Body Image

The NZ Herald Online went unintentionally meta in this article about the need for positive female role models to battle "the epidemic of eating disorders and self-harming among young girls":

I can't tell if the ad undermines the article or reinforces it, but either way it shows the risk of combining news, advertising and automated web design.

Mika Brzezinski, Journalist/Pin-up

Okay, I realise this is Vanity Fair we're talking about, but whyyyyyy. If you insist on playing up the "they have so much on-screen chemistry" angle, then shouldn't Joe Scarborough be making googly eyes at Mika Brzesinski instead of ignoring her and striking his I'm A Savvy Manly Media Figure pose? They've reduced the daughter of Jimmy Carter's national security adviser to a silly teenager trying desperately to seduce an older man.

Melissa Harris-Perry's "Nerdland"

Fair play to MSNBC. They're actually starting to seem a bit edgy - at least on the weekends.

I've loved watching Dr Harris-Perry as a guest and guest host on the network. As a tenured professor and a political scientist, she makes me feel like I should be taking notes and doing homework - a rare thing for cable news.

Now she has her own show, following the equally nerdy "Up with Chris Hayes". Michael P Jeffries writes in The Guardian that this proves MSNBC's commitment to education and intellectual debate:

The Harris-Perry show will not solve the deeply-rooted inequities that restrict access to higher education for so many Americans. But it does represent MSNBC's recognition that the public thirsts for earnest intellectual discussion, driven by data and evidence and facilitated by trained professionals. All members of the academy, regardless of discipline or political preference, should recognize the value of the Harris-Perry show, as its host explicitly acknowledges the different skill sets and demands of academic research and public intellectualism.

Sounds great. If we see more of this intellectual style brought into the primetime lineup, I'll be a happy news geek.

Sex and Infotainment

Today our journalism tutor Jim Tucker started the class with “Well, we’re famous, maybe for all the wrong reasons” – kicking off an argument that lasted all morning.

He’d just been interviewed by RadioLive’s Marcus Lush over a poll he’d posted to Whitireia’s news website, NewsWire, asking readers “Which politician would you like to go to bed with?”

The poll went viral after conservative blogger David Farrar tweeted the link and posted it to his Facebook page, and soon the comments were flooding in.

Journalist and former ACT MP Deborah Coddington was furious. “I find that so bloody offensive. Is this what this country has come to? The people we vote for are nothing more than something to consider mating with?”

By this morning the sex poll story had only gotten bigger (ha ha) with coverage from RadioLive, Newstalk ZB and the New Zealand Herald.

Jim insisted that the poll was meant to show the superficial nature of political reporting, to get NewsWire some attention and to “have a bit of fun”. Half the class thought the whole thing was hilarious and couldn’t see why anyone was complaining.

The Rise of Maddow

Fresh from winning an Emmy for her coverage of Afghanistan, Rachel Maddow is on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter, promoting her show, her cheap blazers and her upcoming cameo in the new George Clooney movie.

It's like Fangirl Christmas.

A few things, though.

Whenever there's a big feature about Rachel, the writer is almost certain to emphasise how nice and friendly she is. Which is true, I'm sure; and it is good to see a cable news host who is civil with her guests even when she disagrees with them.

But just because she doesn't yell or call people names doesn't mean she won't skewer her guests to the wall when the situation requires it, as Rand Paul can tell you:

Miss Representation

Hallelujah, this film is getting played in New Zealand.



Information about viewings in Wellington is available at the New Zealand International Film Festival website.

I'm working on a news story about women in the media and later a review of the film, so stay tuned.

Olivia Munn and the Pundit Fans

Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing fame (and some movie about Facebook, like that’ll ever go anywhere) is developing a show about the cable news industry called More as the Story Develops, which is stirring up some fun conversations on the Twitters these days.

The show’s concept has been a fond dream of liberal pundit fans for years, especially since Sorkin likes to use a certain Mr Olbermann as inspiration for his characters. So we were all delighted when we learned the project was going ahead.

