Video - Sharron Angle’s ad - National TV | Examiner.com
I came across this reading an article on the View and how angry Joy Behar was about it. I just have one thing to say about it: if Elizabeth Hasselbeck thinks this video is racist, then we have a problem. This is seriously one of the most racist things I've seen in awhile. I am all for immigration reform: yes, gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers do come across the border and yes, this needs to be dealt with. But to classify all illegal immigrants as dangerous gang members out to get innocent white Americans? That's completely ludicrous and insulting. Too bad I don't vote in Nevada, wish I did just so I could vote against this woman. And it is sad to me that increasingly, the only women in politics that receive media attention are the idiots and anti-feminists. But I repeat myself.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Sexual, or Sexualizing?
In light of the recent Glee GQ photoshoot scandal, I'd really like to share my thoughts on it as well as the queer issues that are being developed in Glee. I don't really need to provide links: just Google "Glee GQ" and you will be inundated with news and blogs about it, as well as the pictures themselves.
I am a Gleek through and through, and I have felt pressure from some of the feminist community to decry this photoshoot as hypersexualizing young girls in the media. Yes, the pictures are racy; yes, it is only the two women dressed scantily while Cory Monteith is fully clothed (although, think about it people, GQ is a men's magazine and must appeal to its target audience.) But I'm going to give my honest feelings and defend these two actresses that I admire so much. I say only the two actresses because interestingly enough I see certain feminists criticizing only Dianna Agron and Lea Michele while leaving Cory Monteith entirely out of the discussion, for whatever reason. I'll say this simply: those actresses are grown women and are entitled to do whatever they think is right for them. Now, that being said, it's clear to me from Dianna Agron's statement regarding the shoot that she had mixed feelings about it throughout. My feminist goal for all women is to feel informed enough to make their own choices regarding their bodies, and I can see her dilemma without judging it. Yes, they do portray high school students in Glee, but to echo Agron's question, why in the hell would any young girl be reading GQ in the first place? And honestly, they may not need to be watching Glee either. Glee never made itself out to be a purely innocent family show; it deals with mature subjects in a transparent manner. Therefore I deplore the PTC's extremely loose usage of the term "pedophilia," not only because the actors are all adults but because Glee is simply not a kids' show, and I am not criticizing the show for that; in fact, it's why I watch it.
Finally, I will confess something that we are all thinking but not admitting: I'd feel like a hypocrite saying anything bad about these pictures or the actresses in them because they are, quite frankly, HOT; if you deny being somewhat aroused by them, you're either lying or a gay man. Therefore to criticize them would be like a politician who makes a career out of busting prostitutes and yet enlists their services himself. And that's all I have to say about that.
I feel a little frustrated at this point because my original topic was about queer issues in the actual show, and I feel like I got distracted by this mess. I love Glee because it has brought many ADULT issues to the forefront in a mature and discursive manner, including queer themes and teen pregnancy and sexuality. I will further explore this when the madness has calmed down and we can turn our focus back to the show.
I am a Gleek through and through, and I have felt pressure from some of the feminist community to decry this photoshoot as hypersexualizing young girls in the media. Yes, the pictures are racy; yes, it is only the two women dressed scantily while Cory Monteith is fully clothed (although, think about it people, GQ is a men's magazine and must appeal to its target audience.) But I'm going to give my honest feelings and defend these two actresses that I admire so much. I say only the two actresses because interestingly enough I see certain feminists criticizing only Dianna Agron and Lea Michele while leaving Cory Monteith entirely out of the discussion, for whatever reason. I'll say this simply: those actresses are grown women and are entitled to do whatever they think is right for them. Now, that being said, it's clear to me from Dianna Agron's statement regarding the shoot that she had mixed feelings about it throughout. My feminist goal for all women is to feel informed enough to make their own choices regarding their bodies, and I can see her dilemma without judging it. Yes, they do portray high school students in Glee, but to echo Agron's question, why in the hell would any young girl be reading GQ in the first place? And honestly, they may not need to be watching Glee either. Glee never made itself out to be a purely innocent family show; it deals with mature subjects in a transparent manner. Therefore I deplore the PTC's extremely loose usage of the term "pedophilia," not only because the actors are all adults but because Glee is simply not a kids' show, and I am not criticizing the show for that; in fact, it's why I watch it.
