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Posts Tagged “

Misogyny

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purple prose

1980s Romance Novels: Hair-Raising, Lip-Mashing Horror Shows

A few years ago, I became fascinated by the Harlequin romances produced in the late 70s and early 80s. In what I can only assume was a backlash against the feminist movement and increasingly independent portrayals of women, these romances contained an appallingly misogynistic bent made even more disturbing when you think that they were written both for and by women. The plots feature doormat heroines and sadistic, domineering males who see through their feeble protests and know that 'no' means 'yes.' Sometimes a woman has a career (see: A Passionate Appeal, about warring lawyers) but the 'hero' always manages to break through this shell to the soft, feminine woman beneath. For reasons that have never been clear to me, there are a lot of fake engagements in these books, as well as pretend marriages (for legal purposes) and mock-up affairs (generally to arouse jealousy.) Invariably these deceptions turn out to be elaborate ruses perpetrated by the man to trick the woman into marrying him, since he's been in love with her all along, even though he seemed cynical and abusive. A lip-mashing kiss follows.

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2:00 PM on Thu Jun 26 2008
By SadieStein
9,589 views, 179 comments

Latest by n/a: Written largely -- but not exclusively -- by women, but published by male-run publishing houses. Now, even though publishing is largely a female-dominated business, and romance has seen the end of *actual* bodice-ripping, the genre hasn't much changed. Romance writers more »

missdemeanors

"Hot Young Models Are Lining Up For One Night In That Dusty Old Snatch"

Welcome back to Missdemeanors! This is where we issue virtual wrist-slaps to popular gossip bloggers for Crimes Against Womanity. Some readers ask why we do this, since, quite often, the same damn blogs are always listed. Well, we received an email from DailyBlogTips.com, naming the Top 25 Celebrity Blogs. These are some of the most profitable blogs on the internet. On the list: Perez Hilton, TMZ, The Superficial, WWTDD, Egotastic and Dlisted. We have no problem with them making money; we have a problem with them making money off of sexist and misogynist writing. As long as they write effed up posts, we'll call them on it. This week, Kim Cattrall is a "weathered old hag," Brooke Hogan is "fugly," and Lindsay Lohan "will hurt herself scrambling to get to your penis." It's been another great week of "writing" "gossip" on the Internet. Bloggers' continued degradation of female celebrity bodies and their corresponding punishments, after the jump. Let the Jezebel Justice system begin! More »

4:20 PM on Fri May 30 2008
By Dodai
15,030 views, 114 comments

Latest by princessrachel: @cstar: second! more »

Let's Talk About Sex(ism)

No Matter What Happens, Hillary Has Helped Start A Conversation

Much has been written — here, elsewhere — about the issue of Hillary Clinton and sexism. Some people, including, it seems, Hillary herself, believe that Clinton is missing out on the Democratic nomination because "more people would be reluctant to vote for a woman [than] to vote for an African American." Whether or not this is true — and I think Democrats will be debating this for years to come — Clinton's candidacy has, if nothing else, started a dialogue about sexism and misogyny, two topics that haven't been taken seriously in mainstream media for a long time. More »

4:30 PM on Wed May 21 2008
By Jessica
4,009 views, 244 comments

Latest by robot ninja spy, of the guild of calamitous intent: @ronaldpagan: That was from Conversate is Not a Word. Great blog! more »

Let's Talk About Sex(ism) Well, Julia Keller asked, and Barack Obama seems to have answered: In an interview with ABC News' Jake Tapper today, Senator Obama had this to say about Senator Hillary Clinton and the sexism she's faced (it seems to be a rough transcript so please excuse the punctuation/grammar issues): "No doubt there are certain burdens for Senator Clinton running as a formidable but first time frontrunner as a woman in the same way I've got to deal with some issues as an African American. Ultimately, I think the American people are fair-minded and for those who would not vote for either myself or Senator Clinton because of gender or race there are those who are excited about the prpospects of the first woman or African American. There is no doubt there have been occasions where Senator Clinton has had to overcome particular hurdles and that is a part of the groundbreaking nature of her campaign." [ABC News]

100 comments

Let's Talk About Sex(ism) Hillary Clinton did it. Talked about sexism, that is. On Sunday, the same day the Chicago Tribune's Julia Keller raged over the misogyny directed at Clinton during the campaign, the candidate herself sat down for an interview with the Washington Post's Lois Romano and had this to say: "It's been deeply offensive to millions of women...The manifestation of some of the sexism that has gone on in this campaign is somehow more respectable, or at least more accepted, and... there should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism when it raises its ugly head. It does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists." One question: when Clinton tells Romano that she doesn't think "this campaign" (Romano's words) has been racist, does she mean her own campaign or the 2008 political race as a whole? Because either way, some would beg to differ. [Washington Post]

164 comments

the personal is political

Question: How Much Did Misogyny Cripple Hillary Clinton's Historic Campaign?

