Category Archives: Feminism and Culture

“Even Walmart stocks French Maid costumes for dogs.”

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Ann Bartow

This may make you hate life for a few minutes. It chronicles the popularity of “sexy” Halloween costumes for … dogs. Walmart has apparently sold out of this costume: But other vendors are making good money selling costumes like this: … Continue reading →

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Martha Nussbaum on Aging and Self-Loathing

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

Martha Nussbaum writes here in the New Republic, “It’s Time to Take Back Our Aging, Smelly Bodies: Why it’s Important to Resist Shame and Disgust.”  Here is an excerpt: In the 1970s, we women used to talk about loving our own bodies. Inspired … Continue reading →

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Men, Do You Consider Yourself a Feminist? An Infographic

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

Source: Here, at Maclean’s. -Bridget Crawford

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How Not To Review Women’s Writing

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Ann Bartow

Over at The Toast, Mallory Ortberg writes: I have gone back and forth several times over the last few days on whether or not it would be worth addressing Adam Plunkett’s New Yorker.com review of poet Patricia Lockwood’s latest book … Continue reading →

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“Men Explain Things to Me” by Rebecca Solnit

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ann Bartow

Soraya Chemaly published an interview with Rebecca Solnit here. Below is an excerpt: You know, I had a wonderful conversation about a month ago with a young Ph.D. candidate at U.C. Berkeley. I’ve been a little bit squeamish about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Feminists in Academia | Comments Off

For the Judith Butler Fans

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Ann Bartow

An interview entitled “A Very Carefully Crafted F**k You” from 2010. Below is an excerpt: Guernica: The hawkish wing in the “war on terror” has quite effectively claimed the banner of feminism. Is feminism as it has been articulated in … Continue reading →

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Does Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia believe society is eroding because women use the ‘F-word’?

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Ann Bartow

That’s what this article effing claims.

Posted in Courts and the Judiciary, Feminism and Culture, Sociolinguistics | Comments Off

Pubic Hair and Feminism

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

‘Cause we keep track of certain trends (e.g., here), the “Full-Bush Brazilian” article in the NY Magazine caught our interest: My bikini-waxer, Jola, recently told me about a pubic-grooming configuration I had not heard of, which patrons of her Williamsburg … Continue reading →

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BDSM and Feminism

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

Writer Kathy Kulig asks here, “BDSM and Feminism – Can They Coexist?” In a recent interview, I was asked whether I thought the BDSM lifestyle and feminism conflicted. I thought it would be an interesting topic for discussion. I think … Continue reading →

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MUST READ: “In praise of Joanne Rowling’s Hermione Granger series” By Sady Doyle

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Ann Bartow

The most brilliant feminist essay I have read in ages. Simple, yet revolutionary. Not sure how I missed it in 2011 but very glad I got to read it at last.

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bell hooks on the State of the Feminist Movement

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

In an interview with Kevin Powell over at BK Nation, author Gloria Watkins talks about the state of the feminist movement today: I think feminism has gone the way of all our movements for social justice: Stuck on a pause. … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Politics | 1 Comment

Gender Disparity In Book Reviewing and Related Occupations

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Christine Corcos

The New York Times’ Julie Bosman reports on VIDA’s annual survey of book reviews appearing in leading publications. VIDA: Women in Literary Arts reports that these reviews are overwhelmingly written by men. Ms. Bosman reports that Ruth Franklin at  the New … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and the Arts, Feminism and the Workplace, The Underrepresentation of Women | Comments Off

CFP: Special Issue of the Journal of Lesbian Studies//Pat Parker and Judy Grahn: Where Would I Be Without You?

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Bridget Crawford

From the FLP mailbox: 2016 will mark the fortieth anniversary of the only spoken word album produced by Olivia Records,  Where Would I Be Without You? Featuring the poems of Judy Grahn and Pat Parker, Where Would I Be Without … Continue reading →

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Another Thoughtful Take on “Leaning In,” This One By bell hooks, and Called “Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In”

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Ann Bartow

Read it here at The Feminist Wire. Below is an excerpt: Sandberg’s definition of feminism begins and ends with the notion that it’s all about gender equality within the existing social system. From this perspective, the structures of imperialist white … Continue reading →

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Read Susan Faludi on “Facebook Feminism”

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Ann Bartow

Unlike so many trite reviews of the “Lean In” phenomenon, Faludi brilliantly contextualizes her critique. Available at The Baffler, excerpt below: … In 1834, America’s first industrial wage earners, the “mill girls” of Lowell, Massachusetts, embarked on their own campaign … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Discrimination, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Law, Feminism and Technology | Comments Off

Two New Female Lego Minifigures Have Been Released: Let’s Call Them “Progress” and “Backlash.”

