Drive, feminism, and vacuum cleaners
This is the unabridged version of my April column for the student newspaper, Intermission. Because of some shitty layout decisions I had to cut over 70 words to make my column fit; sadly editing out most of the jokes, flavor, and voice of my column. Which is why I'm posting the unabridged version here and other places on the web. Here it is, enjoy!
When I saw the premiere of Fox’s new show Drive last Sunday, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t totally sucked in by the idea of an illegal cross-country road race, where the rules, as well as the characters’ motives, are totally ambiguous. Every so often, I believe there is nothing wrong with indulging in some entertainment that stimulates the working organs other than your brain (adrenaline, not just the groiny parts). There is a vicarious thrill when watching these gratuitous, often blood-soaked, guilty pleasures. And based on the box office sales from the recent action epic 300, I’m clearly not alone.
So why the guilt? And why, more importantly, is it so very shocking when women admit they like the occasional zombie movie, alien-slug flick, or gratuitous teen sex comedy?
The reaction I’ve received from some men (and more surprisingly women) when I tell them I liked The Godfather, Sin City or American Pie is as if I turned in my ovaries when I walked into the theatre.
I’m not ignorant of the fact that it goes both ways, that if a man admits Sleepless in Seattle makes him all teary, he’ll be labeled as “less than,” but it’s completely ridiculous that people can still believe that women would only be interested in watching TV that pushes bras and shampoo during commercial breaks.
During the two-hour premiere of Drive, there were no tampon commercials. There were countless car commercials (which were unavoidable given the content of the show), but amidst the ads for erectile dysfunction and gasoline, there was one commercial that really grabbed my attention. Yes, in the land of all things manly, a vacuum cleaner commercial made a very special appearance.
From the beginning the advertisers made it clear: this wasn’t your mother’s vacuum. There were no human faces in the ad, just bodies from the waist down, vacuuming, so it was unclear if they were men or women. The body of the vacuum was translucent, and what looked like a large engine revved inside. The most gratifying aspect though, and what really made me laugh, was the product’s slogan: “never loses suction.”
Somehow, I don’t think this vacuum cleaner was targeted toward me. So now, the question becomes is there room for women in this boy’s club of fast cars, morally ambiguous characters, and super-sexualized vacuums? Absolutely! Good writing appeals to everyone, regardless of gender-directed content. The only way social biases will change is if we keep bringing them up. Unless more women admit they prefer Blade Runner to Beaches, we’ll all be doomed to more senseless, sexist pressure to reduce our interests to those socially acceptable for our respective genders.
When I saw the premiere of Fox’s new show Drive last Sunday, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t totally sucked in by the idea of an illegal cross-country road race, where the rules, as well as the characters’ motives, are totally ambiguous. Every so often, I believe there is nothing wrong with indulging in some entertainment that stimulates the working organs other than your brain (adrenaline, not just the groiny parts). There is a vicarious thrill when watching these gratuitous, often blood-soaked, guilty pleasures. And based on the box office sales from the recent action epic 300, I’m clearly not alone.
So why the guilt? And why, more importantly, is it so very shocking when women admit they like the occasional zombie movie, alien-slug flick, or gratuitous teen sex comedy?
The reaction I’ve received from some men (and more surprisingly women) when I tell them I liked The Godfather, Sin City or American Pie is as if I turned in my ovaries when I walked into the theatre.
I’m not ignorant of the fact that it goes both ways, that if a man admits Sleepless in Seattle makes him all teary, he’ll be labeled as “less than,” but it’s completely ridiculous that people can still believe that women would only be interested in watching TV that pushes bras and shampoo during commercial breaks.
During the two-hour premiere of Drive, there were no tampon commercials. There were countless car commercials (which were unavoidable given the content of the show), but amidst the ads for erectile dysfunction and gasoline, there was one commercial that really grabbed my attention. Yes, in the land of all things manly, a vacuum cleaner commercial made a very special appearance.
From the beginning the advertisers made it clear: this wasn’t your mother’s vacuum. There were no human faces in the ad, just bodies from the waist down, vacuuming, so it was unclear if they were men or women. The body of the vacuum was translucent, and what looked like a large engine revved inside. The most gratifying aspect though, and what really made me laugh, was the product’s slogan: “never loses suction.”
Somehow, I don’t think this vacuum cleaner was targeted toward me. So now, the question becomes is there room for women in this boy’s club of fast cars, morally ambiguous characters, and super-sexualized vacuums? Absolutely! Good writing appeals to everyone, regardless of gender-directed content. The only way social biases will change is if we keep bringing them up. Unless more women admit they prefer Blade Runner to Beaches, we’ll all be doomed to more senseless, sexist pressure to reduce our interests to those socially acceptable for our respective genders.