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gorillagirlsKelsyLefler

gorillagirls.

coming into the gorilla girls presentation i was very intrigued to hear the lecture. i've never considered myself a "feminist" because i'd never really researched women issues. i had some specific views on the equality between men and women, but these views only came out of what i heard and saw around me. my views weren't backed up by anything factual.

the gorilla girls are masked feminists with the goals of exposing sexism and racism in the art world. this also extends into issues such as politics, film, and popculture. by using scadelous visuals, facts, and humor the gorilla girls has caught the attention of the world.

arriving to the lecture, i expected to be surrounded by art radicals and the freshman students required to attend. to my suprise, there was a vast amount of individuals who all seemed pumped and excited to hear what the gorilla girls had to say. i also anticipated if the speaker would ACTUALLY wear a mask.. which she did. i think this idea is absolutely brilliant. i can openly admit that i immediately make quick assumptions about a speaker, judging their appearance. with the masks, your brain clicks to focus on what the speaker has to say, instead of their outward show. it also suprised me how easy it was to adjust to the idea of having this petite woman wearing a large and gaudy gorilla mask.

the woman was quick and funny. rattling off statistics, facts, and jokes she quickly pulled in her audience. i felt that this was one of the first lectures i attended where close to everyone in the crowd was sitting on the edge of their seats, intently listening to everything said. observing, you could see only a sparse few with closed eyes or doodling on some scrap paper.

it's interesting because even before we were informed about the gorilla girls lecture, i had met a new friend, and through our speaking, i had learned that he was very sexist towards women. he believed that men were the ultimate power, and were basically better at everything than women. they were stronger, smarter, and in general completed tasks a lot better than women. through our talkings, we would bicker back and forth about the subject but i never felt strong with my arguments. although i do agree that men often succeed more than women, i don't think that this is because of their mental and physical capabilities. i believe that their further accomplishments derive from people, such as my friend, who put men on a pedistal for their brains, and brawn. through the facts and statistics of the gorilla girls, i feel more confident about my ideas because they are supported.

i feel like succeeding in this world is an unfair competition. as i'm striving to the top, will i run into these problems described in the gorilla girl lecture because i'm female? will i loose the chance to a spot that i'm completely capable to, because my competition is a male, or even a "better looking" female? and, maybe because of my blonde and blue-eyed exterior.. will i be taken seriously? or will the next smart looking brunette win the competition to suceed? society is brutual and i'm glad i had a chance to be involved in a gorilla girl experience to stir up these questions. i think their goals and ideas are very informative and will produce a better future for women looking to eventually be successful, and more specifically break the male domination in the art world.

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