The Delight is in the Details

More raw photos from my favorite photographer, 

age 4 years and 5 months at the time of these shots

Fresh out baby

Self-Portrait

Twelve Textures

More amazing, unedited pictures from a four-year-old wandering around his backyard with a camera. Makes you question that overpriced stuff at Tate Modern.

Baking Cakes in Kigali

Our library is more than a bit unreal and feels like a Spanish country club. I am always subconsciously concerned that someone is going to ask me to prove membership.

If the library rented rooms, I think Ben and I would live here.

Seriously, how can this place be free?

Sometimes I use the private study rooms as meeting places for work. The other day, I drove away from a work meeting and nearly stomped on the brakes from the sudden realization that I had not checked out the library book I selected. I pawed through my laptop bag and indeed found the tome tucked away. Turns out that I had unthinkingly swept away all of the items from the work surface and unwittingly deflected the library scanners from detecting my theft by placing the book next to the electric signal of my laptop. The book that I successfully lifted from the library?

Yes. How to Buy a Love of Reading. Sigh. Three generations of library employees just shuddered.

I also like studying here and roaming the aisles looking for books that have NOTHING TO DO WITH TRAUMA. Between social work classes and human trafficking research, my brain is pretty full up on tragedy. Unfortunately, the only "fairy tale" element of the last book I picked up from the fantasy section ended up being a coping mechanism of the main character who lived in death row. He poetically narrated a story filled with horrifically cruel child abuse, sexual assault, murder, torture, and perversion of justice. It was like "Shawshank Redemption" meets Ted Bundy. The Dungeon turned out to be the solitary confinement wing, the Lady was a private investigator of death row cases, the guilty Priest was a prison chaplain with a sordid past and so on. Yikes. 

I say all of that to preface a pretty fun read I found that you can buy for only $4 (including shipping) on Amazon. (Or, you know, borrow from your local Spanish country club.) The main character is a middle-aged woman who runs a cake-making business in Rwanda. She had a soft heart and a practical mind and always ends up kindly fiddling in the lives of her clients. What I enjoyed about this book was that it managed to touch on some pretty tough themes (poverty, aids, sexual assault, genocide, orphans, prostitution, stigma, first world interference, etc.) while highlighting the strength and joy that are also a part of life. Instead of crying, I ended up laughing aloud so many times that I convinced my husband to read it too. We have both traveled and were amused by the author's ability to relay the humor of cross-cultural interactions. Unlike my other blog posts, I'm not urging you to change the world through this one, but you might change a little if you read it and enjoy yourself in the process.

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

Photography Project

I'm helping my friend promote a photography project. This unstaged, unedited series captures a lazy backyard BBQ.

Yep, that's me.

So, what do you think?

A word on the photographer: he is four-years-old and had not used a camera before this first series. Every picture was unposed and only had one "take." I always said he was a genius.

When did us adults start become afraid of trying new things?

A Feminist Critique of Grand Theft Auto V

 A Feminist Critique of Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V, produced by Rockstar Games, is the most recent iteration of the most popular video game series in the world, earning $1 billon within a mere three days of its release in 2013. It has been universally lauded by game critics according to the criteria of their industry (Metacritic, 2013). Yet, even a cursory examination of the game from a feminist perspective reveals deeply troubling content promoting sexism, misogyny, and patriarchy.

Promoting and Upholding Negative Dominant Narratives

Much debate currently exists as to the definition of “feminism.” The author of this paper agrees with the perspective of activist bell hooks who contends: “Feminism is a struggle to end sexist oppression. Its aim is not to benefit solely any specific group of women, any particular race or class of women. It does not privilege women over men” (2013, p. 339). Sexist oppression permeates all layers and levels of Grand Theft Auto V; a complete listing of all examples would exceed the target length of this paper. In summary, the game promotes sexist oppression through the choices it gives to its players, narrow and overly sexualized depictions of female characters, and content such as advertising and talk shows that present women primarily as sexual objects.

The first evidence of oppression is the lack of “playable” female characters. Players can choose one of three male characters as the main protagonist. One of those three is a former pimp (Feminstborgia, 2014). The second level of oppression is the depiction of the few female characters as highly sexualized beings with little to no agency. As one female reviewer for a prominent gamer website summarized:

…it’s deeply frustrating that, while its central and supporting male characters are flawed and complex characters, with a few extremely minor exceptions …, GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, long-suffering wives, humorless girlfriends and goofy, new-age feminists we’re meant to laugh at (Petit, 2013).

