Meme-tastic

Thanks Ouyangdan for sending me a meme! I actually found thinking up answers really challenging- But I just hope I did it right....

Rules of the meme-- you must:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Post the rules on your blog

3. Write six random things about yourself

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them

5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.

6. Let the instigator know when your entry is up

ONWARD...

1. I am unaware of what a meme is and have never participated in one before. :)

2. Some of my musical taste embarrasses even me. But despite myself, I will jam out to bad pop music (Toxic by Britney Spears, I'm looking at you). Some of the movies I love are also cheese-tastic but they make me happy (Father of the Bride, Steve Martin version)

3. A couple of years ago I had a SEVEN POUND cyst removed from my body. Now I am constantly paranoid that my body is growing more giant things. I wish I could get annual cat scans but don't think my insurance will cover it.

4. When I was younger I thought all my stuffed animals had feelings and felt guilty if I slept with one and not the others. I would try and cram them all in bed with me, and on at least occasion I slept on the floor to accommodate them.

5. Crying... I do it frequently. When I'm happy, sad or laughing. A lot of embarrassing things make me cry -- even kid friendly animated movies (the end of Iron Giant is a killer). The other day I got a letter urging me to send money to end the treatment of calves who will become veal. Between the photos of the baby cow in a tiny crate and reading the description, I was crying all over the place. When I was much younger, I wanted to be a liberal, feminist, pastor person. But the idea of me delivering sermons at weddings or funerals would just be out of the question.

6. I have some seriously irrational phobias. The first being I always need the toilet seat cover down. I trace this back to when my college roommate was using my hairbrush and let it fly out of her hand into the toilet. Even though we threw it away, it totally grossed me out. So now toilet seat cover is always down. Also I have this weird disgust at seeing wet paper.

Ok, now 8 places in the US that I would pick to live

1. New York City-- but only if I had the money to live the lifestyle there. A nice apartment in Manhattan and money to still eat, go to museums, see Broadway shows, pay for electricity... all that fun stuff.

2. Hershey Pennsylvania -- You're very close to landmark cities - Boston, Philly and there are cobblestone streets with Hershey Kiss shaped lights! How freaking cute would that be?

3. Portland, Oregon -- Been there twice and love the feel of it. Granola and crunchy with lots of heart.

4. Canon Beach, Oregon -- an hour from Portland, wouldn't you love having this out your back window?



5. Chicago, IL -- When I was younger my aunt lived in Racine and I'd visit her and we'd take trips to Chicago. I really liked it and it still feels Midwest-ish

6. Cedarburg, Wisconsin--- In the Midwest and historic in an almost-too-cute way. I visited it this past summer when I was helping a friend go wedding dress shopping. It was small but less than an hour from Milwaukee so you could still enjoy big city perks like shows and concerts - below is a pic I took of their town's mural.



7. Rapid City, SD- I grew up there and I LOVE the Black Hills. It may be scary republican territory (think Bill Napoli) but it is GORGEOUS.

8.I am running out of places! In high school we took a church trip to San Jose, Cali and I really liked it there. I don't think that would suck. Sorry, lame way to end but I ran out of stuff :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tag Sarah, Christy, Dakota Women (any of their bloggers can do it!), Mahlena-Rae Johnson (of Steve the Penguin fame), --- many others who I WOULD tag have already been tagged so I'll leave it at 4 and hope the Meme-Gods don't strike me dead.

Spotlight

Check out UneFemmePlusCourageuse's blog post Vigilante Flair Patrol all about how facebook applications like bumper stickers or flair (buttons you can add to your personal webpage) serve up some horrible rape-promoting garbage.

I have been doing screenshots from time to time of insulting pieces I've seen, these are just a few...



Une provides more, and a great blog post to boot. Go visit.

Another YouTube Crush of mine

Spotlight

Teh Portly Dyke often writes at Shakesville, but I too often forget that she has her own awesome blog. Thanks to Random Babble's Thursday blogwhoring piece, I found this, about how our generation owes a lot to the radicals who came before it -- those fighting for feminism and gay rights ... all civil rights. It's wonderfully personal and powerful:

During my first year of High School (1970), mini-skirts were still popular (well, mini-skirts or long hippy dresses -- depended on which social group you belonged to). But in any case -- dresses were not optional for school wear.

Not only did girls have to wear dresses to school, regardless of Kansas blizzards and sub-zero temperatures (Broce spoke recently in a comment thread about an experience I remember well -- wearing pants under my skirt to the bus-stop where we stood in the freezing cold until the bus came, and then having to take them off before I could board the drafty, unheated school-bus), but in my freshman year, the principal decided it was time to crack down on all us slutty girls who were wearing our skirts too short.

