Jezebel: Torture

Two Sisters, One Guy, Urine, and Pliers Form Awful Menage a WTF

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:40:00 EST

A duo of Wisconsin sisters are in trouble after subjecting a male teen with unelaborated upon social issues to confusing, horrific sexual torture. Warning: it involves pliers. To the penis. More »

Abused Afghan Girl Speaks, Wants Her Horrid In-Laws Jailed

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:20:00 EST

Sahar Gul was so horrifically abused that two weeks after she was rescued from her in-laws' basement, photos of her injuries are still hard to look at. The 15-year-old's hair and fingernails are missing, her face is swollen, and she looks weak and malnourished. Yet, her husband's parents and his sister, who've been arrested, all insist that they didn't do anything to her. Gul isn't doing very well in the hospital, but she briefly spoke out, insisting that her in-laws are the ones who hurt her, and she wants them to be punished. More »

Afghan Girl Escaped Months Ago, But Was Sent Back To Torturers

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:32:00 EST

Afghan officials claimed to be shocked and appalled like the rest of the world when they learned that 15-year-old Sahar Gul was held in her in-laws' basement for the past seven months while they starved and tortured her. However, sources now say that Gul actually managed to escape the house at one point, but she was returned to the home by local authorities, who are accustomed to looking the other way when it comes to crimes against women. More »

15-Year-Old Afghan Girl Tortured By In-Laws

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:58:00 EST

As if the recent report that an Afghan rape victim was jailed for adultery and pressured to marry her attacker wasn't awful enough, now there's another horrifying story drawing attention to the plight of women in the country. Afghan authorities say they've rescued a 15-year-old girl who was kept in her in-laws basement for the past six months and severely tortured because she resisted when they tried to force her into prostitution. More »

"Virginity Tests" Forced On Egyptian Women Protesters

Irin Carmon — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:10:04 EDT

Amnesty International is condemning the treatment of at least 18 women protesters, who as late as March 9 — a month after Mubarak stepped down — were beaten, tortured, and strip-searched. They were also examined for their "virginity" and told that if they didn't "pass," they'd be charged as prostitutes. More »

This Is What Happened To Women Who Made Trouble

Sadie Stein — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:24:00 EST

This instrument of torture was known as a "scold's bridle," a device used on "rude, clamorous woman" in the workhouses through the early 19th Century. Oh, and in case the iron mask isn't bad enough, "this example has a bell on top to draw even more attention to the wearer, increasing their humiliation." More »

The Exquisite Sadism Of America’s Next Top Model

Jennifer L. Pozner — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:10:00 EST

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In hyping an industry that has long gotten rich promulgating "sexy torture," America's Next Top Model is a perfect case study of how violent imagery plays out in the reality TV landscape. Sadism has been a recurring theme. More »

After Neda: "Now I Have Left Iran, I Can Cry Out To Break The Silence"

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST

It's been five months since Neda Soltan was gunned down in the streets of Tehran. In that time, Capsian Makan, Neda's boyfriend, has faced prison, torture, and exile. But he is finally able to speak freely. More »

Cheney's Daughter Still Protecting Our God-Given Right To Torture

Anna North — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EDT

Mary used to be the higher profile Cheney daughter, but now her older sister Liz Cheney is taking the spotlight, defending birthers and waterboarding on Larry King and at a recent "Smart Girl Summit." More »

Dick Cheney Thinks Examining War Crimes Is The Same As Playing Politics

LatoyaPeterson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EDT

"We ask [the CIA] to do some very difficult things [...] — in this case, we had specific legal authority from the Justice Department." More »

Obama Birthers Bring The Crazy To The Airwaves...And No One Is Immune

Megan Carpentier — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

This Crappy Hour, the HuffPo's Jason Linkins and I torture one another with Lou Dobbs slashfic, make tortured confessions to the sounds of Barney the Dinosaur, and discuss GOP career suicides related to the Obama birther movement. More »

