Bigger, fuller, bouncier*: Ginger hosts the 61st Carnival of Feminists

STEP RIGHT UP and git' yer feminism, kids! We got all kinds o' feminism here. We got radical feminism! We got second wave feminism! We got third wave feminism! We got pro-feminist men! We got religious feminists! We got sex worker feminists! We got ever' kinda feminist, 'cause as all feminists know, we ain't no monolithic group that's gotta agree on ever' damn thang. There's room for ever'body at this here booth, so step right up and claim yer prize!

Man, my accent sucks. Aw, hell, just read!

AIN'T NOTHIN' GOIN' ON BUT THE 'RENTS

SnarkScribe gets the party started with a post about how mothers worry about their daughters' marital status (no matter what that may be).

And you said that in front of my daughters?!! is a must-read by Deborah of In a strange land.

Do you think you're Pretty Every Day?

Romeo Vitelli of Providentia gives us all a lesson in severely twisted family dynamics.

In her post Shades of Home, Hobo Stripper reminisces about a conversation with her very practical, tough-as-nails mom.

Alankrita of Real Virtuality takes on the burden of being female.

Renee of Womanist Musings asks, Whose Children Count?

One day, we decide to grow up. Amazing.



ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER

Anybody who loves to travel needs to read this post! Shaula of Your Mileage May Vary congratulates the publishers of a new women's travel magazine called Galavanting.

In a post called He Blinded Me with (Title IX and) Science, Rose O'Malley of Womenstake.org discusses the compliance reviews that are now taking place in science and engineering programs.

As someone who works in Hollywood, I've had to deal with the fact that the industry isn't exactly female-centric (or even female-friendly, sometimes). I recently became addicted to the insightful and informative Women & Hollywood blog. Melissa contributed a wonderful post called Mamma Mia - Feminist Creative Power on Film.

Lynne asks, Where Have All The Movie Actresses Gone?

Veronica from Moms On Issues wrote a very educational post about sexist country clubs.

In sports news, Veronica from Viva La Feminista deals with gender essentialism here.

Daily Dalia asks, what's up with the "woman firefighter" label, anyway?



IF YOU'RE ADVERTISING, YOU MUST BE SELLING

In a post called On Ownership, Sage of Persephone's Box waxes philosophical about bodily integrity.

Interrobang made me cringe - and laugh out loud - with a post called The "Harass Me" Sign Musta Been Lit Again.

In her post Bloke Coke, Rachel of A Second Thought explains why she's had it up to here with soft drink advertising.

The Pinup Blog offers some perfect examples of what Rachel's talking about. Possibly NSFW - post contains some nudity.

It's the Attack of the Vintage Movie Poster!

Andrea, a fantastic young writer who blogs at The Nerd, contributes Who's to Blame? Proof positive that the next wave will handle itself just fine.

How it ought to be is a thought-provoking post by Grace, a blogger that I recently discovered during a bout of insomniac websurfing. This blog is very NSFW - not because of its content, but because you'll get sucked in and your boss will fire you for slacking! Some people write with such honest feeling that you can't stop reading. BTW, happy birthday, Grace!



DICKLESS?!

Before the Kyle Payne bomb dropped, I thought that this would be an ironically funny title for a section that was supposed to deal with men's contributions to the feminist movement. Are men welcome, and to what point? What are the pros and cons of being a profeminist man? Well, 'Paynegate' happened, and now "Dickless" has taken on a whole new meaning. I wish I had a greater variety of topics, but the issues of male allies, trust and betrayal are important. So here's some perspective on it, from both men and women alike.

Hugo Schwyzer has some thoughts on men, accountability, and the lesson of Kyle Payne.

Physioprof also has a few choice words for Payne in his post, Wackaloon Male Feminist Sex Criminal.

Belledame from Fetch Me My Axe has really been keeping on top of 'Paynegate' - here's a thorough post rife with good linkage.

Marcella at abyss2hope has a bit more faith in men than Kathleen Parker does.

