Yo, What's the Big Idea?

Don't Talk to the Sex Speaker (The Heathens Might See You) and other May News

- Lesbians (as in residents of the Greek isle Lesbos) are taking LGBT organizations to court to prevent them from using the term "lesbian" in a homosexual context. "Evangelia Vlami, who is representing the Gay and Lesbian Community of Greece, said: 'We will be laughing in court. This is ridiculous. The term has been accepted by society, by scientists, historically, and by the United Nations.'" While I understand why these islanders are upset are victim to many misunderstandings, this seems a little harsh. At least they don't live on the island of FartFace.

- Ecuadorian assembly member, Maria Soledad Vela, proposes adding "women's right to sexual pleasure" to their constitution. In conservative Ecuador, this is a big move, a move that will help advance women's rights, sexual and not, in the law. [Via IBTP]

- Pam Stenzel, close-legged warrior for justice and doppelgänger for Kathy Bate's character in Misery, speaks to youth on the perils of pre-marital sexing in an enjoyable romp for the whole family [Via Feministing]:

Moly Ringwald Wouldn't Have Stood for This BS

I'm an ardent supporter of gender-based, not gender-discriminatory, health care; women's health issues are often marginalized by standard medical care. Just because I support prescribing different but equally-effective medications to men and women based on biology, however, does not mean I support the sexist marketing of this "for-women" sleeping pill.


Sleep Pretty in Pink is a women's "natural sleep formula" packaged in a flowery, cardboard purse. Without debating the actual merits of the drug (which undoubtedly are mooty moot moot), it's important to note this marketing is highly sexist. In addition, portraying healthy sleeping habits as a fashion statement to improve beauty, and not a medical necessity, is deplorable.

Don't you know there's not a war going on?

Afraid the Democratic party will shatter after the nominee is chosen? Afraid a Republican will enter office in 2009? Afraid of divisiveness? Big Brother? Poor word choice?

Then stop calling Pennsylvania, Indiana, or any other state having a primary or caucus a freaking battleground!

This means you, Wolf Blitzer.

We're Not Gonna Take It Any Moore

Hot on the heels of the NYT's profile of the Harvard Chastity Club comes a new crusader for close-legged justice, University of Illinois student and motivational speaker Taylor Moore. Moore's speaking engagements, which encourage kids to become lawfully-wedded coupes before they, as she puts it, "release the beast." Why? "For this is the will of God," of course.

Unlike the leader of the Harvard Club, J. Fredell, Moore's reasons for staying a virgin are slightly moot. While Fredell waxes poetic about God, feminism, and falsified statistics, Moore's speeches are more emotional. She talks of being the daughter of a single parent, an unwillingness to form bonds both platonic and sexual, and the same devotion to God of which Fredell speaks.

The article is mainly about abstinence-only education and funding, so the profiling of Moore is a tad out of place. Nevertheless, she's an interesting figure, and perhaps more of an accurate representation of the abs-only crowd than her Ivy-League compatriot.

NEXT Stereotype, Please

You know what I love to do? I love to watch shows where frat boys can whip through skanky girls like tissue paper. Many of you might have heard of the MTV show "Next," but if you take a minute to stop laughing at the horrendous rhyming and styling, you'll find something much more disturbing than any quantity of hair gel.

On each episode, there is always AT LEAST one young woman who grabs at her breasts, smooshes them together, and says, "I'm sure to win. I mean, just look at these things!" These women are voluntarily objectifying themselves. Voluntarily. I cannot stress enough how women are perpetuating their own oppression through turning themselves into living sex dolls.

ATTENTION ALL WOMEN! ATTENTION ALL GIRLS! You do not need to show your cleavage and act like a prostitute to catch a guy's eye!

(I seriously have got to stop watching MTV)

The Fifth Question: Modern Day Slavery

Today marks the first day of Pesach ("Passover" to you goyim), a Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, ending 400 years of slavery. On a day when my family and I come together to recognize both the struggles we face and the freedoms we have as Jews, it is essential to recognize the oppression and enslavement of people all over the world.

