A video game where people punch women in their vaginas.

*sigh*

Took a look at the video game clip and though I don't want to play devil's advocate, it looks like it's just women punching other women in their groins, no men. While that's incredibly stupid and juvenile, we've also had dudes getting punched in the grions regurarly for amusement in entertainment (recently saw a repeat of the show Grounded for Life in which two male characters were boxing and that devoled into them hitting each other in the balls repeatedly, much like the game shows these female video game characters, except without the balls part) whether by a woman or a guy. Perhaps we should just stop with the junk punching altogether.

As for the EC post, good on Planned Parenthood! They're doing it mostly because they know spring break is coming up but also are telling couples to keep some stocked in the medicine cabinet in case of emergency. I think it's great and we need more of it.

Crap. Misspelled, "regularly". Sorry, on a new keyboard.

The video game-

It's actually a customizable game. You create characters, put costumes on them and then design their special moves.

What that video shows is a demonstration of "low blows" the video creator made. He chose to demonstrate on all women, and you can blame him for that if you want. But if he had chosen to demonstrate on men, then the video would be full of men getting kicked in the balls instead.

So it's not really the video game, just the guy who made the video.

That video game came out in November, 2002. The entire point of the game is create a fighter (male or female) and have them battle it out against other warriors.

So, if some moron decides to create nothing but girl characters, punch them in the groin, and put it on Youtube, then how is it fair to blame the game? Do you really want to end all groin shots in video games?

That link seems incredibly reactionary. It wouldn't have been hard to do a rudimentary wikipedia check.

Rusty, I'm not sure how a link can be reactionary...but I digress. Thanks for the clarification about the game. The video still freaked me out.

Another story of a woman being beat by police: http://www.witntv.com/home/headlines/15837367.html

That video, ouch! I couldn't watch that for long.

Good to see the article in the last link. Another "duh but I'm glad it's published article".

Long time listener, first time caller.

I didn't realize that the EC giveaway was an Indiana-only thing (my home and current state), but what a great idea, especially in the conservative areas that they are holding this event where people aren't taught about protection. Where Christian ideals are shoved down people's throats. Where abstinence is the only way. I wish people would recognize the accomplishment this is, rather than focus on the reactions of narrow-minded "pro-life" people.

Also, when the hell are anti-choicers going to understand that EC is not abortion? And it, in fact, helps prevent abortions and pregnancies in the first place?

I love that last link. I am so sick of men talking about having daughters as some kind of karmic punishment since "all teen boys are alike." Good to see that some steps are being made in the right direction to dispel that myth and disprove the assertions of overly possessive fathers.

Welcome, FSiCI!

First time commenter here too. I moved from Kentucky to Indiana last year, and I'm so happy to see something positive being done by Indiana Planned Parenthood to combat all the restrictions that women face in gaining access to EC. Almost everyone I know lined up on Free EC Day last year-- how rock 'n roll is it that it's a week this year? I also had no idea it was an Indiana-only thing. Way to go, Planned Parenthood!

the "vagina punch" video was on Attack of the Show last night. I find the video upsetting enough...but then to hear the hosts and crew gleefully shouting "vagina punch" was distressing. They followed up with a clip of Hillary Clinton, after which the (female) host said "i'd like to punch her in the vagina", leading to more gleeful chanting.

the "vagina punch" video was on Attack of the Show last night. I find the video upsetting enough...but then to hear the hosts and crew gleefully shouting "vagina punch" was distressing. They followed up with a clip of Hillary Clinton, after which the (female) host said "i'd like to punch her in the vagina", leading to more gleeful chanting.

Heina
Way to take an article that provides evidence against stereotypes to bring up one of your own. I have heard PLENTY of grown women and mothers who ALSO think that boys are only after one thing.

the last link (the article) brings one word to mind; duh.

why are we suprised that stereotypes, specifiaclly those surrounding gener roles are false?

I'm in tenth grade and therfore see on a daily basis with my friends, boyfriends, and even those I'm not close with that this is a huge misconception. Even with guys who do seem preoccupied with sex rather than emotional connection, it is so much more complicated than the blanket statement "guys only think of one thing". I know it sounds as if I'm desperately trying to over compensate for the generally accepted stereotype, but i honestly know more girls than boys who are soley interested in sex or are comfortable with sex without "meaning". Perhaps if adults dained to actually ask us about how we feel and think and interact rather than making assumptions, we could have started bashing this myth earlier.

The "In the Mind..." article reminded me of the posting a few weeks ago about the difference between American and Dutch cultures, and how Dutch parents believe that young people (even boys!) are capable of love and emotion instead of the American view that "hormones rule everything!" I think one of the big take-aways from the studies sited in both articles is that you can't force young people to participate in a hyper-sexualized culture, expect them to take on adult responsibilities and consequences, while at the same time treating them like 4-year-olds who are incapable of adult emotions.

the last link (the article) brings one word to mind; duh.

why are we suprised that stereotypes, specifiaclly those surrounding gener roles are false?

