re: GQ, Vogue, Dane Cook oh my!

Some question for all the ladies (and men who like that sort of thing) (SEXISM!):

Is GQ the perfect women's magazine?

Is Annie Leibovitz's new spread "good"?

Is Dane Cook a Jerk or a Genius?

re: Coincidence? on TV

I watch quite a bit of TV. Good and bad, male and female oriented, above and below my intelligence level; I could say that you can't comment on pop culture without experiencing it but that would be only half true.

So I have a couple of questions for TV but go easy on me because I'm exposing my bad habits here. Here's the first edition:

Why can I always call who is going to sleep with whom based almost solely on race? A black woman makes a cameo on a connected show with only one black male = SEXUAL TENSION.

And why do women who are pains in the ass need to be brought down to earth by sex and can only be good at their jobs or relationships and not both? I actually think this is often true, but of both sexes.

Fuck You Private Practice.

Do you have questions for TV? Send them to me c/o TV and I'll make sure it gets them.

UPDATE: here is another question: Why was Tracie Thom on PP? BITCH WAS IN RENT.

re: no girls on the internet and the Georgetown PA

Here's a couple of posts: the sexism of the internet and on that Georgetown kid who hired a personal assistant.

No girls allowed?

Jerk or Genius: student hires PA.

re: do you use the "C-word"?

Do you use the "C-word"?

No. I say cunt.

As some have pointed out, "cunt" is a pretty common slang term for a guy in areas like Scotland and England - occupying an area somewhere between "dude" and "fuckface." But European ubiquity is not an excuse for use - there or here. Cunt it is still one of the last offensive words in North American culture. Or, rather, it's one of the last words that both men or women would say is offensive. Because women don't get to decide.

Now here is the tricky part so forgive me if this is vague; it sounds like I think these instances are the same. They are not. The reason it is okay to say "dick" and make "boys are smelly" Venn diagrams and not for women is that the structural and historical context is just not comparable - in almost any society.

And, technically, one could say it's equivalent to saying "dick". But, of course, it isn't. Is this because of the view of the female sex (organ)? It is more dirty and taboo? Maybe, but really I think it's because using "dick" as derogatory is allowed due to the historical relationship of women and power. Like, give them the "dick" thing and they'll shut up.

So, are these double standards empowering or just fighting prejudice with ignorance? I mean, stereotypes are going to be "solved" with more stereotypes. If this was about women, would it be okay?

I will never be one to call for a ban on words. I hate c--- or c*** etc. Words of any kind have their place - offensive or otherwise - in dialogue. To be afraid to even use the word to discuss it's use is damaging to open and effective dialogue.

At the end of the day, it's not about the word. The word has been infused with meaning, but it doesn't have negative connotations in and of itself. Men use "dick" as derogatory. So, maybe it's the idea of summing up a person as one piece of flesh. And that is hurtful no matter your sex/gender/self perception.

Let's gather our patience, our intelligence, our compassion and our courage and try to understand how to be sensitive and direct at the same time. Do not say C word. Use the word cunt. Write it out. A woman's sex is not dirty or sacred. But don't call a woman a cunt. Don't define her by her biology. And to evolve as people, let's apply all those things to how we treat all sexes/genders/self perceptions.

re: discriminating against white males or don't think we are so different

This is frustrating, but I'm not going to indulge in the "American's are so racist and teribbler-er than us (Canada)" because we have our own deep-seated, perhaps more passive nowadays but no less historically blood soaked, intolerances. Watch this and cringe and yet, hope:



I think it's silly to use the fact that Sotomayor called herself an "affirmative action baby" - she's saying that to show the good of affirmative action, not apologizing for herself.

This is like saying it's discriminating to have a First Nations, African, Women's Centre or LGBT Centre (like we have at my University) but not a Men's Centre. Until the freaking globe isn't a Men's Centre, they are creating a safe and empowered place for groups who have traditionally been given neither safety nor power.

And "evil affirmative action" is the most ridiculous phrase I've ever heard. I don't even think Pat Buchanan is evil. Don't be throwing that word around so much, people.

Kudos to Maddow for giving him his say and then straight up saying he's "wrong," "dated" and "privileging race" i.e. is being racist. Shutting down opinons is not the way, but rather responding to them intelligently, calmly and with BALLS (ok, so technically she has none but you get my drift).

I've had it with Conservative Republican loudmouths - let's get intelligent debate going on here (on both sides of the border). They don't know how their own system works (see Glen Beck), cannot maintain a rational,cohesive argument (see Bill O'Reilly), are outright terrible people (see Ann Coulter, who even makes Bill O. look reasonable and may be closer to the E word than I've ever encountered) or all of the above (see all of the above).

UPDATE: Dr. Stephen T. Colbert discusses "reverse racism" and "reverse civil rights leader Pat Buchanan." LOLWHIMPER.

To counter the utter terror and frustration that is fighting to dominate my opinon of North American politics, here is the cutest thing ever:




I'm not tickilish but I understand how this would rock.