Cathy Wilson

Posts Written by Cathy

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

RHOBH: “I’d often say, ‘Just hit me so we can get this over with.’”

Reality TV shows are often nothing but a cesspool of one or all of the following: cat-fighting, bickering, hooking up, and has-been celebrities (or celebrities who have never made it above the C-list). The reputation that these shows have — that it’s just mindless entertainment — is something I’ve often disputed, especially when it comes to shows like 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and the Real Housewives series. I think this is especially true in tonight’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion special (part one), during which Taylor Armstrong’s abusive relationship with her late husband Russell was discussed in pretty candid detail.

Yes, these vivid descriptions of emotional and physical abuse — coupled with the psychological trauma they cause — were sandwiched between arguments about Lisa calling Adrienne’s dog “Crackpot” instead of “Jackpot,” and debates about who sells stories to tabloids. But what Taylor shared with the world provides an honest look at domestic violence that people need to know about — it’s not as simple as Russell yelling at her or hitting her, and then her leaving. It’s a continuous cycle that is complicated; that pushes people away; that leaves people feeling empty and lost.

“I would often say, ‘Just hit me so we can get this over with,’” Taylor told host Andy Cohen, concerning Russell’s abuse. She explained that it gets to be routine, that it becomes easier not to fight the inevitable rather than make things worse. That she was at such a loss for how to stop the ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

What do shoes, Frappuccino and birth control have in common?

That unlike many women in this country, Fox News commentator Dana Perino can afford all three, or at least that’s what I infer from this tidbit:

Now, I might be for [free birth control], if I didn’t see a lot of people out there able to buy a new pair of shoes. I mean, we have to be able to make some choices here … How are we going to define poor? Because who is not in that category now who can’t get free birth control anyway? … If you can afford a $5 Frappuccino at Starbucks, look, you can pay your $5 co-pay.

Where oh where to begin? I guess I’ll just make a list:

Sometimes people need new shoes? Is Dana ...

That unlike many women in this country, Fox News commentator Dana Perino can afford all three, or at least that’s what I infer from this tidbit:

Now, I might be for [free birth control], if I didn’t see ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

Replying to more arguments regarding no-cost birth control

Since writing about birth control access last week, I’ve come across a few more arguments in the comments section of my WordPress blog/my OpenSalon blog that I’d like to address:

Condoms aren’t that expensive, why not just use those? $50 isn’t that much money, you can easily forgo excesses and scrape together the money for a co-pay. If you can’t afford birth control and don’t want to get pregnant, then don’t have sex.

Firstly, condoms are cheaper than a lot of types of birth control. But two methods are always better than one, especially if you’re concerned that a condom will break and you — as the woman — could get pregnant. For me, it’s important to ...

Since writing about birth control access last week, I’ve come across a few more arguments in the comments section of my WordPress blog/my OpenSalon blog that I’d like to address:

Condoms aren’t that expensive, ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

On abortion being safe, legal, and rare

I like Hillary Clinton’s oft-quoted stance on abortion — that it should be safe, legal, and rare.

But if abortions are going to be safe, then they need to be performed by trained medical professionals. Legislation passed the U.S. House, however, would ban health centers from using federal money to train medical students about how to perform abortions. If they are going to be safe, they also need to be performed in a reputable location. Legislation exists and has passed legislatures countrywide, however, that attempts to shut down abortion clinics — either by re-regulating them as hospitals or surgical centers so they can’t afford to renovate and meet the new building standards, or ...

I like Hillary Clinton’s oft-quoted stance on abortion — that it should be safe, legal, and rare.

But if abortions are going to be safe, then they need to be performed by trained medical professionals. Legislation passed ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

Attention cheating men: Nature didn’t cause your infidelity

I feel so bad for men and their instinctual inability not to cheat on their significant others:

When a girl is literally unzipping your pants, men can’t say no. We’re not built that way.

This is a quote from a recent article in Marie Claire about bachelor parties and what really happens at them. The man quoted above used this line as an excuse for why it was OK for him to cheat on his wife at a bachelor party — because when a woman propositions to hook up, a man’s unstoppable instinct is to oblige. In fact, Dilbert creator Scott Adams recently went so far as to group “tweeting, raping, cheating, and being ...

I feel so bad for men and their instinctual inability not to cheat on their significant others:

When a girl is literally unzipping your pants, men can’t say no. We’re not built that way.

This is a quote from ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

Taking the spare tire/abortion coverage analogy even further

A Kansas state representative has compared being raped to getting a flat tire, during a discussion on the Kansas House floor about banning private insurance companies from covering abortions on general health plans. Women could buy separate riders for abortion coverage, with some lawmakers insisting that if women want access to abortions, they need to pay extra in preparation for unintended pregnancies.

When Kansas state Rep. Barbara Bollier questioned expecting women to plan ahead for pregnancies they can’t control, e.g. in the case of rape, Rep. Peter DeGraaf replied, “I have [a] spare tire on my car.”

Feministing’s Maya addresses this best:

But DeGraaf’s comments also reveals just how absurd and disingenuous anti-choice opposition ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

Ben Stein’s defense of DSK: Economists don’t rape people

Ben Stein thinks that economists can’t be rapists or sexual assailants because, I mean, have you ever heard of an economist raping someone? I guess since you can’t think of one off the top of your head, it means economists aren’t rapists. This wise piece of evidence is just one of several ridiculous defenses of Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK), who was recently accused of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a hotel maid in New York City on May 15.

I’ve heard a lot of different defenses against these allegations. That he fell victim to a “honey trap,” an attempt to sabotage him both as the powerful head of the IMF and ...

Ben Stein thinks that economists can’t be rapists or sexual assailants because, I mean, have you ever heard of an economist raping someone? I guess since you can’t think of one off the ...

By Cathy Wilson • 12 years ago

Expecting a cheerleader to root for her rapist is repulsive

**trigger warning**

That a 16-year-old cheerleader can be raped by a peer on the basketball team and then be dropped from the team because she refused to cheer for him during games is a repulsive example of how highly we value athletes — to the point where we’ll choose to forcefully and repeatedly traumatize a sexual assault victim rather than witness a microscopic lack of school spirit while someone shoots free throws.

To be clear, the cheerleader only refused to shout his name and cheer for him on the free throw line; she cheered otherwise. (Update: This is the cheer she refused to say: “Two, four, six, eight, ten! Go Rakheem. Put it in!” ...

**trigger warning**

That a 16-year-old cheerleader can be raped by a peer on the basketball team and then be dropped from the team because she refused to cheer for him during games is a ...