In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Category: Blogging

New Ed Blog

Required to keep a running journal for an education class this semester, I have decided to set up another blog.

Topics covered include our class readings and meetings, and later on in the semester, my final formal educational experience in the classroom before student teaching. I may also cover some experiences substitute teaching, as I plan to do this semester.

I’m not promising anything special (at all), but come by and comment if you’d like.

The Illusion of the Third Wave

From the new issue of Ms. Magazine, the generation gap is an illusion:

It’s no mystery why the discourse that has developed around the waves is divisive and oppositional. Writers and theorists love oppositional categories — they make things so much easier to talk about. Similarities are much more difficult. So, naturally, much has been said and written about the disagreements, conflicts, differences and antagonisms between feminists of the second and third waves, while hardly anything is ever said about our similarities and continuities.

The rap goes something like this: Older women drained their movement of sexuality; younger women are uncritically sexualized. Older women won’t recognize the importance of pop culture; younger women are obsessed with media representation. Older women have too narrow a definition of what makes a feminist issue; younger women are scattered and don’t know what’s important.

Nothing on this list is actually true — but, because this supposedly great generational divide has been constructed out of very flimsy but readily available materials, the ideas persist in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Thursday Feminist Reading Material

• Ayelet of Bad Mother talks about her own 2nd trimester abortion:

To be relevant to the contemporary world, to be valid, the pro-choice movement must listen to pregnant women. We must listen to the woman and value her words. A woman who is unwillingly pregnant, whose pregnancy at, say, 10 weeks, is nothing more than a source of desperation, of misery, knows one truth and we must respect it and honor it. A pregnant woman whose 4 month-old fetus has Down’s Syndrome knows another truth, and we must respect that, too. A pregnant woman whose batterer kicks her in the stomach, trying to end her baby’s life, knows another truth. Respecting the truths of these pregnant women allows us to deal in shades of grey, to liberate ourselves from the straitjacket of the black and white.

• Rivka at Respectful of Otters writes on the Texas reproductive rights laws that prevent those under the age of eighteen from getting reproductive health care of any sort without notification to the parents.

• Hugo Schwyzer discusses male circumcision and female circumcision (and the reasons primarily behind MC) and an interesting discussion ensues.

• Christine of Ms. Musings discusses the move by Essence magazine to review the role of women in popular rap music. More in the CS Monitor.

• At DED Space, Diane gets abuse for insisting that rape and sexual assault exist at all.

• Rad Geek reveals, for the umpteenth time, that Andrea Dworkin does not believe that all heterosexual sex is rape. Read it already, people.

• Volsunga discusses age ranges in relationships, comparing the teen/adult relationship to the adult May/December ego boost.

• Fred Vincy addresses the recent Florida ruling that adoption of children by homosexual partners is undesirable, and thus, is illegal.

Feminist Blogs

I am currently rearranging my blog links into categories, one of which is “feminist blogs.” I am including not only those people who write on feminism, but also those who declare themselves expressly feminist, pro-feminist, womanist, etc.

If, when it appears I am completed, you would consider yourself a blogging person who falls into this category but is not included on this list, let me know here in the comments. Male bloggers, please give me permission to include you, as I know some men occasionally have issues with the label. Conversely, if you find yourself on the list and don’t think you should be there, plase let me know. No backlash, I swear.

AND, if you are a feminist blogger who is not already included in my list of links, drop me a line and I’ll include you. Link for all!

Feministe Anti-Awards, Part Deux

You’ll never win a Koufax or a Bloggy, but at Feministe, everyone quick and witty is a winner. The only change to this round of award-giving and award-taking is that you must have a blog and you must provide a corresponding picture of some sort, proving that you deserve the award. Screen captures count as a picture. Be creative.

Rules for the Feministe Anti-Awards:

  1. Write on your own blog why you think you should win the award of your choice. Include pictures! Be thorough, not greedy.
  2. First person to nominate him/herself for the award wins the award. No, really. Leave a comment here if you cannot trackback, or use the Trackback Pinger.
  3. More categories will be added if any latecomers want an award of their own; however, no additional categories will be added until all of these are taken.
  4. Copy the award picture to your blog, announcing your undeniable win.

And the categories are:
The “Hare Beats the Turtle” Award

The “Grammar Police and How!” Award Maureen proudly takes this one!

The “Most Selfish Blogger” Award Dance an Irish jig for Tas!

The “Obscenely Crooked Toe (Or Nose)” Award Shake a maraca for Mizz Kittie’s eleventh toe!

The “Most Creative Pet Name” Award I almost didn’t take this one because fish are involved, but Sid wins for her goldfish named Bacon, who died before she could take a picture. He did that to spite you, you know.

The “Most Belly Button Lint” Award I’m giving this one to Jeremy, even though he won’t let Emily, his proud girlfriend, take a picture.

