I've been putting it off, but I guess it's time to tell you about my new job.
I have never worked for a company larger than Prometric. The company has about a dozen offices and over 10,000 testing centers worldwide (though, each testing center works more like a franchise). The employees number in the thousands. Whoa.
The job itself is pretty straightforward. I have copy-edited, proof-read (think copy-editing, but more in-depth), and reformatted a few documents since I started. That is pretty much what I signed up for since I'm a "Junior" technical writer, so I'm happy that the job lives up to the title. If I have any complaints, it's that there hasn't been that much work for me so far. I hate looking for stuff to work on; I'd much rather know where to go to get more to do. I'm still only in my second week, so a slow start is understandable.
The best part of the job is the my new boss, Brooke, communicates to me in a way that I easily understand. My last boss, Laura, basically spoke to me in a different language: I spoke English and she spoke Engineering (which I was still learning). As things stand right now, I have understood all of my assignments well and I've received positive feedback about what I've produced. I don't think I would have noticed or appreciated the good-communication part of the job if the last job I had hadn't failed so hard in that area. I notice; I appreciate.
As a nice bonus, all of the people are in my department are very friendly and seem like they genuinely like each other.
I know it's really too soon to say, but I really like this job.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Show and Tell
On Friday, the Elders Quorum hosted a Show and Tell as a way for us to get to know each other better. They also had a waffle bar (good thing it wasn't pancakes ...).
Not everyone shared, but several brothers did. Among them, one man talked about his love of HAM radio, another shared a collection of his pop art, and another passed around different products that he designed through various jobs (mostly sports equipment). I considered different things that I could share that I enjoy: I could bring a crochet hook, my current set of egg beaters, or maybe my running shoes to talk about. Instead, decided on something that in many ways is the most personal of all: my writing.
I don't do a lot of creative writing, certainly not as much as I should, but what I do write, I am proud of. The various short stories that I've finished are unique and have a part of me in them (as corny as that sounds). I enjoy writing and I really like the short story format.
I brought the classic standby to share, "Shoes: a Secret Life." Not everyone got a chance to read it, but several of those that did, commented that they really enjoyed it and thought that I had a knack for writing. And while I generally don't write for anyone other than me, it's still nice to hear that something you create has an impact.
All in all, it was a good evening.
Not everyone shared, but several brothers did. Among them, one man talked about his love of HAM radio, another shared a collection of his pop art, and another passed around different products that he designed through various jobs (mostly sports equipment). I considered different things that I could share that I enjoy: I could bring a crochet hook, my current set of egg beaters, or maybe my running shoes to talk about. Instead, decided on something that in many ways is the most personal of all: my writing.
I don't do a lot of creative writing, certainly not as much as I should, but what I do write, I am proud of. The various short stories that I've finished are unique and have a part of me in them (as corny as that sounds). I enjoy writing and I really like the short story format.
I brought the classic standby to share, "Shoes: a Secret Life." Not everyone got a chance to read it, but several of those that did, commented that they really enjoyed it and thought that I had a knack for writing. And while I generally don't write for anyone other than me, it's still nice to hear that something you create has an impact.
All in all, it was a good evening.
Friday, October 25, 2013
The Land Down Under
My commute to and from my new work has gotten much, much easier recently.
I should start by saying that when I first went to the office building where I work for the interview and the actual first day on the job, I relied on the GPS unit that my folks graciously gave me. Unfortunately, it sent me through downtown Baltimore, which is a terrible place to be if you're in a car. The whole trip would take just over an hour, which is not a good way to spend your day.
Determined to find a better solution, I turned to my good friend, the internet. According to Google maps, if I took a toll road, I could skip the stop-and-go of downtown. So I wrote down the directions, made sure I had cash, and set off for work. It turns out that the toll is for a tunnel that goes under Baltimore Harbor, which is kind of cool. What's really cool is that taking the route that includes the tunnel drops my commute down to just over thirty minutes. What's uncool is the price of the toll: $4 each way (or $40 a week). Luckily, I overheard some co-workers talking about discount plans that, once signed up, will cut the cost by about two-thirds. That's a lot more reasonable.
