On African Americans' "shrinking" view of sexiness.
"According to the Centers for Disease Control, seven out of every ten black women are considered overweight or obese as defined by the current “body mass index� (BMI) standards."

The disease in question: fat-phobic misogyny?

I just thought it was funny that it was the CDC doing these studies.

FROM THE ARTICLE: Stephanie agrees. "[Chubby] chasers are losers, weirdoes, outcasts, secretly gay or bisexual, too short, or otherwise physically unattractive."

Heterosexual men who want to have sex with fat women are secretly gay? I assume Stephanie doesn't actually believe that Chubby Chasers are gay but rather is attempting to spew an insult at them. Thanks for airing your contempt and bigotry of gay men Stephanie.

"Didn't get sex ed in school? At least you can get it in SecondLife."

I'll refrain from making a joke about why people who play Second Life don't need sex ed.

Debunking the myth of the "boy crisis."

"Is it bad that more boys are in special education, or should we be pleased that they are getting extra help from specially trained teachers?"

Eh, yes! Shouldn't people be looking into what we define as special educational needs? If that many boys need extra assistance?

I don't believe for a moment that feminism is responsible for boys poorer academic scores. I think the academic system is a laughable effort at education and needs a compleate updating and overhaul.

"...And haven't boys always tended to be more restless than girls under the discipline of high school and more likely to wind up in jail?"

Yes, so have a system that burns off the excess energy or restlessness as opposed to simpling shurgging off their behavoir? And implying that men are destined to have no disipline.

What the education system here needs is a three hour solid yoga session to start each day off....

I really disagree with the Harry Potter analysis. I feel it reflects that she has not read the entire series and/or could use a refersher.

Some of the first few comments hit the nail on the head...then they kinda get crazy and horrible after that.

I'm pretty sure Geena Davis's TV show was canceled because it was like the West Wing with terrible writing.

The thing I object to in the African American's shrinking view of sexiness piece is that it focuses entirely on how men view women, rather than their own self-image or their actual health. Fat-phobic misogyny indeed. Why is their attractiveness to men more interesting and important than their susceptibility to diabetes, cancer and heart disease?

You know, for many things, I love Dr. Drew, but ultimately he is very conservative and I end up disagreeing with a lot of the things he says in regards to women's sexuality. This quote being a perfect example:
“If hooking up is so great, why do you have to get loaded to do it?� Pinsky asked. The consensus at the IWF lunch was that for a guy, getting drunk is a way of bolstering confidence so he can go after what he really wants (sex), and not feel responsible the next morning. For a woman, getting drunk is a means to “numb� her instincts, to “medicate� herself so that she can do what her emotions are telling her not to.

Now, I keep hearing about lots of women and girls who claim to regret what they do when they're drunk. I don't know these women though, my friends use alcohol to help us overcome emotional hindrances, but to do things we actually do want to do (like have sex) but that we've been programmed to think we shouldn't actively pursue.

On another note, I don't get the Harry Potter arguments, I just don't. There are strong female characters (good and bad) in all levels of power.

I agreed with the argument that Disney focuses too much on heterosexual relationships,and the body-type analysis, but the film kept bringing Gaston up as an example of how Disney pushes a hyper-masculine image, and I thought that that was a bad example. If you have ever seen Beauty and the Beast, you get the impression that Gaston is to be hated, not admired. It can definately be argued, however, that by taking old tales of masculine heroism out of the public domain (Aladin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules all existed before 1940) and onto the big screen, Disney has brought the whole Princess/Hero crap back into the public psyche, which definately has the potential to harm young minds that are trying to figure out what it means to be a boy/girl. But using Gaston as an example was very poor.

Thanks for linking to the carnival of the feminists.

If all the hardcore reading has tired you out and you need a quick laugh. check these out for size!!

I think that the argument in the Disney sexism video is weak (a valid argument but with weak support, as already mentioned with the reliance upon Gaston to prove every point), but I am now FASCINATED with the idea of using Youtube for actual academic discourse. A website that is filled to overflowing with inane videos can be used to further important conversations. I really want to submit the paper I'm writing on film this semester as a Youtube video....

I agree with moriath's assessment of the Disney video. Using the Lion King as an example was also a dumb argument, for starters because they are LIONS. Secondly, no one is fighting over a woman. They're fighting because Scar killed Mufasa and then destroyed the pridelands and was abusive. Also, they are LIONS.
Also, the argument about Mulan being taught that masculinity was about physical strength was also incredibly weak, because a) she was able to succeed at everything (proving strength does not equal masculinity) and b) didn't they win the war by OUTSMARTING (not senselessly beating) the Huns?

It's unfortunate that, in dispelling the myth of the "war against boys", the author of the article quotes one of its more disreputable perpetuators, Michael Gurian, without any caveats as to his credibility.

