According to today's cover story on www.womensenews.org, single women are coming out to vote in higher numbers, and could be the group to tip the scale in November.
Hear that, candidates?
Good news for me, and for most of the women reading this blog, for that matter. The article doesn't really mention why single women are voting more than before, but it still gives me hope and makes me feel like our votes could actually count. It does mention dissatisfaction, but I'm curious as to what we single ladies as a group are actually collectively dissatisfied about. Any ideas/thoughts/dissatisfactions?
Regardless of your own personal reasons, get your asses out there and vote!!
Read the article here: http://womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3458/context/cover/
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
making history
An interesting article from alternet.org on Obama and Clinton's somewhat historic campaigns.
http://alternet.org/election08/73436/
What do you guys thing about supporting a candidate based on their race/gender/religion/ethnicity/etc? The author of the article makes some interesting points, check it out.
P.S. He mentions Shirley Chisholm, who was actually a really awesome woman--She was the first black female candidate for president back in the 70s. (but she unfortunately didn't get the nomination) If you don't know much about her campaign, check her out, there are a couple of really good documentaries out there on her.
http://alternet.org/election08/73436/
What do you guys thing about supporting a candidate based on their race/gender/religion/ethnicity/etc? The author of the article makes some interesting points, check it out.
P.S. He mentions Shirley Chisholm, who was actually a really awesome woman--She was the first black female candidate for president back in the 70s. (but she unfortunately didn't get the nomination) If you don't know much about her campaign, check her out, there are a couple of really good documentaries out there on her.
the other "A" word
I went to see the movie Juno last night. I liked it, it was a feel-good kind of movie and it kept both my boyfriend and I laughing a lot, but parts of it kind of unsettled me.
I got excited because the movie used the "a-word," abortion, which happens soooo rarely in the movies, but then I was quickly disappointed. When the 16-year-old main character Juno finds out she's pregnant, she decides to "nip it in the butt," as she says, and go to an abortion clinic.
But something creeped me out about this... The filmmakers present her as extremely nonchalant about the entire situation, as if abortion is a very light decision for anyone, and it is not until a classmate protesting outside of the clinic tells her that her baby already has fingernails that she runs out of the clinic, while the classmate tells her that Jesus thanks her for her decision.
Huh?
I started feeling like I was watching a commercial for The Knights of Columbus or Pro-Life America. Juno decides to go through with her pregnancy and put her baby up for adoption. There was a feeling throughout the whole movie of abortion being the "bad" choice, or the easy way out, and keeping the baby being the "right" choice.. It sort of reminded me of the whole Jamie Lynn Spears fiasco where everyone praised her for doing the "right" thing. Hollywood and the media seem to omit the fact that Spears is a millionaire who has lots of family support, whereas most young women who get abortions don't have that kind of security. I'm just sort of sick of Hollywood telling us what the "right" thing to do is... I won't even touch on the fact that most mainstream movies are written and directed and produced by men, who will never have to make that kind of decision, or possibly know how it feels.
Knocked Up is another great example of Hollywood being way too afraid to touch the A-Word with a ten foot pole. Probably the most unrealistic pregnancy movie of all time.
I feel like I'm doing a lot of ranting today, I'll try to come up with a happy post.
I got excited because the movie used the "a-word," abortion, which happens soooo rarely in the movies, but then I was quickly disappointed. When the 16-year-old main character Juno finds out she's pregnant, she decides to "nip it in the butt," as she says, and go to an abortion clinic.
But something creeped me out about this... The filmmakers present her as extremely nonchalant about the entire situation, as if abortion is a very light decision for anyone, and it is not until a classmate protesting outside of the clinic tells her that her baby already has fingernails that she runs out of the clinic, while the classmate tells her that Jesus thanks her for her decision.
Huh?
I started feeling like I was watching a commercial for The Knights of Columbus or Pro-Life America. Juno decides to go through with her pregnancy and put her baby up for adoption. There was a feeling throughout the whole movie of abortion being the "bad" choice, or the easy way out, and keeping the baby being the "right" choice.. It sort of reminded me of the whole Jamie Lynn Spears fiasco where everyone praised her for doing the "right" thing. Hollywood and the media seem to omit the fact that Spears is a millionaire who has lots of family support, whereas most young women who get abortions don't have that kind of security. I'm just sort of sick of Hollywood telling us what the "right" thing to do is... I won't even touch on the fact that most mainstream movies are written and directed and produced by men, who will never have to make that kind of decision, or possibly know how it feels.
Knocked Up is another great example of Hollywood being way too afraid to touch the A-Word with a ten foot pole. Probably the most unrealistic pregnancy movie of all time.
I feel like I'm doing a lot of ranting today, I'll try to come up with a happy post.
i love the smell of sexism in the morning
I'm starting to get mighty tired of all of the Clinton bashing that's been going on. I logged onto http://www.facebook.com/ to find a new "sticker" icon that had been added to the profiles of multiple people on my "friends" list... It has a picture of Hillary Clinton's face, surrounded by the words, "Even Bill Doesn't Want Me."
How original! Hitting right where I'm sure it hurts her most! It's so obvious, I'm sure nobody has used it before! HAHA your husband cheated on you and we know! HAHA nobody wants you! Not even your husband wants to have sex with you, which is the ultimate sign of how good of a woman you are! If people don't want to have sex with you, then what are you worth?! Nothing!
Wow people. So daring and original it hurts.
