Recently in Video Category

I just had to put this up, not only because Sarah Haskins is the awesome, because I've been meaning to post about that neckline slimmer for quite a while now. Intense.

If you have some time today, check out this short film called Obvious Child from Gillian Robespierre about a one night stand that results in pregnancy and abortion, featuring Jenny Slate, of SNL (and f-bomb dropping ) fame.

The film presents a subversive alternative to the Juno model, in which abortion is a quickly glossed over road-sign on the highway from CasualSexville to Babyland.

Back in March, we mentioned that the FDA had recently approved a new female condom (FC) for distribution in the U.S.

Well folks, that new female condom has officially hit U.S. markets, and is now available for our all-American consumption. The FC2 is made of a new, thinner, material, is less likely to squeak during use, and is about 30% cheaper than the original FC.

My colleague Audacia Ray has a post up on Akimbo about why this news marks exciting progress for US women's access to safer sex materials.

Now, I know that the FC often gets a bad rap. Previous commenters have touched on some of the many criticisms it often faces- it's not readily available, it's too expensive, it squeaks, it looks funny, the materials' unfamiliar, it's uncomfortable, it's unnatural, it's inconvenient, it's not effective enough, etc. And part of this criticism is understandable because the FC is a relatively new form of contraception and- let's face it- not many of us use FCs on a regular basis, or even know someone who does. How many of us have even seen an FC for sale in a drugstore? Or seen women carrying around FCs in their wallets the way men often do with the male condom?

You don't even have to watch, and you know it's going to be good.

Yes, yes, yes:

It's awesome to see him not join the legion of celebrities who have defended Polanski.

Plus, Lauren has a must-read on this topic.

My latest Current crush Bryan Safi on why coming out is super gay.

Check out this fascinating video from Hunter Stuart and RH Reality Check. He went to one of the Forty Days for Life protests outside of a clinic in Central Wisconsin that doesn't even provide abortions. It's fascinating, and terrifying.

Sarah Jones, pretty much the most bad-ass woman playwright/performer/poet/activist of all time, loves Feministing. And we have the video to prove it. (Just another reason to love Omega's conference - you get to meet the coolest women!)

If you are under 21 today, you have a 50% chance of losing your health care coverage in the next decade.

Health care coverage matters. It matters to the country, to progressives, to feminists, but especially to young people. We're the least likely to be covered, and the most likely to end up changing the course of our lives because of health care related debt. This is serious folks.

We need to do something, because our chance at real health care reform that could free our generation from the chains of shitty health care coverage we can only get at certain places of employment is quickly slipping away.

Now is the time Feministing. Now is the time.

The Omega Women and Power Conference knows how to put on a party. We are at the evening performance and it some stage acting from Sarah Jones and a musical performance from Natalie Merchant. Yeah, amazing. Since you can't be here, enjoy the videos below.

My favorite ever 10, 000 Maniacs song.

Check out Lateefah Simon - who has us all in awe of her. More video of the conference to come.

I just have one word: momamorphosis.

It's after Labor Day, so the worst of holler season is over. But when my friend Jeanne tipped me off to this documentary, I had to share. In War Zone, a woman with a video camera directly confronts men who harass her on the street. (It was made in 1998 -- think of it as kind of a precursor to Holla Back.)

What's fascinating to me is that many of these men don't even seem to have a reason for cat-calling. It's just something they do reflexively. And when she asks them to repeat their harassment directly to her face, it's clear that many of them are embarrassed.

This makes me very happy:

Huh, what? (I also love this Kermit-does-Talking-Heads video.)

Thanks to my pal Amina for the link.

Possibly triggering

Has anyone seen this movie? A friend of mine passed it on as something to maybe show in the Gender & Pop Culture class I'm teaching at Rutgers this semester, but I thought I'd see if any lovely Feministing readers could tell me more about it first. It seems like a combination of Killing Us Softly and Tough Guise - and those two filmmakers are featured in this clip. The short bit on hip hop gave me pause - I think Byron Hurt's Beyond Beats and Rhymes is probably better for that subject. Any thoughts?

From the early 80s...

And now.

Who said there is no feminism in hiphop?

Via Ta-Nehisi Coates.

A new video from one of my favorite performers, Athens Boys Choir. I have to say this song doesn't top my love for Fagette, the song and video that got me hooked on ABC.

Check out this great video from the National Advocates for Pregnant Women on the language that anti-choicers (and even the media) use to talk about abortion.

To accompany the video, NAPW's executive director Lynn Paltrow wrote a piece for HuffPo on why it's so important that we pay attention to anti-choice rhetoric and what it says about women:

Who are the millions of "murderous" women who have abortions? Sixty-one percent of women having abortions are already mothers. By the age of 45, 84% of all women in U.S. will have become pregnant and given birth and 43% will have had an abortion.

In other words, the women who have abortions are overwhelmingly mothers.

So we need to ask -- do the people who use this language really think the mothers who have had abortions are the same as, or worse than, those who carry out torture, kill children, and commit mass-murder?

...NAPW believes that the pregnant women who have abortions, who suffer miscarriages, who give birth, who raise children, and who love their families deserve better.

To dismantle the anti-choice myth that there are two kinds of women - those who have abortions and those who have babies - NAPW has launched a campaign that shows how the majority of women who have abortions already are, or will be, mothers.

"You can make it hard to label mothers murderers, by showing that the women who are accused of creating a 'culture of death' are giving birth and doing the caretaking that is at the core of a true culture of life," Paltrow writes.

If you have had an abortion and given birth, experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, adopted or raised a child -- tell your story with a picture, a sign, a 1 minute or less video and NAPW will post it here.

Ann already mentioned this video - made by a group of young people in Chicago discussing rape culture - but I wanted to make sure we posted it as well...

If you haven't read Michelle Goldberg's The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World yet, you really should. It takes a comprehensive look at reproductive rights and justice worldwide. (Yeah, I know - no small feat!) Michelle was kind enough to answer some questions from Feministing about her book by video - above is the first part of a two-part interview. (Part two coming tomorrow!)

If you've read The Means of Reproduction, feel free to start a discussion about it in comments...

Transcript forthcoming.

From Planted Seeds Production, a new documentary about the gender bending performance troupe, All the Kings Men, called Play in the Gray.

I saw them perform when I was in Provincetown earlier this summer, and I was blown away. The group is funny, talented, and really has the art of gender play in performance down. I've seen a lot of drag, but this group takes it to a whole other level.

'Play In The Gray' Trailer from Planted Seeds Productions on Vimeo.

You can learn more about All the Kings Men on their website.

I love Mary Roach's books. I think she's awesome, and I totally stole the idea of using quippy footnotes in The Purity Myth from her book Bonk. Listen to her be smart. (More of Roach here.)

Via Pandagon.

Transcript (and links) after the jump.

This one is just cause I can...I came across the Reading Rainbow theme song last week when news hit that LamarLeVar Burton was in a car accident. He's fine, thankfully.

