Attempts to rid British newspaper The Sun of its topless 'Page 3 Girls' have always failed in the past, with feminists' concerns dismissed as prudery and jealousy. Could a new campaign be about to succeed where others have failed? And what issues does this raise for feminists?
Leroy Moore is a man of action: poet, community activist, artist, feminist... the list goes on. Spend any time in the crip community and his name will inevitably surface, which should come as no surprise. Moore is a walking archive of disability art and history with a gift for broad networking, highlighting artists and activist projects from the Bay area to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He can school you on disabled musicians from the days of yore, but it must be noted that this man has his finger on the pulse of the vibrant disability art scene- a scene that has blossomed in no small part due to his dedication to spotlighting the intersections of race, social justice, art and crip culture. Additionally, he can wear the hell out of a tuxedo.
Ah, marriage. It’s a preoccupation with Republicans: the destruction of it, sex outside of it, the redefinition of it. Promoting marriage was a significant part of the Bush administration’s domestic-policy agenda, presumably in an attempt to protect women from the horrors of birth control, single motherhood, abortion, and illicit sexual activity. Whether it's correlating single motherhood with gun violence or railing against the destruction of the sacred institution by the gays, the right wing has a deep-seated jones for getting (straight) couples to the church on time.
As the saying goes, “If you hate hipsters, you probably are one.” This is because, while many of us are familiar with the term (especially if describes us), it is obnoxious and has been used to identify numerous non-trends, from mustaches to homesteading to beer to bellies caused by beer. These things exist whether hipsters claim them or not, and drowning them in irony does nothing to change their nature. More usefully though, hipsterism has also been called out in conjunction with other isms like racism and, in a New York magazine piece from earlier this week, sexism.
Welcome to Lady Liquor, where, for the next two months, I'll be writing about the relationship between, well, ladies and liquor. Primarily. I'm interested in the ways women's attitudes about drinking -- and society's attitudes about women who drink -- have shaped history and pop culture. But it's pretty much impossible to talk about those things without also talking about other mind-altering substances (I'm looking at you, War on Drugs); I'd also be remiss not to talk about the relationship between booze and other social justice movements -- like the gay rights movement, which actually started in a bar.
Here in the feminist blogosphere, we spend a lot of time calling out sexism in the media, especially in advertising. Contrary to popular belief, this is not because we are screeching harridans, but because most mainstream advertising is hella sexist. That’s why I was extra-psyched to see this new Acer electronics ad featuring Megan Fox as a budding marine biologist who is not, at any point, reduced to a piece of ass.
Regardless of why Lydia Callis has become an overnight celebrity, she’s unintentionally brought ASL into the forefront of American media, highlighting not only the vibrancy of the language, but also the necessity of diverse communication strategies- particularly in emergencies.
Mothers have long been used in advertising to sell everything from toothpaste to cars—even cigarettes. What’s new is the present-day strategy: PR firms devise campaigns that appear to be grassroots movements or “spontaneous” trend pieces. This kind of marketing is referred to as “Astroturf” because of the way it mimics true grassroots movements—legitimate citizen campaigns for clean air, land, and water. Astroturf marketing that uses the mom-brand is particularly insidious because the very products pushed may be harmful to real families.
Like a pap smear or tax season, it happens every year: People wear racist and sexist costumes on Halloween. Hell, maybe you’ve done it yourself! You didn't know what to be for that one party so you jammed some feathers in a headband and called yourself Pocahontas. Or you grabbed a toy donkey and a poncho and went as a cartoonish Mexican. We’ve all made mistakes and hopefully learned something from them, like how not to be the offensive asshole hanging out by the pumpkin keg. Because seriously, you really shouldn’t wear that stuff.
Maybe two weeks ago you read on Twitter, or Tumblr, or the Guardian that British writer Caitlin Moran said some messed up stuff on Twitter. Maybe last week you saw that Bitch magazine was involved, and that I had "killed" an interview with Moran after her tweets. Watching this story spread from various outlets, I felt like I should go ahead and clarify where I was coming from before more speculation went up.
