Question 1:
"The human, it seems, must become strange to itself, monstrous even to re-achieve the human on another plane.' (-Judith Butler, Undoing Gender)
How have the bodies of female, queer, trans, and/or intersexed people—especially people of color—been construed historically as "deviant"/ pathological; criminal/ threatening; 'disposable" and/or "inhuman" in medicine and popular culture? How are portrayals of certain lives as "disposable" negotiated today in art as well as social movements? Discuss specific examples from the realms of art and social protest, drawing on movements such as Black Lives Matter and subversive re-framings of previously devalued bodies and subjects in contemporary popular culture, music/ art, and social media.
Discuss 3 of the following in your response: Martin, Garland Thomson, hooks, Hobson, Yancy & Butler, Frank, Wright, Pascoe, and/ or Kessler. Include one of the following multi-media materials: "A Girl Like Me'; NPR podcast on "Misogynoir"; video clips re Hottentot Venus, including public response to Beyonce's proposed movie; bell hooks "Are You Still a Slave' excerpts from New School panel.
Question 2:
The annual Victoria's Secret fashion show hit the runway last November, as global news headlines relentlessly reminded us. Yet the company faces declining revenue and continues to alienate customers via exclusionary beauty norms and ad campaigns catered to the heterosexual male gaze. The brand has recently come under fire in the media for transphobia, lack of inclusivity, and rigid definitions of which bodies should be viewed as "sexy".
In light of feminist debates about global beauty politics, what do you think has (or have) the most significant potential to challenge hegemonic beauty norms and internal colonization on a global scale, and why?
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