Secret Keeper Girl is a Christian organization: its founder, Dannah Gresh, has authored such books as
And the Bride Wore White: Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity and Lies Young Women Believe. (Said lies involve Immodesty, Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, and, presumably, forked-tongue sexytalk from The Media.) And it wears its Christianity on its sleeve; purity is fun and godly, seems to be the pastel-tinted message. Indeed, SKG is described as "the most fun a girl will ever have digging into God's word." (Talk about damning with faint praise.) But SKG is clearly eager to appeal to modern young women - hence the org's slick, poppy web-site and line of mainstream-looking tween books.

What, you might ask, is a Secret Keeper Girl? (Well, you can probably guess what the "secret" is, and it's not that secret):

A Secret Keeper Girl values modesty, she surrounds herself with wise friends and she embraces Godly beauty. But, the most important thing for you to know is that a Secret Keeper Girl is a masterpiece created by God. So whether you are new to our site or a SKG pro who's been to an event, read "Secret Keeper Girl" or already had eight great dates with your momma, you, sweet girl, are a Secret Keeper Girl because you are a true masterpiece created by God's hand.

SKG organizes mother-daughter events that focus on wholesome bonding and age-appropriate activities like wacky fashion shows. Because fashion, you see, is a big part of SKG's mission. The organization is committed to getting more age-appropriate clothes for tweens out there, and with this in mind, has launched the "Bod Squad Petition," which they've presented to the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Apparel and Footwear Manufacturer's Association, and which protests the "marketing of sensual clothing to tweens." They've also organized the "Shop Til You Drop" event, that encourages the patronage of those stores - Old Navy, Gap Kids, Lands End - that provide stylish and age-appropriate clothes.

Here's the thing: I totally support this in principle. And it's good that SKG focuses on healthy body image for girls and recognizes the correlation between overly sexualized kids and EDs. But why is there no happy medium? Why does this "mission" have to be twinned with God's Plan and chastity belts and what seems to be a generally retrograde and abstinence-only approach to sexuality? Look, this is an openly Christian organization that can promote whatever it likes. My point is, why aren't there more options for young women - why does it have to be Purity Ball or Slutoween? It's depressing that the only voice I've seen publicly calling for any kind of not-slutty kids' clothes is politicized and somewhat problematic, making it easy for us - and certainly the CFDA - to dismiss any good sense within the rhetoric. Eight-year-olds shouldn't have non-slutty clothing options because God Loves Modesty, but because they're little kids who shouldn't be sexualized - and who aren't, by nature, until they're told that's what's appropriate.

I'm not saying 12-year-olds should dress in oversized flannel dresses (YES, MOM, I'M LOOKING AT YOU) but let's say you want that option: it would be nice if other kids, looking at you, then didn't have to assume you spent your weekend hanging out with your mother attending modest fashion shows and discussing how you're a true masterpiece created by God's hand. Because Gresh is absolutely right about one thing: it's a pivotal time for a young woman.

SecretKeeperGirl.org
Christian Group Hosts 'Modest' Fashion Event [WWD]

Kanazawa's thesis about "modern" feminism is that it seeks to deny any and all differences between women and men, a thesis he indicates is demonstrated by the phrase, "Feminism is the radical notion that women are men." Um, actually, the axiom is — as any actual proponent of modern feminism knows — this:

Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.

But, you know, there's no reason to learn anything about what modern feminism seeks to accomplish before indicting it, right?

First, Kanazawa argues that feminism seeks to deny biological differences, which he then argues are stacked in favor of women anyway.

However, in the only two biologically meaningful measures of welfare – longevity and reproductive success – women are and have always been slightly better off than men. In every human society, women live longer than men, and more women attain some reproductive success; many more men end their lives as total reproductive losers, having left no genetic offspring.

Does he provide a citation that more men then women end up with no biological offspring? Of course not! Evidence is for scientists!

Kanazawa also hilariously argues that men are the weaker sex.

It is also not true that women are the "weaker sex." Pinker documents the fact that boys are much more fragile, both physically and psychologically, than girls and hence require greater medical and psychiatric care. Men succumb to a larger number of diseases in much greater numbers than women do throughout their lives. The greater susceptibility of boys and men to diseases explains why more boys die in childhood and fail to reach sexual maturity and why men's average life expectancy is shorter than women's. This, incidentally, is the reason why slightly more boys than girls are born – 105 boys to 100 girls – so that there will be roughly 100 boys to 100 girls when they reach puberty.

