Reality TV Hangover? Not yet

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I adore trash- trashy music, trashy magazines, trashy movies and, most of all, trashy television. I am one of those who spends Sunday afternoons watching America's Next Top Model Marathons rather than say, reading in the sun (although it is way too cold to do that right now anyway, so I don't feel so bad).
So honestly, my confession is that one of the reasons I have updated my blog so rarely lately is my vigilance to celebrity gossip blogs. Particularly those focusing on ANTM and The Hills. So I apologize to the few of you who read Femivix. I will post again soon.
That said, The Hills has me wondering whether I stare emptily at people when they are talking to me as much as LC does.

Day of Remembrance.

Today is the 18th anniversary of the "Montreal Massacre", a horrific shooting that took place at the Ecole Poytechnique in Montreal, Quebec. Mark Lepine walked into an engineering school classroom, separated the men from the women, told the men to leave, yelled "I hate feminists," opened fire, and shot the nine women, killing six and injuring the rest. Then he moved onto other parts of the school, By the time he turned his gun on himself, Lepine had killed a total of 14 women:

• Geneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
• Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
• Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
• Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967) mechanical engineering student.
• Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
• Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
• Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
• Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
• Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
• Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
• Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
• Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
• Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
• Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.

While I do not generally condone posting suicide notes, here is Lepine's.

I have decided to send the feminists, who have always ruined my life, to their Maker. For seven years life has brought me no joy and being totally blasé, I have decided to put an end to those viragos.... Even if the Mad Killer epithet will be attributed to me by the media, I consider myself a rational erudite that only the arrival of the Grim Reaper has forced to take extreme acts. For why persevere to exist if it is only to please the government. Being rather backward-looking by nature (except for science), the feminists have always enraged me. They want to keep the advantages of women (e.g. cheaper insurance, extended maternity leave preceded by a preventative leave, etc.) while seizing for themselves those of men.

In Canada, today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action On Violence Against Women.

It's been a long time...

Ok, so while I still have carpal tunnel, it has significantly improved since the last time I wrote and I think it may be time to start this thing up again. I just did my LSATs and finally have time to do activities other than logic games and logical reasoning problems. So, I am back.

Carpal Tunnel Sucks!

Sorry no posts in a while. I am trying to minimize my typing to avoid horrible pain. Hope to post soon!

Back in the day...

Last night I was looking at this Tori Amos bio and remembered what a tremendous effect the singer/pianist had on my teenage years. I wanted to honor some of my teenage idols who not only kept me (kind of) sane during high school, but beckoned me to a clearer feminist consciusness.

Tori Amos

I remember treking to the Avalon Mall in St. John's, Newfoundland to purchase her albums the day they came out. I horded bootleg albums, posters and paraphrenalia featuring the feminist fairy queen.

Not only was (and is) Tori's music beautiful and incredibly complex musically, it really spoke to my personal and political concerns regarding gender and sexuality. Whether Amos sang about rape (Me and a Gun), breakups (Putting the Damage On, among so many others), female circumcision (Cornflake Girl) or sex and religion (Icicle and the infamous God), she was always spot on.

Courtney Love

Yes, I know Love's status as a feminist has been highly debated (and that she has gone a little more than nuts lately), but I have to admit, Courtney Love (and Hole) was probably the single greatest influence on my musical taste and personal style. She just didn't give a FUCK (or at least she pretended not to). Her baby doll, overly girly dresses contrasted so sharply with her growly voice and in your face attitude and I, as an insecure ninth grader, wanted, more than anything, to achieve that level of what I percieved as independance and confidence. So maybe for her it came partially from drugs. Besides all the drugs, fighting, etc. back then she was still an embodiment of my personal goals and helped me to stop caring so much what others thought and believe that women could seriously ROCK!


7 Year Bitch

Super fierce grrrl band from Seattle screaming about everything I was feeling during junior high and high school. Need I say more?

Anna Rexia- because eating disorders are sexy

Ok, I though I had seen some of the most offensive Halloween costumes ever, but this one really takes the cake.

As someone who has dealt on and off for most of her life with various eating disorders (or as someone who has watched others cope) I am completely disgusted and offended by this costume. It would be one thing if someone were to wear a costume commenting on the prevelence of eating disorders or bizarreness of body image issues in society, but to wear or sell one that sexifies a death threatening desease is just plain sickening.

Oh, and just in case you haven't had your fill of costume that make mental illness sexy, check out Ella Mental.