Only maybe you should go look in New Hampshire. I'm pretty sure I heard something about people wanting her there.
Everywhere I look there are new accusations being thrown at her, based on her appearance and personality, rather than on her policies or promises or campaign. None of the other candidates, Democrats or Republicans, are scrutinized in this way. Clinton is "inhuman" and "robotic" until "Teargate 08" hits and then she's too woman-y and weak to be a leader. No middle ground. Just lovely.
I'm soooooo sick of all the Clinton bashing. No other candidate has to deal with what she does. I don't even really support her, but I don't approve of attacking Clinton in these ridiculously sexist ways. Attack her policies if you don't like what she stands for, but seriously, back off of the woman jokes. It's blatantly obvious that most of these people know nothing about politics.
It you're a man and you support this sexist crap, then you're nothing more than a pathetic, ages-old, and practically expected stereotype, and I hope you can live with yourself for not rising above that. If you're a woman, and you support these kinds of sexist jokes and products bashing her, you're a piss-poor example of what a woman should be. The women who fought for your rights would be ashamed. Thanks for your continual attempts to set us back.
Monday, December 24, 2007
hollllaaaaaaa
Ok, I'm pretty sure that every woman reading this blog has been hollered at in the street... Especially those of us who have lived in metropolitan areas. So you all know that icky, awkward, degraded, pissed off, naked feeling you get when some sleazy, sketch-ball hollers a "hey baby!" or a "shake that ass, baby!" or even something that doesn't even really make sense, (like in the video below), but it's always something sexual. I remember when I was only 14, some guy I passed stopped and waved his arms near me and bent down and yelled, "THANK YOU BABY!" I basically just wondered, for what?!? While I'm sure it is different for every woman, I'm sure it pisses most of us off.
One of the things that inspired me to start this blog happened about 6 months ago. My boyfriend and I were leaving his house, and while he got in the car, I walked out to get the mail from his mailbox. Across the street, his neighbors had construction workers doing their roof, and they all started whistling at me, with my boyfriend right there in the car. I ignored it and tried to pretend I didn't see them all staring me down, and got into the car, visibly upset. My boyfriend hadn't heard them b/c his window was up, and when I told him, I said, "Just drive!!" But he actually got out of the car and started yelling at them.
Why should I have to be degraded like that in my fucking front yard? Or anywhere? Why do so many men, of all ages, think it's cool to treat women like that? Does it make them feel more powerful to see us affected by it? Does it make them feel like real men by putting us "in our place" as women? All that day, I thought about how pissed off I was, at them, yes, but more at myself because I hadn't stood up for myself or given them the finger or told them off or anything. I'm sure many of us can think of a time like this, where we thought of the perfect comeback an hour later.
Well this website is one of my favorites: http://www.hollabacknyc.com/ It's full of women sharing their stories like these, but most of them are soooooo much worse and more degrading and disgusting, like guys exposing themselves to women on the subway, or putting mirrors up their skirts, or actually touching them. But, most of these women do what the web site's title tells us, and holler back at them. Most women take pictures of the assholes and post them on the site. It's fantastic. Check it out, and next time some asshole hollers at you, take his picture and post it. It's not only for NYC, if you go to the site, there's a sidebar with all the sister sites in other cities in the country.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, enjoy the talented Liza Jesse Peterson.
One of the things that inspired me to start this blog happened about 6 months ago. My boyfriend and I were leaving his house, and while he got in the car, I walked out to get the mail from his mailbox. Across the street, his neighbors had construction workers doing their roof, and they all started whistling at me, with my boyfriend right there in the car. I ignored it and tried to pretend I didn't see them all staring me down, and got into the car, visibly upset. My boyfriend hadn't heard them b/c his window was up, and when I told him, I said, "Just drive!!" But he actually got out of the car and started yelling at them.
Why should I have to be degraded like that in my fucking front yard? Or anywhere? Why do so many men, of all ages, think it's cool to treat women like that? Does it make them feel more powerful to see us affected by it? Does it make them feel like real men by putting us "in our place" as women? All that day, I thought about how pissed off I was, at them, yes, but more at myself because I hadn't stood up for myself or given them the finger or told them off or anything. I'm sure many of us can think of a time like this, where we thought of the perfect comeback an hour later.
Well this website is one of my favorites: http://www.hollabacknyc.com/ It's full of women sharing their stories like these, but most of them are soooooo much worse and more degrading and disgusting, like guys exposing themselves to women on the subway, or putting mirrors up their skirts, or actually touching them. But, most of these women do what the web site's title tells us, and holler back at them. Most women take pictures of the assholes and post them on the site. It's fantastic. Check it out, and next time some asshole hollers at you, take his picture and post it. It's not only for NYC, if you go to the site, there's a sidebar with all the sister sites in other cities in the country.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, enjoy the talented Liza Jesse Peterson.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
love it
I couldn't upload this, but go watch it:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6t_tdOkwo
If I drove past these people, I would give them the finger. And then maybe ask if they need a ride to the abortion clinic, because that's where I'll say I'm headed.
Seriously though, I love this video. I love when the old lady says, "Just pray for them," and, "It's between her and her God..." That's correct... So why are you still standing there?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6t_tdOkwo
If I drove past these people, I would give them the finger. And then maybe ask if they need a ride to the abortion clinic, because that's where I'll say I'm headed.
Seriously though, I love this video. I love when the old lady says, "Just pray for them," and, "It's between her and her God..." That's correct... So why are you still standing there?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