Here's a section of what Moran originally tweeted:
Social Commentary
No More Boobs in the British News?
Attempts to rid British newspaper The Sun of its topless 'Page 3 Girls' have always failed in the past, with feminists' concerns dismissed as prudery and jealousy. Could a new campaign be about to succeed where others have failed? And what issues does this raise for feminists?
Tales From The Crip: Ode to Krip Hop's Leroy Moore
Leroy Moore is a man of action: poet, community activist, artist, feminist... the list goes on. Spend any time in the crip community and his name will inevitably surface, which should come as no surprise. Moore is a walking archive of disability art and history with a gift for broad networking, highlighting artists and activist projects from the Bay area to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He can school you on disabled musicians from the days of yore, but it must be noted that this man has his finger on the pulse of the vibrant disability art scene- a scene that has blossomed in no small part due to his dedication to spotlighting the intersections of race, social justice, art and crip culture. Additionally, he can wear the hell out of a tuxedo.
What Republicans Can Learn about Marriage from Call the Midwife. (Plus: A giveaway!)
Ah, marriage. It’s a preoccupation with Republicans: the destruction of it, sex outside of it, the redefinition of it. Promoting marriage was a significant part of the Bush administration’s domestic-policy agenda, presumably in an attempt to protect women from the horrors of birth control, single motherhood, abortion, and illicit sexual activity. Whether it's correlating single motherhood with gun violence or railing against the destruction of the sacred institution by the gays, the right wing has a deep-seated jones for getting (straight) couples to the church on time.
"Hipster Sexism": Just as Bad as Regular Old Sexism, or Worse?
As the saying goes, “If you hate hipsters, you probably are one.” This is because, while many of us are familiar with the term (especially if describes us), it is obnoxious and has been used to identify numerous non-trends, from mustaches to homesteading to beer to bellies caused by beer. These things exist whether hipsters claim them or not, and drowning them in irony does nothing to change their nature. More usefully though, hipsterism has also been called out in conjunction with other isms like racism and, in a New York magazine piece from earlier this week, sexism.
Ladies! Liquor! Ladies and Liquor!
Welcome to Lady Liquor, where, for the next two months, I'll be writing about the relationship between, well, ladies and liquor. Primarily. I'm interested in the ways women's attitudes about drinking -- and society's attitudes about women who drink -- have shaped history and pop culture. But it's pretty much impossible to talk about those things without also talking about other mind-altering substances (I'm looking at you, War on Drugs); I'd also be remiss not to talk about the relationship between booze and other social justice movements -- like the gay rights movement, which actually started in a bar.
Megan Fox Refreshingly NOT Objectified in New Acer Commercial. Plus: Talking Dolphins!
Tales From The Crip: Lydia Callis: ASL Interpreter Heartthrob
Mompaganda: Shell's By-Moms-For-Moms Shill
Mothers have long been used in advertising to sell everything from toothpaste to cars—even cigarettes. What’s new is the present-day strategy: PR firms devise campaigns that appear to be grassroots movements or “spontaneous” trend pieces. This kind of marketing is referred to as “Astroturf” because of the way it mimics true grassroots movements—legitimate citizen campaigns for clean air, land, and water. Astroturf marketing that uses the mom-brand is particularly insidious because the very products pushed may be harmful to real families.
Which brings us to Shell Oil's new campaign...
Trick or Treat or STOP IT WITH THE OFFENSIVE COSTUMES ALREADY: What Not to Be For Halloween
Why I Didn't Run the Caitlin Moran Interview
Maybe two weeks ago you read on Twitter, or Tumblr, or the Guardian that British writer Caitlin Moran said some messed up stuff on Twitter. Maybe last week you saw that Bitch magazine was involved, and that I had "killed" an interview with Moran after her tweets. Watching this story spread from various outlets, I felt like I should go ahead and clarify where I was coming from before more speculation went up.
Here's a section of what Moran originally tweeted:
Audio Smut