The Grrl Identity

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noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:27:00 +0000

What's feminism without a little art--Photos from Phillip Toledano

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Feminism loses its power without a little creative perspective.

They may not be intentionally feminist, but photographer Phillip Toledano (Mr. Toledano) in his Hope and Fear collection captures some stark images that just can't help but evoke some womanly feeling.

The collection, he writes on his site, is about "the external manifestation of the internal desires and paranoia that are adrift in America."

This photo must be based on desire, as the breast is a popular female body part...the more the merrier I guess.

This one is about the paranoia of Islam in America and also by the greedy desire of consumerism.

McDonalds and religious oppression.....

South Korea prefers baby girls over baby boys now-What's changed and why are the first Asian country to do so?

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 19:17:00 +0000

Once baby boys were preferred in South Korea. Now, it's baby girls.

The New York Times reported today that one of Asia's most patriarchal countries has had a shift in preference in the sex of their offspring.

According to an October World Bank report, "South Korea is the first of several Asian countries with large sex imbalances at birth to reverse the trend, moving toward greater parity between the sexes."
The ratio of sexes in 2006 was 107.4 boys born for every 100 girls, down from 116.5 boys born for every 100 girls in 1990.

Before giving birth to boys was considered a blessing as it was a duty for women to bear sons who would succeed the family name. Having a girl was considered unlucky, so many had abortions or gave them up for adoption, a situation similar to the one in China.

But all that has changed, now that the patriarchy has subsided and women were allowed to enter the workforce due to a "radical shift in the economy," the article says. As a result, women are now considered as valuable contributors to society.

Excerpt from the article: "Demographers say the rapid change in South Koreans’ feelings about female babies gives them hope that sex imbalances will begin to shrink in other rapidly developing Asian countries — notably China and India — where the same combination of a preference for boys and new technology has led to the widespread practice of aborting female fetuses."

According to the United Nations Population Fund, the ratio in China was 120 boys born for every 100 girls in 2005. India recorded about 108 boys for every 100 girls in 2001, but that ratio is expected to balance out as there is a seven-year lapse in the census.

While this is good news for South Korea and the women and young girls who call it home, something rubs me wrong about this. And it's not just about South Korea. It's a type of occurance that has happened almost in every country when women were given the option to work.

Money problems now saw women, once forced to be babymakers, as valuable assets. But, when it comes down to it, shouldn't women be always considered valuable assets because they actually give birth and contribute to society by supplying its citizens?

In ancient times, and I mean in Upper Paleolithic period, about 30,000 –7,000 b.c.e, women were worshiped for their fertility and the ability to give new life. They had value then, so what changed that the ability to give birth became more of a requirement than a sacred act?

I guess in South Korea (and in countless other countries), the family is structured around the males and appoints them as the ones to carry on the genetic legacy. That's why women were under-appreciated and why they didn't want baby girls because of the well-expressed under-appreciation.

But the argument is, why is a woman now considered worthy and equal in that she contributes financially when she has contributed physically? What makes one better than the other?

America's obsession with the Spears clan and its ignorance of what REALLY matters

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 10:13:00 +0000

A comic from Paul Szep from The Huffington Post. Enough said.

KBR alleged rape victim, Jennifer Leigh Jones, says 11 more victims like her

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:22:00 +0000

Not only did brave Jennifer Leigh Jones, a former contractor from Pentagon's largest private contractor KBR, accuse her former employer of sweeping her gang-rape case under the rug, but she also added that she is not the sole rape victim by KBR employees.

She said that she had been contacted by 11 other women who have also been assaulted by contractors in Iraq.

So we see that is not some random incident, but regular and apparently overlooked occurrences. And all for women who willingly sign up for war. No respect.

Not only that, the Justice Department failed to even show up to Wednesday's hearing.
Rep.John Conyers (D-MI) scolded the department for its absence, adding that he was embarrassed and that sending a representative or two would be the least the department could do.

Conyers:"I want (Mukasey) to start talking about these questions that we’re asking the witness…We’ve got tens of thousands of people over there, goodness knows how many people have preceded Ms. Jones in this tragedy…This is an absolute disgrace."

Disgrace indeed.

So it looks like another failure to cooperate and comply from the executive branch...and even after Congress OK'd Mukasey and allowed him to take office a month and a half ago. So already his performance is well under standards.

This is not only a grave show of disrespect for the issue and the accusation, but it also shows how the executive branch doesn't appreciate the honest soldiers and contractors who serve our country. Why? Well because no one bothers to show up to distinguish them from the alleged rapists, which in turn allows all those serving to be tainted by one (or a few in this case) bad seed.

By not stepping in and taking this accusation seriously, the Justice Department and all those who fall under the executive branch also are displaying the common stigma of rape and the male tendency to tolerate it or deny its legitimacy as assault. Pretty standard feminist perspective, but if you peel away all those bureaucratic layers, that's what is left in this mess.

