Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Stuck
So...as I mentioned in an earlier post, my grandpa the molester died a few weeks ago. And this has dredged up all kinds of conflicting emotions and thoughts. It's kind of therapeutic for me to write about this stuff, and in my experience it's therapeutic to read other people's thoughts about their similar experiences, so I'm working on a post about it. But I've started it three or four times and keep getting stuck. Usually I bang these things out and post them without much delay, but this time is different.
I think part of the problem is the strange response these kinds of posts get. When I post on something like this (or an intensely personal post on my childbirth or breastfeeding experience) the hits that post gets jumps from the usual hundreds to thousands very quickly. But the comments don't always reflects that. If a post like this gets 80 comments it's often getting read about 8,000 times. One such post got over 23,000 hits and only 17 comments. So first of all it's weird that I'm talking about this really private intense stuff and there are all these people out there reading it silently. Some of them are linking it or posting it on Facebook, according to my stat counter. But I don't know who they are or what they're thinking about. What made them read it in the first place, and what response did they have? Why does such a small percentage of the readers for these posts comment compared to other posts? Does it feel more dangerous to comment, or do they not know what to say? When I read a really personal post I feel more inclined to comment, but maybe that's just me.
So anyway, I'm curious about this dynamic and what it means. Your thoughts?
I think part of the problem is the strange response these kinds of posts get. When I post on something like this (or an intensely personal post on my childbirth or breastfeeding experience) the hits that post gets jumps from the usual hundreds to thousands very quickly. But the comments don't always reflects that. If a post like this gets 80 comments it's often getting read about 8,000 times. One such post got over 23,000 hits and only 17 comments. So first of all it's weird that I'm talking about this really private intense stuff and there are all these people out there reading it silently. Some of them are linking it or posting it on Facebook, according to my stat counter. But I don't know who they are or what they're thinking about. What made them read it in the first place, and what response did they have? Why does such a small percentage of the readers for these posts comment compared to other posts? Does it feel more dangerous to comment, or do they not know what to say? When I read a really personal post I feel more inclined to comment, but maybe that's just me.
So anyway, I'm curious about this dynamic and what it means. Your thoughts?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
OMG WTF is UP with Feminism, y'all?!?
So...feminism. Doesn't it just totally suck ass? What with all the calling out and flaming and triggering and swarming and OMG what the fuck is wrong with feminism?!?
I've been on a bit of an internet hiatus lately, what with my busy life and all the thoughts cookin' in my head and a vacation to the land of thick rainforests and come-and-go internet signals. But, of course, you can't step away from the feminist blogosphere for long without missing some kind of kerfuffle or other involving calling out and/or flaming and/or angry discussions about triggering behavior, which is always followed up by a widespread and generalized panic about OMG The State of Feminism. Maybe I'm just cynical and world-weary, but here's how I tend to feel everytime this dog and pony show commences:
I've been on a bit of an internet hiatus lately, what with my busy life and all the thoughts cookin' in my head and a vacation to the land of thick rainforests and come-and-go internet signals. But, of course, you can't step away from the feminist blogosphere for long without missing some kind of kerfuffle or other involving calling out and/or flaming and/or angry discussions about triggering behavior, which is always followed up by a widespread and generalized panic about OMG The State of Feminism. Maybe I'm just cynical and world-weary, but here's how I tend to feel everytime this dog and pony show commences:
- It would probably behoove us all to remember that Feminism≠Internet Feminism.
- It would probably behoove us all to remember that Internet Feminists are not a monolithic group. There's a huge range of perspectives and writing styles and personalities and outlooks among feminist blogs, y'all. Feeling disillusioned by the actions of some? Seek out new voices. They're there.
- Criticizing someone's fucked up words or actions is totally different and generally more effective than attacking their character. Maybe their words or actions truly are a reflection of a deeply flawed character. Or maybe they're a generally sincere and good person who has this one flaw or a total lack of experience in this area or whatever. Attacking their character probably isn't going to result in a learning experience for them or a furthering of the dialogue.
- If you're getting a giant ego boost off of calling someone out and escalating the situation into a flame-war, then you probly need to engage in a little soul-searching. Gettin' your metaphorical rocks off in a flame war? It's quite likely that you're oblivious to the beam in your own eye even while you're attacking someone else for the speck in theirs. Step away frm the computer and take a look in the mirror, my friend.
- And finally, feminism is a human activity. It's a social movement engaged in by humans. And humans ain't perfect. We've all got our shortcomings and blindspots and bad days and impulsive moments. So quarrels will arise and insensitive things will be said and tempers will flare. It doesn't mean Feminism is busted. It means feminism is a human activity with it's ups and downs and flaws and moments of beauty and warmth and banality and pettiness. And that's OK.
