Man vs Woman’s Last Stand: a YouTube Face-Off

The other day I had a discussion with a coworker about the beauty of written words within advertisement. We talked over letter combination, word structure, syllables, and even font treatments. It was a lot cooler than it sounds.

We started talking about different commercials and their treatment of written words – one that was shared, not by me, was a Dodge commercial promoting their new Charger:

My friend’s point was the way the video led up to the end. The typeface of MAN’S LAST STAND. It was powerful. But you know, I couldn’t very well sit through that without the heavy sighs and the “oh wow”s.

Those poor men. Making all of those compromises and over-extending themselves all in the name of…um…I guess a Dodge Charger? Well, whatever makes it worthwhile, fellas.

Knowing me, my wise friend was at the ready to share some response videos from the female perspective. The one below has been the most popular:

So…that was kinda funny. And I admit to some “yeah sister!”s and “mmmhmmm!”s from me while watching this video, but then somewhere around the middle I was like oh…how sad. I mean, maybe it’s because I can relate to the women more than the men…but, I don’t know – did you see the seething hostility on the faces of these actresses?

Check the earlier video of the men – most of them look bored, or silly, and the script is purposely written in a way so that the observer can smile and relate – even this feminist. Yes, you men make concessions for us. (Slight sarcasm alert:) Thank you for wiping the sink after you shave and for tolerating my mother. But honestly, the car at the end was pretty badass. I felt like there was a glimmer of hope for these sad men – GO! RUN AND BUY A CHARGER!!

The video with the ladies, however…yeesh. The anger was dripping from every word, and daggers were being driven with eyes. It’s unfortunate because the message in the words was lost – we women do get paid less than men do for the same work and that shit’s unfair. Sometimes we’re cheated on, many of us struggle with weight and self-esteem issues, and don’t even get me started on the objectification of females. Make no mistake about it, we’ve got a long way to go – certainly this video is no “last stand”.

Worse, at the end there was nothing that the women were standing for. “WOMAN’S LAST STAND” proclaimed the words! But…there was nothing…even the men got a sweet car. Does that mean we stand for nothing? Does that mean this video is it?

God, I hope not. Or else you’ve just wasted a shit load of time reading this – as much as I’ve spent writing it.

Reasons Feminism Isn’t Dead #6

Because although Saudia Arabian women will get the right to vote – and run – in elections, it won’t be until 2015.

On Female Desperation and Male Complacency

A dear soul, we’ll call him J, asked me, almost two months ago “when did women become so desperate and men so complacent?” We’ve been discussing this loaded topic ever since, and it has taken me this long to figure out how to approach it in writing. I want to be clear here that while I’m using terms like “women” and “men”, that I’m not limiting this discussion to heterosexual relationships – certainly homosexual men and lesbian women can identify with desperation when it comes to long-term comittment and family planning, and also complacency where related to the two.

I’ve since polled friends and our discussion has become such a thing among us, that I thought perhaps I’d address it in parts. But then I wasn’t sure where to begin, and how to divide the thoughts. Since I’m still not sure, but can’t hold my tongue (hands? fingers?) any longer, I’m gingerly stepping out here and taking the dive into what is surely a bottomless conversation.

My feminist self balks at J’s question immediately – women aren’t desperate to be married! What does he know anyways?! We’re not baby-starved, marriage-hungry zombies!

Right?
Okay, maybe some of us are.

And that’s okay, if that’s you. To the traditionalists among us women who hold hearth and home as life’s singular goals, awesome, go for it. Far be it from me to tell a woman she should accomplish A or B before proceeding directly to C(hildren) or M(arriage). Indeed, the root of feminism is to inform close-minded fools living in the dark ages people that women have just as many choices as men.

There’s a popular essay “Marry Him” by Lori Gottlieb which makes the case for marrying when the chance is presented – whether it’s everything you ever hoped it would be, or whether it’s just good enough. When it comes to romantic love and family-making, sometimes these two don’t go hand-in-hand, according to my paraphrasing of Gottlieb’s article. Seize the guy willing to stand next to you and change diapers, and claim him for your life’s mate, says she. So you don’t have an intense romantic connection? And maybe he, um, less than stimulates you – on so many levels – these are but trivial matters to consider when selecting your life’s mate, according to Gottlieb; stop the endless searching for Mr. Right and settle for Mr. Right Now. This essay, if you haven’t read it, is truly a fantastic read. (And I’ll offer up my commentary in a blog post to follow.)

