YouTube - Janelle Monae: The Meaning Of 'Tightrope'

YouTube - Janelle Monae: The Meaning Of 'Tightrope'

Going Androidgenous With Janelle Monáe | Mother Jones

Going Androidgenous With Janelle Monáe | Mother Jones

Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl - TEDWomen.aol.com

Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl - TEDWomen.aol.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

For 12/6: Amplify Your Voice launches video series on abstinence-only programs

What message is this video (Amplify Your Voice launches video series on abstinence-only programs) giving?

for 12/6: “Miss TSA” calendar reminds us just how unsexy some “sexy” poses are

“Miss TSA” calendar reminds us just how unsexy some “sexy” poses are

Chloe at Feministing says, "The photos were originally taken for another calendar that was designed to convince doctors to buy x-ray monitors. I appreciate these photos because they’re a reminder that, when you look at conventional definitions of “sexy” from a slightly different angle – in this case, from an angle that removes facial expression, hair, makeup, surrounding requisite beach or fur rug and leaves nothing but the body – those definitions start to look really ridiculous. These poses are totally absurd, so unlikely to be struck during actual real-life sex, and this particular form of photography throws that into sharp relief. It can be easy to forget, when you’re looking at a photo that includes all the images that serve as code for “sexy” – the hair, the pout, the lighting, the flesh – that it’s all a carefully orchestrated performance. These x-rays take that performance and remind us that it’s all a show, and not a very sexy one at that."

What do you say about them?

for 11/30: Slowpoke Comics by Jen Sorensen :: Alternative Political Cartoons and Illustration

Slowpoke Comics by Jen Sorensen :: Alternative Political Cartoons and Illustration
What is Cartoonist Jen Sorensen saying with this cartoon?

for 11/29: Enough talk on body image. Let’s take action.

Students often ask what can be done about the media's depiction of women's bodies. According to the article linked below, what can be done?

Enough talk on body image. Let’s take action.

YouTube - "Daddy I Do" Trailer

YouTube - "Daddy I Do" Trailer
According to what you can pick up in this trailer, why does the religious right believe it's sinful to use a condom? How do you think the filmmaker, Cassie Jaye, might respond?

For 11/29: Breaking: Paycheck Fairness Act Fails to Pass in the Senate

Breaking: Paycheck Fairness Act Fails to Pass in the Senate

This act would have required employers to give women equal pay for equal work.
Who stood in the way of act's passage? Who benefits from unfair pay?

For 11/29: Declutter your wardrobe: wear more of less - videos - *faircompanies

This is a great video, sent by a student, about having just enough clothes--not to many.

Declutter your wardrobe: wear more of less - videos - *faircompanies:

for 11/15: Student sues after being cut by coach over pink cleats - USATODAY.com

Student sues after being cut by coach over pink cleats - USATODAY.com:
Can you apply a feminist analysis to this? (Jos does at Feministing.)

Link to required film viewing: YouTube - the business of being born 1/10

YouTube - the business of being born 1/10: Make sure to watch any parts of the film you miss in class.

Feminist Perspectives on Rape (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Rape lecture is taken from this article from SEP:
Feminist Perspectives on Rape (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

For 9/15: File under “heartbreaking” and “you can help”

This post, File under “heartbreaking” and “you can help”,
is about Sofia, a woman with severe anorexia who's insurance company stopped covering her treatment.

She will die without the treatment.

Is this a concern for feminists and/or Women's Studies? Consider what the The Fat Nutritionist says:

"Eating disorders prey on some of the most marginalized members of society: girls, women, gay men, as well as people who suffer from depression, OCD, or illnesses that make eating a pain in the ass to begin with. They prey on people of all skin colours and ethnicities. They prey on people who’ve been tormented into believing that fat is a fate worse than death. And they kill people who don’t have the money to get better."

Here is the link to her fund raising page, where she tells her story.

