EmFem

Posts Written by EmFem

By EmFem • 11 years ago

From a Feministing member in Arkansas: Rally for Reproductive Rights

Saturday, March 23rd, 2013

It was a cold and rainy day in Little Rock when several hundred Arkansans convened at the Arkansas capitol to stand up for women’s reproductive freedom and demand a healthy and safe world for women.

It was a day to renew hope, a day to draw strength from one another.

It was a day to witness the power of Arkansas women and be reminded of the great men who stand as our allies in this ongoing struggle.

Living in Arkansas is a joy. For people who don’t live here, Arkansas doesn’t really register in the geographical imagination, and people don’t always think of it as a wonderful place to live, but it is. The people are kind and welcoming, the natural beauty overwhelms and enriches the spirit, there are numerous dedicated activists working for justice. But living here has become uncomfortable as these bills have become law. I feel less welcome as a woman. I feel my body has become a political commodity. I feel like I’ve been demoted to the status of a childlike being who is not to be trusted with decisions.

By EmFem • 11 years ago

NPR Identifies Congressional Candidate by Relationship to Brother

Seriously, NPR?

This headline made its way onto NPR’s website this morning. In the headline, Elizabeth Colbert Busch, who just won her party’s nomination in the primary election to fill South Carolina’s 1st congressional district seat, is referred to as “Stephen Colbert’s Sister”.

NPR, you know language is powerful. We have to be careful how we use it. The words we choose can acknowledge, affirm, and honor our existence, or they can write us out of our own story. When we identify women by their relationship to their male relative, whether that relative is a celebrity or not, language becomes a tool for denying women’s autonomous, embodied existence.

Elizabeth Colbert Busch deserves to be named in the headline for a news story ...

Seriously, NPR?

By EmFem • 11 years ago

Louis C.K.’s analysis of the Daniel Tosh rape joke controversy misses the point

This is a little late, but it’s been bugging me.

Earlier this week, Louis C.K. went on The Daily Show and spent the interview analyzing the Daniel Tosh rape joke controversy. It’s great to have comedians discussing this issue, but unfortunately C.K.’s analysis missed the point. C.K. concluded that he can see where women are coming from, but still enjoy a good rape joke. (Everybody wins!) That’s just the thing. A pro-rape joke is not good. It’s very, very bad. It’s dangerous and it perpetuates rape culture. In fact, “wouldn’t it be funny if she was raped?” barely qualifies as a joke. By suggesting that the rape of that woman in the crowd would be amusing, Tosh used his power and ...

This is a little late, but it’s been bugging me.

Earlier this week, Louis C.K. went on The Daily Show and spent the interview analyzing the Daniel Tosh rape joke controversy. It’s great to have comedians discussing this ...

By EmFem • 12 years ago

Dear Lemon Lima: A Feminist Gem

The world is so depressing right now. I’ve meant to post this piece about a feminist independent film that I love for awhile now, and I figure there’s no better time than now.

I saw this film this past summer at the film festival in my hometown of Saugatuck, MI.

Dear Lemon Lima

We meet our feminist heroine, Vanessa Lamour, heartsick after her boyfriend, Phillip, breaks up with her. She contemplates how to win him back, but eventually takes to writing his name on her toilet paper. A girl from modest means, she has won a scholarship to the private school that he attends. We join her on her journey through freshman year, experiencing and enduring ubiquitous high school experiences, such as the ...

The world is so depressing right now. I’ve meant to post this piece about a feminist independent film that I love for awhile now, and I figure there’s no better time than now.

I saw this film this ...

By EmFem • 13 years ago

Dear The Big Bang Theory: Please stop using rape language

Given all of the terribly important issues feminism must address, this seems a little superfluous for my first post. But I know that it’s not, because it concerns the mainstream media indirectly condoning sexist and violent attitudes yet again.

This is a letter I wrote and submitted to the creators of The Big Bang Theory. I also included a post script with links to organizations where they can learn more about the dynamics of sexual and domestic violence.

Dear Creators and Writers of The Big Bang Theory,

First of all, I absolutely love your show. The writing is the sharpest and most hilarious of any show I’ve seen. I watch The Big Bang Theory faithfully on CBS and ...