At Deeply Problematic: Racism in Interview’s swimsuit spread, “Let’s Get Lost” I posted the last part of my narrative on disability and birth control (parts one and two are here). Analyzing Dan Fanelli’s racist campaign ad. Over at Bitch: My introduction! On what distinguishes a joke on TV that effectively fights racism from one which does not. One last thing: I started a new blog, Drinking Critically, in which I write on topics of great importance, such as Crocs, cucumber plants, dirty dishes, and cheesecake.
From the NYT–in Vegas there are acres of empty houses, almost new, casualties of the real estate crash. A great chance for working people to find affordable housing, wouldn’t you think? Think again. The money is in building brand-new Mc Mansions farther and farther out in the desert. And renters? A billboard compares them to cockroaches. We’re sorry if you take offense… Don’t Take it Personal
At Deeply Problematic: Racism in Interview’s swimsuit spread, “Let’s Get Lost” I posted the last part of my narrative on disability and birth control (parts one and two are here). Analyzing Dan Fanelli’s racist campaign ad. Over at Bitch: My introduction! On what distinguishes a joke on TV that effectively fights racism from one which does not. One last thing: I started a new blog, Drinking Critically, in which I write on topics of great importance, such as Crocs, cucumber plants, dirty dishes, and cheesecake. (Sorry, mods, if this is a repeat – my first one did not show up with an “in moderation” note as they usually do.)
This week in Evil Slutopia: We asked our readers to take action against Facebook “punch a slut” events. Since they seem to be everywhere these days, we created a helpful guide to spotting a vampire. And of course, we wrote an obligatory Betty White on SNL post.
Two posts about how the absurdity of some conservatives makes me want to just give up. Here we go again: I was reading this article, and I couldn’t quite figure out why it seemed so weird…until I realized how bizarrely male-oriented it was.
At Deeply Problematic: Racism in Interview’s swimsuit spread, “Let’s Get Lost” I posted the last part of my narrative on disability and birth control (parts one and two are here). Analyzing Dan Fanelli’s racist campaign ad. Over at Bitch: My introduction! On what distinguishes a joke on TV that effectively fights racism from one which does not. Looks like the spam filter caught my last couple of attempts, so I’m going to break it up into two…
I’ve been in the hospital (who needs that pesky gallbladder, anyway?) but still a few posts worth nothing… First, I’m looking for guest posts while I recover, on the topic of gender identity issues. These can be new, or old writings. I reviewed the movies I watched while on heavy drugs. Call and Response talks about the fun of gender pronouns I had while in the hospital
A discussion of how Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” works to break down media stereotypes about sex and women’s sexual needs.
I responded to The whole “I hate kids” thing. I also responded some issues about the phrase “people of diversity”: Oh markedness, you insidious thing. (This week and last week were heavy on election blogging.) –IP
On trying to figure out why I got a chronic illness as a child, but not my sibling: http://onefemalegaze.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/ra-diaries-unsolved-mysteries/ And imaginary numbers are kind of cool: http://onefemalegaze.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/mathochism-imaginary-numbers/
This week from Eugenia, a guest post at Womanist Musings on life for women under “progressive” Bolivian president Evo Morales, and on the home site, a piece on how many aspects of unwanted pregnancy in Bolivia operate illegally–not just abortion.
This week at Femonomics, I put together a piece on the awesome women of ABC’s new scifi hit V, Coca Colo wrote up why American bros “saving” Africa with their used t-shirts might not be the best idea and also covered the new Rape-aXe condom in South Africa. We also examine the latest examples of racist fashion photography and anti-woman pseudo-science, and of course bring you some link roundups!
I wrote about some new facebook groups that I keep seeing friends “liking” and “joining” that further regulate women’s bodies. These groups state, in various ways, that women should be curvy, not skinny, but have a very narrow view of what it means to be curvy and are filled with hateful commentary. I also posted Queer Ontario’s response to the new sex ed curriculum which was introduced and shelved within a week’s time.
