ismnotwasm
ismnotwasm's JournalResponding to critiques of burlesque cheat sheet (crazy-making edition)
1) Are dudes doing it?
2) Are dudes trying to explain to you that its actually feminist?
If dudes arent doing it but are simultaneously trying to convince you that its liberating, empowering, or progressive, then there is a 99% chance of fuckery.
Having published the odd critique here and there, and, more generally, mushed burlesque in to the sexism-in-disguise category with the assumption that a phenomenon centered around women getting naked on stage doesnt need all that detailed an explanation of the ways in which these performances still objectify women, even if these women are enthusiastically participating in their own objectification and the objectification of others; what Ive learned is that it doesnt actually matter what your critique is and how well you articulate it, because the burlesque community will respond to you in the same way every single time.
As such, Ive compiled a helpful list of every single response you will definitely get, over and over again, every time you say anything marginally critical of burlesque. Im not sure what the purpose of this list is except to encourage you to ignore these types of responses because there is not a single thing you can say or do to avoid them, as well as to point out the absolute unwillingness of burlesque defenders to engage in any self-reflection or critique of their fav hobby.
While the arguments can be generally summed up as: But I like it, Ive provided you with more detailed responses as well. Enjoy!
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/feminist-current/2013/09/responding-to-critiques-burlesque-cheat-sheet-crazy-making-e
A Primer on Sexism (in Tech)
This excellent article, is as stated a repost, but I thought it apropos to certain recent situations. It's focus is on the tech industry, but it can really be used as a guide for the feminist challenged on how not to be a misogynist asshole; unless, of course one enjoys being a misogynist asshole. Which brings to mind an execrable article I just read from the very odd and strangely pathetic MRA hate group "A Voice for Men" (they like to play feminist baiting and then whine when they get their proverbial asses kicked. I read MRA's little boohoo blogs anyway, as it provides cheap entertainment and I'm easily amused)
But I digress.
The topic of sexism and its role in the Technology industry has seen a huge resurgence over the past 1218 months. Yet despite being discussed and examined with increasing frequency, a lot of the subject remains unclear and under-explained, making it difficult for those who care deeply about our industry to partake in these discussions. This is, in part, because the problems are incredibly complex, nuanced and difficult to explain, making it impossible for any one article to address them sufficiently (lest the article becomes a book). Nevertheless, today were going to try and see how much of the basics we can clear up.
The problem is a culmination of many separate, smaller problems that are endemic in our industry, and society at large. We suffer from women leaving the field citing sexism and hostile, macho cultures as primary reasons. The rape culture which, frighteningly, is perpetuated even by the highest level of our judicial system. The systemic dismissal of women complaining about the harassment they experience on an often-daily basis. The excessive vitriol, hatred and harassment sent to wards any woman bold and courageous enough to try and tackle the problem. Those may all seem obvious, but just as big a problem is the widely-held belief (primarily among young, straight white men) that we live or work in a meritocracy.
If Id have to sum it up as one problem, its that many groups, but women especially, are still discriminated against heavily, while those with privilege dont want to be seen as culpable and even like to argue that these problems dont exist altogether. Women, in particular, suffer from tremendous social and professional challenges and pressures, as well as threats to their physical well-being, as a result of these problems.
http://farukat.es/journal/2013/09/696-primer-sexism-tech
22 Things Only Women’s And Gender Studies’ Majors Understand
1. Everyone assumes youre gay.
2. If you really are gay, well, it figures.
3. Youre sick of trying to explain to people that you dont identify with a gender anymore.
4. Youre sick of trying to explain to people that gender and sex are social constructs.
Ok, maybe gender
But is sex is a social construct? Most WGST majors will say - maybe. Because chromosomes, hormones, and physical differences were not studied without prejudice. Experts began research with the assumption that there are only two sexes. Had that not been the case, we might have a whole new approach to defining a persons biological sex.
If youre interested in the topic I suggest reading Sexing the Body by Anne Fausto-Sterling.
More:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/juniperbug/22-things-only-womens-and-gender-studies-majors-f59x
Cross post from GD disgusting anti-Obama care ad
*trigger warning, this is really creepy
Yes this is rape culture
All the ignorant and disingenuous mouthings of how pedophillia 'is a sexual orientation' or "thoughts of sexual attraction for children can't be controlled" ignores the active participation of indulging in those thoughts, a deliberate shunting aside of harm caused; a completely pathological state of self absorption.
Take this case in my neck of the woods. A phone found by a man. Curious, he flips though the pictures. Over a hundred pictures of children having sex with adults is what he finds. The man is repulsed and though he was originally going to return the phone, calls the state troopers instead. An act of normalcy, an act of decency and honor.
He spotted the phone along the shoulder of Highway 99 in Seattle, and thinking he'd be a Good Samaritan, says he picked it up and contacted the owner to return it. Curious as to whom he'd be meeting, the man decided to flip through the photos.
A file full of child porn is what the man found, so he gave the phone to state troopers.
Court records say detectives found "149 videos and pictures of children, between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, engaged in sex acts with adults."
Troopers say they've also searched Sheely's home in a gated community in Stanwood, Washington. The entrance is surrounded by surveillance cameras.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Child-porn-on-lost-cell-phone-lands-man-in-jail-224170351.html
Yes, this is rape culture, making sexual fetishes out of children is perhaps a cornerstone of it. When we examine reasons for sexual violence, there are those who compare it to murder--an unavoidable part of living in a large society.
This ignores the specific nature of gendered violence. This ignores predatory sexual violence against children. Once we "accept these things" or excuse this behavior, rape culture wins another battle in a long, long war.
What the Profitability of Rape Culture Looks Like
Also in the news last week were reports that Jaborian McKenzie, one of the four Vanderbilt University football players accused of raping a 21-year-old female student was continuing his football career at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. He has since been kicked off the team, but the initial decision to include him on the roster should not be dismissed.
How do we process this information?
Well, we can start with deconstructing the profitability of rape culture. But lets define rape culture and what I mean when I say its profitable.
FORCE defines rape culture as involving jokes, TV, music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words and imagery, that make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable, and explains that media imagery perpetuates rape by excusing it, validating myths about rape, and/or sexualizing rape. When rape goes unpunished and is celebrated in songs, TV shows and movies, it becomes normalized and as FORCE notes, it can be dismissed as just the way things are. Tara Culp-Ressler writes that another dimension of rape culture is the idea that rape is inevitable, men cant help themselves, and women must therefore work to protect themselves against it.
http://onwardandfword.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/what-the-profitability-of-rape-culture-looks-like/
The blonde you shouted at - w4m - 27 (American Blvd/34th Ave)
You: Middle-aged, dark hair, tan skin, driving a green SUV and wearing the kind of red polo shirt you corporate douchebags love to wear on fridays so you can easily transition from day to night (assuming "day" is some generic but well paid desk job and "night" is maybe a brief happy hour at Applebees before heading back to the burbs and stopping to grab a red box dvd for the kids on your way home.)
Me: 20s, blonde hair, black fitted dress, gladiator sandals and waiting at the intersection to catch the lightrail.
I know how it is. That quittin' time whistle blows, announcing the weekend, and you get that rush of adrenaline that only comes on Friday afternoons, when the whole world is your oyster and all you need is the freedom to shuck it and some beer to wash it down. You make the minimum requisite small talk with your colleagues as you bolt for your car in the corporate wasteland parking lot and get excited at the notion of beating the traffic home. Maybe your classic rock radio station starts to play your favorite Creed song right as your engine turns on and you're feeling extra lucky. And that's where you find your psyche as you approach the intersection to turn onto 34th - you're a man with nothing to lose and an open road ahead of you.
That's when you spot me, halfway into the street, waiting behind a construction sign for the light to change so I can cross to the light rail stop. If you'd looked closely, you might have noticed I looked tired, eager for peace and quiet after a draining day. You might also have noticed my arms were full of paperwork, confirming that I have a demanding profession and a hard weekend ahead of me. Unfortunately, though, based on what happened next I assume you didn't notice these things, or if you did, you determined they were much less important than the fact that I have two legs that attach at an ass.