Finally, because the bepenised section of this Carnival is a little light, some Joss Whedon goodness:




COULD YOU PLEASE STOP BREATHING MY AIR?

Lisa Kansas of PunkAss Blog gets a standing ovation for this post, which is my personal favorite of this Carnival: NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN TERMS OF MOTHERHOOD AND CAREER, YOU'RE WRONG! Rinse, repeat. Got that, girls?!

Ain't I A Woman? YES.

Renegade Evolution has a small request. Sex work is a very polarizing topic among feminists, and sex workers need to be a part of that discussion. You may agree with her, or you may not, but she'll make you think. You should also check out her post on vanilla privilege.

Lost Clown from Angry for a Reason takes on internalized sexism in this post.

Fannie has something important to say about The (White Man's) "Making of America."

Debbie from body impolitic would love it if people would stop blaming the activists, already.

Aputhebird discusses the intersection of gender, caste and class.



IT'S NOT FUN, BUT IT'S FUNNY!

Mad Kane says, Wham! Bam! No Thank You, Phil Gramm!

LOL Feminist talks about a study that measured the impact of sexist humor.

MissPrism questions the alarmist name of a common product line.

Liz of Library Tavern is the last feminist standing against rape jokes.

Could somebody please help me pull the homing beacon out of my ass?

Finally, if you haven't heard this yet, you need to. Just don't eat while you're listening, because you'll choke to death laughing! Thanks to Ashley, one of my readers, for sending it in.



ARE YOU THERE, GODDESS? IT'S ME, GINGER.

Christian Feminist of A Christian Feminist Journey contemplates God's desire for liberation from oppression in this post.

Hobo Stripper has a conversation with God in the titty bar.

Adam of Daylight Atheism reviews Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book, Infidel.

Finally, I'd like to direct everybody's attention to a fairly new blog called Adolescence By Day. It's wonderfully written by R. Skye...who just graduated the 8th grade. I read a couple of posts before I realized how young she is, and just about fell out of my chair. I suppose the name of her blog should have tipped me off, but I'm a bit dim at the end of a workday. I put her in my 'faith' section because it just felt right...I suppose I had more of it at her age. Give R. Skye a visit and lend your support!



MEN ARE FROM EARTH, WOMEN ARE FROM EARTH

Lisa Kansas of PunkAss Blog tells a harrowing personal account of childhood sexual bullying. It's a poignant illustration of gender role indoctrination.

In Refuse Thy Name??, Sally from Jump Off The Bridge writes about how annoying it is that men never have to think about changing their names when they marry.

Speaking of marriage, earlgreyrooibos has some commentary on that.

Genevieve just wants somebody to wake her up when it's all over, and I don't blame her!

Finally, Professorwhatif wonders what would change if we gave up the "top model" paradigm.


Ullaí mná!
Well done, everyone! I said that I wanted this Carnival to be bigger and badder than the last one, and it sure is, thanks to all the amazing bloggers who contributed. I really hope I didn't forget anybody - please forgive me if I did. Every submission that I got was sterling, and I tried to include each one.

I hope you enjoyed reading - now you'll have to spend days and days updating your blogrolls! That was my plan all along! Insert evil laughter here!

Don't forget me, now. Come back and visit!

*Why yes, the post title is a spoof of the South Park movie. Aren't you smart!
Cartoons courtesy of some_ecards.

The next Carnival of Feminists will be hosted at Rage Against the Man-chine.

Call for submissions

Once again, I am beyond thrilled to be serving as a host for the Carnival of Feminists! My previous hosting gig was a blast, and I'm hoping to top it, with your help. Here are the categories I'd like to see addressed this time around:

Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But the 'Rents:
How parents, siblings and partners affect our views of our bodies, our self-worth, our abilities, our sexuality and our feminism.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better:
Gender essentialism and the idea that certain things come 'naturally' to the sexes.

If You're Advertising, You Must Be Selling:
Sexuality and the media. Being branded in a certain way because of how you look. The benefits and repercussions of conforming (and not conforming) to traditional interpretations of sexuality.

