Confessions of an Angry Feminist

Angry Feminist is way too busy for her own damn good.

2009-04-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

Right as I make the decision to dedicate more time to this blog, six million and a half things happen that require my attention. Such is life. It's a little difficult to find the time to blog about the every day atrocities going on in the world when you only have an hour and a half to get things done after school and work.

Yes, you read that right! I am now a college student! Holla! I'm attending two classes in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, then jetting straight to work for eight hours. When I get off work, and finally make it home, I have an hour and a half to cook, clean, do my homework, play with my cat (he gets bored and restless when I'm gone, for as the Ruler of Our Domain, he does not get along with other cats and works best alone), grocery shop, do laundry, and other miscelleanous activities.

It's a lot of work, a lot of stress, but so far, I'm enjoying school. It's a little bizarre, being twenty-five years old and in college for the first time...I'm one of the oldest students in my classes, and I'm one of maybe three people who actually has to support themselves fully. But I'm really liking it so far, and I'm doing really well in my classes, which is very exciting. Expected graduation date is September 2010. So just what does an angry feminist obtain an associate's in? Glad you asked! Business management is my field de jour, since it capitalizes on work experience I've already obtained in the past. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it takes me.

Hopefully it leads me in the direction of a new car. Oh Gods, do I want a new car, and badly.

On the personal front, I've decided to also tackle the most difficult thing I've ever done; quitting smoking. Gasp! I know. For those who know me, I am a champion chainsmoker, the captain of the U.S. Olympics Chainsmoking team, but I've decided to quit because I need to save money. I need to save money for quite possibly the most glorious event that will ever happen in my lifetime.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEA BOYEEEEEEEEEEE! Lollapalooza is happening in Chicago on August 7-9, and this girl NEEDS to be there! Why does this girl need to be here? Here's why.

For the uneducated, here's a rundown of why this is the BEST FUCKING THING EVER.

Depeche Mode = My favorite band of all time. True fact. Number one on my list of Bands I Must See Live Before I Die.

Tool= Number two on my list of Bands I Must See Live Before I die.

Beastie Boys= Number three on my list of Bands I Must See Live Before I Die.

Rise Against= The owners of my heart and a soul. I've seen them live once, but once is not enough.

Clearly, this is an event that I must attend. However, three day passes are $190 dollars. I know what you're thinking, "$190 DOLLARS?!?!?!!?!?! ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?!?!?!?!?!"

While I don't think the state of my mental being has EVER been up for question, it's simply a true fact that this concert was tailor made for me. If I can quit smoking, I can EASILY afford the three day pass. Yes, I really do smoke that much. Yes, it's probably sad that it took THIS to inspire me to quit. Whatever works, though, right?

Now, I love smoking. I LOVE IT. I don't care if it makes me a bad person. But the question here is...do I love smoking more? Or do I love Depeche Mode more?

We're about to find out. Wish me luck, guys!

What is this pesky notion, that women have a right to say no?

2009-02-28T09:32:00.001-08:00

Apparently some years ago, women obtained several "rights." I use quotation marks because frankly, said rights have come with a price, or aren't really rights at all, or we're considered uppity bitches because we choose to exercise these rights. But the point being, we apparently gained a slew of rights, including the right to say no to sex. Of course, this didn't stop the Dudes from raping us at their discretion, but that's not the point here. The point is that because we technically have the right to say no (as long as we're not wearing short skirts that could tempt the poor dudes, as long as there's no alcohol in our system, and as long as we've been living as certified nuns for the majority of our lives to prove our outstanding moral cores or something), men have been hurting! They've been suffering! Because don'tcha know, men have rights, too! They have a right to sex, whenever they want, however they want, and damn those hairy-legged feminists for having the gall to tell women that they don't have to lay there and let them jack off into something else that is NOT a handrag!

But fear no more, poor, deprived Dudes! You have a champion in your corner! You have someone who is willing to fight for your right to pump away at your lady of choice! Thank God, because I was seriously worried for your poor, fragile psyches!

A sex therapist has decreed that we women simply just need to put sex on our to-do-list, and everything will magically be solved! Everyone will be happy! Except for the women who don't want to have sex, of course.

Sigh. Et tu, Brute?

Articles and "studies" of this nature do not surprise me. After all, we're a society who made it a priority to create a pill so seventy-year-old dudes can continue to enjoy the feeling of power and domination they get from having an erection. But upon reading this article, there were some choice bits that, in typical fashion, made me seethe with righteous rage. I know, this is a common state of being for me, but I digress.

Arndt said while giving women the right to say "no" to sex was an undisputed success of the women's movement, "the female libido tends to be a fragile, easily distracted thing that gets buffeted by normal life and a couple can't afford to have their intimacy reliant on that fragility".

Oh dear! That pesky thing called life and obligations, getting in the way of men's orgasms! Let's not consider the fact that women have feelings. Let's not take into account that for the most part, women in relationships and marriages tend to take on a fuck ton of more responsibility than their male partners do. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children if there's children present, possibly working full-time to support their family because a lot of Dudes these days suffer from the Peter-Pan Syndrome, in which they're so tired of being a responsibile adult and just want to play on the XBox all day, while their wife/girlfriend handles everything else! We, of course, cannot consider the idea that perhaps these men should take some responsibility onto themselves, and help their partner with the daily stresses of managing the home, in terms of keeping the home clean, taking care of finances, and parenting. No, that's our job, because we have breasts. Duh! It's located there in the handbook, Operating While Possessing A Vagina. It was distributed at birth. Don't have a copy? Don't worry, because all Dudes have one, and they'll be more than happy to share it with you.

But it doesn't end there. Oh no, the article shares with us some of the ladies' thoughts concerning sex. It's written in a context in which we're supposed to feel sorry for the Dudes for having to live with these frigid bitches, but I call shenanigans on that.

A woman, 54, from Hobart spent the first 10 years of her marriage fighting about sex, always nervous about an unwanted advance. "He'd be snoring loudly and I'd still lie there worrying that the hand was going to come creeping over."

Um. That kind of reaction up there? Worrying about whether or not her husband's hand is going to creep over and grope her while she's sleeping? That's a problem, but it's not HER problem. It's her HUSBAND'S problem, for being insensitive enough to push and press so fervently that this poor woman is worrying about SLEEPING. SLEEPING, PEOPLE. A necessary function for humans, and this poor woman can't fucking sleep because she's worried about her husband accousting her WHILE she's trying to sleep. Explain to me again how this is her fault? Because I'm apparently not getting it.

"The notion that women have to want sex to enjoy it has been a really misguided idea that has caused havoc in relationships over the last 40 years."

