2011 Interesting Articles

Figured it was time for a new thread for the new year. These are a few of the more interesting articles that have popped up on my radar in recent days.

The Economist has an interesting piece about British efforts to combat sex crimes against sex workers. I think the approach they're taking is a very reasoned and intelligent one.

The previous week's edition also had an article on a similar theme, this time discussing rape as a weapon of war. It's harrowing reading but does an impressive job of conveying the scale of the problem and the many reasons for its existence.

By contrast, here's a light piece from Salon wondering why some people are uncomfortable discussing pornography with their partners.

fannyprice>

The current issue of Bitch Magazine also has an article about A Strange Stirring. I found the difference in emphasis between the two articles pretty interesting.

>3 Trismegistus:, Tri, thanks for the link. The Bitch article was definitely better!

Tri -- thanks for the great link!

Egyptian doctor, author & feminist Nawal El Saadawi speaks about the revolution in Egypt

"Now, almost age 80, I have lived to witness and participate in the Egyptian Revolution of 25 January 2011.

I am writing this Sunday morning 6 February 2011. For 12 days and nights now, millions of Egyptian women and men, Muslims and Christians, people of all ideologies and beliefs—the Egyptian people—have continued to unite under the banner of spontaneous popular revolution. They unite against the existing corrupt, tyrannical system, rotten from the head to the feet of the modern Pharaoh. His throne is sticky with the blood of the people, as his ruling party releases thugs to kill the young, and parliament’s deputies forge fake laws, while trading in land and women, drugs and bribes. His so-called educated elite long ago sold its pens and conscience, misleading public opinion, all for the interests of positions in government, large or small.

But this revolution has launched young women, men, and even children from their homes, driving them forward, protecting each other. So the old order is falling..." (See the link above to read more)

Also, if you missed this:

"The Count" a study of 2010 publishing disparities by VIDA: Women in the Literary Arts.

Also, here is a Slate.com article about the study. I thought the author's explanation for the disparities a bit tentative - as if she is afraid of offending her fellow literati. My response to her would be: All of the above, Meghan, all of the above.

I just saw this interesting article about male contraceptives. I know, they're always 5 years away, but it's interesting to see the progress being made.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149748/birth_control_for_men_3_promising_advances?...

Avaland, thanks for the interesting Slate article. How many times must this disparity be noticed before anything changes?

Have you heard about the 11 year old girl who was gang raped? This is the New York Times article about the incident:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/09assault.html?_r=1&hpl

This is an AlterNet response to the article:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/513829/11-year-old_girl_horrificall...

The woman quoted in the first article who sympathised that “These boys have to live with this the rest of their lives.” As if the gang rape were something that had happened to them against their will. What are people thinking?

Here's an interview with Vyckie Garrison author of the No Longer Quivering blog (http://nolongerquivering.com/) about the patriarchal Quiverfull movement: http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2011/06/27/born-breed-interview-quiverfull-wa...

Finding this a little late, but thanks for pointing me to that, OtherJoyce. I'm endlessly fascinated by the Quiverfull quacks.

Thanks Citzenjoyce for that link. That article really was a shocking piece of journalism, basically inviting us to feel sorry for the perpetrators of the rape and their families. The worrying attitudes that many people still exhibit around rape, rapists and rape victims should trouble us all.

On a slightly related note, here is a rather unbelievable website that I stumbled across by mistake. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't believe existed if I hadn't found it myself. It's basically a troll cave full of anti-feminists. Enjoy (if that is the right word, either that or, get ready to be appalled, but I think it's probably best to remain light hearted in the face of such naked stupidity)
http://antimisandry.com/articles/

HanGerg, yes, antimisandry is notorious for the stupid. And sometimes all you can do is laugh at the utter absurdity of it all.

For those who, like me, really do want to point and laugh at extreme woman and queer hating, I suggest you check out David Futrelle's frequently uproarious blog, Manboobz. The blog's motto is "Misogyny. I mock it." and Futrelle and his intrepid band of dedicated commenters (a great mix of ciswomen, cismen and trans/queer folk of all descriptions) pull no punches when it comes to ridiculing haters. Definitely not a site for those freaked out by strong language or unconventional personalities but a great, fun, fully-committed feminist internet location for those of us who believe mockery makes the best ammo and laughter can change world.

Thanks for the link marietherese. I checked out Manbooz and loved it!

Thanks for posting this link. I enjoyed it.

Not an article, but a series of videos, starting with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJUxqkcnKA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Comments on pop culture and feminism.

Thanks, Other Joyce. I watched about half of them. You can't say feminism is dead as long as we have intelligent, perceptive, articulate women such as these stating the case against discrimination so clearly.

>17 Nickelini: Ah, yes, I think the Feminist Frequency videos are great.

http://www.msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/10/10/ms-readers-100-best-non-fiction-b...

Ms magazine lists their idea of the 100 most important feminist texts (actually, I think this might be a reader poll). I'm surprised at how many I've read, considering I've just recently started reading feminist non-fiction.

Joyce, I follow Ms. Magazine in Google Reader and have enjoyed this series! I think you're right, it was a reader poll.. but I definitely enjoyed ticking off the ones I've read and have added a lot to my amazon wishlist!

Thanks, OtherJoyce. It's depressing how many of them I haven't read, but I have read several and have several waiting in my library for me.

