action

To be a woman of action does it still mean denying femininity?

| Henna Timanttimetsä

As it happens women who pursue work that requires/means physical stress measured as getting dirty, sweaty, working with your hands wearing overalls, mask and gloves, lifting things, moving and making something that needs one to work with whole of body adding problem solving to work are thought to lose something of their femininity. Rationality and innovation with capable hands is for some reason not something women have. Idea of what women are and can be still lives in the 20th century dragging behind infuriating. Women who are doing something that is not traditionally their area to work at, to be expert at without question is seen obscure like an absurdity in every day. Strangely work for women which is to be for some reason clean, neat, ‘easy’ and allow cute clothes is really an invention of the modern times and place that used to belong to upper class women who at best did nothing but things that were strictly theirs for some reason by nature, by their gender and by their class, so a privilege. Nowadays to me privilege is to be able to do work that one desires to do and most people want to work. To be absolutely idle to which we in our easy living fantasy dream about, is hopefully just a dream and an impossibility. Those unemployed rarely are happy about their idle existence.

Nature is regularly referred to when talking about women. Women are physically weaker than men and division is made clear what are chores for women. Strength and power are male characteristics physically and mentally which as such is an appalling stereotype and false. Men feel attacked and put down when women enter work that traditionally is labelled for men. This I have experienced many times myself. My work effort as my capabilities are diminished and questioned over and over. Here applies again the strange truth how people do not believe other than their bias and what they think is true. That unchangeable solid truth of theirs is so unwavering it can be changed only by huge amount of proving, maybe not even then. How slowly our world changes even though our technological advancement is rapid. Even those who have high degrees in science to my surprise are very biased what comes to women in science and art. That slowly movable wall strikes as what the fuck is it there for. Such highly educated people who hold dear the world order of theirs where just to have a Ph.D. is enough to tell how knowledgeable, refined, correct and justifiable they are and see their points of views unchangeable and undeniable. Offence is to follow, no doubt, when questioned.

What is hip and cool and why do we pay attention to the at the moment hip and cool phenomenons and trends knowing they do change all the time and the most hip and cool are those who do their thing disregarding the fashion of hip and cool? Do you know what I mean? For example making applications for the sake of making applications is a now-thing, but it is probably over quite soon, because who actually needs them. More important would be to ask why be hip and cool when you can be thoughtful, innovative, active maker, do many things in your life disregarding do they make you a fortune, things that have other kinds of meanings than what they appear outside and not do because it is your place which is decided by others but because you want to.

To my surprise younger generations to me are very often not taught to do basic chores at home at all. If it is so that parents do every day nuisance such dishes and cleaning for their kinds, boys and girls, how does it change our world of work? Will we have maids to do those inconvenient things that are dirty and low, unappreciated work chores? Robots?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/what-exactly-does-its-a-mans-world-mean_b_7454660.html?utm_hp_ref=tw “It’s a shame our society generally fails to teach girls to have higher expectations and boys not to feel threatened by their realization. The worst part about people’s responses to the suggestion that we find ways to address women’s needs in public spaces was the reality of many women’s low expectations and desire not to offend anxious and angry men.”

What makes an action movie masterpiece?

| Henna Timanttimetsä

It can be argued just as anything and is. As it is questionable for many is the genre of action movies in its variety an art form and can it even be talked about in critical academic context for example cultural influences of action movies, what is important, valuable, interesting and worthy of research and looking into. In a time of mass production of movies to rise cultural discourse about action movies may raise a question of what for, they all seem very much alike, work from an entertainment factory where muscles and fast cars are getting the most attention, use of power, fire arms and force of a solitude man interests a wide audience. The visual information in movies does have a massive role. What kind of impact, one can guess. To me action movies at their best represent an image of our time especially those movies which clearly pay attention to political conflicts, solving environmental and humanitarian catastrophes and showing way to the future. Interesting is the machinery behind blockbuster movies which seems paying attention to making the most profit and the contrast there can be between the world view of such movies as Alien and The Terminator and Hollywood, the plastic, entertaining Hollywood.

The true events in world history have been effectively used in many action films, true intentions, true motives which have caused wars and conflicts speculating the rest. My interest lies in the action where oppression, wrongdoings and ill intentions of politicians and business men are fought back and there are actual results: the bad guys lose and get punished accordingly. Maybe action movies reflect our hope for real action men and women who do instead of having speeches, to explain their success. Best of the genre in my opinion mix science fiction, future vision, pay attention to gender roles and today’s world ideological and economical mess, telling our future prospects if we do not wise up. Terminator 1 begins with a scene where cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) emerges naked from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) future mother of John Connor. At the same time to stop the plan of machines’ to assassin Sarah Connor Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) finds his way through a time machine to save Sarah.

To answer to the question what makes an action movie masterpiece is quite similar as what makes any movie a masterpiece, a classic, image of its time and mentality, morals, events, what it is to be human living this time and think what future will bring. Masterpieces are of course difficult to define as they are complex packed with meaning references and questions, also some answers. Visually and artistically masterpiece has to fill criteria of excellence, excellence that serves the story and philosophy of that movie pushing boundaries of what action film can be, what a movie can be and tell. It is faithful to the message, giving and telling something essential of our time and of us. As Terminator is very much a mainstream kind of series of movies, it is extraordinary in its preciseness and  visuals that strike to tell true kind of story.

Other reason why Terminator 1 and 2 and Alien movies interest me as works of art and important movies of our time is that the one who wants to save the world and works her ass off to do so is a woman. Romance is cut to the minimum or erased completely. There is only the mission to save something worth while and there is no other way, threat is so big and it is a nuclear war, destruction of mankind and AI having control and power. It is not obsessed, it is necessary to act and start to think our responsibility for saving life on earth. The meaning of these action-science fiction movies is not to bring on fire arms and show endless killing. They are to show what one person can do.

within my grasp

| Henna Timanttimetsä
Emotions as we and why do we like to abstain and refrain our emotions into illness. Having an order of emotions, taking them for granted and as inferior phenomenon which reason must rule and guide. An order which many of us seem to live by is not to, a no, a ban, prohibition of. What do we let out and what we do not because we are not allowed, because it is not proper, we do not dare? It is an interesting topic, because our emotional refusal, which could be called a plug that is not wished to be pulled, a tag, pivot behind a door, stepping stone, something nonverbal, unspoken inner banner which is there, but how far and can you see it. Inner banner, a flag of your own, what is it like?
 
Revolution is an emotional event. It is a moment of not wanting to have that plug anymore. Not wanting to be dictated, controlled over, told what to say, do, be like and feel.
It is feminine to feel, to show emotions, to cry, to laugh, be insecure, admit sensing. Crying is a powerful outburst with tears and facial expressions. Crying is probably the most controlled emotional and physical act, please don’t cry, I would have to react to your tears. 

irrational behavior of those who oppose, lunacy, mental. To declare mental