence against women…” I often find myself troubled by these oppressive norms, as any other women, and even get depressed but I think bringing in humor also serves the cause rather than hindering it. For instance, I think Guerilla Girls, briefly mentioned in the article, are a phenomenal group of women artists who exposed the sexism of the art market by making fun of it. Their ironic work The Advantages of Being a Women Artist is my favorite. It lists the advantages of being a women artist as follows: Working without the pressure of success, not having to be in shows with men, having an escape from the art world in your 4 free-lance jobs, knowing your career might pick up after you are eighty, being reassured that whatever kind of art you make it will be labeled feminine, not being stuck at a tenured teaching position, seeing your ideas live on in the work of others, having the opportunity to choose between career and motherhood, not having to choke on those big cigars or paint in Italian suits, having more time to work when your mate dumps you for someone younger, being included in revised versions of art history, not having to undergo the embarrassment of being called a genius and getting your picture in the art magazines wearing a gorilla suit. The idea of the male genius is still present within the art world and this ideology still effects my and many other women artists’ career but spending some time looking at the works of Guerilla Girls always makes me feel better and continue doing what I do despite the ironies of life.

The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter

Sammy Karon
12 April 2015

            In “The Seriously Erotic Politics of Laughter,” Cynthia and Julia Willett evaluate the power dynamics behind comedy as a gender-relating tool. They reevaluate comedy from harmless fun to powerful communication, a way to “[unravel] and [disrupt] conventional norms through ridicule” in order to “free our thinking” (16). This argument has great potential for feminist theory, as it is easier to communicate ones needs and experiences to an open-minded listener, which is not the natural human state. Thus, by shaking things up and reestablishing communicative norms, comedy has the power to further feminist ideas into traditionally non-feminist arenas.

However, in their effort to reclaim comedy from men to women, the Willetts suggest comedy is some form of a privilege or a private good. They write, “But still one could see the temptation to slap back, through sharper, more pointed ridicule. This we would call turning the master’s tool so-to-speak against him” (17). This quote struck me with a new idea: comedy is a privilege that not all humans have access to. Being funny isn’t a privilege, but having the ability to communicate your ideas through humor and have the listener understand and laugh, is. I had never considered this before, but it now seems blatantly true.

Furthermore, if comedy is a privilege, then laughter is a gift. By withholding laughter, then, one gains power over another. By defining women as specifically unfunny, men limit the modes of communication for feminists. Comedy helps people connect to each other, build professional relationships, demonstrate understanding and trust. Without comedy, the feminist cause can only go so far. For this reason, I am grateful to the Willetts for mapping out the politics of laughter for those of us who had previously taken it for granted.