ANU Women's Department

LET’S ALL BURN OUR BRAS!!!!

2010-09-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

That’s feminism ladies. I’ll bring the freedom trashcan and we can throw off the bounds of fascist beauty standards…

Ok, so I know a few of you (Renee) are clawing your eyes out now but you all know its something I love to talk about.

The hairy-legged, lesbian feminists still exist… in my mind. And yes I am deluded, and yes I know it's a myth and a stereotype. So lets talk about it: because that's what women’s collectives talk about (once we get outta the kitchen) :P

So news flash, if you didn't know it already; bra burning is a myth. And I googled it yep some Wikipedia trust worthy sources back it up…

~INSERT HISTORY HERE~
http://mediamythalert.wordpress.com/category/bra-burning/

so a quick crash sum up :
-a feminist protest was held outside the miss America pageant 1968
-there was a freedom trash can, someone threw in a bra
-no bras where burned
-some ladies where arrested
-one lady bailed them out and said on record that the act was a ‘symbolic bra-burning’
-the newspapers picked it up, and the term and perception went viral

So I guess my points is: but what if it’s not a myth, I mean I don't want it to be. It is or so it seems, but perception is powerful. Why the all huff and puff about it when some one mentions it comically or endearingly? Can we continue to live in ignorance and enjoy this radical image? If it empowers, ignites a bit of sprit or gets people talking. What’s the loss…. we already have bad reputations.

With Love,
Emma ::)

Why Joss Whedon is one of my favorite feminists...

2010-09-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

I was a relative late comer to the Joss Whedon experience. Instead of watching Buffy, Angel and Firefly when they were originally released, I instead spent my formative early teens watching shows like the OC. Whilst I appreciated the soundtrack and the non stop wit served up by Seth Cohen, the female characters were utterly abysmal. Was I supposed to be looking up to the morose Marissa or the shallow Summer? Or was I instead supposed to see the conniving Mrs Cooper as my role model.

When I finally left home for university, leaving behind the toils of shared television, I was able to experience the 'Whedonverse' for the first time. I was immediately overwhelmed with all of the strong female characters. Sisterhood really did kick ass, and it punned whilst doing it. River Tam could kill someone with her brain, Zoe was a formidable warrior woman respected by Mal, Kaylee has a whole lotta soul and mechanic skills, Willow became a powerful witch, Cordelia kept Angel investigations together and Buffy literally tore misogynists into two.

Now before this fangirl gushing turn into full blown ranting, I leave you with my favorite Joss quote.

Interviewer: So, why do you write these strong female characters?

Joss: Because you’re still asking me that question.

-Renee

How lovely is your labia

2010-09-02T01:42:00.000-07:00

A disturbing number of women, heavily influenced by porn magazines are undergoing 'labiaplasty', an extremely invasive and unnecessary procedure for the purpose of reducing the size of their labias in order to copy the appearance of the airbrushed pictures in porn magazines.

This growing trend is worrying for women on many different levels. But until the airbrushing of women is absolutely prohibited in the media, the concept of becoming an 'ideal woman' is just going to keep on getting harder to achieve. But the porn editors are passing the buck to the censorship standards which apparently restrict the magazines from showing what a woman actually looks like. Ridiculous, isn't it?

Recent attention has been been drawn to this issue with both ABC's Hungry Beast and Triple J's Hack program both doing segments on this topic. You can refer to the abc website to find video and audio on this topic.

-Julia.

Jake Ryan: 80s Hero and Sometimes Jerkoff

2010-07-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

I never thought the day would come when I would criticise a John Hughes film. As a kid, Home Alone, Uncle Buck and Beethoven were watched and re-watched until the VCR burnt a hole in the tape. When I first saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club as a teenager, I was in awe of how I could better relate to films made before I was born than those on offer at the cinemas, which seemed to invariably revolve around tricking people into going to prom (She’s All That, I’m looking at you).

It was only recently that I watched Sixteen Candles, the first of Hughes’ teen films. Even though it captured the essence of being a teenager – family drama, unrequited love, going to school dances without a date (sigh), I couldn’t help but be irked by the ending and its underlying message.

To summarise, Sam Baker (Molly Ringwald) has a major crush on sensitive jock Jake Ryan, who is dating the beautiful but vacuous Carolyn. Thrown into the mix is the affable Geek (Anthony Michael Hall), whose hapless attempts to woo Sam are continually rejected. At a party at Jake’s house, Jake, realising that he loves Sam, not Carolyn, makes a wager with the Geek – if the Geek hands over Sam’s underwear (which Sam gave him to help him win a bet) then Jake will let the Geek take his passed-out girlfriend home. Classy. Jake, who describes Carolyn as so drunk he “could violate her ten different ways” if he wanted to, puts her in a car for the drunken Geek to drive around, firstly to his friend’s house so they can take photos of her suggestively snuggling the Geek, and then to a car park to have sex. The next morning, Jake turns up at the car park in order to “catch” Carolyn cheating, so he can break up with her and go out with Sam.

It’s hard to decide which element of this scenario is the most depressing – the fact that Sam’s dream guy is happy to trade-off his unconscious girlfriend as part of a bet, the fact that the naive Geek is happy to take advantage of her, or the fact that despite not remembering having sex, Carolyn decides that “she thinks she enjoyed it.” Even more depressing is that Carolyn’s rape is apparently grounds for Jake to dump her.

It may have been different times, and it is just a movie, after all. But when Sam and Jake share that super cute kiss over a birthday cake, you have to wonder what kind of relationship she’s getting into.