Apparently we've been deceived, ladies. Apparently we have stupidily bought into this radical and crazy idea that sex is something that we have the right to want, and the right to not want. If this is in fact true, that we don't have to want it and we should just go along with it even if we don't, then I say the same should apply to...say...well, I'll use this an example. Smoking nicotine feels really awesome for others, but a lot of people don't like it. Think it's gross, a waste of income, ad nauseum. But if we're going to use the same mentality that this "therapist" thinks should be employed for sex, then we, the smokers, have the right to force our non-smoking counterparts into smoking, whether they like it or not! Some people like it, so everyone else should just cave to the pressure and do it, too! Because it's not about whether or not you like it, it's about what makes the other person happy! It's all so clear to me now!

Studies like this always miss the goddamn point of the Mythical Magical Issue Regarding Sex. No one ever asks, "Why don't women want to have sex?" Luckily, I have thought about this issue, and have come to some conclusions. Of course, I don't have studies to back me up, but these days, you don't need actual scientific facts and data to make claims, so I don't think I need them either.

1. A lot of men suck in bed. Sorry, facts are facts, and this is a true motherfucking fact. 70% of women do not orgasm from vaginal penetration. Since vaginal penetration is the favorite method of men's desperate quest to achieve orgasm, obviously this creates a quandry for all. Laying there while some dude lays on top of you, pumping away, getting his sweat all over you while you feel absolutely nothing? Not my idea of a good time. Not a lot of women's idea of a good time.

2. Good God, we're fucking tired, okay?! Americans especially are working longer hours, harder work days, and when we get home, maybe we just want to sit down for a goddamn minute. But of course, we can't. Food has to be prepared, house has to be clean, children (for some) and pets have to be taken care of. Women especially have a lot on our plate, since we have to go out into public every day knowing that our safety can be compromised at any moment, that the majority of society hates us, whether it's blatant misogyny or subconscious hatred. I know I'm fucking tired when I come home from going to work, after having to deal with all the ridiculous sexist bullshit I encounter just by Existing While Female. I imagine that a woman with children and a house that society says they must maintain are probably even more tired.

I resent the notion that men's orgasms are so goddamn important that they trump all of women's needs, desires, and problems. Guess what? They're NOT. No one ever died from not having sex. It's a true fact, I know some refuse to believe it, but there is not a single recorded instance of a person dying from lack of sexual intercourse. But we never hear about that, do we?

So remember, ladies. If you don't want to have sex, it's your obligation to provide it, even against your will. Even after all those supposed rights we won years ago, it's really in your best interest not to exercise your own agency and say no. Because gee golly...what will your husband do with himself, if you don't spread your legs for him?

Predictably, homosexual couples are excluded from this study. Because obviously they don't even exist, let alone have sex. Even the thought of that is just...you know. Icky and gross. Duh!

Much appreciation to Twisty at I Blame The Patriarchy, who discussed this issue in a manner much more eloquent and humorous than I could ever hope to do.

Angry Feminist tries to justify her own lapses in judgment, fails miserably.

2009-02-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's a true fact that I am absolutely horrendous about updating online outlets (such as blogs, Facebook and Myspaces profiles, livejournal accounts, ad nauseum). I spent some time yesterday completely revamping the layout, in hopes that it would inspire me to at least write an entry. The goal is, of course, to update on a consistent basis. Whether or not I achieve said goal is entirely a different story.

It also occured to me that I also don't do a very good job of writing entries that really relate to the point of this blog. Not that I make it a point to go back and memorize every topic I've written about so far, but I can't recall a single instance of actually writing an entry that contains a confession. Perhaps the closest I came to that was the Watchmen post...which, by the way, I am still so ridiculously excited about. The thought that the movie is coming out in less than two weeks honestly makes me want to pee my pants, I am so thrilled about it.

But! Let us move onto an actual confession! Any feminist worth her/his weight knows that self-reflection and being critical of their own values and behavior is vital to growth not only as a feminist, but as a human being in general. While I believe that women are, contrary to popular belief, human beings with rights and liberties that the majority of the population deem unnecessary, I'm also aware of the fact that I live in a patriarchy. And try as I may, there are some things that I either do/enjoy that quite frankly, I shouldn't. Maybe now's the time to divulge a couple of those things.

Confessions of an Angry Feminist, Volume 1:

Rap/Hip-Hop

I, of the feminist persuasion...really fucking love Kanye West and rap music in general.

Out of all the things that can be considered anti-woman, this is probably the one thing that bothers me the most. My EPIC love for Kanye West doesn't bother me as much as my love for other rappers, because out of all the rappers currently performing today, Kanye is probably the least offensive. Which isn't to say that he isn't offensive at all, because I've seen his music videos. Numerous, NUMEROUS times. I'm also aware of the fact that the dude wrote fucking Gold Digger, which by title alone should send me into a foaming, seething rage. And don't get me wrong, there are definitely parts of that song that makes me want to breathe fire, specifically the second verse.

But on the flip side, this is also a highly successful rapper who has publically come out and expressed digust over homophobia. When it was revealed that Chris Brown is a motherfucking abusive douchebag, Kanye was one of the few people in the rap/hip-hop community who condemned domestic violence. I'm aware that he could have worded his stance to be more pro-woman (his exact quote was, "Abuse should never happen."), but considering how many other people in the community, even women, hem-hawed around the issue, Kanye's statement was pretty awesome. Which, by the fucking way, can someone explain to me why Mary J. Blige of all fucking people said, "They're both beautiful people." Fucking SERIOUSLY? STFU, Mary J. Blige, if you're just going to condone abusive assholes, thanks.

But that's not the point. The point is that Kanye West, like a lot of mainstream rappers, makes problematic music that demeans women. Just because it's on a lesser level than his contemporaries doesn't mean that he gets a pass. And yet...I fucking LOVE his music. LOVE IT. Stronger comes on, and I do in fact do as Kanye suggests in the song...I go ahead, go nuts, and go apeshit. 808's and Heartbreak was one of my favorite and most played albums of 2008. There's probably no amount of money I wouldn't pay to see him live, I love him THAT much.

He's not the only rapper that I love. Even more disturbing is my love for Jay-Z. While this love does not begin to equal my love for Kanye, it's still really high on the This-Is-Not-Fucking-Right scale. One of the man's biggest hits is Big Pimpin'.

BIG. PIMPIN'. SELF, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!