Interesting list but I suspect the numbers voting on it were extremely small and not especially well or widely read (seriously, Michael Chabon's 'Manhood for Amateurs' is number 71 but Voltairine de Cleyre, Alexandra Kollontai, Luce Irigaray and even a recent media darling like Virginie Despentes don't appear at all. Ummm, yeah...).

Beyond the Woolf, I don't think any of the top 10 would have made my personal ten best or most influential list (hell, they wouldn't have made my top 50) but I imagine with a reader poll like this that currency and availability plays a huge role. Still, I find it kind of sad how limited this list is and how few women outside of the English speaking world it features. Knowing "who" voted on this list (mainly folks from North America, mainly young people, mainly browsers directed to the poll from Facebook or whatever) and how many voted might be interesting and might shed some light on what was voted for and why.

Is anyone familiar with Cindy Gallop?

Here's her X-rated TED talk: http://blog.ted.com/2009/12/02/cindy_gallop_ma/

and here's her website: Make Love Not Porn

What do you think?

I'm kind of stuck on a related problem right now . . . one of my daughter's 15 year old friends is obviously getting her ideas about sex from porn. Apparently she has been asking guys at school things like "do you like it when girls squirt" and talking about fisting. She's extremely pretty, seemingly self-confident girl who is active in sports and gets good grades. She's not allowed to date until next year, and I know her well enough to know that she is abiding by that rule. I know her parents well and while they seem liberal and reasonable, I think they have their heads in the sand when it comes to stuff like this. Any suggestions? Should I talk to her mother? What should my daughter say to her? Ideas?

Her parents have their heads in the sand about the things she says or the damage done by pornographic objectification? Being liberal people are they, as she said in her talk, unwilling to seem oppressive by criticizing porn? Is she a very close friend of your daughter's? Will she try to make your daughter seem like a prude if she states that some pornographic acts are not freeing, they are enslaving? I'm glad you and your daughter can talk about these things, I wonder if she and her parents can.

I think her parents think that she's a good girl who wouldn't possibly have those ideas (even though they have the TV on all the time and watch a lot of reality television). And she IS a "good" girl, whatever that is. That's why this bothers me. I want to tell her that she has no idea what she's saying, and she's too smart and has too much going for her to go around to 15 year old boys feeding them porn talk. I'm thinking that the conversations with her parents that should be happening, aren't. But then I wonder: am I having the right conversations with my daughters? It's a confusing world to raise teenagers in! Anyway, in my search for answers, I stopped by the library today and picked up Female Chauvinist Pigs: the Rise of Raunch Culture, by Ariel Levy.

What does your daughter think? Does she think her friend is going in the wrong direction? I know adults who think that soap operas and reality TV show life the way it is or should be, and I know when we were growing up my sister thought other kids grew up in Leave it to Beaver homes. I imagine you hate to think of the ways she's going to limit her sexuality by trying to be someone's porn idea.

I'm not exactly sure what my daughter thinks, but she pulled me aside and said "hey Mom, I have to tell you what she's saying, . . . " and "She's getting ALL her ideas about sex from porn," so she's not thinking it's good! My daughter thinks she's making a fool of herself, but my concern is more that she's setting herself up for an unhealthy sex life in the future.--one based on something unreal, based on performance not pleasure, and ultimately, something that does not fulfill her needs.

You might want to take a look at Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, too.

#29 - Have you read Pornland? It's on my wishlist, but I've heard mixed reviews on it.

Yikes! Wish I could offer some advice, but teen sexuality and parents are always tricky . . . How well do you know the parents?

my concern is more that she's setting herself up for an unhealthy sex life in the future.--one based on something unreal, based on performance not pleasure

Sounds like a valid concern.

Makes me wish the school or a youth group or someone could have a frank sex eduction discussion - but as we all know, that's pretty much impossible in public schools. I guess, if you get an opportunity to open up a private discussion with her, I'd take it.

Makes me wish the school or a youth group or someone could have a frank sex eduction discussion - but as we all know, that's pretty much impossible in public schools.

Actually, since you posted your reply, I found out that learning about contraception is part of the grade 10 curriculum here in British Columbia, even in my daughter's Catholic school. Yea!

Well, in the US if some of our presidential contenders got their way, we would do away with the horrible, inhumane practice of contraception. I'm so glad the anti choice people are starting to show just how completely anti choice they are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SphkzmyziMs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC6GxktGdww&feature=related

http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/lesbian-tort...

But we can help...

http://www.change.org/petitions/fiscal-general-del-estado-close-fake-clinics-tha...

Wow. Thanks for sharing.

I'll bet no one ever accuses you of being a Pollyanna, do they 7sistersapphist? That was such a strange article because I'd thought, at least here in the US, the emphasis was on "curing" male homosexuals. How many horrors are there in the world that we're not aware of? I liked the comment of one man on the petition page When are they going to open a clinic to cure our super greedy and uncaring...? That's the question, and the answer is never because the emphasis on people's differences is what keeps the greedy and uncaring in power.

Eve Ensler on rape: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-ensler/over-it_b_1089013.html

Women take to the streets in Egypt...

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/20/9588224-egyptians-rally-to-prote...

Do they really have a chance? One always hopes.

Just catching up here, it's been a while since I've made it over here.

>24 Nickelini: I sympathize. It seems every era is a tough one to bring kids up in.