Tag Archives: sexism

“This Is Our Locker Room”: The Ines Sainz Scandal Begs The Question “Do Men Need A Man Cave?”

Jessica WakemanSeptember 16, 2010 //
caveman photo

Most incidents of sexual harassment follow one of two scripts: 1.) How provocatively was she dressed? 2.) Is she just being a PMS-y humorless bitch and/or too sensitive? The story of Ines Sainz, the Mexican sports reporter who was sexually harassed by players and staff from the New York Jets, has forged a new narrative: What the heck was she doing in the men’s locker room? What kind of idiot is she — a former Miss Universe — to wade into that bath of testosterone?

Asking why Sainz violated macho airspace is not much different from putting her sartorial choices on trial. (And you’d best believe that’s happening, too.) It assumes men cannot control their behavior in the presence of a beautiful woman and they want — nay, need — a man cave where men can be men, damn it! There are more than a few Frisky commenters, not to mention public figures, who agree with this idea. When another reporter asked Sainz if she was OK after “hooting and hollering” when she entered the locker room with publicists, Jets player Chris Jenkins, for one, reportedly yelled, “This is our locker room!” Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Performing Sexual Favors Totally Fine For Women In Politics, Says Italian Dude

Jessica WakemanSeptember 15, 2010 //
  • It’s totally OK if women use their bodies to get ahead in politics, advises Giorgio Stracquadanio, an ally of Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister of Italy (who has made plenty of sexist comments himself). Stracquadanio added that, in his opinion, a woman performing sexual favors to get ahead would not be grounds for dismissal. Being a woman working in Italian government must be a ball. [Telegraph UK]
  • Investment banking firm Goldman Sachs is being sued for sexual discrimination. Three women are seeking a class action lawsuit against the bank, claiming they were held back from raises and promotions because of their gender. [New York Observer]
  • Who amongst us does not want to hear Rush Limbaugh’s opinion on Ines Sainz, the sports reporter who was sexually harassed by the New York Jets? [Media Matters]

Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Columnist Says Ines Sainz Provoked Harassment By “Selling” Her Hot Bod

Jessica WakemanSeptember 14, 2010 //
  • In a column titled “Giving Off The Wrong Signals,” New York Post writer Andrea Peyser blames sports reporter Ines Sainz for being sexually harassed by the New York Jets, writing “all bets were off the minute Sainz declared herself ‘the hottest sports reporter in Mexico’” and questioning “exactly what she’s selling — her sweat and hard work, or her body parts.” Peyser also points out Sainz has posed nude in the past, which apparently excuses being hooted and hollered at for the rest of her life. [New York Post]
  • And it gets better! Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins appeared on a Washington, D.C., sports radio show this morning to excuse the Jets’ behavior by way of claiming Ines Sainz surely found one of the team members “appealing” to her. “I don’t know what kind of woman won’t [find them appealing], if you get to go and look at 53 men’s packages,” Portis said. (Um, Clinton Portis? No one was talking about penises until you brought them up.) The NFL is less than pleased. [Washington Post]
  • The French senate has approved a ban on face-covering Muslim veils, like the niqab and the burqa. France is the first European country to impose such a ban, which will go into effect in spring 2011. [CNN]

Keep reading »

Nancy Pelosi Cast As The “Wicked Witch Of The West” In Campaign Ad

Jessica WakemanSeptember 14, 2010 //

She’s mellllllllting … and she’s the Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi is the cackling Wicked Witch of the West in a new “Wizard of Oz”-themed campaign commercial by Republican Congressional candidate John Dennis. An actress playing Pelosi flies in on a jet, jabbing Dorothy, Toto and pals with the end of her broom and shrieking that her flying monkey henchmen, the IRS, will come after them. That is, until John Dennis throws a bucket of water in her face. Keep reading »

Hey, Ines Sainz: You Can Be Sexually Harassed And Still Not Feel “Offended” Or “Attacked”