Even without the discount, taking the tunnel saves about an hour of my day that would otherwise be spent sitting in traffic. Getting that time back is worth the price of admission.
(On an unrelated note, the building I work in is right on the waterfront and I can see the harbor from a window near my cubicle. And, because Maryland has such a curly coastline, the water is actually to west. I could almost forget that I wasn't looking at the Pacific.)
I should start by saying that when I first went to the office building where I work for the interview and the actual first day on the job, I relied on the GPS unit that my folks graciously gave me. Unfortunately, it sent me through downtown Baltimore, which is a terrible place to be if you're in a car. The whole trip would take just over an hour, which is not a good way to spend your day.
Determined to find a better solution, I turned to my good friend, the internet. According to Google maps, if I took a toll road, I could skip the stop-and-go of downtown. So I wrote down the directions, made sure I had cash, and set off for work. It turns out that the toll is for a tunnel that goes under Baltimore Harbor, which is kind of cool. What's really cool is that taking the route that includes the tunnel drops my commute down to just over thirty minutes. What's uncool is the price of the toll: $4 each way (or $40 a week). Luckily, I overheard some co-workers talking about discount plans that, once signed up, will cut the cost by about two-thirds. That's a lot more reasonable.
Even without the discount, taking the tunnel saves about an hour of my day that would otherwise be spent sitting in traffic. Getting that time back is worth the price of admission.
(On an unrelated note, the building I work in is right on the waterfront and I can see the harbor from a window near my cubicle. And, because Maryland has such a curly coastline, the water is actually to west. I could almost forget that I wasn't looking at the Pacific.)
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Cold Run
Last night I went for my usual evening run, but it was very different.
For one, it was already twilight when I started, which meant that it was dark by the time I finished. This made my run a lot more dangerous than usual, not because of the cars because I'm certain they could see me okay due to the light-colored clothing I was wearing (although I should probably invest in a reflective vest or some other article of clothing to be on the safe side), but rather the danger came from not being able to see properly. I kept thinking I was going to trip on some unseen thing, which made me nervous and made the run a little less enjoyable.
The other thing that was new was that I was running in the cold. When I first started running outside in Oklahoma, it was spring, so I didn't have to worry about bundling up. Then I moved back to So Cal where winters don't exist (which I like just fine), so I didn't have to worry about bundling up. Now, Maryland doesn't experience the same temperature fluctuations that Oklahoma does, but it still gets all four seasons (a shame, I know). Anyway, I had to wear a long sleeve shirt and a hat (bandana, but same principle) so that I wouldn't catch cold; I still wore shorts. The weirdest thing was how little I sweated. After a run, my shirt is usually soaked through; this time, there were only a couple of patches of wetness. Running in the crisp, cool air kept my body temperature down so sweating as means of thermoregulation was almost completely unnecessary.
The weather may be changing, but my desire to keep running is not.
For one, it was already twilight when I started, which meant that it was dark by the time I finished. This made my run a lot more dangerous than usual, not because of the cars because I'm certain they could see me okay due to the light-colored clothing I was wearing (although I should probably invest in a reflective vest or some other article of clothing to be on the safe side), but rather the danger came from not being able to see properly. I kept thinking I was going to trip on some unseen thing, which made me nervous and made the run a little less enjoyable.
The other thing that was new was that I was running in the cold. When I first started running outside in Oklahoma, it was spring, so I didn't have to worry about bundling up. Then I moved back to So Cal where winters don't exist (which I like just fine), so I didn't have to worry about bundling up. Now, Maryland doesn't experience the same temperature fluctuations that Oklahoma does, but it still gets all four seasons (a shame, I know). Anyway, I had to wear a long sleeve shirt and a hat (bandana, but same principle) so that I wouldn't catch cold; I still wore shorts. The weirdest thing was how little I sweated. After a run, my shirt is usually soaked through; this time, there were only a couple of patches of wetness. Running in the crisp, cool air kept my body temperature down so sweating as means of thermoregulation was almost completely unnecessary.
