Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Working wives are bad news for Hero Husbands
Man! Freddy is going to be so excited when I tell him I'm quitting my job so he can be a HERO.
You see, according to Dr. Laura, when women work outside the home, they lose respect for their husbands. Because the MAN is supposed to be the PROTECTOR, the HERO. And how can Freddy be a hero if I'm out there working, just like he is?
I mean, of course I have no respect for him! I see him as an equal! I see us as partners -- and anybody knows that's no way to make a marriage work.
And can you imagine what would happen to our marriage if I had a job and Freddy -- gulp! -- had to stay home with the children? What if he had to -- I can barely type the words, the thought is so unpleasant -- be a father???
I would have absolutely no respect for him! Seeing the man I love utterly devoted to our children? Feeding them, playing with them, reading to them, caring for them when they're sick? Please! WHAT WOMAN WANTS THAT???
Because, really, girls... who wants a man who does a woman's job? How demeaning.
(Thanks to TheSexist for bringing all this to my attention. Now let me quit my job so Freddy can be my HERO WARRIOR PROTECTOR. He'll LOVE that, don't you think?)
You see, according to Dr. Laura, when women work outside the home, they lose respect for their husbands. Because the MAN is supposed to be the PROTECTOR, the HERO. And how can Freddy be a hero if I'm out there working, just like he is?
I mean, of course I have no respect for him! I see him as an equal! I see us as partners -- and anybody knows that's no way to make a marriage work.
And can you imagine what would happen to our marriage if I had a job and Freddy -- gulp! -- had to stay home with the children? What if he had to -- I can barely type the words, the thought is so unpleasant -- be a father???
I would have absolutely no respect for him! Seeing the man I love utterly devoted to our children? Feeding them, playing with them, reading to them, caring for them when they're sick? Please! WHAT WOMAN WANTS THAT???
Because, really, girls... who wants a man who does a woman's job? How demeaning.
(Thanks to TheSexist for bringing all this to my attention. Now let me quit my job so Freddy can be my HERO WARRIOR PROTECTOR. He'll LOVE that, don't you think?)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Stolen Words Wednesday: "I am not American."
(Actually, I am American. I am Chilean and USian, and both those countries are in America. Which is a continent, not a country. Go look at a globe.)
But I like how The Arrogant Worms say it:
Now go read Chally's post at Feministe: Dear USians On The Internet. It's a good read.
(Oh, and please don't bother USsplaining. Keep your privilege to yourself. Thanks.)
Two quick things that came to mind when reading this:
But I like how The Arrogant Worms say it:
Now go read Chally's post at Feministe: Dear USians On The Internet. It's a good read.
(Oh, and please don't bother USsplaining. Keep your privilege to yourself. Thanks.)
Two quick things that came to mind when reading this:
- filling out our school paperwork when we arrived in the US from Chile, and having to mark our ethnicity. We'd never had a race/ethnicity before. My brother and I (who were old enough to fill out our own forms, while Mom filled out my sisters') asked Mom, who thought for a minute then said, "Put 'Hispanic.' You'll be eligible for more scholarships that way."
- explaning to my Spanish II students why they couldn't say "americano" in Spanish to refer to someone from the US, that the vocabulary word was "estadounidense." They could not understand the concept of AMERICA IS A CONTINENT, like, say, Europe is a continent, and people who lived in France were French AND European... so someone who lives in Chile is Chilean and "americano," but only someone who lives in the US is "estadounidense." They became enraged when I tried to explain how the word did not solely belong to them.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sure, 92 million people heard Pam Tebow. But did she SAY anything?
(See? What did I tell you...)
I wasn't going to blog about the Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad, because that was, like, a long time ago. But today I came across this article, and I felt this made it "relevant" enough that I could beat the dead horse.
I watched the Tebow ad. I was going to watch it anyway (that whole "keep your enemies closer" thing), but even if I had planned to leave the room when it aired, I still would have watched it. Because I had no idea that's what the ad was.
I don't know what Pam Tebow looks like. Put her in a line-up of two women, both with short, black, curly/wavy hair, and I can't pick her out if you tell me which one is not her. So of course I didn't recognize her face when she came on the screen.
Honestly, I thought the ad was a spoof of the FotF ad. I thought it was a woman making fun of what FotF was going to say.
