Category: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality

Jessica Valenti’s almost my hero

A while ago, I read Full Frontal Feminism, and then I just recently finished He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut, and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know. There are some things I dislike about Valenti (sometimes she does seem to be trying too hard to be hip and humorous, for example), but she’s… Continue reading Jessica Valenti’s almost my hero

Not to discount your hard work…

I confess—I love watching the E! True Hollywood Story. I love seeing the stories behind the stars and watching their rises to fame and fortune. I am baffled by one thing, though. Why do they (either the stars themselves or their friends, family members, managers and agents) keep trying to make it sound as if… Continue reading Not to discount your hard work…

Kate Perry: Experimental lesbianism is not subversive

Kate Perry has a pop song with a very catchy tune. It’s about how she “kissed a girl.” Supposedly, this is something she’s very proud of and feels is subversive or bucking the system: It’s not what / Good girls do / Not how they should behave. On the contrary, Kate, it’s quite how good… Continue reading Kate Perry: Experimental lesbianism is not subversive

The varying degrees of rich

I grew up in one of the wealthiest towns in its state. If you told people you were from my town, they’d call you a “Richie.” Nevertheless, many people in my town identified themselves as “middle-class” or “upper-middle-class” instead of as “upper-class” or “rich.” There were many people in my high school who, when applying… Continue reading The varying degrees of rich

Is there a new word to add the sociological dictionary?

Discussions of racism and sexism (or any *ism, really) in mixed company can easily become heated, especially if some people in the discussion try to combat the notion that we are “all in the same boat.” I don’t think the emotional charge of the discussion comes so much from what is being described as how… Continue reading Is there a new word to add the sociological dictionary?

Handling unwanted advances

In high school, college, and beyond, I’ve had many conversations with female friends about street harassment, and the conversations have almost always been disheartening. It usually goes something like this: Woman is minding her own business on the street, on the bus, in a coffee shop, in a store. Random man makes a lewd sexual… Continue reading Handling unwanted advances

Full Frontal Feminism Indeed

Right now I’m reading Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters by Jessica Valenti, and I have to say, with a few rough bumps along the way, it’s an impressive piece of literature. Most of the feminist works I’ve read—while rationally argued, fully annotated, and well-written—are dry and too academic for… Continue reading Full Frontal Feminism Indeed

Stupid husbands and smart wives on TV

If you’ve seen any American sitcoms featuring het couples in the past ten years or so, you’ll probably have noticed that it’s common for the show to portray the husbands as a stupid but endearing oaf who likes beer, barbecues, watching TV, hanging with the guys, and ogling women; and the wife as a smart,… Continue reading Stupid husbands and smart wives on TV

How many prison rapists will use a condom?

Apparently, a Local Prison [in Vacavilla is] To Provide Condoms To Inmates even though sex between inmates is supposedly illegal. Of course, everyone knows same-sex sex happens in prison all the time, and it is usually prison rape, not consensual sex. So what’s the point exactly? Sure, HIV is spreading widely (five to seven times… Continue reading How many prison rapists will use a condom?