Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday November 24, 2013 Jill Promote yourself. Netiquette reminders: Want to recommend someone else’s writing instead? Try the weekly signal-boosting thread. we expect Content Notes as a courtesy to our readers for problematic content in linked posts and/or their comment threads (a habit of posting only triggering/disparaging links may annoy the Giraffe (you really don’t want to annoy the Giraffe)) extended discussion of self-promotion links on this thread is counter-productive for the intended signal-boosting – the idea is for the promoted sites to get more traffic. If it’s a side-discussion that would be off-topic/unwelcome/distressing on the other site, take it to #spillover after leaving a note on this thread redirecting others there.
In observance of the Great American Smokeout last Thursday, we wrote about the effect smoking has on sexual health. As creepy as it sounds, chemicals like nicotine can find their way into cervical mucus, where they are thought to complicate an existing HPV infection and increase cancer risk! (Eek.)
Last week at Bitch Flicks… Straight White Cis Girls: Babystep in the Right Direction, or Sop to Shut Us Up? 18 Lionhearted Heroines in Film and Television Was ‘Jem & the Holograms’ a Good Show for Little Girls? Seed & Spark: High-Pitched Voice and a Soft Presence ‘Catching Fire’: Protect and Be Protected ‘i hate myself :)’ is Self-Indulgence for the Sake of It
This week I’ve got an interview up at Poskod.my with local musician and writer Francis Wolf, reminiscing about 2+ decades of Malaysian punk: http://poskod.my/features/where-im-coming-from-francis-wolf/
Trigger warning on this post. There are a couple of *really* sexist and mansplaining men in the comment section.
My friends and I loved Thought Catalog, but felt the quality of the posts has declined over time. The posts also no longer reflect our views or experiences. Instead of complaining in the comments, we started a blog/site of our own! Check us out! http://rediscoveringnewyork.com/
Over at Girls Can’t WHAT? we’re talking about how much work women put into the holidays versus the men. Are the holidays really a “holiday” for women? Holidays are Nothing but Women’s Work
I wrote about the launch party for The Thicky Chicky, a new plus size online boutique with a mission of promoting confidence and body positivity, and upcoming fat-positive events in Boston.
Thoughts on Being Outed — Someone disclosed my trans status during class. Interesting. Good Things About Being Trans* — I am well-versed in anti-oppression thinking & activism. What are some good things about being trans*? Thoughts on Terminology — Testing the fit of terms like trans, transgender, and transsexual.
So The Legend of Korra, a show primarily aimed at children and young adults, had a running joke this season about how *hilarious* abusive relationships. I rant about it (and analyze it) in Abusive Relationships and Victim-Blaming on The Legend of Korra
This week in Fromage, something I imagine most of you don’t think about yet, because I didn’t either until a rather large zero-ended birthday started to creep up on me. Now is the winter is my take on it.
I wrote Well Managed about what it means, in practical terms, that my chronic health conditions currently fit this description. And a brief book review of Kristin Cashore’s YA novel Fire, particularly focusing on some of the interplays between characters.
I wrote a few posts that I’d like to share The First Time I Learned About Race The Slaves Living Next Store – 30 Years A Slave Bumper Sticker: If You Lived In Your Heart, You’d Be Home By Now Thank you for posting your links, I’m going to read the other posts now.
Here’s my review of a U.S. road-trip story (technically for kids but really for everyone) that brilliantly holds onto the ideals of kindness, diversity, adventure, and helping out strangers: http://broadsspeak.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/review-the-journey-of-oliver-k-woodman/
Over at delagar, I wrote a post about the price of being raised female in the Evangelical world: “Living While Female in Fundamentalist Country.”
New at Human with Uterus (humanwithuterus.wordpress.com) The latest in the (un)Privileged Body series: Can Gynecologists Treat Humans, or Just Women Also: Using Women as Test Animals Busting Crisis Pregnancy Center Lies (part one) And more!
Sarcastic, I know: Men Mustn’t Pay For Pregnancies They Cause A little gender-bending: Couples Trade Outfits, and Attitudes I read a NYTimes article on hookup sex being less pleasurable for women. I “get” women doing it when they find it pleasurable (about 40%), but the “not-so-pleasured” participants’ comment left me puzzled. So I asked my readers about their experiences. So far, only one comment has been enlightening. If anyone would like to add, feel free: Hookup Sex Less Pleasurable
It’s not clear why we have to put up with harassers in academia when there are so many non-harassing PhDs who could replace them.