Finally, I will confess something that we are all thinking but not admitting: I'd feel like a hypocrite saying anything bad about these pictures or the actresses in them because they are, quite frankly, HOT; if you deny being somewhat aroused by them, you're either lying or a gay man. Therefore to criticize them would be like a politician who makes a career out of busting prostitutes and yet enlists their services himself. And that's all I have to say about that.
I feel a little frustrated at this point because my original topic was about queer issues in the actual show, and I feel like I got distracted by this mess. I love Glee because it has brought many ADULT issues to the forefront in a mature and discursive manner, including queer themes and teen pregnancy and sexuality. I will further explore this when the madness has calmed down and we can turn our focus back to the show.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Seau Accused of Hitting 25-Year-Old Girlfriend | TMZ.com
Seau Accused of Hitting 25-Year-Old Girlfriend | TMZ.com
How many more of these celebrity reports are we gonna get?
How many more of these celebrity reports are we gonna get?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Camping: or...
JESUS it's freezing out here, why the hell am I not at home in bed?
~*~*~
Hi all,
I just got back from a camping/yoga/back-middle-of-fucking-nowhere-woods hiking trip, and it really made me think about how my experiences generalize to my everyday life. This is not necessarily about feminism, but more of a journal that I decided to share with all of you.
It started out just fine, a little hiking and sightseeing. I got my shoes soaked walking through the water, but that's my own fault. (I had fun warming them on our portable stove later.) Yoga outdoors can be a whole new experience, especially by the water. But my leader decided to do a 6-mile hike to our next camping location, something she'd told us about in advance but the full extent of which I was not expecting. It was strenuous, too strenuous for someone like me who is not in the best shape and certainly not used to highly physical activities. I couldn't keep up, I slowed the whole group down the first day. The next day it was too much. My leader had to carry my pack for me and honestly I was crying from exhaustion and sheer embarrassment. Oh my god, I thought, I seriously cannot do this. I wanted to prove that I didn't have greater limitations than the others, that I could carry my own weight. And I failed. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. I kept flashing back to elementary/middle school and being picked last in P.E., or not being able to run the whole way and being the last one to finish every day.
I have not failed at anything in a long time. Maybe I was just trying to be someone I'm not. But this trip made me think a lot about my self-talk and how to handle the experience. "It's okay, you're just not cut out for it," others have said. And I would think, that's not okay. I want to be able to enjoy physical activities, god knows I need them. But maybe I could think of it more as, "I tried this; I failed, but at least I stepped out of my comfort zone when most people wouldn't have in this situation."
Activists I suspect are not used to failing either, but speaking personally I have seen my projects fall through, my ideas not realized, especially when I don't have the help or manpower to really make it what it needs to be. But as long as we try our damnedest to make it happen, it's okay, at least we are trying to do some good in our communities when most other people don't really care or have the time. Keep that in mind when your dreams don't turn out quite how you would like them to.
~*~*~
Hi all,
I just got back from a camping/yoga/back-middle-of-fucking-nowhere-woods hiking trip, and it really made me think about how my experiences generalize to my everyday life. This is not necessarily about feminism, but more of a journal that I decided to share with all of you.
It started out just fine, a little hiking and sightseeing. I got my shoes soaked walking through the water, but that's my own fault. (I had fun warming them on our portable stove later.) Yoga outdoors can be a whole new experience, especially by the water. But my leader decided to do a 6-mile hike to our next camping location, something she'd told us about in advance but the full extent of which I was not expecting. It was strenuous, too strenuous for someone like me who is not in the best shape and certainly not used to highly physical activities. I couldn't keep up, I slowed the whole group down the first day. The next day it was too much. My leader had to carry my pack for me and honestly I was crying from exhaustion and sheer embarrassment. Oh my god, I thought, I seriously cannot do this. I wanted to prove that I didn't have greater limitations than the others, that I could carry my own weight. And I failed. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. I kept flashing back to elementary/middle school and being picked last in P.E., or not being able to run the whole way and being the last one to finish every day.
