WEEK 8 ASSIGNMENT
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Texas State University *
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1310
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Philosophy
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Apr 3, 2024
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Week 8 Assignment
1. (100+ words) Emerging p. 139, Questions for Critical Reading 1:
Develop your own definition of feminist. As you reread the essay, pay attention to places where
Gay offers her definition of the term. How do your definitions differ? Are you persuaded by
Gay’s definition?
My definition of a feminist is someone who opposes sexism and discrimination, while also valuing and respecting the principle that men and women should have equal rights. In the essay, Gay cites her favorite definition of feminism from DIY Feminism by Su, an Australian woman who characterized feminism as “women who don’t want to be treated like shit” (132). This is a definition I fully agree with. Su's definition, in its most basic form, revolves around advocating for the fair and equal treatment of women compared to men. While Su’s definition is basic, Gay struggles to expand on it, expressing, “I fall short as a feminist. I feel like I am not as committed as I need to be” (132). However, I believe Gay perfectly embodies my personal definition of an ideal feminist.
2. (100+ words) Emerging p. 139, Questions for Critical Reading 3:
Is Gay a “bad” feminist? Use your own understanding of feminist from Question 1 above in
formulating your response.
I personally do not believe Gay is a "bad" feminist at all. Throughout the essay, she portrays her perceived defects as shortcomings based on stereotypical expectations of what a feminist should be. The term "bad" feminist is used ironically in the essay to highlight how she is perceived by those with stereotypical ideas of feminism. She argues that these rigid expectations lead to narrow views of what a feminist should be. In reality, Gay is a prime example of a great feminist,
serving as a visiting professor for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies at Yale and writing the essay collection "Bad Feminist," proving she is an active and true advocate for women’s rights, affirming that women "don’t want to be treated like shit" (132).
3. (100+ words) Emerging p. 320, Questions for Critical Reading 3:
Take a moment to think about the cultural expectations of men. As you review the essay, take note of the ways that Serano claims the socialization of men contributes to rape culture. Do your thoughts confirm her argument?
I do agree that the socialization of certain groups of men can contribute to rape culture by fostering a predator-prey mindset. While I don't believe this socialization directly instills ideas of
rape, it does contribute to the overall problem. Due to social media, cultural stereotypes, and expectations, men may feel pressured to conform to the role of sexual dominance or risk being perceived as weak. This aligns with Serano's argument, highlighting how societal influences can shape behaviors and attitudes, thus reinforcing the predator-prey dynamic within our culture.
4. (100+ words) Emerging p. 320, Exploring Context 3:
The “friendzone” is a popular expression to describe the fate of “nice guys.” Using the web,
do an image search for “friendzone.” In what ways does this concept reflect Serano’s argument? Relate your findings to your answer about cultural expectations of men from Question 3 of Questions for Critical Reading.
After examining various images on Google search depicting the friendzone, it becomes evident that Serano's argument about nice guys finishing last is strongly supported. The images portray scenarios such as a girl crying on the nice guy's shoulder while a stereotypically overly-
masculine guy rejects her, the nice guy driving the girl to a date, being metaphorically on a leash,
and so on. It's apparent that in our culture, being perceived as a nice guy is associated with being viewed as weak, taken advantage of, and ultimately left behind for the stereotypical "sexy chad." This aligns perfectly with Serano's argument, illustrating the cultural expectations and reasons behind the societal pressure for men to conform to the notion of sexual aggression, contributing to rape culture.
5. EasyWriter p. 354, Exercise 40.1 1-5:
In the following sentences, add any commas that are needed after the introductory element:
--Strangely enough,
for centuries chocolate was only known as a drink.
--Even stranger, chocolate did not include sugar.
--By the 1600s, chocolate was a favorite though bitter, drink of wealthy people in Europe.
--In the early nineteenth century, a Dutch chemist finally figured out how to make chocolate less
bitter.
--Later in the century, solid chocolate was created, and the rest is history!
6. EasyWriter p. 356, Exercise 40.2 1-5:
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, or yet) to combine each
of the following pairs of sentences into one sentence. Delete or rearrange words if necessary:
--Computer viruses are software programs, created to spread from one computer to
another.
--A biological virus cannot replicate itself; must inject its DNA into a cell to reproduce.
--Similarly, a computer virus must hitch on to some other computer program, then it can launch
itself.
--These viruses can be totally destructive or basically benign; when people think of computer
viruses, they generally think of the former.
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