An enslavement by patriarchal traditions that oppress and degrade, the rarity of breaking free, and the consequences to those who do.

An enslavement by fear, when desperate times and forced ignorance lead to desperate, painfully ignorant measures.

And and enslavement by a culture in which every woman must be encased in silicone to become her true self, a bondage that seems so appealing that children willfully enter the shackles.

A Passover tradition is to speak of four different son (wise, wicked, simple, and the one who does not know how to ask) and the dialogues they engage in about Passover: "And the one who does not know how to ask, you start for him, as the Torah says: "And you should tell your son on that day, saying 'It is for the sake of this that Hashem did for me when I left Egypt.'"

Please initiate meaningful dialogues about slavery with the sons who cannot ask and do not know.

Performance Artist Has All Sides of the Abortion Debate Screaming and Yale-ing

Faster than you can say "our bodies, ourselves," Yale senior Aliza Shvarts has become an internet phenomenon. All sides of the abortion debate are confused, amused, or flat-out disgusted by her art senior project, which allegedly consists of the blood of many miscarriages and Vaseline smeared on giant cubes.

According to Shvarts, she regularly artificially-inseminated herself, then videotaped herself taking abortifacient "herbs" during her menstrual cycle. The ambiguity, and controversy, of her project dwelled in both the internet uproar and the fact that even she did not know whether the blood was an early abortion, or just her regular period.

"These [reproductive] organs can do other things, can have other purposes, and it is the prerogative of every individual to acknowledge and explore this wide realm of capability," says the senior, whose project will be on display at the university starting April 22.

It's an interesting concept for a project, and I hesitate say what is "art" and what isn't. Still, I get the impression that Shvarts' passion or interest for reproductive rights is moot- she merely chose the most controversial topic matter at hand. I also feel that this could add fuel to the fire that pro-choicers only get abortions for the hell of it, a popular argument among those who do not understand the gravity of the situation.

Is this Shvarts 15 minutes of fame, or is she the next champion for reproductive rights?

All I Want For My Birthday Are My Two New Boobs

Alicia Douvall is apparently well known across the pond for her salacious snapshots and penchant for plastic surgery. Now, her 13-year-old daughter, Georgia, is joining the silicone celebration with her birthday present, a breast augmentation.

"My mum always taught me to take care of my appearance and that's all I've taught Georgia. Surgery's just the modern-day next level," comments Alicia. "That's why I'm happy for Georgia to have a boob job because it will give her a career."

Apparently changing Georgia's name to Destiny, legally, will give her a career as well. (Ironically, Destiny Cyrus, better known as Hannah Montana, is far easier recognized by her nickname, Miley, then she is her fateful first name.) "It was Mum's idea," Georgia/Destiny notes.

In a culture that expects even the most prepubescent of girls to be vixens, I can't say this is a shocker. Where does blame fall? A doctor willing perform surgery on breasts that are still developing? A crazy stage mother more concerned about her daughter's career than her well being? A patriarchal culture that expects all girls to be Bratz dolls? If you guessed all three, you're right. [Jezebel]

Sorry, Tony, but the "dance with the dream of romance"? That's not entertainment!

The popular web-comic xkcd is more known for its mathematically-minded jokes than it is for advocacy. But that's not to say the artist/writer, Randall Munroe, isn't in tune with social justice issues, and in previous comics, pro-women ideas have been mentioned amongst the higher education.

On his "blag", Munroe comments on the lack of women in lead cinematic roles. His observation is certainly not incorrect. Remember when Warner Bro.'s decided to cease making movies with ladies in the lead? I certainly do.

Think of the last movie you saw. Now think of the Bechdel-Wallace test, which lays out the criteria for a feminist-friendly flick: at least two women, who at some point talk to each other, talking about something other than men. Munroe brings up The Devil Wears Prada, which is a good example of a passing-grade film that passes the test. The last movie I saw in theaters probably wouldn't hold up to the criteria, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day features two fabulous actresses in the top-billing, but the script is centered almost completely around heterosexual romance. However, in a display of irony fit for film's favorite, fictional, feminist, funny girl, Juno (yes, Juno passes), Cinderella would pass the BW test.