What a sentiment. Dolls – if you’re looking for romantic love and won’t settle for less – don’t believe the hype by Gottlieb. When almost anyone will do, what you’re desperately seeking isn’t love or companionship, it is to fill a void within yourself. We’ve all been burned, but love exists for those who have their hearts open to it. Marrying Mr. Right Now, because you have an immediate need and he’s there to supply means that you’re desperate for something else that should not be filled up with babies, bottles, and boring husbands. Personal voids can only be filled by yourself. And the longer you stay in a relationship of convenience, as long as you are settling for the benefits brought by a Mr. Right Now, you will pay a dear cost.

But doesn’t the scale feel a little tipped? Why does it seem that women are the family-focused ones and the men are just happily kicking back and relaxing through life? Maybe it’s because women are wired to be the family planners. Does it all come down to biology? Are we simply the product of our hormones and ovaries? Are we only as old as…our eggs?

This, was my explanation to J. Simply, the desperation we’re observing is a result of female DNA hard-coded to kick in the family planning process when we start menstruating. When we all lived to be 40 or 50, it probably worked out for the best. But, today’s woman outlives her husband, on average, lasting until she’s in her 80s, and it seems like girls are getting their periods at awfully young ages. Today’s woman goes to college and jumps into careers before family and life planning really take a focus, and then one day she’s in her 30s and, oh shit, there are decisions to be made. Quickly. Perhaps biology hasn’t caught up with society, and J (and all the other men of the world) should cut us some slack. Now I know there are exceptions to every rule, but if I’m wrong show me a single 33-year old woman at a bar on a Saturday night who’s going home alone – again – and tell me she isn’t considering the fact that she may not have the opportunity to have children while she’s still “young”.

J has a different point of view and maintains that women (and we’re still speaking generally here) spend the large majority of their 20’s (prime baby-makin’ years) dating guys who are nothing more than projects that they’re trying to fix help in hopes that they’ll be repaid in eternal loyalty and unending devotion. Frustrated when the relationship ends, the women examine the failed relationship and lower their standards, in order to appeal to more men, and start all over again for the next project – the cycle seems to rarely ever end happily. After a few repeats of this cycle, the women get desperate, J tells me, his female friends turn to him with desperate, pleading eyes “why can’t I find a man to marry and have babies with me”. He, with a heavy eye roll, tells them to stop looking on top of bar stools. Perhaps he has a point.

Maybe it’s biology and maybe it’s low standards – maybe it’s a little of both. A few male friends of mine say that what J says is true – women waste an awful lot of time chasing after less than ideal mates. As one of my friends says “If women dated geeks in high school, they would be a lot more happier in the long run”.

I can’t help but feel like women are, again, shouldering the responsibility of the sad state of relationships. We’re too desperate or pushy. Or, we’re dating the wrong guys. Or this, or that. Enough!

Dolls, accept that in your life you have to kiss a few [dozen] frogs before you find your prince. But, he’s out there. Don’t settle, don’t ever settle, on Mr. Right Now, and never be afraid to take a chance on love. Even if it doesn’t show up until you’ve hit menopause. Because there are other ways to have babies, and there are other parts of yourself that can be born and reborn.

On Government Subsidized Birth Control

So, dolls, you may have heard that birth control is now considered “preventative care” and is covered by the government. This means that you will NOT have to pay a copay for your birth control prescription – mandatory by August 2012. The federal government has declared, yes, women are certainly capable of making informed decisions about their bodies, and indeed should be provided the means to do so.

Birth control pills stored next to Viagara. Guess they go hand in...wait, never mind.

Not to mention, the majority of birth control carries significant reductions in the development of endometrial and ovarian cancers.These cancers kill our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters – how terrific is it that we can reduce these risks with one tiny daily pill, implanted device, or a small rubber ring?

Celebrations all around!

Oh, except not everyone is celebrating.  In fact, Sandy Rios, VP of Family PAC Federal (pro-family, anti-tax political action committee), says that our country is too much in debt (14 Trillion dollars is really a huge deal, I’m not arguing that here) to pay for birth control. ThinkProgress.org has been covering the right-wing backlash surrounding the birth control issue and quoted Rios from a Fox News interview saying: Is the White House out of their mind…now we’re going to cover birth control, breast pumps, counseling for abuse? Are we going to do pedicures and manicures as well?

