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.