The medical construction of gender: case management of intersexed infants.

This article looks at what happens when infants are born intersexed. It is based on interviews with six doctors who deal with intersexed infants. It looks at how sex is determined based mostly on how sexual organs will function and appear. If an infant is chromosomally born a female then she will be made into a female regardless of sexual organs but if an infant is born chromosomally male then it depends on how sexual organs will function whether the baby is assigned to be a male or a female. This article talks about how the general assumption with these infants is that they will adopt the gender of the sex they are prescribed yet this assumption is not held with non intersexed babies then the assumption is that there is something intrinsically male or female about them. It also looks at how society demands that we put babies in either a male or a female category and that in our society there are only two categories to be placed in.

The challenges of transgendered identity: the end of gender as we know it?

This article looks at how gender and sex are related or unrelated in a postmodern world. It looks at transgender and also intersexed babies to look at how much is nature versus how much is nurture.

Vocabulary

Intersexed- An infant born with ambiguous genatalia is intersexed

Hermaphrodite- Physically sex is ambiguous.

Gender- The cultural roles of male and female

Sex- The physical difference between male and female

Gender identity- Ones own sense of belonging to a certain gender

Gender role- Societies expectations of gender.

Questions

Why is it so important in our society to know the gender?

Why do we have such strict gender roles?

What does this article say about the idea that gender is an intrinsic characteristic?

Why is it important that we know gender as soon as possible?

What is the link between sex and gender?

Chanter and Kessler

I. Descriptions
*Chanter’s “The Challenge of Transgendered Identity: The End of Gender as We Know It?”
Chanter’s introduction describes the changes in sexuality as technology has advanced. The author provides how cultures dictate gender. This text mentions what gender means in our culture by providing examples of our society color-coding clothing and rooms, the expectations we set for the male and female genders, our expectations of behavior, etc. Chanter discusses Ma vie en rose (My life in pink), a Belgian film by Alain Berliner. In this particular film, Ludovic, a seven-year-old boy wants to be female. “He identifies as a girl, he wants to wear dresses and look pretty, he wants to play Snow White in the school play, and he wants to marry Jerome.” Christine Delphy, a feminist theorist, asks “when we posit the distinction between sex and gender are we comparing something natural with something social or something social that also turns out to be social?” The text concludes with the thought that science is ideologically driven and that the definitions of the male and female genders are not clear through science. Rather, it is culture that interprets what it means to be male or female.

*Kessler’s “The Medical Construction of Gender: Case Management of Intersexed Infants”
In her text, Suzanne Kessler discusses her interviews with six medical experts, all of whom are in the field of pediatric intersexuality. The text brings forth the arguments about changing a child’s gender at birth based on what is already present and what doctors see as healthy for the baby. Kessler discusses the problems gender identity can pose immediately on the parents, the doctors and later in life with the children. The medical experts say doctors should be careful when telling parents about the gender identity problems of their child. Experts say that parents should not feel obligated to name their child (children) until after a gender is determined. The text also includes a discussion about how physicians should not include their personal thoughts into their job. Like Chanter’s text, Kessler suggests that society plays a role in determining gender identity and cultural meaning.

II. Terms
*Chanter
Transgender- a person appearing or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex, as a transsexual or habitual cross-dresser. (dictionary.com)
Hermaphroditism- The presence of both ovarian and testicular tissue in an individual. (American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary)
*Kessler
Pseudohermaphroditism- A state in which an individual possesses the internal reproductive organs of one sex while exhibiting some of the external physical characteristics of the opposite sex. Also called false hermaphroditism. (American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary)
Endocrinology- The study of the glands and hormones of the body and their related disorders. (American Heritage Dictionary)

III. Questions/comments
*Chanter
(page 3) “Gender is always already lived, gestural, corporeal, culturally mediated and historically constituted.” What is meant by this?
(page 4) It was interesting that the author pointed out Berliner’s film, but what should we take from that? What does the film teach us about society’s reactions to transsexuality?
(page 5) Delphy confused me – anyone care to translate?

*Kessler
What are the costs involved in gender reassignment?
I didn’t see any figures as to how many babies go through this. Did anyone see these?
(page 17) “In the care of intersexed infants, the physicians merely provide the right genitals to go along with the socialization.” What do you think this means? Why?
If a baby is born with a perfect penis and normal female reproductive gonads, why does it have to be a male? (page 20) “good penis equals male; absence of good penis equals penis.”
Interesting that this article looked at the concerns of the doctors and the ways they should phrase the problems/concerns to the parents.

