Saturday, April 30, 2011
Dear Rapist...
Read the Guardian article that covers the way a female rape survivor received 'justice' after 20 years.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Heyyyy, Kate Middleton! Good on you!
Video says she'll remove the vow to 'obey her husband,' during the wedding today.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Here we go, Ashley Judd & Drink Till You...?
Judd's commentary on hip hop perpetuating rape culture.
Should fraternities be disbanded? They seem to "breed a noxious, violent culture in which young masculinity is measured in pitchers consumed and women fucked. [...] Yes, date rape happens at frat houses. It also happens at marching band parties, and at crew training camp, and in ROTC barracks and at chess club away meets. This is not to minimize what happens in frat houses or to tell women who have suffered sexual violence there that their experiences don’t matter. It is simply to say that sexual assault happens all over college campuses. And that’s what we need to change."
Should fraternities be disbanded? They seem to "breed a noxious, violent culture in which young masculinity is measured in pitchers consumed and women fucked. [...] Yes, date rape happens at frat houses. It also happens at marching band parties, and at crew training camp, and in ROTC barracks and at chess club away meets. This is not to minimize what happens in frat houses or to tell women who have suffered sexual violence there that their experiences don’t matter. It is simply to say that sexual assault happens all over college campuses. And that’s what we need to change."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Ye olde holler back and more.
Click here for an article about the early women's movement against street harassment.
Tennessee advances the "Don't Say Gay Bill". The bill "would prohibit teachers from discussing of any sexuality except heterosexuality in grades K-8,” even with students who may be gay or have gay family,” according to Ben Byers of the Tennessee Equality Council (TEP). The committee amended the bill to require the Board of Education to study whether homosexuality is actually being taught in schools, but it will still institute a ban in February of next year."
Tennessee advances the "Don't Say Gay Bill". The bill "would prohibit teachers from discussing of any sexuality except heterosexuality in grades K-8,” even with students who may be gay or have gay family,” according to Ben Byers of the Tennessee Equality Council (TEP). The committee amended the bill to require the Board of Education to study whether homosexuality is actually being taught in schools, but it will still institute a ban in February of next year."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
I'm adjusting my collar from the tension....
Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps
Yep, that's the title of CNN's latest opinion piece. While some relevant points were made throughout the article about there being a market for revealing clothes for a younger generation simply because we create it, the language doesn't help combat the problem either. Harping on parents for dressing their children like 'prostitutes' and 'tramps' isn't going to help. Read the full article here. I wonder if this article had been written by a woman what language she would have used.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
"For guys: A guide to girl talk"
Slow down, little Ralphie Parker; 'girl speak' can't be decoded with a Little Orphan Annie ring.
It's articles like this that make smoke billow from my ears. Maybe I should see a doctor. Or maybe this shit shouldn't be written. The latter'd save me a medical bill or two.
What she says: “So, what have you been up to?”
What she means: “Why haven’t you called me? Are you seeing someone else?”
Mmhmm, when I ask you what's up, I feel threatened and neglected. All the time. Women are just globs of throbbing jealousy that like to wear makeup to look better for you. If you've already realized you can't get us to shut our mouths, you may need a writer like Amy Spencer from Cosmo to give you some tips.
It's articles like this that make smoke billow from my ears. Maybe I should see a doctor. Or maybe this shit shouldn't be written. The latter'd save me a medical bill or two.
What she says: “So, what have you been up to?”
What she means: “Why haven’t you called me? Are you seeing someone else?”
Mmhmm, when I ask you what's up, I feel threatened and neglected. All the time. Women are just globs of throbbing jealousy that like to wear makeup to look better for you. If you've already realized you can't get us to shut our mouths, you may need a writer like Amy Spencer from Cosmo to give you some tips.
Teaching LGBT history
Two days ago, "the California state senate passed a bill that would require public schools to add LGBT people and people with disabilities to the list of groups whose contributions to American society are recognized in social studies curricula.