I remember this theme so distinctly from my elementary school years. It gives me warm fuzzy memories of sitting in my public school library watching the show.

h/t to Veronica

Hey all, I just got back from my pre-wedding honeymoon (fun!) last night and will back to blogging regularly this Wednesday. Until then, I thought I'd share this video of an interview I did with the wonderful Kendall McKenzie of Planned Parenthood about The Purity Myth. Hope you enjoy it.

A new project from You Tube, to help non-profits create video content. Check it out!

Check out RH Reality Check's new video on the Feminist Majority Foundation's campaign to expose crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which include accounts of students who have been duped into thinking they're at a family planning clinic only to find themselves being told that abortion may cause breast cancer and "boys don't need to know how to put on condoms."

Our Reality: A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers from RH Reality Check on Vimeo.

Via Broadsheet.

My friend Gwen sent me this awesome video of Bad Brya, a Moroccan MC who performed this song at the 7th European Feminist Research Conference. Love it.

Let's start the week off right, shall we?

Oh, snap. This is awesome. (Back story: some women interrupted an anarchist conference to show this video and speak out about sexism in the movement.)

Thanks to Gwen for the links!

So I totally had a "Get in Shape, Girl" ballet bar, weights and baton - I'm not gonna lie. But it just pains me to watch this commercial.

I'm loving this series from The American Prospect (and not only because our very own Ann is involved.) This week, the question is..."Is it sexist to say the financial crisis was caused by men?"

Charming. You'd think that conservatives would have come up with a new line of attack for women politicians by now - the whole "she's ugly!"thing has to get old after while, right? Right? Sigh.

Via Ta-nehisi Coates.

Love her, love Elmo. (Transcript after the jump.)

Via Michelle Obama Watch.

Sarah Haskins' latest!

A lot of folks have written lovely things about Bea Arthur, mourning her loss. I don't know that I have anything particularly enlightening to add, but I thought I'd share some of my favorite Bea Arthur moments. Love this woman.

A snippet of the groundbreaking episode of Maude.

This video isn't in English, but there's something about sexism that defies language barriers.

Obviously the whole video is gross and sexist, but it's the ending that really killed my morning. I'm not a video game player, so maybe some women gamers/tech folks can chime in - is this what gaming culture thinks of women? Or do you think it's just your run-of-the-mill stupid sexist bullshit?

Thanks to Moriah for the link.

Take that! (I know Ann linked to this in the WFR, but I just had to post the full vid.)

Via Shakesville, who has the transcript.

Angie Zapata's family has made a statement on the trial of Allen Andrade. Below is Angie's brother, Gonzalo, speaking.

Potentially triggering

Read the transcript at Feministe.

Via TransGriot

As always, Jay Smooth breaks it down.

For those of you that are hip-hop heads this is a must see video interview with Sheri-Sher who discusses her experience with being a female MC back in the day (late 70's and early 80's). There is a book out about Sheri-Sher, the Mercedes ladies, hip-hop and the Bronx called Mercedes Ladies. They were the first ever all female hip-hop crew.

There is also a part 2 after the jump. In part 2 she gets into why they chose not to be overly sexual, but rather focus on their lyrical abilities and a little about how and why they were generally ignored by the larger hip-hop community. I recommend watching both parts. Apologies for not having a transcript.

via Davey D.

Sarah Haskins taking on the "mow the lawn" commercial = heaven. Hilarious.

You know, I knew that Courtney's Friday Feminist Fuck You would draw out the assholes and rape apologists. But this just pisses me off to no end.

Wired has a post on us "furious feminists" and Courtney's video, writing that we have a problem with Observe and Report's "shocking sex scene." Shocking sex scene? No, assholes - that's called rape. It's unbelievable to me that people are arguing whether or not this scene depicts a rape, not only because of the obvious inability for Anna Faris' character to give consent - but also because Faris herself calls it rape.

So please, you fucking idiots, stop calling it sex.

It's also worth pointing out that the comments at Wired (and hundreds at the YouTube video that I moderated) trying to argue that the scene isn't rape are of the "no one would want to rape you anyway you stupid cunt" variety. So yeah. I swear, it's stuff like this that makes me want to give up on humanity.

Please give the folks at Wired a piece of your mind - or any one else who wants to argue that you just don't get the hilarious genius humor behind a dude raping an unconscious woman.

abyss2hope, Majikthise, Jezebel, Tiger Beatdown and nshay1031 at the Community Blog have more.

UPDATED with a transcript after the jump.

My favorite line: "Do you want a vagina full of AIDS?!" (Also, is it wrong that it totally annoys me that this dude has the same drinking glasses - I'm sorry, vaginas - I do?)

But that video doesn't hold a candle to this: "Why it is okay for sex to hurt the vagina." Yes, that's right.

Sarahec at the Community blog already posted this mess of an ad, but I just had to write about it as well. The video is obviously gross and hackneyed (how many cat/pussy references does one really need?), but the not-so-subtle racism of who has a "big" bush and who has a "small" bush just put me over the edge.

Trigger warning

The ad is for Women's Aid, a UK organization that works to end violence against women. It's definitely difficult to watch, but of course that's the point. Thoughts?

Via Copyranter.

I second Jill's emotion: this woman, and this org, are the shit.

TPMtv did this great interview with Susie Bright last month and I totally blanked on posting it. Better late than never, though!

This would be funny if not for this: The Vatican agrees with our 50s commercial heroines; their newspaper says that the washing machine did more to liberate modern women than birth control or the "right" to work outside the home. Yeah.

Equal Writes has more.

Thanks to Natalie for the video!

I know we've posted on a similar old Tab commercial, but I just had to put this up again. Vintage sexism is just so hilarious (in a totally fucked way).

Transcript after the jump.

Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine has a great interview up with Elizabeth Mendez Berry, who wrote a 2005 Vibe magazine article about domestic violence and the hip hop community, Love Hurts. Watch it. Seriously.

I completely forgot that back in November on election night, someone was taking video of our reactions to Obama winning and to Prop 8 failing. I was in CA for the historic election this year and I felt this video captured the moment so well and the tension in all our hearts that this moment was so great and so tragic at once.

Read more about it here.

Ugh.

Transcript after the jump.

This video via Feminist Law Professors is an ad for Kotex in Australia that has gotten over 185 complaints. I think the beaver is cute and the commercial, annoying at worst. So why are people finding it so offensive? Must be because the beaver is so furry. Sorry, I had to.

(Whoops, Jessica has posted on this before, but we'll leave it up for funsies.)

You can check out more of MC Flow here.

Via Queers United.

What do you think?

I kind of love the parallel: because the wage gap is like a big fuck you to women.

One of my fabulous students at Rutgers put this video together for his final project. I think it's great so I wanted to share...

And on another note: teaching is awesome. More on this later.

Aw shit...I knew this one had to be coming!

Check out JC Penny's new viral marketing campaign for their jewelry line. Not only does it paint men as clueless assholes, but it also promotes the tired idea that all women want is quiche-eating, jewelry buyers. I just find this one insulting all-around.

I have to say, I'm incredibly grateful that we no longer see commercials that depict women's bodies as dirty. Oh...wait.

Thought this was interesting...I had never thought about the money/business angle concerning FGM.