Global Orgasm Day: I come in the name of peace

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 03:35:00 +0000

Global Orgasm Day...need I really say more?

Well, of course. I've got your attention.

At 10:08 p.m. Pacific Time tonight, it will not only be time for the Winter Solstice, but it will be time that nations across the world will be coming together...sexually speaking.

Why? Well, for peace, gender and social justice, and global warming, according to event's creators Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell, who co-founded the anti-war organization Baring Witness, a group in which people spell out words and symbols of peace in their birthday suits.

Yes, even global warming may be slowed by everyone getting off at the same time.

This is the second annual global sychronization of orgasms. Last year's intention, according to the Global Orgasm Web site, was to ease the political tension and to diminish the war-driven mentalitily between USA and Iran.

It's become an annual thing because that sort of friction still exists.

We all know the sense of peace is a pleasant little outcome from an orgasm, so that reason for coming is pretty explainable. For gender and social equality, the organizers say that "to combine the energy of orgasm with a conscious empathy...would be a powerful boost to the well-being of our planet and species."

But their reasoning for global warming? Well, replace one desire with another.
"The planet needs a rest from all our other desires, so what better way to get us to take a rest from over-consumption than an orgasm? And if we can combine that energy with a resolution to be satisfied with less of everything (except orgasms, of course), perhaps the collective mindset will change."

Orgasms changing mindsets and encouraging us to drive less? That's a bit of a stretch. But nonetheless, trying it out couldn't hurt...

KBR rape case not high on media's newscasts as it should be

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:28:00 +0000

The Pentagon's largest private contractor, KBR, is being sued by a woman who says she was gang-raped by fellow employees of a KBR unit in Iraq.

The woman, Jamie Leigh Jones, is saying that the contractor and its former parent and Cheney's lovechild Halliburton, created an unsafe and uncomfortable place for women to work in Iraq by allowing such behavior and other sexual abuse and harassment to continue.

Bringing this accusation to the public a week ago, Jones testified Wednesday for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee at a hearing.

Jones, who had been forced to live in an all-male bunker, said the incident happened when a few of her fellow guards invited her over to have a few drinks. The man who made her drink, assured her it was safe.

"Don't worry," He said. "I saved all my roofies for Dubai."

Excerpt from Jones's testimony (emphasis added):
"I felt safe with my co-workers, I believed we were all on the same team. I took two sips from the drink, and don’t remember anything after that. The next morning I was extremely sore between my legs and in my chest. I was groggy and confused. I went to the restroom and realized I had bruises between my legs and on my wrists, and was bleeding between my legs. When I returned to my room a man was laying in the bottom bunk of my bed. It wasn’t the same man who gave me the drink. I asked him if he had sex with me, and he said that he did. I asked if it had been protected, and he said no. I was still feeling the effects of the drug from the drink and was now very upset at the confirmation of my rape. My heart sank that day…"
After a rape kit and examination was done, the doctor confirmed that Jones had been penetrated both vaginally and anally and was "quite torn up down there."

Both of these companies and other private contractors like Blackwater have been under political fire these past few months over discrepancies in conduct. KBR has been audited and accused of tax fraud, while Blackwater guards have been accused by the FBI of killing 14 Iraqis without cause Sept. 17. Iraqi officials have gone as so far to expel Blackwater from the war-torn country. This was in September, but I am unsure if the ban is still in place.

What is incredibly sad about this incident, besides the abuse of women and the lack of accountability of contractors conduct, is that I have yet to really hear about it in detail on broadcast news. I listen to NPR extensively, I watch a handful of 24-hour news channels. Through an online investigation, I see that news channels such as MSNBC and ABC have given air time to the topic. But the amount of time given is insufficient, as this is another crime against humanity that has been caused by the American presence in Iraq.

Media Matters for America, a non-profit U.S. media watchdog, has reported that the CBS Evening News failed to mention Jone's testimony while other stations had it.

But again, I believe it was not enough. This story, and any other accusation or hearing about a private contractor, should be a top story and on the recap of the hour's news.

If I am wrong and if I just have failed to see it, let me know because I sure as hell don't see much of it on the news.

That boob job may need a shinguard...

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:01:00 +0000

Finally, men's obsession with breasts has led to something pretty freaky.

The Metro in the United Kingdom profiled Lane Jensen, a male tattoo enthusiast who was so adamant on realistic tattoos that the full-breasted lady on his shin, well, let's just say he gave her some silicon curves.

Getting a boob job is nutty enough for a man, but in his leg?
Oh the things we humans do for boobs.

Being sustainable is a feminist issue

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:03:00 +0000

Although this isn't a obvious women's issue, going green and sustainability is as much as a humanitarian issue as it is environmental. And a true feminist believes in such human rights as much as women's rights. And an earthship house is just that.

