5 American Folk Songs to be offended by, cautiously teach, or just not teach at all

Introduction:

For my multimodal project, I created a "look book" of five American folk songs that are sexist and thus difficult to teach. My project was heavily inspired by my Week 6 blog post, "Anti-Feminist Folk Songs." In my reflective essay, I provided suggestions for how to teach these problematic songs, which included simply not teaching them at all, and discussed the implications that teaching these songs may have on young students. In addition, I analyzed the sexism in each of the five songs and cited the value of folk tradition as part of the argument to teach them, albeit with caution and open discussion, to children.

My thesis was, "This reflective essay will discuss the misogynistic implications of five American folk songs, highlighting some of their sexist, underlying messages, and include suggestions for how to still appreciate and teach these kinds of problematic songs to young children" (Palmer 1-2). 

The title and cover of my look book was inspired by the songbook that I selected these folk songs from. 150 American Folk Songs is a text that we were required to purchase for my General Pedagogy course (The Art of Teaching Elementary School Music, basically) and use in many of our lesson plans. Thus, our professor highly recommends teaching these songs, essentially suggesting that they are "wonderful pedagogic tools" and ignoring their issues. 

Here is the cover for this problematic songbook.

And this is the cover for my look book inspired by it.

*Disclaimer: I do not have much in the way of art supplies at my current hideout (AKA my sad apartment), so please excuse the horrid plainness and the staples. :) 

The inside of my look book contains the five folk songs and some "pros and cons" for teaching them. In the pros, there is a lot of General Pedagogy lingo, so I will include some definitions under the pictures.

low la and low sol= solfège syllables

solfège (syllables)= i.e. "do re mi" 

Again solfège syllables describe the names given to certain pitches, which relate to the key signature. 

interesting rhythmic passages= just a fancy way to say there are hard rhythms in these songs 

more culturally diverse origin= an Afro-American game song 

In case you couldn't see the songs very well in those pictures, here they are by themselves.

What I did:

I already discussed my process briefly, but I first selected five folk songs that carried underlying sexist messages. Then, I wrote a paragraph for each song analyzing the sexism in them. Finishing out my reflective essay, I mentioned the possible implications teaching these songs could have on young children and how to avoid the perpetuation of outdated ideals, which included either not teaching the songs or having an open discussion about them with the students before teaching. I used the value of folk tradition as a reason to teach these songs but still strongly suggested that they should be taught cautiously. By doing so, I reinforced my thesis for the reflective portion of my essay. Of course, I completed the entire project by then assembling the look book. 

"So what?":

So, my project is important, as the education of our children is incredibly important. Young students absorb information like sponges, so we, as educators and parents, have to be very careful about what our students are being taught and how. While folk tradition is something that should be appreciated, it needs to be accompanied with a thoughtful discussion so that we can avoid the perpetuation of sexism as much as possible. Personally, this project has helped me learn to value these problematic folk songs, even though I really did not want to, and think about the most beneficial way to teach them to students. It was not an easy feat, especially considering songs like the last one, but I came to the conclusion that it is still possible to teach them in a constructive way without furthering their sexist beliefs in the minds of children. If we can lessen the stereotypes and offensive ideas children learn as they grow up, even a little, then we should do everything in our power to. We may not want to put in the extra effort of teaching our students this way, with open discussions and caution, but we should. 

That’s what. 

Works Cited 

Palmer, Sophie. "HNRS Reflective Essay- Major Project." 2020, p. 1-2. 

Erdei, Peter, and Katalin Komlos, editors. 150 American Folk Songs to Sing, Read and Play. New York, NY: Boosey & Hawkes, 1974, pp. 7-82. 

Bra Project

The Bra Project









For my major project I decided to do a multi-modal project that allowed me to utilize my love of art and design. With the constraint in supplies I adapted my project to be created on a series of bras, using acrylic paint and ink detailing. I created a range of cartoon women to be present on my project. I decided to work on the idea of diverse representation within women in society. For my project I used several identities apparent within our class’ reading and discussions. I focused on women from historically underrepresented communities. My major project is a way to create a visual culture that celebrates the diversity and differences of women throughout our society. The comedians in this course serve as some of my influences, including their discussions of representation. My project is a representation of diverse women inspired by Fanny Fern, Hannah Gadsby, Ali Wong, and Phoebe Robinson.

