Due to personal circumstances I’ve been unable to blog for a while and will not be able to again until November.
Aw, man and I was just getting started!
I’ll be back, though and just as cantankerous as ever.
Just you wait, bitches.
In your face, Reebok!
All day, I’ve been hearing echoes of The Simpsons character Nelson’s catchphrase in my head: HA-ha!
HA-ha! (Image via Wikipedia)
The reason why is because shortly before I went to bed last night, I read the most delicious news story I’ve encountered in ages: Reebok will pay US$25 million to settle false advertising claims for it’s Easy Tone brand of shoes. Why does this make me happy? You can read about my issues with Reebok advertising on my sister blog.
This is a small, but important step towards creating an advertising climate that doesn’t thrive on the plummeting self-esteem of girls and women. And it is also a warning to companies who think they have carte blanche to make outrageous and unsubstantiated claims about their “miracle” products to unsuspecting consumers. That is the moral equivalent of grifting and it makes the advertisers in question con artists, albeit con artists with articles of incorporation.
Well the FTC caught on to Reebok’s scam and while Reebok claims no wrongdoing in this instance (I’d like some of what those people are smoking!), the company nevertheless agreed to pony up a double-digit million settlement to put the matter behind them.
More where this came from, please!
My hope is that the FTC will not need to take advertisers like Reebok to task in the future. It’s a small victory that in this case, consumers will be able to get money back that they wasted buying those crappy shoes. However, damage has been done in other ways – to girls and women who have bought into the message that they should strive to look just like the model in the Easy Tone ads. And that simply putting on a pair of shoes can land them their dream body – whatever that is.
It’s only when we as consumers decide to vote with our wallets and refuse to buy from companies that subject us to deceptive marketing practices, that we will see real change.
Until then, I’ll relish the thought of Reebok executives stewing in their own juices over this ruling.
Here’s a bit of advice for them, in the words of my new hero, David Vladeck of the FTC:
VLADECK: So if you`re an advertiser out there, remember that marketing campaigns, no matter how clever, sexy or funny, must start and must stick with product claims that are substantiated. Advertisers must have substantiation for claims before they make them.
http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/onair/transcripts/ftc_orders_reebok_to_pay_customers_110928/
Related articles
- Reebok’s Butt In A Sling (adpulp.com)
- FTC Calls Butt-Shaping Shoes Bogus | News – Advertising Age (thesmileystone.wordpress.com)
- Reebok to Refund Customers $25 Million Over Toning Shoes Complaint (newsfeed.time.com)
I knew it!
If you're a girl, your John McCain-voting, High School drop out daddy's gonna be mighty pissed. (Image via Wikipedia)
Biddy came across a Gallup poll on Americans’ gender preferences for babies. Surprisingly, we are in the good company of China, India and some lesser-developed countries that place a premium on the Y chromosome. 40% of Americans would rather have a boy, 28% a girl, 26% have no prefence and the rest have no clue.
The most interesting aspect of this survey is not that it illustrates that the West cannot always assume that their cultures are superior to that of other regions of the world (although this proves they can’t). It is the fact that there is a solid correlation between political affiliation and…gender, and the expressed preference for a boy baby.
Basically, if you are a man, a Republican, identify yourself as conservative or have no more than a bachelor’s degree, you are more likely to prefer a boy than if you are a woman, a Democrat, identify yourself as liberal or have a Post-graduate degree. Surprised? I’m not.
As a female, liberal Democrat with a Master’s Degree, it’s nice to learn that I belong to the group with the most nuanced views on baby gender.
This survey is important, because it shows how much work there still is to be done to erase stereotypes about women and girls that could be driving this preference. Gallup references the population disparities between males and females in countries where this preference has been actively managed in birth practices. China and India are experiencing a shortage of females and with the current availability of technology for engineering gender in fetuses, the US may experience a similar shortage in generations to come.