Transgendered

The Challenge of Transgendered Identity: The End of Gender as We Know It?

This article deals with the issue of gender as a social construct that leaves no room for those who are transgendered. With the growing number of individuals who do not identify with the sex they are born with, it is forcing society to take a look at what it means to be male and what it means to be female and how we can begin takeing down what has become normalized by western society.

The Medical Construction of Gender: Case Management of Intersexed Children

This article deals with the medical side of infants born with both sexs...or rather one sex that can not be identified externally. Within the article we see how the medical world handles these situations, and the theory that infants that will be assigned the sex as male be sergically altered as soon as possible, and females later. The theory supports its reasonings for assigning a sex early, so that the parents can raise the infant properly in its gender role. However, this thoery does not account for those who do not feel they are the gender they were once assigned, and it completely (in some cases) disregards the presence of testosteron and makes that infant a female so as to avoid future embarassment due to a small penis. This article than discusses the social pressures put upon by both parents and docotors to say what the gender is, and its because of this pressure that many of the problems regarding a proper assignment is made.

Terms:
1) Proliferation: the growth or production of cells by multiplication of parts
2) Circuitous(ly): roundabout; not direct
3) Ineffable: incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.
4) Teleologically (teleology): the study of the evidences of design or purpose in nature

Questions:

1) Is gender ambiguous?
2) In regards to Money's theory on gender assignment...should this theory be revisited with our current technology, and new guidlines be set in place?
3) How can we begin to change the social normalization of gender to include those of transgendered?
4) I might have missed this, but why not x-ray the infant to determine if there is a uterous or a scrutom that hasn't fallen in a boy?
5) Should surgical re-assignment be granted at a later stage in life so that mistakes aren't made?

Man having another baby

Thought this was interesting and it fits what we're discussing now!
Check out this link (you'll have to cut and paste it into the URL box):

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2008/11/14/moos.pregnant.man.cnn

Chanter and Kessler

The Chanter introduction offers interesting opinions and many questions concerning transgendered individuals and the cultural norms surrounding gender. Chanter discusses the problems that many non-traditional gender-oriented persons face in todays society. Using several examples, including a Belgian film from 1997, such problems are displayed and spelled out. The summary of the film speaks of a seven year old boy struggling to be who he is, which he feels is a female.

The Kessler article discusses what it means to be an intergendered individual. Much of the article focusses on how intergendered diagnoses are made, using interviews with specialists who often have trouble forming a grammatically correct sentence (maybe it was just me...?). These specialists share experiences they have with families who bear intergendered children and how 'correction' in handled.

pseudohermaphrodite- an individual having internal reproductive organs of one sex and external sexual characteristics resembling those of the other sex or being ambiguous in nature.
gender identity- (from Kessel pg. 5) one's sense of oneself as belonging to the female or male category
gender role- (from Kessel pg. 5) cultural expectations of one's behavior as "appropriate" for a female or male
intersexual- pertaining to or having the characteristics of both sexes
transsexual- a person having a strong desire to assume the physical characteristics and gender role of the opposite sex OR a person who has undergone hormone treatment and surgery to attain the physical characteristics of the opposite sex.

Kessler-
Given that children are born NATURALLY with both reproductive organs, doesn't that nullify the argument that there are only two natural genders?

Why is it deemed a necessity that the issue of intersex be resolved? Is this purely a cultural thing?

According to page 8, "Although physicians speculate about the possible early childhood "castration" memory, there is no corresponding concern that vaginal reconstruclayed beyond the neonatal period is traumatic.", why do you think that is? Is someone only looking for male distress and spending too much time with Freud?

Is a mistaken gender diagnosis as referenced on page 9 perhaps symbolizing that intersexual children are mistakes of nature?

Chanter-

How young do you think a child can identify as transsexual? The author does not specify an age, simply says 'from a very young age'.

Does color coding children really have the huge effect that it used to in modern society? There has been so much effort neutralize everything for babies that perhaps as a society we've gone overboard...