So this is pretty much unrelated to feminism, but I just want to start Tuesday off on the right foot with this gem from a band I got to see on Friday in their first ever US show. They are called Little Dragon and they are from Sweden and have a nice electronic neo-soul sound with lovely strong female vocals. I love new music that has yet to be tarnished by the mainstream and I was so pumped about this band, I had to share. Check em out and tell me what you think.

Happy Tuesday! What did you do over the weekend? Anything interesting?

Via the f word, we find out that Amanda Palmer of Dresden Dolls fame has left her record label after they refused to promote her new single and video (above) because of her "fat" stomach. Seriously.

[Palmer] refused to let them remove shots of her "fat" belly from the video for Leeds United (see above), and is therefore "uncommercial". This comes from a metal label where, I have it on good authority, "you can count the number of women on the fingers of one hand and most of the people on the label are decidedly chunky hairy dudes".

Amanda's fans are quite rightly outraged by this shoddy, sexist behaviour and have begun a Rebellyon, posting pictures of their own bellies on fan forum Shadowbox and sending them to Roadrunner in protest.

Too ridiculous for words - but you've gotta love awesome fans taking action.

P.S. Community poster lefthandedpenguin beat us to this punch on this last week!

UPDATE/CORRECTION: Palmer has not left her label - they won't let her. She gives the full story here.

Courtney loves it. Rebecca Traister loves it. What does Sarah Haskins think?

The fabulous National Advocates for Pregnant Women reminds us why voting pro-choice is so important - to all women.

Please pass this video along to your friends and run it on your blog, website, or social networking profile!

Part 2 after the jump.

Via Jack and Jill Politics.

Samantha Bee on McCain's women's health air quotes. Nails it dead. (Wait until about halfway through the vid.) I love her.

Thanks to all the Feministing readers who emailed me late into the night excited about this segment!

It's been a couple of weeks since we've put out a video, sorry about that! This week's 'fuck you' was inspired by Ann's post about the latest anti-choice pharmacy and Pharmacists for Life International (who incidentally has called us "radical feminazis" and "radical abortoholics" on their website). Enjoy!

For more about women's access to prescriptions, click here.

Don't forget to subscribe to Feministing's YouTube channel!

Approximate transcript after the jump...

This web video from the Obama campaign highlights the importance of the Violence Against Women Act (and, of course, Joe Biden's role in its passage):

(Trigger warning.)

Related:
Quick Hit: Biden and VAWA
Meet Joe Biden

Every time I think I couldn't love Rachel Maddow more, she comes out with something like this. Sigh.

More at Think Progress.

Sarcasm, people. Courtesy of Katie Halper (via Baratunde):

And:

Transcripts after the jump.

I gotta say, while the Women for McCain video is spot-on, Obama isn't that much better when it comes to a lot of gay-rights issues.

I just thought it was weird, insincere and awkward. And the Palin rap, well that just took the awkwardness to the next level. I guess seeing Palin on SNL makes me realize that is where her campaign belongs. In a fantastic comedy world. The Nation has more.

I'm sure you remember the epically sexist Rose Petal Cottage commercial. About five minutes ago, during a commercial break from Heroes (yes, I like the show) the ad comes on again. I'm already pissed, thinking that this stupid commercial should have been complained off the air months ago. Then something incredible happens. At the end of the standard ad (above) a quick promo for Hasbro's latest disaster, the Sweet Lily Castle, is tacked onto the end.

I can't remember what it said word-for-word, but I swear the last sentence was about letting her have a place where she "can wait for her prince." Seriously. I mean, the frigging castle even comes with a frog to kiss. I think I need to go to bed early tonight. Sigh.

I couldn't agree more. For example, Palin is directly opposed to the feminist "agenda" of battling violence against women and giving women control over their own bodies.

Thanks to Tanya for the link

This scared the crap out of me.

Sign this open letter from Color of Change telling John McCain and Sarah Palin to denounce the lies, racism, and hate coming from their supporters.

Via Jack & Jill Politics.

Check out John Cleese on Sarah Palin; hilarious. (Via Boing Boing.)

Speaking of parrots...check the famous Monty Python sketch after the jump.

Swoon!

Via Sugarbutch Chronicles.

This news segment (video below the jump because it's on autoplay) is takes a pretty comprehensive look at the proposed abortion ban in South Dakota, and just how extreme it is. Be on the look out for Tiffany Campbell, a spokesperson for South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families who wrote about her own story here on Feministing.

I can't believe it. I actually like something Hillary Duff has done. I need a drink.

Sarah Haskins for President!

Shelley Mandell, the president of LA chapter of the National Organization for Women caused shock waves in the California feminist community when she endorsed Sarah Palin this weekend at a GOP rally.

"I know Sarah Palin cares about women's rights...As vice president, she will fight for you. She cares about our children and she cares about women's lives."

Excuse me? Whoa.

Though Mandell started her speech with the disclaimer that she was speaking as an individual and not for NOW, it's not a shock that the media picked up on the story as a NOW president endorsing Palin. (And I would imagine she knew that.)

CA NOW released the following statement after Mandell's speech:

Thanks to TPM TV!

TPM posted this video as one of Biden's best moments tonight, and I couldn't agree more.

...and other shockers from that clip we've been waiting for, contrasting Palin and Biden's knowledge of Roe v. Wade:

(Transcript here.)

Pretty astonishing, no? While I don't completely agree with the language Biden uses to describe Roe, it's clear he has a vastly deeper understanding of this ruling than Palin. Which is embarrassing, because it's the only Supreme Court case she knows. Also, I wonder if Bill O'Reilly happened to catch her comments on privacy?

Can't wait for tonight's debate...

UPDATE: Also check out what she had to say about equal pay. Yeesh.

You've gotta love Planned Parenthood Action Fund! (For other ads, check out their YouTube channel.)

Transcript is after the jump.

Oh dear. (Admittedly, I would like to play in some of that bubble wrap.)

Thanks to Cheryl for the link.

I just love her so much.

Via Broadsheet.

Sarah Haskins does it again.

From Amanda Marcotte and RH Reality Check:

RH Reality Check: Does Personhood Start At Fertilization? from RH Reality Check on Vimeo.

I kind of like the old school video style, with graphics and pop ups. Sort of reminds me of pop up video...

Pretending to be smart and serious is hard stuff. All of that faking knowledge takes a toll on our tiny lady brains. But don't worry, McDonald's is here to let you know that you don't have to wear flats and read books anymore!

I feel vomity.

(Transcript below the jump.)

Via Jezebel.

UPDATE: Write to McDonald's and express your dislike for this commercial here.

You can also watch here.

All of a sudden, I understand where Sarah Silverman is coming from.

This is awesome. A group of women started a collaborative YouTube channel, Project LifeSize, which aims to give a voice to women of size, to discuss and dismantle ridiculous beauty standards and inspire young women. Check out the casting call above, and some of their amazing videos.

Make sure you subscribe!

Amazing. (Told you it was video Friday!)

Thanks to Matt for the tip.

Looks like it's video Friday (we have a couple more coming up), but that's okay with me. Especially when it's Sarah Haskins.