The “My Mom Doesn’t Know About My Blog” Award Joel’s mom totally doesn’t know about his blog. Proof in Lynn’s sidebar moblog.

The “Burningbird Lost in the Woods” Award AAH takes this one, beating out Shelley at her own award!

The “I Should Be Ashamed of My Liquor Cabinet But I’m Not” Award Fred Vincy should be ashamed of his liquor cabinet for not stocking Mary’s bottle o’ gin!

The “Loveliest Office Supplies” Award Dr. B’s obsession is a bit out of hand. Cheerio!

The “Your Mother Wears Army Boots” Award A hearty cheer for Lubu!

The “Most Egregious Hate Mail” Award This one goes to Grace at Dr. Laura’s Worst Nightmare for examples one and two. Excellent examples of hate mail!

The “Eden’s Snake” Award Amanda poses as a snake in the garden of Eden, except that she is the one bathed in light. Snakes always get a bad wrap!

The “Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” Award Lynn scrambles for a few awards, but takes this one for the little sheep wolf’s ears taped on, beside Jesus in the manger. That one is definitely a winner, not the sad picture of the liquor cabinet.

The “Land Mine” Award

and finally,
The “Academic Asshat” Award

Remember that pictures are necessary to win (whatever that means).

Feministe Anti-Awards Update

Everyone clammored after the awards, but no more categories are to be offered until someone antes up and takes the The “Shameless Meme Spreader” Award and The “Ugliest, Hairiest Raised Mole” Award.

Don’t make me take a picture of my moles aplenty. While many of them are raised, alas, none of them are hairy.

The Feministe Anti-Awards

I’m tired of being passed up for awards, and I’m sure you are too. Thus, I announce the Feministe Anti-Awards, a game of speed and wit, and preferably a boatload of pictures.

Rules for the Feministe Anti-Awards:

  1. Write on your own blog why you think you should win the award of your choice. Include pictures if necessary. Be thorough, not greedy.
  2. First person to nominate him/herself for the award wins the award. No, really. Leave a comment here if you cannot trackback, or use the Trackback Pinger.
  3. More categories will be added if any latecomers want an award of their own; however, no additional categories will be added until all of these are taken. Show us your moles, or take one for the team and give yourself the Brown Eye Award.
  4. Copy the picture to your blog, announcing your undeniable win.

And the categories are:
The “Most Shameful Stash” Award Congratulations to eRobin!

The “Reddest Hair” Award Congratulations to Krista!

The “Prettiest Car” Award Although SB provided pictures of her pretty CATS to claim this award, we will allow it because cats can hypothetically be modes of transportation. How many cats does it take to drive a sled?

The “Brownest Eye” Award Congratulations to Newswriter!

The “Brown Eye” Award Congratulations to the blogless Ryan!

The “No One Reads My Blog But It’s Really Good, I Swear” Award Congratulations to Amy!

The “Bad (In the Good Way) Mother” Award Do a little dance for the Purple Elephant!

The “Angry Feminist” Award Congratulations to Amanda (as nominated by Trish who broke the rules by nominating someone other than herself. Bad.)

The “Middle-Class Punk Rock Slummer” Award Congratulations to Jane!

The “Shameless Meme Spreader” Award Scribbling Woman wins by a nose!

The “Ugliest, Hairiest Raised Mole” Award Tild takes one for the team!

The “Messiest Desk” Award Congratulations to Roxanne!

The “Pretty Good Blogger… For a Man” Award Bang a gong for T.Rex!

The “Green Coffee Mug” Award Congratulations to Lorn!

The “I Can’t Believe I Blogged About This” Award Congratulations to Carmen! Lab Kat is a close runner-up.

The “Bigass Group Blog” Award A fist in the air for Feminist Blogs, nominated by Amanda who knows better.

The “I’m Ashamed I Own This Book” Award Congratulations to Trish!

The “Pinkest Lipstick” Award Congratulations to Bird!

The “Cutest Child(ren) Other Than Ethan” Award Congratulations to PickleJuice!

The “Pretentious Math Whiz” Award Toot a whistle for Raznor!
and finally

The “Codpiece” Award Congratulations to the greedy Ryan for accepting a second award on behalf of S.O.C.K.

Good luck, folks.

1/8/05: This round is over! Keep an eye out for round two.

1/9/05: Part Deux is in full effect. Get your Anti-Award now!

Blog Award Nominee, Ahoy!

Not only am I nominated for the best overall blog at the Koufax Awards, bit I’m also up for Best Single Issue blog for feminism.

I’m up against Alas and Echidne, as far as feminism is concerned, along with everyone else nominated, so I doubt I’ll win this one at all. Or the other one.

Therefore I nominate myself for the Spanglemonkey Always a Bridesmaid Award, and then I’ll give and receive it, and congratulate myself with a very hefty pat on the back. Hooray.

You know what? I’m making up my own awards thingie…