Women And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom By Leslie Bell

In today’s society women are often faced with the challenge of finding their true identity. During this process, they often live through experiences they might end up regretting and wishing they could change. However, without living through these moments and making mistakes, they would not be able to become the person they want to be. Throughout life, one has to make mistakes in order to truly realize what it is they do and do not want in life. In the essay, â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom† by Leslie Bell, she speaks about how difficult it is for women to find the perfect balance in their life to become who they are really meant to be. Leslie Bell speaks frequently about the idea that women are supposed to â€Å"live up† their twenties, and not get caught up in serious relationships. Leslie Bell often speaks about how when women are in their twenties it is a time period for them to discover new thi ngs, find out who they really are, all without the distraction of a genuine male partner. The twenties is a time period for women to experiment both sexually and in relationships. However, at the same time, there is a fine line between being considered promiscuous, while trying to experiment with casual sex. This creates a double standard for men and women. If a man has sex with a mass amount of woman, he is considered to be cool and might be praised for this. His peers may view his sexual activity as an accomplishment.Show MoreRelatedAmbiguity And Its Effects : Leslie Bell s Twenty Something Women And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom1657 Words   |  7 PagesEffects Leslie Bell’s â€Å"Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom† encompasses the ambiguity experienced by several women in their quest to find answers as to how to have proper sexual relations in their twenties. Ambiguity, very simply, is uncertainty. Bell’s patients experience this indecision in the lives of women in their â€Å" in-between period of early adulthood† (26). Bell, a psychoanalyst, hones in on culture and environment to better understand the lives of these selected women. TheRead MoreYoung Women And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom1519 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s modern society, where we may think that women no longer feel restricted towards their love life, sexuality, and relationships, it often comes as quite surprising that twenty-something, highly educated, and carefree women find themselves constrained among the rules of their sexual and relational desires. Leslie Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty- Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom focuses on such young women who despite being taught to seek out a compassionate relationship of equalsRead MoreThe Power Of Context By Malcolm Gladwell Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pagesexperiences that the society may have undergone through in the earlier instances of occurrence of specific events. Leslie Bell, the author of â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,† largely focuses on female sexuality detailing the often confusing situations  that twenty-something ladies have to contend with, with regards to their sexual freedom. She argues that female sexuality remains a persistently emotional issue and that the emotions have enhanced theRead MoreThe Freedom That Accompanies A Young Woman s Twenties1575 Words   |  7 PagesThe freedom that accompanies a young woman’s twenties can be overwhelming. With concrete guides on how to fulfill academic and career goals, it is no mystery as to why so many young women put their sexuality on hold during these years. Leslie Bell, a psychotherapist and sociologist that focuses on women’s development, has studied this phenomenon for years. In her book, â€Å"Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom†, Bell explores the actualities of the â€Å"freedom† young womenRead MoreFemale Sexuality And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom By Leslie Bell990 Words   |  4 Pages Freedom, opportunities, and information are some features of this modern society. Clearly, humans are now having a very different life compared to the past. Along with this well-developed world, people get more chances to express how they think, do what they want, and love who they love. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their own lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it actually makes their lives even more complex at theRead MoreParadox Of Finding Identity Within Sexual Freedom1339 Words   |  6 Pages Paradox of Finding Identity In Sexual Freedom Freedom, opportunities, and information are some features of this modern society. Clearly, humans are now having a very different life compared to the past. Along with this well-developed world, people get more chances to express how they think, do what they want, and love who they love. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their own lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it actuallyRead MoreYoung Women And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom958 Words   |  4 PagesIn our reading of Leslie Bell’s â€Å"Hard to get: Twenty – Something Women and The Paradox of Sexual Freedom† she often refers to â€Å"conflicting† messages giving by society. These messages tell young women how they should live and express their sexual freedom during their ‘prime’ years. Messages given by society about sexual freedom are contradicting which cause women to feel anxious and confused on how to expres s themselves in relationships. In between all this confusion men have taken advantage of theseRead MoreThe Strength Of Sexuality : A Statement1425 Words   |  6 PagesStrength in Sexuality To make a statement, women need to utilize a weapon that the public will respond to: sex. Sex has become a means of establishing independence and identity because of its scandalous nature. For centuries, the topic of sexual intercourse was riddled in controversy, unspoken of and hidden behind closed doors. Although sexual desires were part of the human psyche, women were discouraged from thinking, speaking, and participating in sexual acts and encouraged to remain virginal inRead MoreParadox Of Finding Identity Within Sexual Freedom1703 Words   |  7 PagesParadox of Finding Identity In Sexual Freedom Humans now have a very different life compared to the past since freedom, opportunities, and information together are playing a vital role in this modern society. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it makes their lives even more complex at the same time by leaving them pressured and confused about who they really are. In her essay, â€Å"SelectionsRead MoreSexuality And Criminality By Leslie Bell Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagespaper is an in-depth analysis of two articles that cover two of the most emotive issues in any modern society: sexuality and criminality. In the first article, Leslie Bell mostly focuses on female sexuality largely detailing the often confusing situations that twenty-something ladies have to contend with as regards to their sexual freedom. Female sexuality remains a persistently emotive issue in many societies. Religious and social beliefs that prevail in the society fuel the emotions that enhance

John Hughes Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood Free Essays

John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood David Bordwell (2006) firmly believes that when faced with the challenge of creating, people ask themselves how they can raise the premises to new levels of achievement, or revive a disreputable genre. He argues that people challenge themselves with the question ‘How can I make casual connections more felicitous, twists more unexpected, character psychology more involving, excitement more intense, motifs more tightly woven? How can I display my own virtuosity? Following this quote and my own research, I’ve come to believe that John Hughes is a very significant example of a filmmaker to reach a whole new level of achievement in Hollywood. As the director and writer of several well-known teen movies such as Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), from the mid-1980s Hughes has been respected as one of the more influential figures of Hollywood for redefining an d leaving a long-lasting impression on movies with a teen demographic. We will write a custom essay sample on John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood or any similar topic only for you Order Now Through deeply focusing on new themes and motifs such as social hierarchy, he undeniably changed the teen movie genre forever by creating sympathy and understanding for adolescent characters. In the 1980s, teenager’s attitudes were changing, and many theorists believe music television was to blame. Shary (2005) states that with celebrity appearances, commercials, and a brand-new, fast-paced style, MTV became â€Å"the court where youth culture was told what was cool†. He also believes that the political changes in America also heavily influenced teenagers perspectives, especially after the â€Å"carefree attitudes† of Carter’s presidency turned into the â€Å"peremptory dictates of Regan’s decade†. He states that: â€Å"The new Republican ethos may have won over voters, but at the same time its naive ‘just say no’ approach to serious adolescent choices gave youth a renewed sense of irritation for adult authority. † To express their views on America’s politics, the youth became eager to experiment with sex and drugs, and Hollywood felt the effect of the youth’s impact and took note. At this time period, Hollywood was experiencing a transition of sorts, between what was labelled as the Hollywood Renaissance (Schatz,1993), into a more contemporary style of cinema which theorist Geoff King (2002) labelled as ‘New Hollywood Version 2’. To understand the breakthrough of John Hughes’ movies, we must understand that before his directorial debut of Sixteen Candles, films of the 1980s were not sympathetic to teens, and the majority f said films came in the form of slasher movies, or sex-comedies, where audiences would watch teenagers be embarrassed and hurt in various different forms. In this period of transition, these movies would reap in profits, but did not focus on character psychology or emphasise performance the way earlier examples did. In this transition period, Hughes’ managed, in some form, to stay true to the earlier, character-based films, but still managed to produce a successful profit, without any high-scale production that woul d turn his films into the newer, blockbuster style pictures. He often worked on more than one movie at once, and released them very close together, in a way that provided more money for the studios, as his reputation as a director became more well-known and his movies became more successful. It’s important to note also, that his films were released at a time where VCR and home videos were becoming more and more popular, which meant that young adults could watch his films over and over at home, and create a personal relationship with the characters. As a director, Hughes knew exactly what he wanted; to show teenagers as important, intelligent, and not the sex-crazed and shallow adolescents that earlier movies portrayed them to be. Gora (2010) proposes that: â€Å"What would set Hughes apart, in an age when other filmmakers were quick to portray teens as vapid, horny, pimpled caricatures, was that he was wise enough to present the teenage experience with the pain, seriousness, and melodrama that so often imbues age. As proven by films such as Losin’ It (1983) and Little Darlings (1980), many movies in the early 1980s revolved simply around â€Å"the quest of teens to lose their virginity† (Shary, 2005). Although Hughes