Apologies for the delay!

The November book is “The Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf as suggested by klemptor.

Trigger warnings (per AI - I couldn’t find them listed online and I’ve not read it before, so please note these may be incorrect or incomplete): Eating disorders, mental health, suicide, physical abuse, sexual abuse, medical procedures and trauma, pregnancy and abortion, and general content warning for all the kinds of body shaming one would associate with western beauty standards (racism/classism/fatphobia, etc)

This was the only suggestion, so it made the choice easy, but feel free to comment for next month!

Springboard Questions

I would like to include some discussion questions that are community specific and relevant to feminism, and not generic book club questions, so these will likely be questions I ask regarding every work, subject to change of course.

Some things to think about while reading:

  • Do you think this work is told from a feminist perspective? Why?
  • Do you think the authors gender or gender identity affected their choice of subject, writing style, or perspective character?
  • Does the narrators gender or gender identity affect the work? If so, how?
  • Did this work change your opinion on anything? If so, what and why?

This is not a homework assignment. You can choose to address any or none of the questions posed here, or talk about your general thoughts or whatever else. Please feel free to pose your own questions in the comments as well. These should serve as a handy springboard if needed, but not a mandatory outline for your comment.

The November movie will be I’m Your Man (2021)

Trigger warnings: I could not find any, but there are likely adult themes

We had no suggestions this month, so I picked this since it seems relatively light in tone, was well reviewed with several awards, and was written by a woman. There seem to be a few sites where it is available for streaming, some of which are free with ads, so hopefully everyone will have at least one way they can watch. Please note that it is in German, so you may need subtitles.

Springboard Questions

Same spiel as above: I would like to include some discussion questions that are community specific and relevant to feminism, and not generic movie club questions, so these will likely be questions I ask regarding every work, subject to change of course.

Some things to think about while watching:

  • Do you think this work is told from a feminist perspective? Why?
  • Do you think the authors gender or gender identity affected their choice of subject, writing style, or perspective character?
  • Does the narrators gender or gender identity affect the work? If so, how?
  • Did this work change your opinion on anything? If so, what and why?

This is not a homework assignment. You can choose to address any or none of the questions posed here, or talk about your general thoughts or whatever else. Please feel free to pose your own questions in the comments as well. These should serve as a handy springboard if needed, but not a mandatory outline for your comment.

Comments are spoilers territory. If you want to use spoiler tags in the comments, please do, but it is not required. If you venture into the comments please keep in mind this is a discussion thread for media so there will likely be spoilers.

Going forward This is a community project. I would like to get input regarding written works and tv/movies that would be a good fit for this. I will leave a comment on this thread that you can respond to if you’d like to offer a suggestion. One suggestion per comment please. You can comment multiple times though. I’d like to make sure the selections are widely accessible, so please add that information if you know for sure something is in the public domain or available online, as that makes it easier to recommend. If you commented suggestions last month and they were not chosen, please feel free to comment them again! I will try to favor the most voted on replies each month, and if you don’t comment this month it won’t be considered unless there are no other suggestions. Please vote on the other comments you see there (I will not be voting since I’m organizing). I’d like to pair heavier topics in one media with lighter topics in the other, just in case you’re wondering why a specific piece was not chosen. Things like language or availability may also affect the selection. I’m also open to changing or adding discussion questions.

Thank you all for your comments last month. Excited to hear your perspectives on this month’s picks!

If you missed last month, please feel free to see what great insight your community members brought to the conversation: https://lemmus.org/post/16649908

Here is a running list of our prior months: https://lemmus.org/post/16011446

Some highlights from last month (not to play favorites!):

  • This was one of LadyButterflys favorite movies, so definitely check out her comment!
  • dandelion mentions that the film felt a bit like an exploitation film at points and I can’t help but agree.
  • klemptor had some great responses for the book of the month, and brought up how the perspective character allows for a better look at the misogyny standard in that day.

PS: Even if you have seen or read the media for this month before, I would encourage a reread or rewatch to best participate in the discussion!

  • Greercase@lemmus.orgOPEnglish
    4·
    1 month ago

    Please post suggestions for next month as a reply to this comment. One suggestion per comment please, but feel free to comment multiple times.

  • Greercase@lemmus.orgOPEnglish
    1·
    16 days ago
    Movie

    I was initially on the fence about the movie this month, but I ended up really enjoying it. If anyone didn’t watch it but has the time, I wholeheartedly recommend it. I never know how an AI movie is going to end so it did have me guessing the whole way through.

    Truly it was worth the watch, and the rest of this will contain spoilers (I tried to be vague, but still) so I highly recommend watching it before reading on.

    I really enjoyed the way they portrayed the main character’s relationship with the robot. I know that’s the point of the movie, but it felt so genuine. The desire to not give in to the tropes, but in essence still wanting that kind of relationship. The way she expressed her sexuality and frustration also felt very genuine.

    I think there’s something to be said about the thread of loneliness that follows throughout the movie. What happens with her father and the pregnancy and her ex all lean into this overarching idea of solitude. It frames her robot as the thing to fix this all. He literally helps with each of those things in turn and yet she doesn’t accept it as meaningful. Then there’s the moment where she runs into the judge. You see how he’s interacting with his robot and what he has to say. It really broke my heart. I know there’s a lot of women out there turning to AI now, but it really felt as though the emotional and interpersonal/relational future of humanity had been thrust upon this woman. It was so sad to see, but it mirrored a lot of what I come across as it relates to relationships irl.

    Then the ending was so interesting. Half twist, half as expected. I don’t want to give specifics, but I think the interpretations of why it happened there and the significance of it is very interesting. It felt very “full circle” for her character and yet solved none of her actual problems. Very rarely do I watch a movie that involves a journey where basically nothing changes. It was refreshing and felt very human. It seemed to both affirm and contradict its central thesis in that just the act of going through things as a human, regardless of their impact, is what makes us human. No need to be any deeper than that. Just waking up and confronting the life you’re living is in essence what makes being worth it. Nothing grandiose, just living. Would be interested to hear if anyone else watched it what their takeaways were.

    To directly answer the questions posed:

    • I do think the work is feminist. The movie centers a woman who is outside of the “traditional female role” and in essence follows her reckoning with that. At one point even having her contrasted with a woman who is filling that role. The movie doesn’t shame her for her place, but does honestly explore what being in that place means and how it affects her.
    • I think it would be difficult for someone who isn’t a woman to have written such a character who felt as real as the protagonist. I mentioned it above, but even the sex scene seemed to very much center the female gaze and female perspective, while not putting her sexuality on a pedestal.
    • I think the narrator having been a woman is integral to the work. It’s possible this would have been able to be made centering a man, but so often you see men in these kinds of movies having the opposite stance as this main character. I’d be interested in a similar story from a male perspective, but this one felt uniquely feminine, especially with the inclusion of the ailing father and the comparison to the exes new partner.
    • I don’t know if it changed my opinion on anything per se, but it did prompt some interesting conversations within my friend group about trauma and healing and humanity - all conversations I think most AI movies prompt.
    Book

    It was exactly as expected. I can’t say I’d recommend it. It was a dry and tough read with the main takeaway being exactly what you think it is. What I will say is that any and every reminder to exercise critical thinking and media literacy is great. Please remember to love yourself and love the women in your life. Each and every one of us are beautiful and worthy, not just of love, but of being. You deserve to take up space and you don’t owe anyone anything for doing that.