How Much Chick TMI Is Too Much Chick TMI?

In “The Great Girlie Gross-Out,” Salon’s Rebecca Traister takes a look at the online phenomenon in which women, mostly young women, share intimate things about themselves that others may or may not want to know. The most notorious offenders include Moe Tkacik’s tale of a wayward tampon, Tracie Egan’s ongoing urinary tract infection problems, and Miranda Purves’ post-childbirth ... jellyfish. Without a doubt, “Oversharing is in.” The question is: Is all this spewing too much information—or the voice of a new generation of women who aren’t afraid to be candid about their bodies? Ultimately, the intention may be more about getting attention than getting empowered. “We have edged away from a time when talking openly about the female body was necessarily a brave political statement and into one in which it can be self-promotional, potty-mouthed and kind of sweet.” Or, as Tkacik confesses: “You write gross things for page views too.” In other words, postfeminist chicks mistake clicks for politics. [Salon]