has focused on the theme of sex, it is just one of many different themes and motifs in his films, including the ever-popular idea of social hierarchy, or parental pressure. Sixteen Candles, centres around the story of sixteen-year old Sam (portrayed by Molly Ringwald), whose birthday is forgotten by her family in favour of her older sister’s wedding the next day. This film includes the only completely nude scene of any of Hughes’ movies, and was only included due to pressure from the network, who insisted that it was needed in order to compete with the other teen films on the market. The scene itself is not remotely sexual however, and exists only to emphasise Sam’s self-consciousness, when she and her best friend spy on the girlfriend of her biggest crush whilst in the shower after gym. It does include many of the cliches, such as the virgin esperate to have sex, the rich teen driving an expensive car which will undoubtedly be wrecked somehow, or a house party where the house is destroyed, but unlike other teen films, it encourages us to laugh with the characters rather than at them. To portray the idea of social hierarchy, where some sort of clique is ‘better’ than another, Hughes’ often uses a form of what Roz Kaveney (2006) entitles the ‘anthropology shot’. Kaveney states that â€Å"such sho ts establish a number of social groups among high school students and pan between them to demonstrate social divisions†. This shot can be effective because despite the fact that we will only really know a few select characters, it is able to establish the kind of environment they are living in. An example of said shot is used in Sixteen Candles, introducing the ‘geeks’ at the dance. Although Hughes’ did not invent the shot, many films have reproduced the way he used it, such as Mean Girls (2004), where the character Janice introduces Cady to the social cliques in the cafeteria. As well as the anthropology shot, Hughes’ also used many low-angle shots in his films to connote the sense of inadequacy teenagers feel when looking at the world. This is also used often when the characters talk to adults, and is especially prominent in The Breakfast Club when the characters talk to the principal. This shows the control Principal Vernon has over the kids, and enforces the belief that because they are young, they aren’t as powerful. Hughes,’ as a director, paid a great deal of attention to setting social background in his films. The opening of The Breakfast Club, the story of five teens of different cliques who must spend their Saturday in detention, uses single shots to give us a feel for each character. Claire, for example, the typical rich and popular ‘princess’ is introduced with the shot of a prom queen poster, although we haven’t officially met her character yet. Similarly, John Bender, the ‘criminal’ problem-child, is introduced using a shot of a vandalized locker with a noose attached. The film officially opens with a glass-shattering transition to an introductory shot of the high school, which could be read as foreshadowing; eventually, the character’s defences are broken down, and they open up to each other to become friends. The writing of Hughes’ films brought a great deal of attention to motifs that hadn’t been paid much attention before, such as the idea of the child acting like the parent. A prime example of this is Sixteen Candles, where Sam’s mother apologises to her for missing her birthday. In this scene, Sam, the teenager, is the one to comfort her emotional mother, and say â€Å"It’s okay, these things happen†. Themes also explored were the ideas parental pressure, such as The Breakfast Club, where geeky Brian contemplated suicide because he feared his parents would be disappointed in him for failing his first class, or the theme of money and social classes, which Hughes’ addressed by pairing Claire and Bender together; the rich girl with the poor boy. He also brings a new light to female sexuality, which the character of Alison addresses directly; â€Å"If you say you haven’t you’re a prude. And if you say you have, you’re a slut. It’s a trap. Seeing such touching scenes on screen empowers teens, and helps the audience sympathize with their experiences. Said themes have since been addressed in many teen movies to this date, such as Clueless (1995) or Easy A (2010). The impact that John Hughes has left on Hollywood is undoubtable and everlasting. Despite the fact that it has been over twenty-five years since The Breakfast Club was released, for example, c ountless references are still made to the film in today’s pop culture, including homages in NBC’s cult TV show ‘Community’ and a mention in CW’s ‘Gossip Girl’ (â€Å"we’re the non-judging Breakfast Club†). Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, is also a huge fan of the film. Bart Simpson’s famous catchphrase ‘eat my shorts’ is a direct reference to John Bender’s line, which he says defiantly to Principal Vernon. Judd Nelson’s portrayal of the character was also the inspiration for the name of Futurama’s temperamental robot Bender. The movie has also been spoofed in many American advertisements, including the 2008 commercial for chain clothing store JCPenney. The back-to-school line was heavily influenced by The Breakfast Club, and featured teenagers dancing in a library to the most popular song from the soundtrack, ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’. Not Another Teen Movie (2001) was a complete parody of the majority of Hughes’ material, and featured a cameo from Molly Ringwald as an adult who disapproved of teenagers. To this day, Hughes’ is continually paid homage to, and because of the way he changed the portrayal of teenagers, people will continue to do so for a long time. (Word count: 1,643) References Bibliography Driscoll, C (2011). Teen Film: A Critical Introduction. UK: Berg. Easy A, 2010. [DVD] Will Gluck, United States: Sony Pictures. Clueless, 1995. [DVD] Amy Heckerling, United States: Universal Pictures. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Paramount Pictures Gora, S (2010). You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and their Impact on a Generation. New York: Crown Publishing Group Kaveney, R (2006). Teen Dreams: Reading Teen Film and Television from Heathers to Veronica Mars. London: I. B. Tauris King, G (2002). New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction. London:  I. B. Tauris Little Darlings, 1980. [DVD] Ronald F. Maxwell, United States: Stephen Friedman/King’s Road Productions Losin’ It, 1983. [DVD] Curtis Hanson, United States: Tiberius Film Productions Mean Girls, 2004. [DVD] Mark Waters, United States: Paramount Pictures Pretty in Pink, 1986. [DVD] Howard Deutch, United States: Paramount Pictures Shary, T (2005). Teen Movies: American Youth on Screen. London: Wallflower Press Sixteen Candles, 1984. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Universal Pictures The Breakfast Club, 1985. [DVD] John Hughes, United States: Universal Pictures How to cite John Hughes: Reaching New Levels of Achievement in Hollywood, Papers

The Song of Love free essay sample

The Song of Love This Kiss by Faith Hill is a beautiful song because It tells us the truth of love, and also the smooth rhythm makes me tell very comfortable. Furthermore, I really like the voice of the singer. It can lead us too peaceful world, and give people the space to relax, to enjoy. Also, this song reminds people of the love, especially those who has already forgotten the pure love in life, The lyrics of the song is the best part, it expresses the joys of being in love through the act of the lovers kiss. The kiss is the one of the most pure things In the world, which makes us feel secure and gives us d lining of being loved. The kiss is a universal language that transcends time and boundaries. Also, it is a natural ability for all of us. We do not need to be taught to how to kiss with the romance partner, because when there Is a real chemistry between two people. We will write a custom essay sample on The Song of Love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The kiss will come up. The speaker of the song states that Its the way you love me (Faith 7). If a person fall In love with the romantic partner, they will kiss to express the love and give the feeling of security to each other. In most of the time. If there is no real chemistry between the lovers, they will sense that they should back off.The kiss Is a way to show the love, so It Is hard to keep the false love going so well. In the song, But you got me like a rocket / Shooting straight across the sky, the speaker totally falls in love with the romantic partner, she gets the feeling of Jump to the sky, and nothing can bother her to enjoy the love in her heart (Faith 5,6). When we hear this song, we can feel happy, the song is full of extreme happiness, the speaker of the song states that It is a feeling like this / Its centrifugal motion / Its perpetual bliss (Faith 8-10).Through it, we can feel the love is so pure and attractive, t leads us to the extreme happiness, and let us moving away from the center of the normal world, we can Just go straight to the center of the love that Is a world of myth. The speaker believes that Baby I am forever yours (Faith 20). Once the two people fall in love with each other, they will get a fe eling that they should stay together forever, they will not be apart until the end of the world comes. It Is the faith of love. Kissing me in sweet slow motion / Lets let everything slide (Faith 34 35), The love can create a world that nothing can slide in except for the two owners of this magic oral. The feeling of love can make us floating and flying, we are the angels with two wings. The love wings let us fly to our romantic partners whenever we want. And then, the guy will press his soft lip against the girl in a sweet and slow motion. The kiss will go so well, because the power of the love between them Is so strong, nothing can break through it. When we listen too song, the rhythm always catches us the first attention. This KISS has a smooth rhythm.The soot beats make us feel the sweet to the love. And It combines different instruments make the music more rhythmically_ The chorus of he song Is also good, It Is the most dynamic part of the song, because the rhythm of this part is always catches my breath. The voice of the singer is so attractive, which is the voice of an angel. Her voice makes the song unforgettable since we cannot forget the voice of an angel. The voice expresses the sweet of the love and the lovers are depend on each other. In a word, the voice is so awesome, makes me feel the sunrise, the sunshine, the happiness that we can be loved. A good song always reminds us the experience that we had. This song will give us he chance to recall the pure love in our lives, or maybe the first love which is the treasure in our memories. Once we get married, we will forget the love by the time past, since we are so busy in making money to support our families. For this moment, we need to listen to a music that reminds the important and the pure love in our lives. We need to have space to spread our original spirit, love. We cannot live in a world that only cares about the money. We need a song to plant the love seeds in our hearts. This Kiss by Faith Hill, is a good choice for everyone who wants to recall the eve in the life, or who is expecting the first love to come to true. Hence, this song is so unforgettable and sweet, it wont be forget by the time past. The lyrics of the song is so meaningful, it makes us know the truth of love, and feels the happiness of the kiss. And the voice of the singer is also unforgettable, the voice plus the lyrics make us recall the pure love in life and expect the love to come into the life. Again, I like the way the speaker shows the relationship between the love and the kiss. The kiss is one of the basics of the love.