Dancing Around Objectification
The situations of the female dancers in Claude McKay’s The Harlem Dancer and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man are virtually the same – they’re sexualized, degraded, and idealized by the lustful men of their audience. However, the race of the dancers (one being black and the other white) serves to create a sharp contrast in the way that they are worshipped. McKay’s Harlem dancer is seen as nothing more than an alluring sex symbol, the viewers entranced by her body despite the fact that her act is comprised mainly of singing. On the other hand, Ellison’s white dancer, despite being idealized and objectified, has the status necessary to take back her own agency. She is used by the white men as a “conduit of shame” for the black teenagers, taking away their self-possession and giving them fear. While McKay’s dancer is open for all, Ellison’s is capable of denying those deemed inferior.
Intersectionality 101
According to a post on r/SRSDiscussion, intersectionality can be defined as a theory that examines how various aspects of identity, such as gender, race, and class, interrelate and create a “system of oppression” that is reflective of multiple forms of discrimination. The term “intersectionality theory” was devised from a metaphor used by Kimberle Williams Crenshaw to liken discrimination to traffic through an intersection. She used it to describe the intersection of gender and race oppression in the lives of black women: they are often discriminated against and harmed on both of these bases at the same time. The post briefly touches on Standpoint Theory, which is the idea that each person’s perspective is based off of their own, unique experiences.
The Urgency of Intersectionality
TED speaker Kimberle Crenshaw went through an exercise with her audience to give her speech a powerful start. The results of the activity showed that, while a large percentage of the audience has heard the names of young black males that were victims of police brutality, very few knew of the similar cases involving black women. Black women are often left out of issues concerning either black men or women of other races due their cases not fitting within the “available frames.” There are many issues in the realm of social justice that can be considered an intersection of two or more forms of discrimination. Unfortunately, these problems are often left in the dust by others that are less complicated and easier to promote.
Bechdel Test
The Bechdel test, first appearing as a little joke in Alison Bechdel’s comic strip, has gained mainstream appeal and is now the “standard by which feminist critics judge media.” If a movie doesn’t feature two women talking about something other than a man it fails the test. This test does, however, come with limitations. A piece can very easily pass the test while still containing sexist content and vice versa.
Response
All four of these texts offered an insight on intersectionality and the importance it holds. This in-depth look at intersectionality ties in with our readings about using various lenses to analyze texts as intersectionality is one of those lenses. I now know how crucial it is to consider every aspect of a person’s identity due to every single one playing a key role in the way things are perceived.
Question
Are there cases in which intersectionality is considered but one axis of identity is weighed far more than others?