For my project I went back into our discussion and comedians we have studied to gain inspiration. I also researched artists focusing on diversity and feminism. I started by drawing my cartoon characters and designing the identities I wanted present within the project. After I finished finalizing I constructed my thesis based around women who are under represented and the impact that has. I used the comedians in our course, as well as other scholarly articles as ways women have used their platforms to discuss inequity and how it needed to be mended.

This project was created to showcase diversity and acknowledge that every woman is different and should be celebrated not discouraged. The women in this course have inspired me to be authentic to myself, and to be proud of who I am. To spread that I am using this visual representation project to reach more women. The society based on discrimination and stereotypes needs to be countered with expression and delineation. This project is important in the conversation of inequity and diversity. It is using the implicit bias of others against them. It is showing what the world really is, not the haze of marginalization people have been in. The impact of voices like these within art, comedy, journalism and media is what will create a new definition for the identities. This is how equity will be spread and how representation will create a new conversation for women all over the world.

I learned a lot about identities that have been shown inequity, that within my implicit bias I haven’t realized. By researching and analyzing the women we have studied I have learned a lot about how wrongly women are being treated. I knew a lot about marginalized groups, but I never really thought about accurate and diverse representation within art and media until I started creating this project. I learned about my white privilege and how I have also been impacted by lack of realistic representation of women within society.



I actually continued working on my project even after I turned it in. Since art is always developing I have been messing with the project and bringing about a more aesthetically pleasing project. So the pictures I have posted are what I a have added to bring the project into full view for me. My favorite part of this project was creating beautiful women, and basing them on women I know who are fighting for equity. I used famous and personal role models within my project. This really allowed me to appreciate what feminism is to me and how I could make an impact

Do Your Thing and Don't Care Who Likes It

My idea for my major project was in the back of my mind ever since we learned about Amy Poehler’s iconic quote, “I don’t f*cking care if you like it.” Straight, white men aren’t just the power class in everyday life, it extends to the comedy industry too (what a refreshing twist). I wanted to look at how male approval has affected women in comedy. I also explored how it extends to other aspects of women’s lives and, more importantly, why it isn’t needed. I used the work and experiences of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Ali Wong to back me up. I also used a little help from Barreca’s “good girl” piece. Fey, Poehler, and Wong have one thing in common: they aren’t looking for anyone’s approval. Their difference from everyone else has helped them make names for themselves, and they have stayed true to themselves no matter what.
I started with where we got the notion that women aren’t funny. I googled the phrase and literally 290 million results came up in less than one second. I looked at an article by Bitch Media that gave an abridged history of the claim. Turns out, a playwright named William Congreve was one of the first to publish something on the topic. He said, “I must confess I have never made an observation of what I apprehend to be true humor in women…Perhaps passions are too powerful in that sex to let humor have its course; or maybe by reason of their natural coldness, humor cannot exert itself to that extravagant degree, which is does in the male sex.” Yuck! He wasn’t alone, and throughout the rest of history men have repeatedly tried to push this belief onto others. Some even claimed men “need” to be funny for the purposes of getting women to have sex with them.
Starting with Tina Fey, queen of abolishing beauty standards. Her list of what women must possess to be considered attractive, and her counter-list of all the ones that oppose that, is super important. We can’t live our lives expecting to check all these unrealistic boxes. Then, in an interview with David Letterman, in which he continually tries to praise an SNL sketch she had done, Fey insists on critiquing herself. This shows that just because a well-known man in the industry approves of her work, doesn’t make it good enough for her. Amy Poehler stresses the importance of working for yourself. Probably my favorite chapter in Yes Please was “Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend.” In it, Poehler describes how your career not only doesn’t owe you anything, but won’t give you anything. She understands the importance of working for no one but yourself, and it’s something we can’t forget. Your career will never serve you, and neither will the opinions of other people. Last but certainly not least, we have Ali Wong. Wong not only had to face the hurdles of being a minority in the comedy industry, she also had family struggles and expectations to abolish. She discusses the pressure of her culture, and how she went against what her family wanted for her. Her father regularly celebrated the accomplishments of Asian Americans. However when she expressed her desire to move to New York and pursue stand-up comedy, those Asian Americans were an exception, and the same would surely not happen for her.
All of these women have proved so many people wrong. They exemplify how important it is to stay true to you, and never dim your light for anyone. Whether it be in your career, your education, or your daily life, never stop putting yourself first. Do your thing and don’t care who likes it!