It is worthwhile to note that although the reviewer gave the game an overall 9 points out of a total 10, male fans responded with rage to her protest of the game’s misogyny. Over 20,000 primarily negative comments were left response to her otherwise commonplace review, and a petition was started on www.change.org for her to be fired as a reviewer (Parfitt, 2013).

The third level of sexist oppression is the game’s representation of females in the sex industry. The game depicts women as (often gladly) choosing to engage in live “sexcam” websites, pornography, stripping, and prostitution (Feministborgia, 2013). Within several available strip club scenes, male players are encouraged to break the “no touching” rule and fondle the women’s private areas. If the player manages to accomplish this without being caught by the club security, the game designers ensure that the strippers will respond positively and might even offer to meet the player later for free sex (Feministborgia, 2013). Often throughout the course of their missions, players are offered the opportunity to solicit prostitutes, chose a sex act from a menu, watch the virtual sex, and then choose whether or not to murder the women to regain their money. Murder options include beating, running over victims a car, throwing a grenade, shooting, using a hatchet, etc. Players’ points go up for having sex with a prostitute, although not for murdering her (Cook, 2014). The game also contains countless crude, demeaning, and violent references to women from billboard advertisements to “entertainment,” including a (male) talk show host recommending a husband “drown” his non-submissive wife and a discussion on how women “enjoy” having their sternums crushed during sex (Feministborgia, 2013).

Patriarchy Silences Women

Some reviewers have dismissed feminist critiques of Grand Theft Auto V by noting that the game depicts violence to male and female characters alike. In the words of one British reviewer: “The game’s treatment of women – every female in the game exists solely to be sneered, leered or laughed at – is a real concern until you realise that it applies to the male characters as well” (Edge, 2013). What this and similar reviewers fail to realize is that sexist oppression is not only exerted through presence but also through absence. The lack of positive images can be just as damaging as the presence of negative ones. There is a conspicuous absence of women portrayed in healthy and varied roles: friend, boss, professional, intellectual, artist, etc. Women are not shown as being able to interact with men in nonsexual ways with the exception of a few weak family members who cause familial strife. The women in Grand Theft Auto are not shown to be strong, savvy, capable, or conscientious. Why then is this game so popular? Simple: Grand Theft Auto is a product and a perpetrator of patriarchy, a prevailing cultural system of male dominance. Patriarchal systems allow sexist oppression to flourish with impunity. Patriarchy has many components and manifestations, but author Allen Johnson summarizes it well:

Above all, patriarchal culture is about the core value of control and domination in almost every area of human existence. … To have power over and to be prepared to use it are defined culturally as good and desirable (and characteristically “masculine”, and to lack such power or to be reluctant to use it is seen as weak if not contemptible (and characteristically “feminine”) (2013, p. 334).

Real Life Victims

There are countless examples of women who have been harmed by the sexist oppression. The consistent pay gap between women and men in the United States is just one such significant example. Yet, in light of Grand Theft Auto V’s extensive content regarding the sex industry, it seems prudent for this paper to focus on some of the ugly truths about women in the sex industry. The majority of women in the sex industry have experienced some form of sexual abuse in their past (Farley, 2012). Many feel that they have no other viable income options and maintain that they are trapped into the industry due to circumstances. Most are under the control of a pimp (Farley, 2012), the former occupation of the main character in Grand Theft Auto V. “Pimp” is a common term for what the law terms “trafficker” as in a perpetrator of human trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 established that a person involved in the sex industry due to force, fraud, or coercion is a victim of commercial sexual exploitation or human trafficking, the fastest growing crime in the world today (United States Department of State, 2014). The International Labour Organization estimates that the majority of trafficking situations are labor trafficking, but also gives a best guess that sex trafficking generates a much greater profit than labor trafficking, garnering $99 out of $150 billion dollars gained from this illegal industry (2014). Moreover, victims are usually exploited in multiple forms within the sex industry. For example, a girl or woman who is forced into prostitution is often also filmed for the production of pornography.

Within the United States, most women entered the sex industry when they were minors. Sex traffickers (or “pimps”) usually prey on the most vulnerable: homeless runaways, “throwaways,” and very young children. The average age at which girls are first manipulated and forced into prostitution is a mere 12-14 years old (United States Department of Justice).  Although no one knows the true scale of sex trafficking in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has declared child sex trafficking a significant crime and maintains ongoing investigations through its Innocence Lost Task Force. In a 3-day operation in 2014, the FBI rescued 168 American children from sex trafficking and arrested 281 traffickers (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). Once these young people turn eighteen, they suffer from the myth that prostitution is a “choice” and a “job” and receive jail time instead of victim services.

