"

But the point, the point, is that whenever I hear someone talking about how it’s wrong to have sex and sexiness in YA novels, what I actually hear is this:

I’m terrified that the first fictional sex a teenage girl encounters might leave her feeling good about herself. I’m terrified that fictional sex might actually make teenage girls think sex can be fun and good, that reading about girls who say no and boys who listen when they say it might give them the confidence to say no, too – or worse still, to realise that boys who don’t listen to ‘no’ aren’t worth it. I’m terrified that YA novels might teach teenage girls the distinction between assault and consensual sex, and give them the courage to speak out about the former while actively seeking the latter. I’m terrified that teenage girls might think seriously about the circumstances under which they might say yes to sex; that they might think about contraception before they need it, and touch themselves in bed at night while fantasising about generous, interesting, beautiful lovers who treat them with consideration and respect. I’m terrified of a generation of teenage girls who aren’t shy or squeamish about asking for cunnilingus when they want it, or about loving more than one person at once, and who don’t feel shame about their arousal. I’m terrified that teenage girls might take control of their sexuality and, in so doing, take that control of them and their bodies away from me.

"  - Foz Meadows - Why YA sex scenes matter (via apfelgranate)

A 21-year-old woman who grew up on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation has created a new fashion magazine. It’s geared toward Native men and women, and non-Native Americans who want to learn about the culture.

Kelly Holmes says she founded “Native Max” magazine after getting tired of thumbing through issues of “Seventeen” or “Vogue” and not seeing models that looked like her.

The premiere issue cover of “Native Max” features Mariah Watchman, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, who rose to fame following her appearance on “America’s Next Top Model” as the first Native woman to compete.

fuckyeahfeminists:

ninja-suffragette:

Scotland really seems to be getting good at the whole ‘blame the perpetrator not the victim’ part of campaigning against rape (I’m reminded of this campaign which takes a similar tact). Which is far more than I can say for the English police force.

From the campaign website:

What can you do to help stop rape?

 1. Take responsibility … »

Find out about the law regarding rape and understand that no matter what the circumstances are, sex without consent is rape.

If there is any doubt about whether the person you’re with is consenting, don’t have sex.

2. Respect your sexual partner … »

Listen to the other person and treat them with respect – effective communication is key to healthy sexual relationships. It’s important to talk to your partner and listen to their wishes. 
Any kind of sexual act must be consensual – both partners should agree to it and be happy with it. 

3. Question your own attitudes … »

Consider the messages you hear about how men should act and think about your own actions, attitudes and behaviours. 
Understand that behaviour, such as pub chat about a woman ‘asking for it’ because of what she is wearing, can perpetuate harmful attitudes towards sexism and sexual violence. 

Work towards positively changing attitudes. Choose what kind of guy you want to be. 

4. Stand up for your beliefs … »

It’s easy to look the other way or keep quiet about your opinions. Don’t. Challenge attitudes that disturb you. For example, if a friend makes a joke about rape, tell them it’s not funny. More often than not you’ll find others share your opinion. 

5. Be proactive … »

If you’re with friends and become aware of a situation developing, don’t stay silent. For example where one or both parties are too drunk to have consensual sex, go and have a quiet word with your friend. It might feel awkward and difficult to intervene, but you are looking out for them in what could potentially be a risky situation. 
Also, if you see a similar situation arising outwith your group of friends, tell someone in authority, for example a bartender or door steward. 

6. Be supportive … »

If you know or suspect someone close to you has been abused or sexually assaulted, gently ask if you can help, offer them your support and encourage them to contact the police. There are also a range of support organisations which can help. 

7. Speak up … »

If you know someone is abusing their partner, don’t ignore it. If you feel able to do so, talk to them and urge them to seek help. There are many support organisations that can offer advice. 
You can report abuse by contacting your local police office or anonymously via Crimestoppers. In an emergency always dial 999. 

8. Get involved … »

Support the campaign.
Display ‘we can stop it’ posters in your college, university or workplace – contact us for materials

info@wecanstopit.co.uk(This address is not for crime reporting - in an emergency always dial 999)

Tell us why you support the campaign – we are always looking for fresh testimonials 

info@wecanstopit.co.uk(This address is not for crime reporting - in an emergency always dial 999) Rape is a difficult subject to talk about but it’s only through raising awareness that attitudes will change. 

