By Author : Hope-Elena Sardella, ANT101
Stories are an intrinsic part of who we are. More often than not we may inadvertently reenact an event we have read in a story or seen on TV because our brains can’t differentiate that the event in the TV show is not happening – (Hamilton, 2014).
As a child, my parents would send me off to my families rural ranch in Eagle Island, Idaho. At the Williamson’s farm, we had no T.V, and I was doomed to only being permitted to read the “Archie” comics from the five and dime. In the Archie comic series, the plot from book to book usually entailed some conflict, and Betty and Veronica fighting over Archie. What I took away from reading these comics was that Blondes were far superior to Brunnettes (primarily because I was blonde as a child). But then one day! My hair turned brown…. then I was a Veronica? I had this lifelong affliction with despising blondes for some time. I had no idea why. Then one day I decided to bleach my hair blonde, and I felt all that disdain towards my beautiful brunette hair wash away. I felt like myself again.
What the Archie comics taught me was that feuding with another girl over hair color is ok and that for some reason one hair color is superior to the other hair color. I think there is a bigger picture to what society is trying to sell us than just hair color though. Society does not want women to come together and be strong. These stories have an objective to brainwash women to be divided, so we are focused on hating each other and being jealous of one another. Although I believe I will forever have a lifelong identity crisis with being blonde. No longer do I despise another woman for the color of her hair, but embrace her as my sister. To objectify, slander another woman is like kicking down my self.
As an adult, I have felt the need to seek out stories with female Heroins. Where women aren’t divided for the security and strength of a single man such as the Archie comics; but where women fully reject male leadership and come together as one. I would say currently Sucker Punch is an all-time favorite movie of mine that shows this type of female dynamic.
References
Crapo, R. H. (2013). Cultural anthropology [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Hamilton, D. R. (2014, October 31). Does your brain distinguish real from imaginary? David R Hamilton Ph.D. Retrieved from http://drdavidhamilton.com/does-your-brain-distinguish-real-from-imaginary/