Jessica WakemanSeptember 14, 2010 //

Before this weekend, perhaps only Miss Universe Pageant fans or sports fans in Mexico had heard of Ines Sainz. But today, we know her as a beautiful sports reporter who was sexually harassed by members and staff of the New York Jets football team. Or wasn’t sexually harassed at all. Or is skeptical about whether to label what happened to her. In any case, Ines Sainz may not call what happened to her “sexual harassment,” but she did say this to The New York Post last night: “I felt very uncomfortable … Women should be treated professionally, and they deserve to be treated with respect.” Keep reading »

“Nikita” And The Sexy Ass-Kicking Female Stereotype That Won’t Go Away

Jessica WakemanSeptember 9, 2010 //

What to think about “Nikita,” a new show debuting on The CW tonight at 9 p.m. (EST)? Based on the 1990s TV series, which was based on the French Luc Besson flick “La Femme Nikita,” in this incarnation of the story, martial arts star Maggie Q plays a woman rescued from prison by the CIA to become an assassin in a secret division. She has escaped their clutches and after years in hiding, she wants to rescue others from the division’s control.

A smart woman? We love it. Principled characters? Great. But why does Nikita have to be yet another ass-kicking female in tight pants, stilettos and a blowout that always looks just-so? Keep reading »

Study Of “The New York Times Book Review” Finds More Men Get Novels Reviewed Than Women

Jessica WakemanSeptember 3, 2010 //

Last week, I posted about authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner and their reactions to fellow writer Jonathan Franzen’s latest novel, Freedom. They weren’t just rankled that Franzen was lauded on the cover of Time magazine as a “Great American Novelist.” Or even that fact that it made headlines when President Obama snagged an advance copy. Picoult and Weiner were upset that The New York Times Book Review had reviewed Freedom twice in one week.

“Is anyone shocked?” Picoult tweeted. “Would love to see the Times write about authors who aren’t white male literary darlings.” There was a hell of a lot of fallout from this, which, frankly, would be quite lengthy explain; I suggest you read NYmag.com’s thorough recap if this whole story interests you. In any case, while I personally shared Picoult and Weiner’s opinion that female writers are revered less in general from the get-go, as of today there is now hard data to back up their complaint against the Times Book Review. Keep reading »

Vanity Fair’s 2010 “New Establishment” Is A List Of (Mostly) Rich White Guys

Jessica WakemanSeptember 3, 2010 //

I don’t know how much stock I take in Vanity Fair‘s lists of the most powerful and influential people. There’s no denying someone like Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, or Rupert Murdoch has an enormous ability to influence people. But there’s always people in lists like that who I sense are just getting a blow job from the magazine. Besides, who each of us is influenced by is such a personal thing! I personally find Tina Fey and Ani DiFranco enormously “influential,” but they are never listed on anything. Alas, Vanity Fair‘s 2010 list of the 100 people in “New Establishment” has another reason for you to scoff at its credibility: If my counting skills are to be trusted, of the 114 people on the list, there are only 13 women. That’s nine percent. Nine! Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Ladies Night Isn’t Sexist To Men

Jessica WakemanSeptember 2, 2010 //
  • An appeals court in New York has rejected claims that “ladies nights,” where women are admitted to bars for free or at a discounted price, are illegal. The court said it could not intervene on the self-titled “anti-feminist lawyer”‘s complaint because businesses are allowed to regulate their door prices. [New York Daily News]
  • Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), said President Obama “isn’t doing anything for the gay community.” You can watch her clip from a visit on “The O’Reilly Factor” here. [Queerty]
  • Sarah Palin ripped into “impotent, limp and gutless reporters” who use anonymous sources, no doubt referring to the Vanity Fair smear piece from yesterday. But impotent? Is this like when she said Obama doesn’t have any balls? [Politico]

Keep reading »

What Do We Think Of Hot Men Undressing To Sell Maxi Pads?

Jessica WakemanAugust 31, 2010 //

We ladies don’t get too much eye candy in TV commercials. The advertising motto “sex sells” seems only to apply to fake breasts selling body spray and beer. But all that is changed by Stayfree’s new series of YouTube commercials, “A Date With …” Three hunks who take off their shirts, three dream dates, three … commercials for maxi pads?

“A Date With Brad” is above and you can check out “A Date With Trevor” and “A Date With Ryan” after the jump. Keep reading »

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