On the one hand, I feel the need to speak out against practices that could favor the birth of boy babies over the girl babies. On the other hand, I think about the excellent dating prospects of my great-great-great-great-great-great grand daughter, assuming she is born heterosexual.
Maybe this gender preference thing is not so bad after all.
Related articles
- http://www.gallup.com/poll/148187/Americans-Prefer-Boys-Girls-1941.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=USA
- Even in the United States, dads prefer baby boys (theglobeandmail.com)
- Boy? Girl? Now You Can Decide, but Should You? (psychologytoday.com)
- The worldwide war on baby girls (20114l.wordpress.com)
- Boy or Girl? Why Do More Americans Prefer Male Children? / Alter Net (protectivemothersalliance.wordpress.com)
Allergic to Dumbass Retailers
Where's the red circle and slash when you need it? (Image via Wikipedia)
So I read on Jezebel that fahsion retailer Forever 21 has been selling a girls’ top with the text “Allergic to Algebra” emblazoned on the front.
??????
If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
Come to find out that F21 are simply continuing the proud tradition of perpetuating stereotypes and outdated notions of the role of women and the nature of females in our society – on T-shirts. The so-called fairer sexification of our children’s outfits. JC Penny was apparently the trailblazer, having merchandised the “Too Pretty for Homework” shirt before public outcry forced them to pull it from the shelves.
It’s one thing that there are women and girls out there who subscribe to the notion that it’s better to be pretty than smart – and that the two are somehow mutually exclusive. It’s quite another to see mass-market merchants hawking clothing with this message to our kids and youngsters.
Someone needs to create the “Too stupid to work here” shirt and force the buyers and the marketing people from these chains to walk around in it all day. At the end of that day, the people responsible for these wardrobe malfunctions should be summarily fired.
I’m grateful that my third grader is still ambitious about her schooling and fought hard to stay up past her bedtime tonight — so that she could read more in her favorite book.
“Allergic to Algebra” is a sentiment that should be eradicated, not celebrated.
Forever 21 must refer to the chains’ executives’ collective IQ.
Related articles
Tyler Shields – A taste of his own medicine?
This one's for you, Tyler and let's see how you like it! (Image via Wikipedia)
If someone gives photographer Tyler Shields a big old black eye, it won’t surprise me. If that someone is actress Heather Morris‘ father, then it won’t even upset me, although I don’t condone violence.
We’ve seen it before and at certain point, it will cease to raise an eyebrow, let alone offend. And that is the danger of the trend of portraying violence – especially violence against women – as sexy, “edgy” or fashionable in some way. That is what Tyler Shields did when he released a series of photographs with the “Glee” actress, in which she sports a black eye and is menaced by an iron.
You can view the photos at www.tylershields.com and judge for yourself. I won’t dignify any of them by presenting them on this blog. In addition to being offensive, the photos are just plain boring and unimaginative. If you’re going to glorify violence against women, at least be artistic while doing it.
While I’ve been working on this post, it has been reported that Shields issued an apology, stating it wasn’t his intention to promote violence against women. Here’s the text from his own website (pre-apology) with which he introduces the photo series:
“Even Barbie bruises. We have been talking about shooting for a long time and we finally made it happen! Some magic, irons, and bruises later it was complete.”
Note to Tyler Shields: although NASA may be hiring, do not waste paper by sending an application. You are no rocket scientist. If you are in doubt, I refer you to your own quote above and remind you of the fact that you said your pics did not have to do with violence against women. An iron and a woman with a black eye is what, a coincidence? Were you really not intending to signal that she got that black eye by being smacked in the face with the iron? Or did you think we would assume she was the one wielding the iron and that her bruise was self-inflicted?
He intends to donate all of the proceeds from an auction of one of the photos to a charity focused on violence against women. What he should do is remove those awful photos from his website, create a new photo without a beaten up woman in it and auction that off instead.