Hmm, I recall reading that the leading cause of death among infants and kids — and particularly among boys — are accidents... and, well, I see that's still the case.

Kanazawa's next argument, such as it is, is that men are just in control of everything because they have to be in order to get laid. The world, in effect, revolves around women's ability to provide access to their sexual and reproductive organs.

It is true that, in all human societies, men largely control all the money, politics, and prestige. They do, because they have to, in order to impress women. Women don't control these resources, because they don't have to. What do women control? Men. As I mention in an earlier post, any reasonably attractive young woman exercises as much power over men as the male ruler of the world does over women.

Is it just me or is Kanazawa starting to sound a little bitter?

Kanazawa — like Ross Douthat before him — asserts that feminism is just making women unhappy. Of course, he's just rehashing the talking points from the same study at Douthat did without reading it or bothering to understand what it really says but — again — why would a scientist want to read science papers when he can just rely on an abstract to make a point that feminism has forced women to content with divorce and single parenthood when we were ever so much happier being barefoot and pregnant?

Anyway, Dr. Kanazawa — whose upcoming book is apparently about how smart guys don't get laid — is just trying to do women a service, as long as they make sure they don't age, consider themselves his equal or want gender equity in the work place. That's just immoral and unnecessary.

Why Modern Feminism Is Illogical, Unnecessary, And Evil [Psychology Today]

Related: Cheris Kramarae [Wikiquote]
Child Health [CDC]
Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa [London School of Economics]

Earlier: Feminism Makes Women Unhappy, And Other Tall Tales

Berner [pictured, second from right] went 16-2 this season, and helped New York's small Beacon High School sweep the city's three major tennis tournaments. But her opponent aren't happy about a girl demonstrating such prowess. After one of her wins, the opposing coach claimed that the game was unfair "because her gender unnerved her opponents." The coach said that for a boy, playing Berner is "a lose-lose situation. If he wins, he's supposed to win. If he loses, he lost to a girl."

This statement highlights the weirdness of people's reactions to girls like Berner. Traditionally, the rationale for keeping girls out of boys' sports has been that girls aren't good enough to compete with boys. But increasingly, parents and coaches are complaining that girls are too good. Twelve-year-old Jaime Nared was ousted from a boys' team, likely because of concerns that she was outshining the boys (she was later reinstated). And when the Cheetahs, a girls' soccer team, began playing boys' teams, parents got concerned about girls beating their sons.

The whole issue is a sad example of stereotypes begetting stereotypes. If no one had ever assumed that girls would be worse at sports than boys, there would be no shame in boys getting beaten by them. But because boys are brought up to think girls are obviously lesser athletes, they are "unnerved" when a girl is actually good. The solution isn't to continue protecting boys' fragile masculinity by keeping them away from female opponents. It's to expose them to girl players more often, so that they understand that girls can be athletes in their own right, and not just wimpier versions of boys.

It's not necessarily true that all sports should be coed — women's bodies are different from men, and segregation at the professional level can make sense for some sports. A single-gender environment may be good for some girls too. Anna was impressed by "the Cheetahs' embrace of their more aggressive, competitive sides," an embrace that may be easier to develop if you're not worried about impressing boys. But in many situations, coed competition can teach boys and girls that sports aren't just a guy thing, and that winning is about using your skills, not proving your masculinity.

She Plays With Boys, and Rivals Don't Like It [New York Times]

Earlier: Jaime Nared, "The Next Candace Parker," Will Play With The Boys Again
Kick Like A Girl: When Girls Take On Boys, And Triumph

Writes Miriam, "Freshman year of college, me and three of my best friends drove to Horseshoe Bay in Texas to spend the night and hang out with the big brother and his friends. One of my friends made this mix, and has been referred to as the 'Horseshoe Bay CD' ever since, and hearkens the memories of old friendships, being young, and loving life."

(Note: although Miriam doesn't give a date, the medium - CD - and, more to the point, the inclusion of a song off of a 2003 Decemberists album, dates it to the first half of this decade.)