Thank You Courtney!!

Here is a great list of things you can do to love your body from Courtney Martin at Feministing.
I think that my favorite is probably:

1. Make the radical choice to commit to healing your relationship with your body.

Thank you!

Stupid, offensive article alert!!!

So, once again, I have found an infuriating story on yahoo. In the article "Is Your Image Hurting Your Career", Penelope Trusk states the following:
1.) The heavier you are, the less money you make.
2.) The less attractive you are, the les money you make
3.) Your employers may be right and thin people might actually be scientifically smarter

"Before you get up in arms over how unfair it is to discriminate against people who are overweight, consider that there may be some rationale behind it. If you're overweight, you're probably not
exercising every day. But regular exercise increases peoples' ability to cope with difficult situations in the workplace and, according to University of Illinois
kinesiology professor Charles Hillman, might even make people smarter. " (links her her own, pasted from the page)

First off, size does not necessarily have anything to do with exercise. Some people have lower metabolism and, therefore, can exercise a few times a week and still be larger than people who never exercise at all.

Second, not only is this article a waste of space, it is offensive, disgusting and one of the worst displays of fatphobia I have ever witnessed!

Yay Portland, Maine! Boo Bush & Orr!!!

If this hadn't passed, it may have been the final straw for my sanity.



This week has been a little les than cheerful on the reproductive rights front, with Bush appointing Dr. Susan Orr as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services family planning program.

According to Orr, contraception is part of a culture of death.

"It's not about choice. It's not about health care. It's about making everyone
collaborators with the culture of death."

Thank you, George Bush for providing this fucking nutcase with a platform. How the hell are these things ok? The last time I checked, abstinence is not part of my or any of my friend's', or anyone I know's "family planning strategies". To those who choose abstinence, cool. But the key word is CHOOSE. I am just so angry.



But, back to my original point, middle school students in Portland, Maine now have access to contraceptives without parental notification! And STD counselling!! All at a convenient, on-site medical clinic.

And then, there is Kansas.

New Job

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I have (finally) switched jobs. While it is surely too early to judge (still have 58 minutes left of my first day), the new place seems pretty great. People being generally nice and polite in a nice change and, so far, I have heard few, if any, catty remarks.
Thumbs up, new work place!

According to science, feminism does not = man hating!

Ok, another post I found via Feministing. I didn't, however, have much time today since I was training at my new job (yay!).
So, as if we didn't know already, an article in Science Daily has announced:

"feminism and romance are not incompatible and feminism may actually improve
the quality of heterosexual relationships, according to Laurie Rudman and
Julie Phelan, from Rutgers University in the US. Their study* also shows
that unflattering feminist stereotypes, that tend to stigmatize feminists as
unattractive and sexually unappealing, are unsupported."

Rent

I wanted to apologize for having written so little in the past while. I have been pretty sick on and off for the past while and have a hard enough time performing mundane tasks, let alone being creative.
So, due to my feverish condition, I will write about something I love. Rent is an amazing musical. See it. If you can't go see it on stage, watch the film version and memorize all the songs. Then when you see it on stage it will be even more exciting.
Warning: You might cry. I did... a lot. As in I was still in tears half an hour after the performance ended.
Here is the proof:

Rape in the Congo

There isn't too much to say about the content of this New York Times article except that it is terrifying and very upsetting.

No one — doctors, aid workers, Congolese and Western researchers — can explain exactly why this is happening.

“That is the question,” said André Bourque, a Canadian consultant who works with aid groups in eastern Congo. “Sexual violence in Congo reaches a level never reached anywhere else. It is even worse than in Rwanda during the genocide.”

Super Cutie!

Sorry, another baby post.
I think watching this video may have just gotten me pregnant

As if we didn't need ANOTHER reason to hate Wal-Mart...

Funny?

But, in Wal-Mart's opinion, yes. They have recently begun to sell this shirt in their stores. A stalking survivor noticed the shirt and reported it to the NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence who contacted Wal-Mart. No response as of yet.
According to the woman who reported the shirt:

"People don't realize how serious stalking is," she said. "You constantly live in fear, look over your shoulder and suffer from psychological and physical symptoms due to the stress of the stalker."

She wondered aloud: What's next?

"Some say it's rape, I call it hot sex"? Or: "Some call it domestic violence, I say I'm just teaching her a lesson"?