The New York Times reports that,
The New York Times reports that,
… starting in the 2013-14 school year, [the bill] would prohibit districts and the California Board of Education from using textbooks or other instructional materials that reflect adversely on gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
If the bill becomes law, California would be the first state to require the teaching of LGBT history."
Big Miss
Don't try to 'find the funny' in child sex slavery. This is too detached. It shouldn't be a joke.
Operas and Ads
"Soap operas have gradually faded as a TV force, as many of the women who made up the target audience is [sic] now in the work force."
"The world, it seems, is concerned about the "scent of a woman." I've watched those feminine hygiene product commercials with a critical eye. The theme of the commercials are the same: sad looking woman with dingy clothes walking down the street (this huge street) hoping that no one can sniff out her smelly vagina. Actually, the woman in the ad looks more like a crack or crystal meth addict and I'm sure most of the people who pass her on the street are more concerned that she may rob them and not so much about her personal hygiene problem.
And then, of course, a friend tells the woman about a product that can make her vagina smell like flowers or a summer breeze and the woman is made whole again. The next time we see her, she's at an office party doing the electric slide or, even better, riding a mechanical bull. The voice over says ... our product makes you feel like yourself again. Fade to black." Read more about lousy 'dirty down there' ads.
"The world, it seems, is concerned about the "scent of a woman." I've watched those feminine hygiene product commercials with a critical eye. The theme of the commercials are the same: sad looking woman with dingy clothes walking down the street (this huge street) hoping that no one can sniff out her smelly vagina. Actually, the woman in the ad looks more like a crack or crystal meth addict and I'm sure most of the people who pass her on the street are more concerned that she may rob them and not so much about her personal hygiene problem.
And then, of course, a friend tells the woman about a product that can make her vagina smell like flowers or a summer breeze and the woman is made whole again. The next time we see her, she's at an office party doing the electric slide or, even better, riding a mechanical bull. The voice over says ... our product makes you feel like yourself again. Fade to black." Read more about lousy 'dirty down there' ads.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Pink Polish: Propaganda?!
The original photo and caption (of a J. Crew writer) are beyond sweet: an adorable bonding moment in which a mother shows no qualms about her son's favorite color (pink), and does not appear to believe that this color choice will have any effect on how the child will grow up or which gender identity he may fall into in the future.
Count on Fox News to fuck that up.
Erin Brown, of the Media Research Center [at Fox] called it "blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children." Really? You researched that?
Aaaand a Fox editorial: "Yeah, well, it may be fun and games now, Jenna, but at least put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid — and maybe a little for others who’ll be affected by your “innocent” pleasure. This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity ... These folks are hostile to the gender distinctions that actually are part of the magnificent synergy that creates and sustains the human race. They respect their own creative notions a whole lot more than any creative Force in the universe."
Dramatic? Painting toes is dramatic? Give me a break. If anything, the overzealous reinforcement by Fox writers/staff for everyone to conform to gender stereotypes and categorization is dramatic propaganda.
As the author of the rebuttal article writes (which can be found here), "We're pretty sure that this fuss is far worse for Beckett's [the child's] psyche than a bottle of pink nail polish ever could be."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I've got 99 posts...
and here's the 100th!
Thank you to the avid readers I've acquired this semester. It's touching to get feedback from you about your shared respect, laughter, or anger.
Today is Equal Pay Day, marking how far into the year a woman would have to work to catch up to a man’s earning from the previous year. Still 77 cents/per male dollar, folks. For five myths about why women earn less, click me.
Recent scandal: "The Australian Defence Force Academy has been in the headlines in the last week, after an 18-year-old woman cadet went to the press with claims that she had been filmed without her consent having sex with a fellow cadet, and that the footage had been broadcast to several other male cadets at the Academy via Skype. When “Kate” complained to her superiors, her case was ignored, so she went public. She was then disciplined for breaking the Academy’s rules about fraternizing, and the rule about talking to the press." Source
If a man had been present for the following, he may have had the same misconceptions, but not spoken up. Is it bad that a woman did? Was she doing so for the right reason?
