I Sing the Body Electric explores how female pleasure and expectations have been facilitated and controlled by patriarchal devices. In addition, it examines the conflict I have experienced in reconciling feminist ideals with the traditionalist ideals I was brought up in. This video was inspired by objects relating to physical fitness and beauty maintenance that my mother utilized when I was growing up.
By interacting with antiquated items from the past, I illustrate how the societal expectations, political issues, and emphasis on traditional gender roles faced by women in my mother’s era (the 1950s) are unfortunately issues we still face today. The vibrating slimming belt machine that I incorporate in my performance is a metaphor for the relentless power of a patriarchal structure and the absurdity of fulfilling societal expectations.