How do we culturally differentiate sex and gender? Does Chanter have the right idea? (pg. 2)

Nose is a Country

Hello everyone--

A month or so ago when we were reading "The Jewish Nose" I mentioned that I'd read a poem about a woman who had had her nose damaged by Dr. Fleiss after Freud referred her to him. He'd told her she needed to have her nose operated on because she was "hysterical" (prone to mood swings) and masturbated.

Anyway I found the poem in a book. You can read it here: Nose is a Country by Aishe Berger.

Reminder: Label your posts!

Hi all,

Just a quick reminder to label your posts.  When I assign grades for abstracts, I check your label to access all your posts.  Some of you should notice you only have a 1 or 2 next to your name in the left-hand menu of class members - By the end of the semester, you should have at least 5 (we did 2 "practice" abstracts, which count toward class participation, and you should do a total of 3 "formal" [graded] abstracts).

Be sure to use the same name (not "name" and "~name" and "fullname" and "nickname" and "firstnamelastname") for each post, otherwise your posts won't all show up under the same label.

You can go back to old posts and edit them to add a label.

Vielen Dank!

"Material Girl" and Body Worlds

Body Worlds:
Gunther von Hagens discovered the effect of reactive polymers (basically a type of plastics) on dead bodies. With this technology he is able to preserve them, seemingly indefinitely.
These exhibits now tour Europe as well as North America. Hagen says "The Human Body is the last remaining nature in a man made environment."

Material Girl:
This reading covered a large spectrum of things, ranging from plastic surgery to philosophy. The beginning talks about this new-ish idea of constantly striving to "look better" and "be more attractive." The ways in which this is accomplished varies. For some it is perming their hair, others breast augmentation, and still other use colored contacts. The reading presents the historic stereotype of being "brainwashed to think blond hair and blue eyes are the most beautiful of all." This idea of a superior and inferior idea of body beauty can be seen all across the spectrum.
The second part of the reading focuses on discourse that has been presented between different feminists, philosophers, and just some opinionated others. The ultimate argument made is that of power. Who has the power? How is the power distributed? Does the power even exist? One argument is that individuals have more power over themselves than the media and are able to make their own decisions when it comes to being told how to be. Another is that power is "not held by anyone does not mean that it is equally held by all. This section goes on to talk about they ways in which people challenge the dominant ideals and norms, or at least represent the beauty in difference of certain attributes. They do not however say that everything is beautiful, just certain aspects of, stated in the article, different races.
The last part is about Madonna and her status as a postmodern feminist and heroine. She claims to find ambiguity in her actions because she has the control. She uses the display of her body to be desired while still being in control. The author argues however that this apparent control starts to fail when a viewer looks at the way Madonna has in recent years objectified her body, and in ways played into a stereotype of being thin and fit to be, for lack of a better word, better.

Terms:
hegemony:leadership or predominant influence exercised by one over others
jouissance: to rejoice
postmodern: uses complex forms, fantasy, and allusions to historic styles or idea
pedagogy:the function or art of teaching/being a teacher
anachronistic: something/one that is not in the correct historical time
transgressive:pass over, often times a law, norm, moral code, or comand

Questions:
Did DuraSoft use African American Women in its adds?
What does a comment like "daughters who have no manners" as a negative thing say about our society?
What does "looking better" involve?
What is your opinion of Madonna? Do you agree with the author or Madonna herself, or do you see it completely different?
Is there really "power" as defined in the article? Who holds it?
What classifies the one doctor as not the kind to "just pull and tuck and forget about you"?

Comments:
There were a lot of things that this reading made me think of. One of them is the bathroom door/keyhole argument. Also this idea of surpassing "God the Watchmaker" by sucking fat from our hips and putting it in our hands. I find this culture of thin in certain places and rounded in others, such as your calves, interesting.

Plastic Bodies

"Material Girl"

In this article Bordo discusses issues of the human body in postmodern culture in media and art. She addresses issues of body modification and uses different celebrities, such as Michael Jackson, as examples of what she likes to call "polysurgical addicts" or "scalpel slaves". Part of this discussion was about advertising and its controversial ad campaigns to promote "the perfect bodies" and trying to enforce "normality" and what should be beautiful. The second half of the article is mostly dedicated to Madonna and her ever changing styles that are constantly critiqued whether or not she's portraying her ideas in a positive or negative light. The video for "Open Your Heart to Me" is addressed with an interseting argument on whether or not she was just showing off her body or if she had a positive message to the video.