This week at Shitty First Drafts, writing and pedagogy from a feminist perspective: And on the use of discriminatory language in the texting wars:
My post did not appear as “in moderation” or anything when I hit submit, so I’m trying again. Sorry if this is a repost. This week on Shitty First Drafts, writing and pedagogy from a feminist perspective: On discriminatory language in the texting wars: http://writingishard.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/texting-is-not-destroying-the-english-language/ Why I’m not proud of you for correcting other people’s grammar: http://writingishard.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/why-im-not-proud-of-you-for-correcting-other-peoples-grammar/ Logical Fallacy Friday: http://writingishard.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/logical-fallacy-friday-the-straw-man/
I wrote a piece on growing up as a female nerd and Cracked.com’s woman-hating “5 Mistakes Women (like me) Make on the Internet” http://cyberpunksnotdead.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/women-who-hate-women/ Also, a piece on hypertext fiction, newsreel fiction, and the awesome “machine-written” science fiction story “Cigarette Boy.” http://cyberpunksnotdead.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/cigarette-boy/
Pretty self-explanatory title. A story about a random creepy guy in the London tube (the District line, to be exact), the male gaze, and dinosaurs. All in one fell swoop. In Which, there is a Tube Story, the Male Gaze, and Dinosaurs
Putting Women on a Pedestal: A Patriarchal Trap The main goal of any patriarchal system is to keep women subjected to the needs of men. Female choices, desires, the multitude of differences each individual woman represents have to be reduced to one clearly defined set of roles and expectations that the patriarchy imposes on women. Putting women on a pedestal achieves this goal admirably. http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/2010/05/putting-women-on-pedestal-patriarchal.html
Most Conservatives would sacrifice family values in a blink for the possibility of keeping women subjected and under control. http://clarissasbox.blogspot.com/2010/05/wakeup-call-for-poor-deluded-douthat.html
I’ve got a couple of posts on teaching this week – one on why Megan Carpentier’s critique of women’s studies is unfair,, and another on Arizona’s absurd law banning ethnic studies classes. Bouncing off reports on the recent virginity conference at Harvard (which I wish I could have attended!), I hazarded a new definition of virginity. Dissents and revisions welcome!
I wrote about how Ross Douthat gets it wrong (as usual) on red state versus blue state families. I also wrote about why Elena Kagan’s sexuality shouldn’t matter, and why I find her abortion compromise troubling.
I went to the Purple Protests for Proportional Representation in Edinburgh (yesterday) and Glasgow (the previous Saturday) and took photos. I am particularly pleased with this one of the protesters crossing to Mound Place, which also provided inspiration for a mini-essay on Scottish history about the Parliaments.
Deconstructing messages from Cosmo: men are everything, you’re nothing, here’s the hoop to jump through. Self-hatred for women 101 What it means when people touch or crowd you without your consent Whose body is it anyway? Boundary violations and assumed status
New at my blog: Romance, domesticity and the myth of female weakness – in response to that tear-jerking John Lewis ad. We are all bad feminists, really. In defense of Facebook’s ambient acquaintanceships.
I also covered a lunchtime seminar at the Centre for Women’s studies in Education (OISE) in Toronto, about Gender identity and higher education in South Korea. I asked the visiting scholar Hae-Joung Lee, who presented the talk, to go over the post and she agreed to do so and offer her corrections. So this particular post is an attempt at conveying someone else’s voice and not mine.
Yesss I finally have something to put here. I have a blog, y’all! http://whytvmatters.wordpress.com/ I plan to update it later tonight! So far I’ve written about Castle’s “meta-optimism” and how Michael Scott of the Office oozes privilege and a clip (which won’t embed, argh) from the Daily Show with Michael Patrick King.
No Handicapped Persons: Looking at a sign that says no handicapped and what it mean to the differently abled. The Colour of Beauty: White Girls That Are Painted Black: Looking at the struggles model attempting to get a place at fashion week, New York. Should Anyone Die Over a Tube of Toothpaste?: Looking at the murder of a man who was killed for stealing a tube of toothpaste. Spark of Wisdom: When I came out, the pain I cannot run from A heartbreaking guest post about someone receiving a violent reaction when coming out and the scars they left behind. “Progresista no quiere decir pro-mujer, or, Progressive does not mean pro-woman”: Looking at women’s politics in Boliva. Finally, This weeks Sunday Shame: Jalapeño Pepper Edition: Pop by and share your self inflicted wounds in the kitchen
In Case You Missed It, The Boondocks is Back and Going IN on Obeezy I thought the show delivered some great satire about the Obama campaign and its coverage in general but I would love to hear your thoughts. Over at TNTG (we are a pretty new blog) we have way more spam comments than real comments so your thoughts are appreciated :]
new blog: http://www.anarchapistemology.net/ riotgrrls, anarchists, and global justice activists tell stories, build understanding through personal experiences.
