Mourning the Death of a Dream

The recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, calls the attention of feminists around the globe and urges them to mourn. Bhutto was the first female prime minister of any Muslim nation and had huge plans for change. She urged moderation in a time of extremist views and was determined bring equality to women in Pakistan. She was, and still is, a role model for women everywhere. She gracefully balanced her political career with her other role, a wife and mother of three.

Bhutto showed the world that women are fit for the workplace as well as the home (and don't need to chose between one or the other), but her tragic assassination shows the opposition that women face. Benazir Bhutto represented the dream that many women have, and she was giving hope to millions by paving the way. We do not know all the facts as to what happened or who killed her, but we know one thing for sure; a great leader and great hope is gone. However, determination and desire for both democracy and equality in the world remains. Her 19-year-old son has taken her place as the head of her political party and is now running in the Pakistani elections, which should be held the 8th of January. Now it is time for the rest of the world to mourn the loss and finish what the amazing woman started.

Christmastime is here, Tony Blair!

And my present to you is a Catholicised controversy that doesn't involve little boys.

Apparently, former Brit prime-minister Tony Blair has converted to Catholicism. He's being welcomed with open arms by the pontiff himself, but other Catholics are challenging Blair's past voting record, a generally liberal stance punctuated with "Blair government’s support for stem cell research, gay adoptions and the legalization of gay civil unions, as well as [his] resistance to toughening Britain’s abortion laws." One Christian advocate says, “We need to hear a full repudiation from him. Without one, having Blair as a Catholic is like having a vegetarian in a meat-eating club. It simply does not make sense."

If Blair honestly wishes to repudiate his previous decisions, then that is a different matter. But if he choses to do such while still secretly holding pro-choice, pro-LGBT rights views, then that's going to take a lot of chutzpah.

I'll take "Stereotypes in the Media" for $200, Alex

I noticed, as I collapsed on the couch watching a TV marathon, that the Game Show Network (all game shows, all the time) was going to air a marathon celebrating male game show hosts: recognizable names like Bob Barker (The Price is Right) and Alex Trebek (Jeopardy!). I could list more male game show gurus, from the hosts of contemporary contests to obscure 80's programs, but, the fact is, my list would be enormous. So when it came time for me to think of notable female hosts to counter this list, I came up quite empty-handed, only thinking of Meredith Vieira, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's second host, and Anne Robinson of The Weakest Link fame. (Vanna White does not count as a host, since her presence does not further the action of The Wheel of Fortune.) Why the short list? Survey says, "stereotypes!"

Game shows work so well because we find something likable or interesting about the host that we identify with. The more recent Don't Forget the Lyrics show appeals to the masses since the public sees comedian/host Wayne Brady as the trendy, hip, type who would know the lyrics to many popular songs. He's likable. Other male game show hosts, like Trebek, give the impression of having great intelligence, or like Barker, charm. Do women lack these qualities? Certainly not.

But the men who watch game shows don't want to be compromised by the wits or the appeal of a female host. Sure, they're happy when a female host is attractive, like Vieira, or in the case of Robinson, has a "bitchy" persona they can root against. Yet female hosts with the intelligent aurora of Trebek, the charm of Barker, and the hipness of Wayne Brady, although realistic and presumably already existing people, are intimidating and seen as emasculating.

When we watch the twenty-six beautiful ladies on Deal or No Deal strut down the steps, a woman in host Howie Mandel's place, sans sexed-up set, seems radical and new. In an industry where women have only been the seductive presenters of prizes, I fear TV viewers will shun a strong female host, but it's certainly time to take a gamble. Society, buy a vowel, open the case, and use your 50/50 lifeline- it's time to embrace change.

Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman

Britney Spears' kid sister and Nickelodeon's Zoey 101 star, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn, is pregnant. She told the press, "I definitely don't think [premarital sex]'s something you should do; it's better to wait...but I can't be judgmental because it's a position I put myself in." She's choosing to keep the baby; the child's father is 19 years old and may be charged with statutory rape, yet so far the media has not blatantly judged him like it has Spears.

It's awful the media is making such a hoo-hah about this, and it's terrible the internet is filled with angry folk planning to boycott her show because now they have to give their kids the sex talk. Big whoop. No denying that Jamie Lynn is a marketed, edited, product, but she is a person, not a TV character.

"Responsibility" is the key word thrown around like a bomb, but in my opinion, it's irrelevant. The fact is, Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant, it's her family's business, and throwing around blame and shame won't pay for an abortion, a plane flight to an adoptive family, or a college education. Society should be more concerned about the other pregnant girls, the girls without a lucrative television career to tend to the expenses that come with pregnancy/abortion/childbirth.

Saudi King Pardons Woman Who Shouldn't Have Been Convicted of Anything in the First Place

Saudi Arabian King Abdullah lifted the "punishment" of the young woman sentenced to 200 lashes after being raped.