I found the name of Helpers of God’s Precious Infants too hilarious to pass up – and asked why anti-abortion protesters don’t seem to be as invested in God’s previous infants. Also, a British charity is exhorting women to go make-up-less to raise money. This irked me somewhat.
I reviewed Ben Wheatley’s Kill List: http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/67877672374/kill-list-2011 and chose 5 interesting links of the week: http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/67989338399/the-weekend-5
Playing the violin or learning to knit are connected with health benefits. Why don’t they have the same moral imperative social pressure placed on them as working out? And why is health treated as a moral imperative in the first place? Some compare anti-rape panties to locking your car doors. Bodies are not property, and it’s more like wearing a bulletproof jacket. Here’s the problem with that (Warning: discussion of rape and sexual violence). Focusing on end results instead of process allows us to create a rhetoric of violence surrounding fitness and health.
I wrote a review of a John Lennon doc for a contest in which a writer is going to be picked to start a netflix blog for Gawker. It was really interesting paging through some of the other entries, which looked to be about 80% men…. Anyway, it’d be great to get some feedback/ conversation, and the review calls Camille Paglia a public semi-intellectual, so I think people here will tend to enjoy it. John Lennon: All You Need Is Love Review I also wrote a personal piece on Cinema, Stories, and Finding Your Way Through.
Hello. Content notes: transphobia, homophobia, descriptions of violent crimes This week was a very intense focus on trans issues on our blog, both as part of the Trans* Day of Remembrance (11/20) and our post on the transphobic content of Mike and Molly drawing nearly 10,000 visitors. What’s so funny about being transgender? WTF Indeed? On an uplifting note, I wrote an update about the response to the LGBTQ Community Center’s winter gear drive – they’ve collected 1,000 items so far, but have some crucial unmet needs such as plus sized pants for men and women (for lack of a better term.) But the stories of people’s giving is inspiring. And, finally, why I’m afraid to get gay-married!
Vagina Chronicles Podcast’s latest episode is an interview with a wonderful woman who volunteers with orphans in Ukraine. Facing staggering statistics of a future with little hope for more than sex work, orphans in Ukraine need help! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vagina-chronicles-podcast/id734130194 Thanks, Feministe!
Hello all! I’ve never commented on Feministe before, but I hang around various other parts of the feminist webosphere. I started a new blog project called Why I’m Pro-Choice, where I curate the responses I get from asking women (and some men!) why they’re pro-choice. Some have always felt it’s the only way to think, others had to shake off years of religious upbringing, and still others use it as an opportunity to talk about how abortion has impacted their life positively. Thanks for checking it out, and please submit your own pro-choice stories!
This week on Kiss My Wonder Woman: Pacific Rim is all about the working class and also Marxism. Lilo and Stitch is secretly subversive. Discuss. Cultural Appropriation is not okay, just ask The Apache Tracker in Welcome to Night Vale. Strong Female Character Friday with Rose Tyler from Doctor Who Tune in this week for reviews of Catching Fire, Doctor Who’s 50th, and more other stuff.
About a first kiss as well as first myth, “First Lies” places Ada with Eve in Eden. http://www.csandage.com/blog
I was really upset by the Legend of Korra’s Book 2 finale. Once again, the writers continue to promote and normalize toxic relationships, usually to the detriment of women. I wrote an analytical essay about it for my pop culture review/critique site, Princess vs Peril: http://www.princessvsperil.com/2013/11/18/lok-girlfriend-worse/ There are spoilers for the entire season there. I hope some readers here enjoy it and might have something to add! Some of the comments received so far are super insightful and a great read.
Know I’m late in posting this, but I just blogged about The Mentalist’s latest episode. Patrick Jane kills Red John, but never bothers to call him out for what he is: a misogynist. Plus more sexism on the show. http://www.femitup.com/red-johns-demise-why-is-the-mentalist-afraid-to-use-the-m-word/
I have wondered (for decades) why (we) women are so stressed about money, yet reluctant to take more control of our finances. I realized women needed some way to relieve that stress. I decided that would be laughter. So I created HOT FLASH FINANCIAL. It is a site (and now a book) that offers women, like you and me, the ability to laugh while you learn. And then take some importants steps so you can improve your finances. So if you have a sense of humor, consider taking $15 (US) and buying HOT FLASH FINANCIAL (for yourself, your mom, your aunts and best friends). Read it together. Laugh and take some steps to reduce your anxiety and increase your security. Oh, and tell me what you think about it.