Tag Archives: feminist

Today’s Lady News: Belvedere Vodka’s Rapey New Ad

Jessica WakemanMarch 23, 2012 //

Not all advertising campaigns are sexist and offensive. Read More »

WTF Hair Removal Ads

Hair removal ads leave little to the imagination. 7 Photos »

Retro Douche Ads

The history of douchey vag products. 9 Photos »

Stupid Period Ads

These menstrual product ads are dumb. Period. 9 Photos »

Belvedere Vodka tweeted an ad recently where a man pulls an open-mouthed woman down onto his lap with the headline, “Unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smoothly.” The company tweeted later that they were sorry “if any of our fans were offended,” although not for the actual creepy ad. The ad appears to have since been pulled. [Jessica Valenti]
Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Corbett dismissed criticism of the state’s new forced ultrasound law for women seeking an abortion, compassionately stating, “You just have to close your eyes.” [Huffington Post]
PA state senator Larry Farnese has introduced a bill that would require men seeking Viagra to first undergo a prostate exam, a cardiac stress test, and sex therapy. [Nerve]
You know things are bad for women’s rights in America when a Republican Congressman is urging women to donate their money to Democrats, who he calls “people who speak out on our behalf.” [Daily Kos] Keep reading »

The Soapbox: On Consent Culture

Holly PervocracyMarch 22, 2012 //

I Was Date Raped

Amelia was date raped in college by a guy she liked. Read More »

New "Rape" Definition

A new definition of rape has been approved by the FBI. Read More »

Rape Checklist

A handy checklist of things that cause rape. Read More »

Kinky Sex Tips

For vanilla girls who want to try a little kink. 8 Photos »

Today I’m going to fulfill a promise I made quite a while ago, and talk about what a consent culture would look like.

A consent culture is one in which the prevailing narrative of sex — in fact, of human interaction — is centered around mutual consent. It is a culture with an abhorrence of forcing anyone into anything, a respect for the absolute necessity of bodily autonomy, a culture that believes that a person is always the best judge of their own wants and needs.

I don’t want to limit it to sex. A consent culture is one in which mutual consent is part of social life as well. Don’t want to talk to someone? You don’t have to. Don’t want a hug? That’s okay, no hug then. Don’t want to try the fish? That’s fine. (As someone with weird food aversions, I have a special hatred for “just taste a little!”) Don’t want to be tickled or noogied? Then it’s not funny to chase you down and do it anyway.

The good news is, there are things you can do to bring this about. Things beyond just “don’t rape people” (although that’s an excellent start). Keep reading »

The Real March Madness: Lady-Hating Laws In Arizona Vs. Virginia

Jessica WakemanMarch 21, 2012 //

March Madness!

Battle of the crazies! Read More »

VA's Abortion Bills

Virgina's transvaginal ultrasound anti-abortion bill is super-scary. Read More »

AZ On Abortion

The prenatal nondiscrimination act would let men/parents to stop abortions. Read More »

We have nothing personally against the states of Arizona and Virginia, two fine locations in the lower 48. Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon, and our own Ami Angelowicz was born and raised there. Virginia is the proud state that brought us Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the Smithfield ham. However, when it comes to those of us with a vagina, these two places have been the worst lately. Read on to vote in our Real March Madness poll! Keep reading »

Susan Sarandon Is More Sensible On Birth Control Than Many Of Our Elected Officials

Jessica WakemanMarch 16, 2012 //

Susan Pole Dances

Susan Sarandon poledances with her daughter Eva Amurri. 8 Photos »

Susan & Tim Split

Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are no more. Read More »

Susan Calls Pope "Nazi"

Tell us how you really feel, Susan Sarandon. Read More »

“I don’t understand how you can be so anxious to populate the world with children who can’t afford to get an education or are going hungry. It’s wonderful to have a family but it takes money. We’re in an election right now where there’s a lot of talk about how the government is not supposed to make it easy for you to get health care, education, food, or any of the things you need to give a child a chance to be a contributing member of society. I don’t understand how that works? If you don’t have control over your reproductive system as a woman, then who steps in to help you? Clearly, abstinence doesn’t work, and we’re living in an age where a lot of gentlemen don’t take responsibility for the children they’re so happy to give to women. So who helps? … Are the Republicans suggesting that they take care of all the children that are born when you don’t have birth control available to you when you’re a poor woman? Do these guys not understand what it takes to raise a child, financially and time-wise? They sound like complete idiots!”

– Susan Sarandon reminds me why she’s my favorite feminist in Hollywood (and not just because she played the mom in the “Little Women” remake). Elsewhere in this interview she calls Rush Limbaugh “a Barnum & Bailey showman” who “doesn’t care who he endangers or what it means” and when asked about dating her much-younger business partner after she split from Tim Robbins, goes off on the double standard against sexual women. She’s also playing “four or five different men” in a movie version of the novel Cloud Atlas, which sounds wild. LOVE HER. [The Daily Beast]

Doctors Could Tell Women That Abortion Causes Breast Cancer Under New Hampshire Bill

Jessica WakemanMarch 15, 2012 //

Another day, another new height reached in WTF-ery: New Hampshire’s state House has advanced a bill that would require doctors to give women “informational materials” before an abortion that “that inform the pregnant woman that there is a direct link between abortion and breast cancer.” Even though there isn’t.