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's Impact on Television and Comedy

Throughout this entire semester, I found that most of my interest was dedicated to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and their influences (together and separately) on the world of comedy and television. Much of my interest came from in class and how much I enjoyed reading their books and the stories that they included in them; I saw them as important role models for women and wanted to learn more about their impact. For my Major Project, I decided to write a 10-page paper arguing that both women helped to redefine the standards surrounding women working in television or comedy and that their works helped to create a pathway of more equality, more opportunity, and more significance for future women who enter the industry.

           

Finding sources of their impact proved to be no challenge with the many books, television shows, and movies that they appear in. I wanted to include examples that not only proved them to be dedicated workers but also showed them to be respected as women, mothers, and as individuals. I pulled many sources from their books to prove their motherhood and balance of hectic lives. I thought that their ability to balance so much at once was commendable and helped to support them as being icons to people everywhere. I also highlighted their journey to success, mentioning Barecca and how just twenty years before Fey and Poehler began their careers, women were not allowed to understand the jokes, let alone perform them. Their rise to fame from such a difficult position is certainly something significant and deserving to be appreciated.

To further support their dedication to their jobs I noted the Saturday Night Live skits that they can be most known for. Of course, I mentioned the Sarah Palin-Hillary Clinton skit as it helps to support both women and their comedic ability and intelligence. The performance became one of the most successful skits on the show in history and proved that women belong and can be successful in the performance industry. I also included Poehler’s hilarious rapping skit (how could I not) to prove her extreme dedication and passion to her job. Just a few weeks after the episode aired, Poehler gave birth to her first child. In most jobs, working so late into your pregnancy can be seen as a nuisance or struggle but Poehler thought otherwise and instead used it as a power over everyone else.

One of my favorite sources that I used was one that surprised me the most; Mean Girls. For as long as I’ve known about the movie it only just occurred to me that Fey and Poehler are featured in the film and that Fey wrote the screenplay for the film. For those of you who don’t know about the importance of Mean Girls, it highlights the culture of high school and helps to remind young adults to be true to themselves in order to truly find happiness and belongingness. Fey herself was specifically chosen to write the movie due to her respective and dedicated working ability. Poehler’s role is much less major in the film, but she proves her comic ability while playing Regina George’s mother (I mean, who can forget her filming the talent show?).

 

I thought that highlighting these two women was important because they are role models for any field of life. They overcame so much adversity in their lives and careers but still ended up successful and inspiring. They are leading ladies, supportive mothers, intelligent women, and confident individuals who stand strong with what they believe in. They continue to inspire and entertain the world unapologetically and I left this class having a new appreciation for Fey, Poehler, and all other women who helped to pave the way for my success.

A History of Black Hair and Cultural Appropriation

For my project, I wanted to take a deeper look into cultural ties between black women and their hair. Specifically, I wanted to emphasize the fact that white people wearing these hairstyles IS and forever WILL BE cultural appropriation. Although black people have been punished for wearing their hair naturally, or trying to style it any way except for straight, white people have copied these styles without any concern for the cultural relevance or historical context in which these styles came about. I completed my project via a 5-page paper and a painting. 

I started out by researching the history behind a lot of different hairstyles. I learned so much through the research phase that I was both angered and inspired when I finished. Here are a few examples:

-          Box braids became popular because slaves only had 1 day a week to focus on personal hygiene so they needed the style to last a full week.

•  In African cultures, it is believed that spirits leave the body through the scalp. They began knotting and tangling their hair into dreadlocks to keep all energies inside.

•           Head scarves became popular when a law was enacted called the Tignon Law that made it illegal for any woman of African descent to show their hair, out of fear that white men would become attracted to them and white women would lose their social status.

•           Lighter-skin slaves with looser curls were treated “better,” and by better I mean they were allowed to sleep in the master’s house as his sex slave instead of working outside.