Rick Santorum Knows What African-American Women Really Need

Megan Carpentier — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum suggests that Barack Obama, as an example to "African-American males," not take Michelle out on any more fancy dates, but just head to a local bar, throw back a beer, and head home. [Salon]

Beverly Hills Stop

Anna Holmes — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:10:00 EDT

[Beverly Hills, May 27. Image via Getty]

Hillary Clinton Still A Target Of Conservative Lawsuits

Megan Carpentier — Fri, 22 May 2009 10:00:00 EDT

The Justice Department is asking a judge to dismiss the stupid lawsuit trying to prevent Hillary Clinton from serving as Secretary of State because she served in Congress. Clinton is the only former elected official in the Cabinet facing such a lawsuit. [Huffington Post]

Obama Girls Are Over The Dog; Souter To Step Down From Supreme Court

Anna Holmes — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:00 EDT

In news that will resonate with parents everywhere, Sasha and Malia Obama are apparently shirking their doggie duties at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Says mom: "I'm still up at 5:15 a.m. taking my dog out." [People]

President Plays Hoops; Wins Polls

Megan Carpentier — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Barack Obama shot some hoops with the women of the NCAA champion Huskies and won. (Pic at left is from early April.) The jersey they gave him, though, was a bit too small. [The Swamp]

Larry Summers Sleeps While Credit Scores Drop

Megan Carpentier — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Renowned male supremacist Larry Summers just couldn't keep his eyes open during a meeting with credit card company executives and Barack Obama yesterday afternoon. Shit's boring! [ThinkProgress]

Chelsea Clinton's Beach Bod Is Better Than Torture

Megan Carpentier — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Who knew? New York Post editors spend their days fantasizing about Chelsea Clinton in a bikini. Apparently, looking good in one is the only reason she would ever exercise. [NY Post]

Meghan Thinks The GOP Is Scared; Pat Thinks You're Gay

Megan Carpentier — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Meghan McCain thinks older Republicans are scared shitless at the thought of changing their position on same-sex marriage. She doesn't realize that it's because their boyfriends might start demanding it. [Huffington Post]

Lynndie England: Life After Abu Ghraib

Hortense Smith — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST

In what is perhaps one of the strangest interviews of all time, the Guardian's Emma Brockes heads to Fort Ashby, West Virginia, to interview Lynndie England, the woman accused of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib. More »

Musicians like Trent Reznor were horrified...

Megan Carpentier — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST

Musicians like Trent Reznor were horrified to learn that their music is being used to torture detainees at the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Everything from Reznor's "March of the Pigs" to Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" to to Queen's "We Will Rock You" to Bob Singleton's "I Love You" (from Barney) is being used to try to convince prisoners to give up information by depriving them of sleep or by making them hate life, which is what the Barney theme does to most Americans. Only one group is proud to have their music used to torture: The lead singer of Drowning Pool, whose shitty song "Bodies" is a favorite of interrogators, called it "an honor." [MSNBC] More »

Today's News Is Brought To You By Andy Samberg's Soiled Pants

Megan Carpentier — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

It used to be that this venerable feature was inspired by the news, hangovers, and/or funny pictures. But The Huffington Post's Jason Linkins and I have a new muse — or, to be fair, a couple of million of new muses harmed in the filming of SNL's digital short "Jizz In My Pants" (embedded after the jump). There's just no way to look at the news about torture, wire-tapping, Bush kissing Barbra Streisand, Ed Rendell or Kate Beckinsale any other way after seeing that video. Today's Hour also contains an object lesson for one of my best friends, who should have known better than to tell me his pants-jizzing story 10 years ago because there was no way I was going to forget it. More »

Obama Talking, But Still Not Saying Much

Megan Carpentier — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST

Barack Obama and John McCain met this afternoon in which they talked about combating government waste and bitter partisanship and took some pretty, pretty pictures for us peons. [Washington Post]
Vetting Bill Clinton's sketchy dealings in Central Asia and the donor list for his library might well cost Hillary Clinton her SecState job and prove that Obama was right to have been demanding those get released during the primaries. [Politico]
But Obama is firmly against torture and keeping Guantanamo Bay open, so that's good at least. [Washington Independent]