This scare tactic just doesn’t go away, does it? Excuse me while I facepalm for the next three hours. Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: NC County Says Young Women Should Be “Responsible” & Not Have Sex

Jessica WakemanMarch 13, 2012 //

Dear Man I Am Sleeping With And Other Men I Might Sleep With In The Future: The New Hanover County board of commissioners in North Carolina has turned down a state family planning grant because they decided instead that young women should be “responsible” by not having sex. “If these young women were responsible people and didn’t have the sex to begin with, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” said Chairman Ted Davis. I really think he is onto something! Clearly we need to stop being such sluts. I’m sure you’ll understand why we can’t have sex anymore. Ever. [Daily Kos]
Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, who was called a “slut” and a “prostitute” by Rush Limbaugh on his radio show for testifying to Congress about birth control in health care reform, penned an op-ed on CNN.com. [CNN]
Keep reading »

Hillary Clinton Tells Religious Extremists To STFU About Women

Jessica WakemanMarch 13, 2012 //

Hillary On Politics

The secretary of state on the double standard against women. Read More »

Why Hillary Isn't Prez

Gloria Steinem isn't surprised that Hillary Clinton is not our president. Read More »

Hill On Women's Rights

Hillary Clinton is all about empowering women and children. Read More »

“Why extremists always focus on women remains a mystery to me, but they all seem to. It doesn’t matter what country they’re in or what religion they claim, they all want to control women. They want to control how we dress, they want to control how we act, they even want to control the decisions we make about our own health and our own bodies. Yes, it is hard to believe. But even here at home, we have to stand up for women’s rights and reject efforts to marginalize any one of us because America needs to set an example for the entire world.”

— Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton spoke this weekend at The Daily Beast’s Women In The World summit and reminded us why we’re grateful to have this woman representing us to the world. I love how she spoke about extremists in general, not naming one religion specifically, and how she didn’t reference anti-abortion Republicans specifically, either. It makes it all the more powerful that she’s talking about the philosophy behind control, not sidelining her point by bashing anyone in particular for doing it. [Nerve]

Chess Tournament Thoughtfully Bans Cleavage So Women Won’t Invite Rude Comments

Jessica WakemanMarch 12, 2012 //

Miniskirts Banned

Indonesia banning miniskirts so female lawmakers don't "invite rape." Read More »

Sorority Dress Code

Get a load of the Pi Phi rush dress code beauty rules. Read More »

Speedos Forbidden

A UK resort has banned men from wearing skimpy speeds. Read More »

An IM Conversation at Frisky HQ:

Jessica: Oh, Lord, a chess tournament has banned cleavage.

Amelia: I love chess.

Jessica: But do you love playing chess with your titties hanging out? Apparently that’s a problem.

Amelia: Especially then. I would do it to distract my opponent if they were a 15-year-old prodigy. Keep reading »

Hitched: I Love My Dad, But I Don’t Want Him To Give Me Away

Andrea GrimesMarch 7, 2012 //

A New Name

Rachel and her husband chose a new last name when they married. Read More »

I think I just got away with telling my dad he won’t be giving me away at my wedding — and the world didn’t fall apart.

I’d been putting it off, the telling him, partly because I never know whether my dad is going to care. I know he cares a lot about high-quality French fries and Chevy sport utility vehicles that rolled off the line between 1996 and 1999 (must have tailgate and be black, red or white). But the emotional stuff is a total gamble.

There was the time he tried to keep one of my high school boyfriends from using our upstairs bathroom because “he might have VD,” which I now realize was code for “Andie, you are wasting your time on this guy.” He cried when I tried on my wedding dress for him, but not when he dropped me off at college halfway across the country.

So I had no idea how he would react if I told him that I don’t want to be given away on my wedding day. Maybe he would be fine with it. Or maybe it would genuinely hurt him. But there’s not much that hurts me more than being treated like a piece of property. Keep reading »

President Obama Called Sandra Fluke Because He Wouldn’t Want Sasha & Malia Called “Horrible Names”

Jessica WakemanMarch 7, 2012 //

Rush Smears "Slut"

Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" on air. Read More »

Advertisers Drop Rush

A number of advertisers have dropped Rush Limbaugh. Read More »

Birth Control Victory

Birth control will be covered by most employers under health care reform. Read More »

“I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about. Even ones I may not agree with them on. I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way. And I don’t want them attacked or called horrible names because they’re being good citizens. And I wanted Sandra to know that I thought her parents should be proud of her. And that we want to send a message to all our young people that being part of a democracy involves arguments and disagreements and debate. And we want you to be engaged. And there’s a way to do it that doesn’t involve you being demeaned and insulted, particularly when you’re a private citizen.”

– President Obama in a press conference yesterday, on why he called Sandra Fluke, the woman who Rush Limbaugh called a “slut” and “prostitute” because she testified to Congress about using birth control. (More on that here and here.) The president also said, when asked about whether there is a “war on women” taking place regarding reproductive rights, “One of the things I’ve learned being married to Michelle, is I don’t need to tell her what it is that she thinks is important.” Damn straight. [The New Yorker]