Not that his thirteenth-hour apology and empty gesture will make up for the damage already done – this is one in a long series of similar images created by male photographers. For some reason, there’s a never-ending supply of women willing to sell out in this way to make a buzz for themselves and foster their careers. I think we should use the proceeds from Shields’ sale of the photo to build a Hall of Shame for photographers and models who create these images. There should be some downside to perpetuating the idea that violence against women is a part of life that should tolerated or even glorified.
More reasons why I don’t buy his apology can be found at the links below. You will see there that Tyler Shields has a history of creating violent, disturbing images, most often involving bloodied women. You will find some pics that do not involve women and nonetheless are just vile and bizarre.
He would seem to have a black eye on his very soul. I wouldn’t want to be alone in a studio with this creep and certainly not if there are any heavy appliances in the room.
Image via Wikipedia
So Puertorican Sentor Roberto Arango has resigned from the legislature in the territory. The Governor and House Speaker had called for him to step down as well. His offense? Explicit pictures of him were found on an iPhone App.
Politicians love getting freaky! I searched “US politician sex scandal” and this little gem came up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_political_sex_scandals_in_the_United_States
I also looked up Canada and here’s what I got: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdngovernment/sex-scandals.html
UK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-34179/Sex-scandals-rich-famous.html
Australia: http://www.watoday.com.au/national/famous-australian-political-sex-scandals-20091123-iumx.html
Even when you account for population, there seem to be quite an extraordinary number of sex scandals in the US. Are we Americans more inclined to mix it up outside the marital bed once we get voted into office? Or is it more likely that it will become an issue in the US, become top of mind and therefore become fodder for a Wikipedia article about political sex scandals?
I think it’s the latter, although our Anglophone cousins across the globe would also appear to be a bit more sensitive to sexual shenanigans than say, continental Europeans.
It’s okay to be curious about what our elected officials and public office holders get up to. If they break the law and especially if there’s sexual violence or children involved, they should be forced to step down and served justice like any other citizen.
What angers me is the idea that our politicians have to be squeaky-clean choir boys and girls who never step out of line, even if it doesn’t really have a direct impact on their position or ability to perform the duties for which they were appointed. And I don’t want to hear a word about “well, I can’t trust him if he cheated on his wife,” because that has nothing to do with you and anyway, statistics show that most men cheat at one point in their lives. Should we only be allowed to elect the 15% of the male population that is truly monogamous?
Women fare only slightly better in such surveys and many psychologists believe that this is more due to women’s embarrassment and outright lying on surveys, rather than an actual difference in infidelity rates. So that makes women liars as well as cheats.
Who can we elect then? Dogs? Bless their loving hearts, but they’ll screw anything that moves.
I don’t care if the photos show Arango and five people naked on a donkey, it is ridiculous and puritanical to force people to resign from office because they got caught in a compromising position.
One of the benefits of living in Denmark is that such scandals are practically non-existent here and it would be quite difficult to work the populace up into a frenzy over a cuckolded spouse.
I’m just glad I’m not in Puerto Rico these days, because if I were, I’d be one Angry Old Biddy!
Related articles
- Republican Politician Naked, Bending Over on Gay Sex Site [Sex Scandal] (gawker.com)
- GOP Lawmaker Says ‘I’m Not Gay’ After Sex Scandal Comes To Light (huffingtonpost.com)
- Sex! Scandal! Politics! (policymap.com)
- Puerto Rico Sen. Roberto Arango resigns in Grindr photo controversy (miamiherald.typepad.com)
“They’re constantly talking!”
Beck's Supporters. "Any resemblance to a Klan rally is unintentional" (Image via Wikipedia)
This might seem out of place in a blog about gender issues, however I just listened to a snippet of Glenn Beck’s “musings” about Israelis and Jews…and that made me one Angry Old Biddy.