I have not failed at anything in a long time. Maybe I was just trying to be someone I'm not. But this trip made me think a lot about my self-talk and how to handle the experience. "It's okay, you're just not cut out for it," others have said. And I would think, that's not okay. I want to be able to enjoy physical activities, god knows I need them. But maybe I could think of it more as, "I tried this; I failed, but at least I stepped out of my comfort zone when most people wouldn't have in this situation."
Activists I suspect are not used to failing either, but speaking personally I have seen my projects fall through, my ideas not realized, especially when I don't have the help or manpower to really make it what it needs to be. But as long as we try our damnedest to make it happen, it's okay, at least we are trying to do some good in our communities when most other people don't really care or have the time. Keep that in mind when your dreams don't turn out quite how you would like them to.
This video makes me sick:
Facebook | Videos Posted by Isa Elmazoski: Sep 9, 2010 1:29pm
I realize everybody has their feelings about abortion, but I cannot stand it when people play on emotions to talk about serious subjects. I have nothing against this woman or her sad story; in fact, I have my own thoughts about late-term abortions. But those thoughts are based on FACTS and the consideration of various factors and their pros and cons. This video is about pure manipulation and religious propoganda.
To my friend who originally posted this: I do not want to be insensitive toward your feelings about this video or the issue in general. But I had my own thoughts about it I could not keep quiet because it evoked strong feelings in me as well. I did not feel Facebook was an appropriate venue to voice those opinions so I reposted it here.
I realize everybody has their feelings about abortion, but I cannot stand it when people play on emotions to talk about serious subjects. I have nothing against this woman or her sad story; in fact, I have my own thoughts about late-term abortions. But those thoughts are based on FACTS and the consideration of various factors and their pros and cons. This video is about pure manipulation and religious propoganda.
To my friend who originally posted this: I do not want to be insensitive toward your feelings about this video or the issue in general. But I had my own thoughts about it I could not keep quiet because it evoked strong feelings in me as well. I did not feel Facebook was an appropriate venue to voice those opinions so I reposted it here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Our gay teens are in crisis
This week I have heard about more suicides from young gay people than I have in my entire life. I don't believe the numbers have significantly changed, but I do believe that we are becoming more aware of it through the media.
I also feel that the articles who question if the Internet is dangerous for our kids' self-esteem are missing the point. It is our gay kids who are being targeted. This is, as Ellen DeGeneres points out, a crisis. There needs to be culture-specific research on suicide prevention with young gay people. Our teens need to be aware of resources they have to turn to - Hotlines, shelters, counseling centers.
I feel as if I cannot allow myself to think about all the hatred in the world that these kids endured to resort to taking their own lives. If I do, I'm afraid it will consume me with anger and sadness. And frustration, because I feel there's nothing I can do to CHANGE it. But one thing's for sure: antigay bullying in schools has to stop. Authority figures must let their students know that it is NOT okay, and to give these kids recourse before it's too late. Unfortunately, teachers, principles and school boards are sometimes themselves complicit in the homophobia that plagues their students.
This unfortunate situation is why I would like to work with LGBT youth in the future. I have worked with violence against women for a long time, but there is a whole other type of violence going on against LGBT teens. Let's bring attention to it in our own community and reach out to these kids to let them know they have resources and support; maybe we can save one more life.
I also feel that the articles who question if the Internet is dangerous for our kids' self-esteem are missing the point. It is our gay kids who are being targeted. This is, as Ellen DeGeneres points out, a crisis. There needs to be culture-specific research on suicide prevention with young gay people. Our teens need to be aware of resources they have to turn to - Hotlines, shelters, counseling centers.
