Apr

The Bleaker Sex Indeed

The op-eds in Sunday’s New York Times drew some conclusions that, as a woman overall, left me quite unsettled.

An article entitled “The Bleaker Sex,” written by Frank Bruni, analyzes the upcoming HBO series “Girls” and compares it to the modern woman’s failed attempt to maintain a Don Draper-esque sex life: all pleasure, all detachment. In the sex scene he highlights, he notes the female “hero” is portrayed as having no say in her sexual encounter, choosing to accommodate her partner at her expense rather than striving for mutual satisfaction.

Furthermore, he posits that the 24-hour porn cycle has raised the expectations of men that mere mortal women are unable to fulfill and has pushed the idea that women are to remain silent partners when it comes to sex. I would imagine that this idea would spill over into other aspects of life as well.

I have to admit that Bruni has a point. I have to agree that pornography has had a major effect on how people are becoming less able to separate these sexual fantasies from reality thus contributing to the sexual devolution of society, which is a huge disservice to everyone, but for sure affects women negatively. What I don’t agree with is the implication that men are more capable than women in having casual sexual encounters and that casual sexual encounters have become the ideal. Just as I believe women are more than capable of sexual detachment, I also believe that men are not immune from the attachment sexual contact can bring.

What do you think? Is sexual detachment becoming the “new normal”?

Mar

Site To See: She’s The First

Did you know that DonateMyDress founder Tammy Tibbets also has an organization that helps send young girls in developing nations to school?

“She’s The First” is a non-profit organization that aims to “sponsors girls’ education in the developing world, helping them be the first in their families to graduate.” Tibbets established this site after realizing that if she could create a network for underprivileged girls to find prom gowns, she could surely do the same to enable girls to get an education and make their mark in the world as global leaders. She’s The First contains a directory of organizations around the globe that supports girls’ education for interested donors, provides tools for starting local chapters, and offers its own sponsorship program.

As always, I am quite proud to share this cause with you readers. I will be adding their link to the Blog Roll at the bottom of the page in addition to featuring it here so you have easy access to their webpage.

Click here to visit ShesTheFirst.Org

Mar

Bitching at Barnard

I, for one, was thrilled when I heard that President Barack Obama was going to give Barnard College’scommencement speech this semester.

Unfortunately, to say that many Columbia University students didn’t share in my enthusiasm is a vast understatement. In fact, they took to the web and began posting some awfully hateful, misogynistic comments on the original story. Take this gem for example, as submitted by Barnard sophomore Anne Bahr to Jezebel (read the story all the the offensive quotes by clicking here):

While you guys were perfecting your deepthroating techniques and experimenting with scissoring and anal play, we were learning Calculus (usually by sophomore year of high school).

Lovely.

What’s even more screwed up is that Barnard’s own President Debora L. Spar brushed off the commentary as the inane comments of “19-year-olds writing at 4:30 in the morning.” Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger concurred, even stating that general disappointment was “understandable.”

Both Spar and Bollinger need a wake-up call. The comments of these students go beyond being merely bummed that they won’t get a send-off from Obama. It’s disturbing that this hate speech is going unchecked and that these two key authority figures refuse to take a stand against it. Granted, there is a right to hate speech so long as it doesn’t incite violence, however neither of these University presidents should stand idly by and allow the obvious animosity toward their sister university.

This issue even got the attention of The New York Times! Click here to read the article.

Mar

How To Outlaw Single Parenthood

Oh, Wisconsin…

Can you please tell me why your state legislature is ready to consider single parenthood a form of child abuse? Please?

If passed, SB507 would theoretically land 1/3 of the state’s population in jail. In my eyes, that is not at all a smooth move. But don’t tell Senator Glenn Grothman, the wonderfully moronic legislator that proposed this nonsense. He just wants this bill to become law so the big, bad government doesn’t use single parenthood as a means to throw the nation into a totalitarian state of dependency, as mapped out by his paranoid diatribe (which you can read here).

Although single parenthood is indeed stressful for both parent and child(ren), that in itself does not lead to child abuse. Single parenthood in conjunction with a dangerous living environment (substance, unsafe living conditions, mental instability, etc.) is really the issue behind the abuse.

Trust me, I know.

Since single parenthood is a risk for economic instability, and since it seems to be a major issue in Wisconsin, perhaps the state legislature should do their part to ease the financial strain of single parenthood via tax breaks (for example) instead of further punishing this population-which, in case you haven’t noticed, is overwhelmingly made up of women.

Watch Sen. Grothman in action below.

Dec

Siri is Pro-Life

Yes, you read that correctly.

According to an article on Gizmodo, when you ask the iPhone 4S’ virtual assistant the location of the nearest abortion clinic, she will either play dumb or deter the request by pointing one out quite far from your current location. Apparently, she also has a personal vendetta against next-day contraception.

Nice going, Apple. Click here to watch Stephen Colbert's hilarious commentary. Photo from Gawker.com

Click here to read the Gizmodo article.

Nov

Vintage Journalism and Women

If only this guy knew that some of today’s journalism greats would be kick-ass women such as Soledad O’Brien, Barbara Walters, Lisa Ling and Arianna Huffington. Watch below to see what I’m talking about…

Click here to read the original post on Huffington Post Women.

Nov

Frivolous Fridays: TED Talk featuring Jay Smooth

Really, there is nothing “frivolous” about what Jay is saying here. It’s actually a very intelligent, insightful critique on race relations in America. However, it doesn’t address feminist issues, so I’m using a Friday post to share this with you.

As you know, I am a big ol’ fan of Jay Smooth’s commentary on a variety of subjects, including women. I hope that if my previous post didn’t convince you, this one does.

Nov

Maternity Leave on Leave

Photo from 4to40.com

So much for taking a break after the baby is born.

According to an article in the Washington Post, paid maternity leave is the latest luxury to be cut from many companies’ budgets since the economic downturn. Women with only their high school diploma are four times more likely to be denied.

“This isn’t good news for women at the bottom, and the irony is that the people with the most children are now the least likely to have the supports they need,” said Kathleen Gerson, a professor of sociology at New York University and author of “The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family.”

Naturally, this is upsetting to me. Why must we consistently bear the brunt of budget woes? Of all times, when a woman has to care for a child, this is when the check is taken away.

I would continue ranting, but I’ll just ask you to click here to read the full article instead.

Nov

Mc-Gender

May I just gush for a moment and say how much I love Bitch Media? Their content makes my heart flutter.

Take this (Mc) nugget for example: writer Avital Norman Nathman wrote a piece examining the gender issues that come in each and every Happy Meal sold by McDonalds. When I was a kid, I never knew a time when the cashier didn’t ask if the Happy Meal was for a boy or girl. However, Nathman points out that, once upon a time, McDonald’s had gender-neutral merchandise. Granted, many other fast food restaurants (and other consumer industries, for that matter) are guilty of this, but McDonald’s is taking center stage for this brief, but biting, commentary.

I hate clowns. Click here to read the article. (graphic from Bitch Media)

Nov

Ashley Madison: Exploitation and Body Image

This Jezebel piece written by BBW model Jacqueline (who was unfortunately featured in a couple of Ashley Madison ads) really hits the nail on the head when it comes to body shaming and unethical (and, dare I say immoral?) business ventures. Definitely worth a look.

Click here to read Jacqueline's piece on Jezebel.com (photo from webojen.com)

*Note: I know, this post is coming out of the blue since another much-too-long hiatus. But, I am back once again and I have a ton of content in store. I promise No, really. I’m serious this time.

Cherchez La Feminista

Tag Archives: society