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201108250009
Actually, I’m not that angry anymore. I feel rather confirmed in my belief that this man is a racist idiot. I don’t care what the man has to say, because I can’t take his views seriously. He is just a hateful individual and people like him don’t deserve anyone’s time and attention. Unfortunately though, he has quite a following, a fact that is as tragic as it is scary.
The only reason why I’m bringing this up on the blog is because I think it is important to consider the people who have a platform to spread their hateful messages and to be mindful of what they have to say. People of Glenn Beck’s ilk keep warning us that there is a cultural clash coming up and that it originated somewhere north of the Sahara, south of Gibraltar and continues on that band eastward. This is a very dangerous position to put forward, one that has the potential not only to divide us, but also to breed fear, mistrust and possibly incite violence.
Well guess what, folks? The real cause of the clash of civilizations, if there should ever be one, is the airtime that people like Glenn Beck have and are getting more of. There is a lot of noise on the political right, including the extreme right and most of it is nonsense. I wish I could also say it’s harmless. I can’t because it’s not.
Not all hope is lost, however.
I spent 2 weeks in a Muslim country this summer and could not sense any impending war of the civilizations. To the contrary, I have never felt so welcome and at home outside of my own country.
Right-wing people would call me naive or when really fired up, might even accuse me of being a traitor. Well, I’m not in a rush to generalize and to categorize entire groups of people as being a certain way, based on the actions of a very small minority that also (claim to) belong to that group. If that’s being naive, then so be it. Rejecting stereotypes, racism and xenophobia has been a success for me so far, so I’ll be sticking with that approach until further notice.
And if Glenn Beck thinks Israelis and Jews talk too much, then he should find other people to spend his time with (trust me, dear friends of the Jewish faith, you won’t be missing much).
People who carry on just like Glenn Beck himself could be a good place for him to start. Unfortunately, they are not in short supply, especially with an election in the US not too far away and a black president in the White house.
I find it rather ironic that Glenn Beck would complain about other people doing what I feel is his biggest offense: being a blabber mouth.
I’m all for freedom of speech and of course Glenn Beck is entitled to his opinion, no matter how offensive. But sometimes I really wish that he and his cronies would just shut TF up.
Related articles
- Glenn Beck says hurricane is devine warning (thesecularity.com)
- Glenn Beck: Hurricane Irene is a ‘Blessing’; Stock Food! (scotteriology.wordpress.com)
- Glenn Beck: Hurricane Irene Is A ‘Blessing’ (kaystreet.wordpress.com)
- Glenn Beck: Jewish People ‘Drive Me Out Of My Mind’ With Their Constant Talking (AUDIO) (huffingtonpost.com)
Oh, Boo Hoo!
The Real Miss Universe would have us for dinner! (Image via Wikipedia)
That’s the sound of me crying.
Actually that’s the sound of me crying sarcastically.
Just before I pull out my air violin and start playing a sad piece while you complain about how tough life is.
“You” being past competitors in the Miss Universe contest who have all unsuccessfully represented Denmark. Yesterday I read an article in Danish paper Politiken – actually it was a non-story – which claimed that the owner of the rights to select Miss Denmark to represent the country at the Miss Universe contest was remiss in her duties to prepare the young contestants for what would await them when they competed in the finals. As a result Denmark has never won the contest “despite its reputation as being the home to some of the world’s most beautiful women”.
I’ll let that hang in the air a bit.
The fact that this was a story in a paper that to a large extent plays up its reputation as the mouthpiece of the Danish liberal intelligensia did lead to quite a bit of confusion. As did the complete lack of justification as to why Denmark should focus on beefing up its performance in this tacky display where contestants are done up like a sick cross between an ad for tooth whitener and Frederik’s of Hollywood.
According to the contest’s own website: “As millions of fans have watched around the globe, the contest has evolved into a powerful, year-round, international organization that advances and supports opportunities for these young women.”
