Sometimes a simple acknowledgment of douchery just isn’t enough.
Sometimes you have to step back and marvel at how consistent, how
dedicated, how impressively shameless a person’s commitment to being a
total asshole is. And that’s why Bitch has decided it’s time to start
recognizing those individuals as the All-Star douchebags they are.
Practically, it just makes sense: We plan to be awarding Douchebag
Decrees for many years to come, and there are some people it would just
be easier to mention once, acknowledging that not only have they
already amassed an impressive body of douchebaggery, they will surely
keep it up for the foreseeable future.
It’s in this spirit
that we give a nod today to the lifetime douchechievements of Mrs.
Caitlin Flanagan: author, columnist, wife, mother, professional scold,
and 24-karat-gold douchebag.
I mentioned over the weekend that I was a little too miffed after reading the terribly myopic piece in the New York Times Magazine last weekend, "The Femivore's Dilemma," to write about it then. The internets move quickly, but I figure a few days late is better than never. Since my time here is quickly drawing to a close, I figured I’d revisit the piece because it really deserves some ecofeminist deconstruction.
First, the obvious: "Femivore" is a dumb word. Why? Because it implies a diet of women.
Ecosystems—systems, mind you—are as much interconnected and interdependent on us as we are on them. It’s a simple premise, but understanding how to mitigate and undo the harm done to the planet by humans is another matter. Caroline Fraser, author of the recently released Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution, says it very simply: "Lose the animals, lose the ecosystem. Lose the ecosystems, game over."
This weekend, the New York Times Magazine—a publication I admittedly adore—asked what I consider to be a very simple question: "Is There An Ecological Unconscious?" Should we be thankful when these issues are covered by mainstream media or annoyed that our work has once again been relegated to the margins of the larger movement?
If you’re reading the Bitch blog, chances are you’ve decided that you aren’t too terribly offended by the b-word. But what about the c-word? In contemplating the state of modern environmental issues and food politics, I’m thinking that it might be time to reclaim the big C—cow.
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You don’t have to be a full time animal rights activist to spread the good word about healthy food, climate change, and women’s and children’s rights. Ruby Roth, author and illustrator of the recently released That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things, recently spoke to me about her woman-friendly artwork and why children are smarter than people often think.
Andre Bauer, South Carolina's Lt. Governor, conflated the suffering of people and animals, threatened those on government assistance with unnecessary and unrelated stipulations to receiving their benefits, and used sexual shaming tactics and mocked decision-making abilities that he conflated with willpower, age and intelligence in an unusually insensitive speech on Friday.
With "green" being all the rage the last few years, it’s no wonder environmental issues have become so mainstream. But media savvy and socially responsible feminists know that environmentalism and ecofeminism are not new ideas, even as many of the relationships between the planet and women’s rights become more salient as the earth warms and we suffer the effects. In the next weeks, I’ll be looking at a variety of intersecting issues including the human cost of chocolate, the use of fur in northern climates and indigenous cultures, soy and soybean farming, nuclear power’s environmental effects, ideas for carbon-free transit, the links between racism and animal oppression, and how you can be a pro-choice vegan.
Every now and then there are just too many d-bags committing too many acts of douchebaggery to pick just one. Plus there's the whole 'is-this-person-alone-even-worth-blogging-about' question to reckon with. But hey, that's why god invented the Special Two for One Edition, right? Here goes...
As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.
When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
What I'm reading:
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
I work to improve B-Word's web presence by beefing up our blog, working on our podcasts, managing Bitch's social networking sites (be my friend?), and spreading the good b-word all 'round the Net.
Always into what you have to say! Email me at online{at}b-word.org with suggestions or kind words.