 During their exploitation, victims repeatedly undergo severe mental and physical trauma at the hands of their traffickers as well as their buyers, experiencing severe violence, humiliation, PTSD, sexually transmitted diseases, forced abortions, and other atrocities (Lloyd, 2011). A special report by the Child Welfare Council (CWC) found that “68 percent of victims of Commercial Exploitation of Children suffered from chronic health problems and post-traumatic stress disorder and likened the experience of victims to experiences of ‘hostages, prisoners of war, or concentration camp inmates.” The reality of sex trafficking victims is a sharp contrast to the women portrayed in Grand Theft Auto V. Sex trafficking survivor, major activist, and aftercare service provider Rachel Lloyd wisely ties sexual exploitation back into patriarchy:

Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking are part of the continuum of gender-based violence, not a separate issue. How we view the rights of women and girls, (again particularly those who we view as “less than” based on race and class or some predetermined idea of their “purity”, blamelessness etc.) is absolutely part of the problem when it comes to commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking (2015).

A More Just Version of Grand Theft Auto V

            What would it take to create a more just version of Grand Theft Auto V? Is it possible, or should gamers boycott the franchise altogether? Social commentator Jackson Katz maintains that violence against women is not a women’s issue but a men’s issue, claiming that men’s actions towards women reveal more about men than they do about women (2013). In this vein, New York Times journalist Chris Suellentrop noted the rampant sexism in Grand Theft Auto V and had the chance to lightly query the co-founder of Rockstar games, the franchise creator:

When I asked Mr. Houser if he had thought about the portrayal of women in Rockstar’s games, he said, “Seemingly not as much as I should have.” He added: “These three guys fit with the story we wanted to tell. It would be hard to take one of them and replace him — I mean, I suppose we could have done it, early enough on — with a female character” (2013).

Mr. Houser’s response not only ignores the sexist oppression existing in his games but also denies any social responsibility to fixing the problems. His comments are a confirmation of Katz’s conclusion:

In spite of significant social change in recent decades, men continue to grow up with, and are socialized into, a deeply misogynistic, male-dominated culture, where violence against women—from the subtle to the homicidal—is disturbingly common. It’s normal. And precisely because the mistreatment of women is such a pervasive characteristic of our patriarchal culture, most men, to a greater or lesser extent, have played a role in its perpetuation (2013, p. 342).

In Grand Theft Auto V, men are literally playing a role in the perpetuation of violence against women. A more just version of this game would first create smart, capable, and confident female characters embodying a variety of female experiences. Women would be presented in relational roles that are not primarily sexual or subordinate. Although the depiction of sexist oppression in the game does often echo the unfortunate realities of this world, a more just version would also include emotional, mental, and physical consequences for sexist actions such as legal action, retribution, and—most importantly—decreased capacity for human connectedness. Finally, the game currently presents choices of whether or not to negatively engage with women in the sex industry. It should include choices of positively engaging with women such as befriending them without sexual contact, asking their advice or opinions, or even ascertaining whether or not they are under the control of a trafficker. In these ways, Grand Theft Auto V could move our culture towards a more egalitarian interaction between genders instead of normalizing sexist oppression.

References

California Child Welfare Council. (2013). Prevalence of commercially sexually exploited children. Retrieved from http://www.chhs.ca.gov/CWCDOC/CSEC%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%201.pdf

Cook, J. (2014, November 18). The New 'Grand Theft Auto' Lets You Have Realistic Sex With Prostitutes. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/grand-theft-auto-features-first-person-sex-with-prostitutes-2014-11 

Edge Online. (2013, September 16). Grand Theft Auto Review (Web log post). Retrieved from http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/

Farley, M. & Butler, E. (2012). Prostitution and trafficking – Quick facts. Online. Retrieved from http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/Prostitution%20Quick%20Facts%2012-21-12.pdf

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2014). Operation cross country: rescuing victims of child sex trafficking. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/june/operation-cross-country/operation-cross-country

Feministborgia. (2013, October 19). Grand Theft Auto V –A feminist’s review (Web log post). Retrieved from https://feministborgia.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/grand-theft-auto-v-a-feminists-review/

Hooks. B. (2013). Feminism: A movement to end sexist oppression. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfield, C. R. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice 3^rd (p. 337-339). New York: Routledge.