Opportunities to pose suggestively for cameras and pretend that your primary goal in life is to help others. There are plenty of beautiful young women volunteering for Doctors Without Borders, Unicef and similar organizations. I know because I’ve met some of them. The difference is that these women don’t feel the need to draw attention to themselves — they just go wherever help is needed. And they don’t expect a fat paycheck and a photo opp for their troubles. So spare me the bull that Miss Universe participants are in it to “give something back.” I tell you what they’re giving, alright. And probably to a man with a terrible combover.
There are already endless opportunities for women to compete with each other over who’s the fairest one of all. It’s called life and some women act like every day’s the Miss Universe contest. If that’s not enough for them, they can seek out franchises such as Antartica’s Next Top Model or the Bachelorette. Why make it an annual event to illustrate to one half of the world’s population that no matter what else they accomplish, they should look perfect while they’re doing it. Or they will be judged!
Clearly, The Biddy thinks that beauty contests are sexist and should be a thing of the past, but I’ve given up hope on changing the minds of Donald Trump and people (read: men) of his ilk. He collects wives like they’re Nintendo games, resells them at Game Stop and then his Republican party wants to tell me that homosexuals getting married somehow devalues marriage? Please do not get me started!
Captain Combover wouldn’t have a contest if there wasn’t an endless stream of girls who have come to the conclusion that what they primarily have to offer is their attractiveness. It is a mystery how one can not find it degrading to have to parade around stage in a bathing suit and heels, get evaluated and compared to other women and then be forced to answer a philosophical question that has nothing to do with your bra’s cupsize. The lengths some people will go to for self-realization.
Back to Denmark and why I’m angry. Politiken would create an issue out of the fact that the Miss Universe contest is not televised and that no one in the country pays attention to the Danish contestants. What they see as a problem, I see as major progress and hope for the future. Here in Denmark, beauty contests would at worst be seen as degrading to women (which they are) and at best, be considered a boring way to spends one’s time. It is a credit to Danish people that they’ve cured themselve of a disease that most of the rest of the world has accepted without really considering the underlying views of women that it represents.
It would surprise if me the neighbor to the north, Sweden, was any different, as they are even further ahead with regards to women’s issues. So at least two countries in the world are on the right track.
Thankfully, most people in Denmark will ignore the article in Politiken, not just because it was poorly written, but because they will not recognize the sense of urgency in having a good showing at something as inconsequential as the Miss Universe contest.
And by the way, just how many contestants are there from say, the Andromeda galaxy?
Related articles
- Beauty Queen on a Mission (online.wsj.com)
An Education
Image via Wikipedia
Hollywood has sparked another trend and it’s time to lock up your daughters again, at least if they are younger than 17.
In case you’re wondering, sixteen year-old girls are the new Black and I guess Carey Mulligan’s breakout film could be the cause. Twice in the last month, I’ve read stories of much older men dating or even marrying sixteen year-olds. And with their parents’ acceptance.
The latest case involves a German politician, one Christian von Boetticher. He resigned this week because his credibility was severely damaged when it became public knowledge that he met on Facebook and eventually became romantically involved with a teenage girl. His age at the time? Thirty-nine!
Mr. von Boetticher actually resigned not because of the age of his ex-girlfriend, but because his enthusiastic facebooking ulitmately damaged his credibility. Funny how behavior like skipping important meetings to watch a lunar eclipse and then posting about it on facebook might lead people to question your suitability for public office. Actually, it demonstrates that from a maturity perspective, he and his Lolita might be suited for each other after all.
Back in May, American actor Doug Hutchison (51) married Courtney Alexis Stodden (16) and understandably generated quite some media buzz. The fact that he is older than both of her parents really caught the eye of the tabloid press and more than a few bloggers. The fact that she was a virgin when they married has also been mentioned more than once. Well, I would hope so at the age of sixteen, but at the same time, why does a fact like that need to be emphasized- and it was supposedly put forth by her own parents, who profess their pride in their daughter. By law, they were required to give express permission for the couple to marry.