Maybe its time to get behind the camera and show the world that today's women are more than just Clueless.

On Language: What is a "Real" Women?

We've heard the phrase in numerous contexts: "real women have curves", "join these real women in insert-sweepstakes-campaign here". It begs the question, what is, or more appropriately, who is, a "real" woman? If we approach the question purely semantically, then according to a Miriam-Webster connotation, a real woman is a woman who legally exists and lives as a woman. However, the term has come to mean things far different.

For example, take the popular phrase "real women have curves." In a world of super-skinny models, the phrase has served as a reaffirming solace to the majority of women who feel less-than-gorgeous because of even narrower standards. But for women who lack the curvy figure, the tables are turned, and the phrase becomes a cause of concern: are they not real women?

The same goes for Dove's Real Beauty campaign, which features average-looking women as models. Above all the companies body-positive ads (which I do support, in spite of all this), the hypocrisy is evident: real, legitimate beauty is only found in a layer of creams and gels, however "Pro-Age" they may be.

For me, a real woman is a woman who is confident and self-affirming, whether curvy, a size 00, or a user of Dove products. What's your definition of a real woman?

Absti-oops

There was an article in the NYT magazine this weekend discussing a chastity club, made up of a merry band of Harvard celibates. Janie Fredell, the president of this student-run club, had an interesting but skewed opinion on why abstaining until marriage is best. She believes women suffer from having premarital sex, "due to a cultural double standard, she said, “which devalues women for their sexual pasts and glorifies men for theirs.”

I certainly agree that society devalues sexually active women, just look to Lena Chen, also cited in the article, for evidence! She is a "student sex blogger" who was quoted during a lunchtime debate with Fredell, saying, "being a strong woman means not being ashamed that I like to have sex." Post-debate, campus editorials called her anything from a "slut" to a "whore whore slut," merely for advocating her enjoyment of sex.

The irony in Fredell's argument stems from Chen's example. If society says "don't have sex before marriage because it makes you a whore," then not having sex before marriage is simply living within the confines of society. Fredell claims that being a strong woman is having the power to say no, and that being abstinent is being feminist, but in reality, she is accepting the double standard that society is placing upon her. A true feminist would stand up against these norms and say, "Having conscientious, rational, and consensual sex out of my own free will does not make me a slut!"

*Marissa and I apologize for not posting in over a month and concede that we are "bad bad dogs"*

Juice Box, Pencil Case, Mascara...?

A recent piece in the New York Times examines the culture of cosmetic consumption among tweenaged girls, and how when the media message of "buy, buy, buy" hits young girls, it's usually glued to beauty products.

Referring to actual use and not just swiping a lick of grandmother's coral-colored Chanel, the article cites, "55 percent of 6- to 9-year-old girls said they used lip gloss or lipstick, and nearly two-thirds said they used nail polish...in 2003, 49 percent of 6- to 9-year-old girls said they used lip gloss or lipstick."

Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabees (re: Mean Girls' inspiration), is admittedly not my favorite apple on the tree when it comes to her commentary of teenaged girls. She says "hyper-sexualization" is the result of this trend of kid cosmetics. And to some extent, I agree, but I think giving a 10-year-old a swipe of Lip Smackers is hardly a sign of the apocalypse.

Rather, I think the key is balance. I wouldn't push makeup on a young girl, but if she wants to experiment with it in a non-Pussycat Dolls way, I wouldn't stop her. But, like interviewed mom Lucy Corrigan, I'd rather "girls try it and decide they don’t need all these products to be beautiful, and then do something more vital with their time and money and efforts, like write a poem or take a walk or save the world.”

Don't Drink or Drive

Abstinence-only sex-ed getting you down? Feeling awkward, insecure, and unsure of your burgeoning sexuality? That's all well and good, just don't try to take a joyride to calm your nerves.
This great parody of abs-only curriculums takes the bizarre conservative thought process one step further, applying it to cars ( Remember this handy little slogan: "No ring on your finger, no hand on the shifter."). (Props where props are due, I found this via Feministing.)

