Feminism | Posted by Julie Z on 03/30/2013
Saturday Vids: Women’s History Month
Women’s history month is coming to an end, but here’s a reminder that, really, every month is a good time for women’s history.
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A Little F'd Up: Why Feminism Is Not A Dirty Word by Julie Zeilinger now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Feminism | Posted by Brianna B on 03/29/2013
Pink Or Blue: It’s Up To You
“It’s a boy.” My soon-to-be father beamed.
“How do you know?” My young, twenty-two year old mother asked, rubbing her growing belly.
“I just know,” he stated so full of confidence in his twenty-three years of wisdom. My naïve mother nodded, and just like that began the preparation for her son, her soon to be born baby boy. The nursery was painted a pale shade of blue and every outfit perfectly complemented the decor. Brandon Joseph would have an abundance of teddy bears, plush footballs, and a wardrobe in green, yellow, and blue hues.
Needless to say, my parents were shocked upon my arrival into the world. The confusion over the reveal of my gender was only further complicated by rapidly deteriorating health. Born an unnatural shade of purple and …
Feminism | Posted by Emily Rose on 03/27/2013
Why My High School Needs Roller Derby
I go to a public high school, and have recently expressed interest to the administration in starting a school roller derby team. However, I was first met with resistance and then refusal by the authorities. The general assessment was the sport was too dangerous for the public school to allow. However, when one takes a look around, they will see that football is a high priority. How different are these two sports, really? Both are contact sports, and despite its portrayal in the media, roller derby does have rules prohibiting certain potentially dangerous moves. The biggest difference to those who have been asked is that one is played primarily by males, who are considered “tough” enough to play a contact sport, while one is played by females, who are, in …
Feminism | Posted by mbond on 03/25/2013
GQ’s Impressive Interview With Pussy Riot Is Still A GQ Interview
As Feministing.com reported last summer, three members of the Russian punk rock collective Pussy Riot were convicted in August 2012 and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for “hooliganism motivated by religious-hatred” and “crudely [undermining] social order.”
Formed in 2011, Pussy Riot consists of a rotating cast of about ten anonymous members. The group is famous for its audaciously anti-government protest songs and flash mob-style performances in brightly colored dresses and balaclavas. The women who first formed Pussy Riot were longtime friends and political activists but had not been performers previously. They sought to use punk rock as a vehicle to reach wider audiences for espousing their political beliefs, particularly regarding government restrictions on legal abortions and other policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Before Pussy Riot made worldwide headlines …
Creative | Posted by JoThro on 03/22/2013
A Nameless Woman
A woman is silhouetted against a blue backdrop. She is sitting down and we see her from the waist up. She is talking to someone sitting opposite her, smoking as she does. When she talks a cacophony of images that might be seen in women’s magazines flash above her head, pictures of celebrities and clothes and beauty products, which change too quickly to be seen. The images cease when she pauses in speech. Her manner of speaking flips between that of a comforting older relative and a bitchy gossip reporter. She reads out the phrases in capitals in a completely different manner, she becomes stiff and sounds like an advert voiceover, before seemingly forgetting all about it. She has a warm voice, A Southern English accent.
I’ve missed you lately. …
Feminism | Posted by Mareike S on 03/20/2013
Thinking About Egg Donation
I recently saw a thought-provoking documentary about egg donation and its legal ramifications in Germany. The documentary followed several people: a couple that could not have their own children, a young woman who had some of her own eggs frozen, a family that had already gone through the process, and several doctors, lawmakers and people concerned with the ethics of egg donation.
The biggest problem with egg donation in Germany (besides the social taboo associated with donation, which is featured prominently in the subtitle of the documentary) is that it’s actually illegal and can be punished with up to 3 years in prison for the parents — or more accurately, the mother. For doctors, it’s not only actually performing the egg donation that is illegal, but also preparing women for …
Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 03/17/2013
Support Women Artists Sunday: Chloe Howl
Chloe Howl is a 17-year-old musician from the UK. Learn more about her here.
Rumour
No Strings
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Feminism | Posted by Julie Z on 03/15/2013
Technology and the Future of Feminism
Recently, I feel like I’ve been asked quite a bit about the way that technology is influencing the next generation of feminists. I have a basic answer at the ready, a couple bullet points I hit, largely based on the chapter in “A Little F’d Up” on the topic. I usually talk about my experiences here on the FBomb, how while traditional, on-the-ground activism is definitely still necessary, online activism most accurately meets young women where they already are: it is a practical answer to the reality of how we express ourselves, find information, develop our personas and spend our time and optimizes our abilities to benefit this movement. But lately, I’ve started to think about how technology specifically has shaped not only the so-called “fourth wave’s” feminist identity, but …