I will resist the urge to express the full extent of my contempt for the parents of both of these girls. To illustrate my opinion on the matter, I will use my father as an example of how a parent should react in these situations. If anyone in their late thirties or even older approached my father to get his permission to date me, he would have chased them out of town with a shotgun. And my dad was a staunch opponent of firearms. In fact, if anyone over the age of 18 had approached him, the extent of their asswhooping would be directly proportional to the number of years older than me that they were at the time. I pity the fool.
Doug Hutchison’s children, if he should have any with his child-bride, will have to face the fact that their grandparents are younger than their father. Statistically speaking, there is a good chance that their grandmother will outlive their father. Either way, I can imagine that he has alot more to talk about with his in-laws than his wife, but one look at her and it becomes apparent that he probably didn’t fall for her because the conversation was riveting.
I’m all for age differences in relationships. I believe that once you reach a certain stage of maturity, a difference of five, ten or even thirty years can be overcome, but the tender age of sixteen is just far too young. People are not mentally developed at that age and they also lack the life experience that would allow them to be equal partners in their relationships with much older people.
And then there’s the fact that it’s just plain disgusting. What would a man in his fifties want with a sixteen year-old that could be considered an honorable intention?
According to Doug Hutchison’s own website, he’s working on series of children’s books, which I find disturbing on so many levels. However, because I believe that literature is a gift and children should be encouraged to read by having as many books available to them as possible, I will support his endeavors by suggesting a few titles for his upcoming books:
- Grandpa changes Daddy’s diapers
- When Mommy got her Bachelor’s degree, I was learning to drive
- How to Marry Ancient…a Guide for Tweens
Related articles
- Courtney Stodden, 16: Not Ready for Kids With Doug Hutchison, 51 (omg.yahoo.com)
- Rising Political Star in Germany Plummets After Affair With Teenager (nytimes.com)
- Doug Hutchison on Marriage to Courtney Stodden: God Connected Us! (thehollywoodgossip.com)
- Virgin bride Courtney Stodden poses in Baywatch bikini (entertainment.msn.co.nz)
The Blushing Bride (photo by All Over Press)
Grazia Magazine needed a wedding picture of Kate Middleton that did not also feature her new husband and when they couldn’t find one, they retouched a photo of the couple. In the process of adding a mirror-image of her left arm to replace the right one from the original Getty Image photo, they claim the process inadvertently slimmed her waistline. “My bad” is the message from the magazine. “Oopsy. We didn’t mean to do that.”
Like we believe you.
I’d like a more detailed explanation of why it was necessary to shrink Kate’s waist in order to add a new arm to the photo. More importantly, I’d like to know why it wasn’t possible to fill the waist out again to its original size after the new arm had been added.
No such explanation will likely be forthcoming, because a permanent slimming of the waist was not necessary for the retouching process. The Grazia editor and art director and whomever else decides on the cover images obviously felt the need to trim Kate down a bit in the waist to achieve a certain look.
This happens all the time in the mainstream press targeted to women or related to fashion and beauty. Why do people working in this industry feel the need to perpetuate a beauty ideal that if not physically impossible, is most certainly undesirable and practically non-existent except on the covers and pages of their publications? What a cruel and sadistic undertaking to relentlessly feed women and girls the message that beauty looks like it hasn’t had a decent meal for weeks.
Add to that the fact that this was done to a photo of Kate Middleton, whose dramatic weight loss up to her wedding day was already a cause for concern for some and definitely a popular topic in the press.
If the excessively thin people aren’t thin enough for magazine editors, who is? Why is it a requirement for glossy magazines to portray women as freaks of nature? Actually, it’s not only unnecessary it’s bordering on unethical. The people at Grazia and all others who engage in excessive photo retouching to create a freakish beauty ideal ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Waisty Katie (Photos by Getty Images and Grazia)
Angry Old Biddy 