Sunday, June 1
posted by GUTS
- We’ve spent the week reading and reflecting on some of the many compelling and necessary pieces written by feminist activists and writers about the Isla Vista killings. Just a few responses include: Roxanna Bennett on the threat of violence that all women fear and the “Yes, All Women” hashtag, Laurie Penny on the reality of the rise in misogynistic extremism, the Daily Kos on the parallels between Men’s Rights Activism and violence against women, Richard Seymour on taking Elliot Rodger seriously, Sasha Weiss on the power of #YesAllWomen, and Arthur Chu on the ways popular representations of nerds perpetuates misogyny, male entitlement, rape culture. For more materials to read in the wake of this awful tragedy, please see Feministing’s round-up.
- The Canadian wing of the North American Men’s Rights Movement, the Canadian Association for Equality (CAFE), was recently granted charitable status in Canada. Earlier this week, Michael Laxer and Natalie Lochwin wrote about the consequences of this decision, pointing to CAFE’s E-Day, a benefit for fathers’ rights, as a further attempt to mainstream and depoliticize the movement. Turns out that a number of the corporate sponsors were not aware of the event’s overtly misogynistic political agenda.
- Pharrell William’s new exhibition GIRL is now at the Galerie Perrotin in Paris. While the show claims “to celebrate women who are above all free, liberated by artists and their boundless, unfettered imagination,” only 4 percent of the works included in the collection are by women artists. Perhaps more stunning, however, is the decision to include a Terry Richardson nude, that features an unidentified woman’s vagina, a chocolate heart, and the words “Eat Me.” In her latest Guardian piece, Sarah Moroz boldly interviews Pharrell about the reasonings behind some of his controversial artistic decisions. Needless to say, we aren’t too happy with his answers.
- Looking for a free web and software development program for women? Look no further. If you are eager to gain the digital skills you crave and able to relocate to Seattle, Ada Developers Academy is now accepting applications!
- “Sext: I give u the Heimlich maneuver when u don’t even need the Heimlich maneuver. A grape pops out of u that u never even ate” Be sure to read this wonderful profile on Patricia Lockwood, the woman who turns sexts and rape jokes into brilliant internet poetry.
- Rookie interviews Janet Mock about her teenage years, her feminist icons, and pop culture.
- “I’d like to think I write ‘deep talk.’ When you read me, you should be able to say, Gosh, that’s pretty. That’s lovely. That’s nice. Maybe there’s something else? Better read it again.” Maya Angelou on the art of fiction.
- In her recent New York Times op-ed, Melissa Gira Grant questions Western feel-good demands for foreign intervention and an all-too-familiar sex-slave rescue fantasy: “Ending abuse in the sex trade requires action that is less telegenic than a photo op or a gala… It’s a broader fight against poverty, inequality and vulnerability that goes far beyond a brothel’s walls.”
- “Modern porn is not just a type of media but an industry that is geared toward maximizing returns and that one of the ways that is achieved is by pursuing an ‘edge’ that is often violent, sexist, or degrading…Profit drives the sort of product porn is. Its content can’t be reformed to remove that ‘edge.'” Rachel Hills grapples with sex positivism, women’s rights to work, and the anti-porn movement in her New Inquiry piece, “Antiporn Land.”
- “As part of a patriarchal system, the actions of women tend towards invisibility. This is true in terms of labour in general, and hence, also of the arts. Remembering what previous and current generations of women have done is not only important for countering the process of becoming invisible but also for honoring and mutually inspiring each other – a part of a feminist ethic.” This from digital feminist magazine .dpi’s most recent editorial note. Check out this rad publication’s latest material from their new Montreal issue.
- In an extended written conversation, publishing expats Jennifer Pan and Sarah McCarry’s talk about the ways institutionalized exclusivity persists in “lovable” creative fields, tackling tough questions many women writers, artists, and editors have to ask: “How [can we make] these DIY projects sustainable, in the absence of the kind of capital that traditional publishing commands? There’s obviously a lot of volunteer labor that goes into these side projects, and people have rightly pointed out that the idea of “labors of love” often becomes a justification for exploitation. Dropping out of publishing is definitely not a perfect solution, but I don’t know of a better one at the moment.”
What did we miss? Please comment below