Of course, I could use the excuse that oh, it's not a big deal, it's just music, besides, it's really catchy. I won't deny, a lot of it is catchy as hell. I'm less likely to put up with such blatant woman-hating in songs by, say, Lil' Jon, whose voice annoys the motherfucking shit out of me. Get Low comes on, and I want to bash skulls. Dirt Off Your Shoulder comes on, and my first reaction is to literally pantomime brushing dirt off my own shoulder.

There are far too many rappers out there whose music screams of disdain for women, and yet I still listen anyway. Rap, by all admission, is not my favorite genre of music, due to my childhood and my parents blasting bands like Pink Floyd, Rush (oh man, my mother fucking LOVES her some Rush), and Blue Oyster Cult, my father's favorite band. But I do enjoy rap, and there are some rappers out there whose work doesn't make me feel dirty to listen to. Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys especially are rappers whom I can safely enjoy without feeling like a total fucking traitor to my gender.

But I still feel like a dirty traitor whose Feminist Badge ought to be revoked. I suppose this is how I justify this listening habit; I am not unaware of the message in a lot of these songs. I am very aware, and not hesitant at all, to discuss at length exactly just what is wrong about the lyrics in these songs. I know that while a lot of these lyrics are inspired by the very attitude of the society we live in (because women = less than human in patriarchy eyes), it's still not an excuse for these musicians. While listening to them is indeed condoning them and what they have to say, I like to think of it as yet another springboard to discuss just what the fuck is wrong with our society, and why the fuck everyone thinks it's okay to call women bitches and hoes when it's completely and totally not.

But on the plus side...I do listen to Rise Against on a fanatically religious basis, so maybe that can make up for my utter Kanye love.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

2008-10-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

Just in case you weren't already disgusted by the extremely misogynistic bullshit that's been thrown around during this year's campaign, here's another reason for your rapidly dwindling faith in humanity!

I wish I was kidding. I wish I was fucking kidding. I found this on a forum I frequent, and there are simply no words to fully describe how disgusted, nauseated, and offended I am. It is not bad enough that people insist on discussing Palin's appearance first, whether it's to say that because she's conventionally attractive she's too dumb to run for office (let me add that Palin is rather dumb, but NOT because she might be pretty. She's dumb because she's ignorant and willfully ignores the issues or flat out lies about them), or that because she may be attractive, that's enough reason to vote for her. No, let's insult the fact that she has a special needs child.

NEWS. FUCKING. FLASH. Her child having Down's Syndrome has nothing to do with her having a faulty vagina. These things happen. It's not really anyone's fault.

And also. WHY THE FUCK IS ANYONE DISCUSSING HER VAGINA ANYWAY? THIS IS A FUCKING ELECTION. HER VAGINA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING AT ALL IN THIS ELECTION.

I will say it again. ATTACK THE GODDAMN WOMAN ON HER POLICIES. There is PLENTY to choose from! Attack her for her anti-choice stances! Attack her for her lack of foreign policy experience, and no, being able to see Russia from her house DOESN'T count! Attack her for Troopergate! Leave her child and her fucking vagina out of this, before I get angry and Hulk out.

Speaking of Troopergate, Rachel Maddow, whom I may or may not be madly in love with, has the following to say. This woman needs to be broadcast all over the United States. Put her on every single channel available so everyone can see for themselves just how intelligent and RIGHT she is.

Political Criticism. You're Doing It Right.

2008-09-27T23:48:00.001-07:00

Since the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate, we've been subject to some ridiculously...well..ignorant discussion concerning her. Between Troopergate, the reenactment of the Lifetime movie Sixteen and Pregnant or some shit, and such classy photo manips like the one currently to your right, it's enough to make anyone with half a teaspoon of a brain to want to bash said brain against the nearest blunt object. You may be confused and wonder what the hell Sarah Palin's legs has to do with her ability to perform the duties of a Vice-President effectively, but you obviously were not paying attention to the Democratic primaries, where you would have learned that a woman over sixty running for President is actually just a shrewish, hawkish ball buster who will send the entire world into a nuclear warzone because of that whole pesky icky menopause thing.

No. I really wasn't kidding.

BUT. There is good news on the horizon. Two lone warriors have come out of the woodwork to prove that it IS possible to provide political criticism that is not demeaning and disgustingly sexist!

Without further ado, I present to you, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who based on these skits alone, should covering this year's election along with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Because it will not embed properly, you can has link!

Political criticism. YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT. The rest of the media...TAKE NOTES.

Thank you, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, for being one of the few voices of reason during this fuckery of an election season.

Goddamn it.

2008-09-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

I knew it was going to happen. I fucking knew it; that doesn't mean I'm not exasperated, though. Sarah Palin has recently announced her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy in an attempt to curb vicious, nasty rumors that have been circulating about the true parentage of the Palins' youngest child, Trig.

Look, I am all for critiquing Palin when it comes to her policies. There are SO MANY to choose from; her pro-life stance, her belief in creationism, Troopergate, her insistence that polar bears are not endangered in any way, her lack of experience in foreign policy. What does the media choose to attack? Her family. A 17-year-old girl and a five month-old baby. Two children who did not choose to step into the spotlight, two children who just happen to have a pretty famous mother at the moment.

Regardless of whether or not we agree with her, Palin and her husband have the right to decide what is best for their family. It might be wrong, it might be arachic, but this is not the issue we should be discussing. Leave her fucking family out of this.

My sympathy lies with Bristol Palin, who is obviously going through a difficult time in her life, who now has to undergo this difficult time with the entire nation's eyes on her.

For fuck's sake. Won't people focus on the ISSUES?

Well...shit.

2008-08-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I can honestly sit here and say that out of all the possible candidates, I never expected J ohn McCain to choose Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his running mate. As far as I knew, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty were the top two choices being considered for his running mate, so to say that the selection of Sarah Palin is a surprise would be a complete and total understatement.

Like most people, I had no idea who Mrs. Palin was until McCain's announcement, and frantically searched to find as much as information as I could about her. Here is a good place to start; here's a summary of her stances on such issues as abortion, the economy, civil rights issue, and gun rights. There is no information as to what her stance on foreign policy is, which is no surprise, considering she has only been governor of Alaska for twenty months, and has no foreign policy experience beyond that.

But here's what we know about Mrs. Palin. She's hardcore anti-choice, anti-gay marriage, a lifelong member of the NRA, and has sued the government to take polar bars off the endangered species list. She is a lifelong hunter, but has also fought corruption within her own government. But on the same token, she is currently being investigated for using her power in an attempt to get her ex brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired. And not that it actually matters in the grand scheme of the election, she is also a former beauty pageant queen, which I've already heard about six million times thanks to major media outlets. Of course the same outlets that demonized Hillary Rodham Clinton for being unfeminine would use Mrs. Palin's past as a pageant participant to demean her qualifications. Don't you know...you can't be too much of a ballbuster like Hillary, but you can't be too pretty either, like Mrs. Palin!

