Tag Archives: sexist

Au Revoir, “Mademoiselle”: French Town Ditches “Sexist Title”

Is Chivalry Sexist?
chivalry photo
Is being a gentleman actually really sexist? Read More »
Sexist Beliefs
mother and daughter photo
Sexist beliefs are passed down more from mothers than fathers, study finds. Read More »
Sexist Ads
Not all advertising campaigns are sexist and offensive. Read More »

A French town has decided it is sexist to refer to women by their marital status and will no longer be using the word “mademoiselle” — which means unmarried woman — on official documents.

Cesson-Sevigne in Brittany stopped using “mademoiselle” on January 1 and  will henceforth refer to all women as “madame,” which is the term for married women or older women. ”This is about getting rid of anything that could be seen as discriminatory or indiscreet,” the town hall of Cesson-Sevigne said in a statement. ”Having two different terms to distinguish between married and non-married women is discrimination against women as there is no such differentiation for men.”  Keep reading »

Michele Bachmann Drops Out Of The GOP Race

Sexism Vs. Michele
Michele Bachmann photo
Michele will have to deal with sexist BS on the campaign trail. Read More »
Michele Serves The Men
Michele Bachmann poured water for all her male contenders. Read More »
Bachmann Stupidity
Michele Bachmann photo
Sorry, Michele, "the morning-after abortion pill" doesn't exist. Read More »
Michele Bachmann photo

Rep. Michele Bachmann dropped out of the GOP presidential race this morning, after placing nearly last place in yesterday’s Iowa caucus. Bachmann will return to focusing her energies in Congress, where she represents the state of Minnesota, telling reporters today, “I will continue to fight to defeat the president’s agenda of socialism.” Keep reading »

Does This Equinox Ad Offend You?

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

I’m on the fence about this ad for Equinox, an upscale gym with locations in Los Angeles, New York City, and elsewhere. On the one hand,  I’m not keen on the juxtaposition within advertisement — that the woman herself is a “joy ride” (despite the fact she is freezing in that outfit) or that riding a motorcycle in a bikini would be a joy ride (again, despite the fact she is freezing in that outfit). It’s another unrealistic portrayal of women’s bodies — not the physical body itself, but the unreal suggestion that she’s so “hot” she’s not losing her tuchus to frostbite.

However, I’m not bothered by the fact a woman in an advertisement for a gym is wearing a bikini, or that her face/identity is obscured by her motorcycle helmet. Even though there are other cases of advertising where a woman’s body is used to gratuitously sell a product — many alcohol ads, for instance — I think a gym advertisement is a pretty legit reason.  

What do you think?  Let us know in the comments. Keep reading »

Bill Introduced To Ban Abortions Based On Sex & Race

Abortion Lies
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CPCs scolded for misleading women about abortion. Read More »
Black Men Targeted
Fatherhood beings in the womb billboard
This anti-abortion billboard targets black men. Read More »
Womb Is "Dangerous"
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"The most dangerous place for a black person is in the womb." Whoa. Read More »
abortion protest photo

Abortion rights are being screwed with yet again! The Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act seeks to criminalize abortions based on the race or the sex of the fetus. That might sound good to some people: supporters of the bill quickly point out how many female fetuses are aborted in China, where there is a one-child policy in most areas and a nationwide preference for boys. However, a closer look at the bill reveals that it’s yet another tricky-dick move by abortion opponents to restrict abortion rights and make life more difficult for abortion providers. Keep reading »

Bro-Tastic GoDaddy Commercial Might Actually Air During Super Bowl This Year

Sexist Ads
Not all advertising campaigns are sexist and offensive. Read More »
caveman photo

For the first time in eight years, the network hosting the Super Bowl has actually accepted the preliminary script for GoDaddy.com’s bro-tastic commercial pitches. Six racy “Internet only” commercials later — including one rejected commercial with a “beaver” entrendre — I’m still trying to align my neck after all of that strategic screen blocking. GoDaddy certainly isn’t unique in its marketing of sex, especially during the biggest football game of the year. It’s just their total lack of cleverness that normally cushions the hot-girls-performing-exaggerated-sexuality-for-guys message that make them more crude.

Allow me to give you a rundown… Keep reading »

Date Rape PSA By PA’s Liquor Control Board Accused Of Victim-Blaming

Drunk Is A Feminist Issue
Why women should be concerned about binge-drinking. Read More »
Too Drunk?
If you're a drunk woman who gets raped, will you be taken seriously? Read More »
Rape Checklist
rapists photo
A handy checklist of things that cause rape. Read More »
Date Rape Drug Test
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A date rape drug test may soon be available. Read More »
date rape poster

Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board is under fire for a new PSA campaign called Control Tonight, which critics say puts the onus on women for “not getting raped” while drunk and is blaming the victim. The ad in question depicts a woman’s bare legs on what looks like a tiled bathroom floor with her panties pulled down to her ankles and the text reads:

02:19 a.m  SHE DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT, BUT SHE COULDN’T SAY NO.

