Kia Lechleitner Presents:
Victoria's Secret is Out: Equality Doesn't Exist
A film about Kia arguing with Shulamith
Script by Kia Lechleitner
Produced by Kia Lechleitner
Directed by Kia Lechleitner
Filmed by Kia Lechleitner
Kia Lechleitner played by Kia Lechleitner
Shulamith played by Salomon Nevarro
A special thanks to my co-star Sal, the only person that was awake and willing to help me at one in the morning. I would also like to use part of my fifteen minutes of fame to thank KT for helping me figure out all of the technological details.
Click on the link above to watch the video if you're lazy and don't want to read!
SETTING: Kia and Shulamith are watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Shulamith has time traveled into today's society in order to argue with Kia about sex distinctions and gender roles when it comes to equality.
Me: Shulamith I love your new haircut! (Touch Shulamith’s hair)
Shulamith: Thank you!
Me: Oh my gosh, I wish I was a VS angel.
Shulamith: Ugh, why?
Me: Because look, their bodies are peeeerrfect!
Shulamith: You want to be judged by your body and breasts?
Breasts shouldn’t matter. Sex
distinction at all shouldn’t matter.
Me: Wait a second, what?
Shulamith: The only way we will ever be equal is if we
eliminate the emphasis of genital differences in today’s society.
Me: Hold up, we are pretty much equal. I mean, look, we have jobs!
Shulamith: If we were “pretty much equal” (make air quotes
with hands) we would have more representation in everything. There are still many things, even small
things, that need to be made equal. Until everything is equal, you can never say that we are equal.
Me: Okay equal…..Likkkkkkeee?
Shulamith: Well, take condoms for example. (Whoever plays character me cringes) Condoms
are easily accessible. You can find them in public bathroom dispensers, gas
stations, and stores across the nation.
Is it the same for birth control? Birth control isn’t as nearly accessible. If we want women to be equal we need to give
them the opportunity to take care of themselves.
Me: I mean I’d like to think I take care of myself, I mean
if I’m not taking care of my kids. (giggles)
Shulamith: Why are we expected to take care of children?
Me: I mean my husband helps out with the kids a lot.
Shulamith: You’re missing the point. Ever since you were little society has been
telling you that you need to get married and you need to have kids. We need to
get rid of all gender roles. Duties and chores, like cooking and cleaning,
should be equally distributed. The male
shouldn’t rule over the female. Why is
it the women’s burden of bringing life into this world?
Me: That’s just the way it is.
Shulamith: No, that’s just the way it’s been, it doesn’t
have to be like that.
Me: But I feel like that’s what makes a family, a
family.
Shulamith: Families are just another way that women are
taught to be submissive.
Me: I mean, in my family my mom and dad were pretty much
equal. But that’s not the case for you..
Shulamith: Exactly.
Although there is some equality in this world we are far from total
equality. The only way that is
attainable is if we eliminate sex distinction.
Me: I mean, that seems kind of farfetched, but I guess get
what you’re saying.
Shulamith: A person is a person, it shouldn’t matter whether
they have a penis or a vagina. Am I right ladies?
Me: But I still wish I had the body of a victoria’s secret
model. Look at her go!
This post was so great! The video was an extremely affective way to stage the argument and starting it out with the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was a very clever idea. I like how you tried to use humor to brush off what Shulamith was saying, but let her (or him, in this case) explain her view point. I also identify with what you said at the end about thinking that Shulamith's ideas are kind of extreme, but that you understand where they are coming from. While I doubt I would ever want to let my children be raised in a collective instead of a family, it is important to note that for some toxic family units, that would be a far better arrangement. I'm sure that in some societies in which women's primary job is child-bearing and rearing, a collective would displace these responsibilities and allow for the woman to attain greater equality.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you did this post. Using something like the VS fashion show as a backdrop made the post both relatable and entertaining. In terms of the material itself, I thought it was interesting how when you tried to make a point Shulie completely redirected the conversation, effectively ignoring it (IE: the husband taking care of the kids thing). I also liked how in letting her win you didn't necessarily take on her ideas, you just acknowledged that you could understand the differences in your situations. I agree with you in that I can't necessarily relate to her opinions about society, but I can certainly understand where she's coming from, given her situation.
ReplyDeleteOkay, first of all, that was an Oscar worthy performance. Second of all, I liked how you took the basic ideas of Firestone'es arguments and brought them into the modern age. I thought it made it a lot easier to understand her ideals in a modern context like the Victoria's Secret fashion show. It's also important to remember that a woman isn't any less of a woman because she chooses to look or act a certain way.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I love your laugh darling! Great post and kudos to your acting partner. They way you both presented Firestone's Idea made it a lot easier I think for most people to swallow. Without words like "Shitting Pumpkins" (as painfully accurate they may be) your rendition was cool, collected and made some good points.
ReplyDeleteBut, then again, I'm pretty biased when it comes to the destruction of gender roles.
Firestone would turn over in her grave if she saw we were so crazed about the way Victoria Secret sells itself.