Essay Example on Mrs Joyboy's Choices: A Tale of Gender Equality

Introduction

My feeling about this video is that women are allowed t make their choices just like men. In fact, in the video, Mrs Joyboy acts quite similar to her son. The two have quite a huge appetite and eat freely. In as much as Laugh’s wife is not comfortable with her Mrs Joyboy’s eating, she does not try to stop them. Also, Laugh seems to please his mother, and they enjoy the meal together (Brumberg, 14). He knows that it is her way of life and does not try to object. However, societal perception is represented by Laugh’s wife who, from her expression, is unpleased with Mrs Joyboy’s and her son’s eating habits.

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Does it matter that it’s a woman eating this way, and not a man?

In my opinion, it does not matter that it is a woman eating that way. For one reason, both Mrs. Joyboy and her son share similar eating habits. For another reason, Mrs. Joyboy is a condescending adult whom I assume knows the risks of such practices. However, society does not think this way. Save for a few activists; most women are afraid of having excess weight. Thus, they do all it takes to remain slim, including using corsets and eating less or just enough (Brumberg, 10). Body shaming scares many women; hence they strive to stay slim. If it is a man with such a habit, not many people will react since there is a formed mindset for women to have manners while men act freely. Nonetheless, my stance is that man or woman; a problem has to be addressed from its wrongfulness rather than on a gender basis.

What’s the difference between the two women? Which do you like more, which less? Why? Which one is more correctly performing the feminine gender role?

There is a vast difference between Mrs. Joyboy and her son’s lover. Mrs. Joyboy is plump and huge, while Laugh’s wife is petite. Secondly, Mrs. Joyboy freely eats and laughs without minding her audience while Laugh’s lover is uncomfortable with everything. Thus, I would gladly prefer Mrs. Joyboy. She is confident about herself and is not intimidated by her visitor. She freely eats and is optimistic about her body. She laughs heartily despite having a guest showing that she enjoys the freedom in her home.

Nonetheless, the stereotypical society would disagree with my opinion since it is believed the position of a woman is in the kitchen (Bordo, 20). Thus, as Laugh’s wife helps in setting the table, she performs the gender roles. Contrarily, Mrs. Joyboy stays in bed watching television while her son prepares the meal.

What would Joan Jacobs Brumberg have to say about your emotional response?

In her book, ‘The Body Project, ’ Joan Brumberg gives a historical transition about women and the obsession with the body (Brumberg, 13). In the Victorian days, over 100 years ago, a woman aimed to have a corset and be morally upright (Brumberg, 16). Thus, virginity was kept, and al people saw was the inner beauty rather than physical appearance. However, American women started to have confidence in themselves as the freedom days came and would use their bodies how they wished. Thus, today, women focus on being slim as models in an era of free consumerism and sexuality (Brumberg, 50). Hence, Brumberg would agree with my opinion that Mrs. Joyboy’s confidence and eating habits are based on her freedom while the younger woman’s lives to please the world.

What would Susan Bordo have to say about your emotional response?

As a pathologist in eating disorders, Susan Bordo tells of the societal pressures that put women into striving to be fit for the world (Bordo, 23). The Victorian women who are represented by Mrs. Joyboy are concerned about inner beauty and hence suffer eating disorders and overweight. Conversely, women today represented by Laugh’s wife are afraid of the word’s perception and body shaming. Thus they live to keep slim. Therefore, under-eating and over-eating have consequences that Bordo defines as eating disorders (Bordo, 26).

References

Bordo, Susan. Unbearable weight: Feminism, Western culture, and the body. Univ of California Press, 2004. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rezqDU30R5wC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=susan+bordo+unbearable+weight&ots=rsV9vmxtNj&sig=maXzJ74jgnpt-53ewx3FcYyBsrE

Brumberg, Joan Jacobs. The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. Vintage, 2010.