"Legal Justice League" Legos

Mala Weinstock created the Lego version of the women of the Supreme Court in honor of International Women's Day:

“For International Women's Day, I decided to focus on the first four women who've reached the highest level of our judiciary system. All of these women are trailblazers who should be celebrated — not only by adults but by kids just learning about civics and government.”

Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan are definitely excellent role models for all kids and the Lego versions have already gone viral. Unfortunately the LEGO company steers clear of anything political but the idea and message behind the project is certainly commendable. 

Cosmo With a Grain of Salt

By now most people have heard about the problematic portrayals of women in the media. The disproportionate objectification and sexualization of females on television, on film, and in magazines is finally being noted and hopefully will soon be addressed.

When I peruse through magazines, I know to take their content with a grain of salt. The flawless models and celebrities are most likely photoshopped and not a realistic standard to compare myself to. This, too, is relatively common knowledge.

But an issue I never really thought about as a media consumer was brought to my attention recently through this video. Two talented poets, Desiree Dallagiacomo and Kaycee Filson, call out the mainstream media, specifically magazines, for not just showing women as objects through photos but for instructing women to view themselves this way, specifically in the advice sections.

Whenever my friends and I have read Cosmopolitan or anything similar it never occurRed to any of us that the sex tips focused exclusively on the male's personal experience. Often times the suggestions are elaborate and absurd, as the spoken word artists  demonstrated, but always from this very one-sided perspective and focus.

How can magazines written for women dole out tips as unusual as "sprinkle pepper under his nose" and other intricate novelties yet neglect entirely to mention any tips on asking for what you like or how to make sex more enjoyable for the vast majority of the readership- women themselves?

It alarms me that I never noticed this because I usually am pretty perceptive to injustices against females (hence the blog). My obliviousness shows how pervasive this male-pleasure-centric view of sex is in our culture.  It is one thing to be selfless but it is another thing entirely to disregard your own needs, possibly losing any sense of self in the process.

Women should not be cultured to view their worth as entirely dependent on their ability to please their male counterparts. And while we're on the subject of objectifying women, they close with the profoundly logical, "I am not 'asking for it' unless I am actually asking for it."

Show Me the Money

Last weekend, Patricia Arquette accepted her Academy Award  for Best Supporting Actress in Boyhood and used the opportunity to make a statement about gender equality. 

“To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

Her speech itself was well-received, as captured by Meryl Streep's and Jennifer Lopez's reactions, shared widely on Vine and in memes. However, her follow-up remarks backstage led to a lot of backlash, especially from the Twitter world and from famous feminists. Arquette continued: 

It’s time for women. Equal means equal. The truth is the older women get, the less money they make. The highest percentage of children living in poverty are in female-headed households. It’s inexcusable that we go around the world and we talk about equal rights for women in other countries and we don’t...it’s time for all the women in America, and all the men that love women and all the gay people and all the people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now.

Many found these comments exclusive and offensive, as they seem to imply that feminism is a white woman's issue, which writer Amanda Marcotte condemns:

Where to begin? Perhaps with pointing out that “gay people” and “people of color” are both categories that include women. Indeed, when it comes to wage inequality, race is as much a factor as gender...similarly, being gay or transgender often means taking a hit in income.

Feminism has often come under fire for being a movement for white women’s rights when obviously the intent is for the rights of all women. Though I am sure this was by no means Arquette's intention, especially after she sent several clarifying tweets, her diction could easily be offensive to queer women and women of color. Who would want to support a movement that undervalues their support or neglects their roles entirely? Furthermore, it is obviously problematic that she implies these fights for equality are mutually exclusive. 

There are also those who have denounced Arquette's speech because they deny the existence of a wage gap. In this sense, it was obviously impactful for generating hopefully productive dialogues. To all the naysayers, the White House has confirmed that the gender gap she speaks of exists:

Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires that men and women in the same work place be given equal pay for equal work, the "gender gap" in pay persists. Full-time women workers’ earnings are only about 77 percent of their male counterparts’ earnings. The pay gap is even greater for African-American and Latina women, with African-American women earning 64 cents and Latina women earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man.

Decades of research shows that no matter how you evaluate the data, there remains a pay gap — even after factoring in the kind of work people do, or qualifications such as education and experience — and there is good evidence that discrimination contributes to the persistent pay disparity between men and women.

These statistics demonstrate even more-so just how important it is to recognize that feminism is a movement for all women, especially women of color, who are in fact at the greatest disadvantage according to gender gap statistics. 

But tearing apart and criticizing a brave feminist voice for not clearly articulating her points is not inclusive feminism, either. Celebrities are often the best mediums for spreading feminist viewpoints to a wider audience. 

Eliana Dockterman is correct in cautioning harsh critics when she writes in an article defending Patricia Arquette for her well-intentioned speech:

But when women begin to tear down their best, most popular advocates, we hurt our own cause. As Sally Kohn wrote at The New Republic after the Dunham incident: “The minute feminism becomes hypercritical and humorless, it becomes too easy for the mainstream to dismiss our more valid complaints.”

