Black Woman Walking

This video appears to be gaining Viral status as it proudly makes its way from page to page all over the internet. Posted on HollaBack TALK, the companion blog for HollaBackNYC a few months ago, it's still making its rounds quite effectively!

Credits to filmmaker Tracey Rose.

Spinster Aunt: Gag rule bagged for 4 years

The blogosphere's favorite Spinster Aunt and writer behind "I Blame The Patriarchy" is exercising a little dissidence and is doing it in an interesting way as she tends to. Check out what she had to say about US President Barack Obama' s recent repeal on the global abortion gag rule a.k.a "The New Mexico Policy" , initially instilled by the Reagan Administration in 1984, repealed by Clinton in 1993 and revived again by G.Dub back in 2001.

I have to say, I appreciate her ability to strip away all the glitz and get straight to the facts... as subversive and far from straight-forward as they may be. See for yourself here. Below are a couple of links to articles on the New Mexico Policy from the past and the present.

Center for Reproductive Rights:
Obama Rescinds Global Gag Rule

Archive, from The New York Times (1987):
Abortions Abroad Are New Focus of Widening Battle Over Reagan's Policy


Thoughts...?

Iceland is Cool

Iceland has just appointed an openly gay woman as Prime Minister! How cool is that? To learn more about Ms. Johanna Sigurdardottir, click here.

Plug your iPod into a Vagina

This is terrible. Talk about objectification of women.
(And yes, this is a real stereo you can buy - if you're so inclined).

I know I've always wanted to plug my iPod into a vadge and listen to music out of boobs. For goodness sake, who makes this shit!?

Charlotte Roche's "Wetlands" is Causin' Some Controversy.

A novel by Charlotte Roche entitled Feuchtgebiete, which roughly translates to “Wetlands” in English, has sparked a number of debates within and extending beyond the worldwide feminist community. The novel is told from the perspective of 18-year-old Helen whom examines her sexual self in ways that are apparently quite graphic according to reviews. Responses to the book vary; some say the book is a groundbreaking piece of feminist literature while others are saying it’s plain old pornography and that it holds no particularly feminist value. First of all, why should it matter? I mean, who says porn and feminism can't be friends? Second, most pornography relies on heavily exploitative images, leaving very little room to appreciate the real
human body and its functions. Considering that mainstream porn is designed to get you off quickly, I think it’s high time we bring a little intellect and some curiosity back into the sexual realms of ladies and gents alike. If we can do that by turning to a provocatively written novel (as this one seems), then so be it!

The author herself seems to have suggested in a recent interview that the book may not speak of feminism in an outwardly political sense but that it may shed light on a different kind of exclusively female complex: our sexual self-awareness. In my opinion, social politics cannot and do not make up the prime interests of feminists; the politics of body image are quite relevant to all women, feminists or not. So, why all the controversy? It seems women’s erotica is so carefully critiqued and evaluated for its morale… much more than the average misogynistic porn flick to say the least.

Feel free to browse through this interview with the author or check out a
fabulously witty review of the book from our dear friends at Jezebel.

This Week's Show - White Ribbon Campaign

I am super excited for our show on Monday January 26th. We are interviewing someone from the White Ribbon Campaign, which is an international organization dedicated to ending men's violence against women.

The reason I'm so excited is because we talk a lot on our show about the issue of violence against women, and we always stress the need for men to be more involved. When you think about it, this problem is never going to be solved without the help of men. We need men to teach our boys that emotional and physical violence against women is unacceptable. The cycle of violence will only end with the help of our male allies.

So please tune in on January 26th from 8:30 to 9:00pm on CJSW 90.9 fm - or stream it online from anywhere in the world at www.cjsw.com.

For more information on the White Ribbon Campaign, visit their website.

The Making of a Girl

Check out this powerful video, "The Making of a Girl":

"An intimate journey of a hypothetical preteen girl as she faces a life of sexual exploitation. Rachel Lloyd, founder of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, takes us through the trauma and pain of a largely unremarked upon current issue facing American youth- sex trafficking, abuse and sexual exploitation."