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?