Guys Hate Twilight.

People, mostly men, are complaining about Twilight/New Moon... saying that it's demeaning to men.  It's obvious from the hollers in the mostly-female theatre audience that the men are being objectified.  For most of the movie, Jacob and his gang are shirtless, showing off their chiseled bodies.  Bella, the main character, is the one who drives the plot forward.  And, as physically powerful as Jacob and Edward are, they fall weak to Bella whom they love.  She is the one who holds the control and decided who she wants to be with, therefore, she's the one that drives the plot forwards.

I know several guys that these movies actually infuriate.  They claim Twilight/New Moon sets fantasized expectations that real guys feel they could never live up to.  Many guys are pissed that Stephanie Meyer is projecting these fake men who are highly sexualized.  These guys sit, uncomfortable, in the movie theatre while girls shriek when Jacob whips off his shirt.

I'm curious as to why men are uncomfortable with their own objectification while women are basically numb to theirs;  Women are expected to say nothing when Megan Fox's ass is plastered all over the Hollywood screen.  It's because it is the norm.  Since the production of old Hollywood films, females have been objectified on the screen in order to satisfy the male gaze.  The protagonist has usually been the male, withholding the qualities that make him ideal:  strong, powerful, handsome, wealthy, while the female is a representation of a sexual fantasy from a male point of view: sexualized, beautiful, isolated, weak.  This is the way it has been throughout the years and, unfortunately, will continue to be.  The female character performs for the male.  In Laura Mulvey's essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, she states that "as the narrative progresses [the female] falls in love with the main male protagonist and becomes his property, losing her outward glamorous characteristics."

So, again... why is it that men feel uncomfortable with their own objectification?  I commend Stephanie Meyer for switching it around and objectifying men on screen.  It's really one of the first movies produced purely for the female gaze and I'm not complaining... and I really think guys shouldn't either.

Welcome December

Wow.  December, already. 

This is the last week of classes for this semester.  CRAZY.  I've been buckling down in the studio painting as many portraits as I can.  My ideas for my 4th year project has shifted a bit.  I'm cropping out the diary dates and making it primarily about the people.  I don't think the portraits I've painted need any more information.  I think they're enough as it is.  

I'm working primarily in watercolour paints.  I've definitely feel like I've mastered the medium and I feel most comfortable working this way.  The portraits are fairly large... about 2ft x 3ft.  They're fairly loose in structure... I like them that way.  I like the "incomplete" look to them.  It's definitely the body of work that I'm most proud of.  I enjoy painting them.  Portraits used to be such a chore.  If you remember some of my previous entries, I've ranted about how much I loathe painting portraits... but it's so therapeutic to me now.  Maybe it's because I know can relate to the people I'm painting.

I've been looking at options overseas for next year.  The majority of applications are due in January and February which means I'm going to need a decent amount of work to document for a submission portfolio.  There are many MFA programs all over the world... so I've been looking into them.  I've been looking at one in New York, London and one in Ireland.  My other options are NSCAD in Halifax for a Visual Arts Certificate in Studio (a sort of prep for MFA)... or Cape Breton University for Bachelor of Education to teach art in high schools.

There are so many options and I'm glad I'm not narrowing my search to one one or two options.  This is a big decision in my life and I really have to weigh all of the possibilities.  Remember that when it comes time for you to take that next big step after graduation (high school or university), that you really think about all the possibilities.  This is the rest of your life that you're dealing with!  

Dream big and don't limit yourself.  Don't give up on what you want to do.  Have faith in yourself.  The only thing that's stopping you from reaching that dream is yourself.  Remember that!  Nothing is standing in your way.