Bizarre. But maybe not so unexpected, considering that Wal-Mart once removed this shirt off it's shelves, deeming it too offensive and incompatible with the company values.

via Feministing

Folsom Street Fair

Some people are just completely nuts.
And no, I am not talking about the Folsom Street Fair participants.
I am talking about the protesters.

When attending the fair last Saturday, I heard some noise about anti-Miller beer (one of the fair sponsers) groups. While I did not actually see any of these groups, I later found one of them online.

Supposedly they are angry about this:

And the, there is another total nut, Frank Pastore, who wants to thank the Fair for reminding us how horrible gays and liberals actually are.

I’d like to thank the organizers of these types of events for reminding Americans what’s at stake in our culture war, why politics is important and what it means to be a San Francisco liberal. Each of us can now more easily think of our town, our school or our local park being the site of one of these obscene events. Of course they have the right to project their deviance—within the parameters of the law—as an expression of their free speech. But, every other American also has the right to protest and say, “Oh no. Not here. Not in our community!”

And thanks again for reminding the whole world, and especially Christians, why the words “homosexual” and “anti-Christian” are—in practical terms—synonyms.

Well thanks all you guys for reminding me why I, myself, enjoyed the fair. It is probably (unless you are raving like a crazy person protesting at the barriers) the last place I would see people like you.

So I have not seen the new Jodi Foster movie yet and likely won't until it comes out on video, simply because I don't always have the money to do that kind of thing. But, even if the revenge genre is getting a little predictable, the Brave One, a story about a woman taking revenge on her (and her partner, who was killed) attackers, could be interesting (and hopefully empowering) sort of film,

Brian Hughes from the independent University of Georgia publication, RedBlack.com, doesn't think so. In his opinion, it is a "steaming pile of feminist justice".

First off, the phrase "steaming pile" is usually following by the term "shit" and Hughes is likely referencing feminism as such. Furthermore, the film aside, what the hell is the problematic about feminist justice? In my head, the term could refer to the following:

1.) Prosecuting rapists and making them stay in jail for a long time
2.) Helping women get safe and affordable access to abortion
3.) Fighting back when attacked
4.) Getting George Bush out of office.

Ok, the last one was a little bit silly (although, in my opinion completely true) but the point is that these were the first thoughts that the term "feminist justice" raised in my mind and I cannot imagine any of them to be lumped into the category of this supposed "steaming pile".

Anyway, sorry this post isn't too organized but I am very angry right now.

I don't care one way or another about the film, honestly, but the comment was completely offensive and honestly, disgusting.

To be fair, Hughes has a point when he writes

"What does it say about our culture that we've had two films in less than a month claiming the only route to revenge is through the barrel of a gun?"

Ok, I tried, but one redeeming line in a sexist article does not make it ok.

Fuck you, Hughes.

Bikini Kill Awesomeness

This is a pretty cool video of various Bikini Kill interviews and footage. Just watch and listen.

Some of My Favorites

Just a short (and incomplete) list of some of my favorite people (that I don't know personally).

Kathleen Hanna: Front woman of riot grrrl band Bikini Kill and member of Le Tigre, another awesome feminist band.

"I don't need to convince men that feminism is important, that just isn't a goal of mine. I can't even have that conversation, of whether or not it's important, because if someone asks me that they're my mortal enemy and I don't want to have a conversation with them until they grow up."

Margaret Atwood: Brilliant writer of works such as The Edible Woman, Oryx and Crake and The Blind Assassin. Also one of the first authors my mum and I could agree on

"We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly."

Patti Smith: Basically just about the the most awesome singer/songwriter/badass ever. Even if she doesn't usually call herself a feminist, she has certainly help others identify as such.

"Let's just say that I think any person who aspires, presumes, or feels the calling to be an artist has a built-in sense of duty."

Dorothy Parker: Despite all Mrs. Parker's (and I say Mrs. because that was how she liked it) faults, she wore her sexuality on her sleeve, talked shit to those who disrespected her and somehow managed to outlive ( and out-talk) almost all the members of the Vicious Circle.

"Men don't like nobility in woman. Not any men. I suppose it is because the men like to have the copyrights on nobility -- if there is going to be anything like that in a relationship."

There are so many more. Maybe this will be a weekly column.

Are We Ready?!

