Tag Archives: sexism

“The Man Whisperer” Dating Advice Book: Stop Nagging, Or Else You’ll Die Alone

Jessica WakemanDecember 10, 2010 //

Every few years some enterprising publisher knocks off the world’s most famous “how to change yourself to get a man to love you” book, The Rules (which itself knocks off Fascinating Womanhood). We know what condescending “rules” these books teach: men are simple, men are visual creatures, don’t nag them or they turn into little boys, men like to “chase.” The #1 rule is generally a version of be “Put away your penis!”, as Patti Stanger might say.

The 2011 incarnation is The Man Whisperer: A Gentle, Results-Oriented Approach To Communication, a book about “a new method of communication” called (duh) Man Whispering. Penned by “dating experts” Donna Sozio and Samantha Brett, I want to say it’s like The Rules on steroids, but really it’s like The Rules after a few too many Cosmos: Whoever wrote this must have been drunk. Did I say Cosmos? Scratch that. Four Lokos.

So, I bravely fished The Man Whisperer out of the The Frisky’s “books to donate” pile and got reading. Here’s what I learned: Keep reading »

Helen Mirren Does Not Worship At The Altar Of The 18-Year-Old Male Penis

Jessica WakemanDecember 9, 2010 //

Helen Mirren is one of those people who, when she talks, you listen. This Tuesday, the Dame received the Sherry Lansing Leaderships Award — so named for the former CEO of Paramount Pictures — at The Hollywood Reporter‘s annual Women in Entertainment breakfast. Although consummately gracious for receiving her award, Helen criticized the subtle sexism of Hollywood, which puts older actresses out to pasture while keeping older male actors in the stables and produces films that “worship at the altar of the 18- and 25-year-old male and his penis.” Helen’s summation? “Quite small, I always think.”

After the jump, a transcript of Helen’s speech: Keep reading »

Mind Of Man: In Defense Of Catcalls

John DeVoreDecember 8, 2010 //

Yeah, I can’t really defend catcalls and I tried. I told myself that this uniquely male sport is harmless fun. That it’s flattering, almost charming. Who else would shout compliments to a woman but a hopeless romantic? Besides, having a construction worker shout “lookin’ good” must appeal to a woman’s vanity, right? It’s not like a catcall has ever resulted in an actual date. If a woman ever positively responded to a man whistling, it would be like a dog chasing a car and catching it. The dude’s brain would be unable to comprehend reality shattering. While trying to craft a defense of catcalls, I found myself blaming women. Why can’t they take a joke? Or deal with a man who just wants her to know she’s hot? Women are so uptight. Feminists must hate romance, because all these roadside Romeos are doing is shouting up at a woman’s balcony. This was my train of thought. Keep reading »

“Pink Stinks” Parents Group Are Anti-Pink Toy Crusaders

Jessica WakemanDecember 6, 2010 //
princess dress girl photo

There’s good news across the pond for parents who want their little girls to believe they can grow up and be anything they want: A parents group called Pink Stinks, which pressures toy companies and stores to rise above marketing based on traditional gender roles, seems to have been successful in getting the Early Learning Center to change their pink ways — at least a little bit. Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Hillary Clinton Asked, “Which Designers Do You Prefer?”

Jessica WakemanDecember 3, 2010 //
  • Speaking on a panel in Kyrgyzstan yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked by a moderator, “Which designers do you prefer?” Clinton asked, “What designers of clothes?” and the moderator answered yes. “Would you ever ask a man that question?” Clinton asked, apparently with a laugh. The moderator responded, “Probably not. Probably not.” Well-handled. [Styleite]
  • Failed Tea Party/Republican Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell — “I’m not a witch!” — has scored a book deal with St. Martin’s. [Gawker]
  • Keith Olbermann slammed Bristol Palin on a recent show, dubbing her “the worst person” for being a spokeswoman for abstinence. Bristol Bristol’s ghostwriter hastily penned a response on Facebook Notes to say “accusing me of hypocrisy is by now an old canard.” One thing is for sure: both of these people are extremely, extremely annoying. [Facebook]

Keep reading »

