Response: Patriarchy Rears Its Ugly Head Once Again

Once again, in the readings for tomorrow’s class, the underlying theme that masculine is equated with normal and feminine with other has crept through. In Anne Fausto-Sterling’s chapter we see how women’s responses to their menstrual cycles are seen as abnormal, emotionally disturbing and potentially dangerous when compared to the so-called male “unstated standard of emotional stability” (Fausto-Sterling 96). Despite the limited research and success of studies on PMS, the lack of recognition of the varying symptoms and their severity, menstrual cycles have been used as another excuse to validate women’s position as man’s inferior. Claims that women are emotionally instable, erratic and medically unfit are described as reasons to warrant their exclusion from higher education and in some cases women are “refused work, given lower salaries, taken less seriously because of beliefs about hormonally induced erratic behavior” (Fausto-Sterling 94). Considering that many of the statements that Fausto-Sterling relays, such as the shock inducing headline “Science Update: Premenstrual Strain Lined to Crime” (93), have no basis in fact and seem completely ridiculous, reducing women’s status based on their biological functions seems to me like just another patriarchal tactic to perpetuate male dominance.

Patriarchy’s strong grasp on society is further articulated in Alisa L. Valdès’ story in which she demonstrates that “because of [women’s] economic inequity, [women] comprise a third-world nation within the borders of [their] own developed country” (25). Feeling fiscally tied to working as an aerobics instructor, Alice spent many years neglecting her feminist values while promoting women’s obsession with thinness and fitness before she succumbed to her overwhelming debt and economic disadvantage to pursue her passion as a writer and musician. She tried to justify women’s aerobics as a feminist pursuit, a chance for women to strengthen their bodies and achieve goals, to sweat together as capable, professional women, but when it came down to it, women’s aim in aerobic dancing “is to be thin and beautiful” (Valdès 31), and many of the women in her classes were body-obsessed anorexics. Alice’s story reminded me of our discussion in class: where do you draw the line between what is healthy eating and exercise and what is taking it too far in the construction of our body projects? Alice finishes by understanding that “the gym has really become just another painful way we are all distracted from the serious business in our lives” (32). I see what she is saying, especially in her case where the gym distracted her from her career passion and provoked a fitness obsession, but I also see the gym as a healthy way to get exercise (especially in the winter). I guess it comes down to the reason behind why we are exercising, whether it is for our own happiness or whether we are subscribing to patriarchal ideals of female beauty. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if we can ever truly dissect our motivation. When I finish a run, I definitely do feel healthier, but if I’m really in it for the health, and am not driven by my desire for a better appearance, how can I explain why the frequency of my gym visits skyrocket as spring break bikini season approaches?