Ok, so, just in case anyone hasn't noticed, there is a woman running for president.
Just kidding! how could anyone NOT notice considering all the flack that, not only Hilary, but all women are getting as a blacklash from the candidacy.
I actually cannot vote, as I am not an American citizen (American resident, Canadian citizen) so it is not likely I really get to choose a candidate and I personally thinking that either Clinton or Obama would be fine. But the angry words thrown at towards not only Hilary, but the very idea of a woman president are out of control.
This Daily Show segment sums it up pretty well, in an ironically sex in the city type of way.

I have many friend who will not vote for Hilary (I just love how all the men running are referred to by their last names while, even for me, Hilary Clinton is just "Hilary". Like she is a friendly, nonthreatening neighbor or something) because they think she will be a bad president. I disagree with these people but that is besides the point. Whether Clinton is a good or not so good choice for the democratic party should have nothing to do with whether she is a woman.

Reclaim the Day

Well, here's a name I haven't heard in a while. Since graduating from my feminist studies department where we discussed the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas case at some point in most courses, Hill hasn't really crossed my mind.
Today I came across a commentary Professor Hill wrote for the Women's Media Center. Recalling being called "nutty" and "slutty" by author David Brock, Hill writes about the constant debasement of women for monetary gain. After selling millions of dollars worth of books, Brock apologized to Hill, explaining that he has been blinded by financial ambition.
For Hill, apologizing for blatant sexism is not enough.

According to Hill:

Because the debasement of women continues to sell and derogatory terms for women have become part of popular discourse, I’m convinced that we need more than Brock recanting or Imus being fired. We need a movement to counter the verbal assaults on women that flow freely in modern media outlets and that have now crept into our workplaces and are increasing in our schools. In addition to our efforts to “Take Back the Night,” we need to “Reclaim the Day!”

I’m not talking about censoring artists or comics. What I want is positive entertainment and educational programming that replaces or, at the very least, balances the negative.

I like Hill's idea and think that she is going at it from a good angle. She also wants your feedback on organizing this event/day.

Cute Little Singing Girl

So, I saw this on Feministing a while ago but it is so cute, I just had to post it (besides writing angry rants, I also like to look at cute videos of babies online)

Skills Every Man Should Know

According to Popular Mechanics Magazine, men are losing their skills. Every man, according to this articles, should know how to do the following tasks:

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid

15. Get a car unstuck16. Back up data

17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil andfilter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network

OK, so fair enough, people do seem to be losing their drive to learn how to cope with day to day situations. Many of my friends, for instance, have no idea how to change a tire (I learned after running over a brick the first day I got my license).

But 25 skills every MAN should know?

I just don't know where to begin!

First off, woman are just as capable to learn such the above mention skills as men and some perform many of these tasks on a daily basis. The article is sexist and outdated. Duh.

But then there is the assumption that the ability to complete these tasks is essential to one's masculinity. Is a guy who lacks these skills not a man? While some of the listed items are definitely important, they do not apply to everyone (not everyone, for example can afford a high definition television or wants to use a gun, for instance).

Furthermore, what does the list leave out? Once the man fillets a fish, how does he cook it? Does his wife cook it? What if he is gay? OK, I know that is going a little of topic, but seriously, there are very few mentions of anything involving basic needs in the article- necessities that mens' female (heteronomativity anyone?) significant others should supposedly provide.

I am not saying that many of these skills are not important. I would like to know how to fix a dead outlet, for example. And (hopefully) this article was supposed to be a little tongue in cheek.

But come on. Necessary DIY skills extend far beyond rifle maintenance.

The Most Fucking Fucked Up Thing I Have Heard in a While

This shouldn't be anything too new since I have heard about it in newscasts and blogs all over the place, but still, this is truly awful.

A young, black woman was found beaten, raped and horribly tortured by six white people in West Virginia. Reported by the Associated Press, they

choked her with a cable cord and stabbed her in the leg while calling her a racial slur, poured hot water over her, made her drink from a toilet and made her eat dog feces and rat droppings. She was also beaten and sexually assaulted during a span of about a week, according to the complaints.

At one point, an assailant cut the woman's ankle with a knife and used the N-word in telling her she was victimized because she is black, according to the criminal complaints.

She survived, amazingly enough.
What the hell do people have going on in their minds?