When your friends drink, they can end up making bad decisions. Like going home with someone they don’t know very well.

Decisions like that leave them vulnerable to dangers like date rape. Help your friends stay in control and stay safe. Keep reading »

What Ad Agencies Created When Asked To “Rebrand Girls”

It’s a sad but true fact that in some parts of the world, especially China, baby boys are favored over baby girls. In fact, boys are so strongly favored in some rural areas of China that girls are aborted after their gender is known and as a result there’s a drastic imbalance in the population.

But even in countries where baby girls are brought into the nursery, parents can have a hard time when they learn they’re decorating it pink instead of blue.  This has a lot to do with existing sexist prejudices that adversely impact females in society — like lack of access to education and employment — that privilege males and incentivize parents to have boys.

So the magazine Fast Company thought up something completely innovative: it asked a half dozen ad agencies to rebrand girls with mock advertisements. Oh, if sexism were only as simple as bad advertising! The agencies primarily focused on targeting parents — er, consumers — in the U.S. and China and several opted to highlight perceived reasons that girls are better than boys, rather than just appreciating girls for their own sakes. For that reason I’m not sure I like all of these, although all the mock ads are certainly creative.

Take a click through and tell me in the comments what you think! [Fast Company]

Michele Bachmann Demands Apology For “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” Incident On Jimmy Fallon

Bachmann On Fallon
Michele Bachmann played a word association game with Jimmy. Read More »
Sexism Vs. Bachmann
Michele Bachmann photo
Michele Bachmann will get sexist BS as she campaigns. Read More »
Lyin' Ass B*tch
Michele Bachmann photo
The Roots played an offensive song when Michele Bachmann came on. Read More »
Conservative Political Action Conference Draws Major Leaders From The Right

On Monday night, Michele Bachmann visited Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show and his house band, The Roots, played a little music like they always do. But then it became clear yesterday that the song was called “Lyin’ Ass Bitch,” a 1985 ditty from the band Fishbone. (The Roots’ drummer Questlove tweeted a teaser that afternoon — “aight late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title” — that tipped people off.) This morning, Bachmann appeared on Fox News to say NBC owes her an apology and “that had it been Michelle Obama and that song had been played, I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized.” Bachmann squarely named the song selection/title “sexism” (as did feminist bloggers).

And although I can’t believe I am saying this about Michele Bachmann or Fox News, I actually agree. Keep reading »

“Tempting” Eyes Can Now Get You In Trouble In Saudi Arabia

France's Burqa Ban
France now bans face-covering Muslim veils on women. Read More »
Saudi Women Can Vote
The King of Saudi Arabia declares women can vote. Read More »
"Burqa Rage"
A French woman ripped a burqa off another woman's body. Read More »
woman veil

Religious police in Saudi Arabia may now stop sluts women in public walking around with “tempting” eyes. In other words, Saudi gals with attractive peepers may be forced to cover them up, if a vice officer deems them inappropriate. This is only the most recent “repressive measure” that may be taken against women by the Islamic state. Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, or CPVPV, is a branch of the government that enforces the restrictive dress codes of the state, particularly those applied to women. In current Saudi law, it is already required that women out in public don a veil. But covering up “tempting” eyes? Mind-blowing. [USA Today]

In Defense Of “Whitney”

Whitney On "Whitney"
whitney cummings photo
Whitney Cummings on her new sitcom. Read More »
Why Funny Women Rule
Mind of Man
John DeVore on why funny women are a natural resource. Read More »
whitney cummings photo

Over the summer I learned Whitney Cummings, whom I loved from “Chelsea Lately” (a show I watch religiously), would be starring in a sitcom herself and would be producing a second sitcom as well.  I felt excited for her new projects coming up in a way I get about celebs like Jon Hamm and Kate Winslet. It wasn’t entirely because of my feelings for her; I like Whitney Cummings, but I’m really a Chelsea Handler girl. And it wasn’t entirely because of any feminist loyalty I feel for her because she is a successful woman working in comedy. I just thought, Hey, cool, this really funny comedienne is starring in her own sitcom! Now I’ll have something new to watch on TV because, uh, “Two and a Half Men” is not my “thing.” Keep reading »