Posts Written by ellestar
By ellestar • 14 years ago

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a Feminist Cartoon

I am a big fan of anime, Japanese animation, because I love that it uses artwork and other startling visual media in order to tell the story. I have to admit that I was skeptical of checking out Avatar: The Last Airbender because it is produced in America (and would thus be more ethnocentric) and because it is geared towards children. Fortunately, others in my online anime communities have shared their love for Avatar , so my SO and I broke down and decided to check it out.
I am so glad I did. Not only is it visually stunning, funny, and filled to the brim with complex social issues, it’s also a feminist cartoon. Be still my animation-loving heart. I’d like to share some of the reasons why I love Avatar so much. The following will contain some slight spoilers.
I could go on at length about the different aspects of that are truly great. I love that this story is not set in America. It is set in a kind of alternate universe that is distinctly Asian. Much of the costuming and character appearances show medieval Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian (among others that I’m not so quick to identify) influences. The diversity of the characters represented in this show is staggering. Not only are different ethnicities represented, but differing levels of disabilities are brought forth in major characters (one ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Thank You: Feministing Community Posters

I have to say that it has gotten to a point where I am as excited to read the posts in the Feministing Community page as I am to read the posts on the main Feministing page.  I’ve always known that most feminists were smart cookies, and I really appreciate all of the work others have shown in keeping the community page worth clicking on.

You all have been knocking it out of the park.  It’s so exciting to read well-thought essays on everything from religion to racisim to body image issues to personal experiences with feminism and everything in between.

Keep ‘em coming!

I have to say that it has gotten to a point where I am as excited to read the posts in the Feministing Community page as I am to read the posts on the main Feministing page.  ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Catcalling and the Open Road

I’ve said it before: I take comments on my appearance in the spirit in which those comments are intended.  It is my perspective that catcalling, yelling at strangers about their bodies, is meant to be offensive, even if the words or gestures used are complimentary.  Catcalling is often done from a position of power, (from inside of a car or building, or above the person being catcalled) in a way that the person being catcalled can’t really respond, and despite what is said or implied, the result is often to objectify the person being catcalled.

I’ve been catcalled many times in my life.  Generally, if the words or gestures used aren’t offensive, I ignore them and go about my day as ...

I’ve said it before: I take comments on my appearance in the spirit in which those comments are intended.  It is my perspective that catcalling, yelling at strangers about their bodies, is meant to be offensive, even ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

What I Want from Politicians

I have been feeling this since the primaries and I have to let it out. 

*Warning! This is a vent and I’m generalizing my frustrations to a group that I really do know contains decent, hardworking people who are just as frustrated as I am.*

I hate politics.  I hate politicians.  I tend to lean Democratic and there has never been a Republican who has spoken to my issues, but I really kind of hate them all.

(Don’t worry, I still vote.)

I have been feeling this since the primaries and I have to let it out. 

*Warning! This is a vent and I’m generalizing my frustrations to a group that I really do know contains decent, hardworking people who ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Coffee Shop Workers in Bikinis Sexually Harrassed

And some of them fight back!

Bikini Barista Throws Boiling Water on Flasher.

From the article:

Jamae Feddock, a bikini clad barista at Java Girls, said she first thought the man dressed in women’s underwear and exposing himself was a sick joke, until the man came back several times.

[…]

Feddock and another barista were working around 5 a.m. last Thursday when the incident happened. They tried to get a look at the man’s license plate, but that too was covered up with women’s underwear.

When the man came back a third time one of the baristas took a cup of 220 degree water and doused him with it.“

Kylie opened the door and threw boiling hot water on his face and his chest and he ...

And some of them fight back!

Bikini Barista Throws Boiling Water on Flasher.

From the article:

Jamae Feddock, a bikini clad barista at Java Girls, said she first thought the man dressed in women’s underwear and exposing himself was ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Quick Post: Remembering Sexism in High School History Book

This has been bugging me for years, but I didn’t have the forethought at the time to make any notes on it.

In my (junior year, I believe) American History class, I remember the history text we used gave the information about the women’s sufferage movement, the 19th Amendment of 1920, and the election of 1920 as the first year women got to vote for president.

It is my memory that the text couldn’t help but say something about the result of the election and how Warren G. Harding was often considered the more handsome of the two candidates running.  It left the part about women mistaking a presidential election for a male beauty pagent unsaid.  I just double-checked Wikipedia and ...

This has been bugging me for years, but I didn’t have the forethought at the time to make any notes on it.

In my (junior year, I believe) American History class, I remember the history text we used ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Weddings, Brides, and Vanity

Recent posts on the main page have shown what lengths brides will go to in order to make their wedding look perfect.  Since I’m planning a wedding for two months (and two days!) from now, I wanted to explore this issue.

Let’s first go back to an episode of Oprah where Katherine Heigl was interviewed as she promoted her movie and television show. Katherine Heigl is a beautiful woman.  In the words of her costar in Knocked Up , she’s definitely "prettier than me."  However, during the interview, she mentioned how hard she worked in order to fit into her wedding dress.  She’s a beautiful, young, movie star who has been on red carpets and award shows across the world, ...

Recent posts on the main page have shown what lengths brides will go to in order to make their wedding look perfect.  Since I’m planning a wedding for two months (and two days!) from now, I ...
By ellestar • 15 years ago

Feminism and the X-Files (My Ode to Dana Scully)

Since I’m as excited as a person can be that the X-Files: I Want to Believe movie is coming out next week, I thought I’d share my thoughts with everyone as to how a television show shaped my feminism.

Essentially, I grew up with The X-Files .  The show started during my freshman year of high school and ended my first year of graduate school.  I do admit to not watching any of the last season, save the last episode or two.  I was in it for Mulder and Scully.

Since I’m as excited as a person can be that the X-Files: I Want to Believe movie is coming out next week, I thought I’d share my thoughts with everyone as to how a television show shaped ...