While Barack Obama plays host to "spectacular" crowds across the Pacific Northwest, the post-mortems on Hillary Clinton have begun in earnest… and the verdict is that misogyny has been a contributing, if not fatal, factor in her presidential campaign. Jodi Kantor made the front page of the Times today with her report on the gender discrimination directed at Clinton's campaign; that story follows a similarly-themed essay by Peggy Orenstein in yesterday's Times Magazine and a more forward-looking accompaniment in the paper's 'Week in Review' section. There was the AP report about disgusted Clinton supporters and Blake Fleetwood’s protest against “ugly sexist vilification” of the candidate in the Huffington Post. And then there was Julia Keller, who, in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune, raged against the “appalling preponderance of violent, death-infused imagery in conversations about Clinton”, calling them “an unprecedented public call… for a person’s death.”

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11:30 AM on Mon May 19 2008
By Anna
6,960 views, 401 comments

Latest by tybyla: As a forty-something woman of color, I honestly do not see a woman U.S. President in my lifetime. It will take YEARS to build the cred,experience, and support that Hillary had. And next time...it might be a woman vs. a more »

intramural (bad) sports

Meet The Women Who Will Doom Us To A McCain Presidency

Yesterday, I appealed to all that was good, right, feminist and holy among us to stop with the attacks on groups like NARAL on the basis of disappointment over Hillary Clinton's likely inability to garner the Democratic nomination. Many of you suggested that the Democratic Party would, once the disappointment ebbed, come together and support Obama against John McCain and his choice-hating, abstinence-educating, unequal-pay-giving minions because even a guy that calls you "sweetie" is preferable to one who calls you a "cunt." Well, meet the ladies who would love nothing more than to prove you wrong: Cynthia Ruccia and Kimberly Myers. More »

2:30 PM on Fri May 16 2008
By mcarpentier
6,233 views, 265 comments

Latest by n/a: for everyone here crying that women's rights, abortion rights will be thrown out of the window if McCain became the president, relax. That's what was said when Bush got to office. Yes its weakened but not taken away. more »

monkey business

Misogyny Among Monkeys Is "Natural Behavior"

Yeah, Jack Hanna can seem a little too willfully clueless, and yeah, he's on Letterman what seems like every other week, but by god, he and Dave have a good thing going, and I just can't hate the guy — after all, he let me bottle-feed a rare baby Bengal tiger back in 1996 when I was a cub reporter for a national entertainment magazine. Anyway, last night, Hanna — the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo — choreographed a parade of creatures onto the Late Night stage, including some sort of monkey — a guenon — with a love of grooming and a seeming distaste for girls. In fact, if the monkey's manhandling of Letterman's microphone is any indication, we think it's pretty clear where the little guy's gender sympathies lie. Clip above.

1:30 PM on Thu May 15 2008
By Anna
2,222 views, 31 comments

Latest by n/a: @BeachLover420: @BeachLover420: I take care of bonobos, so it's funny that you bring them up! I watch A LOT of sex that's for sure but they are the best! more »

Games People Play Feministing points out that the brand-new, critically-acclaimed 'Grand Theft Auto' video game has lots of strippers and pole dancers in it. You can get a lap dance where the girl puts her crotch in your face. Also! As the trailer shows, you can pick up hookers and kill them immediately after having (explicit) sex with them. "Stay down or I will finish you off!" your character says after gunning down a prostitute. Blogger Samhita writes, "Given the popular nature of GTA, it is cool to be violent and kill prostitutes... Where does this put young women gamers? How do they feel when playing video games with such violent representations of women?" [Feministing, IGN]

347 comments

missdemeanors

"Let's Cut Off Jenna Jameson's Clit And See If It Grows Back"

