I am a Feminist

I am a feminist.

I am not a bra burner.

Or a man hater.

No, that does not mean I am a lesbian.

That doesn't mean I only wear skirts and dresses.

That doesn't mean I want to try to break the male-dominated world.

It does not mean that I don't want to be a mother or don't like to cook.

I don't feel that every time I don't receive an award or job it is because I am a woman.

Entitlement does not occur to me - unless I feel like I deserved something because of my merits.

No being a feminist means

Standing up for all human rights

Being a feminist means

Helping all humans and all dissident voices

Being a feminist means

Means having something to stand up for and fighting

Being a feminist means

Doing what I think is right and believing in what I want to believe

Being a feminist means

Being a strong woman who advocates for everyone

I am a feminist and I am proud of it.

What Makes A Remarkable Women?

I came across this question when I was watching Enchanted and the scene in the taxi showed the father giving his daughter a book of remarkable women to ease her into the idea that she is going to have a new mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ybr4OP6zs&feature=related

What made these women important or remarkable? Was it because they dedicated their life to one cause or stood up for one right? Would that make all feminists a remarkable woman? Couldn't a woman be remarkable and important for other things. Sandra Bullock is consider a remarkable woman because of how she is dealing with her divorce.

So what makes a woman remarkable and important? Who decides that?

What Makes A Good Mother

TLC seems to think that you can only be a mother if you have a lot of children: Octo-mom, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, Table for 12, 19 Kids and Counting. Are these moms still considered a good mom even though they are exploiting their kids?

Looking at one family with a lot of kids. The Duggars in 19 Kids and Counting say that they will keep having kids until God tells them to stop and that they love all of their children. But isn't 19 a bit much? Can you love every child equally and give them the attention they deserve. Do the older girls become early mothers because they are always baby sitting and looking after the little ones?

Is someone a good person/mother because she has adopted so many children from terrible places. Angeline Joline.

I would consider Sandra Bullock a strong woman and a remarkable mother. She has been able to keep her child out of the media while she amazingly and strongly defends herself in her divorce case.

Is a woman a good mother if she is eco-friendly? This article seems to think so.
http://celebritybabyscoop.com/2010/04/28/top-5-eco-friendly-celebrity-moms

Then I think of the couple of my friends who are either pregnant or just had a baby and how happy they are. How content they are that they are married and have a baby. How even though they are practically still a child they will do anything for their baby already and they love them to death. I have no worries for these mom and why is that?

Maybe they listened to the song in Dumbo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7JvL2ap3Cg&feature=related

I just think of all the celeb moms and then all the non-celeb moms and there isn't much different. They are all loving, strong doting mothers who do things a little bit different. Both types give everything to their child and try to make the child happy.

I guess they all remember the song that Wendy sang to her brothers and the Lost Boys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFWc6ZwxXXI

Whatever it is what would the world be like without the word Mother?

Disney One More Time

So I am a crazy Disney fan as most of you know but after taking this class I have come to re-look at my favorite company and question a couple of things.

Is Disney racist - Aladdin. They certainly are stereotypical - Mulan with everyone doing Martial Arts. Does Disney define gender roles - all the male and females act the same way. Well this blog was prompted by not these questions but this website.

http://www.geekologie.com/2009/06/when_the_fairy_tale_ends_real.php

How true are there predictions? Well lets look at their stories:

Cinderella gave up the life she knew for a life that she thought would be ten times better. Is she tired of all the duties a princess must partake in that she has turned to alcohol. Is she tired of being someone she really deep down isn't.

Snow White was another princess who thought she was marrying for happily ever after but she isn't very happy. Would you if your husband was lazy and you had to run around with 3 kids and a dog and still be pretty? This is the exact lifestyle Belle turned down when Gaston tried to ask her to marry her. Is this the only lifestyle that princesses can hope for?

Belle our strong princess is currently getting borax (sp) and plastic surgery. She was only known first for her Beauty. Does she feel like the surgeries she is having will help her live up to the name? Does she think all she can be is beautiful?

Jasamine is defiantly a real life princess. There wouldn't really be any magic carpet rugs or genie unfortunately. But even so would she look that beautiful? I think this picture could be used for something else and symbolize something more then a fairytale gone wrong.

I'm not entirely sure about Rapunzel. It defiantly is depressing but I'm not sure what jest the creator was going for.

