life as i know it...

Check out this fantastic mash-up of Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I liked the movie, but watching this and reading the commentary made me think of the male/female roles in a whole new light (I still plan to see the new movie, though!).



According to the author:

Buffy vs Edward is essentially an answer to the question “What Would Buffy Do?” My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women. More than just a showdown between The Slayer and the Sparkly Vampire, it’s also a humorous visualization of the metaphorical battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century.

...It has sparked a wide-ranging and timely online conversation about how obsessive and predatory male behavior passes for romance in too much of our pop culture.

...In the end the only reasonable response was to have Buffy stake Edward – not because she didn’t find him sexy, not because he was too sensitive or too eager to share his feelings – but simply because he was possessive, manipulative, and stalkery.

...I would like to say that the video is not intended as a stab at the fans. Rather, it’s an argument against the specific way in which romance and gender roles are constructed in the Twilight series. Ultimately, Buffy’s triumph over Edward is only one small part of much larger story: the story of our collective journey towards a world of gender equity and empowerment.

Read the full story behind the video by Jonathan McIntosh here.

Posted in: equality, feminism, videos on July 07, 2009 5 comments    

The Packaging Girlhood blog has created a list of the best and worst marketing campaigns of 2006. The list focuses on campaigns that are directed towards girls, or ones that girls were very exposed to.

There are so many negative and stereotypical images encompassed in marketing campaigns for girls; it's really disheartening. If you're interested in this topic, the organization See Jane has done some really interesting research on gender portrayals in children's media (for both boys and girls).

And (some of) the nominees are...

WORST

Dora's makeover from explorer to Princess

Bratz dolls, makeup, clothes, TV show, etc.

BEST

Dove campaign for real beauty (watch)

Maria Sharapova “I feel Pretty” Nike Ad (watch)

To read the commentary and see the rest of the list, click the links above.

Posted in: body image, fashion and beauty, feminism, kids, videos on January 25, 2007 0 comments    

September 25: Canadian government cuts 40% (5 million dollars) of Status of Women Canada's administrative budget

October: Women's History Month

October 3: The word "equality" is removed from the Status of Women mandate

October 18: Persons Day

November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

November 29: Conservatives close 12 out of 16 Status of Women regional offices

December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

December 10: International Human Rights Day


Well, it really sucks if you live in the North, a rural area, or anywhere except the 4 cities which will still have regional Status of Women offices after April 1st: Ottawa, Edmonton, Montreal and Moncton. It's not an April Fool's Day joke, unfortunately, just a grim reality.

Offices closed, millions in funding cut, "equality" removed from the SWC's mandate... I hear the government saying that it wants to create programs that treat men and women equally, without preferential treatment for women, but the reality is that no matter how much we'd like to think things are equal, there are still a lot of barriers and prejudice towards women. Less in some areas of the country, more in others, but when Canadian women are on average making only about 71 cents on the (male) dollar, there's surely something wrong, and I don't think that this government is taking the issues seriously. It's not terribly surprising though, considering the way some MPs speak out about their female colleagues. When well-educated, highly paid women are publicly maligned by government officials, what hope is there for single mothers, female immigrants, or women trying to break through the (still existent) glass ceiling?

- - - - -

On an even more progressive note, yesterday Saskboy wrote about about a charming commenter one of his previous blog posts who has declared that breastfeeding in public is "shameful" and "lowerclass".

Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids, politics on November 30, 2006 2 comments    

Last week, I wrote about my frustration with the anti-nursing crowd; people who think its disgusting and inappropriate for women to breastfeed in public, and the folks who got streamed up over this Baby Talk magazine cover.

Well, hold onto your hats people, check out the comments after this Nashville Scene blog post, where you'll see some real gems, including comments like:

"I certainly don't [want] anyone nursing their baby next to me. Anyway a lot of these nursers are fat. Decency should trump the need to travel by air and, IMHO, let them drive the van to wherever they are going."

and:

"These 'nurse in' women should stay home and nurse; not run the streets protesting, flying all over the country and talking about their boobs."

Ahh... what an enlightened world we live in.

Technorati tags: baby, breastfeeding

Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids on November 27, 2006 4 comments    

We don't have all the facts about this situation, but if the information about her location on the plane is correct, I don't think anyone was justified to compell her to use a blanket while feeding her child, given that breastfeeding is not illegal in that state (and don't get me started on places where it is illegal). Frankly, I don't even think she should have been compelled if she was sitting in an aisle seat, but I understand that some passengers might be uncomfortable and unable to switch seats.

Why do some people still think it's inappropriate for women to breastfeed their children in public?! It's not like they strip down or whip out their breasts for amusement, and you can be discreet without using a blanket to cover yourself up.

Some people are so strangely squeamish, like the people who were outraged at seeing the breastfeeding picture on a Baby Talk magazine cover. People called the photo gross, sexual, and some shredded or hid the magazine for fear that the men in their families would see it. You see more breast watching Fashion File, the red carpet photos at the Oscars, and any number of TV shows. Some people seem incapable of thinking of the breast as anything but a sexual object, even in un-sexy situations.

Some places have nursing rooms for those who choose to use them, but that's optional. Many places don't have comfortable, clean, designated nursing areas, and when that's not available or desired, I don't think a mother should be forced to go to the car to feed her baby, or worse, go to a public restroom. Would you eat in the bathroom? I can't imagine a stranger approaching me to criticize me for how and where I feed my child. Let's hope that when Baby is born I won't have such unpleasant experiences!

