saynathespiffy

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By saynathespiffy • 15 years ago

This just in: Hugh Hefner is not a feminist!

This shocking revelation came from the January 26th issue of Time Magazine, where Hugh Hefner was interviewed in their 10 Questions feature:

Your industry is often accused of being damaging to women, yet you assert that you are an active feminist. Could you clarify this position? Thayne Stoddard NEW HAVEN, CONN.
My industry is magazine publishing. Pornography? That isn’t my industry. If you call sexual images pornography, then they are negative. If you call those same images erotic, they are positive. I’m not an active feminist. I’m an active humanist. I separated ways from feminism when it became antisexual. I believe embracing sexuality is part of what it means to be free.

In other words, he separated from feminism when feminists called him out for reinforcing stereotypes and sexist gender roles. I honestly don’t think that Playboy is about embracing one’s sexuality or, at least, doing it in an egalitarian and informed way. I’ve learned more about having a happy, healthy sexuality from sex-positive feminists than anywhere else. All people should see themselves as sexual beings rather than sexual objects. An empowered sexuality is about mutual pleasure and embracing one’s sexual identity not being arm candy!
“Pornography” vs. “erotica” has always seemed silly to me. I think erotica is just porn that the person describing it happens to like. Or perhaps it’s just classier porn.
Hefner’s comments about feminism (and what political correctness means) were deeply misinformed but in his defense he did make ...

By saynathespiffy • 15 years ago

Feminism Killed The Neanderthals!

My family and I just got the February 2009 issue of National Geographic today, which followed a featured article about Neanderthals. It got a lot of stupid letters about how certain people look like the Neanderthal reconstruction (which, as one grateful reader pointed out, was of a female and not the traditional male) but one of the letters was just utterly absurd. Letters are published in the magazine but not online so you would have to actually buy the issue to see it. I’ve transcribed it:

“The Neanderthal researchers are smart people, so I’m sure they thought of this. Political correctness being what it is, I guess they could not mention it. But it’s clear what probably happened. The Neanderthal ...

By saynathespiffy • 15 years ago

Possibly The Dumbest Product Ever Marketed Toward Women

Recently I’ve been seeing commercials for a product called Easy Curves that can supposedly increase breast size and shape through exercise. I can’t help but wonder just how stupid these people think women are.
Anyone else hearing the infamous “You must improve your bust!” chant? Easy Curves is essentially the same motion as the accompanying exercise but much more technologically advanced:

“Developed by a woman, the Easy Curves’ patented dual-direction resistance produces resistance when you push in and resistance when you pull out… sculpting a beautiful bustline through a full range of motion, to lift, firm and enlarge in just 5 minutes a day.”

Whoa, resistance produces resistance? I never would have guessed. And of course we can trust it because ...

By saynathespiffy • 15 years ago

No means no means NO, dammit!

As if they didn’t get the message when Californians voted down Propositions 73 and 85, anti-choice groups in California have put yet another parental-notification proposition on the ballot.
Prop. 4 , also known as “Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act: Sarah’s Law” (they’ve picked an even more hysterical-sounding name for it this time), seeks to amend the state constitution so that a doctor must inform a family member who is 18 or older 48 hours before a minor is scheduled to have an abortion. As always, the law would hypothetically allow for exemptions in the case of female minors who have the resources to obtain a court exemption without the parents finding out.
As a ...