Cross posted from “Discourses From the Fence,” my blog of bisexual theory.
Bi characters have thankfully been gaining a bit of visibility on television lately. On the latest episode of ABC’s medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” a bi woman named Callie exchanges flirtation with Arizona, a woman who kissed her out of the blue in a previous episode. This female-female kiss was nothing new for “Grey’s” as Callie only recently divorced her husband and then dated a woman for the first time in her life. Amidst the rest of the current network hits, “Grey’s” is one of the most sexually progressive series.
Not only is “Grey’s” depicting a woman who is bi, but one who is still trying out her wings, portraying to young or recently out bi’s–and to the rest of the world, for that matter–that questioning one’s orientation, being uncertain and making mistakes along the way, is acceptable and doesn’t always lead to venereal disease. As in real life, biphobia rears its ugly head more than once, and Callie, like many bi’s, is without support or context for her identity, and knows no way of handling it well. Read more »
Filed under: television on February 22nd,
2009 by JD | 2 Comments »
Whether or not Obama is a feminist, he’s certainly a surprising pick for a http://www.msmagazine.com/archive.asp cover. Kyle points out that this is the first man on the cover of Ms. in 12 years. Is Obama worthy of the honor (of the cover OR the title feminist)?
Apparently Ms.’ justification for this cover pick is that Obama told Feminist Majority Foundation chair Peg Yorkin in a meeting, “I am a feminist.”
Only time will tell what Obama will do for women as president, and this bold cover based on 3 words seems premature.
Not to mention that using the classic image of Superman is quite demeaning - it implies that Obama will swoop in a one-man feminist to change women’s lives for all time. This is not how change happens, as grassroots feminists have always known.
Seems like Ms. is reaching pretty low to jump on the Obama bandwagon. If Ms. wants to celebrate Obama’s work for women, perhaps a more fitting cover subject would be a woman in his life who has inspired his feminism - his mother, wife, or daughters would be obvious examples.
Filed under: articles on February 1st,
2009 by Anna Lisa | 2 Comments »
Alice Ogden Bellis collects a variety of womanist and feminist interpretations of the Hebrew Bible in Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes, specifically focusing on the women in these stories. She traces this tradition of biblical interpretation to 19th century suffragists, a movement whose mainstream was made up of white women. Similarly, white Bellis’ first edition of this text focused on feminist scholarship. To her credit, she received criticism about this well, and her second edition pays thoughtful and significant attention to womanist scholarship.
Bellis’ comprehensive introduction gives helpful explanations of some of the richness in contemporary Biblical interpretation. Most interesting to me, she shares an overview of the variety of feminist understandings of biblical authority. My kneejerk reaction is to consider this a contradiction in terms, Read more »
Filed under: books on January 6th,
2009 by Anna Lisa | 2 Comments »
I didn’t expect to enjoy Charlie Wilson’s War, and I wasn’t disappointed. The story itself is almost inspiring - look what a couple of people can accomplish! Of course, what they’re accomplishing is war - on behalf of people who truly needed justice - that certainly has not led to any security for Afghanistan.
Though the movement behind Charlie’s involvement in Afghanistan is Joanne Herring, the movie does nothing to explain her own background or motivations regarding Afghanistan. Instead her presence in the film is almost exclusively as a sexual partner for Charlie, or otherwise defined by her sexuality (whether or not she’ll be offensively dressed in Afghanistan, her comment to Charlie’s staff, etc.).
Charlie’s involvement with many women, his choice of staff (he can learn to type, but can’t grow tits, so he hires women he’s attracted to) is not explored at all by the film. It’s simply used to bring excitement to the story and add something “fun” to an otherwise depressing movie. While this was certainly part of his life (and probably still is), it shouldn’t just be tossed into the mix of a movie for thrills without any reflection on its deeper meaning or impact.
Filed under: movies on December 25th,
2008 by Anna Lisa | No Comments »
Let me start by saying that I love Ani DiFranco. Anyone who can produce over 20 amazing albums in under 20 years, while raising a child, never abandoning her roots in activism, and continually kicking ass pretty much rocks in my book. With her new album, Red Letter Year, DiFranco brings it back to her classic crunchy radical folk rock. For the most part, the older her stuff, the more I like it. But with songs like Alla This, The Atom, and the title track Red Letter Year, this quickly climbed to the spot of one of my very favorite of DiFranco’s albums. (Imperfectly and Living in Clip remain my favorites.)