File under: too good not to post.

Via Andrew.

Here it is! After the fabulous Feministing happy hour - where we got to talk to activists, readers and regular commenters like TheSoyMilkConspiracy and Thomas - we headed over to NARAL NY's watch party. It was amazing to get to watch this incredible speech with such a great group of people. Awesome night.

Here's my fave part.

It's safe to say that evangelist John Hagee isn't a fan of stay-at-home dads. Yikes.

Via Shine.

Check out our gal Courtney, along with author and activist Kenyon Farrow, Andrea Batista Schlesinger of the Drum Major Institute, and Lisa Witter of Fenton Communications, discuss the veepstakes with Laura Flanders. The segment was recorded before Biden was announced, but the panelists have a lot of great insights about what Obama's VP pick means, or should mean:

The snippet of the transcript that's about Biden is below the jump...

Shorter Cosmo: Men cheat because women aren't fucking well enough and don't pay enough attention to poor widdle boys.

I also love that editor Kate White throws out some of the most hackneyed stereotypes about men - that they cheat because "they really love sex," they're "hardwired" to and they're "not as discriminating" as women.

And seriously, the creepy porn music in the background is doing no one any favors.

Thanks to Robin for the link!

UPDATE: My boyfriend's response to the video, via IM: "If I cheat on you, it's your fault for not being multiple women who fuck me a lot." Heh.

But I'm digging it, in a "it creeps me out" kinda way.

I know when I was a little girl, I dreamed that someday I'd be a robotic-man-washing-machine.

Thanks to Jay for the link.

Check out Keith Olbermann's takedown of Limbaugh's oh-so-hilarious joke about Edwards' affair.

Via Community blogger Stellar.

Big Think, a site dedicated to fostering discussion outside of the "talking heads" model, has a series of interviews with women scientists. We're going to be featuring them on Feministing in the coming weeks, so be on the look out.

Above, Dr. Bonnie Bassler - a professor at Princeton - talks about the challenges associated with being a female scientist.

Note: In our recent Feministing retreat, we decided that some back and forth dialogue between editors would be a cool thing, so every once in a while you may see a post title with "re:" in it - that's how you'll know it's us doing some good old fashioned feminist debating.

Miriam, I'm so happy that you posted this amazing video of An Open Letter to Alix Olson. I thought it was just incredible and I really appreciated your take on MichFest.

I have to say, though, that it really bothers me when MichFest is framed as a feminist "controversy" rather than straight up discrimination. This isn't a controversy - it's deliberate exclusion and it's shameful.

I also find the "Oh, but we're not doing genital checks"(!) just as offensive as a stated and enforced womyn-born-womyn policy. There doesn't have to be a written policy on the website for the discrimination to still be there. If MichFest wants to do the right thing, they'll be proactive and have a statement denouncing their womyn-born-womyn policy and stop hiding behind their silence on the issue.

I personally think the festival should be open to people who identify as women (or womyn), and if there are issues with safety or harrassment (which seems to be a fear) then they should be dealt with directly, not via discriminatory policies.

I totally agree, though I wanted to just point one thing out. I find the "safety" issue really uncompelling - as did Carasande in comments. Not only because it's not just penises* that rape women, but also because it uses rhetoric of the Right. As thebeatles11 noted on the Community blog, the latest anti-trans campaign (tellingly called "Not in My Shower") cites the fear that women will be assaulted as the reasoning behind their discrimination. Feminists shouldn't resort to the language (or actions!) of fear and discrimination - we're better than that!

You mentioned Julia Serano--who I think is probably the most brilliant feminist writing today--and I think that no one talks about trans woman exclusion better than she does. So I thought it fitting to end my post (though hopefully not the discussion!) with her words:

*Because the fear here does seem to be about penises, rather than "men."

Making faces at NeW on 12seconds.tv

I have a lot more to say about this article on this anti-feminist organization, but I thought I'd share my initial reaction.

UPDATE: It was pointed out in comments that NeW's blog reveals them to be truly awful human beings. Did they really mock an old woman with a wheelchair?! Charming.

Reading a book on anti-feminists! on 12seconds.tv

So I just signed up for this video Twitter-like thing called 12 seconds (because my actual Twitter wasn't taking up enough of my time, it seems.) If you want to follow my oh-so-interesting 12 second musings on feminism, click here.

Babble has a great post of The 15 Most Sexist Daytime TV Commercials. It has old ones and new ones, but this one, which we posted on last year, is by far my favorite:

Ah, the Rose Petal Cottage. Because it's never too early to start indoctrinating girls about how their "dreams have room to grow" - all the way to the washer/dryer.

Now this is a good way to start the week off!

Thanks to Katie from MI for sending this awesome vid along.

Transcript below the jump.

The real question is, will Sarah Haskins be my best friend? And will someone put this lady on The Daily Show already? Seriously.

(Also, is that MobLogic host Lindsay Campbell in the first commercial?!)

Check out this spoken word performance from Sonya Renee; towards the end my jaw was dropped and I was near tears. (And I'm not that big of a softie, believe me.) Just amazing.

Via KaeLyn at Feministe.

UPDATE: Get the transcript here.

This is the second time Snickers will have to pull a gay-hating commercial. (Remember this nonsense?) But this commercial is just one of many that punishes men for being too "feminine," whether it's growing breasts after having the audacity to cry at the movies or being crushed by a giant beer can after screaming "like a girl." Anxious masculinity, anyone?

Via Consumerist and community blogger shellchin.

UPDATE: Renee has more.

So yeah, they didn't give her nearly enough air-time, but our own fabulous "Ray of Light"* Courtney Martin was on Good Morning America today discussing Keira Knightley's stand against digital makeovers. Check out the story and video here.

*A nickname recently discovered at the Feministing retreat because of C's shiny-light goodness.

And that's not easy to do. I'm not sure if this is an actual Guinness commercial or something some oh-so-clever asshole concocted and put online, but either way I'm horrified. I mean, I'm not anti a good sexy commercial, but this is just anti-sexy. There is nothing appealing about women being portrayed as silent slightly shaking receptacles/beer coasters. This really ruined my day.

Via Broadsheet and many, many emails.

Because I certainly do. And my crush was re-established last night when I got to see her in action (along with Paul Rieckhoff) at Lizz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger. It was bad-ass. Since a video of the show won't be up right away, I figured I'd get my Maddow-fix elsewhere for now. Above is a somewhat recent video of her take on McCain's birth control stumble, which also features the super cool Nation editor (and fellow outer borough native) Chris Hayes. Enjoy!

Lovely, no? (It's an ad for an online dating site aimed at married people looking to start an affair.)

I have to say, I'm kind of in shock that such a gross racist term would come out of John Kerry's mouth - and with such nonchalance! Renee at Womanist Musings has more.

Is it just me, or is this commercial telling women that they might get raped if they don't buy Goodyear tires? (I know there's no explicit rape threat, but the woman walking alone in a scary dark alleyway says it all to me.)

Happy Monday, folks.