The Horseshoe Bay CD
1. Neutral Milk Hotel - King Of Carrot Flowers
2. The Beta Band - Dry The Rain
3. The New Amsterdams - Spoils Of The Spoiled
4. My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes
5. Built To Spill - Car
6. The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
7. The Decemberists - Los Angeles I'm Yours
8. The Cure - Six Different Ways
9. The Comas - Dirty South
10. These Arms Are Snakes - Big News
11. Built To Spill - Strange
12. Pixies - Debaser
13. The Rapture - Heaven
14. Interpol - NYC
15. The New Amsterdams - Hover Near Fame
16. At The Drive-In - Napoleon Solo
17. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Earlier: Sex, Guys & Audiotape: "just for u"
Sex, Guys & Audiotape: "Summer Songs '99"

In 2004, a slim majority of women — 51% — went for John Kerry over George Bush, whereas this year, 56% of women voted for Obama. In fact, this year, fully 53% of all voters were women! Men, on the other hand, split much more evenly: only 49% of men voted for Obama and 48% of men voted for McCain. By any reckoning, women, more than men, propelled Obama to victory. As The Guardian's Sarah Wildman noted yesterday, women weren't remotely swayed by the presence of a woman on the McCain ticket — so maybe politicians will start treating us like we count and pay attention to the issues.

Of course, it must also be said that all women cannot share in this credit equally. Nearly 52% of white women voted for McCain (and 57% of white men did), according to AP exit polls. On the other hand, minority women voted overwhelmingly for Obama, helping all of us keep and expand our rights to reproductive choice, equal pay and equitable health care access. Overall, 95% of African Americans voted for Obama, but 96% of African-American women did so. And nowhere was the gender gap more striking than among Latino voters — two thirds of whom voted for Obama on Tuesday, says MSNBC:

In Colorado, 78 percent of Hispanic women supported Obama, compared to 73 percent of Hispanic men. In New Mexico, the gap was even greater, with 72 percent of Hispanic women favoring Obama, compared to 65 percent of Hispanic men. And in Texas, where voters overall chose McCain, 71 percent of Hispanic women supported Obama, compared to 55 percent of men, a gender gap of 16 points.

Pollsters attribute those large gender gaps in the Latino community to nothing less than Obama's emphasis on heath care and the affordability of education (as well as his outreach efforts).

In fact, one could even argue that if women make great strides toward full equality under an Obama Administration, it will be because minority women had the good sense to turn out in large numbers and help elect a President who will do us all some good. So, on behalf of the white women of America — more than half of whom, apparently, didn't have to good sense to vote for the President committed to expanding all women's rights — thank you, ladies. And, from those of us white women who weren't so foolish as to vote for John McCain, well, we'll try working on our sisters. We've got 4 years.

Women's Support Proves Key [MSNBC]
Data Points: Gender Gap In The 2008 Election [US News & World Report]
Hispanic Women Swell Ranks Of Obama Support [MSNBC]
Thank You Thursday: Women Voters! [Feministing]

Related: The Sarah Palin Effect [The Guardian]

Earlier: Does Anyone Else Feel Like Their Value As A Voter Has Just Been Discovered?
Seriously, Women Actually Pay Attention To Politics In Other Years, Too

"Lolita" is one of those terms that has entered the culture without having much to do with the character who inspired it. Whereas Nabokov's character is essentially just a kid — albeit a precocious and disturbed one — who's explicitly a canvas for the projection of Humbert's fantasies. As Vickers puts it, "She almost doesn't exist as a person to him." When we talk about a "Lolita" nowadays, it's usually in the context of a little Jezebel who manipulates men; it's a sexually-charged term for sure. How can we have taken such an ambiguous character and invested her with such a simplistic — not to say misleading — meaning? And why does this poor child get all the press? Why hasn't Humbert-Humbert entered the culture as a prototypical pedophile in the same way? Sure, he's less "sexy", but shouldn't that kind of be the point? We're talking, after all, about pedophilia, which is supposed to be the most feared subject of our times.

In a way, the wholesale acceptance of the term "Lolita," the insistence on viewing her as a sexy temptress in the face of Nabokov's beautifully-crafted ambiguity, is a handy (if simplistic) mirror for the weird duality with which we view young girls as a whole. As Vickers says, it feels like awareness of the generality of "pedophilia" is all around us — an openness to childhood abuses, public registries and the risks to which children are subject every day. And yet, young girls are increasingly sexualized and the line between childhood and womanhood has never been more blurry.

Vickers makes the point that most of the people who toss around the term "Lolita" are probably more familiar with one of the movie adaptations than the actual novel. Ironically, in their unwillingness to ever cast a really young girl in the role (both Sue Lyon and Dominique Swain were 15, as opposed to the novel's 12), the films are serving to blur the creepiness of the situation and so the picture these people see is probably less shocking. Vickers is sorry about this cultural blindness, as it's a total disservice to Nabokov. But the thing is, the novel, in its true form, is probably also one of the best primers anyone could have on the horrors and the humanity of pedophilia, and it's kind of sad that, society-wise, we're so invested in oversimplifying.