And anyway...the fighting and hating and swarming...it takes a lot of energy. I need all my energy for the good stuff and the meaningful stuff and the tough stuff in my life. And the ego boost you get from that kinda stuff? It lasts, and it doesn't have a bitter aftertaste.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
I'm back
...and scrambling to get caught up. So no Monday Miscellanea this week. However, there is this to chew on:
New Study Estimates Neonatal Circumcision Death Rate Higher Than Suffocation and Auto Accidents
Interesting, no? For more info on circumcision and a good resource for research realities vs cultural misconceptions and medical dogma, check out Intact America.
More later, y'all. Happy Wednesday!
New Study Estimates Neonatal Circumcision Death Rate Higher Than Suffocation and Auto Accidents
Interesting, no? For more info on circumcision and a good resource for research realities vs cultural misconceptions and medical dogma, check out Intact America.
More later, y'all. Happy Wednesday!
Friday, September 3, 2010
My grandmother, with her plane and her firstborn.
Happy Labor Day weekend, from Seattle.
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
Someecards does it again
Just so...exactly. In fact, I admit to not even knowing Dr Laura was still on the air, and thus being both surprised by that fact and by the fact that someone would call her with a problem involving race or gender. Wow. I need to start paying attention.Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Forthcoming
I have a lot of stuff to post about. But right now I'm really busy and emotionally absorbed elsewhere and not in the mood to post. But just to keep you from giving up on me altogether, here are some of the things cookin' in my head:
- My grandpa (the molester) just died (not unexpectedly) and I've been quietly exploring the complex range of emotions that go along with that. It's something we rarely talk about or acknowledge, but when your abuser is a member of your family, there are all these implications stretched over the course of years. I've got something to say about that. Soon.
- I'm thinking about the cultural mythology surrounding obesity in our medical/health related pop culture. This seems to me like an instance of misinformation become unquestionable dogma, and that dynamic is always interesting.
- I'm thinking about food production and gender norms and how these are shaped by economic systems and what the implications are on family/community cohesion and personal freedom. This one might take awhile.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Mormons: we're just like you (except for how we hate The Gay)
So, I've been hearing about these new ads the Mormon church is running. The idea is to profile "normal" looking people and then right at the end say "oh, and I'm Mormon." Apparently the church thought this was necessary because many Americans have a low opinion of the church. Mormon leadership chalks this up to the prevalence of TV programming and news coverage that focuses on polygamist sects.
The thing is, I think most Americans get that the polygamist groups are now officially not recognized by the church. But that's totally beside the point. First, the modern-day polygamist sects are a reminder that back in the day when they could get away with it, they were all polygamists. Women were taught to put up with it and shut the fuck up if they wished to enjoy eternal bliss in the afterlife. It was only when pressure from the larger culture and the government became too strong that the church received a new "inspiration from God" saying that polygamy wasn't cool anymore. And the same is true with the role of Blacks in the church.
In fact, the Mormon church provides a great object lesson in privilege. It was all white males who founded and led the church, so of course all their teachings and practices benefited white males. Over the years they've been forced to make concessions to various non-male non-white groups, but you don't get a cookie for doing the right thing only after you've been forced to do it. So no matter how hard the church tries to distance themselves from these groups, the polygamist sects serve as a living reminder of church history.
And of course, the other thing that leaves so many Americans with a low opinion of the Mormon church is their role in buying ultra-conservative and anti-gay election results. Hatefulness backed by the economic resources to enable you to force your beliefs on everyone else is a lethal combination. And it tends to make people despise you, not respect you. So all of this makes me laugh a cynical, bitter laugh when I see these ads. If they really wanted to be honest they should say "My name is _________ and I'm a normal person just like you, only I'm Mormon so I hate The Gay and want to force everyone to live my lifestyle." At least it would be honest.
The thing is, I think most Americans get that the polygamist groups are now officially not recognized by the church. But that's totally beside the point. First, the modern-day polygamist sects are a reminder that back in the day when they could get away with it, they were all polygamists. Women were taught to put up with it and shut the fuck up if they wished to enjoy eternal bliss in the afterlife. It was only when pressure from the larger culture and the government became too strong that the church received a new "inspiration from God" saying that polygamy wasn't cool anymore. And the same is true with the role of Blacks in the church.
In fact, the Mormon church provides a great object lesson in privilege. It was all white males who founded and led the church, so of course all their teachings and practices benefited white males. Over the years they've been forced to make concessions to various non-male non-white groups, but you don't get a cookie for doing the right thing only after you've been forced to do it. So no matter how hard the church tries to distance themselves from these groups, the polygamist sects serve as a living reminder of church history.