Dickless?
It's my personal belief that feminism necessarily involves men, but not everyone agrees. How fully should men be welcomed into feminist spaces? Can men truly be feminists? What are the benefits and difficulties of being a pro-feminist man? What men have influenced your views and experiences of feminism?

Could You Please Stop Breathing My Air?
Jockeying for position in the public sphere (work, politics, just walking down the street).

It's Not Fun, But It's Funny!
Yes, feminists have a sense of humor.

Are You There, Goddess? It's Me, Ginger.
Faith and feminism.

Men Are From Earth, Women Are From Earth:
How gender-based rules make dating, mating and relating difficult.

Don't worry too much about writing specifically for any of these topics; I'll file your post under whichever is appropriate, and I'll create a "Miscellaneous" category if it's needed.

The Carnival will be posted on July 23, so please get your entries to me by July 20. Submit your entries by using the carnival submission form, or email me directly. Step up to the plate, kids! I can't do this without you.

UPDATE: a couple of possible contributors have asked whether they can submit something they've already written. Of course you can! You don't have to write something just for the Carnival. Send me whatever you'd like to share, and I'll put it under whichever category I think is appropriate. If you'd like an example of how this works, click here.

Hat tip: Image courtesy of McMillan Digital Art.

Ginger presents The 28th Carnival of Feminists

Welcome one and all! I'm honored to host this edition of the Carnival. Readers, some of these posts are downright juicy; Yours Truly is quite pleased, and very grateful to all of the bloggers who contributed such thoughful posts. I'd like to give a special shout-out to Nimue of Recollections Blog, who wrassled some very high quality posts for me at the eleventh hour. That said, dive in and enjoy yourselves!

DISCLAIMER: but of COURSE the illustrations below are meant to be ironic. I may not be able to change negative stereotypes all by myself, but I can and will make fun of them, n'est se pas?


FUNNY FEMINISM

Let's have some laughs straight away! Madeleine Begun Kane of Mad Kane's Humor Blog starts us off right with her brilliant poem, "Ballsy Limerick":

Although males come equipped with two balls,
There are men who ain’t ballsy at all.
Folks with guts are quite rare,
And they don’t need a pair.
In fact, some gals are brimming with gall.

snark scribe is a fairly new blogger whose writings I find utterly addictive. A sample of her acerbic wit can be found in her post, Grim Reality: Some advice for the naive male.

Shakespeare's Sister submits Wicked Witch of the West, a superbly sarcastic skewering of the outdated idea that if it's wearing a skirt, and it dares to enter the political arena, then it MUST be innately eeevil! Shudder.

Shannon over at Egotistical Whining has written Jurimprudence for feminism, a satirical yarn in which she pontificates on the "Murphy's Laws" of feminism. My personal favorite:

The Faux Card Cred Law: Anyone disavowing their various prejudices by using the phrase "I'm not anti-_____, I have _____ friends!" or some variant thereof will summarily lose the argument and be subjected to a vicious fishbeating by members of the group in question. Double fishbeatings will be enforced if the "faux-cred card" is utilized more than once in one argument.

The whip-smart Twisty Faster shows us how it's done with Sod off, God!, in which she explores the supposed "deep human need" for ritual.


THINKING GLOBALLY, ACTING LOCALLY

One of my very favorite bloggers is Shark-Fu of Angry Black Bitch. In her post Get found... she talks about her volunteer work at a local women's shelter, and how it changed her life:

I had never witnessed feminism in action in my community, working through me and yet still empowering me, until I began working at the shelter. Theory was replaced by reality, rose-colored glasses got new lenses and bullshit was hosed down to reveal the world as it is for many of my sisters. The struggle was made clear to me…my own and my fellow sisters…and we were united through our oppression.