The weather may be changing, but my desire to keep running is not.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Employed
That's right people, I am now officially an employee for Prometric, a company that provides testing services for things like business certifications or even academic exams. My title will be Jr. Technical Writer, which just makes me feel really happy inside. Not only will I be working again, but I'll be doing what I've wanted to do for at least the last five years (specifically technical writing; I've wanted to be a writer for at least the fifteen years) and I'll have a snazzy job title to match.
Now, the job isn't perfect. It's on the far side of Baltimore, which means that I'll actually have a pretty hefty commute to contend with (though, the building I'll be working in is right by a harbor, so the view from the parking lot is nice). Also, it's only a contract position. The way it stands right now, it's a contract that lasts six months to a year, with the possibility of it becoming a permanent position. Because it's a contract position, I'll be working for an employment agency rather than directly for Prometric. That means no benefits package. Hopefully, I've made all of my ER trips for the next good, long while.
Even with all of the failings this job has, it's still pretty awesome. I am totally looking forward to being employed again as being alive is expensive and I'll need income to continue doing it. Also, and this is pretty big, my main job will be writing in a professional capacity. Even if the job only last for six months, that's six more months that I can put down on my resume.
I want to once again thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers on my behalf. I've had a lot of phone calls with people checking up on me to see how I've been doing. Starting Monday, I'll be able to say that things are "just fine." Just the way I like them.
Now, the job isn't perfect. It's on the far side of Baltimore, which means that I'll actually have a pretty hefty commute to contend with (though, the building I'll be working in is right by a harbor, so the view from the parking lot is nice). Also, it's only a contract position. The way it stands right now, it's a contract that lasts six months to a year, with the possibility of it becoming a permanent position. Because it's a contract position, I'll be working for an employment agency rather than directly for Prometric. That means no benefits package. Hopefully, I've made all of my ER trips for the next good, long while.
Even with all of the failings this job has, it's still pretty awesome. I am totally looking forward to being employed again as being alive is expensive and I'll need income to continue doing it. Also, and this is pretty big, my main job will be writing in a professional capacity. Even if the job only last for six months, that's six more months that I can put down on my resume.
I want to once again thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers on my behalf. I've had a lot of phone calls with people checking up on me to see how I've been doing. Starting Monday, I'll be able to say that things are "just fine." Just the way I like them.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Shop Talk
Yesterday I was making some adjustments to my resume for another job and thought that it would be good to have another person take a look at it, so I emailed it to Dad requesting his assistance. He kindly obliged. We ended up talking on the phone to go over his suggested changes and his help was really, well, helpful.
After the editing was done, we talked a little about where the satisfaction in technical writing comes from. We've had conversations like this before, but the previous ones had all taken place while I was in still in school. This was the first time where I was a professional writer with experience in the real world, limited though it may be. And it was a lot of fun. We talked about how, as a technical writer, people look at you like you're crazy when you tell them what you do for a living; how you, better than most, really appreciate a well-written document; and how great it feels to take a poorly-written document and fix it so that, as Dad put it, "you take something awful and turn it into something awesome."
At one point, I had the thought, "Yeah, he gets it" and before I could say that thought, he did. It was really nice to share our thoughts and opinions and enthusiasm on technical writing with each other, partly because there are still so few technical writers that I encounter, and partly because it's always nice to make connections with your dad.
After the editing was done, we talked a little about where the satisfaction in technical writing comes from. We've had conversations like this before, but the previous ones had all taken place while I was in still in school. This was the first time where I was a professional writer with experience in the real world, limited though it may be. And it was a lot of fun. We talked about how, as a technical writer, people look at you like you're crazy when you tell them what you do for a living; how you, better than most, really appreciate a well-written document; and how great it feels to take a poorly-written document and fix it so that, as Dad put it, "you take something awful and turn it into something awesome."