Voting on Issues

A new and slightly mind-boggling idea has emerged from the feminist community: support Obama over Hillary. Many prominent feminists like Kate Michelman, president for 20 years of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Ellen Bravo, former director of the National Association of Working Women have taken up this position. They claim, with the support of other feminists, that Obama's focus on domestic issues and unwaving thoughts on the Iraq War are more inline with what the feminist community desires. "Choosing to support Senator Obama was not an easy decision for us," they stated, "because electing a woman president would be a cause for celebration in itself," but they stress the importance of the issues being presented rather than the sex of the one presenting.

Marissa posted a rather scathing editorial of CNN's stories about black women having to choose between race and gender, so I wonder which is the best politician to support if we are to vote on issues rather than sex. Is Obama the better canidate for a feminist-minded voter?

Si, se puede!

This would be hilarious, and is, but the prospect of President Johnny McCain is so frightening.

Super Tuesday is a Mega-Newsday

Now marks the start of Super Tuesday vote counting; 24 states get to decide their preferred party and presidential nominee. Obama started off the night with a sweeping win in Georgia, but with many more votes to be tallied, it's doubtful the Democratic nominee will be determined tonight.

As for the GOP, Mike Huckabee started off his morning by nabbing West Virginia. McCain isn't doing as well in the primaries as opinion polls predicted; it's still a three man (unless you want to count Ron Paul) race.

Post Debate and Feelin' Great

At risk of skirting the issue or twisting your words, I think Obama and Clinton both did incredibly well tonight (well, of course I think Clinton did just a tad better, but that's my bias.).

Your thoughts?

Race and Gender are the New Hanging Chads

Now that John Edwards has officially dropped out of the presidential race, white males with a yearning to vote blue will face a terrible dilemma: vote for their race, or their gender

Sound silly? That's because it is. Yet CNN still thought it was incredibly ingenious to publish a story about the "dilemma" black women face in the voting booth, since, obviously neither blacks nor women ever consider the issues when at the presidential polls.

Angry responses ensued, including one (re: amazing) woman named Tiffany, who sarcastically writes the following in response:
"Duh, I'm a black woman and here I am at the voting booth. Duh, since I'm illiterate I'll pull down the lever for someone. Hm... Well, he black so I may vote for him... oh wait she a woman I may vote for her... What Ise gon' do? Oh lordy!"

CNN has yet to publish a similar story featuring the new white man's dilemma.

Why I am Pro-Choice

(This post is in conjunction with "Blog For Choice", which commemorates the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.)

Why am I pro-choice?

• When an inalienable matter of bodily integrity is called into question, I can't be passive.
  
• When the opposition dismisses me simply because I am a "heathen murderer", without listening to my opinions, I can't be passive.
  
• When sexism is rampant and manifested in the law, I can't be passive.
  
• When the rights of women are being limited, and we are sent to the streets to die, I can't be passive.

And I suppose what it really comes down to is: Why am I not pro-choice?

As a young woman with many more years to live, my opportunities are spread out before me, free for me to choose. Why can't my rights be the same way?

Clinton Powers, Activate!

The Congressional Black Caucus Institute Democratic debate was last night, so it is time for a feminist-slanted commentary! Hooray!

As always, Clinton and Obama were neck and neck throughout, but Clinton deftly managed to pursue the issues that mattered and was able to deflect the more ridiculous ones. She persistently kept coming back to her views on the key issues, her goals, her plans on how to reach her goals, and why her fellow canidates' and Republican oppentents' plans weren't good enough.

This skill of hers is something that her fellow canidates cannot match. Obama tries his best, but he is still wrestling with his past voting actions and how to turn those into positive things. And Edwards is just trying to keep his head above water, the poor guy. Clinton gives the people what they want to hear, she tells them that she will bring change, but she tells you how she will do it in the same breath.