So there's the skinny. No matter which way anyone tries to spin it, this was by far the most risky manuever that John McCain could have ever made. In my opinion, though, this move is going to fall into one of the following categories.

1. This is going to lose McCain the election hardcore.
2. This is going to WIN McCain the election.

To explain further...

Why McCain Will Lose

Governor Palin has very little experience. Yes, she is the governor of Alaska, but she hasn't even completed her first term. I do not want to discredit her accomplishments, but the fact of the matter is, she is not prepared for this position, should they be elected.
The choice of Governor Palin is so clearly a bribe attempt to woo the disaffected voters who voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton. I mean, for fuck's sake, McCain had only met Palin one time previous to choosing her to be his running mate. Seeing as McCain has a history of not giving a shit about women or their rights, it's obvious that Palin was chosen simply because she is a woman. Palin's references to Hillary in her first speech as the running mate were made simply to pander to female Hillary supporters. I mean, Palin herself has stated before that Hillary is a "whiner." Yeah, McCain must REALLY think that women are too fucking stupid to see the differences between Palin and Hillary. After all, we're just silly wimmen folk! We always vote with our vagina, duh!
The most important factor that everyone likes to gloss over when it comes to discussing how most people vote for their candidate is that they vote for whichever candidate they can most identify with personally. They vote for the candidate who reminds them of themselves, and they vote for the candidate who will best protect and promote their privilege. Republicans hate women...hell, Palin hates women, too! You mean to tell me that the Republican party, whose distaste and disgust for women is legendary, is going to vote to put a woman in the White House? You mean to tell me that these people aren't considering what will happen if McCain passes away while in office. I am not advocating that, but the fact of the matter is, McCain is 72 years old with a lifetime of medical problems. It wouldn't be a shock if it did happen, which means that should it happen, Sarah Palin will become our next President. And you mean to tell me that the mostly white, middle aged men in the Republican party are going to be cool with that? If that's what you're saying, then I want whatever you're smoking, because it is obviously some pretty mind-altering drugs you've got there.

Why McCain Will Win

Sarah Palin is a risky choice, there is no denying that. It's clear that this is an attempt to pander to female voters. But regardless of the motivation behind this, this is John McCain saying to the women in America, "I want your vote." For me, personally, although I supported Hillary one hundred percent in the primary, I cannot in good conscience vote for McCain over Obama. But that's not to say I don't understand why other people would. As a woman, I am sick and tired of the Democratic party throwing me and my gender under the bus just to achieve their own goals. Sure, they're for a woman's right to choose, but they have never come out and said, "It's not anyone's right to tell a woman what to do. If she wants an abortion, then dammit, she can have one!" It's always the same old, "Keep abortions rare, safe, and legal." Pandering to the ignorant right wing crowd, Democrats don't have the balls to tell it how it ought to be and tell these people to shut the fuck up and keep their morals off the collective uteruses of American women. Think American women aren't tired of this bullshit? Think again.
The Democrats did absolutely nothing to defend Hillary from the blatant sexism and misogyny she endured during her campaign. Hell, Obama himself said some pretty sexist shit about her as well. But, oh, it's okay, women won't hold that against the Democratic party because McCain wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Again, I say think again. While the thought of overturning Roe vs. Wade frightens me to my very core, I understand where the PUMAs are coming from. I'm sick of being told to shut up and get in line, too. I'm sick of being told to support a party that is not doing everything in their power to stand up and protect my rights as a woman. I think the PUMAs do have a point; it's time for someone to stand up and tell the political parties enough is enough. We are tired of being treated like second class citizens. We are tired of being ignored except when election time rolls around. We are tired of hearing promise after promise, only to have the Democrats renig on those promises time and time again. Don't count the PUMAs out.
Sarah Palin is going to endure a fuck ton of sexism during this campaign. It's inevitable; she's a woman in a high-powered position now. But unlike the Democrats, who threw Hillary under the bus, the Republicans will defend Palin. They will call out the media outlets, the politicians who will use Palin's past as a beauty pageant contestant and her role as a mother against her. They are protective of their own, and it will make a difference in the minds of voters who are sick of the games that Democrats play.
Sarah Palin might be anti-choice, but dammit, she doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk. Her youngest child was born with Down's Syndrome, and she and her husband chose not to abort. Pro-lifers are going to wet their pants at this.
Again, voters vote for the candidate that most remind them of themselves; that's how George W. Bush got into office. There are a lot of mothers in this country, and Sarah Palin's history is going to inspire these middle-class moms. She went from the PTA to a nominee for Vice-Presidency. She represents the dream, as fucked up as the details of the dream might be, that a woman can do it, that she can have the kind of power that's only been available to men before.
The Democrats are going to have a difficult time attacking her. It is absolutely okay to attack her for her policies; fuck, that'll be a cakewalk. But attacking her too aggressively is going to be a costly mistake. Attack her too aggressively, and the Democrats will come across as bullies. This is the same country that voted George Bush after Al Gore wiped the floor with his ass during the debates...they felt sorry for him. Attack Palin for anything other than her policies, and too aggressively at that, and watch the voters flock to the McCain/Palin ticket.
Palin is inexperienced, it's true. But go after her for that, and you'll have the Republicans pointing out time and time again that Obama has little experience as well. This argument could work in the favor of either party; it just depends on who attacks first, and who defends the position more fervently and convincingly.

As of right now, I'm reluctant to say which way the election is going to go. It's too early to say for certain how it's going to turn out; I'm waiting to see how the debates play out before I come to my own conclusion.

But I will say this, with the choice of Sarah Palin, this election just became a lot more problematic, in more ways than one. And quite frankly, the cynic in me is very much inclined to say that this election won't be decided on who has the better policies and who is ready to run this country. It will be decided on which minority, female or black, can the ignorant American public stomach better.

Bashing Your Head Against The Wall

2008-08-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

You know, I used to wonder exactly what happened to the feminist movement. To me, it's as clear as day, what needs to be done. It's clear as can be that there are still significant strides to be made, that sexism hasn't been conquered in the least. I mean, just turn on the TV, and watch it for half an hour, and it's obvious from all the commercials, the television programs, and the films being played that alas, sexism and misogyny is still running rampant. Just read the news, and I dare anyone not to be disgusted by the amount of women being beaten, raped, killed, tortured, maimed, slaughtered, discriminated against by the millions daily. So I used to wonder, "What happened? Why did the movement seem to die off when it's still so necessary?"