At one point, I had the thought, "Yeah, he gets it" and before I could say that thought, he did. It was really nice to share our thoughts and opinions and enthusiasm on technical writing with each other, partly because there are still so few technical writers that I encounter, and partly because it's always nice to make connections with your dad.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Answering the Call
Yesterday at Church, a calling was extended to me. I had let the Bishop know quite some time ago that I was ready for a calling and that I thought the added responsibility would be good for me in getting to know more people in the ward, and he had promised me that he and his counselors had something in mind for me but it was taking time to get everything line up, so it was nice to finally get a calling.
I am the new Gospel Doctrine teacher, A through M (there are two GD classes, separated by last name; I get the first half). I have subbed twice already and gotten some positive feedback, so getting this calling isn't out of nowhere, but I still was surprised.
For this class, while I'll of course teach from the manual, I plan on focusing on the scriptures as a way to spark participation. Of the two classes I've taught so far, the second one went better and I used the scriptures to get comments out of the class members, so I plan on using that as the model.
One weird thing for me is that I have the most experience teaching Sunday School to tweens, so I've been the oldest one in the classroom. Now, I have a mix of people who are younger than to me to people old enough to be my grandparents. It's a bit intimidating, but I'm sure that as long as I stay humble and focus on the material, I'll get out of this calling what I'm supposed to.
I am the new Gospel Doctrine teacher, A through M (there are two GD classes, separated by last name; I get the first half). I have subbed twice already and gotten some positive feedback, so getting this calling isn't out of nowhere, but I still was surprised.
For this class, while I'll of course teach from the manual, I plan on focusing on the scriptures as a way to spark participation. Of the two classes I've taught so far, the second one went better and I used the scriptures to get comments out of the class members, so I plan on using that as the model.
One weird thing for me is that I have the most experience teaching Sunday School to tweens, so I've been the oldest one in the classroom. Now, I have a mix of people who are younger than to me to people old enough to be my grandparents. It's a bit intimidating, but I'm sure that as long as I stay humble and focus on the material, I'll get out of this calling what I'm supposed to.
Friday, October 11, 2013
How Do We Live?
I was reading my scriptures the other day and a verse stood out to me, as they sometimes do. This verse was simple, but it came across to me as being very profound.
We know that the Nephites were industrious because they supported themselves with farming and herding livestock (5:11). They also found hard work to be a good quality because Nephi denounces the Lamanites by calling them "idle" (5:24). We also know that there were battles between the Nephites and the Lamanites (5:34), so it's fair to assume that at least some people on both sides were killed.
All of this stands out as being hard. Physical labor is hard work, which is one of many reasons why I earned my degree: so I can avoid it. Plus, the closest I've gotten to being in a real fight was being in a shoving match in eighth grade (it was with a kid twice my size who would have destroyed me if it had turned more serious than just pushing). Having to defend my life and the lives of my family sounds really hard. If life was so hard, what made the Nephites so happy?
In addition to the hard life already described, they built a temple (5:16), had the scriptures with them (5:12), and observed the law of Moses (5:10), so we know that they were devout—plus, with Nephi as their leader, it'd be hard not to be devout: even Laman and Lemuel temporarily changed their ways when Nephi spoke up.
Life was hard for them, but they were happy because they had the Lord with them. And because of that, we know that they helped each other and they worked to make sure that there were no poor or needy among them.
Life is different today in that there are new challenges and dangers, but life is still hard. Instead of waring with our brethren (which still happens), we have to deal with unemployment, marital separation, and severe allergic reactions (although, a fly-infested home may still have been a challenge they faced). Life is hard, but happiness is a choice. I hope that we can all choose to live after the manner of happiness.
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness. (2 Nephi 5:27)This is Nephi's description of how his people lived after removing themselves from the Lamanites. The Nephites were happy, but what does that mean? And why did this stand out to me?
