Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday December 9, 2012 Jill Post a link to something you’ve written this week, along with a short description. Links to specific posts only please, not your whole blog. And of course feel free to promote others as well.
I try to find some music that I’m okay with letting my toddler daughter listen to that won’t drive me crazy. That means confronting some of the misogyny in music that I like, and it’s also a lot harder than I thought.
This week I took a look at the “Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends” video and the assorted responses, and what stereotypes were being trotted out for what ends. http://canbebitter.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/the-assumptions-of-gay-men-will-marry-your-girlfriends-and-the-responses/
Some of my truest, sweetest relationships were with lesbians (whether they were “out” at the time or not)…to this day – and I say this in all seriousness – I look back years later and miss one I’m sure I might have married, had I been fearless, in those days, enough to go for it. That aside, the videos were funny, each in their own way…
… This comment makes me very uncomfortable. Either you have missed the definition of “lesbian”, forgot the existence of the word “bisexual”, or I am misinterpreting your user name.
I’m genuinely sorry you’re uncomfortable, genuinely, I was a little uncomfortable posting it, but thought it fit the discussion re: stereotypes vs. humor vs. reality. For a long time now, people are whatever they tell me they are, whatever they choose to define themselves as, and I embrace that. Well, I still backslide occasionally and define someone in anger, but I’m only human. And human rights definitions…I have somewhat of a background in human rights issues, so I’m comfortable with terms like “war criminal” and “fascist” in their functional definitions, but I avoid using them as epithets. Oh, yeah, and I used “criminally insane” alot this past election cycle. I’m not a doctor (although I played one on TV) so that was probably more the “in anger” category. I guess there are labels and definitions I still need to forget. Again, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, that was not my intention.
And now I’m just confused. Where the hell is most of this comment coming from? Who talked about human rights definitions or “criminally insane”? Dude, my problem is that an ostensibly straight male person commented about how he wished he’d been fearless enough to marry a lesbian, either seriously or as a joke. Either way, way to contribute to the de-legitmization of homesexual women as existing for straight male pleasure and/or bi-erasure. Here’s a tip for the future: if you are uncomfortable making a comment, then before you hit “Post”, close the window and walk away.
Eh, dude, you do know the meaning of ‘lesbian’, right? Chances are that no matter how much you wanted to marry her, she wouldn’t have been happy marrying you. (Y’know, because women are people too with independent desires and feelings and agency. Shocking, I know)
Then you have fallen into one of the classic traps of internet communication: making a deeply-contexualized and incomprehensible comment to people who have no means to detecting and interpreting the relevant context. Stick around here long enough and see how many bullshit cryptic comments show up that we *have* to be on guard about, and think about how very little we need more of that. In other words, if you are going to bring up something about your personal life, contextualize and explain it, or rethink whether it’s necessary at all. And we’ll all be a lot happier.
The final is almost here, integrating solids, and why word problems may be frenemies or Satan: http://onefemalegaze.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/mathochism-revolving-evolving/
the old jaw jaw is now endorsed by Richard Branson (well, sort of – I knitted him a jumper. It’s a long story. “Corporate sell-out!” yells my Straight Best Friend.) Why saying “well, LIFE’s not fair” is a rubbish cop-out in social justice terms.
I wrote about a pregnant woman who was terminated from her job at Blisstree: http://www.blisstree.com/2012/12/07/live/pregnancy-discrimination-woman-fired-for-peeing-too-much/
I haven’t had time to blog this week as been working really hard on the Let Toys Be Toys campaign. I did however reblog Hiya Maya’s post on the campaign.
I’ve created a visual to go with my song about the damages caused by xenophobic pro-natalism. It’s still part of my culture (it used to be really bad) and is out there in general. One of the reasons I hate pro-natalism as a feminist is because of how it hijacks women as incubators for the Motherland, ignoring their lives, priorities and desires. I posted it on YouTube with a full translation of the French lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=435OIfdiiTg&feature=youtu.be I know the video sucks, and would dearly love to create a good-quality video for the song, but that and unicorns are not going to happen in the short term:)
http://wise-learnings.tumblr.com/post/31288734550/cougar-and-other-terms-i-hate Short post/ fun read on double standards, specifically those we see presented through media coverage and in pop culture today.