What Julia Allison & John McCain Have Done To Journalism

Megan Carpentier — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Since the world is ending around us, it's important to take note of what parts of our civilization fell and in what order. And, really, there's no one better at documenting mayhem than the original Wonkette (the rest of us are just pale imitations), Ana Marie Cox, who now writes for Time's Swampland. Today, Ana and I talk about how the New York Times is snarking on John McCain, Sarah's tanning bed, why Todd Palin might have been perfect for me but really isn't, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds' sexual proclivities and who Julia Allison is fucking to death now. More »

Liveblogging John McCain (And Cindy Lou Who)

Megan Carpentier — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:28:39 EDT

Stop! It's Maverick time! Cindy will introduce the film to introduce her husband who will apparently talk forever and a day but I am such a dedicated blogger that I will mock the thing in its entirety while the energy brought to me by my bag of Twizzlers and my double cappuccino slowly dies, like the light in my eyes and the hope in my heart. More »

Conventional Crap: Joe Lieberman Is Made-Up But Not Imaginary

Megan Carpentier — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Another endless day that starts in Crap dawns in St. Paul, but luckily my soon-to-be-embedded friend Spencer Ackerman is (virtually) here to help me understand why some GOP makeup artist slathered Joe Lieberman in this much pancake foundation and — worse — how I spent 20 minutes staring at his ass instead of his made-up mug. That, plus at least 2 dick jokes, one blow job reference and nearly as much torture as Fred Thompson brought to his speech, are after the jump. More »

Beaver, Trollops and Drinking, Oh My!

Megan Carpentier — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:00:47 EDT

Not to in any way indicate that we have anything less than the utmost horror and offense for torture, but Lt. Col. Diane Beaver who once urged our armed forces to conduct more brutal interrogations at Gitmo, testified today before the Senate Armed Services Committee about her role in torturing various people. Even when the jokes aren't appropriate, we still have to make them. [Washington Independent]
Really, it was the fault of this video, which you should not listen to at your office without earphones, that explores in great depth why the news media didn't cover the "John McCain called his wife a cunt" story. [Erica Saves the Day, Glamocracy]
Also, studies show you're drinking more than you think you're drinking, so tip your bartender well! [LA Times]
Oh, what you wanted real news? Fine. Check in with me after the jump.

Ever Had A Makeover That Felt More Like A Human Rights Violation?

Moe — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:00:37 EDT

There is not much you can do to me to make me cry. Sure, you can invite me to a funeral, or Tuol Sleng or the first wedding ever held at David's Tower overlooking the ancient city of Jerusalem or any sort of movie that evokes the tragic limitations of the human condition (Hotel Rwanda, for instance, or Dutch). But on a person-to-person level, I never get too worked up about everyday demeanments, petty humilations, simple assaults... Okay, but then there is the matter of makeovers. I just had one, compliments of the Israeli Wedding Industrial Complex, that was so profoundly traumatizing I had almost fully repressed its memory until I read a story in this morning's New York Times about the legalized torture that is getting makeup slapped on one's face by a professional:

"Feel your skin!" commanded the beauty adviser, taking my hand and running it along my face. "It's so uneven. You have dry patches and your pores are clogged!"

Seriously folks, now I know why genocide victims avoid Holocaust movies. More »

Things That May Or May Not Surprise You: We Don't Like Bush, We Do Like Harry Potter

Jennifer — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:45:05 EDT

Harry Potter! Yup, we pre-ordered our copy of the last-ever Harry Potter book. And we get to pick it up at 12:01 am tonight. We're super nervous about what's going to happen, too. We think that Snape isn't evil though. But we have a sneaking suspicion Harry is going to die. And we will be reading it all weekend to find out. No judgments, please.