Pretty sure no domestic abuse victim ever compared her life to a mani/pedi session at her local salon. Don’t think domestic abuse is a national issue? Consider that, in the U.S., a woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds (Uniform Crime Reports, 1991, an annual report published by the FBI).

“Besides,” Rios says in another interview, “women should be having more responsible sex.”

Women should be having more responsible sex? Pregnancies are not a solo act, the burden of which does not rest squarely on the hips of women – wtf? When 1 in 4 women are raped in their lifetime, it’s safe to say that unwanted pregnancies are going to occur that are completely out of control of the hands of women. I read somewhere that 40% of pregnancies in the U.S. end in abortion. FORTY PERCENT, people. If sex-ed, learned from my publicly funded school, is correct, I’m thinking it’s not all the fault of the ladies.

Hey, here’s a fun fact: did you know that the government pays for Viagra and penis pumps? Yup.

See how that works? Your tax dollars are paying for men in this country to inflate their penises to an appropriate amount for their ego and keep them up all night long, baby. But we’re waaaaay to broke to pay for preventative pregnancy for our women? Come again?

What about the low-income women in this world on welfare? I know at least a few dozen assholes in my small Richmond network alone who scoff at them and say largely unhelpful things like “maybe they should stop having babies!” When you’re barely able to put food on the table for your current babies and yourself, the last thing you want to do is to have another baby. Sadly, women of low income are our most at-risk women for domestic violence and sexual assault. Know that for a woman living in poverty their access to medical treatment and critical prenatal care is probably well out of reach – as is simple basic nutrition. As a result,  many babies are born with easily preventable diseases and/or mental retardation – these children grow up to be “children of the system” relying on federal and state funded programs. Do you see the cycle here?

Tell me what’s more expensive: arming women with contraception, or raising children on the government’s dime? The last time I checked, providing only the essentials necessary to raise a child costs well over $11,000 per year. Some of the most expensive birth control costs, as marked up by insurers, costs under $500 per year. Oh, and aborting 4 out of every 10 pregnancies in the U.S. costs this country $11B (that’s billion with a B) a year.

One of my favorite arguments is that federal coverage of birth control will force the hand of the pharmacist who who doesn’t believe in birth control for religious reasons. Whoever you are, if you’re reading this, know exactly how I feel about you: If you have some sort of religious issue when you are providing a mass public service, like filling a prescription, get a new job that’s not located behind the pharmacy counter at some national chain grocer or convenience store. Helping women make controlled decisions, about their own bodies, is not sacrilegious.

Also covered under the new legislation are breast pumps for new mothers, an annual “well-woman” checkup, screening for the disease that causes cervical cancer, and counsel for domestic abuse victims among other things. MSBC has a great article covering the birth control legislation and some of its controversial points – it’s worth the read.

Is it the job of the tax payer to foot the bill for birth control and preventative medical care for our women? As we are the only carriers of human life, I’m inclined to think this precious natural resource should be protected. Especially since it is far too often victimized and exploited.

Photo credits: Mark Blinch / REUTERS as shown on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43972446/ns/health-health_care/t/us-government-insurers-must-cover-birth-control-no-copays/

Vinegar Hill and Female Friendships

Last night was a rainy, stormy night in Richmond – perfect for reading a dark story. I have a stack of books from local secondhand bookstore The Cracked Book (no kickbacks, I just believe in this little gem of a bookstore), and from the pile ending up grabbing Vinegar Hill, by A. Manette Ansay.

If you ever find yourself looking for a dark story to accompany a dark night, and you’d like something that you can read in a matter of hours – this is the perfect read.

Note: I didn’t know it was an Oprah Book Club book – not that I have anything against the OBC. I chose this book simply based on the cover, the synopsis on the back, and the words on the random page that I opened. I’m glad she chose this novel.

Vinegar Hill is a story about a family of four: Ellen, the 30-something mom, James (aka Jimmy) the, presumably a few years older but still 30-something dad, pre-teen daughter, and adolescent son, who move from Illinois back to James’ childhood home in miserable Vinegar Hill.

The story is rife with tales and examples of abuse stemming from one loathsome man (Fritz, James’ father) to his family and extended family. Mary-Margaret (nicknamed Mary-May), James’ mother, perpetuates the cycle by verbally abusing Ellen and her children. The people who live in the house on Vinegar Hill are strict Catholics, and their God is vengeful. The closets of Vinegar Hill hold secrets of abuse, murder, revenge, and pain. Hate begets hate, misery breeds misery.

