media

I may be late to the party on this one, but I just came across a blog called The Frisky, a sexy site–or, in their words, a “Venuszine”–for women highlighting women in music, art, film fashion, and DIY culture. The Frisky sent me an email (target marketing to feminist bloggers, and hey, it worked!) with links to some awfully misogynistic and creepy sexist ads, with their critique attached: “First we seriously question the Disney Push Bra. Does this fall under “soft” kiddie porn? And well we are speechless about this one.”

Do check em out–The Frisky.

A hearty welcome to the blogosphere to Dr. Television, aka Elana Levine, a supersmart colleague of mine from my graduate school days at the University of Wisconsin. I blogged here earlier about Elana’s book, and I’m THRILLED that she’s thrown her voice into the blogpool, because this gal has got it going on.

Three random quick hits plus one titilating picture–under the general rubric of “women and popular culture”–before I head out for a morning jaunt this sunny Thursday morning:

Over at feministing, Courtney thanks Madonna (left). The queen of self-reinvention launches another album today, as covered in the NYTimes. At Salon, James Hannaham asks “Does Madonna Still Matter?” The article’s tagline reads: “On Hard Candy, the 49-year-old disco queen gracefully walks a tightrope between sex, motherhood and aging.” Um, that matters, to me anyway!

At Purse Pundit, Jacki Zehner muses on teachings from the First Lady of American Magazines, Cathie Black.

And Broadsheet sounds off on “The Hannah Montana Virginity Debate.”

Enjoy!

Rushing off to catch a plane, but some quick news tidbits to share before I go, courtesy of Rebekah S:

Girl racers in USA Today: They thrive in the vast proving ground of the hugely popular sport of auto racing, where girls learn to drive by the age of 5 and go from zero to 80 by the age of 12. The vehicles they are racing are go-karts, not cars, but they are driving nonetheless. For them, the phrase “woman driver” is not another era’s term of derision. It’s simply the job title they covet.

40+ women in NY Times: Interview with some boldface names about their new Internet company, Women on the Web, or wowOwow.com. The site, a dishy, uncensored, freewheeling version of The View is their effort to create an online forum for women over 40 interested in smart discussions. (Oh my gosh – that’s almost me)

FMLA in Washington Post: This year marks the 15th anniversary of the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act, which made it possible for many workers to take unpaid job-protected time off to care for their newborn children or sick relatives. But instead of celebrating, workers’ rights advocates and the Bush administration are battling over what would be the most sweeping revisions ever to the law.

Variety: GLAAD Media Awards reality TV nominees – Gay Characters Just Another Slice Of Life

The following is a post from GWP’s newest regular, Elizabeth Curtis. I’m forever grateful to E, as we call her, for teaching me the latest tricks of the trade–in blogging, of course. I love E’s voice and I bet you will too! And btw, the new season of GossipGirl premieres April 21. – GWP

The Gossip About Those GossipGirl Ads

I was taking a leisurely jaunt in Manhattan when I first came across the controversial GossipGirl ads that have created so much buzz for this CW show. Promoting this TV series based on the popular teen books about an elite prep school, the advertisements I saw were poster-size and plastered all over a construction site. My response? OMFG, for sure. And WTF, too.

Now my reaction to these ads is not negative because I am prudish or “sex-shaming.” I’m just struck by how “soft-core” these mainstream images are. Like Ariel Levy, I’m concerned about how “pornified” society seems to be these days. But my take on the consequences of this “pop culture gone wild” is more in line with the views of Jessica Valenti. As Jessica smartly states in her book Full Frontal Feminism,

I think that while the fast-growing focus on sexuality [in popular culture] certainly has the potential to be dangerous for young women, it’s not necessarily all bad. What is bad is that young women seem to be confronted with too few choices and too many wagging fingers…We’re all trapped by the limiting version of sexuality that’s put out there – a sexuality that caters almost exclusively to men.

Jessica goes on to make a call for young women to critically engage with mainstream images promoting an impossible and often unattractive version of female sexuality and to then make informed decisions about their own sexual lives.

I think that the GossipGirl ad campaign is a perfect example of the type of analysis Jessica advocates. What is going on in these ads? Is it just a shameless use of sex to sell an already racy series? Is female pleasure exploited or privileged by featuring an actress’s “o-face”? What’s up with the social mores contradiction of this television show being marketed to the very same American teenagers who are being taught abstinence-only sex ed. in school? WTF, you know?

Luckily, feminist thinker/scholars like Levy, Valenti, and Kathleen Sweeney, and our very own Girl With Pen are writing about these issues – and bringing more to the conversation than just WTF.

Some Recommended Reads:
-On “raunch” culture: Ariel Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs
-On feminism and activism today: Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism
-Girls, girls, girls: Kathleen Sweeney’s Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age
-Blogging about girlhood: Patti Binder’s What’s Good for Girls
-For some female-friendly, sex-positive inspiration: Rachel Krammer Brussel’s Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women

Share your recs and takes in the comments section, too!

