Skepticism

Skepchick Quickies 11.1

Amanda

Amanda works in healthcare, is a loudmouthed feminist, and proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

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10 Comments

  1. Response to the hipster sexism.

    In regards to Lena Dunham’s Obama Youtube ad, she does equate first time voting to losing her virginity. Indeed, sex is often used in humor ie. “my first time was similar to a root canal”. Why are such phrases denounced as sexist or objectification? Lena Dunham is the last person I would consider as sexist. Her show Girls deals with a number of feminist issues including sexual harassment, body image, etc.. And it’s damn funny! My only critique of the show is the lack of diversity. It would be interesting to see the lives of African American, Asian and Latino women on the show. In regards to some of the sexist language used on the show, that “hipster sexism” reflects the character and not the attitudes of Lena Dunham or the writers.

  2. I don’t care if someone wants to be a sexy melon or sexy nemo. I probably not going to the same sexy party that they are either. Probably because I am in my thirties, when out with my kid last night it was cold, and we needed to be back around seven. So for us unsexy people, that live in the cold, and don’t want to be objectify ourselves to our neighbors, we are off the narrowly defined sexy map. Since I don’t apparently run in the sexy circle, my may concern for my family and as a mother of a daughter is how just getting my groceries, sexy costumes are sitting there in the isles of Walmart. Sexy is defined in such a limited way. I can just imagine my teenage nieces and nephews see this version of ‘sexy’ and think, oh THAT is what sexy is. There is like a bazillion ways to be sexy and you don’t even have to look like a Dallas cheerleader, not that they don’t look great, but most of the time that would be too much. But I am sure, I am a prude and anti-sex positive.

    1. Au contraire,

      I don’t think you are a prude or anti-sex positive at all. You are like the rest of us. I had a similar halloween evening. It was freezing and both my kids had enough after 5 houses dispensed Hershey’s and Oh Henry bars. They whined and complained as my spouse and I allowed them only one candy that night. My wife’s face was swollen after dental extractions. I was in the throws of pharyngitis. And when I’m old and grey, I will hearken back and have enjoyed every such moments. Your life is the same as the vast majority of humanity. We all love the joys and pains of family life. That’s reality and certainly not the sexy halloween images on TV. None of that should define us and I’ll bet you that even the Dallas cheerleader with kids leads the same humdrum “frumpy” life as us with sweatshirts and jeans, trick or treating, t-ball games, piano lessons, karate practice, etc.. And somewhere in all that when you’re not dead tired, there may be a chance for a romantic interlude with the one that you love. And I love all of that. That is real and in my books one of the many forms of sex-positive. Wouldn’t trade any of it.

  3. I wonder if the attitude of the Christian right towards rape has anything to do with the fact that their religion was started by the world’s most famous rape baby.

  4. “How I lost faith in the pro-life movement” to me is the pick of the articles today. Accurate information and logically developed into a powerfully persuasive argument.

    Ehrlich said it nearly 50 years ago:

    “Making abortion illegal is a good way to ensure that rich women get abortions and poor women get butchered”

  5. Hm, so some people think that using the word “thing” is dismissive. I have used it here a couple of times recently without any such meaning. In fact what I say means exactly what I want it to mean and nothing else. But then I am not a politician.

  6. Hardly surprised by another politician having such a callous attitude toward rape.
    I guess empathy isn’t a conservative value.

    Great article on losing faith in the pro-life movement.
    I was often unsure how to respond to the belief that abortion equates with murder. The article had very good insight into that aspect.
    And to think people like my grandmother want to vote for Romney for the same reason as stated in the article; that he’s against abortions.
    It’s a shame that people like her, and my aunt as well, don’t see the stance against contraceptives as being a stance against women having control over their sexuality. But I suppose this is what years of such dogma does to a person.

    On the article on sexy costumes, this I think is the best part:
    “Instead of simply attacking the concept of a sexy Halloween costume in the future, maybe it’s time to offer some positive examples of costumes that allow you to be both sexy and express your individuality and creativity.”

    What bothers me, though, is that there are those that take such expressions of creativity as an inventation to act like complete assholes and view women as objects. Really pisses me off.

  7. The pro-life article is excellent and most cheering, as it demonstrates that people can change their minds about things by examining evidence.

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