A Shot at Change with Tila Tequila

With "A Shot at Love's" first season winding down and having just watched the all-day marathon, I was inspired to write a post.

This show has gotten a lot of flack for being yet another show that exhibits the slut culture that America loves, and for good reason. The girls wear shirts that display their Vaseline shined cleavage and the guys' lack of shirts displays their Vaseline shined abs of steel. There's a little bit of eye candy for all of us. But that's hardly the reason why I'm writing this post. "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila" is the first reality television show that puts a spotlight on lesbian/bisexual people. Watchers of the show couldn't care less about the guys! It's all about Tila Tequila and her lesbian harem trying to win her love. As the guys and girls compete for Tila's affections, the show tells MTV America a little bit about the struggles that lesbian and bisexual women endure.

The most prominent offense to the lesbians on the show is the confusion that many of the guys posses. They have been called "he-she's" and one guy described them as "technically men" even when they all identify as women! This is an EXTREMELY common error that average heterosexual or even gay people make. Regardless of whether or not a lesbian identifies as a "butch" or "femme," they are still women and should be regarded as such. Another thing the show manages to do is to show stereotypes of "butch" or "femme" while softening the stereotypes and making the girls human, with real emotions, and less like a parody. All of the women who are on the show are genuine and personable, with the exception of the whores who make their way onto any dating reality show.

Kudos to "A Shot at Love" attempting to bring some awareness of Bisexual and Lesbian culture to the masses, but it might take another season or two to make the change stick.

To Infinity and Beyond!

In a recent JC Penny television ad [sorry, no vid.], a child goes to a garage scale, wobbles across the sidewalk with a wagon full of spare parts, and builds "North Pole Explorer". As the kid zooms up into the sky, the screen reads something along the lines of, "This is the time to believe." Normally, I wouldn't look twice, but this ad stood out among all the crafy-kid gimmicks because the child was a girl. Call me corny, but I thought the commercial was quite empowering, especially when, traditionally, TV boys make the cars, trucks, and log cabins, and the girls make breakfast at toy kitchens.
Just something to look out for.

You'd Better Put Out, I'm Tellin' You Why: Sexist Clothes are Comin' to Town!

'Twas a bit before Christmas, Wal-Mart heads got antsy,
So they decided to deshelve some sexist panties.


The underpants [which aren't even red and green] were pulled from shelves due to a deluge of complaints, yet still I am quite concerned for anyone who unwraps a pair of these Christmas morning. The vagina = money philosophy is incredibly chauvinistic [the part of the slogan written on the rum-pa-pa-rump reads "...when you've got Santa!", essentially referring to the sugar daddy stereotype in the most Christmas-y of ways]. News flash: Women are more than vaginas, and vaginas are more than banks. This underpants ideology belongs in the tenth circle of Hell once reserved for "Math is hard, let's go shopping!" Barbie. What really bothers me is that these undergarments aren't hidden in some sleaze shop where they might be more appropriate. They're a junior's item, which means little girls [because what junior actually shops in their dept.?] will be wearing them.

Besides, since when did Santa want a little extra sumthin'-sumthin' with his milk and cookies?

Dress to Impress (Your Values on Others)

Sherri Shepherd, conservative du jour on television's The View, may just be a little confused. Known for her Christ-o-centric claims that "the world is flat" and "nothing came before Jesus," she one-ups herself with her latest homophobic rants. Apparently, she doesn't want her son to wear dresses. To show her conviction in Biblical gender roles, she never wears pants. Especially not in this clip.



Thoughts?

The "What His Wife Could Have Been Story"

Those of you who are TV junkies such as myself may have seen a promotion for the "Billy Graham Story". The promo starts by showing some lovely pictures of a woman from the 40's saying, "She was destined to travel to Vietnam, serving the people of that country and making the world a better place," something along those lines. Then it goes on to say, "But then she met a man who won her heart. This is the story of Billy Graham and the woman who stayed by his side and supported him until the end."

Clearly, this commercial is appealing to the romantic within us all, but the feminist inside must be awakened! The "Billy Graham Story" is glorifying a woman giving up her dreams to be with her husband. It is idolizing the ultimate domesticated image! It is saying that it is the woman's duty to drop everything for her husband! It is saying that women will be rewarded more, not for their missionary work in foreign nations, but for their loyalty to their husband.

This is not a standard I plan on upholding, how about you?

Be Prepared (For Gross Misconduct and 19 Felony Charges!)

A California Boy Scout leader, who has campaigned to ban gays, atheists, and other assorted heathens from the organization, has been accused of sexually-assaulting some of the young men in his troop. Quoth The New York Times, "Mr. Evans’s [the troop master in question's] lawyer, Philip Schnayerson, said Thursday that “hundreds” of former scouts and friends had called to voice support." (That's kind of creepy. No, it's very creepy.)