Girls, Girls, Girls [Nerve]

You could maybe buy some music. Thanks to Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Kate Nash, female artists are on the rise in the UK. And Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of female singer-songwriters, including that chick who sings "I'm a new soul/I came to this strange world..." on the Mac Air commercial.

Or you could just educate yourself: The Independent claims that maternal ill-health is one of the globe's biggest crises. Women around the world still die during pregnancy or childbirth; one million pregnant women die every year from largely avoidable causes. We may have come a long way since 1908, but Martha Nussbaum, the author of Sex and Social Justice, warns the paper: "In most nations of the world, women face unequal education and employment opportunities, and have unequal political power. Whether another century of striving for equality will finally hand victory to women remains to be seen."

What Girls Day Means To Me And My Girls [Time]
Treasure Hunt: Women's Day Presents [Moscow Times]
The rise of British Girl Power [News.com.au]
Female Singer-Songwriters: The New Wave [Entertainment Weekly]
100 Years Of Struggling To Win Justice For Women [Independent]

Here's what's happened since: Flowers has had her eyes done, lips plumped, some lipo and just a touch of rhinoplasty. Oh, she also headlined a show called "Boobs: the Musical" and opened a supper club in pre-Katrina New Orleans. Flowers is currently living in Vegas and is part of a nascent plastic surgery reality show. She's also penning a column for Vegas Community Online, a website that also includes (presumably syndicated) contributions from Hillary herself.

Judging from her column, it's clear that Gennifer's commitment to fellow females extends beyond her desire to see Hillary in the White House. In her debut column from October, "The Secret Society of Undercover Button Pushers," Flowers warns women about men who pretend that they don't play games. "Ladies, stand up straight in your stiletto heals and lay down the law...button pushing will not be tolerated," she admonishes. Sage words from the feminist icon behind "Boobs: the Musical"!

Gennifer Flowers: I Could Vote For Hillary [CBS News]
The Secret Society of Undercover Button Pushers [Vegas Community Online]

After a recent day spent watching but nothing of hours upon hours I was hooked beyond belief. My addiction ran high. I couldn't go a day without viewing the latest adventures of that precious Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) and her pop star alter-ego, Hannah Montana, on the Disney Channel show bearing the faux pop star's name. (Show premise in a nutshell: Normal girl with single dad is world's biggest pop star ever. Only no one knows and she lives normal life as geeky high school freshman girl. Discuss.) And most significantly/frighteningly: I couldn't get enough of the music. After spending way too much time covertly watching Hannah music videos on YouTube, yesterday's news about the Hannah album being tops in the country assured me I was not alone! (Even if my fellow listeners are, er, 12-year old girls.) So I downloaded the latest album: Hannah Montana 2/I Am Miley Cyrus (2-CD set! Score!), and gave the music of my favorite TV a formal listen. Here's the lowdown: The album's greatest asset, whether the songs are being sung by "Hannah" or real girl Miley, is the fact that Miley Cyrus has one hell of a voice on her. It is rich and deep and subtly-textured and sister can belt to boot. She's a shockingly-keen song stylist, considering the fact that she's 14 and is handed all her material and that material is made, uh, by Disney.

This is a huge part of the appeal of the Hannah Montana half of the 2 CD set, which features songs about not being perfect and having bad days and how lucky it is to have good friends. (Of particular note: "Make Some Noise", a gorgeous country power ballad about how it's easy to feel like you're all alone in the world. Seriously, I'm a little choked up. And wished I'd had this song telling me to love myself and not Alanis screaming at me about rain on my wedding day when I was 12). As for the 'Miley' half of the CD set, this album is a little more rock 'n' roll (and also a little overproduced) but the "girl power" vibe is not lost. In fact, is enough to give us hope that Miley Cyrus is, as we have hoped so desperately during our hours of Hannah Montana-viewing, that the girl has real and genuine talent. And that she is a real and genuine person, too. She is just like us at 14! Only with the record deal and the international stardom and more paparazzi photos being taken of her than poor little Jezebel reject Pax Jolie-Pitt.

Pop Videos 'Harm Girls' Self-Esteem' [DailyTelegraph]
Feminist Icon Praises NME's Beth Ditto Cover [NME]
Related: Dolls Clad In Feminism, And Hardly Anything Else [NYTimes]
Empowered? Try Nauseated [NYTimes]
Earlier: Memo To Women's Magazine Editors: White Women Hate Themselves After Reading Your Magazines
Year Of The Living Dolls