Michael Gurian, for those unfamiliar with him, is the author of Boys and Girls Learn Differently!, in which he repeatedly claims to be a neurobiologist and brain researcher in order to bolster his dissemination of old stereotypes and debunked psuedoscience that denigrate girls and women while promoting the myth that the educational system is biased against boys.

While he is decidedly reticent when it comes to his credentials (he does not mention them anywhere in the book, and I spent about an hour tracking them down online), it turns out that he holds exactly no degrees in anything relating to neuroscience. While he lets people call him "Dr." and add a PhD to his name, in fact his only degrees are a Bachelor's in journalism and a master of fine arts. He holds no doctorates of any kind.

Some highlights of "Dr." Gurian's work:

-Females are "less able to separate emotion from reason. (op cit., at 36)
-"Pursuit of a comfortable environment is a universal female trait" (p. 53)
-"Amount of female hormones relates directly to success at traditional female tasks." (p.37)
-"Higher than normal estrogen level produces certain intellectual disadvantages," which remain unspecified. (p.37)
-The male brain has greater mass than the female brain. (p. 23) He nowhere cites the studies that debunked this claim and pointed out that the greater mass was attributable to non-neurological, connective tissue, of which there is more in the male skull, or the fact that brain size in men and women is in proportion to body size without any significant difference."

Agreed, YogiDanielle. While I agree with the filmmaker that Disney films DO promote one type of hero/heroine based on strength and dominance, Beauty and the Beast was not the example to use.

Gaston, tall, strong and handsome, is portrayed as vain, silly and cruel. The whole reason Belle falls in love with the Beast is BECAUSE he is gentle and kind. The scene that showed Gaston taunting the Beast for not fighting back is supposed to show that Gaston is the worse man, not the other way around.

Sorry, had to defend my favorite Disney film. Also, the Gaston song is HILARIOUS.

RE: Cold Case: that story broke my heart. Absolutely horrible, especially because it was a woman's idea.

RockStar: Yep. What bothered me most about Mulan wasn't sexism, but the fact that the invading hordes were Huns. HUNS.

But Disney's Beast is not gentle and kind. The Beast in many traditional versions of the story is, and the moral is usually about not judging people by how they look. But Disney's Beast is rude and intimidating and unpleasant until Belle just loves him hard enough and he sees the error of his ways. I really resent the changes Disney made to that story.

Is anybody else having problems with the Disney link? I clicked on it and promptly got virused, and while my computer is functional (mostly) it's a bit fucked up.

I read the article about the documentary helping to solve a previously cold rape/murder case. Just as a warning: the article is very graphic.

I am still reeling.

Jessi- maybe a stupid question, but why? Weren't the Huns a group of traveling warriors?

Also, I read the Harry Potter article and disagree with it a lot too, especially since Hogwarts had plenty of headmistresses (their portraits were hanging in dumbledore's office) and we only know of 2 magic ministers in the history of the wizarding world...I mean, who knows? maybe one of the kids who survived the war went and became minister.

Kristin jane- I agree, I read that article in glamour a few weeks ago and just felt sick.

I know I've posted this link before, but this essay, I think, refutes at least the sexism bits of that Harry Potter article.

i just graduated from hope college and was at the screening of "who killed janet chandler?" documentary. the whole story is shocking and terrifying and just excruciatingly heartbreaking. that documentary left holland speechless for days.

Re: cold case.

A woman used rape as a weapon against another woman - that's just sick and horrible and a betrayal of our s-x. She deserves 30-40 years in prison not 10-20.

RockStar: It's always been my impression that Huns primarily attacked Rome and other European areas (ie Attilla the Hun).
The wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun) is however unclear as to whether they remained in Asia as well after their migration to Europe in the 300-400's. In my world history class, those who invaded China were always referred to as "Mongols". This was a long time ago, however, so I could be misremembering.

I don't know, having read both essays on Harry Potter, I think I am still on the side of HP upholding the patriarchy for various reasons I won' discuss since I am not sure if I am supposed to stay mum on the last book.

The invading army in Mulan being called "Huns" isn't as ridiculous as it might seem...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiongnu#Did_the_Northern_Xiongnu_become_the_Huns.3F

RE: Disney:
I totally agree that Beauty and the Beast was a bad, bad example for the point the guy was trying to make.

1) the heroine, "Beauty" (aka Belle) was never a damsel in distress, there for your objectifying pleasure- she was smart (how many other fairy tale heroines enjoy reading, of all things? don't they generally prefer befriending small woodland creatures?) and could take care of herself and often ended up taking care of those around her (i.e. her father). She was pretty, but in the story it is made very clear that that is not why the Beast falls in love with her (instead it is for her kindness and intelligence).

2) Gaston, as it has been pointed out, was a vain, silly character, and he was openly mocked throughout, and obviously never intended to be a role model-type character. (In fact, I remember after I first saw the movie in the theater, as my grandma and I were leaving I was telling her how icky I thought that Gaston was. I was 4).