"Body Worlds"

Body Worlds is an art exhibition and idea created by Gunther Von Hagens in which he plastinates human body parts that will keep them frozen in time. He actually invented the technique of plastination which is pressing the plastic into the cells rather than just encasing the parts with plastic. This allows him to mold the parts and actually create sculptures with them. At first his practice was looked at as very controversial but now is actually catching on more as a new way of teaching biology. Even celebrities find it amazing, here's what Jenifer Aniston had to say, "To BODY WORLDS—I am speechless. This was remarkable. Thank you!". Theres actually a whole list of celebrity quotes about the exhibit on his website because we all know that celebrities are definitely the most credible source of opinion on this subject.

Terms

Plastination- technology for preserving anatomical specimens with the use of reactive polymers developed by Gunther Von Hagens.

Polysurgical addicts or Scalpel Slaves- insecure people typically of the upper class that are obsessed with the idea of a perfect body and use plastic surgery to attempt to achieve that impossible goal.

Male Gaze- the generalized male perspective, which in this case means a perverted objectification of women.

Pigeonholed-to assign to a definite place or to definite places in some orderly system.

Questions:

1) Do you think the message of Madonna's video for "Open Your Heart to Me" was meant to be seen as a positive message or just a way for her to show off her body using the "male gaze"? Younger viewers are very impressionable, how do you think they would view the video?

2) Why is it ok to refer to the objectification of women as the "male gaze"? Isn't this term just suggesting that the every male objectifies women?

3)Why is plastic surgery so controversial, all health risks aside, isn't it just another form of designing the way you look just like getting tatoos, piercings, building muscle, or even the clothes you choose to wear? Body modification has been practiced throughout human history, why do you think that it's now being so criticized?

4) Why do you think The Body World's website chose to use quotes from celebrities instead of using actually credible resources such as scientists, doctors, professors, or artists? Why does the general population give such a shit about what celebrities think?

Body Worlds and Material Girl

Body Worlds

Is an exhibit created by Gunther von Hagens that displays the human body, literally, from the skin to the nuro system. This exhibit features real humans who have died, and through technilogical advances their bodies have been presearved and have created a deeper insight into our bodies.

Material Girl

Looks at the postmodern view of feminity and the dualism between the body, and cultural normalization. Bordo opens by establishing the advancement of technology to create the perfect body through plastic surgery. She furthers her discussions by adding an in-depth look at the racial and historical (at least she states eras such as the 50s to the present) context to what the perfect body is to American culture, and that is of an Anglo saxon, blond hair blue eyed person. Through media advertisments, and culturally accepted 'norms' women have been brainwashed to believe that our bodies are not perfect the way they are made. Bordo takes examples from Foucault to explain the embalance of power among women, especially women of color. She ends by establishing that Madonna is not a postmodern Heroin, for, she too has succumed to the cultural normalization of the female body, and no matter how much she says to the contrary, her body is still on display.

Terms:

Concomitant: existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent: an event and its concomitant circumstances.
Homogenizing: to form by blending unlike elements; make homogeneous.
Vicissitudes: a change or variation occurring in the course of something
Pastiche: a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
Jouissance: Jollity; merriment
Misogynist: hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women

Questions:
1. Could it be said that since the polly surgical addics keep coming back that ther is no perfect body?
2. Can make-up, changing hair color, over all look be a way for women to truely cover up who they are...the true self?
3. Do we generalize everythign in order to make the tough question fit in a neat little package that won't change the 'norm' when it comes to body image?
4. Can we change what our society veiws as the norm? Can that difference ever be accepted or will it forever to be shot down as we continue to age.
5. Foucault "emphasizes that resistance is perpetual and unpredictable, and hegemony precarious" (262). In our society today do we see hegomony as precarious or just minutely switching outter view points (to seem to include others) while holding the same core views?

Plastic Bodies

Summary

Material Girl: The Effacements of Postmodern Culture examines the postmodern notion we are currently referring to as the "Plastic body" in relation to a few real-life examples (but not without bringing up theorists whose work is largely unknown to most). Of the real world examples, there is an episode of Donahue wherein Phil Donahue asks whether or not ads for colored contacts are racist. The audience members don't think so. Bordo thinks otherwise. Attention is also turned to Essence magazine, which juxtaposes the an article about "The Beauty of Black" with ads that sell hair straightening products or offer "escape". Then there's Madonna, who had an undeniable influence (probably larger at the time than now, but still there in some form) and the changes her own body has undergone, particularly noting how, although she at one point said she liked her stomach in its "round" form, she then went on to start working out because she "didn't have a flat stomach anymore" along with other acts of redefining herself. Bordo concludes that one can't really get away from the social context in which things occur and should be mindful of consequences.

