http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/15/what-is-zestra-new-york-times/

There is so much wrong with this. Apparently, male sexuality can have all of the advertising minutes in the world, but female sexuality is still something that’s banished to the 4am slots- why? Apparently America can’t handle the fact that women- older women and younger women alike have sex- and enjoy it as much as men do. I myself have never even heard of ‘Zestra’ but am quite familiar with both Viagra and Cialis. Who could forget ‘Viva Viagra’?

Not quite revolutionary, but apparently, some people still don’t get it.

What is most infuriating is the fact that Viagra is covered by even the most basic insurance plans, yet birth control isn’t. It is pretty amazing what women have had to put up with in the past, but this is 2010. If we’re going to help the men of the world enjoy a long, healthy, sex life, why aren’t we dedicating the same amount of attention to women?

The article even features the advertisement at the  bottom which is about the least suggestive commercial I’ve ever seen- downright Puritan compared to erectile dysfunction ads.

Of course the most important step is recognizing the double standard. Next step, correcting it. I vote a Zestra ad featured during next years Superbowl.

Unlike England, who needs to rewrite its anthem every time the monarch switches sex, or Canada (really? ‘all thy sons command’?), the United States refers to a collective “we,” a group of free, brave, and proud people. It represents unbelievable luck on the behalf of the anthem’s early adopters. Nice job, America.

#starspangledbanner #national #anthem #United #States #America #equality #freedom #pride #landofthefree

I’ve heard horror stories about English cuisine. But nothing gives me more hope for my inevitable inaugural trip to the UK than the chip butty. For heaven’s sake, they wrote a song about it.

This would never happen in the United States. Not until I make it tonight. OM NOM NOM

#chip #butty #chipbutty #french #fries #sandwich #delicious #forbidden #English #food #notinamerica

There are so many things wrong with this cover its difficult to know where to begin. Not only is it insulting to women hockey players (Yeah..women play hockey too! Bizarre, right? Its like they’re just as athletically talented as men!)- but also dancers, who I’m sure would love to know that their dedication, athleticism, and skill is frivolous and meaningless to whoever put this lovely cover together.

Moreover, both my boyfriend and I agreed that its largely telling of the society that we live in that routinely humiliates men by comparing them to women. I would really like to know whats so humiliating about wearing a skirt? What is so awful about wearing a piece of clothing traditionally associated with women? Its the same mentality that allows for men who are perceived as weak by other men to be called ‘pussies’, that creates every beer advertisement I’ve ever seen (one that recently featured a man who ordered a light beer being forced to wear a skirt). The easiest way to humiliate a man is to compare him to a woman (oh, the horror!), or even worse, call him a fag. Homophobia is, of course, rooted in sexism and misogyny. Anything even associated with femininity is automatically perceived as weak and frivolous.

As I said before, I don’t follow sports, but my heart goes out to female hockey players who have to put up with shit like this when they’re already up against so much adversity.

I would venture to guess that all women know what its like to be catcalled. Confusing, the first time it happens, and eventually humiliating. The fact that we cannot go anywhere without being viewed as public property to be watched and judged by men. If we are dressed provocatively, it is assumed that we enjoy the attention (no matter how the man looks), and even if we aren’t, apparently many men view it as complimentary. On the contrary, as all women know, it is threatening and abusive. I was catcalled this afternoon. I’ve been catcalled before, but today, I decided to do something about it.

Three years ago, I was mugged. It was a very traumatic experience for me, and ever since then I’ve been very cautious about my behavior when I’m out in public. I am a young woman, and I live in the city. Because of the society we live in, this makes me particularly vulnerable. I always carry pepper spray, and I’m very aware of my own personal space. I believe that all women have a right to feeling safe in their surroundings.

Walking to class this afternoon, I was taking in the sunlight, listening to my ipod at a lowered volume when I hear from a man waiting for a bus, “Hey baby, lemme get your number, You’re looking beautiful today.” I glanced to my side and realized that he was speaking to me. Normally, I would keep walking- but today I stopped. I took my earbuds out of my ears and I took my sunglasses off. He was clearly surprised that I was acknowledging him.

“Excuse me, Sir. It is unacceptable for you to speak to women you don’t know in that manner. You have made me feel unsafe in my own neighborhood.”