Earthship is a type of house, made of tires, bottles and earth-based material. According to the always reliable Wikipedia, "an Earthship is designed to interface with its environment wherever possible and create its own utilities."

This sort of "biotecture" is innovative in the fact that it reuses waste that would otherwise be tossed into landfills. Plus, the quality and aesthetics of the house are stunning, even though it's just trash.

And for anyone of you in construction or whatever, you know building material costs rise as much as inflation does. Using these kinds of material may save some costs.

One issue: it seems like it takes a lot of space and extra buildings to create energy. Note the extra buildings for solar, wind and geothermal energy. And it looks like these kinds of homes can't exist in a typical suburban neighborhood.

Child Brides, Another Spears is pregnant and Bodybuilding

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:24:00 +0000

Let the images speak for themselves.

UNICEF Photo of the Year: Stephanie Sinclair
"He’s forty, she’s eleven. And they are a couple – the Afghan man Mohammed F.* and the child Ghulam H.*. “We needed the money”, Ghulam’s parents said. Faiz claims he is going to send her to school. But the women of Damarda village in Afghanistan’s Ghor province know better: “Our men don’t want educated women.” They predict that Ghulam will be married within a few weeks after her engagement in 2006, so as to bear children for Faiz."

Like big sister, like little sister: If you had any doubt that the Spears family was white trash, let your qualms now be resolved. Brit's little sis is pregnant at 16, by a boy three years her senior.
Sad that these girls don't know what birth control is. Oh dear. Word is, Jamie, Spear's father, is upset that his ex-wifey Lynn sold this story to OK magazine. Disgusting.

In September, US Weekly asked Jamie Lynn if she was going to have kids and get married. This is what the wise one said: "I don’t know. Whatever happens, happens, I guess. You can’t really say what is going to happen."

Well, I guess to her, mistakes happen.

Who says women are the only ones with body issues?
This guy looks like Popeye. Eww.

Screw you, Limbaugh! How dare you ask such a question about Hillary Clinton?

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:32:00 +0000

Rush Limbaugh, the ever-so-vile ultraconservative prick, poked fun yesterday at Hillary Clinton's looks, saying America isn't ready for an aging woman as president, basing his spew on a AP photo of Hillary while in New Hampshire campaigning.

Limbaugh: "It's like almost an addiction that some people have to what I call the perfection that Hollywood presents of successful, beautiful, fun-loving people. So the question is this: Will this country want to actually watch a woman get older before their eyes on a daily basis?"

Excuse me? Why not? Because she has wrinkles? When did the leadership of this country become tied with whether or not a candidate has crow's feet? Although he poses this question as one of the country's, he does so to veil his innate sexism. Plus she's a democrat and a woman, thus his arch enemy--twofold.

In all fairness, he does say : " I want you to understand that I am talking about the evolution of American culture here, and not so much Mrs. Clinton. It could be anybody, and it is really not very complicated. "

Right. Are we supposed to believe that? Of course not, because he makes a drastic constrast between men and women, adding that men who age look "more authoritative, accomplished and distinguished."

Well, Hillary is currently leading the pack in the Democratic polls, has distinguished herself as a candidate and has accomplished a lot--not just for herself but for American women. Even though I don't agree with some of her politics and am not going to vote for her in the primaries, I recognize that! And her facial features don't need to support that.

His statement, as always, is incredibly sexist, ageist and downright stupid.
Maybe if Hillary was 30-years-old or got a little work done, then she could be president....yeah fucking right. What kind of message does this send to young girls, older women and the entire world on how stupid, superficial and misguided our country is?

I am surprised the blog, Feministing hasn't caught onto this but, god! Rush Limbaugh is a bastard.

Fighting the detachment

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:33:00 +0000

I found this video on the aftermath of car bombs in Iraq. Almost daily is a car bomb reported in our media, but it gets ignored; there's just too many of them. I admit it, I am one of those who listens to it but pays no attention, but only because those reports are often so glossed over and don't give a human face to the tragedy. This does.

we've caused a lot of turmoil in Iraq indirectly, and it's no longer a matter of withdrawing troops or end the war. We have to rebuild the structure or this will continue. It's going on its fifth year.

The consumation of the blog.

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra W.) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:17:00 +0000

First post of new blog. Wow. As you may read in my description, this blog is intended to be an outlet for my examination of myself and my interactions and perspectives on the new, social structure, politics and popular culture that run my American life. Or anything else that strikes my intellectual fancy. In doing this, I hope my experiences are given value and add to the dialogue of the Internet.

I always wanted to be a part of something bigger.

So to start off, I thought I would include a Dove film that my best friend introduced to me.
At the surface, it seems noble in its message. But, isn't marketing self-esteem counterproductive and just capitalizing on the strength of women? It's kind of hypocritical that it blames beauty companies when itself is a beauty company, looking to cash in on women's feelings. Just watch.