Ethnography

Ha, that's ironic! Like some of my peers, I work in a restaurant/bar that is located on Santa Monica Boulevard, so there is a massive variety and diversity of people that come through the restaurant. I wanted to observe the patrons with the knowledge I have received from class; like woman as a second sex.I work at nights a lot, so I have so many observations I could write a novel; but I will keep it short and sweet.One of the couples that came in last night really made me happy. It was a really pretty woman, in her late 20’s and her boyfriend who was similar in age. They were dressed like it was a “date night” and they seemed like they genuinely enjoyed each others company. I sat them outside and he got up to use the restroom. She was sitting there by herself on her phone, and the minute he walked back outside, she looked up and her face lit up, sincerely excited to see him; even though he was away for five minutes! It made me think of Beauvoir’s article as Woman as the Second Sex. Did this girl really love this man, or was she relying on him? If the situation was switched, and the girl left briefly and walked back in- would the boy smile that big like she did? When he walked in, did he feel superior because she was sitting there waiting for him? Am I reading too much into this??Working in West Hollywood allows me to connect with the gay community- and I love them! So during observation it is inevitable that gay romance would be included. We have a lot of regulars, so I know which guy is more feminine or the girl, and the manlier one of the couple. One couple in particular came in the other night, and I watched there interaction more closely. They are a very, very good looking couple, always dressed to the nines and always really affectionate. They took a seat at the bar, and both harmlessly flirted with our bartender, and then settled into the stool. As the evening wore on, they were always touching somehow- whether it was a playful nudge, or a hand on the shoulder. They also were always laughing. In my eyes, laughter is always a sign of a good, healthy relationship. Even though you are dealing with two men, Beauvoir’s article can still be witnessed. It is easy to see which man is “the other”. It might not be his body parts that set him apart from the other, it is body language. Man 1, was always the initiator, always wanting to be noticed and needed; much like women can be. Man 2 paid for the drinks, and would respond to what Man 1 was initiating. It was quite interesting witnessing the theories we’ve been discussing in class for the past few weeks come to life.