Weekly Feminist Reader

Is Mattel’s new black Barbie more “authentic”?
There’s a pay gap in the White House between men and women — as Matt points out, it’s unfortunately a reflection of the wider world that women disproportionately hold lower-level jobs, but shouldn’t these numbers look better considering over half of Democrats are women?
Kate Harding on today’s NYT Magazine cover story about one man’s lifelong struggle with bulimia.
Former GE CEO Jack Welch sez moms who take time off will never become CEOs. This quote is pretty astounding: “There’s no such thing as work-life balance.There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.”
On Obama’s speech to the NAACP and the “personal responsibility” narrative.
Bitch has a guide to the recent trend of gendered band names.
Pam Spaulding has a nice tribute to Walter Cronkite.
On the Sotomayor hearings and the myth that all people of color are “biased,” while white people are “neutral.”
TransGriot on how the experience of transitioning differs depending on your location.
Sociological Images has an interesting discussion of a video game in which the characters are all girls with disabilities.
Does living with a roommate of a different race really change college students’ views?
On the pressing need to reform the detention industry.
A woman who gave birth to twins three years ago has died, at age 69. BeckySharper refutes the idea that this means we should deny reproductive rights to older women.
Nelson Mandela turned 91 yesterday.
More than Americans’ short attention spans are to blame for the Iran story slipping out of the headlines.
Call for papers: for a new anthology on mothering and hip-hop culture.
Sponsor Cara or Frau Sally Benz in the 2009 Blogathon!
What have you been reading/writing this week?