Welcome back to Missdemeanors, in which we issue virtual wrist-slaps to popular gossip bloggers for Crimes Against Womanity. Another great week of woman-bashing on the internet, you guys. Fergie's gender gets questioned — as does the gender of Julie Andrews. What has she ever done to anyone? Besides playing beloved icons Mary Poppins and Fraulein Maria? In addition: Denise Richards "used to be one of the hottest pieces of ass on earth," Kelly Clarkson is too fat to be naked and Kim Kardashian looks like a tranny call girl. Sigh. The offenders, their crimes and sentences, after the jump. (And, because these sites rely on readers and suck the life out of them the way parasites rely on hosts, all sentences today will be parasitic infestations.) More »

5:00 PM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Dodai
16,413 views, 57 comments

Latest by n/a: @crushdmb, @SpicyTamale IMO, Kelly Clarkson's problem is that she dresses all wrong for her body. She needs to get a stylist who doesn't put her in low pants that hit her hips at just the right point to make them look more »

it takes a village

If Hillary Won't Write A "Gender Speech," We'll Do It Ourselves

After Barack Obama's stunning, revelatory speech on race, many feminists wondered if Hillary Clinton could give a similarly rousing speech on gender. We already figured that Clinton wouldn't be the one to give such a speech, which is why we were so heartened to see that the Huffington Post is taking matters into its own hands. Blogger Marie Wilson thinks we need to "open up the conversation on gender in America," and invites HuffPo commenters to make contributions to a speech on gender. We thought that was a phenomenal idea, and so we are asking you, our fearless Jezebel peanut gallery, to do the same. More »

1:30 PM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Jessica
4,033 views, 166 comments

Latest by thenewmasses: Crime dramas that depict the stalking, rape, and murder of women provide nightly "entertainment" on our major television networks. And the recurring female characters who do the work of Justice? They must be under 35, attractive, and vamp across the more »

The current New Republic cover, illustrating a story about strife in the Clinton campaign called "Voices In Her Head", is causing a fracas in the blogosphere. The not-so-subtle implication of TNR's art is that Hillary is "hysterical" and increasingly unhinged. On the progressive political blog Shakesville, Jeff Fecke writes, "Boy, TNR, could you spread the misogyny any thicker? 'Voices in her head'? Really? Why code it? Why not just come right out and say what you're thinking — call Hillary a 'hysterical woman.'" Click on the cover for a closer look. [TNR, Shakesville]

128 comments

clit bandits

Evil Gyno Graeme Reeves Brutalized 800 Women Before He Got Caught

You know what I'm sick of writing about? GENITAL MUTILATION. Seriously, another day in February = another story about women getting their clitorises brutally cut out of their vulvas. Why is the media so obsessed with covering the 'bad news' of women are getting their labias sewn shut when it never seems to chronicle the billions of women who go through life with perfectly intact vaginas? But hey, it's not my news judgment that feeds this blog, so I might as well let you in on the latest re this guy, Graeme "I'm going to take your clitoris, too" Reeves. To recap: Graeme Reeves is a former OB-GYN who liked to put women under anesthesia, then remove parts of their vaginas. Sometimes he'd get carried away, and remove other organs while he was at it. A woman died at his hands and another woman got cervical cancer, which he ignored, and today it turns out his various hospitals had actually fielded complaints from 800 women! What sort of primitive barbarian society would tolerate such atrocities? More »

2:30 PM on Wed Feb 27 2008
By Moe
8,256 views, 134 comments

Latest by B52HVet: Just...wow... I'm sure that this horrible, twisted, and sadistic monster has given those of us born with a penis a bad name, but I (and who knows, maybe I'm one of few) do emphatize with the horror this guy subjected his more »

conversions

What Turned Feminist Author Ben Straight Into A Raging Misogynist? His Book Holds A Clue...

We're getting a better picture of Benjamin Straight, author of yesterday's controversial Portrait of the Female Law Student as a pathetic, fake baguette-toting Carrie Bradshaw idolizing exercise anorexic full of misplaced righteousness and drowning in a whirlpool of media-condoned denial. (Wait, I am making it sound somewhat good. It is not, but it is kind of interesting.) Here is what is more interesting: Benjamin Straight was once a budding feminist. Not four years ago, he authored book on the Feminine Condition called The Two Finger Diet: How The Media Has Duped Women Into Hating Themselves. Written in 2003, The Two Finger Diet is a very self-serious, undergrad-y take on...uh...the nexus of feminism and capitalism, plastic surgery & eating disorders, basically all our beats. A typical excerpt: More »