We posted on this song before, but now there's a lovely video to go along with it! This is now officially my favorite song titled "Mother of Pearl." (Sorry, Roxy Music, #2 slot for you.)

via Lauredhel (and lots of other feminist bloggers, too). Lyrics after the jump...

We've posted before about India's Gulabai Gang, but it's even better seeing them in action!

We're already well-established Sarah Haskins fans here, so we'll just present this without comment and bask in the funny.

It's an all-too-rare bloggingheads.tv episode up now featuring two ladies -- feminist ladies, at that! Feministing faves Michelle Goldberg and Rebecca Traister chat about Hillary and Obama, race and gender, and so-called "women's issues." Check it out:

As long as we're discussing what does and doesn't work as satire, I saw for the first time today (via the Bitch Blog) this video from Thunderant -- aka Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and NPR-bloggin' fame and Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live. Check it out:

I find it pretty funny -- gently poking some fun at feminist stereotypes. But maybe that's just my crush on Carrie Brownstein talking.

What do you all think?

I wanted to write a post about how annoyed I am about Midol's "Reverse the Curse" commercials. (Seriously, the curse?) But I couldn't turn up any videos on the damn internets. What I did find however, was this commercial from about 10 years ago that is a damn lot more progressive than the commercials the product has now.

It also fit very nicely into one of the double standards I talk about in my book (shameless plug alert!): "He's Angry, She's PMSing." Indeed.

So, dear readers, where are the cool progressive ads about women's health? Why are we stuck with curses and fish references? Please, if you find any cool, funny ads - send them my way!

Laura Flanders' great show GRITtv takes on sexism in the media with two of my fave people: Rebecca Traister of Salon and Chris Rabb of Afro-Netizen. (They start talking about gender about 12 minutes in)

So I watched this segment on 60 Minutes this weekend (which was a rerun of an old episode) about African Americans using genetic genealogy to find out about their family history. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people are finding out that they have white relatives. The whole segment is super interesting but it killed me that not once did anyone talk about the rape of black women and how that figured in to this genealogy. Wtf, 60 Minutes?

Any day that includes Sarah Haskins is a good day indeed.

Anti-feminism on the internet is widespread, vicious, and fucking hilarious. So we figured why not make a list of the top ten worst anti-feminist videos (or anti-feminism caught on video) out there?

So after the jump, enjoy the list of crazy, funny, and just plain odd anti-feminist videos we've compiled.

(If you have a video you think we're missing - send it to us!)

No shocker there, but thought it was worth repeating.

Thanks to Eric for the link.

I think I need some underoos.

I don't know how I missed this, but thanks, readers, for sending it in!

I did an interview with the charming Lindsay Campbell of MobLogic. It was a fun time. Though, not-so-shockingly, the comments devolved into how ugly I was. Fun, it's like junior high all over again! (It's hilarious, you look primped up in one appearance and you're a flighty hot feminist with nothing more to offer than your looks; you show up un-made up and you're nasty. There's just no winning.)

What really bothered me, however, was my own reaction to these particular comments. I get hateful, violent, sexist comments and emails every day - mostly about how I need to get back in the kitchen, I'm a stupid slut/cunt/whore. You know, your run of the mill misogyny. I can handle those pretty well. But throw a couple of comments about ugliness my way and I'm all upset, actually thinking to myself, "I knew I looked like shit that day!" It's amazing how women are taught to hate themselves, and how no matter what we do and what we look like, no matter how confident we are, how many compliments we get or how much we don't give a shit - there's always that creeping voice in there telling you that you are indeed an ugly, unworthy mess. (And then there's the feminist guilt, of course, for caring about what some idiot says.)

Self-loathing rant over. Now, back to your regularly scheduled sexism-smashing. (Random note: I was totally wearing my "end patriarchy shirt," even though you can't see it.)

Ann reported in our Weekly Feminist Reader that John McCain canceled a Texas fundraiser to be given by Clayton Williams after it was revealed that Williams, during his 1990 campaign for governor of Texas, compared rape to the weather: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”

After canceling the fundraiser, McCain's campaign said that they would be keeping the money raised by Williams - more than $300,000. (Various bloggers suggested, and I agree, that McCain should donate the money to an organization that works to combat rape.)

But the latest, and perhaps most egregious news, is that the fundraiser is back on! Because what's the big deal about rape, right? This is completely unacceptable. You can contact McCain's campaign here to let them know what you think.

Some choice quotes from Williams, including the rape remark, are highlighted in the video above.

UPDATE: I was remiss in not mentioning that Williams will be not be hosting the revived rundraiser. I didn't realize that was the case. I still think this whole situation is fucked, and that the money should be given to an organization working against rape.

Personally, I vote with my vagina. And let me tell you, pulling that lever is not fucking easy.

Via MediaMatters.

Michelle Bernard, President and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum (the anti-feminist organization we love to hate), is out promoting her book, Women's Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent Than Ever Before. And boy oh boy is she fun to watch!

In the clip above, Bernard explains that she's a "real" feminist - you know not like those nasty hairy man-hating kinds that want women to excel at the expense of men.

She also notes that women who call IWF anti-feminist just "think it's cute to throw bombs." I'd hardly say that calling IWF anti-feminist - an organization that exists to bash feminism and convince women that sexism is actually fantastic for them - is throwing bombs. It's more like...lobbing marshmallows.

Just take this description of Bernard's book:

Though many influential groups feed on the prevailing myth that women are oppressed, most women are healthier, wealthier, and better educated than ever before. Michelle Bernard, the president of the Independent Women s Forum, lays out the facts in a new book that will make life harder for radical feminism's ideological hucksters.

Oh you caught us! We're such hucksters...trying to peddle the myth of equality! For shame.

Some more undeniable proof that IWF could in no way, never ever, be an anti-feminist organization:

• IWF's campus program is dedicated to shutting down productions of The Vagina Monologues across the country because it "glorifies promiscuity and treats women as sex objects."

• The organization was home to now-notorious Charlotte Allen, who wrote a WaPo piece about how stupid women are.

• The org spoke out against the HPV vaccine, claiming it would make girls slutty.

• In a press release for a report IWF did on young women and sex, it states that by "pouring through women's studies texts, [IWF VP Carrie] Lukas found feminist authorscriticizing the institution of marriage as repressive for women and uncovered essays glorifying promiscuity." (Oh noes!)

• They believe that women making less money than men is actually a good thing.

So yeah, nothing anti-feminist or actively anti-woman about them. Nothing to see here!

Thanks to Bella for the heads up.

Some warm fuzzies to start off your weekend.

(I've included a transcript after the jump, per our readers' suggestion.)

Also, they pee by themselves.

This new trend of commercials defining what "real men" are and should like (and of course deriding women/femininity) is making me nutso.

I frigging love this Sarah Haskins gal

I like these folks.

Thanks to Robin for the link!

If you haven't ever watched Everywoman on Al Jazeera English, you really should. They do great coverage of women's rights issues.

Many of you have emailed us about this Klondike commercial. And I agree, it's atrocious. Not only does it feed into the sexist idea that men deserve a cookie for being halfway decent human beings, but it also denigrates men by suggesting that they're animals, unable to resist any ass that that happens to pass their way. Thumbs down.