I reblogged & commented on Anglican theologian Sarah Coakley’s take on women bishops and women priests in the Church of England, and wrote a brief reflection on the beautiful passage from the book of Baruch that we heard for the second Sunday of Advent. Otherwise, I’ve been busy working on my final exam.
I reviewed 2 films that were in the French Film Week, Laurence Anyways and Rust and Bone: http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/37344529856/french-film-week and picked 5 interesting links: http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/37552784515/the-weekend-5 We also have a new site for our documentary film on Israelis in Berlin! If anyone wishes to donate to help us make it, feel very free to do that! http://aliyahleberlin.com/
A nurse commits suicide after being the victim of a mean shock-jock prank. Now the jocks are ‘in fragile condition’ and hospitals will be just a little colder and liability-minded… Disgrace Boomerang in Australia
Technically I made this a while ago, but I kept forgetting to post it here. I hope that’s okay! Disney, Abuse, and Gender My term project for my Women’s Studies – Disney and Gender class. This video is an indepth analysis and case study of how gender affects the portrayal of abuse in Disney movies.
There’s no a kindle version (for a song!) of my “6 steps to gender equality, and other essays on how universities can get more women to the top, and why they should.” Or get the PDF for free at http://curt-rice.com
This week I wrote a post to commemorate Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
This week I wrote a couple of brief book reviews for John Schartz’s Oddly Normal, and Barbara Abercrombie’s A Year of Writing Dangerously.
Stuff I’ve written this week: Dear bigots considering parenthood… : A cautionary letter to the prejudiced on how the relationships of their children will backfire Can we all be introverts?: On the significance of a book on introverts being popular, given how introverts themselves are generally…not Christian like me: On the luxury of spending elections pondering who to vote for based on whether they resemble you 95% or only 90 Youtube time: Kid History edition Review: Farmageddon: On the recent documentary alleging government mistreatment of small farmers
One of our bloggers reviewed “Outlaw Marriages,” which profiles 15 couples’ same-sex marriages from 1865 to 2005. Just because same-sex marriages are only just starting to be legally recognized doesn’t mean they haven’t been around forever, and now’s the time to learn about that history. With the gains made for marriage equality in last month’s election, what could be timelier? In honor of World AIDS Day earlier this month, we posted on HIV/AIDS: Can I be infected with HIV by saliva or urine? What can I do if I think I’ve been exposed? How soon are HIV tests accurate? Can I be tested anonymously? What if I’m a minor? Should I be tested, and if so where should I go? Are there home tests for HIV? Read our blog to learn the answers to these questions and more!
I signal boosted and haphazardly brainstormed for the Feminist Odyssey Blog Carnival. My submission, looking at students, power dynamics, and literary analysis [note for domestic violence]. I also recounted an overheard conversation in which a child’s teacher told her she could eat anything first [note for food policing]. Not to mention, got pissed at my insurance company for repeatedly sending me presumptuous spam.
i wrote a negative review of the nearly universally admired movie _beasts of the southern wild_. yikes! http://fade-away-never.blogspot.jp/2012/12/beasts-of-southern-wild-2012.html
That movie was so over-rated! I was suspicious going into it, and after watching it had my suspicious confirmed: romanticization of exotic, colorful poverty. Did you see bell hooks’ review?
Traumas often repeat across generations, sometimes despite our best efforts to take a different path. Resilience also repeats across generations as survivors teach their strengths through stories and behavior. Heritage of Resilience
Since apparently all I want to write about is Doctor Who… I made a hypothesis about how the Doctor’s timeline is wonky in the 7th season… and then immediately revised my hypothesis, because I re-watched the episodes and noticed more things.