Then this happened:

Olivia Munn has found life after the cancellation of her series "Perfect Couples." The actress has joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin's cable news drama at U.S. cable network HBO. ... Munn will play Sloan, one of the "new breed" of sexy financial analysts with a show on [the] network.

Here’s the problem. In pundit fandom, liberal women tend to hate Olivia Munn. No, I mean they hate her. We’re talking the fire of a thousand suns here.

Lara Logan Speaks Out

CBS journalist Lara Logan speaks out about the brutal sexual assault she endured in Tahrir Square, Egypt. This interview is one of the most courageous things I've ever seen anyone do.

You Suck (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That)

Lately I've been thinking a lot about feminist language and the importance of identifying common phrases that contribute to prejudice in our culture.

For instance, using "bitch" or "whore" as an insult is rightly called out by feminists as reinforcing misogynist stereotypes about women, and saying "that's gay" to mean "that's stupid" feeds into a culture of homophobia. This kind of language can be harmful even when modern usage has obscured the original meaning of the phrase - like "that's lame", an insult to the physically handicapped.

So what about the phrase "you suck"?

Think about it. This is generally accepted to be a reference to oral sex. So if we say "you suck" to imply that someone is weak or stupid, are we not saying that people who perform oral sex on men - i.e. women and homosexuals - are also weak and stupid? Aren't we reinforcing heteronormative stereotypes about dominance in sexual relationships? What if every time we say "My god, does Twilight suck" we're not only reinforcing stupid vampire puns but also teaching our impressionable youth that some forms of sex are better, more virtuous, more valid than others?

Hmmm.

Later, I will consider the possibility that "go f*** yourself" perpetuates unhealthy attitudes toward masturbation.

The Fight Over Assange

Here’s what I think of when I explore the debate over WikiLeaks and the sexual assault allegations against Julian Assange.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been an occasional visitor to a left-leaning blog that focuses on news, politics and pop culture. Members of this online community post articles and videos and use the comments section to have discussions about them. They are smart, snarky and opinionated, and their debates on a single topic can last for days.

If I’ve learned one thing from my time there, it’s that if you want to make this blog burst into a flame war of epic proportions, a foolproof way is to pick a fight about gender and/or sexuality. First, you post a provocative article about some complex but extremely personal subject – sexual assault, feminism, maybe transgenderism if you’re feeling adventurous. Then, when someone responds to the post with annoyance or discomfort, you answer them in a patronising way that implies they’re being “hysterical”.

After that, all you have to do is stir things up as necessary and enjoy the show.

Life is Long

"I would caution against believing the 'life is short' advice that you should live every day as if it is your last - as if you're only ever going to be roughly the age you are now.... Hopefully, life is long. Do stuff you will enjoy thinking about and telling stories about for many years to come.

"The best way to guess what is going to work out in the future, to figure out what you will be glad to have played a role in, is to get smart and get smart fast. To take the opportunities that you've got very seriously. To continue your education ... in a lifelong way. Be intellectually and morally rigorous in your own decision making and expect that the important people in your life do the same, if they want to stay important to you.

"Gunning not just for personal triumph for yourself but durable achievement you will be proud of for life is the difference between winning things and leadership.... When given the choice between fame and glory, take glory. Glory has a way of sneaking up on fame and stealing its lunch money anyway."

-- Rachel Maddow, Smith College Commencement Address, 16 May 2010

10 Reasons Sarah Palin Exasperates Me

I’m too lazy to actually write this evening, so here’s another silly list to tide me over. I went all fangirly over Rachel Maddow earlier, so I figure why not get both extremes out of the way.