Over the past couple of weeks, my questions have been answered. It has died off because quite frankly, trying to talk to people about the atrocities that women suffer daily is like bashing your head against the fucking wall.

I've tried talking to friends about it, and I get the same exact thing every time. "Well..." or "I don't know, but..." or "But men suffer, too!" or what's the worst, in my opinion... "But women are so much worse!"

Are you fucking serious? The worst part is that people actually say the last one with the straighest face. It's as if they just got the word from God itself that NEWS FLASH! WOMEN ARE DIRTY FUCKING WHORES WHO LIE AND CHEAT AND TRY TO KEEP THE POOR OPPRESSED MAN DOWN! WHO IS GOING TO SAVE THE POOR MENZ FROM THESE EVIL CASTRATING BITCHES?!

You know, I read the news daily, because I believe it's more important to be educated than it is to be comfortable, and it makes me sick to my stomach. I understand that for some women, it's not so simple or easy to fight against the patriarchy. I understand that for some women, it is necessary not only for their sanity's sake, but also for their survival, to appease the current social standard that does everything in their power to strip them of their humanity. I understand that for some women, it's too scary to fight the system, and instead prefers to cater to it. I understand why they do it. I understand that they think that by being good girls and doing exactly as they're told, by attacking other women, by being anti-feminist, this will give them a pass into the all Exclusive Righteous Dude Club, and that the dudes will forget about the fact that she has a vagina and will treat her as if she's an equal.

While I hate to be Debbie Downer here, the fact is that no matter what they do, what they say, this will never be a reality for them. The Exclusive Righteous Dude Club will NEVER accept them as one of their own. The dudes will throw these women under the bus every single time if it means that doing so will promote their sense of power, will protect their privilege, and will keep everything as they believe it should be. And yet these women STILL attack other women, still keep the saint/whore complex alive.

A lot of people think that the goal of feminism is to ensure that women are equal to men. But here's a radical thought; why the fuck do we want to be the same as men? Who the fuck decided that man is the default option, and anything different is automatically less than? I don't want to be just like a man, because quite frankly, they haven't proven over the course of the time that they're capable of even being HUMANE OR COMPASSIONATE. Even if they think that rape is wrong, even if they think that women should be paid equal wages, their silence says otherwise. Their silence and their unwillingness to point out the misogyny of their fellow man proves that it really doesn't matter that much to them, that women have been under attack for centuries, and CONTINUE to be attacked to this day.

But point any of this out, and you'd think that I just suggested filleting a group of babies and having them for dinner. I can't tell you how many times I've had "examples" of women being worse than men thrown in my face. Women are conniving, women are backstabbers, women ask for it, women rape men too, women beat men too, women aren't smart enough, women aren't this, women aren't that, blah blippity fucking blah. Trying to explain to people that women are socially conditioned to be in constant competition with each other, that women aren't afforded the same education opportunities as men gets tiresome. Asking irrational people to prove their claim that women rape men too by providing statistics is like asking your dog to solve quantum physics. Statistics? You mean the shit with numbers? Whuuuuuut?

So now I understand perfectly why the feminist movement took a major back seat. I understand why feminists just don't take the time to try and educate an unwilling population anymore.

It's not giving up. It's self-preservation.

One of these things doesn't fit the other.

2008-07-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

Some conservative asshole is trying to claim Batman as one of their fellow right-wingers. I call shenanigans.

When I first read the title of the article, I snorted and rolled my eyes so hard, they almost fell out of my sockets and rolled away on the floor. How anyone in their right mind could think that Batman, a dark, complex character that has held the public's imagination for countless years, could be anything like the idiot in office? I almost dismissed the article completely, but really, it's the Trainwreck Syndrome. You WANT to look away, you WANT to run the other way, but you stand there, jaw agape, eyes the size of saucers, because you really CAN'T believe that you're seeing what you're seeing.

"There seems to me no question that the Batman film "The Dark Knight," currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past."

Oh boy. Where do I even start? I first have to laugh at the fact that this author put the words "fortitude" and "moral courage" in front of George W. Bush's name. Wouldn't be my first choice of words to describe him, but okay. My second reaction stems from the idea that this author seems to think that when Bush "pushes the boundaries of civil rights" that he has intentions of restoring them. I would really like to know what alternate universe the author is living on, because it sounds like it would be a total blastie. However, I live in a little world called reality, and Bush doesn't give a goddamn shit about our civil rights and liberties. In fact, he's pretty much everything he could while in his office to strip us of said civil rights and liberties, pushing for legislation that will have this effect even AFTER he finally leaves office, so please Mr. Conservative Asshole Author, don't tell me that our Fair Leader is noble and cares about the citizens of this country and their rights, because he DOESN'T.

"Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth? Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense -- values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right -- only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like "300," "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia," "Spiderman 3" and now "The Dark Knight"?"

Please. As if values like morality, faith, and self-sacrifice are set aside SOLELY for the conservative right. I hardly think that starting an unjustifiable war, spying on Americans, stripping away the reproductive rights of women, and ignoring the very real threat of global warming qualifies under morality, faith, and self-sacrifice. Speaking of this self-sacrifice, what in the motherfuck has Bush sacrificed while in office? Because I would seriously, seriously like an answer for this that is not complete and utter bullshit. The man lives like a fucking king while the rest of this country falls prey to ridiculously high gas prices, rising food prices, and a housing crisis. He has the privilege of sending millions to die in a war that we shouldn't have started in the first place, and the worst part? He lies and lies, and actually manages to fall asleep at night, believing that he's doing the right thing.

Batman doesn't do this. Batman agonizes over his decisions, questions if he's doing the right thing. Batman seeks the counsel of those that he trusts, such as Alfred, and in the film, Lucius, expects them to give him a perspective that he may not be in the position to see himself. He never takes the easy road, and truly thinks of what is best for his community, even if it means that he will put in the place of a villain. George W. Bush WISHES that he could be even a TENTH as awesome as Batman.

And as a comic book nerd, I would like to kindly say this. Conservatives, back the FUCK away from my comics. You wouldn't understand their moral complexities if I beat you with a stack of them repeatedly. Although I will say this...I am VERY curious as to what the conservative right will have to say about Watchmen. That'll be GLORIOUS.

Who Watches The Watchmen?

2008-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

It's a little awkward to write an entry after basically ignoring this for about two months or so. It's especially awkward to write an entry about something that doesn't involve feminism. But frankly, it is a relief to take a break from the daily grind and simply geek the fuck out.