Even in relatability, Clinton showed the American people that she cares. On racism and sexism , she says, "We feel so passionately about this because we not only are running for office, but we each, in our own way, have lived it. We have seen it. We have understood the pain and the injustice that has come because of race, because of gender. And it's imperative that, as we move forward with our campaign, we make it very clear that each of us will address these issues."

Clinton will hopefully continue to deliver consistantly throughout the caucuses, and if those of you who can vote give her your support, maybe this brilliant woman will be in the White House with Obama as her second-in-command.

Modest and Misogynist

In her serialized advice column, "Miss Manners" peddles her antiquated advice on matters of money, marriage, and restaurant etiquette. In today's set, a letter-writer wondered whether she was "too conservative in [her] fashion tastes when [she saw] women [her] own age dressed in the revealing styles that younger women have adopted." She explains that the particular fashion that bothers her is the lack of bras "hindering many women."

Miss Manners, who speaks in the third person as a part of her Victorian shtick, writes back: "[s]he assures you that the bad taste you observe has nothing whatsoever to do with claiming an equal right to run around with no underwear."

First off, honey, bra-burning feminists are a myth that exists only in your bonnet-clad head. That being said, feminism and bra-wearing are mutually-exclusive. There are just as many bra-clad, angsty, shaved-head radicals as there are turtle-necked, bra-less God-fearing women. Women's liberation is as "fully dressed" as it is naked. And, unlike some, it has enough confidence in it's appearance and attire to speak in the first person.

"Mights" and "Coulds" Fill a New Indiana Bill

Indiana lawmakers are proposing a bill that require doctors to tell women considering abortions that "Life begins at conception, and a fetus could feel pain during an abortion."

"This decision is a life decision, and many people who have abortions never forget they had an abortion...So I think we ought to help them as much as we can before as opposed to afterward."

"Help" them? Help them do what? Convert to your patriarchal, religious views? While I support giving any patient an exhaustive amount of information about any medical procedure, I prefer my pamphlets to have a little less propaganda.

Victory in New Hampshire, or Loss of Another Kind?

Despite a sorry 3rd place loss in Iowa, Clinton managed to win over New Hampshire in their caucus election today. After being critisized for being too "cold," "unfriendly," or "bitchy" as some will say for years, Clinton seems to have listened. In an interview after the Iowa nightmare, Clinton gave an emotional speech, pleading for the people of America to vote for her. Was it the emotional outburst and well placed voice crack that won over the hearts of the anti-Clintonites?

As the NYT article that Marissa posted earlier, women in politics always seem to be portrayed the same way; unfriendly and impersonable, too commanding and too power-hungry. It's an unfair stereotype, to be sure, but America loves her norms more than it loves war. Clinton said after her victory in New Hampshire, "Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice." Is she trying to break the bitch stereotype by being another one altogether? She may have turned over the leaf of being a brutal politician for now, but it seems that the next page reveals the kindly mother figure.

Clinton's 49% win must be taken with a grain of salt. We feminists must ask ourselves, is this really a victory for women? or is it a loss? I open the discussion to you.

News Flash: 14% of Female Facebook Voters Buy into Patriarchal Myths, 34% of Men Help Propagate Them

The Question (from Facebook "Debate Groups", where users can vote in polls about the presidential nominees and the election:

Can a woman president be as effective as a man?

The Answer:

...to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the caste.

Gloria Steinem rocks the opinion page of the New York Times with her snappy editorial about the "sexual caste system" in American politics and how it relates to both Hillary and Barack. (re: Please excuse the bad JFK pun.)

Bill O'Reilly Saves the Drama for Obama

Conservative pundit personality and foe of feminists Bill O'Reilly stormed a recent Obama rally, harassing the senator and socking it to a Secret Service agent. And although O'Reilly claims there was no Secret Service involvement or physical violence, you can see for yourself that he did indeed get physical.



Even if Obama can't save America from foreign threats and a falling economy (I have faith in the him, though!), he can absolutely protect us from Bill O'Reilly, which is arguably much cooler.