Titled: "The 'joys' of being a single dad, thank you feminists." Would only a feminist speak up? Does this imply all feminists are female? [Note: For those unfamiliar with 'rage' comics, my apologies, as this may be hard to follow.]
The top-voted comment in response to this picture: "Neither that woman nor the officer are feminists. Feminists LIKE when dads take an active role in parenting their children. People who assume a single man with a child is a predator are sick-minded idiots."
I agree with everything but the last sentence. There is no way to tell, by simply looking at a man, to know if he's single or not, barring a wedding ring, which some men don't own/wear.
Thank you to the avid readers I've acquired this semester. It's touching to get feedback from you about your shared respect, laughter, or anger.
Today is Equal Pay Day, marking how far into the year a woman would have to work to catch up to a man’s earning from the previous year. Still 77 cents/per male dollar, folks. For five myths about why women earn less, click me.
Recent scandal: "The Australian Defence Force Academy has been in the headlines in the last week, after an 18-year-old woman cadet went to the press with claims that she had been filmed without her consent having sex with a fellow cadet, and that the footage had been broadcast to several other male cadets at the Academy via Skype. When “Kate” complained to her superiors, her case was ignored, so she went public. She was then disciplined for breaking the Academy’s rules about fraternizing, and the rule about talking to the press." Source
If a man had been present for the following, he may have had the same misconceptions, but not spoken up. Is it bad that a woman did? Was she doing so for the right reason?
Titled: "The 'joys' of being a single dad, thank you feminists." Would only a feminist speak up? Does this imply all feminists are female? [Note: For those unfamiliar with 'rage' comics, my apologies, as this may be hard to follow.]
The top-voted comment in response to this picture: "Neither that woman nor the officer are feminists. Feminists LIKE when dads take an active role in parenting their children. People who assume a single man with a child is a predator are sick-minded idiots."
I agree with everything but the last sentence. There is no way to tell, by simply looking at a man, to know if he's single or not, barring a wedding ring, which some men don't own/wear.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fuming
Recently, I sent a letter to Senator Roy Blunt about the cut of funding for Planned Parenthood. I just received this response from a do-not-reply email address:
"Thank you for contacting me about funding for Planned Parenthood.
I am deeply opposed to the practice of abortion and do not support federal funding for any organization that performs or promotes abortions, which includes Planned Parenthood. An unborn child is a living human being and abortion ends the life of that child. Throughout my time in the House I worked hard to protect the lives of the unborn.
In 2004, I led the effort to enact the bipartisan Laci and Conner's Law, which treats a crime against an unborn child as a separate offense in criminal cases. This law addressed the murder case in California in which Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, were murdered. I am proud to have the highest possible pro-life voting record according to National Right to Life, and, as I begin my time in the Senate, I will continue to support efforts to make adoption more attractive for parents and prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion.
Again, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt) about the important issues facing Missouri and the country. I also encourage you to visit my website (blunt.senate.gov) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter.
Sincere regards,
Roy Blunt"
Roy Blunt"
No, I do not want to discuss this with "you" over Facebook. I want to receive a legitimate response from you via letter, or, even better, receive face time with you. I want to see your face when I volley. So, Blunty, whaddya say; if PP received the funding it deserved, sexually transmitted diseases and infections would potentially be less widespread because they used to be able to test you for free or for a low fee. If PP received the funding it deserved, contraceptives would be more widespread, which could reduce the need for abortions. If PP received the funding it deserved, many teens could get access to information about sexual choices they want to research but cannot speak freely with their parents about.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
How Toy Ad Vocabulary Reinforces Gender Stereotypes
Excellent use of technology to highlight the gendered words (and the actions they represent) in toy ads targeted to kids.
The boys' list:
The girls' list:
The experiment was very insightful; I suggest you take a look!
The boys' list:
The girls' list:
The experiment was very insightful; I suggest you take a look!
Non-feminist ‘more hostile’ towards men than feminists, study finds
Not a very generalizable study because it was completed by a small portion of college students, but still interesting results!
A moment of recognition.