Check out Jay Smooth's take on the historical problem of homophobia in hip hop culture and what we often call the politics of outing or "spotting the gay." You won't regret it. I swear.

Go Washington University! (I also have some great footage of students turning their back on Schlafly, but YouTube hates me and won't let me upload it.)

Can we please stop calling every attempt at analyzing pop culture "outrage"? Kthx, moving on.

Annalee Newitz's piece from the San Francisco Bay Guardian last week embarks on the task of justifying the violence and misogyny in Grand Theft Auto 4.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is lobbying to get the video game rated "adults only" (effectively killing it in the US market, where major console manufacturers won't support AO games) because there's one scene in the game where you have the option to drive drunk. Apparently none of the good ladies of MADD have ever played GTA, since if they had they might have discovered that when you try to drive drunk, the video game informs you that you should take a cab. If you do drive, the cops immediately chase you down. Which is exactly the sort of move you'd expect from this sly, fun game, which hit stores last week.

I actually stand at a different point than MADD and I don't necessarily support the censorship of the game, I don't really think censorship works. The more ratings and labels you put on something, the edgier and sexier it becomes. Censorship doesn't change the fact that violence and misogynist sex scenes make up the bulk of edgy popular culture or that violence is a serious problem for youth today and so is the sexualization of women, along with violence against women.

On some level, I do agree with proponents of GTA 4. Several of my friends have said, "but it is just fun." I don't deny that advances in video game technology are in fact mind-blowing and down right incredible and the they are fun. Hello, I am a blogger, I get the nerd new-cool-fun-fangled-technology thing.

What I can't get down with is justifying blatant misogyny by calling it art.

If GTA4 were a movie, it would have been directed by Martin Scorsese or David O. Russell, and we'd all be ooohing and aaahhing over its dark, ironic vision of immigrant life in a world at war with itself. But because GTA4 is a video game, where players are in the driver's seat, so to speak, it freaks people out. Earlier installments of GTA-inspired feminist and cultural-conservative outrage (you have the option to kill prostitutes!), and concern over moral turpitude from Hillary Clinton (you can beat cops to death! Or anybody!).

I think it is really problematic to lump all criticisms of GTA4 together. I believe at some point, I was written about along with a conservative writer (shudder to think) and that is not giving the full range of view points space to air their concerns. I am pretty sure if a movie had prostitute killing in it, I would write about it, but that is besides the point. GTA4 is not a movie, it is bigger than a movie. In fact, movies switched around their release dates for the release of GTA4. In the first week out it has grossed 500 million dollars. Furthermore, it is played, repeatedly and it is a role playing game, where you are the person engaging in violent acts. It is a fantasy, your fantasy. Perhaps there is a moment of identification like this with movies, but it is different then actually acting something out yourself.

I'd probably be a bad driver too if I was having some sort of weird road-sign induced acid trip.

Contributed by Julia Serano

I had about seven different conflicting thoughts/emotions upon viewing this video:

1) Oh my god, I *cannot* believe that companies are actually using personal endorsements from transgender-spectrum people to help sell their products to non-trans women. How groundbreaking!

2) And at the same time, how disturbing! I think I am experiencing the same queasy feeling right now that old-school gay/queer rights activists most certainly felt when beer companies first began offering to sponsor pride parades and queer events.

3) Great, just what we need: more fodder for feminists who insist that those of us on the trans feminine spectrum are all merely “parodies� and “caricatures� of women and that we propagate sexist stereotypes.

4) Haven’t I written about depictions like this one before?

5) As a transsexual woman, I can’t help but notice how dependent this ad is on the concept of “drag�—that is, the fact that the subject in the video identifies as a boy and that their feminine gender expression is depicted as a “performance� or an “impersonation.� The commercial would have an entirely different meaning (and would evoke a very different emotional reaction) if it featured a trans woman who fully and unapologetically identified as female. For this reason, this video will likely annoy a lot of transsexuals because it forwards the “trans = fake� trope that is too often used to marginalize us.

6) Memo to Phillips: The “Like all men he’s not great with pain� line isn’t funny. Making fun of men is just as sexist as making fun of women. And besides, when your commercial consists of nothing but stereotypically hyper-feminine imagery, you can’t make up for it all at the end with one, apparently ironic, pseudo-feminist dis on men.

7) And one more thing: I hope the makers of Secret deodorant sue you for essentially stealing their “Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman� campaign.

Thanks to Jessica for the link.

Julia Serano is an Oakland, California-based writer, spoken word performer, trans activist, and biologist.

Check out this clip from FORA TV of a discussion between sex columnist Dan Savage and feminist Amy Richards (whose new book Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself, will be released later this month.)

Yesterday kicked off the first National Week of Action for Reproductive Justice. The Third Wave Foundation has a list of local and national organizations that you can get involved with to support the week's work...

For more information on the Week of Action for Reproductive Justice, you can also check out SAFER's blog and our very own Miriam at Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz, the blog of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Thanks so much to Jacinta, of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), for giving us the heads up.

This is from Wayout TV, a project of Damon Wayans'. I'm almost speechless. (Almost.) When will people realize that violence against women isn't fucking funny? Not to mention the fact that violence against women increases during pregnancy. So, yeah. Hilarious.

Thanks to Rachel for the link.

Mark Goldberg at UN Dispatch has a great video interview up with filmmaker Lisa Jackson, whose documentary The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo premiered on HBO this week. Make sure to check it out.

For more information on sexual violence in the Congo, click here.

For blogger's thoughts on the film, check out Elle, PhD, Faux Real, WOC PhD, KitKat's Critique, Shakesville, and Historiann.

Gross.

Thanks to Erika for the link.

Ok, this totally depressed me. Truth be told, if someone was in my face with a camera when I was trying to walk somewhere, the rude New Yorker in me would come out and I would bounce. But, this whole deferring to dudes thing made me crazy. Because I know women aren't apathetic and docile little things (at least, the women I know) - is this just some weird when-faced-with-a-camera phenomenon? There's some commentary on the MobLogic blog about this - but what do you think?

Reader Erika passed this video along, which is featured on MSN today. Apparently it's an old clip from Comedy Central's The Man Show. I just have no patience for these kind of gags anymore. Not only because they're so degrading to women (and we're supposed to laugh along, cause it's just for funsies, right?) but also because it's fucking incredibly insulting to men - who we're to believe are all assholes at heart if we go by videos like these.

(Also, I'm cranky this morning. Not enough coffee.)

Check out this new video by the Feminist Majority Foundation on their not-so-new but always provocative This is What A Feminist Looks Like campaign. Some of my favorite celebrity cameo appearances: Lisa Loeb (how many of you know all the words to Stay by heart), that straight guy from L Word Season 1, America Ferrera and lots of other awesome famous people.

Thanks to Cesarina for the link.

UK-based videocasting channel Truetube has a great series on feminism, Feminism 3.0. It includes pieces on feminism in India, the Hijab, sex, and a piece about "random acts of feminism" where they interview yours truly. Check it out...