Movie Review: Should we say "ciao" to Bella?

Before Christian groups were out on the sidewalk protesting The Golden Compass, they were inside the theatres watching Bella.

Meet Nina. After being late to work multiple times, she's been fired from her job bussing tables a Mexican restaurant. As she walks away from the establishment, looking incredibly upset, head chef Jose follows her to the subway (at the expense of his job) in an attempt to console her. And guess what? Nina's been late because she's pregnant, and she's on her way to get an abortion. Nina and Jose share stories of their troubled pasts, the audience meets Jose's crazy but close family, and several days later, Nina chooses to carry her pregnancy to term with a somewhat surprising ending.

Bella is not a pro-choice movie in which the protagonist "chooses life". The images of an abortion clinic are coupled with ominous music, Nina's final decision is dramatized and emotionalized to a preachy extent. From a feminist perspective, the film cannot redeem itself with its positive attitude towards single-parenthood and alternative family structures. While, Bella is nicely written and directed well, it's highly implausible plot and lack of subtlety makes it feel more like a night at the church than a night at the theater.

Movie Rating: ♀♀ out of 4
Feminist Rating: 0 out of 4

I Suppose Our Snarky Wit is Orgasmic

According to a service I use to see how people come across our humble blog, a recent visitor was directed to Emily's A Shot at Change with Tila Tequila post after he/she typed in "tila tequila porn" in a MySpace search engine.

Isn't that just precious?

Does the Iowa Caucus Merit a Victory Dance?

The Iowa caucus is all said and done, and it's time to examine the results. Obama won over the Democratic set with 38% percent of the vote, and Republican voters selected Huckabee by a near landslide. I don't love Barack Obama (I'm a Clinton girl), but I do like him. I understand why people are crazy in love with Obama, and I do think he'd make a good President. I agree with him on many of the issues moreso than I do some of the other Democratic nominees.

As for Mike Huckabee, this is some awful news. The Christian soldier with a penchant for dieting and celebrity endorsements roundhouse-kicked his way to the top of the Republican polls by infantilising women who have abortions and playing surrogate daddy to pregnant teen star Jamie Lynn Spears. The silver-lining? In the general elections, Huckabee might as well start digging his grave (with a knife and fork, to say the least).

Thoughts?

New Hampshire Gets Civil-ized

New Hampshire law has just legalized civil unions for same sex couples, becoming the fourth US state to do so (Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey are the other three; Massachusetts allows same sex marriage). Civil unions give couples "the same rights, responsibilities and obligations of marriage" without violating the "sanctity of marriage" [re: making the religious right get all pissy]. While the legalization of same sex marriage throughout the world is an ultimate goal, this is progress indeed.

To commemorate this major event, I have included my favorite political and psychological dissertation [re: stand-up comedy routine] on the matter:

6 Grams of Absurdity

In a TV ad campaign for the Subway sandwich franchise, people unperturbedly refer to hamburgers and fries using the effects that eating these foods frequently may cause, such as "thunder thighs" and "blubber".



In one ad [not the one above], a 30-something woman asks what toppings are included with her hamburger. On the list? "Loss of self esteem" and "loss of boyfriend". The pound-packing effects of eating copious amounts of fast food do exist, and eating burger after burger will no doubt expand this woman's waistline.

The implied message, however, is not so tasty: if this woman becomes fat, her boyfriend will dump her because she is now ugly and undesirable. Someone's got a bad case of fatphobia. Many large girls are beautiful, just as many skinnier girls aren't (and vise versa). And to say all big girls are such because they pig out on fast food is a rude, sweeping generalization. The other suggestion, that this woman's boyfriend dated her purely because of her physique, and that her physique is her only desirable attribute, is, while possible, equally absurd.

Happy New Year!

Feministing.com has a great retrospective of 2007 from a feminist perspective. It contains blurbs detailing 2007's most terrifying, titillating, and terrific events, just in case it's old acquaintance and events you've forgotten.

Here's to a great 2008!