And given what she said, I swore it was a health care reform ad. Even when Timmy himself showed up (see, I knew it was him because he tackled her, and that's what football players do) I still didn't get it. It still sounded like an health care reform ad -- all Ms. Tebow talked about was his health and how worried she still is about his health. How could that NOT be an ad for health care reform, and health care access for all?
Okay, so that's what I wanted to say about the ad. Unless you knew, before hand, that the ad was supposed to be an anti-abortion ad, you would never have known that's what it was. If nothing else, because the only thing about the ad that stuck in your mind was Pam Tebow being tackled to the ground by a guy a foot taller than she and probably 100 pounds heavier.
Now, this article says although the ad ranked dead last in Nielsen ratings, the ad was still a success because even if you were the lowest-ranking ad in the Super Bowl, you were still in the Super Bowl. And all these millions of people saw your ad.
Which would be a valid point, if the message you gave in the ad said what you originally wanted it to say.
Sure, 92 million people saw your message. But did they get it? Did they know what you were trying to say? (Besides "tackle your mom." And, dude, while I'm harping on that... don't quarterbacks throw more than they tackle? Couldn't we have had Timmy tell him mom to "Go long!" and toss her a football, or -- not to get too radical here -- a teddy bear or other baby item? That way, we get the football reference, without the violence against women. Just sayin'.)
I do agree that the hype before the ad aired gave Focus on the Family the attention they wanted. Bully for them. But how much hype was there outside the pro-choice community? Outside the anti-choice community? Did your Average Joe and Jane hear about it?
Or did they just see your health care reform ad and stand there, scratching their heads?
I'm too lazy to do the research, and I don't want to give FotF any more of my time, to look into it, but... was that the original ad? Was that what they were originally going to say?
Because that's not what was reported they were going to say. And they never released the script (did they?) So did they water down the ad because of the outrage?
Or did they truly spend "less than $100,000" to produce and $2.8 to air an ad that said... nothing? If you're going to spend that kind of money, shouldn't you make sure your message is as clear as it can possibly be?
Then again, I've never understood the anti-choice mentality. Maybe they are that clueless, and they do think this ad was a "success."
I wasn't going to blog about the Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad, because that was, like, a long time ago. But today I came across this article, and I felt this made it "relevant" enough that I could beat the dead horse.
I watched the Tebow ad. I was going to watch it anyway (that whole "keep your enemies closer" thing), but even if I had planned to leave the room when it aired, I still would have watched it. Because I had no idea that's what the ad was.
I don't know what Pam Tebow looks like. Put her in a line-up of two women, both with short, black, curly/wavy hair, and I can't pick her out if you tell me which one is not her. So of course I didn't recognize her face when she came on the screen.
Honestly, I thought the ad was a spoof of the FotF ad. I thought it was a woman making fun of what FotF was going to say.
And given what she said, I swore it was a health care reform ad. Even when Timmy himself showed up (see, I knew it was him because he tackled her, and that's what football players do) I still didn't get it. It still sounded like an health care reform ad -- all Ms. Tebow talked about was his health and how worried she still is about his health. How could that NOT be an ad for health care reform, and health care access for all?
Okay, so that's what I wanted to say about the ad. Unless you knew, before hand, that the ad was supposed to be an anti-abortion ad, you would never have known that's what it was. If nothing else, because the only thing about the ad that stuck in your mind was Pam Tebow being tackled to the ground by a guy a foot taller than she and probably 100 pounds heavier.
Now, this article says although the ad ranked dead last in Nielsen ratings, the ad was still a success because even if you were the lowest-ranking ad in the Super Bowl, you were still in the Super Bowl. And all these millions of people saw your ad.
Which would be a valid point, if the message you gave in the ad said what you originally wanted it to say.
Sure, 92 million people saw your message. But did they get it? Did they know what you were trying to say? (Besides "tackle your mom." And, dude, while I'm harping on that... don't quarterbacks throw more than they tackle? Couldn't we have had Timmy tell him mom to "Go long!" and toss her a football, or -- not to get too radical here -- a teddy bear or other baby item? That way, we get the football reference, without the violence against women. Just sayin'.)
I do agree that the hype before the ad aired gave Focus on the Family the attention they wanted. Bully for them. But how much hype was there outside the pro-choice community? Outside the anti-choice community? Did your Average Joe and Jane hear about it?
Or did they just see your health care reform ad and stand there, scratching their heads?
I'm too lazy to do the research, and I don't want to give FotF any more of my time, to look into it, but... was that the original ad? Was that what they were originally going to say?