A couple of you have asked in comments and emails for some occasional cheer-up posts, to temper all the bad news we've been getting. So here you go...this is my favorite happy-making video. (Yes, I know I've posted it before, but it never gets old to me.)

I think some people see being compared to Election character Tracy Flick as a negative thing, but I gotta say, it's impossible for me to watch that movie and believe Tracy wouldn't have made a great class president, even if I don't want to be her best friend.

Via.

I am a HUGE Project Runway fan. Like, unnaturally obsessed with the show. And my love for the show can only be matched by my love for Tim Gunn...that is, until he broke my heart on this recent Conan appearance. (Go to about 5:50 minutes in)

Gunn, talking about political leaders' fashion sense, says that Sen. Hillary Clinton "is confused about what her gender is." And then I cry.

Thanks to Eliza for the link.

Jessica's been bugging us all for weeks to each record our "Feministing story" about how we came to write for this blog. (See Jessica's here.) So I took a minute today and recorded mine:

(Yes, it's very dreary day here. Not that the view out my office window is much cheerier on a sunny day. Woot, downtown DC!)

So now I'll join Jess in nagging: where's your video, Vanessa? Samhita? Jen? Courtney? C'mon, ladies!

And for those of you who haven't subscribed yet, check out our YouTube channel.

For anyone who ever wanted to know how Feministing came to be, here's the (probably too long) story of our start and how we know each other. If you can stand to sit through my rambling, though, you'll get to find out about the very cool new blogger we're bringing on board. (More to come in a future post on that...)

Don't worry folks, I promise from now on I'll keep these things under three minutes. And learn better editing skills. As for my penchant for subtitles...I'm not making any promises.

I found myself cracking up at this. Because, really, the symbolism is too subtle for me to understand. What are they getting at? I think there's an undercurrent here beyond how delicious candy is, but I can't quite figure it out.

And so should you.

Sorry we're a little light on the posting, I'm still a bit jet lagged and catching up on emails. Have a great weekend everyone, and enjoy a little bit of the most crush-worthy boy band ever. (Ad Rock...swoon.)

This video is dedicated to Professor Sam Shuster, of Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, who has just come out with a study saying that men are naturally funnier than women. You know, because they have testosterone--which is apparently the funny-maker. Oh, and how did Shuster conduct his research? He rode a unicycle through the streets and documented people's reactions. Nuff said.

The Perfect Girlfriend - Watch more free videos

Thanks to Joe for the link!

Our gal Courtney went mano a mano with serious wingnut Laura Ingraham on the O'Reilly Factor. Click here to watch Courtney drop knowledge. (Isn't she brave?)

I'm especially glad she got to make this point on Fox News:

Courtney: I believe we live in a culture where the pop messages are sex, sex, sex everywhere. They tell girls, your body is your power. Then, we have the federally funded abstinence in sex education that tells girls, your bodies are dangerous. Do not ask questions. After interviewing over 100 women, I believe we are struggling to decipher those messages. In the real world, how do we create state boundaries for ourselves? How do we have good relationships with our bodies when we are caught between extreme arguments?

Laura: You said, having relationships with our bodies. You said, there are people up there who tell young girls that their bodies are dangerous. I talked a lot of families, too. I never hear a mother tell her daughter that her body is dangerous. I do hear mothers tell their daughters, you'll be better off, less likely to commit suicide, less likely to take part in drug use, if you abstain from sex during your high school years. Do you disagree that that is a good thing for girls?

Courtney: I believe our education system is sending a message that girls should cut themselves off from their authentic identities.

Laura: What does that mean? If you are 12 years old, you do not know what color of shirt to put on.

Courtney: That's not true.

Doesn't she rock? (Courtney, that is...)

Rest of the transcript (which contains some typos -- be warned) is below the fold.

Here's a lovely bit of political misogyny. A supporter on the campaign trail asks McCain, "How do we beat the bitch?" to a roomful of laughter. After someone else in the audience shouts out, "I thought she was talking about my ex-wife!" (sexism never gets boring, I guess!), McCain laughs and responds: "That's an excellent question." Really? Is it? Or are just an asshole too afraid to call someone out on their completely inappropriate language?

Via TPM Election Central.

Andrew Lavallee at WSJ online takes on the snarky and funny podcast, turned online video show that is shaking up the world of abstinence-only education and has become widely popular. If you have not already seen the Midwest Teen Sex Show, please put some time aside and check it out. It is smart and FUNNY. I am still laughing at this episode on birth control.

Now, you know what we at Feministing think of most sex ed that is out there and it ain't cute. Most of it doesn't not apply, does not work or ignores the real ways that young people are living. Mainly it doesn't respect the choices they make or treat young adults as people that can think. But Midwest Teen Sex Show makes fun of all of it, while smartly including some tips on safe sex and other such things.

That sort of wry, pointed presentation has helped the show lure thousands of viewers since its debut this past summer. Some may have been attracted by the provocative title, but this isn't pornography. Instead, it aims to teach teenagers about sex using risqué sketches, explicit language and anecdotes that draw on the teenage experiences of its two 28-year-old creators -- host Nikol Hasler, the aforementioned woman, and Guy Clark, an aspiring filmmaker.

The two felt that existing sexual-education efforts were far too prim -- and boring -- to be useful to teens. Their podcast focuses less on birds-and-bees basics and more on real-life scenarios teens are likely to face.

Yeah, but interestingly, sex educators are not into it as much. The fear is that it is too satirical and humorous, while holding back hard truth. I don't think that is necessarily true though. Most of popular culture is snarky, sarcastic and full of inside jokes. Young people know how to decipher these messages and will still make their own conclusions. I think that if this has the ability to reach wide audiences it will still be more effective than, "save it for marriage." Let's be real. When I was young, I didn't always listen to the facts, especially when someone was forcing them down my throat. I listened to people I trusted and definitely paid attention when they made me laugh. But more importantly, I learned from watching other people and making some mistakes myself.

Midwest Teen Sex Show is using real world experiences with snark to get a point across and I think that is a lot more effective than many of the other types of snoring sex ed that is out there.

Thoughts?

Thanks to Shilpa for the heads up.

I linked to video of the evil Leslee yesterday, but let's start the week off right with a new video from the undeniably awesome Leslie Hall:

Shot on location in the thrift stores and mini-marts of Ames, Iowa. This woman gives my home state a good name.

If you're not familiar with her work, check it out. She's a vision in gold lamé spandex and gem sweaters.

I can't decide if I should be horrified or reassured by this video. Probably both. But tell me what you think.

It's from the Tyra Banks show, and features "Dr. Debbie" and a vulva puppet. I'm right with them so far. Unfortunately, since it's her show, Tyra talks too, which is where everything always goes wrong. Watch until the end and you can hear a story About Tyra's mom making her examine herself with a hand mirror before going off to college. And Dr. Debbie telling the audience that women don't pee out of their clits or vaginas.

Obviously I'm not the target demographic for this, but, really? Do women actually think we pee out of the vagina? How would that work? Is urine stored in the uterus? I don't get it. If they exist, then wow, I hope they watched this show. And considering how uh... interesting Tyra's history with talking to women about sex on her show, I guess this is better than nothing. Right?

