Posts Written by Matt
By Matt • 13 years ago

Notre Dame and Texas A&M Play Tonight for Women’s College Basketball Championship

On the biggest stage in the biggest women’s college sport, two unlikely opponents face each other for the championship. It is a sport where few teams contend for the title in any given year. It was in the previous two seasons that Connecticut did not just win titles, but did so with undefeated records. While a program can achieve such success through great recruiting and coaching, it is the sort of outcome that points to a lack of depth in the player pool, that the next best bunches of players can’t periodically pull an upset, that there simply aren’t many women playing at a level that can compete with the very best. Even on a year after many of their best players graduated, Connecticut was still the favorite going into the tournament, and if it was not going to be them that won the title, it was expected that a perennial contender such as Stanford or Tennessee, or a repeat contender in Baylor would sneak up on them. All but Tennessee were in the Final Four last year, and Tennessee has the most appearances this deep in the tournament in women’s college basketball history (18). [Connecticut and Standard are second and tied for third respectively with 12 and 10.] However, all four teams were ultimately favorites and #1 seeds not based off human rankings shaped by their history but on their performance this past season (at ...
By Matt • 13 years ago

Notable Anti-Feminist Women Lose Races. Now what?

For all the buzz they generated as “controversial” female conservatives, Meg Whitman, Christine O’Donnell, and Sharron Angle all went down in defeat. Only Angle was in serious contention (the other two lost by double figures), and even she lost by 5.6% to the fairly unpopular incumbent Harry Reid in a purple state during a bad election year for Democrats.

While their campaigns generated attention for how their politics would oppress other women, it is hard to say whether the attention turned people against them… or whether the allowed them to enjoy the kind of numbers they achieved in the first place. I’m inclined to go with the former for Whitman since she is otherwise notable for her business success, ...

For all the buzz they generated as “controversial” female conservatives, Meg Whitman, Christine O’Donnell, and Sharron Angle all went down in defeat. Only Angle was in serious contention (the other two lost by double figures), and ...
By Matt • 13 years ago

Clarence Thomas’s Wife Asks Anita Hill to Apologize

Virginia Thomas (wife of Supreme Court Clarence Thomas) called the office of Anita Hill and left a voice asking Hill to apologize for her testimony during Clarence Thomas’s nomination hearing. To quote Jake Tapper’s article:

“Good morning, Anita Hill, it’s Ginny Thomas. I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband. So give it some thought and certainly pray about this and come to understand why you did what you did. OK, have a good day.”

I was too young and unaware to follow the hearing, so I ...

Virginia Thomas (wife of Supreme Court Clarence Thomas) called the office of Anita Hill and left a voice asking Hill to apologize for her testimony during Clarence Thomas’s nomination hearing. To quote Jake Tapper’s article:

“Good ...
By Matt • 13 years ago

Feminism and Egalitarianism

Feminism lacks a single unambiguous definition, but focusing on the formal definitions from certain major dictionaries can help us find a preferred meaning.  I include:

“the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (Merriam-Webster’s #1)

“organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests” (Merriam-Webster’s #2)

“the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men” (Oxford)

“the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state” (Cambridge)

“belief in women’s rights: belief in the need to secure rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men, or a commitment to securing ...

Feminism lacks a single unambiguous definition, but focusing on the formal definitions from certain major dictionaries can help us find a preferred meaning.  I include:

“the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (Merriam-Webster’s ...
By Matt • 13 years ago

Yes, He Is Wearing a Dress. So What?

In certain circles, labels such as “feminists” and “progressives” are titles of honor rather than ridicule.  We try to talk and act in a way that embodies these ideals.  However, the extent that we live up to these goals is imperfect.  Often we make compromises out of safety or concern for others, but sometimes our caution does more harm than good.  One such example comes from a self-described “progressive, supportive dad” who asked “Is that my son wearing a dress?”

Luke wanted to dress as Snow White for Halloween, and the reversal of typical gender roles provides the father some anxiety.  There are other suspensions of disbelief that go on with playing this particular character: she is a young adult ...

In certain circles, labels such as “feminists” and “progressives” are titles of honor rather than ridicule.  We try to talk and act in a way that embodies these ideals.  However, the extent that we live up to ...