Katie Couric, the first woman to anchor a nightly network news program, is leaving her post at "CBS Evening News". Thanks for your strides toward [positive] female representation in media!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pro-Prostitution [EDITED]
Let's continue the Twilight talk about making choices. Any woman making a choice does not a feminist make her. The choice itself must be pro-woman, pro-self. I.e. reproductive rights, and occasionally prostitution. Enter comedian George Carlin's thoughts:
There is no circumventing this.
Until there is a shift in consciousness about the potential of Whores, we will continue to live in a society which offers no formally acknowledged Teachers to awaken us to our power as sexual beings.
Aint no getting ’round this one either.”
Edit: Let me make it clear that because prostitution is, for the most part, not regulated, it is unsafe. If there comes a time (and there have been such times) when women are able to safely choose their clients, easily acquire medical supplies, and have a debt-free place to eat, live, and sleep, one can hardly deny them the choice to do something that they find empowering. The current situation with demeaning pimps and degraded young girls is not the prostitution I speak of. While I am skeptical about the empowerment factor, it is not my place to judge. Here, I direct readers to Igna Muscio's thoughts about 'Whores' and the characters of 'Companions' in the sci-fi show: Firefly.
Muscio writes: “Without honoring Whores, we cannot truly understand and transcend the dynamics of violence, destruction and ignorance fostered in our cuntfearing society. The fact that some women are considered “bad” is a puritanically based value judgment that reinforces a fatal division between women.”
“The measure of respect Whores receive is in direct proportion to the measure of respect all women receive. Until there is an established, respected place for Whores in this society, no woman will have an established, respected foundation of power.There is no circumventing this.
Until there is a shift in consciousness about the potential of Whores, we will continue to live in a society which offers no formally acknowledged Teachers to awaken us to our power as sexual beings.
Aint no getting ’round this one either.”
"Companions are a cross between the oriental-style Geisha and the classic courtesan of renaissance Italy -- in many ways, they are the highest ranking nobility of the Firefly [universe]". From what I've seen and what I've been told, their power lies in reading people and counseling, using sex as a tool to further bring some form of self-actualization.
Obligatory
What kind of feminist would I be if I didn't comment on Twilight? First, let's set some ground rules: I will attempt to discuss this topic with grace, but, ultimately, these books and their author provide me with little more than murderous emotions. Secondly, the books are not a saga. They are a trilogy. (With an unfortunate addendum book added, breaking the label of 'trilogy' I suspect so that Stephanie Meyer could continue falsely labeling the books parts of her 'saga.' But I digress.)
I have attempted to read at least one (and did finish the first) of the books in order to educate myself so that my arguments can possess some sense of validity. The second book I started and threw at the wall. I tried to block out what I'd read, but knew it'd be at least useful to argue against in the future, so I've retrieved the following information/presented argument from what I could restore from my mind's Recycling Bin and Google. (A quick search of 'feminism and twilight' came up with about 1,080,000 results.)
A list:
1. The author is female, yes, but, as a feminist, that does not incline me to like her any more than I would a male author. (Feminists should never be stating women are almighty and incapable of mistakes [in this case, GRAVE mistakes].) Meyer's writing style is heavily flawed and her plot a personal but voyeuristic sexual vampire fantasy. All she did was change her name to 'Bella.'
2. Bella Swan. After criticism of the awful name choice, let's discuss her character: she has none. She is a plain jane who is somewhat klutzy. Because of this bland mixture, millions of female readers have been able to project themselves onto her, fitting themselves in her very plain shoes. ("She's just like me! I trip down stairs too!") The anomaly in the equation? EVERY guy who comes into contact with her immediately falls MADLY in love with her, thus giving the projecting female readers an immense amount of false hope for themselves.
