“Everypony, without further ado we’d like to introduce the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Lauren Faust!”
4,000 fans leap from their chairs. The predominantly male crowd claps and whistles and screams Faust’s name, the auditorium echoing with their cheers.
When Lauren Faust developed the idea for a new iteration of Hasbro’s animated show My Little Pony, the last place she thought it would land her was here, on a stage in front of thousands of screaming men. She surveys the audience at Meadowlands Expo Center and covers her face, overwhelmed by the fans’ joy and adoration.
Bronies—bros who love My Little Pony—have flocked to New York from around the country and the world to attend Bronycon, their semiannual convention.
Talking sex—especially about the Kamasutra—is progressive, but discussions of the political economy of the text don’t get the same pedestal. How can I claim and embrace queer liberation (as much as I may want to), when it silences someone else?
This is my last post for Lady Business. It has been a lightning fast eight weeks, but it's been so wonderful to interact with you all. I hope to trade ideas and words with you again sometime soon.
The shadow argument for the old "Having it All" conversation, which should probably be retired along with cutesy words like Mancession and He-Covery, is the idea that men who are not breadwinners are undermining patriarchy and male power. I've wondered for a long time if the so-called mancession, which most mainstream media reported was the worst fallout of the recent recession because man jobs were declining as women were getting more work (in pink collar professions?), was good for feminism.
Holy moly, readers! Nothing brings misogyny to the yard like weddings and impending marriage.
Gender-essentializing is STILL a popular pastime around ideas of wedlock in Dominant Culture (I like to capitalize Dominant Culture because I often personify it like a little creature on my shoulder telling me a bunch of WTF). I believe we’re all familiar with the Dominant Culture-style tradition wherein male-ness likes to disavow positive feelings about commitment, despite the irony that historically/traditionally, the self-identified man was the person responsible for initiating said commitment in the first place because women weren’t allowed to do much for centuries.
Author and entrepreneur Doreen Bloch wrote in a Feministing guest post, "If women make up 46.8% of the workplace in America (Source: Department of Labor) and 58% of college classrooms (Source: The New York Times), where are the female voices in our business thought-leadership?"
It's only been a little while and I'm already missing Joan and Peggy from Mad Men. I can tell because their roles this season made me think about the archetypes of women in the workplace and how some of them have played out in popular culture.
This of course was prompted by Joan's power play and Peggy's uneasy flirtation/acceptance of power.
Here in the 21st century, women who wield power in business are placed into one of a few categories. You can add more.
Anne-Marie Slaughter's new cover story for the Atlantic is out today. In it, she discusses how "women still can't have it all" and outlines some possible solutions to the work-life conundrum she's faced in her career as a professor and government official.
I don't have a child, but on behalf of my parent friends who are working and have to make special arrangements, I was outraged to read this Think Progress story about how the U.S. measures up compared to other nations.
Oh hey! Speaking of perpetuations of antiquated notions of female sexuality, did you know that the Western tradition of white wedding gowns actually has nothing to do with virginity?
Social Commentary
Brony Love: Lauren Faust, Creator of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Live from Bronycon!
“Everypony, without further ado we’d like to introduce the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Lauren Faust!”
4,000 fans leap from their chairs. The predominantly male crowd claps and whistles and screams Faust’s name, the auditorium echoing with their cheers.
When Lauren Faust developed the idea for a new iteration of Hasbro’s animated show My Little Pony, the last place she thought it would land her was here, on a stage in front of thousands of screaming men. She surveys the audience at Meadowlands Expo Center and covers her face, overwhelmed by the fans’ joy and adoration.
Bronies—bros who love My Little Pony—have flocked to New York from around the country and the world to attend Bronycon, their semiannual convention.
Kamasutra and the Indian Feminists
Lady Business: Until Next Time and Thank You
Lady Business: Are the Mancession, He-Covery, and Stay-At-Home Dads Good for Feminism?
This is the actual photo from a USA Today article about the mancession. What?
Bridal Party: Surprise! Misogyny is Here!
Gender-essentializing is STILL a popular pastime around ideas of wedlock in Dominant Culture (I like to capitalize Dominant Culture because I often personify it like a little creature on my shoulder telling me a bunch of WTF). I believe we’re all familiar with the Dominant Culture-style tradition wherein male-ness likes to disavow positive feelings about commitment, despite the irony that historically/traditionally, the self-identified man was the person responsible for initiating said commitment in the first place because women weren’t allowed to do much for centuries.
Lady Business: Why Isn't There More Feminist Business Writing?
Lady Business: The Three Types of Businesswomen in Pop Culture
It's only been a little while and I'm already missing Joan and Peggy from Mad Men. I can tell because their roles this season made me think about the archetypes of women in the workplace and how some of them have played out in popular culture.
This of course was prompted by Joan's power play and Peggy's uneasy flirtation/acceptance of power.
Here in the 21st century, women who wield power in business are placed into one of a few categories. You can add more.
Anne-Marie Slaughter in the Atlantic: "Women Still Can't Have It All." Can Anyone?
Lady Business: Paid Parental Leave in the U.S. Sucks
I don't have a child, but on behalf of my parent friends who are working and have to make special arrangements, I was outraged to read this Think Progress story about how the U.S. measures up compared to other nations.
Bridal Party: Pomp, Power, and the Myth of Virginity
Oh hey! Speaking of perpetuations of antiquated notions of female sexuality, did you know that the Western tradition of white wedding gowns actually has nothing to do with virginity?
Audio Smut