ASCA, Adults Surviving Child Abuse, has just launched a new advertising campaign, which they call “confronting” and “provocative”. It is confronting and provocative, and knowing the origins, I expect that they definitely mean well. But I’m not at all convinced… Read More ›
Sociology
Quickhit: How Hollywood made its heroines weight-obsessed and man mad
Hollywood heroines are being increasingly portrayed as neurotic, idiotic and obsessed by men, weight and weddings, a professor at Oxford University has claimed.
Dr Diane Purkiss, who is a fellow at Keble College, argued that over the past five decades the film industry has made its female characters “dumber and dumber”. The latest slew of chick-flicks, including He’s Just Not That Into You and Confessions of a Shopaholic, fall prey to the “worst kind of regressive, pre-feminist stereotype of misogynistic cliche,” she added.
Women as wheelbarrows: Italian PM wants woman in coma alive as fetus container
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in consultation with the Vatican, is trying to overturn a court order to remove the feeding tubes from a woman who has been in a coma for 17 years and been assessed as having no… Read More ›
Review: In Bed With
A couple of weeks ago, I was intrigued by an article in The Guardian, by columnist Libby Brooks, which discusses recent publications of erotic fiction written for and by women, focusing particularly on In Bed With, an anthology edited by Kathy Lette, boasting contributions from a number of well-known women (who nonetheless hide behind a “nom de porn”—name of first pet followed by name of first street).
Brooks’ article has a definite feminist slant to it, and she speculates that Lette’s project (and others like it) could be used to counter the “raunch culture”
Damnit, dykes, you’re so good at sport but would it kill you to wear frickin’ heels? (Guest post by bluemilk)
This guest post is by blue milk.
Imagine the disappointment. You’re a female athlete, who is talented enough to have turned professional a couple of years ago, and you’re also a gorgeous model – you should be everywhere, you should be raking in the dollars, but much as you love your sport it is kinda pulling you down.. its reputation isn’t as sexy as you are.
You’re Anna Rawson and you play golf and damn it, you expect the sisterhood to understand your dilemma because it isn’t fair, men’s golf gets all the attention and all the money. Why is that?
Salma Hayek cross-nurses needy baby in Africa
Remember the fuss over Salma Hayek being “abusive” because she was “still” feeding her toddler?
Salma Hayek took a humanitarian trip to Sierra Leone. This video[1] shows her being there for the death of a baby from tetanus, speaking to a UNICEF representative, and travelling to a remote part of Sierra Leone.
Latisse hits the market.
Glaucoma drug Lumigan (bimatoprost) has been rebadged as Latisse. I’ve talked about the development of bimatoprost into a cosmetic product here in the past.
Latisse joins Botox, Lap-Band, Natrelle breast implants, and collagen injections and implants, in Allergan’s fleecing-women stable of products. No matter what part of your body the Patriarchy has made you feel insecure about, if you have heaps of time, pots of cash, and
Down Under Feminists Carnival! At the Hand Mirror
The team at the Hand Mirror has put together a terrific Ninth Down Under Feminists Carnival.
There’s a bit of humourless feminism, a bit of action feminism, some sex, some parenting, conversations about rape and violence, Gaza, immigration, homophobia, Muslim feminism, women of substance and special snowflakes, pop culture, media, and other bits and pieces. Check it out.
QotWeek
Pavlov’s Cat, over at LP’s discussion on Helen’s post about the Rudd government’s failure to lift our Australian version of the Global Gag Rule:
Another slice of stupid
Look, even in these tough economics times we can still find the time to be contemptuous of women and their frivolous pursuits
Hoyden About Town 