3. Edward Cullen: the creeper. When he first meets Bella in Biology class, they are to be partners. Cullen maintains distance and a look of disgust on his face because of Swan's 'scent'. Naturally, Swan pairs herself romantically with Cullen in her mind because he avoids her and treats her like shit. What a great lesson. Not to mention the times (yes, plural) he spends on her windowsill watching her sleep. When she catches him, Swan swoons over the 'gesture' like it's some big romantic leap. (A stalker breaking and entering? Oh yeah, total heartthrob right there. Barf.) "Glorifying this behavior" as writer, nikkigassley, mentions, "isn’t just ridiculous, it’s dangerous." Let's not forget that much of the text is occupied with elaboration on his sparkling flesh, chiseled jaw, and marble-like complexion. (I don't want to date a fucking ice-cold statue.)
4. The time I threw the book at the wall. (And I'm not one to harm literature. [But this isn't literature.]) Somewhere in the second book, Cullen leaves Swan (you know, to create that conflict and rising action Meyer learned in Writin' Skool). The pages become filled with thoughts of suicide (need I mention they'd only known each other for less than a year by this time) and desperation. Next, the pages become only one word: "October", "November", "December". SHE HAS NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT AND NOTHING TO LIVE FOR WHEN HE LEAVES HER. I believe this instance was after the sage line, "You are my life now." (Give me a breeeeaaakkkk.) Swan gets a little bit of her life back when she hangs out with Jacob Black (the werewolf boy). Notice how she can't have a life without a man? She's still upset that Cullen's gone, though. Then she realizes when she puts herself in danger, she begins to see visions of Cullen telling her to stop and take care of herself ('looking out for her'). The visions become stronger the more dangerous she gets. Naturally, she attempts suicide. LESSONS, PEOPLE. So, of course, with his vampire future-seeing powers and all that, Cullen comes back to save her.
5. After Cullen returns. (Because, per Writin' Skool, there should be someathat good ole 'resolution'.) There's lots of mushy gushy action and then Cullen proceeds to tell her who she can and cannot associate with (other men). And there's all these heroics about his stern hand, keeping her in his care and his sight 'for her own good.' Yes, that's what an abusive relationship is for: the good of the woman.
6. Let's return to the notion of vampires. So we have a hungry group of people who 'out of the goodness of their hearts' turn 'vegetarian' and do not feast on humans. But they still have urges. Cullen's urge with Bella is so strong, I believe there's another gem of a line in which he labels her as his "own brand of heroine." (Kill me now.) So, yeah. All that lovely BDSM stuff floating around the subcontext. And Cullen withholds sex and 'turning' Bella (into a vampire) in order to get what he wants. Further male control. But it's 'out of love.' "Edward's a vampire, but no matter, he's incredibly good-looking. He may be a dangerous dude, but a woman's love can tame him."
7. Traditional gender roles. The men are muscle-y or otherwise strong and defensive of 'their' women. (The muscle-y part is continually apparent in the Twilight movies in which the Jacob Black character is without a shirt through most of the film -- to my dismay, but titillating the borderline pedophilic tendencies in some viewers.) The women in the books are not particularly strong physically and certainly not strong in character or personality. They are bland and remain in the house/kitchen. Here's another gorgeous staple of the text: "In the third book [Bella] describes herself as 'helpless and delicious.'"
In response to critiques like mine, Meyer has been quoted: "The foundation of feminism is this: being able to choose." Thus Bella's ignorance and willingness to remain in an abusive relationship qualify her as a feminist. Sound logic, Meyer. "This seems to imply that anything a woman does is a feminist act, unless she's performing it because someone's put a gun to her head."
I have attempted to read at least one (and did finish the first) of the books in order to educate myself so that my arguments can possess some sense of validity. The second book I started and threw at the wall. I tried to block out what I'd read, but knew it'd be at least useful to argue against in the future, so I've retrieved the following information/presented argument from what I could restore from my mind's Recycling Bin and Google. (A quick search of 'feminism and twilight' came up with about 1,080,000 results.)
A list:
1. The author is female, yes, but, as a feminist, that does not incline me to like her any more than I would a male author. (Feminists should never be stating women are almighty and incapable of mistakes [in this case, GRAVE mistakes].) Meyer's writing style is heavily flawed and her plot a personal but voyeuristic sexual vampire fantasy. All she did was change her name to 'Bella.'