I'm in tenth grade and therfore see on a daily basis with my friends, boyfriends, and even those I'm not close with that this is a huge misconception. Even with guys who do seem preoccupied with sex rather than emotional connection, it is so much more complicated than the blanket statement "guys only think of one thing". I know it sounds as if I'm desperately trying to over compensate for the generally accepted stereotype, but i honestly know more girls than boys who are soley interested in sex or are comfortable with sex without "meaning". Perhaps if adults dained to actually ask us about how we feel and think and interact rather than making assumptions, we could have started bashing this myth earlier.

the last link (the article) brings one word to mind; duh.

why are we suprised that stereotypes, specifiaclly those surrounding gener roles are false? I'm in tenth grade and therfore see on a daily basis with my friends, boyfriends, and even those I'm not close with that this is a huge misconception. Even with guys who do seem preoccupied with sex rather than emotional connection, it is so much more complicated than the blanket statement "guys only think of one thing". I know it sounds as if I'm desperately trying to over compensate for the generally accepted stereotype, but i honestly know more girls than boys who are soley interested in sex or are comfortable with sex without "meaning". Perhaps if adults dained to actually ask us about how we feel and think and interact rather than making assumptions, we could have started bashing this myth earlier.

feisty_jenn, I saw that AOTS episode too and was horrified. Even if the game itself isn't necessarily as bad as it seems from the clip, G4's coverage of it was really, really unpleasant.

feisty_jenn, I saw that AOTS episode too and was horrified. Even if the game itself isn't necessarily as bad as it seems from the clip, G4's coverage of it was really, really unpleasant.

Love that NY Times article! Boys and girls are a lot more similar than Mr. and Mrs. Middle America care to admit, and we've got a helluva lot of negative stereotypes about boys we need to break.

When we treat boys as little more than beyond-redemption depraved, sex-starved animals who need to be closely watched lest they defile our wholesome daughters, it only reinforces these idiotic gender stereotypes. What do these stereotypes tell the boy? That he belongs to a flawed gender, of course. That HE is flawed.

I suspect that the set-up in "Juno" is more typical than most people think -- dorky, but kinda cool guy has sex with this smart, funny, neat girl -- but it was her idea. AND -- they really liked and cared about each other.

Tim,

I think the stereotypes hurt both girls and boys, and cause them both to doubt each other.

I came from a family where my mother and father both very much perpetuated these stereotypes. And so it meant that dealing with my own hormones was pretty confusing. And it meant that I had trust issues with guys. And it meant that I had this idea in my head that the only thing any guy would want from me was sex, so that was like, all I was good for or something. I don't know. It was weird. I really started straightening everything out pretty well when I was like 19 or so.

Before that it even led me to staying too long in a relationship with a guy who was coercive all the time just b/c I thought that was "normal" and that I probably couldn't expect any better than that.

I still argue with my parents about it, and they still try to tell me that if a guy is being nice to me it's probably just cuz he wants sex, and they seem unable to grasp that teenagers are complex human beings who can care about each other, want to be friends, /and/ be attracted to each other, in various combinations thereof. *Sigh*

I meant that the stereotypes cause them both to doubt *themselves*, that is

Boys and girls are a lot more similar than Mr. and Mrs. Middle America care to admit, and we've got a helluva lot of negative stereotypes about boys we need to break.

Word. I've always held that the sappiest creatures on Earth were teenage boys in love, though, and I continue to stick to that position.

lyndorr,
Wow. Reading the comments section from the link you pasted was revolting. Only about two people thought it was wrong.

"They followed up with a clip of Hillary Clinton, after which the (female) host said "i'd like to punch her in the vagina", leading to more gleeful chanting."

Thats why its fucked to use women punching each other in the vaginas. It will always be used in a misogynistic context. It will be given leverage from societal status quo to be used in a degrading way. I'm sure if you posted audiences laughing at pics of boys being hit in the groin you would have all sorts of the types of people who claim (stupidly) that its BOYS who are now discriminated against and would be revolted by this. However, its fine for women? The hypocrisy of anti-feminist claims of male victimization in society!

Ninapendamaishi,
"And it meant that I had this idea in my head that the only thing any guy would want from me was sex"

Yeah, thats what my mom taught too. Fuck Dr. Laura.

I had the pleasure of attending college in South Bend, Indiana, and was a grateful client of the Mishawaka Planned Parenthood (no birth control available on Catholic campuses- go figure), one of the centers mentioned in the article. To say that I am not surprised that such comments were made would be a rather massive understatement. What the article fails to mention is that local college women also make up the majority of the client base of the abortion clinics in the area. But of course that has nothing to do with the restricted availability of birth control/EC...

I had the pleasure of attending college in South Bend, Indiana, and was a grateful client of the Mishawaka Planned Parenthood (no birth control available on Catholic campuses- go figure), one of the centers mentioned in the article. To say that I am not surprised that such comments were made would be a rather massive understatement. What the article fails to mention is that local college women also make up the majority of the client base of the abortion clinics in the area. But of course that has nothing to do with the restricted availability of birth control/EC...

I had the pleasure of attending college in South Bend, Indiana, and was a grateful client of the Mishawaka Planned Parenthood (no birth control available on Catholic campuses- go figure), one of the centers mentioned in the article. To say that I am not surprised that such comments were made would be a rather massive understatement. What the article fails to mention is that local college women also make up the majority of the client base of the abortion clinics in the area. But of course that has nothing to do with the restricted availability of birth control/EC...

"I'm sure if you posted audiences laughing at pics of boys being hit in the groin you would have all sorts of the types of people who claim (stupidly) that its BOYS who are now discriminated against and would be revolted by this."

Clearly you have never witnessed an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos (which I affectionately call the "sack whack" show, due entirely to the mindboggling number of men-being-struck-in-the-balls montages).

Either both are funny or both aren't... but they certainly aren't indicative of inherent misogyny in either industry.