The prince apparently never came for Aurora or he is still trying to decide if she is worth it.

This website is just interesting to look at. You do wonder what happens to happy fairy tale princesses. Does reality finally catch up with them or are they the lucky ones who will live happily ever after? Is there such thing with this world? Are these good guesses/assumptions?

Spreading the News

"Women and Conflict lecture apart of UNCG's Harriet Elliot Lecture Series" this was a lecture that my friend went to on March 25 and now I wish I had gone because she learned about a world event that ironically needs to become more worldly.

A little brief on what the lecture was about:
Barbara Martinez Jitner created a documentary, La Frontera, about the femicide occurring near the United Startes border. Over four-hundred seventy-five young girls have been raped and killed. Most of these women were employees of American factories, and not one of these crimes have ever brought a perpetrator to justice. Over five-thousand girls have disappeared. Clips of Barbara Jitner's documentary, La Frontera, and through listening to Jitner's experience at the border, a disturbing gender-specific genocide or 'femicide' as Jitner describes it has been revealed. So basically these women are working for $5.00 a day even when they are in danger of rape, sexual harassment and even murder. News hasn't gotten out as much because there is no way of identifying the missing girls. One of the chief leaders was quoted: "How can you murder someone who doesn't exist". This shocking realization has brought even more attention to the situation.

I was so shocked with what she was telling me. I had no idea things like this were going on so close to the border and I wondered why we never talked about it in our class. This femicide which is facing these Mexican women each day is disturbing and sickening. Why are these conditions being allowed to exist under NAFTA? When will the United States react to these inexcusable conditions? Something has got to change for these women who are just trying to get through this life and do what is best for themselves and their families.

Just Thought I'd Share

How to Impress a Boy by Baking

I don't really know how to feel about this article. Every part of it is so true and yet it is kind of sexist. Women cooking for the men, to win a man's heart you have to win his stomach first. There is another quote that says "Boys like sugar and spice and all things nice!" Are we saying that boys only like girls in the kitchen and who can cook goodies? If we agree with this post does that mean girls can't be mad when people say they can only see the females in the kitchen and can boys expect girls to be extremely skinny if they are always cooking sweet goodies because "girls like sugar and spice and all things nice" too!

So I just re-looked over the last bit of the post though: "Now… it’s not that we need to impress boys. Oh heck no. It’s just that sometimes… we want to, and that’s not a crime." And its not. It is good to have a mental list of desserts that he likes because sometimes we just want to do something nice and 9 times out of 10 we like the same thing too.

I don't know where I stand with this. I don't know if I agree with the blog because it is true and boys make it that way or if I want to stand against it because I don't like how people assume things about gender? Am I crazy for even making a big deal about this? Should I just agree with society and figure out what my boyfriend likes so I can make it for him? Hmmm I guess I can settle this over a nice plate of chocolate chip cookies :)

Gay Rights - why can't we agree

Earlier this semester we talked about how a high school canceled their prom because a girl wanted to bring her significant other: another girl. What I find interesting to this and can relate is my best friend was invited to her significant others prom in Michigan. My best friend is a female and her significant other is also a female. The couple was not shunned, made fun of or asked to leave. At my own small town prom two girls came with each other and they were not shunned either. So what is up with this school? Did the girl win her case? Why can't we have an even decision? If it is okay in one state then why isn't it okay in another?

The same goes for Gay Marriage. If you are gay and want to get married you have to go to certain states and are questioned about your love. What is the difference? If you are in love and ready to commit your life to this person then why should it be questioned? Why should someone have a say in it? I know someone who is gay who believes that homosexuals shouldn't marry which is really interesting because he is discriminating against himself.

Or why can't gays belong in the military? My friend was at a military academy and he said the whole don't ask don't tell policy doesn't really exist. They tell you on your first day that if you are gay you better leave or we will find out and it will be serious hell. Why can't a person who is gay be in the military? Why can't they fight for their own country? Their trigger finger works the same as the next person. Again what is the difference?

Another right that is revoked for gays is that they aren't allowed to donate blood. My friend who is gay comes with anyone who will donate blood to support them and help them. He tells the Red Cross that they don't want his blood even though it is the same as the next person. If you are so low on blood why are you turning away people?

I just don't get what people have against gays. Why are so many of their rights as an American citizen revoked? What makes them so different? Why can't we have an even decision. If one place says yes then why can't we all say yes? Why can't we be on the same page?