Body Worlds is a pet project of Gunther von Hagens (né Liebchen) displaying bodies preserved by reactive polymers. It's controversial to many, but popular enough to now be exhibiting in North America. His process of Plastination was developed in response to the processes of preservation at the time, as he felt that they could be improved. There's even a link on the website to one about body donation, and a "thank you" to all the body donors. The bodies in the exhibit are shown in active and life-like poses.

Terms

postmodern: coming after, and usually in reaction to, modernism in the 20th century, esp. in the arts and literature; specif., of or relating to a diffuse cultural and artistic trend or movement, esp. in art, architecture, and writing, since the 1950s, characterized by eclecticism in style and content, freedom from strict theoretical constraints, indifference to social concerns, etc. (Webster's New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition)
Plastination: a process of preserving bodies using reactive polymers.
madonna: (once again from Webster's) a former Italian title for a woman, equivalent to madam
plastic: moldable, able to be shaped.
pornography (I include this because of the debate as to what counts as pornography[also from Webster's]): writings, pictures, etc. intended primarily to arouse sexual desire (italics mine)
Questions
Do you buy the idea of Madonna as a feminist?
What do you make of the question, posed by an audience member on Donahue, "What's wrong with blonde hair and blue eyes?"?
And why do they insist that colored contacts have the same effect for black women as cornrows for Bo Derek?

Why did Madonna apparently change her mind completely about her figure? How'd she reconcile this with the concept of self that resists pigeonholes?
What message do readers of Essence really get?
Considering the mention of Oprah Winfrey, Essence and Phil Donahue in the article, what do you think of Tyra Banks and her daytime TV show?
What effect does history have on us when we misunderstand it due to incomplete or incorrect knowledge?

Body Worlds and Material Girl

Body Worlds
Body Worlds is an exhibit of plastinated human corpses that German scientist Gunther Van Hagens made. He came up with the science behind plastination and created the exhibits. These exhibits are designed to teach about human anatomy as well as show what happens to the body under different situations.

Material Girl
This article looks at body image in a postmodern perspective. It describes how the postmodern perspective is that we are free from bodily determinism. This article claims that the postmodern perspective is that we are the sculptors of the plastic of our body. This article argues that in our freedom we then chose to conform to cultural norms which in reality ends with us not being free. This article explores through looking at different media that our perception is that we aren't affected when in reality we are constantly bombarded by reminders of what the cultural norm is. It looks at how changing the body to become more like the cultural ideal is framed in such a way that it appears to be an individual choice for difference instead of a cultural push for sameness.

Key terms
Postmodern Perspective- A perspective that is a reaction to the modernist it takes personal opinion and personal choice as the most important.
Plastination- A process by which organic matter is preserved in plastic.
Gunther Van Hagens – German scientist who invented plastination and also Body Worlds.

Questions
Why are Body Worlds exhibits so controversial?
How are people encouraged to shape their own bodies?
What technological advances have made it possible to shape our own bodies?
Why is Madonna a good example of plasticity?
In what ways has culture shaped our personal choices about our bodies?

Next week's texts

Hi all!

Three things:

Firstly, the text for next week (Susan Bordo, "Material Girl...") is in WebCT Learning Modules and I've also printed copies of it and posted them outside my office door in 2244 Pearson.

Secondly, the article references Madonna's video "Open Your Heart" and so I offer it here for your consideration:

Thirdly, you should take a look at the website for the exhibit "Body Worlds" and google images for it. We will discuss this exhibit in the context of "plastic bodies" and what it mean to have, be, and display postmodern bodies.

Lastly, I encourage you to respond to Jenna's post (see below)!

Men/Masculinity Complex

Hey guys-
This post on Hathor Legacy kind of explains the oppression to men that I've mentioned in class. I think it does a good job of explaining pretty simply what the whole concept is about. The patriarchy HURTS US ALL!

http://thehathorlegacy.com/the-cult-of-masculinity/

From Wonder to Error- A Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity
The reading for this week was the introduction to a book about freak discourse. This reading looked at the changes in the way so called freaks have been viewed throughout history and how modernity has changed this view. It views this discourse as being an indicator of the changes in culture through time. It talks about how in the past how freaks were seen as objects of awe and wonder that were used to look at the boundaries of the world as it was known. This view was mixed in with a more religious view of the world. As the outlook became more secular a medical viewpoint begins to become more popular. It also talks about the idea of teratology as a method of taking the wonder out of freaks. Also freaks began to be put on display but with this the differentness was greatly exaggerated in a process of enfreakment which ends with much of the otherness being a cultural construction. It looks at how as time and our growing mobility people began to be judged more on appearance instead of past connection and family. With this freak began to be a much more detrimental asset. Also with the invention of surgery and treatments anomalies were more often changed to what is seen as “normal” causing more of a rarity and discomfort with ambiguous bodies.

Terms
Enfreakment- The act of making a person seem like a freak through scenery or other social contexts.
Freak – In modern day a human corporal anomaly. (text)
Teratology- a science of monstrousity that ultimately rationalizes the monstrous. (Text)

Questions
Why do we have such a fascination with people who break binaries?
What are differences so controversial and looked at?
Why are we willing to go to such extremes to see other people as abnormal?
Why has it become less acceptable to be physically different as history goes forward?
What impact has technology and the media played on freak discourse?

In Thomson's "From Wonder to Error", she discusses the presence of "freaks" in mythology and how this induces thoughts about what separates man from beast. She then goes into great detail about the appearance of "freaks" in dime musuems during the Nineteenth century. During this time, teratology, the study, classification, and manipulation of monstrous bodies, was developed. A lot of this textwas about how people with abnormalities are regarded as "freaks" and the circuses and freak shows that have exploited these people for entertainment purposes, especially during the Industrial Revolution and modernization of the early Twentieth century.

Key terms:
anomalous body- a body that isn't considered normal from other bodies.
lusus naturae- freak of nature.


Questions?
Why do people find the bizarre so interesting?
How do people decide what is human and what isn't?
How do you think circuses have changed since their first appearance?

Introduction: From Wonder to Error- A Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity

Rosemarie Garland Thomson writes about the history of "freak" shows and how they came to be a popular attraction for all types of people. Thomson depicts what defines a "freak" and how people would display their "freakiness"; by performing in rented halls, permanent exhibitions of freaks in dime museums, circus sideshows, fairs, and amusement park midways.





Terms:

• fetus in fetu-developmental abnormality in which a fetus gets enveloped inside its twin and an entire living organ system with torso and limbs can develop inside the host.


• anomalous body- a body that is considered not normal from other bodies.
• lusus naturae- nature's sport or the freak of nature.

Questions

• How do we depict what is human and what is not?
• What do you think is the main reason that "freak shows" aren't a typical thing anymore?
• What first comes to mind when you hear the work "freak"?
• Why would people put themselves in "freak" shows? It couldn't possibly be an uplifting feeling to have people stare at and mock you.

Comments

I found this article to be very interesting because we have heard about "freak" shows but probably have never looked this in depth at how "freaks" were treated or how they came about. I found it disturbing that some of the participates in "freak" shows were mentally retarded and probably couldn't make the decision if they didn't want to be in that type of situation. I'm glad we live in a society where our differences can now make us who we are and most of the time we aren't looked at a "freaks" because of our differences.

Thomson's "Introduction: From ... Modernity"

Rosemarie Thomson’s “Introduction: From Wonder to Error – A Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity”

I. Description
Rosemarie Thomson’s piece explains different meanings of the word freak and how it’s changed throughout history, the history of freak shows, who classifies as a freak, examples of freaks in history, and provides a description of their roles as entertainment in society. Thomson then provides an overall introduction to the works of Leslie Fiedler, Robert Bogdan, David Gerber, Elizabeth Grosz, Paul Semonin, among others.
II. Terms/concepts
freak- The meaning has changed from Milton’s a fleck of color to whimsy or fancy to the 1847 definition which was “synonymous with human corporeal anomaly.” *This means that it’s a deviation from the common body* (dictionary.com)

“enfreakment”- narrative and cultural premise of irreducible corporeal difference

corporeal- of the nature of the physical body, bodily (dictionary.com)

freak show- entertainment that included those who were considered abnormal by human standards. These shows included conjoined twins, albinos, midgets, etc.

