Riley on Marketing (by dbarry1917)

This little girl doesn’t understand why girls have to buy pink toys, and boys get all the other colors. Right on! Even though it sucks, I’m encouraged by the observance and indignation of such a young child.

Margaret Cho (via thechocolatebrigade)

Everything about this is so glorious.

(via chubby-bunnies)

“

If you are a woman, if you’re a person of colour… then you are considered a minority in this world.

…And it’s going to be really hard to find messages of self-love and support anywhere.” #truethat

(via twelveintentions)

theangryfeminist:

Check out the latest trailer for Jessica Valenti’s “The Purity Myth” documentary!

Abstinence-only education makes me upset. As does everything else in this trailer.

I can think of some good ones: inquisitive, fearless, curious, intelligent, advanced… just to name a few. 

I really hope by the time I have a child, little girls are acknowledged to have just as much agency as little boys.

I’ve started watching the Bravo show Pregnant in Heels, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m pretty bothered by this aristocratic white woman ordering wealthy pregnant women around and telling them she knows what’s best for their baby. I like that this program has featured a lot of women successful in their own right, and that this baby “concierge” stuff is the aristocratic white woman’s own business (totally blanking on her name, don’t feel like googling it right now).

For a while I’d been feeling iffy about the show (after seeing previews I swore I wouldn’t watch it, then one day I happened to be on the couch and it came on. I guess the remote was out of reach), and I think I’ve finally put my finger on what I *really* don’t like:

Birth issues are important, but this show makes them seem like a luxury. I have a three friends who are doulas, and I’m lucky to have had some exposure to birth activism. It just seems… excessive and distasteful to me that there are all these women prancing around on the Upper East Side, hiring some woman to help them pick out baby furniture, while there are other women who truly need someone to help them figure out a birth plan, or teach them how to use a breast pump, etc, etc.

And what really annoyed me, is in one episode she seemed to be doing a favor for someone by helping their pregnant friend who isn’t rich. And she kept harping on the fact that they weren’t her regular clientele, and it was so restraining to have to work in those circumstances. Their baby won’t have its own room! And then she brought her “crew” in and re-did their apartment. Which is nice for them, but hardly instructive for anyone watching the show who may have been able to relate.

And another thing - 1 more thing - where are these peoples’ family and friends? Why are you hiring someone to help you choose a baby name? And other ridiculous requests. I’m sure a large part of it is for T.V., but it makes me wonder.

I knew seeing MissRepresentation would change everything.

I first heard about it when a friend mentioned it in conversation - discussing women’s lopsided portrayal on TV. I admitted that I watched the Real Housewives, and that I probably shouldn’t.

Then I watched it, and the Housewives (and the Basketball Wives) have got to go. It’s not at all a positive portrayal of women. First - the title itself is problematic. Women have to be associated with a man to be on the show; even the single women. Second - they fight about stupid stuff, and what ever disagreements happen naturally are fanned by the producers. Cast members are often a) plied with alcohol (a common reality-tv trick) or b) simply forced to re-hash conflicts, in conversations very obviously choreographed by producers. None of this makes them look good! They all have charities or businesses for which they’re willing to put themselves out there, but they’re generally  over-shadowed by the ladies’ parties and purchases. Cristy, one of the Miami Housewives even said outright (at the Miami reunion) that she’s had a business for 14 years that was never featured on the show. I love the Housewives, they’re entertaining. But I also feel that these women are being shortchanged, and it probably has consequences greater than its entertainment value.

But all is not lost! I still feel OK about watching 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom and Sister Wives. These shows are all about capable women getting the job done.

Never again watching: Millionaire Matchmaker. I NEVER felt good about this show, but occasionally found it suitable as the ultimate in mindless TV. Sorry Patti. I just can’t get behind judging women on their appearance and then pimping them out to men with money.

MissRepresentation - the trailer.

This video is the inspiration for the blog.