2:00 PM on Thu Feb 14 2008
By Moe
7,394 views, 119 comments

Latest by noasalira: @joyjoyjoy: true true -- odds are that at least of a few of the women commenting bitterly about what he has written, are themselves the perfect examples of the kind of woman he is talking about. Applause to him for writing more »

textbook misogyny

Frat Boy Shown With "Sluts" Sign Says He Never Disrespects Women

Remember the charming boys at the Yale chapter of the Zeta Psi fraternity who posed with a sign proclaiming "We Love Yale SLUTS" directly in front of the campus women's center? Well, the frat boy holding the sign, Yale football player Giovanni Christodoulou, was interviewed yesterday by a New Haven Fox affiliate, and while he apologizes for his actions, he doesn't exactly take responsibility either. "I never disrespect women...We're all terribly sorry and we learned our lesson," Gio says. But earlier in the clip, he claims: "I never even read the sign, they gave me the sign, I held it up. They said it was a scavenger hunt." Regardless, it's unclear if the case would hold up in court, and even if it did, would it prevent future idiot frat boys from making ignorant comments to women?
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4:20 PM on Thu Jan 24 2008
By Jessica
3,974 views, 132 comments

Latest by n/a: Ha! Funny. Christodoulou graduated from my high school. The best part is that the only reason he got into Yale (aside from football, of course) is because he took steroids (if I recall correctly he even admitted to it) AND more »

textbook misogyny

Yale University "Sluts" Strike Back At Sexist Frat Boys

You see the gentlemen holding up a sign that reads "WE LOVE YALE SLUTS" right in front of the Yale Women's Center? That little stunt was a pledge prank for the school's Zeta Psi fraternity, and the Women's Center is now taking legal action against the frat for sexual harassment. The question of whether or not this was indeed harassment has been raised, since it was "just a joke" and the men never came in contact with any women. But I say: hell yes it's harassment! As someone who openly refers to herself as a "slut" and throws the term around rather lovingly, I have to say that it's not as benign when used by everyone. (It's kinda like how white people can't say "nigger.") And these Yale students should be smart enough to figure out that posing in front of the fucking Women's Center with such a sign would at the very least ruffle feathers. There's no two ways about it: They were intentionally being dicks. More »

4:00 PM on Tue Jan 22 2008
By Slut Machine
8,856 views, 162 comments

Latest by ruedebuci: the one holding the sign is doable though.... more »

opinions that are less like assholes

Bob Herbert And Barbara Ehrenreich: We Are Feeling The Love

Nickel and Dimed author Barbara Eherenreich and New York Times columnist Bob Herbert both wrote opinion pieces this week about the Hillary-Obama battles that I meant to devote some time to praising. I mean if anything has been sorta productive about this BATSHIT CRAZY EMOTIONAL primary campaign, it's that it's given white women a chance to reflect on how much they love black men, and black men to reciprocate in kind for white women.* Anyway, so Bob wrote about Jamie Lee Jones and the desensitizing of our society to "dark persistence of misogyny in America." Then Barb penned a piece on the historic importance of Martin Luther King and the indisputable imperative of grassroots involvement and a riled-up civil society in fighting for a cause.
Black civil rights weren't won by suited men (or women) sitting at desks. They were won by a mass movement of millions who marched, sat in at lunch counters, endured jailings, and took bullets and beatings for the right to vote and move freely about.
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5:30 PM on Wed Jan 16 2008
By Moe
2,758 views, 51 comments

Latest by n/a: *sigh* Bob Herbert just brightened my day. more »

missdemeanors

Stop The Presses: There's Little To Bitch About In Gossip-Blogs Today

Welcome back to Missdemeanors, where we issue a virtual spanking to the internet's most popular gossip bloggers for their Crimes Against Womanity. Guys, I have a confession. I just could not get offended this week. Maybe it's because I just got engaged [Mazel Tov! -Ed.]. Maybe it's because Obama killed it in Iowa and I am so excited that I just can't get worked up over gossip blogger bullshit. Or maybe it's because I'm feeling upset over Britney Spears and it's taking my focus away from Missdemeanors. But regardless, I do think our usual suspects have taken the meanness down a notch this week and have upped the funny to the point where I literally guffawed over a Todd post on "I Don't Like You In That Way". WTF? So in honor of my general warm fuzziness, I'm giving out pats on the back this week as opposed to clamping on the cuffs. With one exception. (Perez still sucks.) More »

5:40 PM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By amparry
4,565 views, 29 comments

Latest by n/a: @jezamelia: Considering the heroic duty you perform by actually READING that trash for our entertainment? I couldn't really be mad for something silly like that! It's appreciated that you said something though. more »

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