Tea and Strumpets
Things we liked, or didn’t like, from around the internet this week.
Jill at Feministe takes on Roger Rivard’s rape comments, and just basically Gillards him (yes, that’s a thing now).
In that view, sex is essentially a bartering chip. It’s not something that is good in and of itself. It’s good only when it’s used for both parties to get what they want in a socially-sanctioned way. It is something women “give” to men, once men give women what women want.
On Coming Out Day, Clarisse Thorn talks about why she’s still closeted.
Field Theory on Moa Beer’s idiotic and desperate bid for publicity.
As someone who can barely balance his bank account, I am the last person to criticise a company about shares and stocks and what-have-you. Instead I mean the disgusting way that Moa conflates manhood with the ownership of women.
Our Emma is in fine form on Moa’s prospectus over at Public Address too: Moa: sub-standard
No, here’s my problem. I really, really don’t like it when vanilla advertising co-opts imagery from BDSM. … Context is everything. You’ve quite deliberately taken that imagery out of context, and planted it square in your hotbed of misogynistic marketing bollocks. I mean, it’s not that you’re really sexist and homophobic, right Moa? You just think it sells.
And Atheist Pinko Sluts Monthly (which you should all be reading) on the same.
The Guardian talks about the gendering of toy-shops. This is something that I (Emma) have noticed become much worse in the decade since my kids were small.
More from the British press – The Independent on freshers’ week: Lesson one: we’re students, not slags. (Content note: sexual assault)
Many would dismiss some of these incidents as harmless, or claim that themed events like “Pimps and Hoes” have little real impact on student welfare. But these reports suggest a disturbing culture of female students facing sexual objectification and demeaning labels, and the use of such names for official university and student union events sends a powerful message by implying the institutions’ acceptance or approval of this culture.
More on that fabulous speech by Julia Gillard. Blue Milk has an excellent round-up of responses to the speech, but not so many from the mainstream media, who seem to think that Gillard was wrong wrong wrong to ever mention misogyny and it was all just a political tactic – About the Prime Minister’s speech. And she has a post about the silencing tactics being used against Gillard.
Another piece of awesome from an Australian woman: Senator Penny Wong discussing the nature of sexism in the Australian parliament.
LEIGH SALES: Do you – what do you say to the Opposition’s suggestion that the Prime Minister is now using gender as a shield against any criticism of her performance?
PENNY WONG: Well I think this reflects what I said before. This is what happens when women name what’s happening. People use ways, and they are either you’re being a victim, you’re trying to cover up your competence, you’re just being politically correct – these are all tactics to silence women when we speak out about what is really happening. It’s not a new tactic. I think most of us who’ve had to confront sexism in our lives, in our workplaces, are familiar with it.
Annette Wale wrote a rape apologist letter to the Dom Post, and our Coley wrote one back, which was published today.
Annette Wale’s reprimand of women who dress as they please and expect the basic dignity of not being sexually assaulted is a “dangerous message” indeed. Not only is it offensive to men to imply they’re one short skirt away from being rapists, it also makes women feel they are to blame for someone choosing to disregard their consent and autonomy.
According to Ministry of Justice statistics, one in four women in this country will experience unwanted and distressing sexual contact in her lifetime. Most will be with someone known to the victim, and in their own home. So let’s stop characterising rape with dark alleys and strangers. But regardless of the scenario, the fact women still haven’t escaped proprietary status is never more obvious than when we’re held responsible for ‘tempting’ men into abusing us. Rape myths harm everyone.
Something pretty: the cupcakes I (Deb) made for my daughter’s birthday.
Mushroom cupcakes
Banter in the Garden