We know that the Nephites were industrious because they supported themselves with farming and herding livestock (5:11). They also found hard work to be a good quality because Nephi denounces the Lamanites by calling them "idle" (5:24). We also know that there were battles between the Nephites and the Lamanites (5:34), so it's fair to assume that at least some people on both sides were killed.
All of this stands out as being hard. Physical labor is hard work, which is one of many reasons why I earned my degree: so I can avoid it. Plus, the closest I've gotten to being in a real fight was being in a shoving match in eighth grade (it was with a kid twice my size who would have destroyed me if it had turned more serious than just pushing). Having to defend my life and the lives of my family sounds really hard. If life was so hard, what made the Nephites so happy?
In addition to the hard life already described, they built a temple (5:16), had the scriptures with them (5:12), and observed the law of Moses (5:10), so we know that they were devout—plus, with Nephi as their leader, it'd be hard not to be devout: even Laman and Lemuel temporarily changed their ways when Nephi spoke up.
Life was hard for them, but they were happy because they had the Lord with them. And because of that, we know that they helped each other and they worked to make sure that there were no poor or needy among them.
Life is different today in that there are new challenges and dangers, but life is still hard. Instead of waring with our brethren (which still happens), we have to deal with unemployment, marital separation, and severe allergic reactions (although, a fly-infested home may still have been a challenge they faced). Life is hard, but happiness is a choice. I hope that we can all choose to live after the manner of happiness.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Shoo Flies UPDATED
When I woke up yesterday, I got up and started to put together my breakfast. As I was moving about in the kitchen, I noticed several houseflies zooming about. My usual reaction to houseflies is to ignore them since they're hard kill and their adult lifespan is so short. However, I could see that there were about five or six flies moving through the air, so I grabbed my sandals and started working to smash them. I counted how many I was eliminating, but lost count after I hit eleven. It seemed like every time I turned around, more flies were appearing. I decided to finish making and eating breakfast, then I would turn my complete attention to killing the flies.
Having consumed my meal, walked back into the living room and saw that the lamp next to my bed (since I sleep on sofa-bed) was covered in at least another two dozen flies. Did your skin just crawl reading that? I almost lost my breakfast when I saw the state of things. I decided to grab the vacuum and suck them up. It a took a while, but finally sucked them all up. I then went back to clean the dishes from breakfast and found two more flies. I killed them, but in the process found another three, which I also killed. As things stand, I know of at least one fly that's still alive, because I can hear it buzzing, and I suspect that there's at least a few more on top of that.
Flies are super-gross on their own, but they also attract spiders and other predators that I really, really don't want in my home. I keep my apartment clean and rarely open the windows, so this was really surprising. I plan on talking to my landlord tomorrow about this because having over three dozen flies in my apartment is absolutely unacceptable.
UPDATE:
It turns out, one of my windows was installed incorrectly. One of the maintenance guys came down and took a look at everything and fixed the problem. He said that with our severe weather fluctuations lately, the flies were seeking warmth and since I had a window that wasn't installed correctly, they were able to squeeze in. Since I don't have anything decomposing for them to eat, they were hanging out at the nearest light source.
I am happy to say that with the window fixed and using both a flyswatter and the vacuum, I am currently fly-free. All told, I killed about six or seven dozen flies. Although, there is a particularly acidic smell in the air, so I'm guessing that there's a lot of fly feces in my apartment now. Good thing I was planning on giving the place a deep cleaning anyway.
And since the question was asked, these were not small fruit flies, but their larger classmates, houseflies.
Having consumed my meal, walked back into the living room and saw that the lamp next to my bed (since I sleep on sofa-bed) was covered in at least another two dozen flies. Did your skin just crawl reading that? I almost lost my breakfast when I saw the state of things. I decided to grab the vacuum and suck them up. It a took a while, but finally sucked them all up. I then went back to clean the dishes from breakfast and found two more flies. I killed them, but in the process found another three, which I also killed. As things stand, I know of at least one fly that's still alive, because I can hear it buzzing, and I suspect that there's at least a few more on top of that.