This crack-down resulted in a new morning routine at the school entry -- as the boys skimmed past us (the principal giving them only a cursory glance to make sure that their hair wasn't "on the collar"), all the girls in my school lined up on the stairs, the queue inching upward slowly, as, one by one, we knelt in front of His Majesty Assholyness at the top of the stairs, to assure that our hems touched the floor. (Of course, we would roll our skirt-tops up later, but only if Mr. Badass was not prowling the halls.)

At the time, I didn't really understand what I was feeling -- I didn't know that the crumbling, compressed sense of tinyness that I experienced at the beginning of every school-day that year was. . . . . humiliation. Humiliation that I had somehow earned -- because I was female.

I also did not understand that this ritual was meant to enforce that humiliation -- to burn upon my consciousness the fact that I would be obedient and compliant and kneel and face the crotch of my overlord every day as if it were the most usual thing in the world -- because it was a most reasonable request, after all -- because it was done for my own safety, so that my slutty short skirt didn't get me into "trouble".

My intellect didn't understand all of the nasty nooks and crannies of this ritual, but my psyche sensed it.

READ IT ALL HERE

Shameless stealing-- Hollywood Feminist of the day

I am stealing this concept from a WONDERFUL blog that I love, love, LOURVEEEE, Women in Hollywood (go now! RIGHT NOW!) -- it's called "Hollywood Feminist of the Day" and today I award it to Megan Fox.



From her interview with GQ:

...At that time, (Megan) Fox was filming the third season of ABC’s Hope & Faith, a family-friendly sitcom......she was fed up with playing the coquettish yet chaste teen. The show was repressing her, she says, tamping down her sexuality:

“Sex is something that everyone does, so why can’t I talk about it?”

Sexual double standards make Fox angry, and when conversation turns to tabloid-flamed scandals surrounding other teen stars who’ve been photographed in various stages of nudity and semi nudity, she goes off:

“With any of the Miley Cyrus shit, or any of that Vanessa Hudgens shit—I would never issue an apology for my life and for who I am. It’s like, Oh, I’m sorry I took a naked, private picture that someone is an asshole and sold for money. I’m sorry if someone else is a dick. No. You shouldn’t have to apologize. Someone betrayed Vanessa, but no one’s angry at that person. She had to apologize. I hate Disney for making her do that. Fuck Disney.”

Can I get that on the record?

“Yeah. Fuck Disney.”

There goes your career.

“Yeah, that was probably a bad move—they own everything. But it’s not right. They take these little girls, and they put them through entertainment school and teach them to sing and dance, and make them wear belly shirts, but they won’t allow them to be their own people. It makes me sick.”

Headlines and headaches

Biden's in hot water for saying people who advocate for special needs kids should support stem cell research. McCain camp says Biden "sunk to a new low" because Palin's son has Down syndrome and she opposes stem cell research

Obama delivers a speech where he says McCain camp is not about change: "You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." McCain camp says Obama is attacking Paling and playing "gender card" -- even though when McCain talked about Clinton's health care plan he said, "I think they put some lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig." --- Mellisa McEwan of Shakesville explains why Obama is not being sexist here and why McCain is the real pig for twisting feminism into a "funhouse mirror."

Study shows majority of black teenage girls from urban cities are uniformed of how the morning after pill works or how you get it.

In case you missed this... last month, the American Psychological Association said that women who have a single abortion do not have a higher risk of mental health problems (like depression) than women who have their babies.

Read this blog entry about men invading women's online spaces ....
then check out the reaction her post got.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOU ARE NEEDED!! Help the Planned Parenthood Action Fund!

This week they are lobbying for our rights, showing candidates that Americans demand access to safe and affordable birth control.

Because of a technical error made by Congress back in 2005, the cost of birth control in many health centers rose by almost 900 percent.

College students and low-income women have been most affected by this cost hike, and right now the House and the Senate have introduced legislation that would restore affordable birth control at college health clinics and safety-net providers.

This legislation will not cost the taxpayers a single dime.

Show your support for this important legislation!

CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:

BECOME ONE OF THE ONE MILLION STRONG TODAY: By joining you will lend your voice and power to Planned Parenthood's campaigns on Capital Hill and across the nation.

Spotlight/Friday Giggle

Friday Giggle:

Tampons are evil.

I concur.

From blogger Rachel Setzer -- http://rachelsetzer.com/blog.html

Spotlight on 12 year old, Amelia Robbins who is taking on the system:



Kate Harding thinks the girl is pretty bad-ass too ;)

Spotlight

Must read. Go now and observe the awesome.