Pamela Taylor at Warped Galaxies shares Men and Women in Islam: Complementary or Equal?, in which she challenges Muslim views regarding traditional gender roles:

People like to see things in black and white, but reality is always, always gray. Thus we like to divide humanity into men and women, rational and emotional, intellectual and instinctive, dealing with the outer world and dealing with the inner world. Of course, the reality is far, far more complex than that.

Kelly Bell from For Whom the Bell Tolls submits Ms. President, in which she examines the unique goals and challenges facing women who want to serve the people, and addresses her dreams for her own daughter.

Marcella from abyss2hope attacks rape apologists and the concept of consent with People Who Refuse To Believe Certain Rape Scenarios Enable The Rape Scenarios They Do Believe. Sound confusing? It's actually very simple. Go read.

Ellee of ProActive discusses whether brothels should be legalized in this post. Like many feminists, I'm torn on this issue. I believe that prostitution is inherently harmful to women. The fact that some men feel entitled to purchase women's bodies makes my skin crawl. However, I recognize that economic, social and class hardships can create a desparation that drives women to rent their bodies to survive. Until certain societal problems are eradicated, the "profession" will always exist. While it does, sex workers should have legal rights and protection. Ellee also submitted a good post about sex trafficking.


PARTS IS PARTS

Laurie and Debbie at body impolitic submit Where Did That Grunt Come From? an interesting look at how the Planet Fitness gym chain applies a social policy to its members that is directly at odds with the kind of physical activity required to burn calories in the first place!

The goddess Echidne graciously offers The Arid Land Of Politically Correct Debate. I'm not going to summarize this post, but I'll just quote from the article: "Gimme sterility or gimme cunt." Does that whet your appetite or what?! As usual, the goddess delivers.

Ann Bartow of Feminist Law Professors documents the lawsuits of flight attendants who were suspended for gaining weight in her post, Thin Air. Please! If flight attendants were all male, you know they'd be allowed to have beer bellies and ear hair.


DISSING THE SISTERHOOD

Alyx of Mad Sheila Musings asks, "How are women pitted against one another in a woman-hating society?" She counts the ways in this post.

Suzanne at Thus Spake Zuska takes a young engineering student's denial of institutionalized sexism to task with her post, Let Her Eat The Oppressor's Cake:

It is frightening to admit that there might be something to all this. To admit that there might be something that is going to affect your career that is completely outside of your control and that has nothing whatsoever to do with how talented and accomplished you are, that does not respect how hard or how long you work. It sucks. It is much more comforting to pretend that such things do not exist. In that sense, your near-hysterical sense of denial is completely understandable.

History Geek expresses rage at how the gaming industry falls back on tired gender stereotypes when it markets to females.

Marcella strikes again with Empowering Women Or Blaming The Victim. This one really hit home for me; a very good friend of mine was date raped not long ago. After a night of drinking, she passed out, waking up to find her date penetrating her. She told him to stop, which he only did because he couldn't maintain his erection. To my shock, all of her other girlfriends blamed her for what happened, even though she and her date were both drunk, and she was unconscious (unable to give consent). I urged her to report the rape, but she didn't think she would be believed. After all of her closest "friends" except me turned on her, I can understand that. For her own sanity, she decided to write the whole experience off as "bad sex" instead of the RAPE that it actually was. Read Marcella's post - it's amazing.

Speaking of blaming the victim, the Wannabe Indian Punkster sends us What is Essential is Invisible to the Eye, and expresses some righteous vitriol at a very scary precedent set by the Supreme Court in India. A must-read.

Belledame of Fetch me my axe presents Secretaries, a morality tale that examines the ways in which women enforce sexism. Almost all women have experienced pressure to suppress anger, to get along with others, to always be a "good girl." Good girls don't get angry! They aren't selfish! They sacrifice! They starve! They beat themselves up, and then, like true sorority sisters, sometimes encourage their friends and daughters to seek out the same suffering - for their own "good."

Appropriate Aunt from Tiny Cat Pants responds to "Secretaries" with this post, and she has an important question to ask of other women:

Do we really want things to be different or do we just want to be the ones with free reign to hurt whomever we want?