A brief post on the madness of rape apologism and nice guys, and why understanding does not equal sympathy. http://itsjustahobby.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/empathy-for-the-devil/ Inspired in part by the What the hell post here,
I wish I could write more, but this week I just wrote a bit about my gender expression. I just felt like writing it because I wanted to verbalize thoughts, I guess.
This week I wrote about Kasandra Perkins and another local instance of domestic violence that killed a mother and young daughter. http://thefeministmystique.blogspot.com/2012/12/remembering-kasandra-perkins.html
I wrote about: Plus size options still suck: a study in pictures A book review of Virgie Tovar’s new anthology, Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love, and Fashion Online fat communities: where are we going? I learn so much from Twitter: why marriage matters More thinking about the commercialization of fatshion
This week in Fromage, the pungent yet creamy blog: In Winning at losing, I talk about the weight I’m trying to lose. Yes, I do. It’s not a sin. In Music of 2012, I flip through the new music that I listened to (and created) this year. And Motivation is about, well, motivation. As in why music is so vital to me.
On mindful giving this holiday season (and why you should avoid The Salvation Army.) My take on The Hawkeye Initiative. And a bit of a personal run down on how I live feminism.
Note for racial slurs. Want to play on “team nignig” with someone named Rapiesroofie? I don’t, either. Something pretty terrific happened in the TV world this week. She’s been told all of her life how important it is to be polite to people… Some gay men don’t use their turn signals. What a great award. Of all of the women who strive to meet the patriarchy’s current beauty standard and were shown in Doritos ads but kept largely on the sidelines so they wouldn’t get uppity, you were the best. You were the best!
Yuletide Youtube is up at running both at the Subannex (my LJ) and the Garden Gazebo (my Blogger). Tune in daily for a new seasonal song: might be Christmas music, might be Cthulhu carols, might be pagan, you never know. Also a picture, a craft of the day and a shopping link. Thoughts on handicrafts Writing while precognitive Poll about my Etsy products. I need feedback, please?
I wrote this blog about pursuing your education and how it is never too late. I am so big on education and since I, myself, will be going back to school in January to get my bachelors I found it to be fitting. In this blog I include sites to find schools and also a budget-friendly way to setup a workspace and get all the thing you may want/need. http://eddyweekly.com/?p=232 I am a new blogger, my site has only been up officially for about a month, but I found this site as I was looking for a blog to feature in my weekly commentary about other bloggers. I was hesitant about posting my blog here but just decided to go for it. I hope you like it. I really like the content here and have subscribed for personal reading.
This week’s Secret Histories: – Meet Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller’s teacher — and a brilliant scholar, feminist and pacifist in her own right who overcame an abusive childhood, horrible poverty and her own set of disabilities. – Hear about how Frederick Douglass taught himself to read as an enslaved twelve-year-old in Baltimore… then escaped slavery and went on to become a major figure in the US abolitionist movement, a key feminist ally and a supporter of Irish independence.
Over at, Sheroes Central we are talking about diversity in the books we read. There’s a good list going if you’re looking for a book; more suggestions are always welcome.
A Lunatic State. Did you know that in Ireland, people with mental illnesses and disabilities are still officially designated ‘lunatics’? This lunatic has words to say about that. <a href="http://considertheteacosy.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/whose-are-you-marie-fleming-assisted-dying-and-the-right-to-ones-self/”>Whose are you? Marie Fleming, assisted dying and the right to one’s self. Marie Fleming is a 58 year old woman with terminal MS in Ireland who’s taken a case to the High Court for her right to assisted suicide. Conversation, not Debate. Ever get sick of online conversations turning into slinging matches? Wonder if there’s a better way to do conversation that doesn’t just reward the loud and shouty? So do I! Irish Choice Network’s first open meeting. We’re here! We’re pro-choice! We’re not shutting up until we get what we want! The first planning meeting for a nationwide Pro-Choice campaign was held last Saturday in Dublin. It was wonderful, inspiring, and optimistic. We want Savita to be the last woman ever killed by our disgraceful anti-abortion laws and for women’s lives, health, dignity and choices to be respected.