(I'm late on posting this but it's too stellar to pass up.)

Best quote EVAH!!!!

Every single human being on this planet has a billboard on their abdomen that says this:

“I was once so connected with a female human body that we shared the same blood, the same oxygen, the same food. If it weren’t for that woman, I would not exist. Look – here is the evidence.”

So, if you think Feminism is not your issue...

Contemplate your fucking navel

Congratulations to PortlyDyke of Shakesville for once again writing something so kick-ass that I get the lower-lip tremble, huge doorknob in throat feeling....

Read the rest of the great post here.

Directing your attention

HERE.

The article is called: "Destroying Hillary Clinton: How a bitter primary campaign saw the right's discredited smears gleefully revived and reused by the left"

Part II comes out tomorrow.

Dear Perez Hilton,

You owe Denise Richards an apology. I cannot count how many times you posted pictures with the word "slut" or "whore" written on her. I know it's the Perez Hilton blog, but I've had just about enough of the misogyny, mmm' kay? And in the case of Denise Richards, it doesn't even make sense anymore. Quit making her the whipping boy -- er, girl in this situation.

Recently, voicemail messages from Charlie Sheen to Denise Richards were leaked to the press. Besides using the f-word constantly, Sheen referred to his wife as a "cunt" and a "nigger."

Sheen apologized for the racial slur "especially" since the best man at 2 of his 3 weddings (ha!) was African American. (Ahhhh, sweet. He can't be racist, he knows a black guy!)

How about an apology for leaving your ex-wife harassing voicemails and calling the mother of your two children a cunt?

There is just something so ripe with hypocrisy from a blogger who posts about ending domestic violence and day later still declares "Team Charlie" after those voicemails hit the press.

That is why I'm writing this letter. I usually enjoy Perez Hilton's blog. I do enough hardcore political reading that sometimes I want fluff. Tell me who's getting married, who's dating, what movie is flopping etc. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when Perezhilton posts music because it's stuff I've never heard of and it's usually lots of fun.

However, his affinity for picking on female celebs is tired. From suggesting (with photoshopped photos) that Rumer Willis could really use some plastic surgery, to highlighting Mischa Barton's body "flaws", to never ending attacks on Heather Mills, Lindsay Lohan, Lily Allen, Avril Lavigne, Ashlee & Jessica Simpson etc etc ... ENOUGH.

His loyal readers are not immune to this either, from the comments on one of his posts:

... Perez glorifies misogyny by calling most females he posts about "sluts", "skanks", and "whores" with no justification, and for no reason, only to pass it off as being witty and funny when it's really just cruel, and redundant. Mario, you consider yourself to be a proud spokesperson for minorities such as the gay and latino community, yet you pick on another long-oppressed group throughout the world- females- which is purely hypocritical. Shame on you. Being a latino woman myself, I would never look up to you as a latino role model because of your blatant hypocrisy and misogyny.

Amen!! There's nothing "new" or "trendy" about using sexism against women. It's been done to shame women and shut them up for centuries (for recent evidence please see Hillary Clinton's campaign for president). Moreover, it's so pathetic and unoriginal. Kids come up with this garbage every day in middle school. There is a way to dissect people's bad clothing choices without taking it there. The mean girls attitude doesn't suit you, Perez.

Perez's problem has been brought up before by Feministe and in a recent post at Shakesville, Melissa McEwan sites the growing trend of the mainstream media demonizing and using sexism against female celebs.

I'd like to think that Perez Hilton has no effect on mainstream media, but with the number of blog hits he gets, I know better. Major outlets want that type of success and notoriety as well. And they're getting it at the expense of women. Sexism against female celebs hurts us all. Even if we don't like the celeb and think they ARE a big drunk trainwreck. That doesn't mean we can turn a blind eye to the stalking paparazzi hounding for crotch-shots and ignore the small men on the internet calling them "sluts" and worse.

Perez, quit playing these these games. Do what you're good at: Be silly, be snarky and post the latest hollywood news and great music. Leave the misogyny at the door. You'll get more fans and then you'll truly be a unique voice in Hollywood.

300th Post!!

This will be my 300th post... and I am posting what superhero I am (very deep, I know)

... sounds about right though doesn't it?



Click here to take the quiz!

Great webcast

I found a great link at Feministing's weekly reader.

