When men disagree with others it’s a robust addition to free speech, when women disagree with men it’s to silence them
This time it’s women objecting to sexist content in the professional magazine for the Science Fiction Writers Of America who are causing Deep Rifts™.
The words people cling to
The important point here is that we shouldn’t accept superficially casual dismissals of ‘vocabulary wars,’ ‘fetishization,’ or ‘language policing.’ We should look closely at the words people cling to with the most tenacity, even as they try to sound blas? about it..
Quick Link – Tropes vs. Women in Video Games by Anita Sarkeesian (recovered)
In time for International Women’s Day in Australia the first of Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes vs. Women in Video Games has been released. This one is the Damsel in Distress trope.
The cost of mockery in Australian politics
Prime Minister Gillard’s looks would be irrelevant except that everything about her, including her appearance, has been represented in the media in such an incredibly hostile manner that you’ll be genuinely taken aback when you meet her. And it’s depressing, as a woman, to see this for yourself – the contrast between the Prime Minister as she appears, in person, and how you think she looks based on her appearance in the media.
Two headlines
Eva Cox in The Conversation: Tony Abbott: a confused, conservative sexist, but not a misogynist.
Milanda Rout in The Australian (paywalled): Feminist insists Abbott no misogynist.
Quelle surprise.
“Most of our choices, as women, are looked upon with scorn”
Society sets us up to judge the choices of others, creating “wars” and “catfights” rather than encouraging us to press for change.
Nugget of Awesome: self-identified feminists holding deeply toxic ideas about women
Being a feminist is not a merit badge you pin to your sash one time or an achievement you unlock; it’s a journey outside the borders of ingrained belief and a process of self-correction.
Quicklink: Tansy Rayner Roberts unpacks Historically Authentic Sexism in Fantasy
history – the process of writing down and preserving of the facts, not the facts/events themselves – was looking the other way
Nugget of Awesome: welcome to evo psych redux
[Evolutionary psychology hardly covers] the evolution of morality, the evolution of politics, of cuture, of the artistic sense, etc … There is instead an obsessive focus on gender roles.
Quick Hit: Latest from the Geena Davis Institute
The latest report from the Geena Davis Institute is the very detailed “Gender Roles & Occupations: A Look at Character Attributes and Job-Related Aspirations in Film and Television”. Most people are aware that women and girls are underrepresented as speaking characters in film and television, but you may still be shocked by how much.
Is Australia more feminist?
The Australian prime minister Julia Gillard’s labelling of the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, a “misogynist” has become the focus of intense debate both in Australia and here in the UK. What has been most striking for me is the recent news that Gillard received a huge boost in her Australian approval ratings immediately [...]
Fallacy Watch: No True Klansman
I may have contributed to a new term for a rhetorical ploy we see more and more. Here’s how it happened – I’m rather proud of this coinage, but wonder whether we may be reinventing the fallacious wheel. Is there an already apt term in rhetorical jargon?
When is anger allowed?
If you raise these issues when Gillard is riding high, you are accused of trying to bring her down. If you raise the issue when Gillard is trailing in the polls you are accused of trying to destroy her chances. If you raise these issues when everything is going smoothly then you are accused of rocking the boat.
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