Culture

From Jill at Feministe, I found this article By Antheia at Mad Melancholic Feminista:

"How long did it take you to get over it?"

Really, I'm trying to keep this short so I can get on with my feminist theory reading (because I *heart* Angela Davis), so...I won't comment on it other than to say that it hits the nail on the fucking head.
In the words of my dad back in his hippie days...
Right on, man.*
Right on.

(Psst. Go. Read it. Now.)

*disclaimer: Used in the non-gendered sense of the word "man." I'm very conscious of the problematic use of the word "man" to encompass all humans, and I only use it to keep with the hippie-esque language that I'm going for. Because that's what they did back in the Days of MaryJane.

BULLETPROOF BURKHA EXCERPT

AL SALAAM/RICE: Sure I picked that first burkha up in Cairo. The kevlar sheath? That was Tenet’s only good idea. (page 3)

LOOK FOR THE MOVIE COMING TO THE BIG SCREEN SOON! From the same people who brought you: WHEN EASTIE MET WESTIE and SLEEPLESS IN BAGHDAD

PREVIOUS RELATED HERETIK POST: [ON THE THOUGHT OF GOD AND THE AFTERTHOUGHT OF WOMEN]

QUESTION: What are realistic goals in Iraq? How are women going to keep their rights in there and in the Middle East? What is gained by accomodation? Start there and go.
(Crossposted at The Heretik)

I watched A Bunny's Tale on Lifetime the other day. I've seen it before and as a made-for-tv movie, it's pretty good. Kirstie Alley plays Gloria Steinem undercover as a Playboy bunny and wrote a two part article on it which stirred up some shit and even generated a response from heffner himself, who eliminated the GYN exam from the interview process.

So, I decided I'd like to read Steinem's article as I haven't yet. I googled it and come up with several references to the movie. I read one criticism that said by the time the movie was made, these issues weren't important any more. As I'm sure any new movies on slavery in American are irrelevant. PS: I choked on his review as I am a cocktail waitress and no, it hasn't changed very much. Not really. I won't even go into it unless someone asks.

Eventually I find the National Women's History Project and look up Steinem
which had no copy of the article and barely a mention other than it embarrassed her for some time as she lost many future serious journalist assignments. So I wrote the site asking where I could find a copy of the article and received this response: "I suggest you go to a search engine like google.com and see if you can find a copy or at least a reference on line."

!!!!!!

I wrote back that I did google it and that's how I found them.

A friend suggested I get a copy of "Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions" which apparently has the article.

Still, how is this article, a major cornerstone and the beginning of Steinem's life as a feminist not recorded here at this Women's history Project? WTF???

This little tidbit (via the Obscure Store and Reading Room) caught my eye:

The man reported that the padlock had been on his testicles for two weeks. Cpl. H.D. Wood IV said the man reported that a friend put the lock on his testicles. He was allegedly severely intoxicated and passed out. He told police that when he woke up the padlock was placed around top his scrotum and his friend was gone.

"Never in my 13 years have I seen anything like this," Wood said.

The man reported to police that he allegedly attempted to remove the padlock with a hacksaw after the key broke off inside the lock.

He was taken to Exeter Hospital, where a locksmith was called to remove the lock.

The hospital reported that the man was treated and released without sustaining lasting injury.

The Brentwood Fire Department would not comment on the incident, citing patient confidentiality.

You have to laugh, right?

So wait. Let's flip it around. Let's say instead of taking it off, the authorities are putting the lock on to the man's testicles.

Then let's say instead of a man's testicles, the lock is going on the woman's womb.

Oh wait, that is okay, right? Why?

Lorraine has a nice round-up of some observations over the Kos Pie Incident.

I also would like to direct you to trubledum's post on all of this:

How was the trust broken on dKos. It came up to medium flame with the Langevin/NARAL debacle. There was a frontpage where Kos "called" the election for Chaffee because in his estimation only Langevin could have won and it was those stupid women who were trying to hijack the party for their own agenda. Many women implored Kos to instead of righting off the new pro-choice Dem candidates to give it that old Kos spirit and rally around the new entrees... yet that was answered with more post with polls showing how Chaffee was "going to win" and more rants about NARAL. Never mind that many pointed out that there was still 18 months to the election. Then it went full flame when NARAL (IMO rightly so) endorsed Chaffee. I call it the "Burning Bed" bitch slap from the NARAL to the DSCC. Of course this ensured more rants and rave now with Armando chirping in... the Pie Fight was the bitch slap on the micro level.

Could both of these events been avoided HELL YEAH... but it takes strong "fair" leadership... Herein lies the rub... BTW ...Dean has this by the buckets and this is the type of leadership we should loom for and support in the Democratic Party.

It is no longer just good enough to support a pro-life candidate just because he has a d (miniscule) behind his name when there are little girls in Texas asking their boyfriends to kick the in the stomach for a homemade abortions...and "activist" pharmacist who have the blessings of Kerry and Hilliary to discriminate against women buy birth control.... enough is enough... this is not a "pet issue".

As for the men who continue to insist that we're all really just upset over a T&A ad featuring bimbos in a pie fight, all I can say is that your own willful ignorance speaks volumes, and serves as vivid illustration of the very mindset with which we take issue: that unless men can agree and approve, women's ideas, concerns and issues are irrelevant and even wrong.

Can a woman have an idea without a man's permission?