It's a webcast (listen to it here) to do with online harassment against women. The panel is full of insightful and funny women who have lots of experience to share. The entire thing is over an hour long but it's worth it. At least catch the first 20 minutes where Jessica Valenti, a US blogger and founder of Feministing speaks about her most recent case of online harassment stemming from this fabulous you tube video:



I had no idea that the response to her video had been that terrifying. It made me stop and take the time to write to Jessica in support. I hope you all do the same -- jessica@feministing.com

This webcast was helpful for me, a small time blogger who deals with her fair amount of trolls. I do not post the threats or the comments that merely spew bile but I publish a fair amount of condescending snark from trolls that are along the lines of:

"Let me tell you what you DON'T understand, little lady."

Some days I get really tired of that. I mean, there's a big wide internet out there -- why can't these guys go hang with all the other misogynists? Seriously- go. They'll gripe right along with you about 'womenz and their unfair quest for equality.' But I think I agree with the webcast panel that publishing some of these comments is good because it brings together a "swarm" of other feminists who will rally.

I see that happening right now on my Answering Anonymous post. And I want to thank any and all of you who support feminist blogs and comment here. I promise to keep this space as safe as I can and I always welcome a feminist swarm :)

North Dakota's abortion clinic

The one and only -- and its amazing history.

Check out the mini-documentary.

For the love of You Tube

I told you before that I loved Thom Simonson's you tube channel.

He's done it again:



Whenever men speak out for feminism, I just feel so endeared to them. It'd be so easy for guy's to completely overlook these issues. And here Thom is, hitting the nail right on the head.

In the you tube description he provided all this awesomeness as well:

Why do we insist on placing teens in such a difficult position when it comes to sex?

For more information about the Purity Ball Check out these links...
NY Times Article on the Purity Ball in Colorado Springs:

Pictures of the Purity Ball

Commentary on the release of the report about the Abstinence only report.

Information about teen sex and pregnancy

The Washing Post Story about the 8- year study of Virginity Pledges that establishes they are not effective in protecting kids from STDs

Thanks again to all of my subscribers. I'm flattered as always by your continued support.

Remember you can visit http://www.onefellowsopinion.com/ for my written blog.

Thanks Thom for being a fearless, feminist voice on you tube. Because sadly, that can result in some shocking abuse. I appreciate all that you do!

Ouch

I must be mental.

I joined my company's softball team and it's actually been a ton of fun. However, I am not/nor have I ever been an athlete. Last night we played two games in a row and today I am moving like a robot. I know I've worked muscles that I've previously left alone and I think my body is protesting. Like, "Whatever bitch, you can TRY and get up that flight of stairs... maybe if you hadn't SPRINTED out of nowhere last night!"

What? Don't tell me I'm the only one that has conversations with my body.

Well today I was still in a sports mood so I had to watch a "League of Their Own." I frickin love that movie. It's just fun and full of important messages about women and feminism. I love this scene where the managers unveil the skirt-uniform expecting support and the athletes are pissed. Geena Davis' line is the best "SHORT!? I'm gonna have to squat in that thing!"



It reminded me of an amazing post I read awhile back on Echidne of the Snakes that talked about sexism in sports and how we STILL have a long way to go. It's a quick read. Make sure you head that way.

Steve the Penguin

One of the coolest things that has happened to me recently is Mahlena-Rae Johnson, blogger extraordinaire of Steve the Penguin, asked me to review her book.

Um. Holy. Crap. Yes!

“Steve the Penguin” is the perfect novel to take to the beach, the park or on a plane ride this summer. At 189 pages, it’s a quick and easy read.

The story follows 20-something Bianca Reagan, a character who's truly living the new adult experience, working an assistant desk job but wanting a meaningful career and desiring a decent boyfriend but finding lackluster potential mates. It speaks to that time of life when you want desperately to find your place in the world and the comical journey that it takes getting there.

Johnson is in her element when she tackles the issues facing young women-- friendships, body image, men and the nerve-wracking hell that is high school reunion time. This book's greatest strength is its well-written characters and relationships, in particular female friendships.

For instance-- Liesl (Bianca’s friend since college) has seriously poor taste in men. When the inevitable fight erupts over Liesl’s mentally ill, estranged husband, the discussion was so raw and painful that I actually felt my heart racing. How many of us have been in that horrible situation (rock and a hard place anyone?) where one of our dearest girlfriends is dating a tool and there’s nothing we can say about it?

Readers follow Bianca from her LA office to her St. Thomas home where we meet her quirky family and see just how far Bianca's come since high school. She quickly feels less like a fictional character and more like a girl I’d love to hang with at the bar. I personally think Bianca and I would have a blast bitching about jobs, men and bad TV.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced, witty dialogue ala Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then Mahlena-Rae Johnson’s style is up your alley. Pop culture references pepper the pages and inject an even more ‘real’ edge to Bianca’s world.