III. Questions/thoughts
What were some initial reactions to the freak shows? Were there any groups against it?
What did freaks think about the shows? Were they forced to “perform”? Were they paid?
How were the shows advertised?
What was the real cause of the shows ending?
Why dress the freaks up if they were already considered entertaining?

I found this piece both interesting and disturbing. It’s hard to think that someone’s disabilities or abnormalities were considered entertainment. It was interesting that the author used the example of Michael Jackson to point out the “freak” in our culture.

Freak Discourse

The introduction to freak discourse by Rosemarie Garland Thomson provides an overview of the history of 'freaks' and how they the stigma came to be, as well as how it changed. Thomson provides various definitions of freaks through the ages including everything from beauty contestants to dwarfs to 'exotic ethnics'. Before industrialization, such freaks were flaunted and paraded around as human anomalies that people paid to see. The key phrase in her article is 'wonder becomes error', meaning that modernity changed amazing human deformities into distasteful human flaws that need to be fixed so those members can be assimilated into modern society with little effort and notice. Through industrialization, what were known as freak shows descended into lower society as human mistakes and those that were able should have made an effort to utilize modern technology (surgery etc.) to correct the 'mistakes' within themselves. Another main idea of Thomson's introduction is that most of why freaks were viewed as such comes from a fear of comparison. She discusses at one point that, following the American Civil War, it became harder for freaks to be distinguished from the normal because war casualties had deformed so many people. Thus, many people were now likening themselves to biological freaks which detracted from the wonder of the 'originals.


anomolous bodies- those bodies that were abnormal and differed from the normal and accepted human form

teratology- the science of monstrosity

enfreakment- David Hevey's idea which is a process by one comes to carry the stigmatic name 'freak'


According to page the middle of page for, freaks have "become today the abnormal, the intolerable." Why use the word intolerable?

What do you make of fat ladies and boys as well as beauty contestants as freaks?

Referencing the top of page 11, wouldn't exploitation of freaks increase the risk and threat of freaks?

Who knew that the Epcot Center was based on freaks?

Are reality shows like Little People, Big World attempts to reappropriate the word 'freak'?

Genealogy of Freak Discourse in Modernity By Rosemarie Garland Thomson

“People who are visually different have always provoked the imaginations of their fellow human beings.”
This article illustrates how throughout history, people compare themselves to others, in a way of making sense out of our differences. Visual differences are easily acknowledged and then dissected by others to confirm how the abnormalities of the “freaks” ensure that we, the majority, are the norm and the “freaks” are the outsiders. It is important to understand Thomson’s idea that “whether generating awe, delight, terror, or knowledge, the monstrous emerges from culture-bound expectations even as it violates them.” Historically, freak shows were a very common form of entertainment. Everyone from royalty having their special entertainers, to common people going to a dime theater, were intrigued by these “freaks” and wanted to catch a glimpse of a foreign understanding of life. Then, those with abnormalities were labeled as freaks, where as now they would be seen as “physically disabled” or “exotic looking.” Thomson writes of the four entwined narrative forms: Oral speil, the often fabricated textual accounts, staging, and drawings/photographs. Each of these narratives publicly showcased the “freak shows.” Many of the shows involved the performers doing everyday tasks in their “special” way, which is interesting to those who can perform those tasks without thought. Also many of the shows enhanced the “freakish” differences the performers had, by costumes, backgrounds, or in any way enhancing their differences or abnormalities. Going to these “freak shows,” Thompson writes, “turns America’s collective eyes more attentively on the extraordinary body for explanation, validation, or simply comfort.”

Terms:
Anomalous: deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; irregular
Aberrance: departing from the right, normal, or usual course
Bourgeois: a member of the middle class
Misogyny hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women
Monstra: meaning to warn, show, or sign

Questions:
-What does Thomson mean when saying, “This is not, however, the awe of divine warning, but rather an implication that the world exists increasingly not to glorify god, but to please man, who is destined to be its master.” (Bottom of P. 3)
-Why is a freak show described as a social ceremony?
-Were those with mental disabilities also included in the “freak shows”?
-How did those in the shows get picked and was there a criterion for them being in the show?
-Were the performers paid? Were they expected to stay for a certain amount of time?

Todd Browning's "Freaks," 1932 (opening)

Freaks and Geeks on National Geographic