And caught in the middle of this are Ellen and her two children.

There are many themes in Vinegar Hill: feminism, religion, family, sacrifice, redemption, grace, patience, spiritual growth – but the one I identified with was the power of female friendships.

Ellen consistently struggles with her Catholic faith, and the advice given to her by Father Bork, her mother, her sisters, her mother-in-law, and women who teach alongside her at the Catholic school where she works. These women urge her to submit to her husband and let him make the family decisions that impact them all, despite that they are fueled from his own selfish desires. Ellen is encouraged to forgive James’ short-temper, lack of motivation, retreating love for her and their children, and his self-withdraw which grows until his children and wife become strange beings to him.

This mentality perpetuates a patriarchal society where women are made to feel powerless and trapped. The heroine, Ellen, in Vinegar Hill is the perfect embodiment of these. As she debates whether or not to turn to those around her who should offer support, sometimes testing the waters by offering up a watered-down version of her actual needs for support, she is given advice that is contradictory to her own natural instincts. We see the heroine sink deeper into her despair.

How many of us have been there?

Ellen finds herself exploring a critical-to-the-plot-line friendship with forward-thinking divorcee Barb, even though Barb embodies characteristics that actually scare Ellen; they are so radically different from her own. As the story progresses, Ellen seeks to cope by putting herself into a medicated fog. And then one day, Barb helps Ellen to a small breakthrough that begins the novels turnaround. And this – this essential part of the story is where I stopped hating Ellen.

Because I hated Ellen before this. I hated her for being kowtowing to her husband’s demands even though that fool was doing nothing to support his family. I hated that she was taking abuse from her mother and father-in law, while her loser husband sat by and wilted into a shadow of a man. I hated how she had zero support from her friends (save Barb), family, and religion. Even worse, I hated how desperately unhappy the children were. I wanted to drag Ellen from her dark place to the surface and light again – I wanted to empower her and put her back in control of her life.

I don’t want to give away the novel’s ending so stop reading if you’re going to pick up the book because the rest could be a spoiler, but I will say this: thank God (whomever he/she is to you) for life-changing friendships. Then thank the friend who changes your life.

Reasons Feminism Isn’t Dead #5

Because female victims of rape and sexual assault are still receiving blame for unwanted, unasked, and unsolicited sexual advances BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WEAR.

The Richmond Fed: Virginia is for Lovers

The Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond made a bold statement in support of LGBT Pride Month. On Friday, June 3rd, the Bank proudly flew the pride flag in a show of support for the LGBT Community. Fed First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Sally Green explained the decision was as “an example of our commitment to the values of acceptance and inclusion.”

Pride, acceptance, and inclusion outside of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank

Bravo, Federal Reserve Bank! Bravo!

Because isn’t that what this nation is all about? Uniting various lifestyles, races, religions, thoughts, and opinions all in the name of freedom?

Remember Virginia Senator Bob Marshall ? He has big problems with the Federal Reserve Bank’s show of support. In his letter to Fed President Jeffrey M. Lacker, Marshall writes that the Fed’s decision to show open support to the LGBT community “undermines the American economy”.

First of all, I’m not even sure how flying a flag can possibly undermine the entire American economy. I feel like there are many more questionable bank practices and colossal money-wasters that undermine our economy. I also don’t see how publicly declaring support for an entire community of individuals who are paying taxes to the federal government, despite being allowed the same rights as heterosexuals, undermines the economy either. Just sayin’.

Marshall’s letter then went on to say that “homosexual behavior is a Class 6 Felony” in Virginia.

Of course, the homosexual behavior Marshall is referring to is consensual anal sex. We’re taking this stance right now: Homosexuality is no more about anal intercourse as heterosexuality is no more about vaginal intercourse. Being gay, or transgendered, or bisexual is about acceptance, lifestyle, and love. So is being heterosexual.

I don’t understand why homosexuality is immediately equated to sex acts. I don’t look at two straight people and demand to know (and subsequently judge them) if they’re doing it missionary or reverse cowgirl. I don’t wonder because it’s not my business. And it’s not Marshall’s either.

We all have rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are guaranteed protection and equal rights regardless of who we love, who we worship, and the color of our skin.