I fully expected him to mock me, or blow me off which I was prepared for. Often men have the mindset that they “are doing women a favor” when they catcall. They don’t understand how demeaning and terrifying it is. I was surprised to see him clearly taken aback, and immediately apologetic.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you– I-I’m a good guy.”

At this point, we had gathered a crowd of other people waiting for the bus that witnessed the entire encounter. Many of them young men on their way home from school.

“I don’t know that you are a good guy. You are a stranger and I have no idea who you are. You aren’t paying me a compliment when you do that, or making me feel good about myself. You’re scaring me! You’re making me feel like I can’t walk down my own streets! Please don’t disrespect me, or any woman like that ever again.”

“I’m very sorry, Miss, I didn’t mean to scare you, I’m very sorry.”

A round of applause broke out from some of the people standing by, and a woman slapped me five and said, “Thank you!” (As well as some of the boys telling my abuser, “She tooold you!”) I was pleasantly surprised at how receptive my abuser was. I even recommended the AMAZING book ‘The Macho Paradox’ by Jackson Katz to him.

While I’ve had several feminist awakenings (not to be confused with my feminist “A-Ha!” moment) this was a big day for me, and an interesting experience. I can only hope that my abuser was genuine in his apology, and will never make another woman feel like an object, open for public commentary when she’s just trying to live her own, autonomous life.

#fujifilm #instax #mini7s #polaroid #instantprint #camera #photography

After a week of morning radio deejays and local newscasters making ridiculously tasteless and insensitive jokes about the language of Iceland, it’s time for some knowledge. While I cannot expect every American to have a functional understanding of Icelandic, one word can’t be that hard.

Say it with me now: Ay-yah-fyal-la-yo-kool

In fact, five of the six syllables are common American social grunts. So it shouldn’t be that hard, right Chip Chipperson? Mad Dawg and The Screw?#Iceland #volcano #pronunciation #guide #Eyjafjallajokull

I want to live in this commercial. Granted, it was made by arguably the most devious company around today, but fuck all if I don’t want all of that wardrobe, hair, and makeup. Reminds me of Taggart Transcontinental.

“So we can get to The City!”

#Toyota #Avalon #commercial #sandman #chordettes

I’d like to start out by saying that I’m a HUGE fan of Tina Fey. She’s taken tremendous strides for women in comedy, and is a great role model for any woman in the entertainment industry. Not only is she hilarious while performing comedy, but she’s a wonderful writer, and has brought the world ’30 Rock’, for which we should all be thankful.

Feminists have so few mainstream role models, that a woman like Tina Fey is an undeniable breath of fresh air. That being said, her hosting duties on SNL would have been pulled off without a hitch, had it not been for her anti- feminist commentary on the Sandra Bullock/ Jesse James/ Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee love triangle fiasco. She proceeded to mock the ‘other woman’ and then- OF COURSE- fell in to common stereotypes and called her a slut.

I was so moved by her speech in ‘Mean Girls’ where she got up in front of a gym of High School girls and stated, “You have to STOP calling each other ‘sluts’ and ‘whores’ – because that just makes it okay for guys to call you ‘sluts’ and ‘whores’” Finally! I thought to myself. Maybe young women will see this movie and realize that just because a woman has sex (EVEN if it is with a married man), that gives you no right to condemn her with the label ‘slut’. Both ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ is hateful, harmful terminology used to silence women, strip them of their agency, and communicate to them that whether they have sex once, or have sex multiple times (with multiple partners), they HAD SEX, and they are dirty and wrong for doing so.

I don’t want to take away from the radical feminist reclaiming of the word ‘slut’, but personally, I believe that these words are derogatory towards women, and should be treated as such.

Women- ALL women- have the right to have sex in any way that they wish to without the immediate backlash of being labeled a ‘slut’. Tina Fey knows this, and was a disappointment to this feminist when she seemingly threw all of her important ideals out the window.

Oh well….Amy Poehler was always kind of my favorite anyways…”Parks and Recreation” kicks ass.

Victorious, if it’s anything like its predecessors, will likely be fun, hip, exciting, relatable, and very well done.  You should watch it. Tomorrow, after the KCAs.