The Eleventh Down Under Feminists’ Carnival
It’s finally up! I hope you all enjoyed the free frozen margarita’s yesterday, but just a word of warning – you may need to continue with an alcohol buzz whilst reading this. Lots of anger making stuff to follow.
POLITICS
In case you were under the impression you’re valued for your mind or success as a woman, Deborah presents an Important memo for women of substance and achievement and Melanie McFarlane presents Guest post by Melanie Macfarlane: When I Grow Up: Taking Career Advice from the TV at Larvatus Prodeo both posted at Larvatus Prodeo. Carol looks at homophobia as a way to keep successful women politicians down in The Hand Mirror: Guest post: We’re all lesbians now: undermining powerful women posted at The Hand Mirror, while over at Hoyden About Town, Lauredhel dissects the misogyny in a speech by Colin Barnett in Fish-wives, Mr Premier?
VIOLENCE AND RAPE
Deborah draws the line very nicely between consent and not consent in On rape and consent at In a strange land. If only this were compulsory reading for everyone. Blue milk takes on the unenviable task of looking at Bettina Arndt’s stinking pile of shit regarding sex and marriage in Re-post: Sex to save the family at blue milk as does Richie in Bettina Arndt full of shit; Bear-Pope remains Catholic and opposed to use of portable lavatories at Crimitism. Tigtog has an in depth post on Rape myths, rape myth acceptance, and community perceptions of victims of sexual violence and Lauredhel has one about a specific case, “My daughter keeps asking if the naughty man is in jail” … and he’s not at Hoyden About Town.
MEDIA
Rachel Hills tackles media representations of body image in A naked woman walks into a bar… and Cosmo asks the patrons to list everything that’s wrong with her body. posted at Musings of an inappropriate woman and Helen looks at a different kind of image in The writer and the cartoonist posted at Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony. Rachel Hills also presents a critique of an Ask Sam post in Could you go a month without casual sex? and a nostalgic look at her love of the “outrageous ones” in Loving Courtney Loveat Musings of an inappropriate woman.
FAMILY AND WORK
Spilt Milk has a thoughtful post about feminism and motherhood, Feminist mothers, at Spilt Milk . Blue milk has a post on why it’s so important to fight for paid maternity leave, We must not walk away from this fight and one on daring to want to work whilst pregnant, without dealing with sexist comments from misogynistic shits in Pregnancy as public property at blue milk. Lauredhel looks at the different consequences of getting pregnant for different classes in Some women are afraid of being mummy-tracked; others are afraid of being fired posted at Hoyden About Town and mscate discusses breastfeeding at work in Bothersome babies and breast feeding at The Dawn Chorus. At Musings of an inappropriate woman Rachel Hills posts about a Mia Freedman article in The New Young Domestic Goddess: is happiness found in a rolling pin?
LANGUAGE
Blue milk reviews ‘my little red book’ and examines her experiences while she’s at it in There is always a story in your ‘first’ posted at blue milk.
HEALTH AND DISABILITY
Unlike the mainstream media, Lauredhel presents an informed take on alcohol intake and breastfeeding in Alcohol and Breastfeeding: NHMRC buys into abstinence-only messaging and takes on “infamous psychiatrist Simon Wessely” in CFS/ME and “faulty illness beliefs”: The incredible hubris of the psychiatro-patriarchal complex at Hoyden About Town. The ex-expat examines the difficulties with being different in our patriarchal society in Daring to be different posted at The Hand Mirror.