Even though these styles were all created BY black people FOR black people, when they wear these styles, they are frequently punished. There was a very publicized case of this recently when a black high school student was forced to cut his dreadlocks in order to participate in a wrestling match. Another black high school student was told to cut his hair or he wouldn’t be allowed to walk at his graduation ceremony. A news anchor in Mississippi was fired for refusing to wear her hair any other way than how it naturally lays – in an afro. They said her hairstyle was unprofessional. 

Every celebrity, from Kylie Jenner to Justin Bieber, that has been told to stop appropriating black culture has always used the excuse, “it’s just hair.” After learning of the dark, painful histories that led to the creation of these hairstyles, it is clear that black identities are wrapped up in their hair, and to use it for the sake of being trendy is appropriation. 

My favorite part of my project was creating my painting. I knew I wanted to create images of black women with different hairstyles, but I also wanted to depict both the ugly history and the current struggles of black women regarding their hair. I decided to do this by painting harsh black lines that almost invade the space of the women in the paintings. When people look at the painting, I want them to question why I’d “ruin” such a pretty picture with these harsh lines… and then I want them to GET IT. Copying these hairstyles because they’re pretty is missing the point. They were created out of necessity, not trendiness. 

I started my painting by sketching out the women and their hairstyles. When I went to bed that night, my mom said, “You should just leave it like that. It’s pretty.” I knew it was pretty, but that wasn’t the point of the painting. The next day I started off by painting the backgrounds and the black lines. She asked, “Why didn’t you make those lines straight and clean? It might’ve looked better that way.” I knew it would look nicer if it was cleaner, but that wasn’t the point. After I finished painting my gorgeous ladies, I stood back and looked at it and I was SO PROUD. I am not the type of gal to credit myself much, so for me to absolutely LOVE something I’d made was a big deal for me! I still am so proud of it and so excited to show everybody.

Comprehension Through Conversation

Intro and Thesis: With my project I wanted to showcase many voices at the same time. I decided to make three collages out of words from the books we read and the stand-up specials we watched throughout the semester. The three collages I made are based around the themes of motherhood, gender, and societal expectations of beauty. We have preconceived notions about these themes because of the way we were taught to look at them by society. In my project, I argue that only through candid conversation about neglected aspects of humanity can we allow true understanding to take shape. Society may try to construct a singular consciousness, but if actual people have actual conversations, then comprehension and tolerance between even the most different people is possible.

Poster 1: Motherhood

Poster 2: Societal Construction of Beauty

Poster 3: Gender

What I Did (Process and Structure): I started my project by figuring out which authors I was going to use for each theme. I used Poehler, Fey, and Wong’s books for the theme of motherhood; Branum’s book, Holmes’ book, and Gadsby’s stand-up special for the theme of gender; and the books of Poehler, Fey, Branum, and Kaling for the theme of societal expectations of beauty. After separating these seven authors into my themes, I re-read the authors’ material and cut out sections of their writing that fit into each respective theme. Once I had enough material, I collaged the sections of writing into images that I drew on large posters. There’s an image of a pregnant woman for the motherhood collage, an image of a woman looking into a mirror for the beauty standards collage, and standard representations of gender in a thought bubble for the gender collage. All that was going through my head as I thought about my project was the concept of ideas taking shape. I was obsessed with making a visual representation of stories combining to form a cohesive whole. By bringing all of the selected material from each different writer together, I made a unified picture out of all of the stories.

So What?: I took a lot of inspiration from an anonymous coalition of female artists called the Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls made intriguing and often shocking posters to bring awareness to gender and race discrimination in the art world. I wanted my posters to make an impact on people who saw them. Similar to the Guerrilla Girls’ posters, my posters are a commentary on issues of exclusion within society. The stories I showcase on my posters (miscarriages, hate-crimes, shame over physical appearance, etc.) are typically excluded from everyday conversation. Because I put the stories on display rather than refusing to acknowledge them as much of society does, I proved that these stories are necessary to the public consciousness. Though it sounds like an exaggeration, communication and the sharing of stories is so important to the existence of humanity. The collaged stories symbolize the many conversations that allow understanding to form.

