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By Ami • 11 years ago

Walk a mile in her shoes… and suffer twisted ankles, sore knees, and out-of-whack backs

A SYTYCB entry

I’ve recently had a few conversations with friends about a topic of discussion that has come up again and again in feminist circles – modifying one’s appearance in order to fit prescribed gender roles/expectations and/or to appear sexy or attractive to others. In this particular case my friends and I were talking about shoes. I’ll share a story to illustrate…

I recently bought my first pair of wedge heels, and decided to wear them last week, to show off my newly painted toenails. Little did I suspect that “these really comfortable-looking wedges” would turn out to be anything but. You would think after multiple painful experiences, I would stop having so much faith in shoes, but alas – it has not yet happened. I ended up with squished and painful little toes; blisters; and a stiff and painful left knee, three days after wearing the shoes.

Now, I believe that women wear heels for a variety of reasons – to make themselves feel good, to keep up with fashion, to appear attractive or sexy, and for other reasons – but the reasons behind their choices doesn’t change the fact that these women are literally damaging their bodies to achieve these goals. According to a study released earlier this year, regular wearing of high heels changes the way that wearers walk; the calf muscles of those who wore high heels had shortened and were under more strain than those who did not regularly wear high ...
By Ami • 12 years ago

MN Daily piece fails to acknowledge the risks of using alcohol and engaging in sexual activity

The MN Daily prints their Beers and Bars section around this time every year, detailing some of the great bars and brews in the Twin Cities area. I read this special section last year and really enjoyed it. This year, not so much.

This year, the Daily printed an article titled “The Boozehound’s Guide to Love,” basically a how-to for getting sex when you’re drunk. I understand that this particular piece was likely intended to be light-hearted, and maybe even funny, but I still found it quite disturbing and distressing that the Daily would print such a piece with no discussion of alcohol, sex, and consent. Given the very public ...

The MN Daily prints their Beers and Bars section around this time every year, detailing some of the great bars and brews in the Twin Cities area. I read this special section last year and ...
By Ami • 12 years ago

Victims, Credibility, and Justice

Originally posted at http://minneapolitanmademoiselle.blogspot.com/

This is kind of a follow up to my last post, (available here) in which I touched on victim/witness credibility. But first I want to share something I found recently: The Rape of Mr. Smith, From “The Legal Bias Against Rape Victims (The Rape of Mr. Smith).” Connie K. Borkenhagen, American Bar Association Journal. April, 1975.

In the following situation, a holdup victim is asked questions by a lawyer.

“Mr. Smith, you were held up at gunpoint on the corner of First and Main?”
“Yes”
“Did you struggle with the robber?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“He was armed.”
“Then you made a conscious decision to comply with his demands rather than resist?”
“Yes.”
“Did ...

Originally posted at http://minneapolitanmademoiselle.blogspot.com/

This is kind of a follow up to my last post, (available here) in which I touched on victim/witness credibility. But first I want to share something I found recently: ...
By Ami • 12 years ago

A not so great Newsweek article

Originally posted at Minneapolitan Mademoiselle

I recently read an article in Newsweek about NYPD’s Special Victims Division and was quite unnerved by some of what was written.

How soon does the victim/complainant, as she (or he) is called in the reports, reveal what’s happened? Is she crying? That’s important. But sometimes the crime was committed months or years before.

While I’m glad that there’s at least an acknowledgment that many survivors do not report right away I found the question “Is she crying?” (as well as the follow up phrase “That’s important”) to be problematic. So many times people make assumptions about how survivors are supposed to act and then go on to base whether or not they’re believable on that ...

Originally posted at Minneapolitan Mademoiselle

I recently read an article in Newsweek about NYPD’s Special Victims Division and was quite unnerved by some of what was written.

How soon does the victim/complainant, as she (or he) is ...