ismnotwasm
ismnotwasm's Journal5 Feminist Parodies That Blur the Lines Between Laughter and Politics
I just posted three. HAD to include "Blurred Lines"
Whatever you think of those outcomes, statements like Robertson's portray feminists as uptight and psychologically unstable.
In reality, feminists are fighting for real equality between men and women—in practice as well as in theory. And for the most part, their methods for achieving that vision are far from the militancy of bra-burning ( which never actually took place). More lighthearted approaches to feminist issues do exist—and they are reaching a lot of people.
"Humor," says Rebecca Hains, professor of Media Studies at Salem State University, is powerful because it "wins people over, makes them laugh, and then makes them think."
Here are five popular parodies that are making people laugh, and then—hopefully—making them think about gender inequalities:
http://www.alternet.org/gender/5-feminist-parodies-blur-lines-between-laughter-and-politics
You know feminism is not "the opposite" of MRA's
Or Men's groups. There is a false dichotomy here and it's this; in order to have relevance, those with no clear agenda, nothing but just strong emotion--usually anger--need an "other" to define themselves.
Feminists fought injustice, for decades we have fought it. We fight for reproductive rights. We fight to own our sexuality, we're beginning to pull ourselves out of the white, cis, hetero trap-- a trap that can only lead to more injustice. We MUST not get trapped into it and embracing intersectionallity IMO, is the best way--at least it's my way.
I'm not saying toxic males and their groupies aren't harmful-- they cause incredible, perhaps irreversible damage-- but the feminisms I'm familiar are more about action and activism and truth, Not ridiculous blogs and conspiracy discussion boards--and although blogs and discussion boards exist in abundance with feminisms-- and yes a few are whacked out--there is actual activism to attach to it. In other words, we get out there and do shit.
A feminist activist is always threatened with something violent, not nessisarily at DU, where no matter how we might not like the system, that shit doesn't fly, (unless it's coded very carefully and passes a jury) and it doesn't matter what "kind" of feminist you are; from Feman to Eco-feminists, you speak up, you will be threatened with violence. Period. Always.
People have short attention spans. We always have weeks of one topic or the other, with thread after thread after thread, just as we have recently with gender, but you see DU is not a fraction of who I am or what I do.
But there's just something about feminists and feminist topics isn't there? Something threatening or tiresome or perhaps even irrelevant to detractors. And if you find that strange on a progressive discussion board, well that's because it is.
I have a difficult time describing how repulsive it is to me personally be considered an "opposite" in order to give a discordant and dishonest set of vague ideas substance.
There now, I just wanted it get that out. I'm going back to reading Hellblazer--NOT a feminist comic book although it has it's moments, but I'm rereading the entire series, because I have it first of all, but mostly because I always love the anti-hero's like John Constantine. Like Seabeyond.
Because nobodies perfect, as they say.
Neil Gaiman explains what 'strong women' in Buffy are REALLY about
Love this quote
(I'm also a total Neil Gaiman fangirl)
http://www.blastr.com/2013-12-27/neil-gaiman-explains-what-strong-women-buffy-are-really-about
If you are a Buffy fan-- I wasn't particularly, I'm a reader, the BBC broadcast is kinda cool
Why Immigration is a Feminist Issue
As a transnational Latina feminist, immigration has always been one of my top priorities, right alongside reproductive justice and the wage/professional gap that affect mostly women like me.
As this question was presented to me, I struggled for a response because on the one hand, I don’t understand how an issue that disproportionately affects women and children is not considered a feminist priority, but on the other hand, I also understand that when something doesn’t directly affect a group of people, they are less likely to regard it as most important.
As transnational women of Color, we understand that if immigration reform is not a priority, our families will be the ones affected the most.
This has been said many times, but I’ll say it again: Mainstream feminists must listen to women of Color when they voice their struggles.
I don’t believe feminisms is a monolithic movement, so I understand why some feminist groups and organizations focus their work on the issues that affect their immediate communities.
But hear me out, and you’ll understand why immigration reform must be seen as a feminist issue foremost.
Gender Bias in the Immigration System
Our immigration system is steeped in gender biases that disproportionately affect women and children.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/12/immigration-feminist-issue/
Top 10 Instances of Open and Unapologetic Celebrity Cultural Appropriation in 2013!
