Tag Archives: feminist

Girl Talk: My First Bikini Wax

Jessica WakemanJuly 27, 2010 //

I’ve waxed my eyebrows. I’ve waxed my upper lip. But when it came to waxing my ladyparts, I passed. I checked out. I just chose to be a noncombatant. I removed excess hair on my eyebrows and on my upper lip because it embarrassed me. But did it make sense to be embarrassed — nay, to form an opinion at all — about a part of my body seen by no one but me? No, I decided, it didn’t. In fact, a woman’s vagina is so personal and so private that I thought it would be pretty un-feminist to feel shame that it didn’t look quote, unquote “pretty.” (And yes, I’ve seen Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues,” like, eight times.) Besides, who would want to let an aesthetician down there with her tongue depressor dipped in hot wax? Surely someone of heartier stock than I.

Then I had my first bikini wax at age 26 and surprised myself by liking it. Keep reading »

Quotable: Does Olivia Munn Understand The Definition Of Feminism?

Jessica WakemanJuly 8, 2010 //
Olivia Munn photo

“I just consider myself a person in this world who wants to stand up for everyone who can’t stand up for themselves. I care just as much about the guys as I do about the girls. I want geeks to feel empowered to stand with people who are more socially accepted. And I want girls to feel that they can be pretty and funny and edgy and not apologize for it.”

— Olivia Munn, newest correspondent of “The Daily Show,” won’t label herself a feminist. But isn’t what she stands for — empowering girls to be pretty and funny and edgy and not apologize for it — the exact definition of feminism? Maybe she just doesn’t use the label because feminists have been kinda critical of her (for good reason!). But I still think it’s a cop-out not to just claim the label, like when people say, “Oh, I’m for human rights!” Yeah, we’re all for human rights. And empowering geeks, of course. [NYMag.com] Keep reading »

Is Sarah Palin Allowed To Call Herself A Feminist?

Jessica WakemanJune 1, 2010 //

Once upon a time, Sarah Palin was just a pit bull in lipstick. But speaking on May 14 to a PAC that finances anti-abortion female congressional candidates, Palin not only called herself “feminist” but praised the “emerging, conservative feminist identity” and the “pro-woman sisterhood.” (Never one to miss an opportunity to inject ferocious animals into the conversation, Palin praised “mama grizzlies,” too.)

Now, it’s not difficult to understand how the estrogen contact high, which surely comes from speaking to a group that finances female congressional candidates, could give one a sense of kinship to the sisterhood. But considering how feminists are generally not considered the type of people who would require women to pay for their own rape exams, you wouldn’t be alone in wondering what the heck was going on when Palin dropped the “f-bomb.” Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Is Sarah Palin A Feminist?

Jessica WakemanMay 25, 2010 //
  • Lots of feminists were pissed recently when Sarah Palin referred to herself as a “feminist” at a fundraiser. Los Angeles Times columnist Meghan Daum, who herself identifies as feminist, says, “If she has the guts to call herself a feminist, then she’s entitled to be accepted as one.” Do you agree? [L.A. Times]
  • Moms-to-be are using “hypno-birthing” — or self-hypnosis — to put themselves into a trance before giving birth. [New York Post]
  • Researchers say the stress of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may have contributed to an increase in miscarriages of male fetuses — even among women who were not directly affected by the attacks. It should be noted, though, that the study only examined the miscarriage of male fetuses, because they are considered more sensitive to stressors than female fetuses. [CNN]

Keep reading »

Quotable: Martha Stewart Is Anti-Feminist But Pro-Pies And Tarts

Jessica WakemanMay 10, 2010 //

“I don’t think in a male or female way. I don’t differentiate between male and female. I never have. I’m not considered a feminist. … Do we really need to waste time saying, ‘I’m a feminist’? I never thought about glass ceilings. I never thought about glass floors. I was thinking about how many pies can I come up with for my pies-and-tarts book. Those are all original ideas.”