So geek the fuck out, I shall.

Watchmen is one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, written by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Set in an alternate timeline of 1985, Watchmen has all the elements that every great graphic novel should have; interesting and flawed characters, a multi-layered storyline, and incredible art. A lot of people said that a movie based off of it should have never been done, but now it is, it's coming in March 2009, and I only have one thing to say.

FUCK. YES.

Zack Snyder is a director that totally came out of nowhere to completely blow me away. I really enjoyed his remake of Dawn of the Dead (although I am still hesitant to call it a remake), and I ADORED 300. This is just a teaser trailer, but I'm already so fucking stoked, I can barely stand it. Almost every single scene in the trailer is shot to make a panel in the novel. How much fucking cooler can it get?

I have high hopes for this. Yet even being excited for this doesn't mean that my feminist lens isn't carefully critiquing it. There's a particular subplot involving the Comedian and the first Silk Spectre, Sally Jupiter, that is quite troublesome for a regular old feminist like myself. In the novel, the Comedian attempts to rape Sally, who is saved only by Hooded Justice. Throughout the entire novel, she expresses rage and contempt towards her attacker until the end, where it is revealed that she had feelings for him, with the Comedian fathering her daughter, Laurie, who ended up becoming the second Silk Spectre. The very last scene with Sally Jupiter is of her as an old woman, weeping on her bed, a photo of the Comedian on her nightstand with a lipstick kiss on his face.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that comics are not generally known for their progressive stance when it comes to portrayal of female superheroes. I've always felt conflict at enjoying comics when as a feminist, these sort of portrayals are the very thing that I should be condemning. Yet it is difficult to do; I have a history with comic books, dating back to my father, seeing as it is one of the very few interests that we both share. Over time, there has been some slight improvement in the portrayals of said female superheroes, but with the exception of Kitty Pryde of the X-Men, rarely are there any female superheroes who are not drawn to be completely unrealistic ideal body types. Even Jean Grey, in all of her infinite power and ability, is still drawn as a porno queen.

I find it interesting and troubling that the only females in Watchmen, Sally Jupiter and Laurie Juspeczyk, are very much defined by their roles in the lives of the men around them. Sally's entire storyline revolves around her "relationship" with the Comedian, whereas Laurie is a kept woman by the United States government, essentially kept at one of their compounds to keep Dr. Manhattan happy and satisfied, lest he go completely apeshit and annihilate the world, seeing as he is the only member of the Watchmen with super powers. Neither woman took their profession seriously; Sally is portrayed to be more interested in her status as a sex symbol, and Laurie is very clear about how much she resents her mother pushing her into the business, so to speak.

So what does this exactly mean? While it is true that with most comics, there will be sexism at hand, I still find the stories of the Silk Spectres to be ultimately intriguing enough to discuss. Yes, it's meant to be a story, merely here for entertainment value, but at the same time, there are so many cliches surrounding these two women that I find it difficult to make myself completely ignore them in the name of enjoying the comic. I see the problems and the flaws with both characters, I see the undeniably sexist ways that they both suffer, how neither of them is truly complete without male attention. Sally is completely defined by the relationship with the Comedian and her sex symbol status, whereas I think Laurie may have suffered the worst fate of all; seduced at the age of sixteen by Dr. Manhattan, basically forced by the government as well as fear over the possible destruction of the world should Dr. Manhattan become unstable to remain in a relationship that was unsatisfying for her emotionally.

Is it possible to enjoy such a medium that doesn't seem to respect their female characters that much? I'm not sure of what the answer is, frankly.

And don't even get me started on Laurie's costume in the film. You win, geeky fanboys. You win.

Rape is RAPE. This should be a no-brainer.

2008-04-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

Let's start with one from the "NO FUCKING SHIT!" Files.

White House admits fault on 'Mission Accomplished' banner.

REALLY? YOU FUCKING THINK?! Oh my God, is it fucking January '09 yet? No. Seriously. CAN IT BE JANUARY '09? PLEASE? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S SWEET AND PURE?

Austrian man imprisons daughter, rapes her repeatedly, forces her to give birth to seven fucking children, and MAY get fifteen years in prison.

I have no words as to how fucking disgusting this is. Oh wait. I lied. Here's a couple more links discussing the case.

Here.

And here.

The top article is the first one I've read where they've used the appropriate word for what happened to the daughter; she was RAPED. The third article uses the following expression, "and fathering seven children by her." Um. Let's get this straight. He did not FATHER SEVEN CHILDREN BY HER. HE RAPED HER AGAINST HER WILL AND FORCED HER TO GIVE BIRTH TO SEVEN CHILDREN. To say that he "fathered seven children by her" is to imply that she gave her consent, which she most certainly did NOT. And we fucking wonder why rape is considered a "gray area"? Because no one will fucking call it rape when it's, in fact, raped.

And this bit in the second article almost made me foam at the mouth, I was so pissed. This little gem is from this asshole's defense attorney.

"He looks very sad. It is like he is emotionally broken," he said, adding that his client was receiving psychiatric care in prison.

Oh, I bet he's sad, alright...SAD THAT HE FUCKING GOT CAUGHT. I'm sorry, but I don't give a shit about how this monster feels. I don't care that he's sad or "emotionally broken." I care about the fact that he imprisoned his own daughter, raped her, and forced her to bear children against her will. He gets no reprieve for being a sad old man. He's a vile, disgusting fucking psychotic, no matter HOW the media tries to spin it.

More news later...when I have the stomach for it.

White Feminists, Stop Acting Like Morons, Plz.

2008-04-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

Just when the smoke clears, yet another battle looms on the horizon. For a more clear, concise overview over the latest bit of fuckery, please visit An Open Letter to the White Feminist Community.

The fact that it is 2008 and racism is still so blatantly obvious seriously makes my eyeballs hurt. Jesus Christ, I live in fucking Indiana, for fuck's sake, and I immediately knew upon viewing the pictures of that book that it was racist. I find it hard to believe that a publishing company just didn't know any better. ARGH. Will the madness ever fucking stop?

More news to clarify that the fuckery still continues on.

Keith Olbermann, you break my heart while simultaneously making me roam at the mouth.

At one point in time, I supported Olbermann, but now I just can't in good conscience. Get this man and the rest of the MSNBC twats off the goddamn air. It is not acceptable to make comments expressing physical harms to anyone, despite how much they literally despise Hillary Clinton and what she stands for.

Not that this is news, but John McCain is an asshole.

