Fighting with the Sky

In the tradition of loving Johnny Weir, check out all of these awesome articles about him:

• Shakesville: Johnny Weir Responds to Gender-Conformity Police
• Feministing: In Praise of Johnny Weir
• Bitch Blogs: Need another reason to love Johnny Weir?

Bitch Blogs: Reproductive Writes: Get With the Program

I recently argued in a post that hormonal contraceptives are the new tampons – the logical progression from hiding periods away, to getting rid of them altogether. It’s no wonder, then, that these contraceptives are marketed to us using the same tried and true lady-vertising tactics as their feminine hygiene predecessors.

Tiger Beatdown: The Complicated Influence of Ke$ha on Society

You know what? Sometimes it is just best to start your week with something ADORABLE. And disturbing! And complicated! And possibly wrong to even write about! But also, for real so adorable oh my God.

Professor What If…?: What if the need for Women’s History Month became a thing of the past?

Just as the (ironic) goal of women’s studies is to do away with the need for women’s studies, so is the goal of women’s history month to be able to do away with the need for a “special month” set aside for women’s history. Just as gender (and the intersecting issues of race, class, sexuality, ability and so on) should be a part of academic studies generally, so should women’s history be included in EVERDAY curriculum.

Overthinking it: Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad for Women

That’s the last straw. It’s bad enough that they make movies that objectify women, but then to call those women Strong Female Characters? I do not think that phrase means what you think it means, Megan Fox.

So you know what I say? I say screw Strong Female Characters. What we need now are some Weak Female Characters.

And because I also saw my first burlesque show this past weekend, I needed to include this post:

Gender Across Borders: Burlesque: Meow of a Kitten, Roar of a Feminist

Burlesque has made a comeback in the last decade, and Dita Von Teese – the picture perfect burlesque queen and Marliyn Manson-ex – is as much a role model for some young women as Britney Spears ever was. I pondered the show over the rest of the weekend – was it objectifying women? Did I feel OK partaking, and even paying for it?