And of course, the other thing that leaves so many Americans with a low opinion of the Mormon church is their role in buying ultra-conservative and anti-gay election results. Hatefulness backed by the economic resources to enable you to force your beliefs on everyone else is a lethal combination. And it tends to make people despise you, not respect you. So all of this makes me laugh a cynical, bitter laugh when I see these ads. If they really wanted to be honest they should say "My name is _________ and I'm a normal person just like you, only I'm Mormon so I hate The Gay and want to force everyone to live my lifestyle." At least it would be honest.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
World Breastfeeding Week
It's World Breastfeeding Week, y'all. While I suspect you already know what I have to say about breastfeeding and I'm busy and not 
really in the mood to write another post about it, I think it's such a huge feminist issue in our culture that I can't let it pass unremarked. So here you will find a list of previous posts I've written on the topics of breastfeeding and birth and informed choices. These are complicated topics, and much lip-service is given to "choice." But I think we have to move past the lip-service and oversimplification. So here we go:
Rachel goes on about mothering and childbirth and breastfeeding and supported choices again
That Post on Natural Childbirth
The Mirror Test
Have you stumbled across a great post on World Breastfeeding Week? Post it in the comments!
really in the mood to write another post about it, I think it's such a huge feminist issue in our culture that I can't let it pass unremarked. So here you will find a list of previous posts I've written on the topics of breastfeeding and birth and informed choices. These are complicated topics, and much lip-service is given to "choice." But I think we have to move past the lip-service and oversimplification. So here we go:Rachel goes on about mothering and childbirth and breastfeeding and supported choices again
That Post on Natural Childbirth
The Mirror Test
Have you stumbled across a great post on World Breastfeeding Week? Post it in the comments!
Monday Miscellanea, on Tuesday
Apparently many mortgage companies are turning pregnant women down for mortgages because they equate maternity leave with unemployment. Even if their maternity leave is really short. I wonder if they're doing the same with men who take a couple weeks of sick leave? For some reason I doubt it.
It has now become clear that massive amounts of chemical dispersants were used on the oil spill (out of sight, out of mind, y'all) in spite of the EPA's request to limit the use of them. In order to pretend to take the EPA's concerns into account, there was a paperwork system in place by which BP would have to request permission to use the dispersants from the Coast Guard. The thing is, no matter how much they were proposing to spray, the Coast Guard never denied the requests, so the paperwork was just a deceptive formality. And gallons and gallons of chemical dispersants are in the water as we speak, doing damage that we won't be able to fully understand for years to come. It's a science experiment, y'all. Because we don't do R&D on this kind of stuff in between disasters, reserving the R&D funds instead for improving our drilling and extraction techniques.
Oh yeah, and concerning the claim that the dispersants (Corexit and its siblings) are as mild as dish soap... would you squirt large quantities of Dawn into the aquarium containing your expensive and beloved pet fish? I didn't think so.
And finally, the ACLU is rightfully protesting the fact that Boy Scout troops often use school facilities at a discounted rate given the fact that their discriminatory policies conflict with public policy. A recent court ruling involving a christian student group that had been denied official recognition by the law school it was affiliated with because of its discriminatory policies seems to have implications concerning the relationship between public schools and groups like the Boy Scouts. The court ruled that "it's within the legal parameters of the school to deny official recognition to organizations that don't follow school policies." If discounted access to school facilities counts as official recognition, then this seems pretty clear cut.
What have I missed?
It has now become clear that massive amounts of chemical dispersants were used on the oil spill (out of sight, out of mind, y'all) in spite of the EPA's request to limit the use of them. In order to pretend to take the EPA's concerns into account, there was a paperwork system in place by which BP would have to request permission to use the dispersants from the Coast Guard. The thing is, no matter how much they were proposing to spray, the Coast Guard never denied the requests, so the paperwork was just a deceptive formality. And gallons and gallons of chemical dispersants are in the water as we speak, doing damage that we won't be able to fully understand for years to come. It's a science experiment, y'all. Because we don't do R&D on this kind of stuff in between disasters, reserving the R&D funds instead for improving our drilling and extraction techniques.
Oh yeah, and concerning the claim that the dispersants (Corexit and its siblings) are as mild as dish soap... would you squirt large quantities of Dawn into the aquarium containing your expensive and beloved pet fish? I didn't think so.
And finally, the ACLU is rightfully protesting the fact that Boy Scout troops often use school facilities at a discounted rate given the fact that their discriminatory policies conflict with public policy. A recent court ruling involving a christian student group that had been denied official recognition by the law school it was affiliated with because of its discriminatory policies seems to have implications concerning the relationship between public schools and groups like the Boy Scouts. The court ruled that "it's within the legal parameters of the school to deny official recognition to organizations that don't follow school policies." If discounted access to school facilities counts as official recognition, then this seems pretty clear cut.
What have I missed?
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