International Labour Office. (2014). Profits and poverty: the economics of forced labour. Geneva: Author.

Johnson, A.G. (2013). Patriarchy, the system: An it, not a he, a them, or an us. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfield, C. R. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice 3^rd (p. 332-337). New York: Routledge.

Katz, J. (2013). Violence against women is a men’s issue. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfield, C. R. Castaneda, H.W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice 3^rd (p. 340-343). New York: Routledge.

Lloyd, R. (2011). Girls like us: Fighting for a world where girls are not for sale, an activist finds her calling and heals herself. New York: HarperCollins.

Look Different. (2015, January 30). This month is human trafficking awareness month. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://lookdifferentmtv.tumblr.com/post/109615431330/this-month-is-human-trafficking-awareness-month 

Metacritic. (2013). Grand Theft Auto V (Web review). Retrieved from http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/grand-theft-auto-v

Parfitt, B. (2013, September 16). Gamers petition for sacking of GameSpot writer who criticised GTAV for misogyny (Web log post). Retrieved from http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/gamers-petition-for-sacking-of-gamespot-writer-who-criticised-gtav-for-misogyny/0121238

Petit, C. (2013, September 16). City of angels and demons (Web log post). Retrieved from http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/1900-6414475/

Suellentrop, C. (2013, September 16). Grand Theft Auto V is a return to the comedy of violence. New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com

Walker, K, & California Child Welfare Council (2013). Ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children: A call for multi-system collaboration in California. Child Welfare Council. 100 p.

United States Department of State. (2014). Trafficking in persons report. Washington, DC: Author.

Which man are you?

Dropping Keys
by Hafiz

The small man
builds cages for everyone
he knows.
While the sage,
who has to duck his head
when the moon is low,
keeps dropping keys all night long
for the beautiful,
rowdy
prisoners.

Perfectly Beautiful

Pretty.

Beautiful.

Perfect.


Are all of these the same?

Here is a four minute video challenging our perceptions of beauty.



(Set in Zurich, Switzerland)

Add to the Beauty

Sara Groves' song "Add to the Beauty" has been scrolling through my mind of late. When I saw the video below, I thought they made an excellent pairing. Enjoy.

We come with beautiful secrets.
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls.
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold -- that only we can hold.

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are.

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story.
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside.

It comes in small inspirations.
It brings redemption to life and work -- to our lives and work.
It comes in loving community. 
It comes in helping a soul find its worth.

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful.
This is grace, an invitation.

"Add to the Beauty" by Sara Groves and Matt Bronlewee

Swiftly Surrounded

Swifts at Iguazu Falls

Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Selah

Psalm 32:6-7 (ESV)

Change is possible--and sometimes inevitable.

Dedicated to the people having a tadpole week.

What do you see?

The grass on the hills guiding my commute has suddenly shifted brown. I noted the turn with dismay but in a feeble Pollyanna attempt pondered: Not so pretty, but how would Annie Dillard describe this scene? What beauty or universal theory would she garner from these hills? Do these poets truly view their surroundings with greater perception or are they just better at describing what they see? It is their perspective or their talent that impels their written re-creations of reality? I wish I could write!

(Clearly, I am not cut out to be a Pollyanna any more than an Annie Dillard!) While reflecting further on my recent intake of creative nonfiction (Garrison Keillor, Marilynne Robinson, Susanne Antonetta--anyone?), this thought flashed: I like creative nonfiction for the same reason I like paintings; they both help me to see reality differently. The most skilled artists manage to focus attention, tell a story, and invite us to view a shared reality in a new way. 

Susanne Antonetta
A Mind Apart: Travels in a Neurodiverse World

Dorothea Lange
"Migratory Mother-Texas"

Vincent Van Gogh
"The Good Samaritan"

How will I know?

While chopping sweet mini-peppers last Sunday, I found myself humming snippets from showtunes. Somewhere after "My Fair Lady" and a couple bars from "Rent", Glee covers* starting popping. Whitney Houston rose to the surface (a subconscious streak of diva?). 

How will I know if he really loves me? I say a prayer with every heartbeat...something something...how will I knooooooooooow?

And then it hit me right about the time I decided I simply did not possess enough patience to decapitate a single additional pepper: there is no need for insecurity or anxiety with God's love. How could you ever sing this song to Him? How do we know He "really" loves us? He settled the question once and for all:

And this is love: not that we loved Him, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10



*Necessary disclaimer: the show is beyond insipid, but they sure can sing, right? I only watch the covers. 

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