Power Inversions
When looking at the Twitter account @manwhohasitall, I compiled a list of some of my favorite tweets of his:
THESE TWEETS CAUSE ME TO THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS…
So, what it would be like for certain power relations to be reversed? What does it suggest about the nature of gender power? How do inversions show up the issues we’re still contending with?
As we can see in these tweets that mock what it would be like for power relations to be reversed, it seems the whole “gender world” would be flipped upside down. Society would be completely different. The nature of gender power is very clear and concrete; each gender (male and female) is “prescribed” a certain set of characteristics and duties that have seemed to “stick” as years went on. When @manwhohasitall flips these gender roles, it feels strange and “off.” I think this definitely tells us something about the nature of gender power. Additionally, it makes it clear that these gender inversions are still completely relevant. However, I think it is interesting to see the ways in which they are more challenged in this current historical moment because of the fluidity that is now being given to the concept of “gender.” For example, should a woman that identifies as a woman but has the reproductive parts of a male adopt the gender inversions of a man or woman? In some way, this complexity is helping to erase or combat this natural gender power, which is definitely a good thing.
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