food politics

Feast on feminist art and food politics! The first course of this Popaganda episode savors artist Judy Chicago's influential work The Dinner Party with author Jane Gerhard, then gets a taste of modern feminist art with Cliteracy artist Sophia Wallace. Then we mix things up and head to Colombia for a story from a Passover meal among refugees, toss in a discussion about Gwenyth Paltrow's cookbook, and dish on food memories and the perfect dinner party with beloved vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

So what is an eco-minded feminist to do amidst this world of depressing destruction? All I can advise is this: Get out there. Educate yourself. Do something and know you did that something.

So, I thought the point of making the investment to get more education was to not rely on government assistance. I want to be careful about my tone, since I was a welfare recipient as a child. I don't think we should stigmatize men or women who need assistance, but this is a frightening precedent for institutions to set for women and families.

Within the last several years, some great eco-themed movies have swirled about in theaters and Netflix queues. Both scripted and documentary, these films have been effective at conscious-raising and spreading the word to take action to heal our wilting planet. They cover some of the bases of our eco-crisis, but this is in no way a comprehensive list. It is only a sampler platter of the fine films out there!  All of these films can be viewed through an ecofeminist lens, bridging the gap between environmental issues and feminist ones.  There are layers of oppression in everything from food justice to gentrification, and there is much ground to tap into and discussion to be had.

Film list after the jump!

Blame it on Laura Ingalls Wilder: Deep down, I always wanted to be a pioneer.  I wasn’t raised on a farm, and when and if we did have a yard depending on where we moved, it was always pretty small.  I remember reading one of the Little House books, perched by my window, where Laura and her sister Mary harvested potatoes and turnips to be stored for the winter.  I looked out the window of where we lived then, a townhouse my parents were renting, just to see a long row of sidewalk and the window of the replica townhouse across the way.  We didn’t have a yard then, but I fantasized about planting potatoes and turnips in the flower boxes down below.

With the whole world watching, it’s understandable that Kate Middleton wants to look her best on her wedding day. But her recent weight loss has provided the press with its favorite topic: deconstructing women’s bodies.

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.