Sex and Gender News 10.9

• California enacts laws making it illegal for a man to secretly remove his condom during intercourse (CBS News) 
• An incident in which a Philadelphia man is berated by another man at a gym for lifting weights shirtless goes viral on TikTok (LABible) 
• UK father of two daughters successfully petitions school to have period pains listed as an excused absence (Complex)
• Study: Pfizer vaccine may protect women longer than men (Yahoo! News) 
• A gay college soccer player is called a slur by an opponent, so his team rallies around him to a 5-0 win (OutSports)

Reflection 3: Runaway Brides—Reclaiming the American Wedding

Annually, Americans spend some $40 billion on weddings. Lucky for us, we have a well-oiled wedding industry only too eager to help us spend our money. And while they readily offer us all the accoutrements for our special day, what they really sell is dreams. Thus, the American "Fairytale Wedding," fueled by social media and celebrity culture, has become ever more lavish and elaborate. Everyday brides, once simple and demure, have changed, too. The so-called "Bridezilla," is now given broad license to demand and demean in pursuit of her dream day. The contemporary obsession with weddings has led to ceremonies that emphasize status over substance, but can the American wedding be reclaimed? Can Americans forgo the trappings of status and refocus on the sanctity of a couple's union?

 

To get a sense of what your own wedding might cost, feel free to try this Wedding Cost Calculator.

 

Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "This Was the Average Cost of a Wedding in 2020" (TheKnot)
• "Here's What to Do When You Can't Afford to Attend a Wedding" (Martha Stewart)
• Being Invited to a Budget-busting Wedding Costs Americans in More Ways than One" (BankRate)
• "This is How People Really Feel about Attending a Destination Wedding—and It Totally Makes Sense" (Real Simple)
• "How To Plan a Frugal (Not Cheap) Wedding for Less Than $4,000" (TheSimpleDollar)

Required:

• Approximately 2 pages
• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation and works cited
  

Due: Thu 9.14-Tue 9.19 (via Canvas)

Week 8: Tue 10.5/Thu 10.7

“If adventures will not befall a young lady 

in her own village, she must seek them abroad.”

―Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Week 8: Tue 10.5*/Thu 10.7**
Read: AMERICAN—Introduction - Chapter One: 13
Class: All-male or all-female class discussion (see below)
Due: PROCESS ESSAY

*Men-only class
**Women-only class with special guest lecturers (TBA)

Upcoming:

Week 9: Tue 10.12/Thu 10.14
Read: AMERICAN—Chapter Two: 14 - Chapter Three: 15
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 3