Because that's not what was reported they were going to say. And they never released the script (did they?) So did they water down the ad because of the outrage?
Or did they truly spend "less than $100,000" to produce and $2.8 to air an ad that said... nothing? If you're going to spend that kind of money, shouldn't you make sure your message is as clear as it can possibly be?
Then again, I've never understood the anti-choice mentality. Maybe they are that clueless, and they do think this ad was a "success."
Monday, February 15, 2010
One-Track-Mind Criss
Apparently, I have a one-track mind. I can either be a prolific blogger, or a hard-working writer... but I can't handle both at the same time.
Since I have to get my novel DONE (because it needs to END and escape it's work-in-progress status), I'm thinking of taking a leave of absence from le blogue. Sort of. That way I can focus on the novel without feeling guilty about neglecting the bloggy.
I may take some time off the whole Internetz thing, for Lent. (Don't worry, I'll still hang out here on Sundays -- I grew up Catholic, so I can Lent-cheat on Sundays.) So this will be less time on Twitter, less time blogging, less of all that stuff. For 40 days.
(Can I do it? Watch, I'll be back tomorrow, writing three posts before lunchtime. Meh.)
Since I have to get my novel DONE (because it needs to END and escape it's work-in-progress status), I'm thinking of taking a leave of absence from le blogue. Sort of. That way I can focus on the novel without feeling guilty about neglecting the bloggy.
I may take some time off the whole Internetz thing, for Lent. (Don't worry, I'll still hang out here on Sundays -- I grew up Catholic, so I can Lent-cheat on Sundays.) So this will be less time on Twitter, less time blogging, less of all that stuff. For 40 days.
(Can I do it? Watch, I'll be back tomorrow, writing three posts before lunchtime. Meh.)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
10 Things That Make Me Happy
Marcy tagged me, so here I go:
- my Freddy.
- my Indy. And the other cats, too... but Indy's my favorite.
- my electronic Trifecta: Blackberry, Sony eReader, Asus Eee PC (aka Itty-bitty PINK laptop).
- crochetting. Even when I have to fight the cats off the yarn.
- writing, and editing my novel. Which WILL be ready to see the light of day by April.
- Twitter and my Twitter friends.
- my job.
- Hello Kitty.
- finally seeing real snow, and finding out why people think snow's cool. (Er, no horribly BAD pun intended.)
- my SPESHUL SEEKRIT I can't tell you about yet. (Details to follow.)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thankful Thursday: #snOMG edition!
This week, I'm thankful for
- THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW FALLING FROM THE SKY!!!
- REAL SNOW, STUFF THAT STAYS ON THE GROUND AND STUFF!!!
- a safe drive to work (in the snow and slush).
- a safe drive home from work (in the snow and slush).
- leaving work early!!!
- late start tomorrow!!!
- beautiful snow still falling. Everywhere. And it looks so beautiful.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Maybe Focus on the Family should have thought of this instead...
Saturday, February 06, 2010
formspring.me: "Do you think it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography? Why or why not?"
Do you think it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography? Why or why not?
Ooh... that's a tough one.
I think we need to remove the taboo from sex and sexuality, definitely. Teenagers are having sex and doing things their parents are ashamed to even think of, so we need to talk about these things, without shame or blame or fear or judgement, and provide teenagers (and adults) with the tools they need to particiapte in that behavior safely if that is what they choose to do, and the tools to know how to decline participation if that's what they choose to do.
We need to have this information out there.
Now, as to pornography... hmm. I'm a prude at heart, really. Also, from what I understand (I have viewed pornography, I'm not going to pretend I've never seen a magazine or a movie, but I also know there is tons of stuff, and genres and styles, out there that I have not seen) "most" or much of what's out there does not send positive or healthy messages to the role of the cis female in sex (I won't try to speak for trans or intersex people since I am wholly ignorant as to how they are represented in pornography, though I am willing to wager they are seen as a source of fetishes and not treated as real people/being with sexual desires of their own).
I guess before I could say yes, it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography, we'd have to change the industry and the material. I would want to make sure that lesbianism is not portrayed as a sexual fantasy for cis het men, and that women are not perpetually in the submissive role, only there to fulfill the fantasies of the males.
I do think porn has a place and a value, since, given our puritan, prudish society, teens can't get information about sex and sexuality and "alternative lifestyles" and non-cis, non-hetero sexuality any other way.
I think we need to remove the taboo from sex and sexuality, definitely. Teenagers are having sex and doing things their parents are ashamed to even think of, so we need to talk about these things, without shame or blame or fear or judgement, and provide teenagers (and adults) with the tools they need to particiapte in that behavior safely if that is what they choose to do, and the tools to know how to decline participation if that's what they choose to do.
We need to have this information out there.
Now, as to pornography... hmm. I'm a prude at heart, really. Also, from what I understand (I have viewed pornography, I'm not going to pretend I've never seen a magazine or a movie, but I also know there is tons of stuff, and genres and styles, out there that I have not seen) "most" or much of what's out there does not send positive or healthy messages to the role of the cis female in sex (I won't try to speak for trans or intersex people since I am wholly ignorant as to how they are represented in pornography, though I am willing to wager they are seen as a source of fetishes and not treated as real people/being with sexual desires of their own).
I guess before I could say yes, it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography, we'd have to change the industry and the material. I would want to make sure that lesbianism is not portrayed as a sexual fantasy for cis het men, and that women are not perpetually in the submissive role, only there to fulfill the fantasies of the males.
I do think porn has a place and a value, since, given our puritan, prudish society, teens can't get information about sex and sexuality and "alternative lifestyles" and non-cis, non-hetero sexuality any other way.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Thankful Thursday: Planned Parenthood edition
I'm thankful for Planned Parenthood.
They were there for me when I was a starving college student with no money and no insurance. I hope they can continue to be there for the women and men who need them.
Did you know that...
Feel free to do something to help.
They were there for me when I was a starving college student with no money and no insurance. I hope they can continue to be there for the women and men who need them.
Did you know that...
- over the past 75 years, Planned Parenthood of North Texas has provided healthcare to more than 2.2 million patients?
- PPNT serves men as well as women, in 29 health centers service 57 counties across North Texas?
- the majority of PPNT's patients are 20-29 years old, earn less than $300 a week, and have no health insurance?
- PPNT is the only nonprofit family planning provider in Tarrant County?
- PPNT provides vital preventative healthcare, including:
- birth control options,
- well-woman exams,
- screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes,
- even flu shots?
- PPNT does more cervical cancer screenings than any other healthcare provider in Texas?
- PPNT educates parents, teens, educators, medical professionals, and civic and religious leaders?
- PPNT advocates for
- healthcare access and availability,
- comprehensive and confidential care,
- and accurate information about sexual health?
Feel free to do something to help.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Stolen Words Wednesday: Christine Todd Whitman
Today I attended Planned Parenthood of North Texas's Annual Luncheon. The keynote speaker was Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey Governor (first female governor in NJ) and co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council, among other things. These are quotes I scribbled during her speech. (These are all her words; the stuff in quotations marks is word-for-word, the non-quoted text is my paraphrasing because I didn't get the exact words and I don't want to misquote her.)
On people protesting Roe v. Wade 37 years after the Supreme Court's decision: "It's as if people were still protesting Brown v. Board of Education in 1991."
"I am a pro-choice Republican. Contrary to what some people may say, we are not an endangered species!"
"[As Governor of NJ, was appointing women to different positions; people were saying] I was appointing 'so many women' -- something I had never heard when my male counterparts were appointing 'so many men'!"
"We need to be much more intentional in electing and appointing women to political office."
"Women do bring a different perspective to the table... We set a different tone." The atmosphere in her office/in her cabinets was one of collaboration; people were not fighting to pin the blame when something went wrong or to claim the credit when something went well, which happened often in male-dominated offices.
"Women have something unique to offer in politics."
[Talking about her daughter running for office... sorry, didn't get all the details] "As women we hold other women to a higher standard than we do their male counterparts." Her daughter had experience in politics, and children. She was asked, "Who's going to take care of the children?" and was told she didn't have enough experience. The man she was running against had been a substitute teacher before being elected.
"I'd never say support a woman just because she is a woman [but if two candidates are equal in their issues/stands] then yes, it's okay to choose the woman because she is a woman." We need a variety of opinions, women, people of color, etc.
Quoted Maureen Reagan: "Women will have reached equality when we can elect women who are as unqualified as some of the men we elect."
Spoke of the Terry Schiavo case: in four days, due to calls and letters to Congress, legislators wrote legislation and Bush returned from a vacation early to sign it. The next day polls showed 70-80% of the USians said the government had no business getting involved in that case. This means that 20-30% of the people were the ones who called and wrote their legislators to act on this. Congress got involved and took action in FOUR DAYS because of that small percentage being active and vocal. Be that active and vocal population -- never underestimate its power.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Monday, February 01, 2010
A bad day to be a Texan...
Today was not good. It's like all the bad news came out all at once today, and aimed its missiles at Texas.
It actually started last night (but I wasn't fully online last night, so I'm calling it "very early this morning"), when Marcy posted a link to this blog. Go read it -- see it with your own eyes -- then come back.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Texas State Board of Education has banned -- BANNED -- a children's book. A BOARD BOOK. You know what they call them "board books"? Because they're made out of cardboard, instead of paper. Because the target audience is too young for paper. The necessary motor skills to turn pages have not yet developed in children of that age.
BUT THE BOOK IS MARXIST!!
Bill Martin, Jr. wrote children's books. He wrote BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE. He died in 2004.
Bill Martin wrote some Marxist book. In 2008.
Obviously, this is an elaborate communist conspiracy to indoctrinate our children, and the Texas State Board of Education is the only entity smart and brave enough to see it and stand up against it.
Need more proof this is "socialist indoctrination"? See for yourself:
Exactly.
Oh, but that's not all of it.
Later on, via Twitter (how I get all my news, for serious) I discovered Props 4 and 5 (scroll to the bottom of page 4): [emphasis mine]
Prop 4: "The use of the word 'God', prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property."
Prop 5: "The Texas Legislature should enact legislation requiring a sonogram be performed and shown to each mother about to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective abortion."
Need I say more?
I thought this was a free country, with separation of church and state. Isn't that what our Founding Fathers wanted?
I also thought doctors were the ones who should deem what is and is not "medically necessary" or "medically unnecessary." So if I request an elective tonsillectomy, do I have to watch a video of the procedure before the doctor will allow me to go into the OR?
This is just too insulting for words. I can't give it any.
But you know what takes the cake? This.
I can't comment on that last one. I really can't. The only thing that comes to mind is cuss words, and I try not to use those out loud (or typing). I can't believe I live in a state that has such a f*cked up legal system where something like that could even potentially happen.
The first two links are annoying, but, sadly, predictable. And, in the grand scheme of things, mostly harmless (those propositions are NOT going to pass, are they?) But this last one?
It actually started last night (but I wasn't fully online last night, so I'm calling it "very early this morning"), when Marcy posted a link to this blog. Go read it -- see it with your own eyes -- then come back.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Texas State Board of Education has banned -- BANNED -- a children's book. A BOARD BOOK. You know what they call them "board books"? Because they're made out of cardboard, instead of paper. Because the target audience is too young for paper. The necessary motor skills to turn pages have not yet developed in children of that age.
BUT THE BOOK IS MARXIST!!
Bill Martin, Jr. wrote children's books. He wrote BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE. He died in 2004.
Bill Martin wrote some Marxist book. In 2008.
Obviously, this is an elaborate communist conspiracy to indoctrinate our children, and the Texas State Board of Education is the only entity smart and brave enough to see it and stand up against it.
Need more proof this is "socialist indoctrination"? See for yourself:
Exactly.
Oh, but that's not all of it.
Later on, via Twitter (how I get all my news, for serious) I discovered Props 4 and 5 (scroll to the bottom of page 4): [emphasis mine]
Prop 4: "The use of the word 'God', prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property."
Prop 5: "The Texas Legislature should enact legislation requiring a sonogram be performed and shown to each mother about to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective abortion."
Need I say more?
I thought this was a free country, with separation of church and state. Isn't that what our Founding Fathers wanted?
I also thought doctors were the ones who should deem what is and is not "medically necessary" or "medically unnecessary." So if I request an elective tonsillectomy, do I have to watch a video of the procedure before the doctor will allow me to go into the OR?
This is just too insulting for words. I can't give it any.
But you know what takes the cake? This.
I can't comment on that last one. I really can't. The only thing that comes to mind is cuss words, and I try not to use those out loud (or typing). I can't believe I live in a state that has such a f*cked up legal system where something like that could even potentially happen.
The first two links are annoying, but, sadly, predictable. And, in the grand scheme of things, mostly harmless (those propositions are NOT going to pass, are they?) But this last one?
Tim Tebow's Other Super Bowl Ad
I'm Criss, and I approve this message:
(Also, in case you missed it, read my "interview" with Pam Tebow here.)
(Also, in case you missed it, read my "interview" with Pam Tebow here.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)