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By jane_awl • 14 years ago

Hey Blackwater, you’ve got a gender-neutral pronoun for a name!

You can file this under mostly irrelevant but maybe amusing.

Seeking to re-brand in order to distance itself from controversy and diversify in a tough economy, notorious private military company Blackwater Worldwide has abandoned all iterations of its butch but amateurish bear paw/cross hair logo in favor of something a little sleeker . 

Spokesperson Tyrrell explains, ""We’ve taken the company to a place where it is no longer accurately described as Blackwater," and accordingly, been re-named "Xe," pronounced "Zee."

The company formally known as Blackwater did not attatch any particular meaning to Xe, and are probably unaware of it’s use as a gender-neutral pronoun.  I imagine it was a happy accident.

More information on Xe (the pronoun)

More inforation on Xe (the company)

Crossposted at citizengirl.org
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Filthy, Filthy, Woman! You need Dove Soap!

I know that we are all used to cosmetic advertising that tells us we are all filthy dirty swamp-things salvageable only through the use of [insert product here]. This commercial for soap, however, takes the cake in my opinion. Listed on the Dove website as “Soap Scum TV Ad” the ad admonishes women (because Dove is primarily marketed to women) that even though they may think they are clean because they have used soap, they are actually going about their day covered in a layer of disgusting soap scum. Poor deluded fools!
The commercial continues, “if you could see the difference…” & displays it with a side-by-side dramatized comparison which has the women in their towels under a UV ...

I know that we are all used to cosmetic advertising that tells us we are all filthy dirty swamp-things salvageable only through the use of [insert product here]. This commercial for soap, however, takes the cake in ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Crazy Sexy Tampons (and Pads!)

Since the 1930’s or so, menstrual product manufacturers such as the makers of Kotex have sponsored pamphlets (unintentionally hilarious as they are condescending: see ‘Mothers Don’t Wait!’ http://mum.org/mmay235.htm) and filmstrips (Disney http://www.feministing.com/archives/002524.html).
Clearly this type of education has always been a self-interested service, and the “femcare” industry has been accused of shifting the focus of menarche from a developmental milestone to a hygiene issue, with puberty running as a secondary theme to cleanliness (and secrecy) and fertility running a far third.
During my middle school ‘sex-ed’ I vaguely remember getting some product samples but I don’t remember what they were. Mostly, I remembered feeling gypped that boys got wet dreams (were pleasurable & lets face it, they weren’t doing ...

Since the 1930’s or so, menstrual product manufacturers such as the makers of Kotex have sponsored pamphlets (unintentionally hilarious as they are condescending: see ‘Mothers Don’t Wait!’ http://mum.org/mmay235.htm) and filmstrips (Disney http://www.feministing.com/archives/002524.html).
Clearly this type of education ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Teen Posting Naked Images of Self on the Internet is a) a SEX OFFENDER? or b) other

ABC News: Inside the Minds of Teens Who Post Sexual Images of Themselves.
“Article starts: Despite specific warnings from prosecutors, the 15-year-old Ohio girl who was arrested last week and accused of sending nude pictures of herself to classmates probably doubted that she could ultimately be forced to register as a sex offender under state law, psychologists and Internet experts say.”

ABC News: Inside the Minds of Teens Who Post Sexual Images of Themselves.
“Article starts: Despite specific warnings from prosecutors, the 15-year-old Ohio girl who was arrested last week and accused of sending nude pictures of ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Tradition of “Sworn Virgins” dying out in Albania

…from Associated Press article of same name:
Just thought this was an interesting change of pace, since here they seem to be on the rise.
At least on American Idol (badah-bah).
That was a horrible joke, I know.
Becatoros writes…
“In this strongly patriarchal society where for centuries women had virtually no standing, sworn virgins enjoyed the same rights and respect as men. They could inherit property, work for a living and sit on the village council, although without the right to vote. The privileges came at a price. They took an oath of celibacy and could never have sexual relations. And they could never go back to being women. ….The reasons for becoming a sworn virgin can be ...

…from Associated Press article of same name:
Just thought this was an interesting change of pace, since here they seem to be on the rise.
At least on American Idol (badah-bah).
That was a horrible joke, ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Levi’s 501 is Fishy, has Crabs, and Other Questionable Metephors.

I am addicted to advertising. I don’t even watch TV, but I will youtube advertisements. This is true. So when I say I am *speechless* over this Levi’s 501 “Unbutton Your Beast” campaign… I mean… that doesn’t happen often. I always have something to say.
“Unbutton Your Beast” is crude and over the top- sure. It features phallic-stand ins bursting out of the fly of its product (verily, the virility of “Paul the Pincher” cannot be contained by mere denim!) to stand and deliver (heh) a torrent of innuendos. You can customize these chatty little monsters into e-cards you can send to all your friends. I’ll admit I did.
…Which is ...

I am addicted to advertising. I don’t even watch TV, but I will youtube advertisements. This is true. So when I say I am *speechless* over this Levi’s 501 “Unbutton Your Beast” campaign… ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

Biphobia: Fear of the Space Between Categories

“Biphobia is fear of the other and fear of the space between our categories.”
Ochs & Deihl
If our cultural ideology states that our individuality is manifested by our accessories, then it follows that attributes of the people we love confer entire identities upon us. Given the incredible social pressure to signify monolithically -especially during an election year- (‘if you aren’t for us you are against God/the family/apple pie…), Och’s definition of biphobia makes sense. Bisexuality can be the lightning rod for anxiety from both heterosexually identifying and homosexually identifying populations, because not only does it signal the potential for a complete change of (perceived) identity, ‘bisexuality’ becomes most visible during moments of conflict, such as when an individual leaves ...

“Biphobia is fear of the other and fear of the space between our categories.”
Ochs & Deihl
If our cultural ideology states that our individuality is manifested by our accessories, then it follows that attributes of the ...
By jane_awl • 15 years ago

MontCo. “Citizens for Responsible Gov’t” deem Transgender Folks too Irresponsible to use the (public) potty.

Imagine.
The world as we know it abruptly ends. Thousands of years from now, an alien race of anthropologists sift through the ruins of American Civilization, trying to understand what, and who, we were. Imagine they were to compile a list of what we, culturally, believed to to be The Worst Things Ever.
The first Worst Thing Ever would be easy: Anal Sex.
The second Worst Thing Ever would be Female Orgasms and anything associated with them (ie: vagina’s, feminine sexual pleasure/desire, et. al).
The third Worst Thing Ever might take some considering. The aliens would rub their chins if they had them with their fingers if they had them and ponder. Is Communism the third Worst Thing Ever? Maybe ...

Imagine.
The world as we know it abruptly ends. Thousands of years from now, an alien race of anthropologists sift through the ruins of American Civilization, trying to understand what, and who, we were. Imagine they were ...