Karyn Attipoe and Rayne O'Muineachan collaborated in a semester-long project as part of a course called IDEAS Project Block. In the class, students have the opportunity to design original projects in disciplines of their choice, in this case students interpret research on Hypersexualization of gender and race through performance art. 

"How do different aspects of human sexuality shape the way we look at different genders and races?"

PROPOSAL

"Going into this semester I knew roughly what I wanted to focus on; the topic of human sexuality has always been intriguing to me and I have always wanted to be able to discuss it in an in depth manner. Collaborating with Rayne O’Muineachan we decided that we both wanted to do a project about human sexuality and how different aspects of society play into how we sexualize people. We came up with the question “How do different aspects of human sexuality shape the way we look at different genders and races?” Common sense, the acceptance of a presumed truth, tells us that American society revolves around sex. I want to look at this assumption and learn how this plays into the treatment of different races. My partner will be looking at how this affects gender, while I plan to delve even deeper into my passion. The hope is that we can use the information gathered to bring to light certain issues in our society that can be changed on an interpersonal level.

As of right now the plan is to create a dance that would be considered more performance art than a dance performance. We want to show that the idea that the human body is inherently sexual is a misconception that is often harmful to people who are not considered “sexually ideal”. We want to show the human body in its true form, desexualized and unromantic. To do this we to look at human sexuality, in order to fully understand what the concept is and apply that to our further research. As I am currently enrolled in a introductory sociology class I will be able to use the skills learned there to properly study human interaction when it comes to the body and sex..." Click here to read Karyn's complete proposal.      

RESEARCH

"In human society the body is oversexualized to the point where most people feel that there is something flawed with how they look and/or act. Hypersexualization in society causes people to put themselves and others into unrealistic sexual roles which can then affect the way they interact and see themselves on a race, gender, and orientation level. In order to combat this, different social justice movements use the media and personal experiences to connect with the general public and help them understand the socialization happening in everyday life.

This can make people insecure and unsure of doing what they feel is right. How can we live in a world where people are afraid to leave their house, because what they want to wear draws an unwanted kind of attention. Women of any race could fear being raped because what they chose to wear was too revealing. Men of color could be considered a criminal or shady because of their clothes. The phrase “the clothes maketh the man” comes to mind when talking about sexual portrayal of clothes. In reality these pieces of fabric are really just symbols, but we as people have assigned different meanings to these symbols; low cut shirts and hot pants are inherently sexual on both men and women, for men more so because it has the added connotation of being gay, which in western society is closely tied to sex (Nelson). In our society we seem to be so hung up on sex and being sexual, but also villainizes those who do give into society’s pressures, so much so that the 1985 film The Breakfast Club even discussed it; “Well, if you say you haven’t, you’re a prude. If you say you have you’re a slut. It’s a trap. You want to but you can’t, and when you do you wish you didn’t, right?” This applies primarily to females, because in American society men are considered manly when they have had sex. This creates a double standard that is unfair and puts young girls into a complicated position.

Understandably, sex is a complicated topic that not many people want to discuss. It makes them uncomfortable, because it is such a taboo subject. Add in the factor of race to an already uncomfortable situation and people just shut down..." Click here to read Karyn's complete paper and annotated bibliography.

"Hypersexualization in society causes people to put themselves, and others into unrealistic sexual roles which can then affect the way they interact and see themselves on a race, gender, and orientation level. In order to combat this, different social justice movements use the media and personal experiences to connect with the general public and help them understand the socialization happening in everyday life.

Being a sexual being is not a bad thing, but it has become a bigger and bigger part of our society. People can start being affected by this as early as Kindergarten, just by watching TV shows, and the commercials that are shown.The media is a huge player in why we act the way we act. The media whether it be TV, phones, the internet, obviously has a huge impact on our society. The media tells us that the more skin we show, the more slutty we are. On the other hand, there are subliminal message telling us to show more skin and act ‘sexy’. Not only that but women are constantly being told that if they have sex or are sexual, then they are sluts, but if they don’t have sex, then they must be a prude.

Camille A. Brown is a dancer. She Choreographs her own pieces, and performs them with a group of dancers. Camille is a very talented dancer who has made many pieces and most recently is working on Black Girl. The dance is about a black girl. More specifically, a black girl who is going from young girl, to adult. The beginning she is getting ready for her day maybe. Doing her hair, cleaning herself up after playing. She maybe finds herself being sad or not feeling 'pretty' then she finds music. Music is something that makes her feel at home and that she can really connect to. Through out the dance, Camille does iconic movements from black women artists. That shows how young women are so impressionable..." Click here to read Rayne's complete paper and annotated bibliography.

ARTIST STATEMENT

"For most people, hearing someone they consider a child talk so frankly about sex makes them uncomfortable. They think they’re too young to be thinking about things like that, sex is for adults. But in the same breath they tell kids not to show too much skin because someone could get the wrong idea. Everything is simultaneously about sex, and not about sex. It’s saturated in our culture, but we’re not supposed to talk about it. Magazines inform us of who is having sex with whom, while parents tell us don’t have sex until we’re old enough.

Hypersexualization takes many forms, some of them more obvious than others. In race it dictates who we think is sexually aggressive, who is passive, and whose sexual appetites are primitive. These assumptions began to take root as a child makes the transition to adult, and begins to experiment with themselves and their desires..." Click here to read Karyn's complete artist statement.

"We were inspired to create a performance art piece. The performance tells the stories of four high school students experiencing a wide variety of discrimination. The story is laid out in a way that gives the audience time to listen and watch as each student tells there side of the story and how they are all intertwined. The dance helps expose the truth and feelings behind discrimination and hypersexualization. There are moments in the dance where we take on the roles of the characters..." Click here do read Rayne's complete artist statement.

EXHIBITION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIa-vfs1RQc