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Looking Glass Alice tells us why she’s sick of birthing choices being questioned in Looking glass Alice examines birthand parenting in our culture. – Why Freebirth? Aren’t you a little tired of being asked? posted at Looking Glass Alice and Rebekka looks at two events on the “alternative to a doctor when birthing” front in First time for everything posted at Bek’s blog. Lauredhel dissects the data on baby fat and finds nothing to panic about in More confected fat-baby epidemic panic? The “increasing trend” that isn’t. at Hoyden About Town whilst Jule’s post The Hand Mirror: “A mad abortion debate” by Dr Margaret Sparrow counters some anti-abortionist arguments at The Hand Mirror. Nikki just wanted a night out without the shit head comments in What is this? 1950? posted at Tales of the Red Headed Devil Child
GENERAL FEMINISM
Kitsuchi discusses the mythical existence of a female musician in No women on stage, please… at Much Better Sundays and Audrey is pissed off (you should be too!) about the depiction of a netball captain in Blatantly shit posted at AUDREY AND THE BAD APPLES. Fuckpoliteness adds to her Wall of Awesome in And the Martha Gellhorn Wall of Awesome evolves posted at Fuck Politeness. Another great International Women’s Day post is up over at Hoyden About Town by Helen, International Women’s day: On being the Groke and Podblack has a post the vatican’s thoughts on this day, I Was Liberated By A Washing Machine And Yet Excommunicated For Standing Up For My Child’s Rights posted at PodBlack Cat. stargazer struggles with the choice between being right and being happy in The Hand Mirror: rights or wrongs posted at The Hand Mirror. Rachel Hills presents an excerpt from Kathleen Bogle’s book inEveryone hates a slut, but no one knows what one is and explains why Why we’re not that into He’s Just Not That Into You at Musings of an inappropriate woman. Chally faces difficult questions and decisions in Contextual activism posted at Zero at the Bone.
OTHER
Made in Melbourne celebrated International Women’s Day with The women I love posted at madeinmelbourne.
Anne Else has a piece up about stripping and stag nights, Back to school, at Elsewoman whilst rayedish works through her religious journey thus far in That’s me in the corner losing my religion posted at The Radical Radish. Kakariki has a new finished tapestry piece to celebrate all the unloved and unappreciated women’s work in our op shops and to ask some questions about land and raise some funds for the Lex Wotton support fund in Oh Sorry, was that your land? posted at Radical Cross Stitch. Rachel Hills presents Not all articles about “hooking up” have to be patronising and alarmist. and also explains why, for her, the personal is political in Sex and relationships: not just silly “women’s business” at Musings of an inappropriate woman and Jo Tamar unpacks sentiments regarding Scholarships and support for indigenous students at Wallaby
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And that’s it! Lots of good reads in there to keep you busy until the twelfth edition planned for 5th May, hosted by Chally at Zero At The Bone. Submissions to chally.zeroatthebone at gmail dot com for those who can’t access blogcarnival. And don’t forget to consider hosting a carnival yourself whilst continuing to submit!
Ideologically Impure
Read this. Seriously, I have nothing to add, that post is eight hundred different kinds of awesome at getting its message across and I want all of you to go read it. Now. If it means you don’t read any other single post on this blog, I don’t care.* Go.
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*please don’t actually LEAVE me though 😦 (It opens in a new window, if that helps?)
Gilmore Girls
I used to love this show. I found it to be awesome and funny and sad and heartwarming all at the same time. However, I have recently started re-watching it from season one, and I’m up to mid season six. And I’m seriously disturbed.
The amount of racism, sizeism and misogyny contained in each episode is disgusting. It’s not there to highlight how wrong society is, it’s not played out by characters we’re meant to hate. It’s all there by characters we’re supposed to love. And we’re supposed to find it funny. most people probably do find it funny. Why?? This is a show that could have been awesomely feminist and groundbreaking. It’s not. Not even close.
And, to top of this toxic cocktail of hatred, most of the men in relationships display traits common of abusers. Why on earth would the writers, producers and directors display such traits in men we’re supposed to like?? Luke is downright scary in the way he talks to Lorelai when they fight. Zach’s Giant Baby act and his psychotic jealousy are all dangerous warning signs, but we’re expected to cheer when he proposes.
Why do showmakers find it so hard to throw the misogyny out the window when creating these shows?
I used to think feminism ruined entertainment for me. Now I wonder why on earth shows are made that insult, degrade and demean such a large portion of the population, and why the powers that be are ruining entertainment for me.
Next time: Grey’s Anatomy.. don’t even get me started…
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