Arquette's speech was not perfect; but once again it got people talking. In summary, feminism needs to be more inclusive and the gender gap needs to be closed.  

Your Mom

I first saw this video of "whistling at your mom" , filmed in Lima, Peru as a post on a facebook page I have liked, Feminismo Radical, which posts a lot of relevant feminist content in Spanish and is worth a closer look, even if you need a translation app or Spanish dictionary by your side to understand any of it.

In the video, the producers disguise the mothers of the perpetrators and have them walk past their sons, who, as per their habits verbally harass them. They are, of course, horrified to realize this woman they have demeaned is in fact, their mother. I really get a kick out of watching the moms go off at them. Karma can be so beautiful.

It truly baffles me that men think it is okay to catcall women. I am planning to study abroad in Nicaragua and the biggest negative in all of the reviews I have read is that the culture of "machismo"and the high rate of "piropos" or catcalls, even in broad daylight. This does not deter me at all, because like all females, I have already been subjected to this behavior.

What is your end goal with catcalls? I am willing to bet the remainder (however small) of my savings that no derogatory shout at a woman has ever resulted in her pursuing a relationship with the man who called at her. "Nice ass" is not modern romance; it is just creepy.

I like that this video humanizes the victims. These females that you are shouting at are somebody's mothers, sisters, wives, etc. In fact, as was the case with the video, they might even be your own. But the problem is, women cannot only have value as someone else's relative or someone else's loved one. You shouldn't catcall at your mother, not because she is your mother and that is messed up, but because she is a person and that is messed up. The acceptance and prevalence of catcalls is not just an issue of disrespect, but an issue of dehumanization.

During one of my high school cross-country practices, a man shouted from his car "I like the way your titties bounce." I don't resent him for how he disrespected my brothers or dad by association (although they would not be pleased if I had ever mentioned it to them), I resent him for objectifying me and having the audacity to embarrass me while without even a second thought. (More on the disproportionate and often objectifying portrayals of female athletes later).

This thoughtlessness is problematic and deeply engrained in many cultures. If females catcalled back, it would surely look different.

/ˈfeməˌnizəm/

Feminism is a broad term and means, by definition, "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men". Were this definition more widely known, I doubt things like #womenagainstfeminism would be movements. At least, I hope not. There aren't a whole lot of people these days (thankfully) who will openly oppose equality and yet so many are hesitant to identify as feminists and others would prefer to openly oppose the label. 

After a closer look at Nicki Minaj, "the most globally visible female rapper of all time", according to a piece in a recent interview with Vogue, I realized that perhaps the issue of strong females choosing not to identify as feminists is not simply because they do not understand how truly non-offensive a term it is, and rather feel betrayed or attacked by those who already have assumed the label. On the topic of feminism in the Vogue article, Minaj clearly believes in the equality of females, especially as she takes on the male-dominated industry of rap, but acknowledges the scrutiny she has received from feminists:

I think of myself as a woman who wants other women to be bosses and to be strong and to be go-getters. I've always said that... there are things that I do that feminists don't like, and there are things that I do that they do like. I don't label myself. I just say the truth about what I feel: I feel like women can do anything that they put their minds to. That's really the truth- I started off with just a dream.

One of the controversies, Minaj is referring to is her song, Anaconda, and its overtly sexual music video. Vogue describes what she does well, "she greets the male gaze and then subverts it [and] makes music with feminist themes while maintaing a competitive edge."  Many feminists also praised how Minaj reclaimed parts of the gaze-inspired song, Baby Got Back, in her own lyrics. The criticism came after the release of the album cover and later the music video, which features a lot of twerking, butt slapping, and minimal clothing.

In her article analyzing respectability politics and Nicki Minaj, Carmen Rios provides an excellent summary of why these contradictions are so problematic.

When feminists honor Minaj’s feminist lyrics, as they did with “Anaconda,” and then admonish her for expressing herself with sexually charged images and videos, they are playing into the same dominant narratives about women’s sexualities that perpetuate victim-blaming, slut-shaming, and the subordination of women.

Mychal Denzel Smith adds:

Whenever black women own their sense of sexuality and it appears to not be controlled by the hetero-male gaze, the whole world gets into a tizzy.

Both of these articles point out the obvious flaws in the arguments of those who criticize Nicki Minaj for her video. Yes, she featured females wearing sexy outfits, including herself.  Scantily-clad female dancers are so common in the hip-hop videos of her male counterparts that few bother to criticize them. Additionally, in the music video of Baby Got Back, parts of which she reclaimed in her song, the females dancers are also dressed in similar clothing. The important distinction is that Minaj and her dancers are not the subjects of the male gaze, they are reclaiming and expressing their sexuality. Those in an uproar over this video seem to have forgotten that women can be sexual, too. 