3) In the original versions of the story, the Beast is not rude or unpleasant- he is mostly just awkward and sweet, but I think if Disney had attempted to portray him as such, it would have seemed like Belle was falling for her pet. I think they needed to make him stronger so that he would be a believable match for the lively heroine, and the simplest way to do that while still making it possible for her to find him horrifying was to make him rude and unpleasant.

Sorry for the rant, I just had to defend it, it is my favorite one to this day. And I think as far as fairy tales go, it's rather progressive. Just saying.

And RE: Cold Case
What a sad, sad, sad story. Just awful. Julianne- I agree that one woman using rape as a weapon against another woman is awful beyond belief. But I don't think 40 years in prison is enough to have to pay for such a horrifying thing. I don't have the slightest idea of what punishment would be worst for someone who clearly lost all their humanity for this length of time, but prison time, even 4 decades of it, just doesn't feel like enough.

The male brain has greater mass than the female brain. (p. 23) He nowhere cites the studies that debunked this claim and pointed out that the greater mass was attributable to non-neurological, connective tissue, of which there is more in the male skull, or the fact that brain size in men and women is in proportion to body size without any significant difference."

Short men have smaller brains, but no one really argues that short men are appreciably less intelligent than their tall counterparts.

Try telling a 5'4 guy that he is less intelligent than a 6'1 guy... riiight.

(Shorter people do earn less, but I think those studies account for intellect and education, so that height is the only variable.)

I didn't like how the camp in the boy crisis myth article was called "boy haven". I wanna go there! What, girls aren't allowed to go backpacking and shot rifles and swing into lakes on ropes? *grumbles*

All I'm getting from the Disney video is a strong desire to watch The Lion King. Man, that's a good movie.

Regardless, the basic premise of the video is a good concept with flawed execution and very little internal support. There are plenty of examples of sexism in Disney movies. For example, Ursula's song in The Little Mermaid where she sings "Yes on land it's much preferred/for ladies not to say a word/and after all dear what is idle prattle for?" and is later proved correct when Ariel wins over Eric without the ability to talk. I think, if anything, the evidence used weakens the argument because it's so obviously faulty.

Well, Eric won over Ariel without talking, too, as she fell in love with him before they ever actually talked. And actually, she won him over by singing, and lost him until she could sing again. Bah. I used to like that movie, but it does have a rather fucked-up view on love.

Elise & Marle, you should write letters to the editor (letters@time.com).
I would, but I think they're sick of hearing from me.

Growing up, I was always disturbed by the final scenes in "Aladdin". When Jasmine is taken prisoner/slave by Jaspar she is put in ultra-revealing and erotic clothing. Yuck!

Additionally, the "be a man" song in Mulan is also a bit disturbing

This country needs a body-image makeover.

Most article I read about weight have to do with how men view women and vice versa.

The emphasis on weight should be on maintaining a healthy weight in order to prevent disease and premature death. Additionally, exercise increases confidence.

I love curvy figures, including mine. However, I would like to start exercising again, not to please men but to have a healthy hobby and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I really dislike all the skinny-people bashing and fat-people bashing that goes on here. The emphasis really needs to be on health.

Jesus Jumped-Up Christ, I am so fucking sick and tired of all the JKR IS AN ANTI-FEMINIST PATRIARCHY UPHOLDER hysterical crap I have seen in the past week. Almost as tired as I am of all the JKR IS A MEDIOCRE WRITER AND PEOPLE WHO ENJOY HER BOOKS ARE INTELLECTUALLY STUNTED gasbagging.

Doesn't anyone else find this line particularly *delightful*:

According to the Centers for Disease Control, seven out of every ten black women are considered overweight or obese as defined by the current “body mass index� (BMI) standards. Bigger body types, a diet heavy in fat, salt, and sugar—so called “soul food�—the reliance on cheap and convenient “Mickey D’s� and other fast food, and lack of regular exercise mean millions of black women are fat.

Despite these dismal stats, nearly one-third of adult African American women are married, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and countless others live within committed relationships.

People can love and marry fat people? What is this world coming to?

Actually, Ohkateso, the second paragraph isn't even related to the first paragraph.

If 70% of AA women are obese, and only 30ish% are married, it does not even follow that obese AA women are married: there need not be overlap between those data sets.

JenLovesPonies....while that may be, her analysis is cursory and superficial.

I'm going to be blunt and say that the Harry Potter article was complete crap.

IMO, Hermione is one incredibly badass, feminist character (hello, she keeps everything they need for months on the run in her little beaded evening bag). She kicks ass and saves the day in just about every book (she actually leads the way at the end of book 3) but she is still flawed and human. I am growing to think of her as one of my all-time favorite literary characters.

As far as race goes...Kingsley Shacklebot is black and ends up Minister for Magic at the end of the series. So bite me.