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

Month: January 2006

Saturation Point

…Is it just me, or is every show currently on the air a formulaic crime drama?

These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head:

Law & Order: Original Flavor
Law & Order: Now With More Dead Strippers
Law & Order: Vincent D’Onofrio
CSI: Why Won’t Her Forehead Move?
CSI: God’s Red-Headed Stepson*
CSI: Gary Sinise
Cold Case
Criminal Minds
Wanted
Crossing Jordan

Even Nip/Tuck had a serial killer all season.

What gives?

Update: Oh, and Without a Trace.

On the menu tonight (thanks, TiVo!): serial killer targeting vulnerable women, murdered stripper, murdered debutante, “Killer Cupid” (no, really–promo features assassin armed with bow and arrow who shoots couples in flagrante delicto), missing soldier convicted of rape, the squad searches for a female detective in danger of harming herself, murderous plastic surgeon, baby found in the trash and traced back to a co-ed, detective’s daughter witnesses an icky murder.

*I cannot take credit for this joke. I stole it from Television Without Pity.

We Love Democracy

Well, when it’s politically expedient we do. Otherwise, we really couldn’t care less.

The Bush administration has said that while Mr. Aristide was deeply flawed, its policy was always to work with him as Haiti’s democratically elected leader.

But the administration’s actions in Haiti did not always match its words. Interviews and a review of government documents show that a democracy-building group close to the White House, and financed by American taxpayers, undercut the official United States policy and the ambassador assigned to carry it out.

As a result, the United States spoke with two sometimes contradictory voices in a country where its words carry enormous weight. That mixed message, the former American ambassador said, made efforts to foster political peace “immeasurably more difficult.” Without a political agreement, a weak government was destabilized further, leaving it vulnerable to the rebels.

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Links, etc.

Twisty writes A Cult Is A Cult Is A Cult, about invisibility, feminism, aging and religion.

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this, but I love Pink. Video via Lauren.

This piece by Bitch Lab has been going around for a while, and has generated quite a few responses (see Amanda here and here, F-Words here). Everything I would say has already been said. I identify as a sex-positive feminist, and I think it’s completely possible to be sex-positive and simultaneously able to criticize the commodification of sex in our culture, the misogyny of the sex industry, and the problems with pornography. It’s also possible to be a sex-positive feminist and have your life involve things other than sex. Which is basically what Bitch Lab says.

Textaisle gives us a piece on parental consent in the UK.

Saudi blogger Farah’s Sowaleef takes on 99 Traits A Man Would Love to Find in His Wife.

The Countess on Breaking the Silence and child custody.
Super Babymama reminds us: Anyone can be poor.

Amp takes on the very basic economics of abortion, arguing for its necessary legality in a fabulous post.

If you haven’t read this poem at blacademic yet (second item down), go, now.

Our Word details stories of abortions before Roe.

Thank goodness this guy ain’t my daddy.

GenderGeek Emma says the vacuum cleaner is not liberating.

Liberal Serving explains why the Dobson-view of why same-sex marriage will inevitably lead to turtle-humping.

Maryanne gives us a taste of what it’s like to grow up female in Egypt.

Digby calls out an anti-choice leader on her bullshit.

Scott at Lawyers, Guns and Money tells us that, to our great surprise, conservative white guys are not quite the same as African-Americans in the 1950s.

Michael Berube comes in with a thorough post on academic freedom.

Pinko Feminist Hellcat on bias against boys.

Swill

Charming. Diet wine, pitched to women by playing to their insecurities:

This off-the-mark targeting reaches its full height with White Lie, Beringer Blass’ new lower-calorie, lower-alcohol wine for women. The marketing of this Chardonnay revolves around the maxim “a little white lie never hurt anyone.” Minor fibs like “My hair is naturally this color,” are printed on the red label under the White Lie name, in florid cursive, and an additional lie—”But it was on sale”; “I can’t wait for football season”—is offered on each cork. The company has even enlisted the talents of chick-lit author Jennifer Weiner (Good in Bed; In Her Shoes) to pen an endorsement of the wine and judge its promotional short-story contest.

Great. It’s the Chick Lit of wines.

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Is My Neighborhood Hip?

As someone who lives there, I will say no. Yesterday at the grocery store, there was a woman in stretch pants and stilletto knee-high boots carrying a white puffy dog wearing a coat and two pink bows in its hair. She asked me to carry her two roast chickens from the deli to the checkout counter because her hands were full with the dog, and her poofy little friend apparently couldn’t be bothered to actually walk five feet (yes, the dog was inexplicably wearing a fancy leash). That’s the Upper East Side. White people (particularly old white people in fur coats), small dogs, and lots of money. Decidedly uncool.

But apparently the UES has shifted slightly — probably thanks to all the downtown kids (like my room mate and I) who’ve moved up there after we can’t find anything decent in the Village. Now if only they’ll open up a single decent bar or lounge… (then again, maybe not. Damn you, Underbar. And damn me for frequenting you).