ejohn38

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By ejohn38 • 14 years ago

I Always Do My Collars First

“I Always Do My Collars First: A Film About Ironing,” was released through the University of Louisiana @ Lafayette’s Cinematic Arts Workshop. It came out a while ago and I’d heard a lot about it, but I just recently got a chance to watch it myself.
The film follows four dynamic Cajun women in Southwestern Louisiana in their daily lives and illustrates exactly what ironing means to each of them. It delivers “an artful and unexpectedly intriguing view of what is often overlooked as a mundane chore” (from the website).
The film is both funny and very touching. “Ironing is a nurturing, emotional, and learned activity transmitted from mothers to daughters,” explains folklore student and the film’s writer, Conni Castille. “It’s performed with aesthetic sensibilities that tie these women to other women in their communities.”
The film examines the lives of the four main characters (Rookie, Gay, Aunt Be, and Georgie) as they recall helping their mothers through the laborious process of doing laundry in the 30s and 40s. For many Cajun women who grew up poor, crisply ironed clothes were a source of great pride. “Following the four Breaux Bridge women from baptisms to funerals, Catholic masses and Cajun dances, the film shows how the ordinary, intimate ritual of ironing is woven into the fabric of family life.”
I was born and raised in Louisiana, and I can’t imagine ever leaving for too long; this film reminds me why. While I especially ...

By ejohn38 • 14 years ago

“Phoenix Man Streamed Alleged Rape Video Online”

TRIGGER WARNING
I came across this troubling article on ABC News, about a man named Jonathan Hock whose girlfriend of 2 weeks passed out at his home after a night of heavy drinking. He then allegedly used a webcam to live-stream a video of himself having sex with her unconscious body.
His girlfriend learned of this after receiving numerous text messages from people who had supposedly seen this video.
The incident itself is disgusting, terrifying, and vile, but equally disturbing is the fact that the owner of the site where the video was posted (Stickydrama.com) says that he would not have a problem with later reposting the images from the assault (he has taken them down for now because ...

By ejohn38 • 14 years ago

My Experience With Endometriosis

I started menstruating when I was 16, and ever since I can remember, along with my periods came intense back pain and nausea. My periods were highly irregular during my teenage years, but I always attributed this to my athleticism. I swam competitively for many years and I had heard before that irregular periods can be a byproduct of getting so much physical exercise, so I didn’t question this much.
My menstrual pain worsened over the years and by the time I got to college, it was excruciating and debilitating. I never experienced cramps like I’d heard other girls talk about. My pain was always focused in my lower back and hips, an intense pain that would radiate through my ...

By ejohn38 • 14 years ago

Mariachi, Hip-Hop, and Gender Roles (My First Post!)

Hello, Feministing readers! This is my very first post on the community blog, and I’m very excited about it.
What actually inspired me to write this blog was a debate that took place on the comment thread to another post–a post about a married woman taking sexy pictures for a men’s magazine. The comments thread quickly turned into a debate about the merits of such provocative photographs–whether it’s empowering or degrading.
It might be a somewhat long and confusing train of thought, but this discussion eventually reminded me of an essay that we read in my Women & Folklore class this past semester.
The essay was called “Transgressing the Taboo: A Chicana’s Voice in the Mariachi World” by Leonor Xochitl ...