Flies are super-gross on their own, but they also attract spiders and other predators that I really, really don't want in my home. I keep my apartment clean and rarely open the windows, so this was really surprising. I plan on talking to my landlord tomorrow about this because having over three dozen flies in my apartment is absolutely unacceptable.
UPDATE:
It turns out, one of my windows was installed incorrectly. One of the maintenance guys came down and took a look at everything and fixed the problem. He said that with our severe weather fluctuations lately, the flies were seeking warmth and since I had a window that wasn't installed correctly, they were able to squeeze in. Since I don't have anything decomposing for them to eat, they were hanging out at the nearest light source.
I am happy to say that with the window fixed and using both a flyswatter and the vacuum, I am currently fly-free. All told, I killed about six or seven dozen flies. Although, there is a particularly acidic smell in the air, so I'm guessing that there's a lot of fly feces in my apartment now. Good thing I was planning on giving the place a deep cleaning anyway.
And since the question was asked, these were not small fruit flies, but their larger classmates, houseflies.
Monday, October 7, 2013
General Conference, October 2013
I recently gave a lesson in Sunday School on the Martin and Willie handcart companies from church history. The big take away for me was that we must always work hard to help our fellowman, not just spiritually, but physically as well. That's why the Savior emphasized helping the needy: it's what all good Christians do.
I related this experience because this was where my mind was while watching General Conference. The major theme to me was helping our fellowman, whether through missionary work, visiting and home teaching, or empathizing with those who are going through bouts of depression. It came up over and over again, although it shouldn't be surprising because it's such a basic theme in the gospel.
Additionally, one talk that stood out to me was Elder Bednar's talk on tithing. He specifically talked about how people who are unemployed and looking for work need to pay tithing. He might as well have been talking to me. I just got my second-to-last paycheck this week, but with Conference, I didn't pay tithing yet. Well, I'm not going to wait until Sunday: I'm going to mail it off tomorrow to fulfill my duty and reap the blessings. I think when an apostle gives a talk that directly applies to your life in a very specific way, you better take heed.
What stood out to you?
I related this experience because this was where my mind was while watching General Conference. The major theme to me was helping our fellowman, whether through missionary work, visiting and home teaching, or empathizing with those who are going through bouts of depression. It came up over and over again, although it shouldn't be surprising because it's such a basic theme in the gospel.
Additionally, one talk that stood out to me was Elder Bednar's talk on tithing. He specifically talked about how people who are unemployed and looking for work need to pay tithing. He might as well have been talking to me. I just got my second-to-last paycheck this week, but with Conference, I didn't pay tithing yet. Well, I'm not going to wait until Sunday: I'm going to mail it off tomorrow to fulfill my duty and reap the blessings. I think when an apostle gives a talk that directly applies to your life in a very specific way, you better take heed.
What stood out to you?
Friday, October 4, 2013
Making New Friends
This week has seen several people in the ward pouring out hospitality in my direction.
On Monday, I was invited to dinner and Family Home Evening to a member of the Elder's Quorum presidency. As a friendly gesture, I brought a couple dozen cookies over. It was nice to interact with people under such casual circumstances.
On Wednesday, my home teacher came over. He checked on my job search and said he would help out where he could, and ended the visit by inviting me over to his home for dinner next week.
Finally, the Elder's Quorum President called me and asked for my help with some yard work on Saturday before the first session of conference. I agreed and he said that that time would give him a chance to get to know me better and that he would do what he could to help me with my employment situation.
I really appreciate the hands of friendship that are being extended right now: I could certainly use them.
On Monday, I was invited to dinner and Family Home Evening to a member of the Elder's Quorum presidency. As a friendly gesture, I brought a couple dozen cookies over. It was nice to interact with people under such casual circumstances.
On Wednesday, my home teacher came over. He checked on my job search and said he would help out where he could, and ended the visit by inviting me over to his home for dinner next week.