Argh, html fail! I meant Whose are you? Marie Fleming, assisted dying and the right to one’s self. for that second one.
I wrote about something I’ve noticed in media, whenever a survivor of abuse is involved. Supernatural’s “Nightmare” episode was what got the ball rolling on this idea, though I might look at other sources that do the same as well.
There have been major developments this fall in the Bagley case, the case that I discussed in the post Not What We Do in September 2010. This was the case of the mentally disabled teenager held and tortured for years in Missouri by a man who forced her to do sex work. The case is set for trial in February. I’ve been convinced that he’s a horrific inhuman POS and belongs in jail, and nothing that has happened in the case has undermined that confidence. First, I discussed the expert witness situation. Noted BDSM author Jay Wiseman signed on for the defense, even though some of the positions he takes in his writing would appear really unhelpful to the defense, in What’s Jay Gonna Say?” Then, in a very long post, I discuss a motion by the prosecution that I find disturbing. The prosecutor wants to introduce the consensual conduct of the defendant Ed Bagley with his wife Marilyn, who is also a defendant, to show essentially a propensity to be a rapist. Ed Bagley seems to me to have plenty of propensity, but consensual conduct is irrelevant to that, and this sets a bad precedent. The post is The bagley Prosecution’s Bad Motion. Finally, on Friday, Marilyn Bagley pleaded guilty. The four defendants not named Bagley, and now Marilyn, have all pleaded, leaving Ed Bagley alone at trial, and most of the pleading defendants will testify for the prosecution at trial. Part of the plea process is that the defendant changing a plea to guilty makes a statement of facts to explain what it is they are admitting — it is called the “allocution.” I set forth the allocution section of Marilyn Bagley’s plea agreement in full. She’ll get probation, which is consistent with the prosecution’s view that she was an abuser but also a victim, terrified of Ed Bagley.
http://www.bigfarah.com/post/36685046937/alone-is-alive I talked about the importance of having a relationship with one-self, and addressed the fear that most women have of being alone.
This summer I wrote a review of the show GIRLS: http://itonlytakesagirl.blogspot.com/2012/06/girls-tv-show-you-dont-wanna-miss.html
I got some photos of the band Ratstorm… very nice to hear feminist speeches before songs! The lead singer (making the speeches) is the one in the aqua-blue shirt. (Progress, its a good thing!) This was the first punk thing I’ve been to in about 30 years (give or take), so mostly I was just thankful that the goddess made ear plugs for old people. http://daisysdeadair.blogspot.com/2012/12/ratstorm.html
Some things I wanted to share. I blogged about Tara Grimsley saving the Dillon Wildcats season in their postseason game against Loris. I also take a shot at people who said that girls should not be playing football. http://aikenareaprogressive.blogspot.com/2012/11/who-said-that-girls-cant-play-football.html NOTE: On November 30, Ms. Grimsley made history as the first girl to win a state championship in South Carolina High School League football as Wildcats defeated the Fairfield Central Griffins 21-7. I also blogged about San Francisco’s ban on nudity in the past month. I called for a boycott of the city, and for residents of the city to recall the six Supervisors who voted to for the ban on nudity. http://aikenareaprogressive.blogspot.com/2012/11/recall-six-right-wing-moralists-who.html Today is Human Rights Day and I blog about the attacks on basic human rights in the past week. I speak out against the war on nudists, the war on women and the war on workers’ rights. http://aikenareaprogressive.blogspot.com/2012/12/human-rights-day-2012-attacks-on-basic.html
On the gender politics of the financial crisis, “Mansplaining the Meltdown”: http://curiousmonolith.blogspot.com/2012/12/mansplaining-meltdown.html