My personal favorite bit of this is this comment here; "I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems." He might as well have just been honest and been like, "Look, you silly little ladies need to sit the hell down, shut the fuck up, and look cute while we fuck you royally in the ass. Okay, toots?" That would have gotten his point across far more effectively than using a bunch of pretty, meaningless words strung together to make it look like he gives a shit when he doesn't.

Don't worry, kids! You can shoot an unarmed man fifty times and get a slap on the wrist, too!

My eternal gratitude to The Angry Black Woman for posting about this. I unfortunately hadn't heard about this, due to my schedule at work being insane this week and therefore leaving me with very little time to catch up on current events, but this isn't just infuriating; this is downright purely sick and evil. I want to say that I cannot believe this has happened, but I'm a cynical bitch who can certainly believe it. Check out the comments section, too. It has some fantastic information on where protests are being held. This is a vile, disgusting example of the fact that no matter how much you want to bury your head in the sand, RACISM STILL FUCKING EXISTS, PEOPLE.

I believe that's all the disgust and outrage I can muster for the night, since it's. Um. SIX AM. Jesus, I need to be in bed. There's some other fabulous things going on right now, which I may possibly blog about later, but in the mean time? Soft, comfortable bed sheets, here I come!

Racism Is Everywhere, Even In Fan Fiction Communities

2008-04-19T14:02:00.001-07:00

When I come home from work every day, I have the same routine when it comes to my computer time. I check my email, then I check the forum for a writing site I publish my work on. The forum and I have a love/hate relationship most of the time; sometimes it's exhilarating to converse with other writers, and then at times I want to bash my head against the wall over some of the less-than-stellar posts and posters simultaneously. This is also a writing site for people who may not take their work as seriously as I do, so very rarely do I ever see posts that are...well... intellectually stimulating and dealing with the kind of topics that I read about and write about on here.

So imagine my surprise, and my eventual disappointment, when a thread of this nature popped up, and people were just spouting some of the most ignorant shit I've ever read in my life.

Another member of the forum made a thread with the intentions of honoring the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. I had no intentions on posting in the thread, but I didn't see a problem with it as a whole. And then another member came in, and made a post that I knew was going to be thought-provoking, but unfortunately, I also knew that it was going to be taken in the wrong context.

She pointed out the hypocrisy of the majority of Americans mourning a tragedy that happened within their borders, yet completely ignoring the horrors and violence happening in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, she didn't word this in the most non confrontational way; I believe her exact words were, "I'm so sick of people only caring about rich white kids getting killed when other people are suffering."

Sometimes, I really, really hate being right.

As far as my own position goes, I agree with her. It's mind-boggling, how people in the United States have no idea what's happening in the rest of the world. Too many people have no idea what Darfur means. Too many people don't realize that racism and classism still exists, and too many people have already forgotten about the horrors of New Orleans, which is STILL happening to this day.

However, I knew that as soon as she used the label "rich white kids" that it was going to start a shit storm. Because I'll be frank here; the forum is full of white women, ranging anywhere from the age of 14 (YEAH, I KNOW) to their 40's. There are a few women of color, including the member who made the initial observation. And if there's anything I've realized in the past few weeks, it's that white people, even women, get really fucking offended when they're called out on their shit.

So cue the angry, ignorant posts. I was extremely saddened to see so many posts declaring that it is not the United States' job to "police the world." Quite frankly, it turned into a mess, with people attacking others, and most frightening of all, the observation that people only care about tragedies when it involves white people went completely, utterly ignored.

And it was as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on my head as I suddenly realized; oh my God. I'm watching racism happen right before my very eyes.

The thing is, I AM one of those middle-class white women. Lately, I've been trying to examine my own privilege, take a better look at my own reactions to the things that women of color are trying to point out. I'm certainly not perfect, and in the past, I've felt very uncomfortable, even offended by women of color pointing out that I do indeed benefit from privilege. As a feminist, it was quite alarming for it to be brought to my attention that I do benefit from white privilege. After all, I'm very aware of the privilege that men continue to enjoy and outright abuse; how could I possibly be doing the exact same thing?

Thankfully, reading the blogs of women of color have managed to give me the courage to open my eyes, and really look at myself. All the business with brownfemipower lately has been the primary factor in opening a door to thoughts that I had never previously had before. It's made me realize that even if we do not have intentions to do so, white feminists ARE silencing women of color, trivializing their experiences, ignoring their words of wisdom, and even worse, taking those words and spinning them around. And if FEMINISTS, people who are generally committed to equality on all playing levels, are doing this, then it's happening even MORE in the rest of society.

And to see it in a place that I frequent for fun and practice with my fiction work was not just alarming; it was downright frightening.

After much contemplating and consideration, I finally made a post in the thread, defending the member's position as best as I could. I pointed out the fact that people have no fucking clue what's going on outside of the white world, how ignoring the member's position is essentially an act of racism, even if that was not the original intention of the people responding to her post. How it is our duty to step outside of ourselves, check our privilege at the door, and really LISTEN to the experiences of others that, as a white woman, I will probably never experience for myself first hand.

My post was generally well-received, and in turn, I decided to make a new thread, dedicated to posting links to news articles that a lot of these women and girls ordinarily would not hear about on TV, or read about in their local newspapers. Whether or not it flourishes remains to be seen. I hope it does, and I'll do my best to try and keep the thread alive, but considering the nature of the forum, and of the members, it's going to be a difficult task. But I'm committed to it.

Even though I know that this is only one small thing I can do to try and educate others who may not necessarily want that education, it's still something at least. It's more than what I would have done years ago, and although I don't believe that I deserve recognition, praise, or a fucking medal for doing this...it still feels good to know that at least I'm trying.

One step at a time. That's all I, and the rest of us, can really do.

Here! News To Make You Vomit!

2008-04-16T23:35:00.001-07:00

There's nothing I love more than when a bunch of people get together, tell the most ridiculously graphic and gruesome birth stories ever, and then in the same breath tell me that I should reconsider not having kids; it's great! Um. May I suggest that if you're going to try to convince someone to do something, you shouldn't start with all the NEGATIVES first? Jesus fucking Christ.

So. Here's another reason why sometimes, I seriously wonder why I find men physically attractive. The Pregnant Co-Worker shared this gem today; apparently she was irritated at the Father of Her Child, and he told her that she couldn't be angry with him, because he gave her something beautiful and precious.

I seriously, seriously almost lost my goddamn lunch right then and there. If anyone ever said that to me, I would return said beautiful and precious in the form of a swift kick to the nuts. Just saying.

Let's see. What else is going on? Not much at the moment; working a lot, very much looking forward to my week-long vacation starting in May. BEACH, HERE I COME! So because there's a severe lack of events going on personally, here are some links to entertain or enrage you. Whichever comes first, I suppose.