It baffles me that 57% of respondents surveyed for the article about the Baby Talk cover don't think that women should have the right to breastfeed in public (!), and people freak out about that beautiful photo, yet seeing a celebrity almost naked on the cover of a magazine is accepted as commonplace.

Strange world we live in. The Baby Talk article examined why women don't nurse longer - is it any wonder?

Technorati tags: baby, breastfeeding

Posted in: baby, body image, feminism, kids on November 17, 2006 13 comments    

Scott from Progressive Bloggers asked me to write a list of 5 things feminism has done for me. For those of you who haven't read one of these lists yet, here's the background: Despite having a $13 billion surplus this year, the government has cut $5 million of funding to Status of Women Canada. In response, many Canadian bloggers have been posting lists of '5 things feminism has done for me', to show their support for the goals of the SWC.


Before I begin, I'll say that although I support women's rights and equality for all, I've never really considered myself a 'feminist'. I'm not quite sure why.. perhaps it's because today feminism almost seems to have become a dirty word. It seems like a lot of people associate feminists with radical man-haters, although that's certainly not a universal trait. But, while I may not agree with every stance of feminist groups, I value the changes that women's groups have made in our society, and many of those that they continue to lobby for.


5 Things Feminism Has Done For Me

1. It has made me realize, from a young age, that women can do anything.
Women can be politicians, scientists, astronauts and firefighters, and they can do their jobs as well as men. We need not be forced into predetermined gender stereotypes.

2. It has made me realize that while women can do anything, we don't have to do everything.
We can be anything we want, but we don't need to force ourselves to try to be superwomen. To me, feminism is about recognizing your options, and making the choices that work best for you. Someone who is a stay at home mom isn't necessarily less of a feminist than the CEO of a large company. We all advocate in our own, different ways.

3. It has made me expect to be judged on my merits, not only my looks.
Realistically, almost everyone is judged on their looks these days - men included. But I'm happy to see that most women no longer expect to get (or not get) a job because of the way they look. They expect employers to read their resume and evaluate their relevant skills. Thankfully, in many professions, employers do that.

4. It has made me proud to live in a society where I have the freedom to speak my mind, regardless of my gender.
I have the right to vote, debate in a public forum, enter politics, and challenge my husband or father if I think they're wrong. I need not keep quiet because of my gender.

5. It has shown me that while we like to think that we live in an equal society, we still have far to go, and must continue working.
The funding cuts to the Status of Women Canada are a big one here, but two big (personal) moments of enlightenment for me were firm interviews, and also hearing young, well educated male university classmates scoff at the idea of pay equity. We still have far to go to reach equality in practice, and in people's minds and hearts.


Wikipedia entry for feminism

Over at Progressive Bloggers, they're suggesting that everyone who writes a list should 'tag' 5 other (male or female) bloggers to see if they're willing to participate. I'd like to invite Apartment Girl, Vickyth, Becky, helmut, and Heather.

Thanks to Politics & Poetry for the link to Status Report.

Technorati tags: feminism, politics, feminist, human rights, equality, Canada, women,

Posted in: body image, equality, feminism, law, meme, politics on October 23, 2006 3 comments    

I can't say that I'm a big fan of Belinda Stronach, but I found myself appreciating her recent zinger at the Conservatives.

Referring to the recent cuts to the Status of Women Canada, etc., apparently Belinda asked during Question Period: "Why does the government insist on turning its back on women's rights and the groups who advocate on their behalf?"

Conservative MP Lynne Yelich responded:

"I would like to remind the member that it was a Conservative government that gave women the right to vote in 1917, a former Conservative government. The first female cabinet minister was in the Diefenbaker cabinet. The first female premier in British Columbia was from a Conservative government."

Belinda responded:

"Mr. Speaker, may I also remind the House that they also took the word “progressive” out of the name of the party."


Thanks to Liberal Catnip for the chuckle!

Posted in: feminism, politics on October 20, 2006 6 comments    

Apartment Girl says it so much better than I could. "Just.... STOP TURNING.... for five minutes!!!"

I think many women - hell, probably many men too - go through a process of reflection in their twenties that largely concerns the questions:

• Is this where I thought I'd be at this point in my life?
• How can I make a difference?
  and
  
• What do I want to be when I grow up?! (even if you've graduated and have a job!)

I don't yet have answers to the questions running through my mind, but I'm getting there. And with such a good friend for love and advice, I'm set. :)


Update: A couple of posts in a similar vein from The View From Crazy - Are We Ever Happy? and The Sun Also Rises

Update: Got the quote in the post's title wrong. Damn.
Fixed now. Does anyone know what it's from?

Posted in: feminism on May 08, 2006 5 comments    

Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day.

The theme for International Women's Week this year is: Beyond Laws: The Right to be Me. This week is a time to celebrate the progress that has been made to advance women's equality around the world, and is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that remain; not only within the law, but in our daily lives.

We all know that women in many developing countries are still strugling for equality under the law. Although many legal battles have been won, and women in the developed world are perceived to have equality, they still face struggles such as the pay gap between the sexes, stereotypes of what is considered "women's work", and women who choose to stay home and raise their children - no matter what their education level is - are often considered to be contributing less to society than those who try to balance a full-time career and motherhood.

There is still much progress to be made.

Technorati tags: women, International Women's Day, motherhood, laws, equality,value

Posted in: equality, feminism, politics on March 08, 2006 0 comments    

Seen on grrrl meets world

Technorati tags: politics, Canada, David Emerson

Posted in: feminism, politics on March 06, 2006 0 comments