The Boy Scouts [not to be confused with the Girl Scouts, who, as a whole, have generally made great strides in including and empowering girls of all backgrounds] have long declared that "homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the traditional values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law and that an avowed homosexual cannot serve as a role model for the values of the Oath and Law."

Maybe the BSA loves those little nonbelievers so much that they're just trying to protect them from their frequently frisky troop leaders. By now, I'm shocked that anyone, homosexual, non-theist, or not, wants to join the Boy Scouts at all.

Psychology Today, "Scientifically"-Condoned Patriarchal Domination Tomorrow

Now, I wouldn't consider myself a very politically correct or incorrect person, I'm pretty neutral. But I can call BS out when I see it, and this article from Psychology Today, "Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature," clearly constitutes as such. The piece justifies the (largely false) claims "...women want to look like [blond, blue-eyed, busty, blonds]" and that "men sexually harass women because they are not sexist," using "human nature," which here means thinly-veiled misogyny and racism disguised as legitimate psychology.

Quoth the piece, "First, our thoughts, feelings, and behavior are produced not only by our individual experiences and environment in our own lifetime but also by what happened to our ancestors millions of years ago." Which is why, you know, I have a burning desire to go make fire out of two sticks and draw on my bedroom wall with buffalo blood. 

The article goes on to say that "women's desire to look like Barbie—young with small waist, large breasts, long blond hair, and blue eyes—is a direct, realistic, and sensible response to the desire of men to mate with women who look like her." 

First off, why is this sensible? Far be it from such an honest publication to condone chauvinism! While I understand that many men do prefer said women, a good portion are fairly indifferent to a women's appearance at all. PT not only offends women by telling them they're bound to comply to these standards (and abnormal if they don't), it offends men calling them shallow and superficial. A double whammy!

The articles tenth and final "truth" infuriated me the most: "...men are not treating women differently from men—the definition of discrimination, under which sexual harassment legally falls—but the opposite: Men harass women precisely because they are not discriminating between men and women."

If that's the case, then why aren't men sexually-harassed and why aren't women getting the equal paychecks and cushy office chairs? Apparently, Psychology Today has replaced science with sexism.  

December 6th

Today is the bitter 18th anniversary of "the Montreal massacre", when Marc Lépine open-fired at a class of female engineering students at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. Lépine killed 14 of the students as he yelled out "I hate feminists!" among other spurts of anti-women banter.

December 6th is now Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, but that doesn't mean only Canadians can reflect. Today is as good of a day as any to reflect on the misogynistic violence that occurs in our everyday lives, and what we can do to stop it.

Would You Like Some Product Placement with that Sexism?

My good friend Sam has gotten into the feminist spirit! His guest post, "Two Cunts in A Kitchen," is well-written and intriguing, and I hope he writes more for us soon!

Two Cunts in a Kitchen:

The phrase mentioned above is advertising industry slang for the standard kitchenware commercial. We’ve all seen the premise. Two women of different races stand in a immaculate kitchen discussing the life-changing benefits of switching to Gladware. Same old stuff. 

Few women realize how radical this type of advertising is when compared to the old routine. Gone are the days of 50’s advertising where the fresh-from-work mate would complement his wife on how nutritious the Wonder Bread was. The women were in command now. They would proudly announce to their clumsy husband that the frozen pizza wasn’t delivery. This shift in advertising occurred at the same time that women began to leave the confines of the kitchen and venture into the workplace in droves. The new version of the American woman was instrumental in transforming the American viewpoint on what constitutes femininity. 

But alas, the changing portrayal of women did not have a universally positive effects. Men increasingly became portrayed as stupid, clumsy or ignorant. This image of manliness has persisted today. You only have to turn on shows such as The King of Queens to find this degrading image blown up for all of America to see. To counter this, women in television became increasingly neurotic: overbearing nags who pestered their husbands to take on "women's work" in addition to their other schedules. 

If history is any indication, there will soon be a new shift in advertising, dedicated once again to the submissive housewife of the 50’s. However, I desperately hope not. Only when “An Overbearing Cunt and a Lazy Bastard” is advertising jargon will "true" equality be achieved and we're all equally incompetent. 

December 1st is World AIDS Day

Today, December first, is World AIDS Day. Spreading awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis and informing people of prevention methods, facts, and the dire immediacy of this pandemic is key if this international effort is to be a success.

As this year's theme is leadership, it is important to remember that AIDS is not only a threat to one cultural group, a solution will require a variety of leaders from different backgrounds and cultures. HIV/AIDS affects women, men, the rich, and the poor.

AIDS does not care how large your checking account is. AIDS doesn't know what college you went to. AIDS isn't racist or sexist. AIDS will not, and does not, discriminate.

AIDS is a global problem and requires a global solution. The first step is just wearing a ribbon and staying informed. Picking up a newspaper and putting on a pin never hurt anybody.