The best part of “Steve the Penguin” is that there’s more to come (the next book is titled "Hot Penguin Action"!). Bianca Reagan is definitely a character I’d stick with through the years. I say we follow her to her 50 year reunion!


* On a side note, thank you to Mahlena-Rae for this wonderful opportunity and making me feel so special and honored. I’ve never reviewed a book before! Also thanks for giving a blogger like me hope that there’s life (and possibly even a career!) out there beyond cyberspace if we’re willing to do the work!

Birth Control Pill Kills Babies!

Read more at Feministing

Read more at Pandagon

Shakesville sustains me

If you don't go to Shakesville on a regular basis, you should. I am constantly amazed at the insightful and FUNNY writing that goes on there. And its updated so frequently that I can get my immediate dose of feminist commentary that keeps me sane.

They have coverage of Obama's recent (as in earlier today) speech dealing with racism and the media's focus on Rev. Wright and his controversial comments.

Melissa McEwan (head Shaker lady) wrote a brilliant response and I think her analysis of Obama (and his relationship with Hillary) is spot-on.

*Make sure you watch the You Tube video McEwan uses in this post. I was SHOCKED never having seen Obama treat Hillary that way in debate.

*All this aside, there's just no denying that Barack is a phenomenal speaker. We would be damn lucky to have him or Hillary as President. Talk about a 180 to go from George "I have a monkey's IQ" Bush to Obama's eloquence!!

F***ing Brilliant

In my last post, I wrote about this billboard. The discussion has sparked an interesting debate with remarks such as "women bring this on themselves."

Well a comment from Adrienne was so well written that I have decided to give it a proper place as its own post. To read comments leading up to this answer, click here.

Adrienne states:

Although I hate giving this answer, it is absolutely true: if you were a woman, you would totally get the whole 'objectification of women' problem. Imagine your wife having to go out in a skimpy tank top and boy shorts with an impending wedgie in order to get a fair deal at a car dealership. If the thought makes you uncomfortable, imagine how we feel-- especially if you do not, for whatever reason, fulfill that sexual stereotype. Is it fair for me to walk into a store and not get service, while my five foot one hundred and ten pound sister gets helped immediately? Call it human nature, and I'll buy it, but that doesn't make it right. My money is as good as anyone's, so is my time, and-- attention please-- so is my body. Same parts, same functions. In fact, I may even use some of my parts better than others.

Admittedly, the problem is, at times, stemming from women. I've commented on this before on this site. But lets examine that, shall we? In my experience-- as a woman-- women who pull me down because of my appearance do so because of some insecurity of their own. Why? Because we all see each other as competition. The fact that the sexual stereotypes (thou must be skinny, full breasted, with long blonde hair and ruby red lips) perpetuate in our heads is not our fault (even if it is our problem).

Looking at things from a generational stand point, let us take a small look at the women who we gained most of our insight from: Our Mothers. Our mothers, who were raised watching TV shows where girls were told that being a woman was better because it meant less responsibility and decision making. Mothers who took high school courses on making perfect roasts and how to fold napkins, while the boys learned accounting and managerial skills.

And, above all else, mothers who were taught by THEIR mothers that they needed to be a certain sexual stereotype in order to snag a bread winner for their empty little heads. It's no secret that since the beginning of time men have been choosing women based solely on their looks: if she's a virgin and she's beautiful, then she's worth every penny of the bride price. If she's 'soiled,' or ugly, then she better come with an awesome dowry. You may think times have changed, but the women of my generation-- when both eating disorders and teenage sexuality are at an all time high-- know differently.

Again, the fact that the stereotype perpetuates is not our fault, even if it is our problem.

The stereotype stems from, was created by, men. I have actually been broken up with because I am overweight. I have lost roles in musicals because I do not fulfill the 'romantic lead' appearance. I have been overlooked for PR positions because I don't have a 'public face' (look at the number one college major for beauty queens: communications).

The problem with this billboard is that it is selling sex. What a tired, overdone marketing ploy. This billboard tells me nothing about the radio station except that it is run by men, for men, who are willing to exploit and objectify women in order to get more listeners (read: money). What kind of music do they play? Soft core porn?

The question is: where do we draw the line? At what point have we crossed it? What negative outcomes could possibly outweigh the gains of this billboard?

Will all the teenage girls with eating disorders, trying desperately to look like this bill board please raise their hands? Continue raising them if you have also purchased ridiculously promiscuous clothes in an attempt to attract attention to your pubescent body?

And, PS-- it doesn't make much sense to have sex so blatantly on display for all to see and then to make contraceptives and abortion illegal. Just saying.



****

WELL DONE SISTER. Truly couldn't have said it better myself