- Josie

Not another burka post

2010-05-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

The debate over the burka has become a poisoned chalice for feminists. On one hand you might be criticized for not supporting your Muslim sisters. On the other you fall under the typical Western sentiment that our society is progressive and right whilst the predominantly Muslin societies are backwards and wrong.

A column written by Irfan Yusuf basically summarizes my personal view on the matter. Whether or not you believe the burka should be banned in Australia, gender based violence rampant in our own backyard should be the primary focus. Any politician who criticizes the burka under the guise of protecting the rights of women, need to look at what they are doing to change the brutal statistics of sexual violence and domestic abuse first. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2895960.htm

-Renee

Royal regresses in progressive Sweden

2010-05-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

In Sweden, a country that prides itself on its high level of gender equality, its Crown princess Victoria has caused a stir by requesting that her father King Carl XVI Gustaf walk her down the aisle.

Unlike Australia, it is tradition in Sweden for bride and groom walk down the aisle together, with only one in ten brides being given away by their fathers. Yet Swedes think that this practice is increasing, due to the portrayal of weddings in Hollywood movies.

Despite the fact that her father is a king, the head of the Swedish church is firmly against the act of 'giving away' as it goes completely against the principles of gender equality. Also due to the popularity of Victoria and the respect the royal family has in Sweden, this practice could be setting a precedent for more women in Sweden.

This discussion has implications for women in Australia:

- Many women, myself included, have a stronger relationship with their mothers - should we be able to choose a 'favourite' parent to give us away? Or do we even need to be given away at all?

- And what of surnames? In Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, the majority of women keep their maiden name after marriage.

While marriage is probably not a subject on many readers' minds, it is still important to look at these traditions and wonder if in fact they are harmless traditions or they are practices which need to be discarded if we want to improve gender equality.

- Julia

Spotted! Guerrilla Feminism A Go-Go

2010-05-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Women's Collective is partipating in the NUS (National Union of Students) Women's Departments 'Say No To Sexism' campaign. Stickers have been issued, and a few have already been spotted on the campus.

-Chiara.

This image is sexist

2010-05-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sexist images in advertising is unfortunately all to common whether it be in magazines, newspapers, internet or on television.

In this video, feminist Anita Sarkeesian explores the surge in the 'fembot' - a sexy, obedient, female robot which companies such as Heineken deem necessary to help sell their products.

You can watch the video here

- Julia

Banning stripping - a feminist move?

2010-04-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Grazia magazine recently had a post on their website about Iceland's new law banning all strip clubs. Supposedly, this move was made by President Sigurdardottir for feminist reasons, to combat sexism and the objectification of female bodies.

This seems like a great step for feminism on the surface, but I find that raunch culture and sexual liberation are such murky areas, I can never quite decide if I think of stripping as liberating or objectifying for women.

I was particularly troubled by this quote from the article:

'Think of it this way: throughout history men have been more than willing to pay – repeatedly – for the privilege of seeing a woman's naked body. The reason male strip clubs haven’t truly taken off is basically because: women are smarter, superior beings. Save for some initial curiosity about Jamie Durie's Manpower troupe many years ago, most of us wouldn’t pay to see a naked man gyrating on a pole.'

Is this true? Can we state so firmly that women are just 'smarter' and 'superior' to men because male strip clubs are less popular than female strip clubs? Could this in fact be less due to the fact that women don't desire male bodies as much as men do female bodies, and more due to the fact that there is a taboo against blatant displays of female desire that just doesn't exist for men?

Let us know what you think! And you can read the full article on Grazia here.

- Zoya

Dropping the C-Bomb

2010-04-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

With new movie Kick-Ass and its teenage assassin Hit-Girl outraging family groups/movie reviewers/religious folk/pretty much everyone aged 40+, freelance journalist Emma Young takes on the question: why can't girls use the c-word?

"What should be seen as the real failure is the double standards still applied to men and women over language and propriety. It is ludicrous that women are expected to be more polite than men. And since the c-word is, after all, a reference to part of the female body, it seems especially odd that a great big fuss is made when we're the ones who finally dare to use it."

Read the whole article "Don't Be Vulgar, Unless You Are a Man" here.

-- Josie.

International Girl Gang Underground

2010-04-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this post may not interest everyone, but Girl Gang Underground sounds like a really neat idea. DIY/grassroots feminism compiled in a zine, seeking submissions.

"Have punk rock, riot grrrl, queer feminist subcultures, and/or DIY feminisms been helpful to you? Have they hurt you? Do you work with them or against them? Do you fit somewhere in between? What do your feminisms look like? The heart of this project is dialogue, and we want your voice to be present."

Girl Gang Underground; get involved!

-Chiara.

The 'F' Word

2010-04-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine linked me to this picture on feministing, as an example of what she wants to say to all those girls who think 'feminist' is a dirty word.

I couldn't have put it better!

- Zoya

Welcome!

2010-04-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Australian National University Women’s Department’s official blog!

Here we hope to encourage debate, discussion and offer up insight into various issues in culture, politics, and on campus that affect women.

For this blog to be all it can be, we need YOU to submit content! Send any articles, links, ideas or comments to anuwomens.department@gmail.com.

Try to keep things around 600 words max, but if it needs to be said, we’re happy to take longer pieces as well.

If you go to ANU and would like a chance at editing the blog for a week, email sa.womens@anu.edu.au, and we’ll add you to the list!

Also check here for updates on Collective meeting times, events and campaign info for the Women’s Collective.

Get your feminist on!

Zoya Patel

Women’s Officer