Finally, the Elder's Quorum President called me and asked for my help with some yard work on Saturday before the first session of conference. I agreed and he said that that time would give him a chance to get to know me better and that he would do what he could to help me with my employment situation.
I really appreciate the hands of friendship that are being extended right now: I could certainly use them.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Women in Fiction
I was talking to Margot the other day about a movie that she had recommended to me, the most recent adaptation of The Great Gatsby. While we both enjoyed the film, she did mention that she really detested the character of Daisy, to the point of saying that she was one of her most disliked characters in all of fiction. While I didn't ask her directly where the ire towards Daisy came from, I suspect that most of it has to do with Daisy's materialism and choosing to marry a rich man rather than wait for her poor true love.
This got me thinking about other women in fiction and how they're depicted. How often is the major decision that they have to make about their man (like Allie in The Notebook)? Pretty much every Disney Princess is rescued from tragedy by her prince (Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Rapunzel, even Tiana were all saved by their respective prince). I think filmmakers are more guilty of this than book authors, as I can think of several novels that have strong female characters that are interested in more than simply finding a husband, but how many movies show women as only being concerned with either their man or lack of man? Far, far too many.
Another problem is that even in movies with strong female characters, they either don't interact with other women, or only talk to other women about a man. There is a test that was created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel to see if a movie is sexist towards women. For a movie to pass the so-called "Bechdel Test," it must contain the following:
It shouldn't be that difficult, but so many movies fail this test. The original Star Wars fails despite having a very strong female lead in Princess Leia simply because she's never onscreen with another woman. That is not to say that the Bechdel Test is completely definitive and any movie that fails it is sexist, but it is a good place to start.
What is my point in all of this? Women are people, too. I realize that that is nothing astounding, but too many filmmakers seem to think of women's interests beginning and ending with men. Even though we are experiencing a huge boom in superhero movies, Warner Bros. and DC seem to think that the third biggest name in the genre is "tricky" to bring to theaters. Why, because Wonder Woman is a female warrior that doesn't need a man in her life to feel fulfilled? I'm not saying that woman can't be loving wives or mothers, but if that's all they are, we as the audience are being cheated of a fully rounded character. Remember, fiction is a reflection of reality, so these (at the very least) partial depictions of women mean that people still think this way. And that needs to change.
[And after all of that, I swear that I don't consider myself a feminist.]
This got me thinking about other women in fiction and how they're depicted. How often is the major decision that they have to make about their man (like Allie in The Notebook)? Pretty much every Disney Princess is rescued from tragedy by her prince (Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Rapunzel, even Tiana were all saved by their respective prince). I think filmmakers are more guilty of this than book authors, as I can think of several novels that have strong female characters that are interested in more than simply finding a husband, but how many movies show women as only being concerned with either their man or lack of man? Far, far too many.
Another problem is that even in movies with strong female characters, they either don't interact with other women, or only talk to other women about a man. There is a test that was created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel to see if a movie is sexist towards women. For a movie to pass the so-called "Bechdel Test," it must contain the following:
1) It has to have at least two women in it,
2) who talk to each other
3) about something besides a man.
It shouldn't be that difficult, but so many movies fail this test. The original Star Wars fails despite having a very strong female lead in Princess Leia simply because she's never onscreen with another woman. That is not to say that the Bechdel Test is completely definitive and any movie that fails it is sexist, but it is a good place to start.
What is my point in all of this? Women are people, too. I realize that that is nothing astounding, but too many filmmakers seem to think of women's interests beginning and ending with men. Even though we are experiencing a huge boom in superhero movies, Warner Bros. and DC seem to think that the third biggest name in the genre is "tricky" to bring to theaters. Why, because Wonder Woman is a female warrior that doesn't need a man in her life to feel fulfilled? I'm not saying that woman can't be loving wives or mothers, but if that's all they are, we as the audience are being cheated of a fully rounded character. Remember, fiction is a reflection of reality, so these (at the very least) partial depictions of women mean that people still think this way. And that needs to change.
[And after all of that, I swear that I don't consider myself a feminist.]
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