This week: are we talking “acting” or “passing” (and why it matters) | my thoughts on the setoodeh opinion pieces which asked whether gay actors can convincingly play straight parts. “it’s Michigan”: some thoughts on regionalism | in which I reflect on the rural vs. urban, midwest vs. coastal narratives as they relate to some recent homophobia exhibited in my hometown. the politics of (another kind of) choice | in which I reflect on Stephanie Fairyington’s argument that queer folks should reclaim the idea of “choice” as part of asserting the moral value of same-sex relationships.
This week at f/law we examine maternity/paternity leave policies in the legal profession. http://canadianwomenandthelaw.blogspot.com/2010/05/lsucs-parental-leave-assistance-program.html
This week at Planning the Day… But, but, but: Challenges to creating accessible and safe and spaces for women: In everything we do, we strive to create spaces and programs that are safe and accessible to all women. But with limited financial, staff, and educational resources, sometimes we seem to come up against a wall. How can we make our programs welcoming and beneficial for everyone? Though you might hear the laughin, spinnin’, swingin’ madly across the sun: It’s been four weeks in Battambang. Lovely here, as always, but I’ve been getting antsy or maybe even bored the last few days. So I invited myself along with my boss to visit Pailin. Just what I needed – after flat dusty humid (yes, dusty and humid) Battambang, the mountainous breezy cool Pailin refreshed and energized. Plus lots of goodies and gems over at my tumblr
I take a look at the Kagan nomination, and Ann Althouse’s rather, um, unique perspective on why female nominations might not be a good thing.
I got published in Womanist Musings and here I analyze the social messages what ads are telling Indian women.
The difference between sex workers in the US and sex workers in Hong Kong is the word “no.” It’s a more important word than “yes.” http://www.texasgoldengirl.com/afterhours/no/ XX
Decided to create a blog that will talk about my issues as becoming more feminist. And everyday stuff. Very small intro post: Me frustration!blogging on the hymen and first time hurts sex: My posts should vary, but this is all for now.
@ Red Vinyl Shoes: The Pursuit of Nappiness: Why It’s Not “Just Hair” As Fat As I Wanna Be My Fat, Your Issues Guest Post on FWD/Forward: A Matter of Strength? Meds Vs. No Meds
It’s a very, very quickly done post in response to a question I got at my other blog. But in http://www.serenebabe.net/2010/05/battling-beauty-myth.html I summarize the initial steps we’ve taken with my daughters to give them skills to battle The Beauty Myth. I also wrote a piece on how bigots changed my life. Until last year I was very, very sure that “tolerance” (oh, god, I hate that word) of bigoted language or behavior in any form was too close to condoning it. http://www.serenebabe.net/2010/05/how-bigots-changed-my-life.html talks about my experience of finding things in common with people I would normally have assumed were hateful, fear-filled, dangerous… etc.
At Love Letters in Hell: Sex robots, and why they would be a good thing for women: http://lovelettersinhell.blogspot.com/2010/05/sex-robots.html
Exploring Beauty http://feministfatale.com/2010/05/exploring-beauty/ Gyrating 7 year-olds gone viral http://feministfatale.com/2010/05/gyrating-7-year-olds-gone-viral/ Student activism breaks the silence around violence http://feministfatale.com/2010/05/student-activism-breaks-the-silence-around-violence/ What does media democracy look like to you? Photobooth of change v2.0 http://feministfatale.com/2010/05/what-does-media-democracy-look-like-to-you-photobooth-of-change-v2-0/ 10 Commandments of Pop Culture Feminism originally appeared here: http://feministfatale.com/2010/04/10-commandments-of-pop-culture-feminism/ but was cross-posted at Jezebel this week http://jezebel.com/5527723/the-10-commandments-of-pop-culture-feminism The Daily Femme covered my body collage project here: Questioning the Magazine Industry’s Ideal of Female Beauty through the Power of Photographs http://www.thedailyfemme.com/femme/2010/05/questioning-the-magazine-industry%E2%80%99s-ideal-of-female-beauty-through-the-power-of-photographs/
Some workplace sexism: i discuss a comment my supervisor made regarding a female coworker’s “sudden” propensity to wear make-up.