THE "Y FACTOR"

Hugo Schwyzer talks about how men can become effective members of the feminist community through self-transformation.

Laurie and Debbie at body impolitic submit Big Brother is Watching You Pee, which chronicles the hullabaloo going on in Norway over a school rule that boys must sit when they urinate. Laurie and Debbie ask, "Who is enforcing this rule?" Dear readers, I'm not sure we want to hear the answer!

Alan Baumler explores the creepy gender dynamics of ancient Chinese sex advice. "Women conquer men as water conquers fire"...sounds eerily similar to the Christian concept of Original Sin, doesn't it? Watch yourselves, men, or we'll steal your essence! (insert wicked cackling here) Muahahahaaaaaa!

Adam at Daylight Atheism discusses a subject very near and dear to my heart - the harmful effects that organized religions have had on women's rights. He ends with a provocation:

There is only one realistic way to end religion's harm to women, and that is to cut it off at the source: every feminist should be an atheist.

Not sure if I agree with Adam, but it bears repeating that being religious and being spiritual aren't always the same thing.


'TIS THE SEASON

snark scribe gives all of us singletons some ammo for the "Holiday Inquisition" with this hysterical post.


THE NEXT GENERATION

Natalie over at Heartless Bitches International submits Socialized Stupidity: There IS a Cure!, a fabulous dissection of the societal pressures that obstruct women's progress in math, science and engineering. All too often, young girls are taught that they should start "playing dumb" once they reach puberty:

They don't need to make laws that keep women down and prevent equality. They just have to keep us preoccupied with ludicrous activities that distract us and keep us from learning, improving our brains, developing our physical strength, and asserting our right to equality by simply being there in equal numbers. Unfortunately, too many women are still in front of a bathroom mirror, instead of a boardroom table, or a lab bench.

Nimue of Recollections Blog discusses the common tendency that many people have to refer to adult women as "girls." I'm often guilty of this, but I also refer to grown men as "boys" a lot. Lots of food for thought in this post.

In the same vein, LibraryTavern Liz submits Men and girls and dirty words.

Faith at Feminist Nation offers "...a place for all women and men who have been the victims of male violence - be it physical, emotional, sexual or psychological to discover that they are not responsible for the abuse they have endured and allow them to begin or further their healing." Her blog is brand spanking new, and from the passionate tone of her introduction, I think that we'll be treated to plenty of intelligent, intense posts in the future.

Veronica from Nine Pearls takes on the porn industry. In her post Porn And Not Getting It, she recounts the effect that the ubiquitous "Girls Gone Wild" culture has had on her social life.

stroppybird also explores pornography in Galloway, Portuguese porn and naked Courtney Love... The comments thread is particularly interesting. (WARNING: Post contains a picture that may not be safe for work).


COOL MISCELLANY

Kate of Babylune has a terrific post up called Covert Motherhood Activism. Like so many women, she is a working mom who struggles to balance career and parenthood. One day, she found herself sans childcare, and couldn't take the day off. She found a creative way to handle the problem...a heartwarming story.

Laurie and Debbie at body impolitic have hit a triple in this edition of the Carnival! Politics and Recovery discusses the concept of disease as social control. Check it:

To say that our agonies are caused by a society that mistreats and frequently tortures us in childhood (not to mention later in life) is not to say that help is not possible. It is rather to say that help which ignores or denies the context of the larger social issues will frequently tend to be both palliative and limited.

Finally, from the archives: LaLubu of Feministe gets a standing ovation for her post, Like a Natural Woman.

FIN.

I hope you enjoyed my version of the Carnival! Many thanks to Natalie at Philobiblon for allowing me to host. Thanks once again to all those of you who contributed! Please forgive my humble self if you submitted something that wasn't chosen...there was so much to sort through!

The 29th Carnival of Feminists will be hosted by Sandy at the imponderabilia of actual life on December 20th. Be a good doobie and get your submissions in early!