This video is Jordan Theresa’s first video in her misogyny series. It focuses on modern forms of misogyny and why we (as a society) still need feminism even though some women and men believe that society has become fully equal. Her aim with the video is to debunk this myth and address why we still need feminism in the 21st century. I find that Jordan’s videos are really educational and balanced in terms of facts and opinions. Some things she addresses are subjective, however she includes facts and statistics in her opinions. I would definitely recommend that everyone (no matter your gender identity) see this to learn more about modern misogyny and how it not only affects women but other genders as well.
This is the second video in Jordan Theresa’s misogyny series. In this video, she focuses on internalised misogyny. I believe that the topic of internalised misogyny is important to address as it can be hidden by other topics and can be quite hard to identify. Internalised misogyny is defined as when women subconsciously project sexist ideas onto other women and even onto themselves. For example, the phrase “I'm not like other girls” (although not having that intention) shows that the person saying it has a sense of superiority over others. Irrespective of gender, it is a must watch as Jordan not only breaks down the concept but also focuses on the consequence and the harm that the phenomenon has on you and society.
This video is a historical exploration of the concept of whiteness, where it comes from, how it has been used over time and how it has changed. This video is 15 minutes long and is divided into 4 parts. It focuses on whiteness rather than blackness. It also discusses the concept of whiteness and race over different time periods in history.
This video is a commentary on toxic beauty standards and their impact on society. Something that is very important when discussing beauty standards is that they differ depending on where you are in the world. Most of the video essays on beauty standards that I’ve seen have focused on western beauty standards without actually mentioning that these standards are limited to the western world. However, this video focuses on the reason for these western beauty standards and simultaneously addresses beauty standards from other parts of the world. Although the video includes some annoying memes for reaction purposes, it is highly educational. Its perspective on body-shaming, beauty standards and trends makes it stand out from other video essays in this genre.
The topic of fast fashion has become more problematic in recent years, especially since the fashion brand SHEIN skyrocketed. This video essay by Salem Tovar includes multiple perspectives on the “shein-pocapolyse”. Salem addresses the problematic aspects of this trend. I think the way Salem addresses this topic is really good. One thing she says is “you don't know the person's situation and it’s very privileged to assume that everyone can afford good clothing.” While that argument is very valid and true, the fact that fast fashion has a bad effect on our environment and wealthy people partake in it is nonetheless true. The video is a deep dive into both arguments, how the trend started and how it affects our environment and a discussion if people are inherently bad for partaking in fast fashion.
The concept of the male and female gaze has in recent years become very talked about on platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram. Trends such as the am i written by a man or a woman, dressing for the male gaze/female gaze are all over some people’s fyp. Video essays about the male gaze are quite popular on Youtube. However, this video is about both the male and female gaze and I personally think that it captures the idea, cause and consequence very well.
I am a profound lover & admirer of video essays along with their essayists however, I think that they should be criticised as well. They are very well put together videos that are generally conjectures or opinion pieces. They should nolt be considered factual or objective. This video addresses the reason as to why people might consider them to be factual or objective. It is good to watch this video repeatedly to remind oneself that video essays convey other people's opinions that may or may not be facts.
This video essay about reactionary online activism and its problematicism by Khadija Mbowe focuses on the infamous term “slacktivism” but also the good parts with online activism. This video includes facts, case studies and statistics while also including a subjective part in which Khadija includes her own opinion on the topic. I would really recommend this video as it is very informative about the powerpoint/infographic activism that has become quite trendy during these past years.
I know what I am doing tonigh…hehe
Thanks for the advice!