Remedios Varo

Though I had seen her work before, I didn't know her by name until I saw Remedios Varo's paintings at the Modern Art Museum in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City a couple of summers ago. Though the Kahlo's were exciting to see in person, I stared at Varo's for the longest. Afterward, I forgot her name and have been disparately trying to remember it ever since. I just did.

About Varo

Mamarama!

Mamarama: A Memoir of Sex, Kids and Rock 'n' Roll is a must-read for, well, I think everyone. I originally started reading the book after my boyfriend bought it for me at the bookshop where he works (Dog Eared Books in San Francisco) because he noticed the author had an affinity for Rent, my current obsession.

Author Evelyn McDonnell, co-editor of the books Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop and Rap and Stars Don’t Stand Still in the Sky: Music and Myth and author of Army of She: Icelandic, Iconoclastic, Irrepressible Bjork and Rent by Jonathan Larson, writes about her life in relation to the cultural and feminist (or not so feminist) scenes of her high school years in the mid-west, a struggling writer in Bohemian New York, the riot grrrl explosion of the early nineties, her experiences in two marriages, as a stepmother, a hip hop critic and a mother.

The current pop culture writer of the Miami Herald, McDonnell describes her struggle to add motherhood to her constantly growing list of identities without compromising her career, her beliefs, or herself.
She writes:

“I have moments, even days, of pure despondency when I’m not sure I’m cut out for this parenting stuff. … I worry I’m becoming everything I didn’t want to be: a frumpy, grumpy housewife who, two weeks after it came out, still hasn’t heard the new Strokes CD.

“Then I remember: I don’t like the Strokes.”

Besides being an excellent feminist and cultural memoir and a totally fun read, Mamarama struck a strong chord with me (and I am sure many others) personally. Currently occupying the space between a degree in feminist studies, and some combination of career, marriage and motherhood in the next five or so years, I often wonder (and worry, and obsess!) over whether I will continue to uphold and enact the values I feel to be so important now once I am overrun with motherly responsibilities.

Mamarama made me realize the answer is yes.

Link

Britney Rant

While somewhat sad, I acquire a great deal for my news from the yahoo web page, namely my celebrity news (to which I have a slight addiction). Yesterday the main topic of interest, as with many websites, was Britney Spear's performance at the VMAs.
But really, mostly about her supposed "paunch".
Spear's performance was not particularly good-- it was actually fairly bad-- and she obviously knew it. She seemed nervous, frustrated with the way her act was going and, generally, out of it.
I am not a huge Spear's fan (although i have often been caught crooning her tunes at Karaoke and, at one time, even had a slight crush on the lady) and there was no doubt her act was one of the worst of hers that I have seen.
But the media focused far less on her out of step dance moves than they did her dreaded belly.
First off, besides the fact Spear's mid-section is actually quite close to the ideal to which so many women strive, the attention to her abs just points once again to the infuriating (and honestly tired) issue that much of society continues to view (and critique, judge and belittle) women as ornaments rather than instruments or actors.

Today, Yahoo News posted a second, follow- up piece asking whether too much attention was paid to Spear's tummy or if "she asking for it by choosing that unforgiving black-sequined bikini".
many just thought she should have avoided exposing the "bulging" spectacle of her body by wearing her outfit- a black, sequined bikini. According to Janice Min, editor of US Weekly:

"In that ensemble, you just can't have an ounce of anything extra.
Many women wouldn't eat for days if they were wearing that... "Did she look better than 99 percent of women? Yes. But compared to her earlier form, she probably didn't look as good."

I am just so sick of this. Goddamn this body image bullshit.

Link

First Post

I think I may have been the last person I know to know what a blog actually was. It was only after months of reading about debates regarding the legitimacy and worthiness of the tings that I finally asks someone what the word actually meant.
And now I am addicted.
Unless I am traveling or in the middle of a desert (i.e Burning Man), I read Feministing everyday. Sometimes, during a slow day at work i will cruise Metafilter or Boing Boing every hour, looking for some tidbit of information to make the day less painfully dull. Then I started linking to other pages and other pages and the web grew and grew.
And finally, I started a blog because I thought it would be un-feminist (not that people sans blogs are by any means, un-feminist, it was just a personal judgment) with all my resources and time, not to.
There are few outlets that allow people (at least those with the luxuries of computers and time) to comment publicly on sexist, racist or homophobic nonsense so often bypassed or ignored my mainstream or even "alternative" mediums.
So, for me, blogging can be a feminist practice and I intend to use it as such.