Posts Tagged Analysis

Oh Please Tavis Smiley Cry Me A River

Talk show host Tavis Smiley and his sidekick Princeton Professor Cornel West are currently on their promotional “Poverty Tour” to 15 cities to raise awareness about poverty in America.

And since poverty in America started on January 21, 2009, they are making very clear who is to blame for the current living conditions of the poor and working class: President Barack Obama.

As I wrote over at TheGrio Tavis and Cornel’s criticisms of the Obama administration have merit but unfortunately these critiques are also full of personal shadiness and willful ignorance of the current political realities. Of the debt ceiling deal Tavis said,

“I don’t understand how the president could agree to a deal that does not extend unemployment benefits, does ...

Talk show host Tavis Smiley and his sidekick Princeton Professor Cornel West are currently on their promotional “Poverty Tour” to 15 cities to raise awareness about poverty in America.

And since poverty in America started on January 21, ...

Amy Winehouse and the bystander effect

The bystander effect [] is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability of help has in the past been thought to be inversely related to the number of bystanders; in other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help.”

For years we watched the late Amy Winehouse on her downward spiral into addiction and self-destruction. In her first single off her international smash hit album, Back to Black, Winehouse sang a catchy tune about not wanting to go to rehab. She won a Grammy, ...

The bystander effect [] is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability ...

The Struggle for Transgender and Genderqueer Legitimacy

As someone who identifies as genderqueer, I find I struggle most for legitimacy. Not just within society, but within myself. I analyze the way I feel to a large degree, and it still all seems so bizarre sometimes. The last big hurdle we face towards achieving full equality may well be that of gender identity. Those who subvert gender, be it in the form of male or female, are still often consigned to the freak show, though I would argue that biological men who show elements of femininity are shown in the first act. We can handle masculine women much easier than feminine men.

Though I know I am not alone in the way that I ...

As someone who identifies as genderqueer, I find I struggle most for legitimacy. Not just within society, but within myself. I analyze the way I feel to a large degree, and it still all seems ...

Glenn Beck Promotes Compassion?

Representative Gabrielle Giffords is incredible; she is supposed to be released from the hospital on Friday, less than 2 weeks after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Then she is going to Houston’s Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at Memorial Hermann hospital which specializes in brain injuries to continue to heal.

As time passes and the media mania slows down around the Tucson shootings, we are still left with this idea of “civility” in political discourse which reminds of the whole “post-racial America” that we are supposed to be experiencing in the age of Obama (more theory than practice). In this sense we are stuck with those who cant admit their own part in violent discourse. We ...

Representative Gabrielle Giffords is incredible; she is supposed to be released from the hospital on Friday, less than 2 weeks after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Then she is going to Houston’s ...

Shirt that reads 'You can head South, but your mom is riding West"

Lebron, Family Honor, and Yo Momma


Over the past few weeks, I’ve been following the Lebron James story with great interest. For those who don’t follow sports (or live under a rock), Lebron recently announced that he would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat, after much hype, speculation, conspiracy theories, and an hour-long ESPN special. That’s all fine and good. I’m not foolish enough to try to opine on such a still touchy subject in a public forum.
What I WILL talk about is the fact that for months, the critical backlash against Lebron has involved blatant, disrespectful, and anti-feminist slut-shaming of his mother based on rumors that she slept with Delonte West, another player on the ...


Over the past few weeks, I’ve been following the Lebron James story with great interest. For those who don’t follow sports (or live under a rock), Lebron recently announced that he would be leaving ...

Astounding findings on anti-LGBTQ violence for 2009.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCVAP) just put out their annual report (pdf.) on violence against the LGBTQ community and the findings are scary. I took a look at the report myself and it seems that overall the reporting of violent crime is down. It is hard to get a sense of exactly how grave the situation is when we know that so much of the violence goes unreported, but if the numbers represent a trend then it is a frightening one.

Furthermore, there is a trend in communities of color who are afflicted with higher rates of violent crime against the LGBTQ community. Of the 22 murders last year 79% of them were people of color ...

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCVAP) just put out their annual report (pdf.) on violence against the LGBTQ community and the findings are scary. I took a look at the report myself and it ...

Feministing at USSF 2010

Rose and I are hanging out at the USSF and having an amazing time. Check out our video below talking about gender justice, media and activism at the USSF.

We are having a great time running around meeting some of the most amazing activists in the country and seeing old friends. Thanks to everyone that came out to our panel yesterday and stuck through the room changes and lack of air conditioning. You rock!
Also, RE: Progressive Media, I just want to note that a lot of progressive media is here, along with independent and alternative media and we are holding it down in the People’s Media Center. Big shout out to Free Speech TV (where I did a ...

Rose and I are hanging out at the USSF and having an amazing time. Check out our video below talking about gender justice, media and activism at the USSF.

We are having a great time running around meeting ...

Nikki Haley and the Myth of Republican Diversity.


I am a little disappointed with the coverage of Nikki Haley, the Palin and Romney backed potential Republican nominee for South Carolina governer, that goes, “despite her politics, isn’t it great to have a South Asian woman in a leadership position?” Sadly, no and here’s why. Nikki Haley, along with fellow desi politician Bobby Jindal have created for themselves an identity that feeds into dominant assumptions and desires about assimilation, acceptance and the rightful way for minorities to act. When Republicans say “diversity,” what they mean is “people of color that act like us even when we say racist shit to them.” Since after all, Haley was referred to as a “raghead.” Real classy.
In response ...

I am a little disappointed with the coverage of Nikki Haley, the Palin and Romney backed potential Republican nominee for South Carolina governer, that goes, “despite her politics, isn’t it great to have a South ...
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