And btw – that whole Class 6 Felony issue should be null in light of Lawrence v. Texas, ruled over by the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest decision-makers in the good US of A. So, Senator, get with the times, please.

This awesome photo credit: Richmond Times-Dispatch. Great article on this topic, too!

Hugh Hefner: Pro-Feminist

My best man-friend and I were having casual dinner conversation the other night about reality TV celebrities (please know that I use that term loosely), which led, in a roundabout way, to strippers, which strayed into a discussion of Playboy when he said to me “yeah, but you know Hugh Hefner did a lot for women”.

And they say you objectify women, Hef. Hah! What are they talk-oh...wait...are those bunny costumes?

“WHAT?!?!” I exclaimed, “Please be joking”.

“No, I’m serious” he countered. “He raised a lot of money for pro-choice efforts and helped, you know, like, empower women to be sexy”.

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed again, my eyes, wide as Playmate boob jobs, searching my dear friend’s face for the slightest hint of I’m-totally-just-kidding-right-now expression.

Unfortunately, he was not kidding. My mind scrambled to organize my thoughts before a jumble of words came out. Because I don’t hate Hugh Hefner. His business model is straightforward and every model knows what she’s getting into when she strips in front of the camera; you’ve got consenting adults making and selling porn. But what can’t be ignored is the flimsy “Women should be allowed to be sexy and my magazine gives them that outlet” excuse for an ideal that Hef wears more than his smoking jackets.

“Friend,” I began “you must know that Hugh Hefner, while he did raise many funds for pro-choice causes, is no great champion of women”. I continued, slowly and deliberately, so he could know the care I was taking in choosing my words, “when a man displays women, scantily clad if at all, across glossy magazine paper in the name of sleaze journalism, or pins rabbit tails to the bottoms of black and pink leotards he is not on a mission of empowerment. The decoration and straight up objectification of women for male pleasure voids the fundamental pillars of pro-feminism.”

We sat quietly for a minute and I continued “It’s just that lobbying for women’s freedoms while simultaneously profiting off of their sexuality is like giving feminism a slap across the ass.”

Photo courtesy of: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-29/hugh-hefner-and-playboys-future/

Women are Bad With Money…I’m Just Sayin’

This blog post is dedicated to Carrie and Marisa – two chicks who have lent invaluable financial advice to this female blogger.

My boss, a completely phenomenal woman in her own right, shared the following article from the NBC12 website: New rule cuts credit cards for stay-at-home parents

Disclosure: We work for a bank.

The 30-second article overview: Beginning October 1st of this year, federal rules prohibit banks from issuing credit cards to people without “an individual source of income”. For this blog’s audience that means all you stay-at-home moms, widowed homemakers, divorcees looking to re-establish your life, military wives with spouses overseas (yup, it’s in the article), single mom living on stretches of child support payments, and lady without a job: the government does not trust you with credit. But don’t go scrambling to get your credit card application in before 10/1/11; banks are free to enforce the rule at any time.

You can be of several opinions concerning this topic, but the conversation that needs to be had is how this regulation really hits women. Because by and large females end up in shitty financial situations. Whether through plain ignorance, misplaced trust, blind faith, evolving (and devolving) personal relationships, and sometimes just damn poor judgment – women experience poverty more frequently than men.

Want some proof? Help yourself to these stats posted on the the Federal Reserve Bank’s website pulled from Pennsylvania Governor Elizabeth A. Duke’s speech, at a program hosted by Consumer Credit Counseling Services:

*The Department of Labor reported in 2008 that less than half of working women participated in a pension or retirement plan.

*Women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don’t offer retirement plans.

*The typical woman spends 10 years out of the workforce for caregiving, while the typical man spends just 2 years out of the workforce. (What’s a stay-at-home mom worth anyways? In 2007, Salary.com reported the salary to be $138,000/year.)

Then there are these fun facts from Kim Kiyosaki’s book Rich Woman, as posted on Kim’s financial coaching site:

*In the first year after the divorce, the woman’s standard of living drops 73%.

*Nearly 7 out of 10 women will at some time live in poverty.

*90% of all women have sole responsibility for their finances within their lifetime, yet 79% of all women have not planned for this.

And if that’s not enough for you, do your own Googling and find out more.

Better yet, talk to the women in your life.