What Surprised Me and What I Learned: I was surprised by how many similarities I saw in the stories of all of the authors. It really opened my eyes to the comfort shared experiences can bring to people. It’s clear, though it may sound trite, that we are all so much more alike than we are different. I essentially made the authors I chose have a conversation by gluing their stories together and, through this, I learned that conversation is even more important than I originally thought it was. Conversation is, in fact, key to connection and human life itself.

My Favorite Part: The part I enjoyed the most about this project was drawing the images and collaging the sections of text. I liked challenging myself to find creative ways to represent the themes, and I’ve always loved making art. My favorite poster is the one with the theme of beauty expectations. I think this one is striking and beautiful, but also unsettling. 

I've really enjoyed our classes this semester, and I hope everyone has a great summer!

It Happens To Anyone

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqC1J2xRP6o&feature=youtu.be

Introduction/ Thesis: For my project, I wanted to provide a platform for people to speak comfortably about their experiences with sexual assault and violence. This platform became a series of video interviews, of which I got inspiration from a BuzzFeed video, Devyn Shares Her Sexual Assault Story. I also used Halsey’s Speech at the 2018 NYC Women’s March for additional sources to help solidify my argument that sexual assault and violence happens to anyone, as my title implies. The final source I used was Nannette by Hannah Gadsby. Nannette was my primary source that guidance and support, as her stories she shared created tension and forced all the members in the audience to feel her pain. This was my goal with the stories; I wanted to create tension and elicit emotions from the viewers, so they can truly feel the pain and discomfort these survivors felt. Using them as my guide, my video tells the stories of three “ordinary” women, Allison Hager, a college student at West Liberty University, Izzy Hawkinberry, a college student at Shepherd University, and a woman who asked to remain anonymous, each of whom has put herself back together in the face of violence or gender oppression.

Tell us about what you did: The process for my project required me to come in contact with survivors who trusted me to tell their story. Once I found these wonderful women, I set up interview times, and although I was thrown for a loop when this quarantine happened, we persevered. Like I stated in my introduction, I supported my thesis by using Nanette, Devyn Shares Her Sexual Assault Story, and Halsey’s 2018 speech at the NYC Women’s March, as examples that even if you have a high position in society, you can experience the same thing as the women in college. Based on all these stories, which all happened at different ages, to different cultural backgrounds and races, I concluded that sexual assault and violence can happen to anyone and it needs to be talked about.

“So What?”: This project and issue are important because there is so much negative stigma around talking about your stories of surviving and it is time to break that standard. It is time to start talking about it and providing safe spaces for everyone to shares their stories, without the fear of being criticized. We also have to stop ignoring the stories the people are telling, like in the Brett Kavanaugh vs Dr. Ford case. Everyone thought Dr. Ford was lying for political gain, and this needs to stop. I do understand that there are people who spread false claims, but that doesn’t mean we should stop listening to everyone else. That is why this is all-important because we need to create tension, make people feel the pain and emotions we feel, so they finally understand the things we all go through. I should never feel unsafe in a school environment, at work, or living my daily life, because I am a minority, a female member of the LGBTQ+ community. The more people we have and the stronger we fight back against this violence towards the minorities, the faster we can minimize the gender gaps and minority discrimination.

What did I learn? What Surprised Me?: During this project, I confirmed what I had already known, that violence happens to anyone. Although, I did learn that through these painful experiences, we all have found something or someone that helps make us feel empowered and strong again. On a personal level, what surprised me is what my cousin went through. My cousin in the video was Ally. I never knew her story until this project and after recording, we both shared stories we had never told each other, which is rare because we are basically sisters. But I did feel better knowing that she has the strong women in her sorority to support her when I can’t be there.

What is my favorite part, and why?: My favorite part of this project was definitely the video portion. I had so much fun coming up with the concept and seeing it be executed. I loved seeing that my friends trusted me to tell their stories in a great way. From the reactions I have seen to the video, I love that I was able to achieve the goal I had of eliciting tension and emotions.

Overall, I have loved this project with all my heart, and I hope I can expand on it in the future with more interviews. I hope you all enjoyed it and understand the messages I was trying to convey. I will miss you guys more than anything! <3