— Domestic goddess extraordinaire Martha Stewart, who I wish would explain what “glass floors” are. [New York Times Magazine] Keep reading »

The Kick-Ass Girl Power Message Of Miley Cyrus’ New Single, “Can’t Be Tamed”

Jessica WakemanMay 6, 2010 //


Confession: I’ve never listened to a Miley Cyrus song before in my life, save the one time I watched her strut around a stripper pole while singing “Party In The U.S.A.” at an awards show last year. I always thought she was a cheesy Disney star with crap parents who have bad judgment. But now I am obsessed — no, make that OBSESSED — with Miley’s new single “Can’t Be Tamed.” (And it’s not just because I want a giant nest and peacock feather wings like she’s got in the video.)

The reason I love Miley’s new song is because she’s a young, 17-year-old girl singing, “I can’t be tamed, I can’t be saved, I can’t be blamed, I can’t be tamed, I can’t be changed … They try to change me but they realize they can’t.” And that’s a message teenaged girls of America — hell, the women of America — couldn’t hurt to hear. I wish a song like this had been popular when I was a teen. Keep reading »

Craigslist Dating Experiment: Looking For A “Feminist Man”

Jessica WakemanMay 4, 2010 //

There are lots of good reasons not to go looking for love on Craigslist — namely, getting stabbed by some creep. But The Frisky will condone Craigslist dating “experiments” of the feminist variety, like the one conducted by Alexandra Tweten, a blogger for Ms. magazine. Tweten posted a W4M personals ad on Craigslist in L.A., describing herself as a feminist journalist, and urging only pro-choice feminist guys to respond.

The responses, as you can imagine, were discouraging. (But at least she only got two photos of penises, right?) Keep reading »

Tina Fey: Not Feminist Enough?

Jessica WakemanApril 13, 2010 //

I knew this was going to happen: Tina Fey hosted “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend and yesterday morning, our fellow lady blogs were all abuzz with complain-y posts. Bloggers I read and respect, including Sady Doyle at Feministe, Jessica Grose at Double X, and Irin Carmon at Jezebel, took to their blogs to react to Fey‘s hosting gig. And I understand why women were watching, fingers poised to the keyboard: Whip-smart and witty Fey is a role model for millions of women and girls.

Still, I’ll bet Jude Law didn’t have to deal with being over-analyzed to death the Monday morning after he hosted. Keep reading »

Quotable: Ellen Page Talks “Juno,” Abortion, And White Dudes

Jessica WakemanApril 7, 2010 //

“You all need to calm down. People are so black and white about this. Because she kept the baby everybody said the film was against abortion. But if she’d had an abortion everybody would have been like, ‘Oh my God.’ I am a feminist and I am totally pro-choice, but what’s funny is when you say that people assume that you are pro-abortion. I don’t love abortion but I want women to be able to choose and I don’t want white dudes in an office being able to make laws on things like this. I mean what are we going to do — go back to clothes hangers?”

— Ellen Page on the controversy surrounding her role in “Juno” [Guardian UK] Keep reading »

Arizona Teacher Makes Chivalry A Classroom Rule

Jessica WakemanApril 1, 2010 //
chivalry photo

Teacher Cord Ivanyi, a Latin instructor at Gilbert Classical Academy, was tired of seeing boys physically push aside girls as they rushed through the classroom door. So at the beginning of this school year, Ivanyi told his students the new classroom rules about chivalry: boys would hold doors for girls; boys would ask girls if they would like to be seated; boys would offer to take girls’ backpacks before they sit down; boys would stand if a girl leaves the room; and girls would be served first if food is in the classroom.

“All boys will understand chivalry,” Ivanyi told The Arizona Republic. “It’s teaching them social grace. It’s things they should know when they do go out on dates.” All the students, boys and girls, were reportedly awkward about the mandated chivalry at first. But Ivanyi, as well as girls quoted by various media outlets, say girls seem to be enjoying the chivalry and some chivalrous behavior is even extending beyond the classroom.

Mandated chivalry may be a well-intentioned idea. And it may well have taught some kids to be conscious of the basic concept of good manners, which is to be considerate of others’ well-being. But mandating chivalry in the classroom could not be a more misguided set of rules. Keep reading »

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