I never get tired of purity ball stuff. Note the pink boxes (ahem) on the table--I believe they're what the girls give to their dads with the pledge. *Shudder*

It's that time of the year again... and this is hilarious:

However, actual non-parody sexy racial stereotype and sexy anorexic costumes? Not so hilarious.

Via.

UPDATE: Roy has a more thoughtful take.

He gave Chris Matthews (who thinks vaginas are debate-stoppers) the interview he deserved. I was dying laughing last night.

The latest Dove ad dealing with women's body image issues is called "Onslaught":

The commercial is indebted to Jean Kilbourne's pioneering "Killing Us Softly" series, which was one of the first video explorations of how all these images of women's bodies we see in advertising really add up and influence how we view women's bodies in real life.

What I find fascinating about this Dove ad is how the fashion/beauty industry is finally portrayed like the drug it is. I mean, the whole, "Talk to your kids" message is usually used for things like weed or cigarettes or drunk driving. It's not often associated with the portrayal of women in mainstream advertising, which also has an extremely destructive influence on girls (and boys) who consume these ads. It's a powerful message.

Of course, as with all of these "body-positive" Dove ads, this message is coming from a company selling beauty products. A company that wants you to believe your thighs need firming and your underarms need "fixing" so that you'll buy their shit. A company whose parent corporation, Unilever, has pledged not to use size 0 models, but also makes products like Axe eau de asshole and skin-whitening cream. These things are hard to reconcile.

via Jezebel.

You gotta love old school SNL. As an enthusiastic chess player since childhood, I found this quite hilarious. (And a little creepy.)

The only similarity between myself and any of the girls in this video is that I also used to throw all the game pieces on the ground if I lost. Jessica can attest to it.

Via Feministe.

In an emotional statement yesterday, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders came out in support of same sex marriage. Sanders, a republican, had been expected (and expecting) to veto a resolution in support of same sex marriage but could not go through with it at the last minute: "I just could not bring myself to tell an entire group of our community they were less important, less worthy or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else, simply because of their sexual orientation."

The video is really something, it got me all weepy. If you want to contact Mayor Sanders (I certainly did) to thank him for his change of heart--and for his touching public statement--click here.

Pam Spaulding has more.

So creepy on so many levels.

After their tasteless "Milk Gone Wild" campaign a while back, we can't expect much more from PETA. And featuring Alicia "The Crush" Silversone, no less.

Via Nerve.

Hilarious. Nothing beats the intro to the segment...catty...whorish...menstruating!

Crush SO hard. Seriously, if you haven't read her books, you should.

My cubemate Phoebe alerted me to the awesomeness that is the video for Ciara's "Like a Boy."

This is the most successful execution of a move I'll call "subversive crotchgrab in menswear" that I've seen in popular music since Madonna's "Express Yourself" video. And Ciara does it with a group of drag-king backup dancers. So great.

Ann drops knowledge on CNN.

Nerve's Scanner highlights this creepy mannequin-as-model Wonderbra commercial from the 60s. It kinda makes me want to turn that feminist bra-burning myth into a reality.

Southwest's website happily touts its sexist 1970s ads, one of which says,

Remember What It Was Like Before Southwest Airlines? You Didn't Have Hostesses in Hotpants. Remember?

Wow. (I've taken a screenshot for posterity's sake.) The ad in question:

The 2007 version would have to read:

Remember What It Was Like Before Southwest Airlines? You Didn't Have Passengers Getting Thrown Off the Plane for Wearing Short Skirts. Remember?

via.

Also, I love Mo Rocca.

Oh my goodness. Love.

Gawd, I love the Guerrilla Girls.

Racialicious highlights this hilarious MadTV sketch. Amazing.

Okay, not really. But this ad for Clorox does end up unintentionally showing how women have been doing household grunt work for generations.

The worst line in the commercial says that "even a man or two" has done the laundry. As if all the women watching are supposed to have some little laugh to ourselves about the inequitable division of labor. "I do shit work for free, tee hee!"

(Also, as was pointed out by tipster Jessica Hicks, depending on how you listen to the line--it could be read as a little dirtier than intended.)

Have a crazy-on-you kinda weekend.

There weren't any explicitly feminist issues in this segment (where Ann takes on conservative blogger La Shawn Barber), but that doesn't mean it's not blog-worthy. Go Ann!

So I don't really know how this would be that different from USC section 2257, but to take an already faulty law to the next level, the US Dept of Justice wants to generate a list of all actors in the porn industry. The desire to do this is of course to prohibit the production of underage porn. However, the reality of 2257 has been that many women have had their identities and personal information revealed to people that shouldn't have access to it. Or rather people we don't want to have access to it, thusly making a potentially preventative measure backfire or often force performers to leave the country.

The new rules, proposed under the Adam Walsh Child Safety and Protection Act, would require blue-movie makers to keep photos, stage names, professional names, maiden names, aliases, nicknames and ages on file for the inspection of the department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

"The identity of every performer is critical to determining and ensuring that no performer is a minor," according to the new proposal.

The adult film industry plans to challenge the new rule as a violation of the First Amendment, said Paul Cambria, a lawyer for Hustler and other adult film companies.

According to one article the key difference will be that this new law covers all sexually simulative acts, not just explicitly sexual acts. There has been some discussion to keep personal information completely private. The pornography industry is already so complicated with respect to the rights of women and attempted protection of underage performers, so I have trouble believing that this would actually help.

Thoughts?

via New York Post.

It's as if Axe had a sadder, but just as offensive, little brother.

Name someone more bad-ass than Tina. Seriously. Can't be done.

While I was in San Francisco, I had the chance to go speak to the teens who work with YO! Youth Outlook. A project of New America Media, YO! is a journal created by mostly young people of color who live in the Bay Area. They are frigging awesome, so make sure to check them out.

So after we had a lunch roundtable to discuss my book and feminism in general, two young women from YO! interviewed me for their YO! TV show, which airs on the local CW station. Check it out below.

Also check out this review written by 15 year-old Jasmine Redmond.

A big thanks to Neela Banerjee for inviting me; I had a great time!

Our gal Courtney talks about, and reads from, her fantastic book. Buy it.

Since this will be my last post at Feministing, I would like to give a quick thanks to everyone who made it such a great experience. A big thanks to all of the Feministing women for asking me to guest-blog, to all of them and Miriam for being such great co-bloggers, and a special thanks to Ann for being so helpful. Also, thanks to everyone who commented and was receptive to what I had to say. I hope that those of you who enjoyed my posts will follow me back to The Curvature, and of course, I'll be around here commenting, as always.

I'm going to leave you with a stunningly excellent pro-choice poetry slam called "What We Deserve." It's from the 2006 International World Poetry Slam Finals and by Sonya "The Drama" Boom Renee. I had to watch it twice, and was almost in tears towards the end, the second time around. For those of you who have been commenting today that all the recent bad news is getting you down, know that you're not the only one who's angry!

How sexism keeps women from participating in the YouTube vlogger culture.