I feel as if I cannot allow myself to think about all the hatred in the world that these kids endured to resort to taking their own lives. If I do, I'm afraid it will consume me with anger and sadness. And frustration, because I feel there's nothing I can do to CHANGE it. But one thing's for sure: antigay bullying in schools has to stop. Authority figures must let their students know that it is NOT okay, and to give these kids recourse before it's too late. Unfortunately, teachers, principles and school boards are sometimes themselves complicit in the homophobia that plagues their students.
This unfortunate situation is why I would like to work with LGBT youth in the future. I have worked with violence against women for a long time, but there is a whole other type of violence going on against LGBT teens. Let's bring attention to it in our own community and reach out to these kids to let them know they have resources and support; maybe we can save one more life.
Re: College Girl's PowerPoint "Fuck List" Goes Viral
College Girl's PowerPoint "Fuck List" Goes Viral
I shared this on Facebook and was surprised by reactions to it. When I read it, my initial reaction was, "Hey, men do stuff like this to objectify women all the time" and I wasn't that sad to see it turned around on men. But the further I read it, I thought to myself, is this really progress on the part of women? Acting like the worst part about men and turning the other sex into objects? Whether or not these particular men deserve it is up for debate. But her grading criteria - how aggressive he was in bed, the size of his penis - only subscribes to the stereotypes of what men should be like sexually, that they should all be stallions who take control and know exactly what to do. As one of my friends argued, well this is what some women like from a man in bed. My argument to that is that men who don't act this way in bed are made to feel inadequate and inferior, which can lead to distressing dysfunctions down the road. It would be the same if a woman is expected to be submissive and willing to do anything (oh, and have big boobs and be shaved). The argument "that's just what some men like" just doesn't work if you take into account how people are conditioned to act in bed based on gender norms. Anyone that deviates from these norms may experience criticism from their partners - or they may face public ridicule on the Internet, in this case.
To be fair, this "fuck list" reminds me an awful lot of the Tucker Max semi-autobiographical I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, a book I actually found hilarious despite myself. And most of my friends who read the PowerPoint found it funny and entertaining in the same way. So maybe I should just lighten up. On the other hand, it may also be good to keep in the back of our minds that feminism is not about claiming pieces of patriarchy for ourselves. Let's not act like "female chauvinist pigs" (Levy) and pretend that it's empowering.
Oh, and don't write down anything on your computer that you wouldn't want the entire world to see. Because they might.
I shared this on Facebook and was surprised by reactions to it. When I read it, my initial reaction was, "Hey, men do stuff like this to objectify women all the time" and I wasn't that sad to see it turned around on men. But the further I read it, I thought to myself, is this really progress on the part of women? Acting like the worst part about men and turning the other sex into objects? Whether or not these particular men deserve it is up for debate. But her grading criteria - how aggressive he was in bed, the size of his penis - only subscribes to the stereotypes of what men should be like sexually, that they should all be stallions who take control and know exactly what to do. As one of my friends argued, well this is what some women like from a man in bed. My argument to that is that men who don't act this way in bed are made to feel inadequate and inferior, which can lead to distressing dysfunctions down the road. It would be the same if a woman is expected to be submissive and willing to do anything (oh, and have big boobs and be shaved). The argument "that's just what some men like" just doesn't work if you take into account how people are conditioned to act in bed based on gender norms. Anyone that deviates from these norms may experience criticism from their partners - or they may face public ridicule on the Internet, in this case.
To be fair, this "fuck list" reminds me an awful lot of the Tucker Max semi-autobiographical I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, a book I actually found hilarious despite myself. And most of my friends who read the PowerPoint found it funny and entertaining in the same way. So maybe I should just lighten up. On the other hand, it may also be good to keep in the back of our minds that feminism is not about claiming pieces of patriarchy for ourselves. Let's not act like "female chauvinist pigs" (Levy) and pretend that it's empowering.
Oh, and don't write down anything on your computer that you wouldn't want the entire world to see. Because they might.
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