Dec 08 2009

I Might Look Like Dora, But I Work Like Diego!

Published by Rhianna Mohamed under Brooklyn Museum - New Feminist Video


“Whacker” by Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, two American-born artists was seven minutes, seven seconds of constant repetition. It was a short film of a woman, wearing heels and a dress, pulling out weeds with a weed whacker. What an original title eh? Though the movie itself was a constant bore, its message was clearly defined. It showed that a woman is just as capable as a man of doing “manly” tasks (in this case, whacking weeds). I’m not saying this from a woman’s point of view, but it’s true. Even I was amazingly shocked to see this. It’s not the normal thing to see; we usually have big, brawny men taking care of the “nitty gritty work”, while women stay at home and look pretty. The change in the gallery was a pleasant surprise, though. It’s about time women got some credit!

The Brooklyn Museum goes into more detail here.

11 responses so far




11 Responses to “I Might Look Like Dora, But I Work Like Diego!”

  1.   # Ason 13 Dec 2009 at 2:41 am

    Is that what she was doing? I thought she was looking for change with one of those metal detectors…

  2.   # Amrita Narineon 12 Dec 2009 at 1:58 am

    I feel like this exhibit was very powerful if you really understood it. Women can do things just as well as men, and that’s what a lot of these women set out to prove. I think they succeeded.

  3.   # Jason Waton 12 Dec 2009 at 12:48 am

    From what I read and saw, the whacker was a rather inefficient tool. This showed an interesting meaning behind the video which I thought was her great perseverance.

  4.   # Sai Maon 12 Dec 2009 at 12:42 am

    Abushale definitely liked the show of strength that was displayed when he was watching this woman smash her bike.

  5.   # solanaon 12 Dec 2009 at 12:40 am

    I like all the videos that showed that women can do everything that men can do, if not more.

  6.   # Rhianna Mohamedon 11 Dec 2009 at 3:42 pm

    Sai, there are only so many ways to illustrate their feministic views.. I’m glad you aren’t implying that it wasn’t noteworthy in itself (if it wasn’t as repetitive as you deem it was).

  7.   # Angela Ngon 10 Dec 2009 at 1:54 am

    Yup, I couldn’t agree more. All of these videos set aside the stereotypes placed one women. But I thought this one was supposed to represent the woman as a “tough weed”.

  8.   # Sai Maon 10 Dec 2009 at 12:07 am

    As long as the Diego you’re referring to is the “San Diego Chargers” (football team) then I’m OK with this title reference. Overall I agree with the goals that were set out by these feminist videos however, they felt too repetitive to be noteworthy.

  9.   # Rhianna Mohamedon 10 Dec 2009 at 12:02 am

    HAHhahahah, Alina.. That’s a facebook status in the making (your whole entire comment). 🙂

  10.   # Alina Pavlovaon 09 Dec 2009 at 12:17 pm

    i absolutely LOVE your title. i think it speaks directly to what the exhibition was about. although maybe not the “look like dora part,” or at least it doesnt apply for everyone from the exhibit. Like the binge drinker lady looked like a total man. I think that’s even what i first said when i saw her.

  11.   # Zerxis Presson 08 Dec 2009 at 1:34 pm

    I really liked the title of your blog. The movie as you said, was a total bore, and I believe, since it was the first one I watched at the museum, I was absolutely clueless about what it was supposed to mean.

    I understood its point however, only after I saw a couple of other videos, that conveyed the same message.