Love Yourself: Beautiful scene from Luc Besson's movie "Angel-A". [VIDEO]

Student Angela Peterson sent this:
Love Yourself: Beautiful scene from Luc Besson's movie "Angel-A". [VIDEO] and says about it:
"I thought the video was a nice contrast to the NYT article about the lengths women will go to in order to look good, regardless of the consequences, i.e. letting formaldehyde seep into your skin for straight hair. I thought the woman in the video represented what the stereotypical ideal is, and using a minority male was (depending on the country, but I assume it was France) was a refreshing change in who we usually see as suffering from low self-esteem, women. It broke those stereotypes in four minutes. The message was clear, love yourself, even if there is no one else there to tell you they love you."

Required for last exam: Stories and analysis on Campus rape from NPR

How is rape handled on campus? Listen to these 3 reports:

Campus rape victims struggle for justice: colleges almost never expel men found responsible for rape.

Failed Justice Leaves Rape Victim Nowhere To Turn

Myths about rapists that make it hard to stop campus rape: it's not committed by drunk men making one-time mistakes or by psychos.

According to these reports, what is the basic weapon on a college campus?

What do victims of rape experience when they report a campus rape or file charges? How do universities handle rape reports?

How should campuses treat rapists?

for 9/15: Research shows sex is more fun when you do it for its own sake.

I think this is great news: People, especially men, who have sex to express affection, report experiencing more pleasure than those who do it just for status.


Research shows sex is more fun when you do it for its own sake.

What stereotypes does this research defy?

for 9/15: Burning Desperation - Video Library - The New York Times

The video linked here is very sad and contains disturbing images.

Burning Desperation - Video Library - The New York Times

According to the doctor interviewed, why do these women attempt suicide?
Why might only women be trying to kill themselves this way?

What happens to them if they survive?

for 9/15: New study confirms that women give more money than men

I keep thinking about this news:
New study confirms that women give more money than men

They mean percentage-wise, of course.

If we take the study's conclusion at face-value, what theories do you have that would explain women giving a higher percentage of their income than men?

for 9/15: Covered up: More than 1/3 of American woman soldiers raped

What do you think about these leaks? Read the link--could more than a third of U.S. women soldiers suffer rape while on the job? If so, how do you explain it? Why would the military want to cover it up?

Covered up: More than 1/3 of American woman soldiers raped « Stool & Dunce Cap

for 11/15: Blog post from student Paige Walsh on women in the music industry

(I cut and pasted this word-for-word from an email from Paige Walsh! Thanks, Paige)

The comparison of women in the music industry
Comparing the songs...

Hey Good Lookin - By Hank Williams Sr. released in 1951
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxB1t2EEK0M - Video
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/williams-hank-jr/hey-good-lookin-993.html - Lyrics

and

Wait (The Whisper Song) - By The Ying Yang Twins released in 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDOC7JRDzYI - video
http://www.metrolyrics.com/wait-the-whisper-song-lyrics-ying-yang-twins.html - Lyrics

How has the treatment of women in the music industry changed in those 54 years? Does it upset you at all? Which way would you prefer to be treated?

for 11/8: A Safety Kink in Hair Relaxing? - Skin Deep - NYTimes.com

Are we willing to put ourselves in a dangerous situation for "beauty?"
A Safety Kink in Hair Relaxing? - Skin Deep - NYTimes.com
Also, is it okay to have take the dangerous chemical treatments on your hair if you know the stylist's health could suffer?

For 11/8: Pyramid of Egregiousness | Name It. Change It.

This is quick, but be sure to put cursor on each section to see what's underneath. What's the point of this interactive graphic? What is it saying?
Pyramid of Egregiousness | Name It. Change It.

for 11/8: Birth control not really causing gender dysphoria in fish

A group called the American Life League is spreading false rumors that Birth Control pills are bad for the environment:

Birth control not really causing gender dysphoria in fish


Why would anyone slander the Pill?