foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. - r. w. emerson

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More Feminist Than Thou: Moving Beyond Self-Defeating "Choose My Choice" Feminism

Been talking a lot about “Lean In” these days (which, for the record, I found interesting and helpful and highly recommend reading) and I think this piece nicely addresses one of the reasons it still bothers me so much that, despite her experience in government and her enormous platform, Sheryl Sandberg chose to address “internal obstacles” to high-achieving women in the workplace rather than structural/societal ones.

The short version: you should listen to my friend Jill on the radio because she’s smart, talented, and funny.

The long version: Jill’s first feature film “Afternoon Delight” explores the good, bad and the ugly of female sexuality. She calls it “Girls” for grown-up women. Male reviewers seem not to get it, but Alison Cuddy of WBEZ does a great job of highlighting the combo platter of comedy, sex and feminism we wish we had more access to in popular culture. Take a listen to find out how her movie tries to heal the “divided feminine” and why directing is like improv. (At least it should be, because that approach won Jill a directing award at Sundance this year. Who run the world???)

In case it needs to be said, this is not just some provocative fluff designed to get clicks, it’s really worth a read. Sure, there are plenty of important criticisms to be made: Why are we even talking about “having it all”? Doesn’t this perpetuate the anti-feminist stereotype of “sad white babies with mean feminist mommies”? Are the hard choices described here really only women’s choices? Why should normal folk even care about how hard it is to be an ambitious woman of superprivilege? Not to mention my personal pet peeve: does AMS really think that electing a woman president would itself cause - or even reflect - a society that’s ready to reinvent itself in the ways she recommends? But if you get through the whole piece, you’ll see that she addresses, or at least acknowledges, most of the above. I am unbelievably lucky not only to have experienced a flexible/virtual/progressive workplace early in my career, but also to have a husband who I trust completely as a true partner in every aspect of our life - and yet these challenges still haunt/worry me.  Thank you, AMS & theatlantic, for igniting this dialogue.

In case it needs to be said, this is not just some provocative fluff designed to get clicks, it’s really worth a read.

Sure, there are plenty of important criticisms to be made: Why are we even talking about “having it all”? Doesn’t this perpetuate the anti-feminist stereotype of “sad white babies with mean feminist mommies”? Are the hard choices described here really only women’s choices? Why should normal folk even care about how hard it is to be an ambitious woman of superprivilege? Not to mention my personal pet peeve: does AMS really think that electing a woman president would itself cause - or even reflect - a society that’s ready to reinvent itself in the ways she recommends?

But if you get through the whole piece, you’ll see that she addresses, or at least acknowledges, most of the above.

I am unbelievably lucky not only to have experienced a flexible/virtual/progressive workplace early in my career, but also to have a husband who I trust completely as a true partner in every aspect of our life - and yet these challenges still haunt/worry me. 

Thank you, AMS & theatlantic, for igniting this dialogue.

nprfreshair:

Fresh Air’s Terry Gross with Gene Simmons. Starring Cat. Happy Weekend :P (via @wbez)

This is one of the most fantastic (and most awkward) radio moments I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience. (Plus cats in wigs!) Easily rivals Ira Glass interviewing Mike Daisey - not that it’s a competition. (In fact, this vid was made to raise money for Ira’s home radio station, so everyone wins.)

“I wrote a paper in college (‘85) about equal pay for equal work. I mistakenly believed women were making progress and this would have been a non-issue by now. I’m married, and I like other women, carry the burden of being the primary & sometimes sole bread winner.

Cheryl 

(Editor’s note: Got this message today, an important one to share on Equal Pay Day)

Read Sandra Fluke’s op-ed on what needs to be done.


(via think-progress)

Most depressing post I’ve seen today in observance of equal pay day. So much more work to be done!

(via think-progress)