The Scarlet Bracelet

Ami AngelowiczDecember 1, 2010 //

How would you feel about having your potty use at work monitored during your monthly menstrual cycle? In Norway, a workers union put together a shocking list of “tyrannical” bathroom monitoring practices, as Norwegian businesses seem to be overly concerned about losing productivity due to workers’ frequent trips to the restroom. One manager reportedly forced female employees to wear red bracelets while they had their periods to justify increased trips to the toilet. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? Fortunately government officials were not cool with making women wear scarlet bracelets in the work place. “Women quite justifiably feel humiliated by being tagged in this way, so that all their colleagues are aware of this intimate detail of their private life. Toilet Codes relating to menstrual cycles are clear violations of privacy and is very insulting to the people concerned,” said Norway’s chief consumer ombudsman, Bjorn Erik Thon. Ya think? [Daily Mail] Keep reading »

Nicki Minaj On The Word “Bitch”

Jessica WakemanNovember 30, 2010 //

“When I am assertive, I’m a bitch. When a man is assertive, he’s a boss. He [is] bossed up. No negative connotation behind ‘bossed up.’ But lots of negative connotation behind being a bitch. Donald Trump can say, ‘You’re fired.’ Let Martha Stewart run her company the same way and be the same way. [People will say] ‘f**king old evil bitch!’ But Donald Trump, he gets to hang out with young bitches and have 50 different wives and just be cool. ‘Oh, Donald, we love you, Donald Trump!’ … When you’re a girl, you have to be everything. You have to be dope at what you do but you have to be super sweet and you have to be sexy and you have to be this, you have to be that, and you have to be nice. It’s like, ‘I can’t be all those things at once. I’m a human being.’”

—Nicki Minaj sounds off on the sexual double standard in her MTV special, “My Time Now.” [MTV] Keep reading »

Indian Village Bans Unmarried Women From Having Cell Phones

Jessica WakemanNovember 29, 2010 //

Unmarried boys, of course, are free to dial away as much as they please. Keep reading »

Writer Tawni O’Dell Comes Out Swinging Against Sexist Publishing Industry

Jessica WakemanNovember 22, 2010 //

A few months ago the author Jonathan Franzen published his novel, Freedom, and among bookworms, it was like a new “Star Wars” movie being released or Angelina Jolie popping out another baby. Not only did President Obama make headlines for snagging an advanced copy to read on vacation, but Franzen made the prestigious New York Times book review not once, but twice, in a single week. That was all too much for author Jodi Picoult. “Is anyone shocked?” she tweeted, no doubt rolling her eyes. “Would love to see the Times write about authors who aren’t white male literary darlings.” Everyone weighed in with their opinion — sexism? sour grapes? — including here on The Frisky. The matter was settled, at least for moi, when the blog Slate.com did an old-fashioned author byline count of The New York Times Book Review. That publication does, in fact, review more books written by men than women.

For us lady writers at The Frisky, it was all pretty disheartening. (Kate may be the only one who has published a book thus far, but there are several of us on staff who go home and peck on our laptops some more.) Now there’s more “ugh”-ness to “ugh!” deep in our bellies: Author Tawni O’Dell penned an essay for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about her experiences navigating the publishing industry and book-reviewing culture as a female writer and they’re utterly fascinating.

I just have four words for you: “wood nymph” and “biker chick.” Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: May The Force Be With You, Katie!

Jessica WakemanNovember 19, 2010 //
  • A first grader named Katie was made fun of by the boys at her school for owning a “Star Wars” water bottle. Now there’s a Twitter hashtag for #MayTheForceBeWithKatie and, one would hope, a squad of Storm Troopers showing up at those boys’ front doors. (Thanks, commenter Vivster, for the heads-up!) [StarWars.com]
  • “Real Housewives” Bethenny Frankel is hawking a pink “Future SkinnyGirl” onesie for babies on CafePress. I get that “SkinnyGirl” is her brand. But, seriously, encouraging your baby girl to stay skinny?! What happens if Bethanny’s baby Bryn grows up naturally thicker than her famously svelte mommy? [Styleite]
  • A passage of Sarah Palin’s latest book, America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag, criticizes Michelle Obama for saying she hadn’t felt proud of her country, but then goes on to drag racial tensions into it. “In retrospect, I guess this shouldn’t surprise us, since both of them spent almost two decades in the pews of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s church listening to his rants against America and white people,” Palin wrote. Holy race-baiting! [Huffington Post]

Keep reading »

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