I think the best place to start would be:

1. This stupid Runner’s World photo, which sums her up perfectly. I’m a runner too, lady. We don’t lounge about in our living rooms in full makeup with perfect hair. And the American flag draped over the chair is tacky and disrespectful, and the two Blackberrys? Why exactly?
2. She single-handedly reinforces the stereotype that women are silly, manipulative bitches who aren’t qualified for positions of power.
3. She makes me feel like a bad feminist. I know I should always speak out against sexism, but when Palin blatantly uses her sex appeal to control people I get so angry that I come dangerously close to thinking she deserves whatever she gets.
4. She gives a fresh new face to intolerance and ignorance, ensuring their survival for at least another generation.
5. She makes headlines in New Zealand all the time, forcing me to explain, over and over again, that not all Americans are like that. I thought that chore was over once Bush left office, but oh no!
6. The winking. And the “you betchas” and the “doggone its” and the doin' the bad sentence structure also.
7. She won’t shut up, and the media won’t stop falling all over themselves covering every word she says, and I’m hopelessly addicted to all of it.
8. Her new gig at Fox News. Actually I’m kind of grateful for that because it’s the one thing she’s done that makes perfect sense.
9. One of these days she’s going to make Andrew Sullivan lose his damn mind, and then whose blog will I read with my morning coffee every day?
10. During the infamous Katie Couric interview, Palin was asked why she didn’t get a passport until the year before the election. She answered, “I’m not one of those [...] who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world. Nooo, I worked all my life.” Seriously, bite me.

And look, I know, I know I’m only feeding the media frenzy and that’s exactly what she wants, but I honestly can’t help it. If Rachel Maddow represents my newly discovered progressive ideals, Sarah Palin is a funhouse-mirror version of my former Bible-thumping, flute-playing, distance-running Republican self. It’s like my subconscious invented her and now she’s burst forth into the world to torment me.

In which case, um, sorry guys.

10 Things I Love About Rachel

Last September, thanks to the rollercoaster ride that was the presidential election, I developed a sudden, intense interest in politics and current events. At about the same time, a cheerful, snarky lesbian named Rachel Maddow became the official Fresh New Face in cable news, getting her own primetime news show on MSNBC.

One year later, The Rachel Maddow Show is a hit. It's one of the few TV shows I ever watch, and the one show I never miss. So in honour of TRMS's birthday, here's my take on why she's so important.

1. She's my daily affirmation that women can be intelligent, analytical, calm under fire, assertive, ambitious, and successful - all while wearing sneakers.
2. Like me, she taught herself to read when she was a child. (Unlike me, she was four, and she taught herself using the World section of the newspaper.)
3. She hates fashion, which makes it okay for me to hate fashion. Seriously, ever since she's been on the air I've been so comfy. And she's unconventionally beautiful, which is my favourite kind of beautiful.
4. She's a proud, patriotic liberal in an age when liberals are still accused of hating America.
5. She debates conservatives (when they're brave enough to come on her show) without yelling, interrupting, or being rude. The worst she'll do is laugh at them, which is enough to drive some of them nuts.
6. She taught me the meaning of the word "cogent". I love the fact that her arguments are always to the point, thoroughly researched, and persuasive. If you agree with her, she's an invaluable resource; and if you disagree with her, you can have a truly constructive debate about it.
7. She's a dork. She reads comic books, watches EuroVision, is fluent in lolcatspeak, and devotes a regular segment of her show to science breakthroughs.
8. The shoes, obviously.
9. Sometimes during her show, when she is interviewing someone, you can hear her emphatically underlining things and scribbling notes with a pencil. This is adorable.
10. She's gay, and it's no big deal - which is a huge deal.

Fire With Fire

I'm always reading at least one book at any given time. At the moment, I'm reading Naomi Wolf's Fire With Fire: The New Female Power and How it Will Change the 21st Century. As the inside cover puts it:

"Why, asks Naomi Wolf, has feminism become a dirty word, even among women? A chasm has opened up between the feminist movement and the lives of most women. Feminist orthodoxy is out of touch with the real world. In this passionate and incisive new book, the author of The Beauty Myth calls for a new kind of feminism and new female attitudes to power."

I've been a feminist for a long time, but I've only just started exploring feminism as a community and a political entity, particularly on the blogosphere. One thing I have gathered is that Naomi Wolf isn't always popular among her fellow feminists. So her claims that feminism needs to move away from a victim mentality and claim the power of capitalism and government - and that we only have ourselves to blame if we don't - undoubtedly raises some hackles.