This week at Unnatural Forces I made funny rape jokes (seriously), and wrote about the problems of narratives in rape; rape disrupts the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, while the narrative of a how a rape victim is supposed to act rarely matches reality.
There’s more to say, especially about Pepper and Tony’s fraught and completely uninteresting flirtation (I know how to shut her up: I’ll kiss her), but I’ve hit on the main points: slut-shaming, sexual harassment, girls are stupid, girls are bitches, and marriage sucks the life out of men. Thanks for making analysis so simple, Iron Man 2. I have been a steadfast Hole fan for sixteen years. It is a little jarring to realize that I have loved (and continue to listen to) a band that long; the fact that Courtney Love has survived long enough for me to claim active fan status of both she and her group makes it that much more amazing. Helen is a one woman wrecking ball who knocks down the sexist double standards have been erected by society. With musings about other women’s tampons and an affinity for public restrooms, Wetlands is interesting in the most uncomfortable ways. The main theme of The Codes of Gender is “commercial realism.” As explained by the narrator of this film, Sut Jhally, Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts, a code of gender has to be understood as a shorthand language, a set of rules and behaviors. This is how Jhally analyzes the ways in which both women and men are portrayed in advertisements and on the covers of glossy magazines.
“Am I Evolving Away From Monogamy?” :: On sexual evolution, monogamy and polyamory and swing, monogamy as a sexual orientation, etc. http://clarissethorn.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/am-i-evolving-away-from-monogamy/ Comments worth reading, too.
Oh, I almost forgot! (Busy week.) I debuted a linkblog on Time Out Chicago’s web site. http://lovebites.blogs.chicago.timeout.com/ First two links: one was on the firing of sex blogger The Beautiful Kind, and one was on attempts by conservative Egyptian groups to ban the oh-so-tawdry Arabian Nights. Also, @Amanda with the sex robots — I tried to comment on your post but my internet connection failed me, so I tried to find your email address and couldn’t. Maybe you might consider listing your email address in your profile or on your main page, so people can reach you if they have trouble using your blog functions?
I got fangirly over seeing Black Widow on the big screen and despair over the general lack of ass-kicking female action heroes. http://crossablackcat.blogspot.com/2010/05/widows-bite.html
Today I went on a FAT RANT! “….The whole world is set against women and is built to tear us down and keep us weak and ineffectual. Please, don’t add to that noise. Don’t shame your sisters for what they look like, their fitness level, or what they wear. And for dog’s sake, if they have the courage and confidence to stride with pride, no matter what they look like, applaud them. They are brave women on the front line of misogyny and they deserve your support…..” http://thevoraciousvegan.com/2010/05/17/fat-rant/
I had cognitive dissonance over several things, including Christian fantasy, conservative science fiction, Sarah Palin and types of swearing. The follow-up, Christian Brand Behavior tries resolving some of it. My husband vlogged on the idea too. And I have a quandry about a book I’m plotting. Is this mystery’s solution patently obvious?
I had a yard sale this weekend. In the process of getting ready for it I found some teenage ephemera that radically redirected my interpretation of a past relationship. (Does anyone else look back on failed romance with shame? I feel like this is “learned behavior.”) At Lessons for Old People I taught my mom about Google Bombs and <a href="http://lessonsforoldpeople.blogspot.com/2010/05/vocabulary-lesson-l33t.html"l33t! On my “food blog” I shared a recipe for popovers. Mmmm.
The Russell Brand thing: whether you’re diagnosed with an addictive disorder or merely dirty-sluttism seems to depend on your gender.
A new venture into blogging about my faith and how it smacks headlong into my politics and lifestyle, and how I’m trying to sort it all out…. http://kaiaroon.wordpress.com/
A new blog for me…. http://kaiaroon.wordpress.com/ about reconciling my faith, my lifestyle, my politics
(Trigger warning, couple near-naked women photos on there and I mention that I’m a sexual abuse survivor.) More than anything, I love the comments on this post: http://www.tsaphanbabe.net/2010/05/surrounded-by-men.html where I consider… just more thoughts about the damage I’ve let The Beauty Myth do to me and my self-esteem. But how my insides and feelings about who I am *really* (inside) are well in tact… And in Porn Makes Me Cry I explain why (I’m not ANTI-porn) porn makes me cry. This is mostly about the effects of surviving sexual abuse. http://www.tsaphanbabe.net/2010/05/porn-makes-me-cry.html