2. Bella Swan. After criticism of the awful name choice, let's discuss her character: she has none. She is a plain jane who is somewhat klutzy. Because of this bland mixture, millions of female readers have been able to project themselves onto her, fitting themselves in her very plain shoes. ("She's just like me! I trip down stairs too!") The anomaly in the equation? EVERY guy who comes into contact with her immediately falls MADLY in love with her, thus giving the projecting female readers an immense amount of false hope for themselves.
3. Edward Cullen: the creeper. When he first meets Bella in Biology class, they are to be partners. Cullen maintains distance and a look of disgust on his face because of Swan's 'scent'. Naturally, Swan pairs herself romantically with Cullen in her mind because he avoids her and treats her like shit. What a great lesson. Not to mention the times (yes, plural) he spends on her windowsill watching her sleep. When she catches him, Swan swoons over the 'gesture' like it's some big romantic leap. (A stalker breaking and entering? Oh yeah, total heartthrob right there. Barf.) "Glorifying this behavior" as writer, nikkigassley, mentions, "isn’t just ridiculous, it’s dangerous." Let's not forget that much of the text is occupied with elaboration on his sparkling flesh, chiseled jaw, and marble-like complexion. (I don't want to date a fucking ice-cold statue.)
4. The time I threw the book at the wall. (And I'm not one to harm literature. [But this isn't literature.]) Somewhere in the second book, Cullen leaves Swan (you know, to create that conflict and rising action Meyer learned in Writin' Skool). The pages become filled with thoughts of suicide (need I mention they'd only known each other for less than a year by this time) and desperation. Next, the pages become only one word: "October", "November", "December". SHE HAS NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT AND NOTHING TO LIVE FOR WHEN HE LEAVES HER. I believe this instance was after the sage line, "You are my life now." (Give me a breeeeaaakkkk.) Swan gets a little bit of her life back when she hangs out with Jacob Black (the werewolf boy). Notice how she can't have a life without a man? She's still upset that Cullen's gone, though. Then she realizes when she puts herself in danger, she begins to see visions of Cullen telling her to stop and take care of herself ('looking out for her'). The visions become stronger the more dangerous she gets. Naturally, she attempts suicide. LESSONS, PEOPLE. So, of course, with his vampire future-seeing powers and all that, Cullen comes back to save her.
5. After Cullen returns. (Because, per Writin' Skool, there should be someathat good ole 'resolution'.) There's lots of mushy gushy action and then Cullen proceeds to tell her who she can and cannot associate with (other men). And there's all these heroics about his stern hand, keeping her in his care and his sight 'for her own good.' Yes, that's what an abusive relationship is for: the good of the woman.
6. Let's return to the notion of vampires. So we have a hungry group of people who 'out of the goodness of their hearts' turn 'vegetarian' and do not feast on humans. But they still have urges. Cullen's urge with Bella is so strong, I believe there's another gem of a line in which he labels her as his "own brand of heroine." (Kill me now.) So, yeah. All that lovely BDSM stuff floating around the subcontext. And Cullen withholds sex and 'turning' Bella (into a vampire) in order to get what he wants. Further male control. But it's 'out of love.' "Edward's a vampire, but no matter, he's incredibly good-looking. He may be a dangerous dude, but a woman's love can tame him."
7. Traditional gender roles. The men are muscle-y or otherwise strong and defensive of 'their' women. (The muscle-y part is continually apparent in the Twilight movies in which the Jacob Black character is without a shirt through most of the film -- to my dismay, but titillating the borderline pedophilic tendencies in some viewers.) The women in the books are not particularly strong physically and certainly not strong in character or personality. They are bland and remain in the house/kitchen. Here's another gorgeous staple of the text: "In the third book [Bella] describes herself as 'helpless and delicious.'"
In response to critiques like mine, Meyer has been quoted: "The foundation of feminism is this: being able to choose." Thus Bella's ignorance and willingness to remain in an abusive relationship qualify her as a feminist. Sound logic, Meyer. "This seems to imply that anything a woman does is a feminist act, unless she's performing it because someone's put a gun to her head."
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