What A Cliche

I just read this comment on a thread on Jezebel, and it’s just such a perfect example of the sort of thing that a Tool of The Patriarchy would say:

I know that you choose your choice, but you didn’t make those choices in a vacuum. I don’t think it’s the world’s greatest coincidence that those who like to dress in short skirts and belly shirts and the like almost always identify as women. We do happen to live in a society where women are rewarded for dressing ‘sexily’, and acting in other ways that appease hetero men. The fact that women are willing to risk frostbite to dress a certain way merits discussion, and we’re not doing anyone any favors by saying that personal choices are above critique. 

Now this isn’t to say that you deserve to be shamed for what you wear, because you don’t. I too like to wear short skirts, but I’d be stupid to say that it has nothing to do with societal expectations. 

If Only…

“A female does not generally benefit from establishing simultaneous pair-bonds with multiple males because (1) she can only have one pregnancy at a time (so lots of sex with different males does not increase her reproductive success)“

-via 

Ah, if only there was some way to receive tangible benefit from each of those males, then multiple partners would very much improve the likelyhood of reproductive success and survival of offspring.  Yes, if only…

Cult of Charity

Well, apparently there are some people besides me who think the charity aspect is important:

“One of the alleged victims in the Penn State University child sex abuse scandal on Wednesday sought an injunction to stop the Second Mile charity from dissipating its assets.

In a filing in Pennsylvania state court, the alleged victim said he and others intended to sue The Second Mile for negligence and failing to report known sexual abuse of children, and wanted to stop the charity’s assets from disappearing.

…

According to the grand jury report that laid out the charges against Sandusky, The Second Mile learned almost a decade ago that he had showered with a young boy but did not alert the police.

…

“The assets of The Second Mile should not be dissipated, encumbered or in way obligated or disturbed in any form and should be available to victims of sexual abuse,” according to the court filing.

The Second Mile said through a spokesman that it would review the filing. “As always, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” the charity said.”

Prayers. Yay.

If we really want to prevent these things from happening we have to stop thinking this is all about the cult of power and prestige in sports and acknowledge that it’s also about predatory behavior enabled by the Cult of Charity.

The Vertical Pole

Damn awesome!

Ashton Kutcher, Idiot Do-Gooder

Oh this is rich. Apparently Ashton Kutcher, idiot do-gooder, tweeted some ingorant bullshit about Joe Paterno of Penn State abuse scandal infamy before he actually heard about all the abuse stuff. I read here that he had assumed Paterno was canned due to poor performance. But here’s the kicker, Sandusky (the actual alleged child rapist) got access to his victims through the charity he founded, “The Second Mile”, which ‘helps’ at-risk youth. Kutcher as celebrity mouthpiece for the rescue industry gets all sorts of insulted and indignant whenever somebody suggests that those charities he stumps for and is aligned with do more harm than good. He believes that anyone who says “I’m here to help these poor unfortunates” actually means it. The suggestion that the rescuers might actually be exploiting and abusing those they rescue is something Kutcher refuses to believe, refuses to even consider it. When people tell him this, that the helpers are actually harming, he turns it around and calls us rape supporters and child abusers. Fucking idiot.

Filthy Banned Ad

I’ve read that only 4 people complained.

“We considered that the length of her dress, her leg and position of the perfume bottle drew attention to her sexuality,” the ASA said.

“Because of that, along with her appearance, we considered the ad could be seen to sexualise a child. We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offence.”

“The revolution has taken us, and will not let us go until the last breath”

This was originally published on Thierry Schaffauser’s blog, I thought it was awesome. Many, many thanks to Thierry for the translation.

This is an extract from the post-face of Le Noir est une couleur from Grisélidis Réal. Réal was an anarchist whore, an artist and a poet. She was a pioneer of the sex worker movement in the 1970′s and was part of the occupation of French churches in 1975. I translated this passage because she deserves to be known outside francophone countries. (- Thierry Schaffauser)

I no longer hide. Times have changed, we revolted. In the face of the world, thousands of women coming out of the night and speaking, writing, gathering, sometimes in masks, but also openly, and shouting their truth, their lives. They were listened to, muzzled, contested. They wanted to silence them, but their voice was stronger. We had to see them, to know they exist; so they are no longer crushed like roaches in the dark.

In Paris, fourteen years ago, in a chapel in Montparnasse, I entered into revolution, with my damned sisters. Since then I’ve never left them. The revolution has taken us, and will not let us go until the last breath. It inflames the world.

Never again, will our children be stolen from us. We will not be despised, hunted, trapped, killed. Our lovers will no longer be thrown in prison. Respect will lie down in front of us as a velvet carpet on which we walk barefoot without being hurt, happy, triumphant.

Even if we still have to fight, to the death, still have to pay, always pay with our blood, our lives. This money they are taking from us is very hard to earn, and even more to sacrifice.

Freedom is priceless. We know it, which is our strength and hope.

Prowling like she-wolves, like tigress, like birds we will walk on the moon if necessary, we will gain our rightful space, we who are the balm on the wounds, offered and injured, soft, violent, women and witches, princesses of our senses and of men’s desire.

In Paris, at the Chapel of St. Bernard, in Montparnasse, at the beginning of June 1975, five hundred women were present, pale, resolute, some had no more voice after too much talking, and shouting. The priests who had received them covered with a cloth the statues of the Virgin and the saints. The fourth night, the police drove them out with batons.

We will not give in. The struggle continues, it crosses the seas; it burns paper, screens, walls. Never again, will we walk the streets like hunted animals, we will no longer be raped in cars nor anywhere.

To my too many missing friends, who died of loneliness, of too much love given, never received: In their memory, I will have to say how the everyday life has killed them, and the contempt from people. And how beautiful they were, generous, full of talent and mystery, surrounded by all those who had such need of them, who were hungry for their caresses, their tenderness, their infinite patience, their knowledge, their power.

And this is from me: