In response to the APA's report on the sexualization of young girls

If you haven't read it, it's here.

One thing that has always struck me as interesting, is the profound difference between girls right around my age- who went to middle school and early highschool in the days of Sassy Magazine and the Riot Grrrl movement, compared with girls just a bit younger- by one or two years, even, who went through those days with Britney Spears and the Spice Girls. It was especially obvious in highschool- I remember we'd be sitting in the cafeteria looking at the underclassmen being weirded out that some of the girls were actually cheerleaders- which we kind of regarded as something of a throwback. Especially because they only cheered for the boys teams. I also remember the first time I saw a Britney Spears video and thought "Oh man, this has to be a joke. No one would actually take this seriously! We make fun of this stuff now!" I was shocked when "Princess" shirts came out and women actually wore them without a hint of irony.

I have to wonder- would I be the same person I am now if I had been born a few years later? I mean, my mother was and is a very strong feminist role model- but without the culture to back me up, who knows where I'd be. I mean- there has to be a difference, culturally. I mean- you've got the girls that read Sassy, which was all about empowerment, and activism, and making skirts out of ties... and then you've got these girls who only had YM- which was all about being embarassed about your period and getting the guy who sits in front of you in Math class to notice you. You've got Kathleen Hanna telling you to get angry at sexism and rape culture, and then Britney saying "Hit me baby one more time." Something happened.

We've all discussed a billion times how riot grrrl got turned into the more marketable "Girl Power" movement. All of a sudden, women playing guitar turned into women prancing around in hot pants. It was no longer about doing, but being. Women like Roseanne were replaced on television by the ditzy Friends.

It was a small window in time. Maybe only about 4 years or so. I think it's possible that we, as women, have let the younger generations down- we didn't keep it going. We can't blame it all on marketing- because we could have been working harder to keep the grass-roots movements going that were actually having a pervasive effect on society as a whole. It's up to women to empower eachother, because clearly, we can see what happens when the corporate machine is given free reign.

It's getting pretty chilly in hell...

Helen Thomas gives up her seat

Because they were all like "Uh, Helen- we have TV now. Americans don't *have* to read anymore, k? And we're like totally getting tired of you constantly asking questions and stuff. Like, you're always all Debbie Downer and shit, ok?" And then Helen was all like "Whatever, I don't need you bitches. All the smart people know I'm better than you any way." and they're like "Yeah, whatever, like we care- they're nerds, hello! Besides, Fox News' parents are like, way rich and totally don't care if we do beer bongs in the backyard."

Yeah, so basically, they're making Helen Thomas give up her permanent seat, so someone from some cable news program (which, lets be honest, will more than likely be FOX NEWS instead of CNN. Which, on a rare occasion, airs actual news) so we can all hear more questions like "So, uh, isn't it super great how super great the war in Iraq is going?" and "Uh, so like, who does your hair?" and "What do you think about Anna Nicole's untimely demise- ooh, and who do you think the baby daddy is?"

Oy.

I can think of one thing they have in common...

They both have wood in their heads...

Bush continues be hung up on this idea that, while we may think he's a moron now, historians in the year 2500 will think he's a genius. I don't know if he's counting on people getting dumber, or what, but I just don't see that happening. Call me crazy... but I don't know.

"I’m reading about George Washington still,” the president told reporters
at a December news conference where he defended his Iraq policy. “My attitude
is, if they’re still analyzing No. 1, 43 ought not to worry about it and just do
what he thinks is right, and make the tough choices necessary.”

Insiders say this is the book Bushy was reading:

But the really weird thing is the fact that his name is "Mitt"

There's been quite a bit of talk lately about politicians and their personal religious beliefs- especially what with the whole Mitt Romney being a Mormon thing. Now, I'm going to tell you- it's not because Mormonism has a history with bigamy, or because their a Christian fringe group, or their sacred underwear, or even really because they believe that God lives on the planet Kolob and makes spirit babies or something to that effect, that people have a problem with.

It's because every person in this country has the same knee-jerk reaction to hearing a Mormon is coming-- which is to run upstairs and pretend you are not home. Same thing with the Jehovah's, Jews for Jesus and anyone soliciting insurance. They are out to annoy us, and we know it, and thus avoid them at all costs.
Duh.

It was Brigid O'Shaughnessy!

Maltese Falcon Actually Stolen

Do you think they have a private detective working on this case? I kind of hope so. And I hope it's some world-weary guy who wears a trenchcoat, and chainsmokes and talksh like thish. Because I would totally marry him. Or, possibly whoever stole the Falcon in the first place- because damn, is that bad ass or what? Unless it was Mary Astor. I don't think I'd marry her. Or Bebe Daniels. Possibly Bette Davis, though (the Bette Davis movie "Satan Met a Lady" was based on The Maltese Falcon, and her character, Valerie Purvis, was supposed to be Brigid O'Shaughnessy). Because Miss Davis and I are totally soul sisters.

In case you don't know, I have this thing where I have always secretly wanted to be a femme fatale who attempts to foil a hard-boiled private detective. I watch a lot of film noir, I can't help it. Also, I really, really want someone to knock on my door and ask me if I'm decent, whereupon I flip my long, flowing hair back like I'm some kind of coquette and say "Sure... I'm decent." In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's what Rita Hayworth does in the movie "Gilda." I actually have a whole list of things I want to do that occur in movies that involve me being far more glamourous and smooth than I actually am. It sort of breaks my heart a little every day to know that I will never be described as being Garbo-esque. Alas, we all have our crosses to bear.