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Ann Bartow

The first is a female scientist: According to this site, “This latest minifig is significant because she’s the first female Lego scientist. For reasons unknown most Lego STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) minifigs are male.” The second Series 11 … Continue reading →

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What’s Feminism Got to Do with It? “The Super Woman Myth”

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Tamara Piety

Once again there is an article blaming feminism for “raising the bar too high” and making it impossible for real women to “have it all. “The Super Woman Myth: Where Feminism Went Wrong  (Unfortunately this article is behind a pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Families, Feminism and Politics, Feminism and the Workplace | Tagged | Comments Off

OK! Magazine Apologizes For Story, Cover, About Duchess of Cambridge’s Post-Partum “Weight Loss Regime”

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Christine Corcos

OK! magazine has apologized for a story and cover (which OK! calls “the Royal Baby special, and sells for one pound), discussing Princess Catherine’s “weight loss regime” which it published just before she gave birth to an eight pound six … Continue reading →

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Motherlode

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Tamara Piety

Came across this the other day in the New York Times, “Generic Pain Relievers Work, So Why Do I Give My Kids Brand Names?” Why indeed? Could it possibly be the influence of non-stop advertising intended to convey the vague … Continue reading →

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Women’s work

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Tamara Piety

I heard from some  who thought I was a bit too harsh in my criticism of the New York Times article Coveting Not a Corner Office, but Time at Home.  I admit, I was irked. I was more than irked. … Continue reading →

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More push back on Sheryl Sandberg

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Tamara Piety

In today’s New York Times we are treated to yet another installment of the cultural push back to Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” in an article entitled “Coveting Not a Corner Office, but Time at Home.” The article is really gag-making … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism, Employment Discrimination, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Families, Feminism and the Workplace, The Overrepresentation of Men, The Underrepresentation of Women | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Media Literacy: About Face

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Tamara Piety

I have my doubts about how effective media literacy efforts alone can be at combating gender stereotypes. It seems like an uphill battle in the current environment. But About-Face is one organization that is trying to do something. I blogged … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and the Environment, Feminist Blogs Of Interest | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Women in the Texas Legislature: Lessons in Individual Actions that Serve to Empower Movements

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Maritza Reyes

Thank you to Senator Wendy R. Davis and to Senator Leticia Van de Putte for, among other things, standing up for equality.  It may have only been a battle and not a war, but Senator Davis’ filibuster of the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Activism, Employment Discrimination, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Families, Feminism and Law, Feminism and Politics, Feminism and the Workplace, If you're a woman, Justice?, Reproductive Rights | Comments Off

Defining Pregnancy In Law

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Christine Corcos

Khiara M. Bridges, Boston University School of Law, has published When Pregnancy Is an Injury: Rape, Law  and Culture, at 65 Stanford Law Review 457 (2013). Here is the abstract.        This Article examines criminal statutes that grade more … Continue reading →

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Of Husband Hunting and Diamond Mines

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Lolita Buckner Inniss

There has been a tremendous dust-up in response to Susan Patton’s (a member of the Princeton class of 1977) letter to the Daily Princetonian.  In her letter, Patton exhorts Princeton women to begin the task of husband hunting in their … Continue reading →

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All the “Ladies” in the House? Women, Put Your Hands Up (Gloves Off)

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Bridget Crawford

Author Ann Friedman writes in the New Republic “Hey ‘Ladies': The Unlikely Revival of a Fusty Old Label.”  Here is an excerpt: With its slippery meaning—associations range from grandma’s lavender-scented powder to the raunchiest of rap lyrics—it encapsulates the fundamental … Continue reading →

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Most Women Don’t Want Power and Status, She Says

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Bridget Crawford

Kay S. Hymowitz of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research writes in the City Journal about “The Plight of the Alpha Female.”  Here’s her explanation for the lack of gender parity in the highest ranks of business, government, academia: [W]omen … Continue reading →

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There is something flawed about this pitch for mammography custom

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Via.

Posted in Bloggenpheffer, Feminism and Culture | Comments Off

A handy guide for discerning the gender of a toy!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Ann Bartow
Posted in Bloggenpheffer, Feminism and Culture | Comments Off

Today Frank Bruni Sounds Like a Feminist!

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Seriously, check out his column The Siren and The Spook (below is an excerpt): … Broadwell has just 13 percent body fat, according to a recent measurement. Did you know that? Did you need to? It came up nonetheless. And … Continue reading →

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“War on Women, Waged in Postcards: Memes From the Suffragist Era”

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Here. Below is one of the featured postcards.

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Politics, Feminist Legal History | Comments Off

You won’t see Glamour linked to on this blog very often…

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Ann Bartow

But this short feature about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is very nice.

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“A Cultural History of Mansplaining”

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Here at The Atlantic.

Posted in Feminism and Culture, If you're a woman | Comments Off

“A school reveals it has a “Fantasy Slut League””

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Ann Bartow

An excerpt just won’t do this article justice. Read the entire piece here.