Sex without consent is rape. We can stop it.

Look at that. Not a ‘don’t drink too much’ or ‘be careful when you’re walking alone’ in sight.

More campaigns like this please.

[Via The F-Word]

the way an anti-rape campaign should be.

fuckyeahfeminists:

some food for thought:

From the abstract:

Women who watched sexually violent media were more anxious, and males who watched sexually violent media had more negative attitudes toward women, but only when female characters were subordinate. Sexual and violent content had no influence on viewer attitudes when strong female characters were present, suggesting these are not the crucial influence variables.

"I’m not surprised that Rashida Jones took the lead in writing this screenplay; the way things are going now, if an actress doesn’t write a good role for herself, no one else is going to write one."  - The closing line of Roger Ebert’s review of Celeste and Jesse Forever. (via loveyourchaos)

fuckyeahfeminists:

As someone drowning in debt, I must say I was not amused to skim the article (I couldn’t read the whole thing because I felt myself on the edge of either Hulk rage or burst into tears).

What’s wrong with lamenting about having it “too good” and not being able to live the poor life? Caperton from Feministe explains (emphasis mine):

Seriously, I sympathize and identify with the realization that your hip, romantic dreams don’t match the banality of reality–particularly in writing fields where your own experiences are meant to inspire your creativity. We’re supposed to write what we know, and “today I used my debit card to buy a latte” doesn’t make for an interesting read. I once found myself lamenting that only one of my apartments hadn’t had forced-air heating, because radiators are so pretty. But when you step back, look at your situation with some objectivity, and realize you’re romanticizing poverty, it’s time to find perspective: Thank God you’re able to live independently, realize that a lot of people would sell organs to live the life you have, realize that TV shows are pretend because real life is too boring for anyone to want to watch, and explore your own ways to build character and find inspiration. Write it all into a script and pitch it to Wes Anderson; he’ll love it.

fuckyeahfeminists:

villa-kulla:

Reporter: I have a question to Robert and to Scarlett. Firstly to Robert, throughout Iron Man 1 and 2, Tony Stark started off as a very egotistical character but learns how to fight as a team. And so how did you approach this role, bearing in mind that kind of maturity as a human being when it comes to the Tony Stark character, and did you learn anything throughout the three movies that you made?

And to Scarlett, to get into shape for Black Widow did you have anything special to do in terms of the diet, like did you have to eat any specific food, or that sort of thing?

Scarlett: How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the like, “rabbit food” question?

The respect given to you if you’re a man in the entertainment business, and the respect given to you if you’re a woman in the entertainment business: all perfectly summed up in one idiotically thought out line of questioning.

Wow, reading the difference between the questions is HILARIOUS.

Did anyone else notice all the unnecessary ass shots of ScarJo throughout the movie, tho?

fuckyeahfeminists:

blackenedbutterfly:

cassket:

Can you believe fat people? Just existingwilly-nilly all over the place, sometimes without even the courtesy to cloak their terrible bodies in heavy smocks and caftans. Some of them even have the gall to ask to be treated with basic human decency and compassion! Good thing we have Daniel Tosh & Co. to regulate this shit. On Monday, Tosh.0blogger Mike Pomranz posted a photograph of a fat woman wearing a gold bikini and trying to hail a cab in the rain. They framed it as a “caption contest,” inviting readers to submit their most delightful fat-shredding bon mots. Except, oops, the photo wasn’t theirs to post.

It belongs to fat activist and artist Substantia Jones, and is a part of her Adipositivity Project, which seeks to normalize and affirm fat bodies. (Here is the photo in its original context.) Tosh.0 apparently pulled the photo from this website (don’t bother clicking unless you like dumb garbage), which cropped out the link at the bottom. Jones has contacted Comedy Central’s legal department, and as of a few minutes ago the page has been taken down.

“Folks sharing Adipositivity photos,” Jones says, “as is regularly done all over Facebook and Tumblr, aids in the purpose of getting body positive images in front of as many eyes as possible. We dig that. But to steal someone else’s copyrighted material in order to use it in purveying bigotry and hate for profit? Not cool.” The woman in the photo—who, to everyone’s surprise, is an actual human being—is actress/model Janie Martinez. Jones describes the image as “conveying the bliss of being completely happy with your physical self, and boldly so, even in a world filled with ridicule.”