Aside from bearing the children, the job of rearing them falls predominantly on the shoulders of women. We are the CEO and CFO of the family unit, we are Custodian of the Floors, Laundry Officers, and the Gatekeeper of Purchases.

But outside of your front door, all of that means shit. And all the stay-at-home moms that I know make $0/year. This new credit law is a wake up call to get your purse straight.

Ladies, you NEED to be smarter. Because life happens and nothing stays the same.

More importantly: start educating your daughters.

It’s simply not enough to rely on public education to teach financial basics to the next wave of purse string holders. It’s not enough to hope they’ll learn from our mistakes and embody our best habits. It’s not enough to hope beyond hope that your daughters will fall into the hands of a man or situation that will take care of themselves. IT.IS.NOT.ENOUGH.

It’s not enough because obviously most of us have no clue what we’re doing with our money. We haven’t saved for retirement and we’re living from paycheck to paycheck – if we’re even collecting one.

End the cycle of female poverty starting with you and your lineage.

My Short Skirt and The New Wave of Feminism

My Short Skirt, by Eve Ensler from the “Vagina Monologues”, an excerpt:

My short skirt
It is not an invitation
a provocation
an indication
that I want it
or give it
or that I hook.

My short skirt
is not begging for it
it does not want you
to rip it off me
or pull it down.

My short skirt
is not a legal reason
for raping me…

In January this year, some hugely misinformed cop in Toronto stated that “women should avoid dressing like ‘sluts’ so they aren’t raped or victimized” (hit the jump for the MSN article or go here for where it all began ). He said this to a group of university students, and has since apologized, but not before his comments were spread far and wide thanks to Twitter and Facebook.

I want to make it clear that this blog is not about this cop, because he shouldn’t be given any more attention that he’s received and instead I hope he’s receiving some serious crisis training and education regarding victims of rape and sexual assault. What he has served to do, however, is highlight a critical issue in our perception of rape and sexual assault victims: we are still placing blame on victims. A woman no more deserves to be raped whether she’s covered from head to toe in dark, draped fabrics, professionally clothed, wearing next to nothing, or downright naked. Nobody asks to be raped, and clothing doesn’t speak. Ladies hear this now: there is nothing that you can do that will make someone rape you; that ugly blame rests entirely on the attacker.

But something happened in Toronto that day the comment was made. Slut Walk co-founders Sonya Barnett and Heather Jarvis realized that this perception, this poor excuse for advice, was unacceptable. And they did something amazing: they organized Slut Walk in Toronto. Barnett and Jarvis expected 100 people and more than 3,000 – men and women – showed up to walk.

They walked to reclaim the word “slut” and to make a statement to the world that it is not okay, it is not excusable, and it will not be justifiable to scrutinize the fit of a woman’s dress, the height of her hemline, or the plunge of her neckline when determining whether or not she is to blame for being a victim. Slut Walks are popping up all over the world – not just America: the world.

People are walking in their best “slut” attire. Some show up in denim and tshirts. Some are wearing professional clothes, and still some walkers are showing support in their sweats. They come carrying signs reading: My Dress is Not a Yes” and with “SLUT” scrawled across their bodies, or they come alone – as victims, or as friends of victims, or simply to stand up once and for all and say NO MORE BLAME.

But why are we claiming the word “slut”? Where did that word come from? Though women trade insults and labels with other women, calling one another sluts, bitches, whores, etc – these labels are born from male perception. Slut is thought to have originated around 1402 referring to “a dirty, untidy, or slovenly woman”.  The term appears in literature as early as the 1380’s when Geoffrey Chaucer used the word once in reference to a man, but then exclusively associated with women. Since 1450 “slut” has come to be associated with female promiscuity.

What’s the point of reclaiming “slut” – or claiming it at all? For me, the point of feminism is equal rights, freedom of choice over my body, and tearing down preset notions about what it means to be a woman. I’m not on a campaign to reclaim the word “bitch”; I’d rather reclaim “woman”, “intelligent beyond cup size”, “female”, etc.

Sometimes, to really make a statement, and show people (like this jerk cop in Toronto) just how poisonous their views are, you have to blaze down a rocky path in your efforts to effect change. I support Slut Walks, and absolutely recognize the huge deal that it is to 21st century feminism – and maybe even for feminism and the feminist movement in the last 20 years. I can’t say enough that what a woman wears is her business and will never serve as an excuse for violation. March on, people, march on.