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Pornography's Harms, Sex and Sexuality, Sexism in the Media, Sociolinguistics | Comments Off

“The War on Twelve Year Old Girls”

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Subtitled: “An epidemic of high-profile trolling is a testament to how pathological misogyny is — and how early it begins,” you can read the entire piece by Mary Elizabeth Williams at Salon. …. And if you require any further proof, … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts of Violence, Feminism and Culture, If you're a woman, Masculinity, Pornography's Harms, Sexism in the Media, Sexual Harassment, The Overrepresentation of Women | Comments Off

“Bad Feminist” By Roxane Gay

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Here. Below in an excerpt: There’s also this: lately, magazines have been telling me there’s something wrong with feminism or women trying to achieve a work/life balance or just women in general. The Atlantic has led the way in these … Continue reading →

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“Amanda Todd’s Story: Struggling, Bullying, Suicide, Self Harm #RIPAmandaTodd”

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Watch this video and think about what this girl went through.

Posted in Acts of Violence, Coerced Sex, Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Technology | Comments Off

“Girls’s Costume Warehouse”

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Ann Bartow

A classic that is still relevant and hilarious (and maybe NSFW depending on your employer’s views about cussing): For some feminist commentary on this phenomenon go here. –Ann Bartow

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“Sorry, Plus-Size Women: You’re Too Fat To Dress As Fat Disney Character For Halloween”

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Go to this post at The Consumerist to read a post that begins: I always loved Disney villain Ursula, the portly six-legged sea-witch who swaps the Litte Mermaid’s tail for a pair of legs in return for her lovely singing … Continue reading →

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Interview with cartoonist Cathy Guisewite

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Here. “Cathy was the first widely syndicated humor strip created by a woman. The strip was pretty revolutionary at the time not only because it starred a female, but also because it was so emotionally honest about all the conflicting … Continue reading →

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The Kiss Was Forced On Her

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Check out “The Kissing Sailor, or “The Selective Blindness of Rape Culture” at Crates and Ribbons. It explains that in the famous photo below, the sailor was a stranger to the nurse, and he forced himself on her. That’s not a … Continue reading →

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One of the original “Chiquita Banana” commercials

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Ann Bartow

So much going on here! Courtesy of an awesome college student.

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“IKEA Regrets Women Erased From Saudi Catalog”

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Compare the annual IKEA catalogs disbursed around the world and they are nearly identical, save for a slight difference. The difference is not in the Swedish translations of the furniture or the mock layouts of the numerous living rooms in … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Sexism in the Media, Sisters In Other Nations | Comments Off

“In fact, many European researchers say the test of a mature bike-sharing program is when women outnumber men. In the Netherlands, 52 percent of riders are women. Instead of promoting helmet use, European cycling advocates say, cities should be setting up safer bike lanes to slow traffic or divert it entirely from downtown areas. “Riding in New York or Australia is like running with the bulls — it’s all young males,” says Julian Ferguson, a spokesman for the European Cyclists’ Federation. And that’s in part what makes it dangerous.”

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Ann Bartow

That is an excerpt from this article, which criticizes mandatory bike helmet laws.

Posted in Feminism and Culture | 1 Comment

Staten Island Borough President Calls Lady Gaga a ‘Slut,’ Manhattan Borough President Defends Her, Pace Law Professor Wishes Politicians Would Simply Leave Artist Alone

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Ann Bartow

Brief news account of slut calling by James Molinaro here. Response by Scott Stringer here. The Pace Law Professor who wishes both of them would focus on making NYC a better place for all citizens and let Lady Gaga get … Continue reading →

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Iranian Women Now Barred From Numerous College Majors Including Engineering, Nuclear Physics, Computer Science, English Literature, Archaeology and Business.

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Ann Bartow

From the BBC News: More than 30 universities have introduced new rules banning female students from almost 80 different degree courses. These include a bewildering variety of subjects from engineering, nuclear physics and computer science, to English literature, archaeology and … Continue reading →

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Ever wonder how the USDOJ defines stalking?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Ann Bartow

According to this site: Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Stalking can include: Repeated, unwanted, … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts of Violence, Feminism and Culture, Women's Health | 1 Comment

“Creepshots and revenge porn: how paparazzi culture affects women”

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Ann Bartow

That’s the title of this article. Below is an excerpt: … Charlotte Laws first encountered these sites in January this year, after her daughter Kayla, who is in her mid-20s, had her computer hacked. In Kayla’s email account was one … Continue reading →

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‘Why Are There No Women Writers in Vogue’s Edith Wharton Spread?”

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Ann Bartow

That is the title of this Slate article, which notes: … Several hundred writers and fans had descended upon The Mount, Edith Wharton’s country house in Lenox, Mass., to celebrate the author’s 150th birthday with three days of panels and … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism and Culture, The Underrepresentation of Women, Where are the Women? | Comments Off

‎”A large proportion of the other advanced democracies in the world combine a commitment to free speech with rules prohibiting hate speech. Isn’t it worth considering how they do this? And why? No one is burning the constitution here. We’re just trying to think about it.”

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Ann Bartow

From this NYT piece by Jeremy Waldron. Here is an excerpt: Democracies like Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Canada and New Zealand all prohibit hate speech of various kinds. They do so for what they think are good reasons. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism and Culture, Feminism and Law | 1 Comment