One such forgetful soul, took the time to write an open letter to Nicki Minaj, from the perspective of a concerned father of a teenage daughter (though he did mention that, as a man, he appreciates her figure).

What is the message you are sending when you determine how you will inspire these young people? How will boys, already conditioned to sexualize girls at a young age, internalize this big booty of yours?

Many a logical thinker would wonder why he is not writing to the number of male artists who blatantly objectify females in their music videos, like Sir Mix-A-Lot, instead of Minaj. Clearly, though Minaj, did not make this video for this father full of misplaced concern. In the Vogue interview a few days ago, she summarized quite nicely (rappers have to be good with words): 

There are sexual things that I do that aren't for a man. I feel empowered by being sexy and being comfortable enough to be sexy on camera. 

Nick Minaj is holding her own in an industry that traditionally only values women as props in music videos. Her artistic and sexual expression is not for the male gaze and those who proudly identify as feminists but are ready to attack anyone who moves their ass a little (or a lot), need to think twice about alienating such strong females. Similarly, those who criticize Minaj for being so unapologetically sexual in the name of protecting the children need to recognize the clear double standard they are creating. 

She can be and has been as sexual as her male counterparts, as crude and unapologetic, and as talented in her lyrics, though not always with the recognition she deserves. Nicki is a feminist because feminism is about women's rights and equality, including in the world of hip-hop and rap. 

Go Back to College to Get More Knowledge

While the title of this blog may be paraphrased from the childish chant "Girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter...", I believe it emphasizes the point that many of those who deny the problem of rape on college campuses come from a place of childlike ignorance, despite their age.

If you have not been on a college campus as a student in decades, I do not think you are in a position to criticize or question those who have the courage to speak up about what has happened to them or their friends. You cannot tell someone who had sex without wanting to, without consenting to, maybe even without remembering it until they woke up the next day, that what happened to them was not really rape or is not really a problem.

And yet, Camille Paglia, the public intellectual I profiled, now somewhat regrettably, in my last post does exactly that:

Despite hysterical propaganda about our “rape culture,” the majority of campus incidents being carelessly described as sexual assault are not felonious rape (involving force or drugs) but oafish hookup melodramas, arising from mixed signals and imprudence on both sides.

There is a fear I have been hearing about a lot more lately that women who are claiming they were raped are making up these stories, presumably to slander the alleged assaulter's reputation and destroy his future, when in fact he is completely blameless. This unfounded argument is being used by the ignorant masses to undermine the claims of many rape victims, like in this Op-Ed by law professor, Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

...At least until people catch on. As George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf notes, "After a while, the boy who cried wolf wasn't believed, and the women who cry rape may likewise not be believed, especially with the accusations of rape at Duke University and the University of Virginia fresh in people's minds."

"She could be lying." Well, I suppose she could be. But I can tell you with near-certainty that the instances where a victim's claims have no factual basis are infinitely fewer than the amount of times I have heard people make this claim.

It is not easy to admit to someone else, let alone oneself, that what happened was raped. It comes with a lot of fear, shame, and guilt, despite all kinds of training reminding victims that it is never their fault.

And on a college campus, there are also social scenarios to consider. There are stigmas and there are consequences. I know victims of sexual assault, several of whom chose not to report these instances. Whether they did not want to have to deal with all the red tape that comes along with reporting, were in the same social circle as their rapist, did not want to dwell on the incident, did not want to "ruin somebody's life", were not sure if they would call it rape, did not want to bear responsibility for the closure or investigation into another fraternity, or simply did not want others to find out their name and know their business, the reality of the situation is this: it is not easy to report a rape.

It is courageous, yes. It is necessary to help combat future instances, yes. But easy, certainly not.
And those who suggest that these protesting voices are lying about what happened to them, tuning out what they have to say when speaking out is probably the hardest thing they will ever have to do, to you I suggest returning to college.

Despite a laundry list of degrees and qualifications, your ignorance is obvious to many, especially the lowly undergrads who are actually living in the rape culture you so adamantly denying the existence of.

Professor Reynolds continues:

In fact, rape on college campuses is — like rape everywhere else in America — plummeting in frequency. And that 1-in-5 college rape number you keep hearing in the press? It's thoroughly bogus, too.

The data Professor Reynolds is citing is the number of reported rapes, an interesting figure to use considering he also quotes those who claim those reporting are giving false testimony.

I do not claim to know the exact numbers of frequency of rape on college campuses. If sizable groups of the population continue to doubt and shame rape victims I doubt anyone will ever be able to gather that information.

I would love if rates of rape on college campuses really were "plummeting in frequency", but from what I have seen and know, I think decreasing rates of reporting would explain these trends and make more sense to a lot of people actually in college.

Saying there is not a problem does not make the problem go away, much like covering your eyes does not make you invisible to everyone else. Grow up.