I’ve grown highly critical of musicians proclaiming to mix feminism and music into one through their art, abilities, and passion. And although a person can always do more, DiFranco has repeatedly found a way to mix it up and make us think. This particular album spans the spectrum including the upbeat (and nearly too sappy for this pessimist) Smiling Underneath - “long as I’m with you/I’ve got a good attitude/long as I’m with you.” My personal favorite track, Alla This, brings me back to the late 1990’s DiFranco - “I won’t rent you my time/I won’t sell you my brain/I won’t pray to a male god/Cuz that would be insane.”
Without listing quotes from each and every song on the album, I’ll sum up by saying that the passionate DiFranco has done it again; only this time, with the wisdom that comes from being a new mom. A great album, even if it takes me months to get used to the occasional sappy lyric.
Filed under: music on December 19th,
2008 by maggiehope | No Comments »
The Progressive Brethren gathering was full of wonderful people with deep passion and faith. It also perpetuated some damaging sexist principles. Who would have thought that God would be referred to as male 3 times in the first two sessions of the summit? Who would have thought that pastors would be referred to with male pronouns? These matters of language continue to be important to all who yearn for gender equality and for women to view themselves as whole and holy. Until women truly have similar encouragement, support and opportunity to be leaders in the church, we must be intentional about our language. (In the last session of the conference, God was referred to with a female pronoun.)
We are appropriately determined to achieve equality and wholeness for queer folks within the church, but cannot skip over straight women in the process. Our full inclusion will come together (if it comes at all) since the reasons we are denied access are the same. Allowing all genders and sexualities into full leadership would demand looking into gender and sexuality in our own lives. What if we find out something we don’t want to know about ourselves? What if we realize that we can’t keep living the way we’ve live? What if we can no longer depend on a powerful, righteous Father God to be in charge and make meaning in our confused and aching world? Read more »
Filed under: conferences on November 18th,
2008 by Anna Lisa | 2 Comments »
Krista Tippett’s weekly radio show (available in podcast) Speaking of Faith integrates a wide variety of perspectives on religion, spirituality, mystery, hope and culture. I often appreciate Krista Tippett’s interviews, and was particularly moved by the words of Rabbi Sharon Brous on Thursday’s show Days of Awe. Here is a clip of one of my favorite parts, and one that is particularly insightful for any woman wrestling with patriarchal religion:
Rabbi Sharon Brous, speaking about her relationship with Jewish texts krista-tippett-sharon-brous1.mp3
Of course, the relationship metaphor works so well in this context because (generally speaking) husbands have been able to inflict such pain upon their wives and wives have not had options for resistance. It is dangerous to romanticize being in love with a damaging tradition or person.
How do women (and men) in these patriarchal religious traditions resist powerfully and constructively?
How is the metaphor of tradition as husband or partner helpful and harmful?
Filed under: radio on September 29th,
2008 by Anna Lisa | 1
Comment »
Thank you Ralph Nader!
Ralph made many insightful, right-on comments during this show, but I want to thank him in particular for calling Bill Maher out for making sexist comments about Sarah Palin. Sure, Sarah Palin isn’t a good vice presidential candidate, but does that make her a bimbo?
Bill responded to Ralph’s schooling by saying that George Bush is a “bimbo with a penis.” Even “liberal” Bill Maher doesn’t seem to understand the power that prejudice gives to words, and that words like bimbo carry specific and damaging weight because they are part of a patriarchal tool kit.
In the comments section for this clip on YouTube, one commenter called Ralph “arrogant.” Another wrote “that fat woman lisa - she seemed extremely nervous…” Read more »
Filed under: television on September 27th,
2008 by Anna Lisa | 4 Comments »
Kate Jacob’s The Friday Night Knitting Club is a delightful novel about community building among women. The story is inspiring - single mom creates successful business, and influences other women to go after their own dreams and overcome deep fears, as well.
If the book had pushed a couple of sociological issues a bit further, it would have been much more meaningful:
I was drawn to the theatre to see this movie. I was looking forward to it for a couple weeks, as three of my favorite actors (actresses?) (Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing) star in it. I was hoping for a good couple hours filled with the bonds between women, the hope of a happy life without men, the strength found within a person — I hoped to leave the theatre after seeing it with a proud, rejuvenated sense of what it means to be a woman. Perhaps I wanted too much. I realize this… now that none of those hopes really panned out.
As I summarized my feelings to a close friend immediately after leaving the theatre, “I feel offended as a lesbian. I feel offended as a woman. I feel offended as a feminist.” Breaking that down into each complaint:
Jada Pinkett Smith’s first lesbian role was what I hope will be her only lesbian role. Read more »
Filed under: movies on September 18th,
2008 by maggiehope | 4 Comments »