Cross-posted at A Blog Without a Bicycle

Image Cred

If you haven’t seen it yet, do check out this piece in today’s NYTimes Style section, called “When Is a Fashion Ad Not a Fashion Ad?” And then, for a moment of quick relief, check out the WMC’s Kathy Vermazen’s savvy reaction over on Majority Post.

Is this more dead woman chic? Cause when I go shopping at Marc Jacobs (which–oh, that’s right–I don’t), I always like to bring a dead body in a bag home with me for kicks.

Check out this YouTube video by Shut the Freud Up Productions. Warning: It’s long (9 minutes). The bulk of it is male pundits spewing chunks, with meta commentary from Edward R. Murrow superimposed, and scary Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana music creshendoing in the background. Keith Oberman gets lumped in with the other nuts, which I think is slightly unfair, but hey. My favorite part is around minute 6, when it turns into an montage to the beat of Alanis Morrisette [correction: Meredith Brooks!] belting “I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a sinner, I’m a mother.” Check out these lyrics–pretty a propos:

Yesterday I cried
Must have been to see the softer side
I can understand how you’d be so confused
I don’t envy you
I’m a little bit of everything
All rolled into one

I’m a bitch I’m a lover
I’m a child I’m a mother
I’m a sinner I’m a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I’m your hell I’m your dream
I’m nothin’ in between
You know, you wouldn’t want it any other way

This weekend completed my 3-month training as part of the first class of Progressive Women’s Voices at the Women’s Media Center. I can’t say enough good things about this program, but suffice it to say that I’ve LOVED being a part of its charter class. A highlight this weekend was hearing Code Pink’s Jodie Evans, who is also a WMC Board Member, reflect on her own experience with the media as a grassroots activist. Jodie seeks always to be “provocative and distinctive” in her voice. She blogs to get noticed by radio, and actually does radio–different programs–one hour each day, which makes for excellent practice. She makes a point of always telling a story, and gets very personal and very real, as that, in the end, is what moves people.

I was personally so moved by Jodie that I went up and hugged her at the end (and I have no idea whether she’s a hugger, whoops). Her authenticity was so apparent, it was hard not to be moved. I asked her how she maintains that kind of genuine performance in front of a camera, as I have a FAR easier time connecting with audiences in person, and even with a radio host, but shine that camera on me and I generally go rigid inside. Her response: “Practice getting naked on camera. Practice practice practice. And get out of your own way. Remember, you’re not speaking for yourself, you’re speaking for others who can’t be there.” Wise words, truly.

Jodie also spoke of her personal goals, and the importance of waking up other women to use their own voices, and of moving the person closest to her, so she can then move the person closest to her. She reminded us all not to get stuck in the “I’m right, you’re wrong” space, and to carry emotion (ie anger) in your body but not in your voice when on the air.

I’m excited for those taking part in the second class of Progressive Women’s Voices and look forward to joining them. And keep an eye out for Code Pink after April 15 (Tax Day), as they’ve got a very hot message brewing. That’s all I’ll say…for now!

This just in, via Ann Friedman:

The American Prospect’s Writing Fellows Program offers young journalists the opportunity to spend two full years at the magazine in Washington, D.C., actively developing, practicing, and honing their journalistic skills. Each Fellow will write between three and four full-length feature articles. Fellows will also regularly write shorter, online pieces and blog daily for TAPPED.

The Fellows are expected and encouraged to write for other publications, build relationships with editors and reporters, and establish rapport with contacts at think tanks and in academia. The goal is to ensure that, once the fellowship is completed, Fellows will have developed the relationships, track record, and credibility (and clips!) to launch themselves as respected young journalists. Past Prospect Writing Fellows have gone on to work and write for The New York Times, The New Republic, The Nation, The Atlantic, Slate, Salon, Mother Jones, Newsweek, The Boston Globe and many other publications.

People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply; they are committed to a diverse workplace, and to support their people with ongoing career development opportunities.

But hurry! The next deadline for applications for the writing fellowship is May 1, 2008 (postmarked), and the application package is pretty involved. Please contact Emily Parsons with any questions at eparsons@prospect.org.

I had big fun meeting Nancy Gruver (pictured left) this weekend, at the WAM! conference. Nancy is the genius behind the print mag New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams–which has recently relaunched as New Moon Girl Media, “an international girls’ empowerment company dedicated to bringing girls’ voices to the world.”

As my gal Julia Barry (of In Her Image fame) tells me, they’ve now launched a growth plan to reach a wider age-range and global demographic of girls, which includes LunaVida, an online club for girls aged 8-12, and orb28.com, the web community for and by girls aged 13-15+. These are girl-only, ad-free environments where girls can be themselves, share their creativity, connect with other girls, and get accurate information on issues they care about. Meanwhile, for grown-up girls (and grown-up boys), founder Nancy hosts a blog on the site called the Parent’s/Adult Blog.

Congrats to all over there, and how wonderful it’s been watching New Moon grow from sliver to full moon. I remember when the magazine first pubbed in the early ’90s, and how tempted I was to quit what I was doing and go work for ya’ll.

(PS. We’re experiencing minor font difficulty over here–should be back to normal soon! – GWP)