So, I’m still unsettled about the class discussion from Wednesday. I think that people are different in their own homes than they are on the streets. Even if everything that we do outside, in public, or scripted by some hegemonic text; I think that we allow ourselves some freedom from that, once we are inside.
The idea of “behind closed doors” itself may be a text. So when we see people behaving in a way that they have been trained is the correct expression of physical attraction, we can follow our training and say, “get a room.” But even then, we’re abiding by the fact that there is a level of propriety and that some things (that are fun and are suppose to make us feel free) are meant to be kept ‘private.’
Something that I think Maggie had brought up during the discussion made a lot of sense to me. Suppose that once off the streets and behind our drawn curtains we do allow that “frumpy” style of dress that makes us feel more comfortable. Now suppose that that too is a text, and that we have been rained to think that those clothes are more comfortable because of their fit and inappropriateness for public-wear. I think my main point is that it doesn’t matter that that is a text too, because regardless, we still feel more comfortable. The concept of textual hegemony doesn’t negate the relaxed demeanor that it causes.
In this case, if there were a tower with an elusive guard surveying over students, it would matter that they know, or be told he is there (even if he’s not). But, if they were never told that they were being watched (which is why I originally asked if they knew) then they would act the way they are texted to act when they think no one is looking. They would follow the proprieties of the “behind-closed-doors” moral code.
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i think in the most personal ways i can see it i am on the same side as you in some ways. i think we can all relax in the home and think we are out of the public eye etc, i have no problem like many others im sure, with getting into comfortable wear whether that pajama pants naked or anything else. you do that because there is such a thing as privacy and home safety etc. but i get the idea of the other sides point of view i guess, because when i get home and look in the mirror and dont like what i see that's me with the mindset of what was placed onto me. how i should look/want myself to look. i dont go home and feel its ok to be as ugly as i want because i have learned that cool thing of self esteem from the public eye etc that sometimes overtakes me and i know im not happy with myself sometimes because of it. it's wierd...and i have no brain cells anyway right now but think i just said something...maybe.
that i do understand the power of feeling all eyes are off of you at home...but that invisible public eye that has been placed in most of us still shines at you and makes you want to be happy with the mirror. i dont care if im in pajamas, naked, or in a dress. i like feeling comfortable in my skin. and i think maybe that part is chained in relation to the extreme we talked about in class of eating disorders, etc. we may not know where it stems from exactly but no one would be ashamed about looking in the mirror ever if we didnt have something other than ourselves in our brain since day one.
sorry...ill go to sleep now.
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