Weirdly, the Tosh.0 commenters took the opposite approach. Before the page was pulled there were over a thousand semi-literate sample captions submitted, including:

Beneath all of that skin is a beautiful vagina, waiting to be fucked….and waiting….and waiting

She’ll get picked up soon, I see a garbage truck coming.

And my personal favorite:

Quick get me to occupy Wall Street, I hear they are raping people down there

In case that last one isn’t clear, it’s implying fat women should be grateful to be raped—eager, even—because it’s obviously the only way their disgusting bodies will ever be touched by a man. Let me repeat. If you rape a fat woman, she will probably thank you for it.

Oh, it’s “just a joke”? Good one. Good joke. It’s almost as good as when businesses “prank” fat people by not hiring them, or insurance companies do this old gag: “Knock knock?” “Who’s there?” “Not fucking health insurance if that’s what you’re looking for, fatty!” Ahhhhhhhh, jokes.

Now, I don’t expect the Tosh.0 blog to be a bastion of intellectualism, but it’s disheartening to see this level of dehumanizing bullshit thriving under the umbrella of Comedy Central. The Daily Show is probably the most compelling and compassionate advocate for critical thinking on television—and the best evidence that you can be funny, political, and scathing without resorting to lazy stereotypes and hate speech. Meanwhile, Comedy Central’s website is actively baiting 14-year-old dumbasses to come up with the cruelest shit possible? Come on, bros. Be better people.

Photo credit: Substantia Jones / Adipositivity Project.

I have always hated this sad excuse for a man

rage

New study finds that brands are missing out on profits by limiting the diversity of their models 

fuckyeahfeminists:

feministepiphanies:

Ben Barry’s research at Cambridge University:

‎”I found that Canadian and American women increased purchase intentions for fashion products advertised by models who reflected their own demographics: age, size and—for non-Caucasians—race. While one side of the debate over model diversity argues that curvy models should replace thin ones— assuming that one model is universally more effective than another—I find that every model type can be effective. Their effectiveness depends on whether the model shares the consumers’ traits.

My study found that women increased their purchase intentions by more than 200 percent when the models in the mock ads were their size. In the subgroup over size 6, women increased their purchase intentions by a dramatic 300 percent when they saw curvier models. Conversely, when women saw models who didn’t reflect their size, they decreased their purchase intentions by 60 percent, and women over size 6 dropped their purchase intentions by 76 percent.” - ELLE Canada

See:

http://www.ellecanada.com/living/culture/can-using-different-types-of-models-benefit-brands/a/58327

see even capitalism says be more diver

Representing a broader spectrum of humanity in advertisements makes people more likely to buy from a company whose models show them a representation of themselves? Imagine that!

Seriously, they paid someone to do this study? How about someone pay me to tell them obvious shit like that? Please, I will do it more cheaply and give you your results thirty times faster.

"Being a feminist doesn’t mean suddenly no longer liking problematic things. If you stopped liking everything that was sexist in media and entertainment there would be no media or entertainment left. Being a feminist, to me, is being aware of what it is you’re liking, and of its problematic aspects."  - sabrina_il   (via thenewwomensmovement)

"The book The Hunger Games describes Katniss as having black hair, olive skin and gray eyes–and her coloring holds significance. As blogger Alexiel argues, “The entire metaphor that runs through the book about oppression, hunger, and excess is meaningless if none of the main characters are people of color.”
The novel is set in a bleak dystopian future with extreme economic and political inequality. The wealthy Capitol’s reliance on its exploited “districts” easily reads as a metaphor for many real-world splits: between the 1% and the 99%, between the Global North and the Global South. In Katniss’s world, just as in our own, these schisms fall along racial lines. Katniss’s home of District 12 is divided by race, with the merchant class having “light hair and blue eyes” and the working class having “olive skin.”
Noting this “multi-racial culture” of the book, director Gary Ross promised, “The film will reflect that.” Yet the casting, which problematically only called for Caucasian actors to audition for the role of Katniss, suffered from whitewashing throughout. Not only are most of the main characters played by white actors, so is most of the entire cast, extras and all. A student of mine says she counted a total of 23 people of color in the entire film."  - Natalie Wilson, “A Whitewashed Hunger Games”

newwavefeminism:

just so you know…

Are you surprised?