This is just fucking embassassing
10. Selena Gomez Refuses to Research the Backstory of the Bindi
When pop singer, Spring Breaker and former Wizard of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez decided her newest boring pop song, “Come and Get It” had an “Hindu, tribal feel,” she thought the best way to celebrate that assertion would be to debut the song with some half-assed Bollywood-style choreography and unceremoniously donning a bindi (a traditional Hindu adornment representing the sixth chakra) on her forehead at the MTV Music Awards. In a pissed off statement released by Rajan Zed, President of the Universal Society of Hinduism:
“The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance…[it] was not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed.”
Regardless of the backlash of more informed people, Selena not only continued to wear a bindi at several other events, she also made some really stupid statements in her defense of doing so, such as this great excuse she said aloud to US Weekly, ”My hairstylist and my makeup artist are actually really big into the whole culture — they’ve been around, they’ve traveled, they’ve gotten me into various books.”
9. Michelle Williams Dons Redface For Fashion
In March of 2013, actress Michelle Williams was featured in a photo spread with British fashion magazine, AnOther to promote her then opening film, Oz the Great and Powerful. The photos were described by the magazine as Michelle “transforms into eight imaginary characters.” I may not know anything about fashion or fashion shoots or what the hell magazine this is, but all the photos seem par for the course of this stuff. The ‘characters’ consist of mostly rich looking white ladies, along with one picture of a dressed down Williams in overalls and little makeup, aka a poor looking white lady. Then you come across this picture:
More:
http://www.autostraddle.com/top-ten-instances-of-open-and-unapologetic-celebrity-cultural-appropriation-in-2013-210371/
'Men are stuck' in gender roles, data suggest
"I don't want other men to look at me like less of a man," Kroeger said.
His fears are tied to a bigger phenomenon: The gender revolution has been lopsided. Even as American society has seen sweeping transformations — expanding roles for women, surging tolerance for homosexuality — popular ideas about masculinity seem to have stagnated.
While women have broken into fields once dominated by men, such as business, medicine and law, men have been slower to pursue nursing, teach preschool, or take jobs as administrative assistants. Census data and surveys show that men remain rare in stereotypically feminine positions.
When it comes to gender progress, said Ronald F. Levant, editor of the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinity, "men are stuck."
The imbalance appears at work and at home: Working mothers have become ordinary, but stay-at-home fathers exist in only 1% of married couples with kids under age 15, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
In a recent survey, 51% of Americans told the Pew Research Center that children were better off if their mother was at home. Only 8% said the same about fathers. Even seeking time off can be troublesome for men: One University of South Florida study found that college students rated hypothetical employees wanting flexible schedules as less masculine.
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-one-way-gender-revolution-20131227,0,7169949.story#ixzz2oeNgYpTb
There's Something Absolutely Wrong With What We Do To Boys Before They Grow Into Men
I can't even begin to describe the toll that the concept of masculinity has taken on my life. And it's felt everywhere. It's time we make changes, starting from within ourselves.
http://www.upworthy.com/theres-something-absolutely-wrong-with-what-we-do-to-boys-before-they-grow-into-men?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+upworthy+%28Upworthy%29
Memphis Gets Sued Over 15,000 Lost Rape Kits. Oopsie-Daisy!
You'd think with all this technology we have nowadays it would be easier to stay organized, but it seems that life is more confusing than ever. Where are my keys? Where is my fancy-pantsy phone? Where are those 15,000 untested rape kits? Did I throw those away with that ball of old receipts at the bottom of my purse?
Memphis isn't the only municipality with a big closet full o' TK rape kits; according to estimates, around 180,000 rape kits remain untested across the country.
This is especially upsetting when taking into consideration the process of submitting to a post-rape forensic medical exam can be upsetting and traumatic for victims, involving a head-to-toe exam, including an internal exam and photo documentation. That thousands of women submitted to the process and trusted law enforcement would follow up only to be let down by the institutions that are supposed to protect is unconscionable. If police departments exist to protect civilians, only they fail to protect half of civilians, then for what purpose do police departments exist?
http://jezebel.com/memphis-gets-sued-over-15-000-lost-rape-kits-oopsie-da-1489836045
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