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/mis/4067717678.html
From original article by Salon
http://www.salon.com/2013/09/16/amazing_craigslist_missed_connections_calls_out_creepy_street_harasser/
4th Trimester Bodies Project Fights 'Unrealistic Expectations' For New Moms (PHOTOS)
By showcasing moms, Jackson hopes to shine a light on cultural interpretations of female beauty and change women's expectations for themselves and those around them.
"[T]his project has been something that has felt a necessity in my mind for years now," she told HuffPost by email, adding that the impetus for the series was deeply personal. "After coming out the other side of a very traumatic pregnancy and birth experience myself and struggling with the strangeness of my new body, I felt like it was finally time to make this project a reality."
Jackson explained:
I see beautiful, inspiring, real women on a daily basis who struggle with their body image because they dont feel they measure up with who the media tells them to be. I feel like this is even more poignant in mothers who often feel like their bodies have been ruined when they should instead be respected for creating, sustaining and nourishing life. So much more needs to be done in our society to embrace body positivity and normalize breastfeeding. ... So, I started with my story and it has exploded into a beautiful thing from there.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/4th-trimester-bodies-project-ashlee-wells-jackson_n_3757793.html
Just out of curiosity
I looked up "Child Prostitution" in Australia. Not a pretty picture at all. I would link but I want unimpeachable sources so I might later, but what a bloody mess.
As per usual.
Ah, here we go
Destination
Australia is a destination country for victims trafficked who are from East Asia, South East Asia, and Eastern Europe, particularly the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. There are several reports of migrants, particularly from India, the Peoples Republic of China, and South Korea, who voluntarily migrate to work in Australia but are later coerced into exploitative conditions.2 The Australian Crime Commission reports that deceptive practices in contract terms and conditions appeared to be increasing among women in prostitution, while deceptive recruiting practices appeared to be decreasing.3 There are no reliable estimates on the number of trafficking victims in Australia. However, the Australian NGO Project Respect estimates up to 1,000 victims are currently under debt bondage, not including those who have been trafficked but already paid off their debt.4
Causes
There are many causes of human trafficking to Australia. Project Respect argues that the demand for trafficked women in Australia is fueled by: 1) a lack of women in Australia prepared to do prostitution; 2) 'customer' demand for women seen as compliant; 3) 'customer' demand for women who they can be violent towards; and 4) racialized ideas that Asian women have certain qualities, for example that they are more compliant and will accept higher levels of violence.5
The Australian Government
The Australian Government was placed in Tier 1 in the 2007 U.S. Department of States Trafficking in Persons Report for fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Acts minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/australia
Why we shouldn't give up on feminism.
By JEN GIACALONE
Im hanging it up.
Yeah, thats right. Im done with feminism.
Its not working. Were getting nowhere. In fact it actually seems like were going backwards. Someone come confiscate my Feminist as F*ck t-shirt, buy me a beekeeper suit and leave me to my new, non-feminist existence which will entail popping out more children and possibly listening to a lot of Katy Perry, who is an avowed non-feminist.
(The woman who dresses her tits up like cupcakes says she is not a feminist, are you surprised?).
Fighting double standards has become worse than passé. In that entire media whore-nado over Miley Cyrus and her VMA spectacle, the only person I saw pointing out that Robin Thicke is actually kind of questionable for grinding his bits on a girl who could be his daughter was another dude.
Even we in our own circular firing squad of feminism didnt manage to catch that one, as we were too busy deciding whether to be mad at Miley because she was demeaning herself (maybe) or because she was treating the black women onstage with her like sex dolls (probably) or because We Cant Stop is a mediocre song that has gotten far more play than it deserves (definitely).
The juggernaut of terrible anti-abortion laws just keeps coming despite our best efforts to stop it.State legislatures are in a race to the bottom and still they manage to exceed my expectations.
Ive stopped saying It cant get any worse, because its become a dare. Statutory rape cases like the one in Montana just frustrate and depress me; a 49-year-old male teacher walked away with a 30 day sentence after a supposedly consensual relationship with a 14 year old student ended in her suicide.
I just cant anymore.
http://www.mamamia.com.au/social/feminism-isnt-working-and-i-give-up/
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