The feminist movement has risen again. I wasn't aware it had ever stopped.

While I think that it's fantastic that more attention is being shed on the fact that Hillary Clinton has endured a ridiculous amount of sexism during her campaign, I really want to beat a good majority of the population with a "NO SHIT, ASSHOLE!" stick. The problem is not that sexism has suddenly reared its ugly head again; they're just being more upfront about it now. It's always been there, in seemingly little and barely noticeable ways. It's a fucking shame that it's taken THIS long to acknowledge that sexism, despite the efforts of the feminist movement, had never been conquered in the first place.

There is now a book explaining to children all the different, totally acceptable reasons why Mommy got plastic surgery. Excuse me while I fly into a murderous rampage.

Do I even have to go into all the reasons why this is so truly fucked up? I have to keep reminding myself homicide, not suicide, because Jesus Christ, this is a special brand of crazy that I just can't wrap my brain around.

Californians, it's time to step up to the plate. Vote no on this shit now.

In the case of a nuclear act, three things will endure; cockroaches, Cher, and anti-abortionists. This is the third time this piece of legislation has been up for vote, and quite frankly, aren't you a little sick of your congressmen putting so much time and energy into something like this?

On that note, shower time is upon me, then bed. Fabulous.

Don't You Know You Can't Get Fat, Even If You're Pregnant?

2008-04-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

I had the following conversation with a co-worker of mine yesterday that is still making me seethe with rage.

This co-worker announced earlier in the week that she is pregnant, and my initial reaction was to bang my head repeatedly against my desk. I work with an office full of women suffering from a rabid case of baby rabies, to the point where all they can talk about are their children, their pregnancies while we're supposed to be working. Regardless of the fact that I do not give a SHIT about how badly their vaginas tore while giving birth, the cold hard truth is that any kind of conversation that puts a damper on productivity really, really pisses me off, because it means that I end up having to pick up their slack.

What made it even worse is the fact that there's another woman in the office who is about to go on maternity leave, and I had already endured nine months of hearing about every single disgusting factoid concerning pregnancy. I thought I was going to get a reprieve from it, but since Other Co-Worker just announced her pregnancy, I get to go through another nine months hearing about bodily functions that don't need to be discussed in the workplace. Lovely. Not to mention Other Co-Worker is apparently under the impression that she is the only woman in the world to ever go through pregnancy, considering it is ALL she's talked about since she made the announcement. Fabulous.

So yesterday while everyone else was at a lunch, I was the unfortunate party that Other Co-Worker rambled about her pregnancy too. I was handling it the best way I could, until she dropped this gem on me.

"...he doesn't want me to eat fast food, because his friend's girlfriend ate nothing but Taco Bell, and she gained SOOO much weight that she hasn't lost at all. He doesn't want me to get fat."

.....I swear to God, I almost fell out of my chair while my head simultaneously started to spin and I started to spew green pea soup, I was so pissed.

As much as I would love to say otherwise, this sort of mentality is not something new. I can't begin to count how many times I've heard women, pregnant or not, make what they think are seemingly innocent comments about their significant other's concerns about their weight.

Because...you know...God forbid a woman gain weight. I mean, what am I thinking, believing that a woman's weight is not the business of any man out there? What a radical notion, surely!

This sort of shit just absolutely disgusts me. I think what puts on the icing on this proverbial cake is that Other Co-Worker has mentioned before that while she's the one who works the full-time job, her other half sits at home, plays video games, invites his friends over to their home without asking her for permission, and does absolutely nothing if these friends of his oogle her and try to grope her if she's wearing a robe in her own home. So this latest example is just the last in a line of inconsiderate, privileged behavior that is quite frankly setting off warning bells in my head concerning her safety.

Despite what others may think, it is not her significant other, or any other man who has stated something similar along these lines, considers her health, or the health of their child, to be the top priority. Oh no. His, and other men's, top priority is making sure that the incubator...I mean... his woman looks good and is ripe and freshly fuckable at all times. His primary concern is doing everything in his power to control how she looks, even though she's entered a stage in which she doesn't have a whole lot of control over her weight, i.e. pregnancy.

It seriously concerns me that it seems as if she's in a situation that could, quite possibly, become dangerous for her, and for her child as well. I'm still trying to find a way to gently explain to her that his behavior is not acceptable, that she doesn't deserve to put up with this, and to warn her that this sort of control could possibly escalate into a situation that could possibly harm her and the child. However, most people don't want to hear about these sort of things, so I know I'm going to have tread carefully, especially since she's not a friend, but a co-worker whom I'm not extremely close to.

But this does remind me how I myself could never, in good conscience, have children of my own. It only reaffirms to me that men for the most part do not care about being good husbands, partners, or fathers; it only reminds me that in the grand scheme of things, women are nothing but metaphorical fire hydrants for them to piss on and mark as their own territory.

Congratulations! You have reached the introductory post!

2008-04-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Even though I read quite a fair amount of feminist blogs on a daily basis, I'm still not exactly sure how one constructs their very first post. Do they start with telling a little about themselves? Do they completely ignore that route and state the purpose of said blog? I have no fucking idea, so I'm just going to wing it, and hope for the best.

I go by Maj, and despite what I've been told over the years, I am not intimidating or scary. If you have half a brain cell, you won't find a woman who's relatively intelligent, a tad uncompromising, and squeals over the sight of kittens to be scary. I guess the only frightening factor here would be that I am...gasp...a feminist!

No, I'm not the shiny happy kind of feminist. You're not going to ever see the words, "Oh no, I love men!" coming from my mouth. Because quite frankly...I don't.

I operate on one basic principle. I have no interest in being fair or lenient to a gender that has a clear history of not bestowing the same courtesy upon mine.

No, I'm not going to eat your babies, take away your Bibles, or any of that crazy bullshit that conservatives love to spew about, but I do like the seemingly nutso ideal that women should be free to live their lives as they see fit, without scorn, ridicule, abuse, or violence. I know...it's crazy, but needless to say, you'll get used to it.

What I'd like to do with my blogs is take the news articles I read about and offer my stunning observations, and muse about feminist topics. Whether you agree remains to be seen, but that's fine. I have no problems with intelligent debate.

So that's pretty much it in a nutshell. I could delve deeper, divulge all my likes and dislikes, but honestly, it's 2:30 in the fucking morning, and I should have been in bed hours ago. So this will be it for now, and hopefully it'll suffice.

So without further ado, welcome, and I'm off to drag my happy ass to bed.