What's On My Mind...

Self-Sexualization in Young Girls

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:04:06 -0400

Click the title of this post for an article on the MSNBC website titled, “Why 6-Year-Old Girls Want to Be Sexy.”

While the results of the study in this article (reporting the self-sexualization of 6 year old girls) are really upsetting, I like how the end of the article discusses how parents can help their daughters.

Parents may feel overwhelmed and helpless, but according to the study in this article, parents, mothers especially, can really combat messages of sexualization and can instill feelings of self-worth in their daughters.

10 Rape Prevention Tips

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:25:17 -0400

10 Rape Prevention Tips:

sindhuism:

zhounder:

1. Don’t put drugs in women’s drinks.

2. When you see a woman walking by herself, leave her alone.

3. If you pull over to help a woman whose car has broken down, remember not to rape her.

4. If you are in an elevator and a woman gets in, don’t rape her.

5. When you encounter a woman who is asleep, the safest course of action is to not rape her.

6. Never creep into a woman’s home through an unlocked door or window, or spring out at her from between parked cars, or rape her.

7. Remember, people go to the laundry room to do their laundry. Do not attempt to molest someone who is alone in a laundry room.

8. Use the Buddy System! If it is inconvenient for you to stop yourself from raping women, ask a trusted friend to accompany you at all times.

9. Carry a rape whistle. If you find that you are about to rape someone, blow the whistle until someone comes to stop you.

10. Don’t forget: Honesty is the best policy. When asking a woman out on a date, don’t pretend that you are interested in her as a person; tell her straight up that you expect to be raping her later. If you don’t communicate your intentions, the woman may take it as a sign that you do not plan to rape her.

Rape prevention focused on the perpetrator, rather than the victim! Too often we try to advise people how not to be victims of crimes, rather than advising people how not to commit crimes ( which often leads to victim blaming). This post is a comical way of reminding everyone that we need to change our culture and teach people that they cannot rape… not teach potential victims to be fearful and blame themselves when they are molested and abused.

Sexual Objectification: What is it?

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:41:55 -0400

Sexual Objectification: What is it?:

This is a link to an article on the Ms. Magazine blog that provides a great explanation of the phrase sexual objectification. I think many people would agree that women (and their bodies) are exploited in the media, but have difficulty understanding the concept of sexual objectification.

This is part 1 of what will be a four-part series on sexual objectification on the Ms. Magazine blog. I assume the other parts will discuss the problems with sexual objectification and how to respond to it, but the first step is defining sexual objectification. This is a very basic breakdown that does a great job explaining the phrase.

Click the title of this post to read the article.

Seventeen Magazine’s “inaction sparked a global action”

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:37:46 -0400

Julia Bluhm, a 14 year old from Maine, started a petition asking Seventeen Magazine to feature just one un-altered photograph of its models in each issue. The editors of the magazine met with Bluhm, but ultimately refused her request.

This refusal has fueled people (young and old, female and male…) all over the world to spend the next 3 days (June 27-29) “Keeping It Real.” This involves tweeting, blogging, and capturing real (un-altered) beauty through photographs (with a chance to be featured on a billboard in NYC). As Shelby Knox tweeted, “.@seventeenmag @annshoket your inaction sparked a global action!…” For more information on the Keep It Real Challenge, check out the facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/409395502438909/

In the “Keep It Real Tool Kit” (available here:http://issuu.com/missrepresentation/docs/keepitrealtoolkit/1) there are many alarming and disturbing statistics, such as: 48% of teenage girls wish they were as skinny as models according to the Girl Scout Research institute. It is impossible for girls to be that skinny for a couple of reasons. 1- Most people’s bodies are physically unable to look like most models we see in magazines. Just like it’s impossible to make yourself 5’8 when you’re height is 5’2, it’s impossible to get rid of your hips, butt, thighs, and breasts and look like models in magazines. 2- The models are photoshopped! So the models themselves don’t even look like the people we see in magazines. So now we have “48% of teenage girls” wishing they looked like something that is IMPOSSIBLE to look like b/c it doesn’t exist in reality! Imagine all the harm that is causing!!

A few years ago I stopped reading typical fashion & beauty magazines. It’s a shame because I really enjoy looking at images of the latest fashion trends, I like getting ideas for new hair styles, and I really like the inspirational stories of female activists occasionally found in these magazines. But whenever I open one of these magazines I find myself feeling bad about the way I look. It’s a feeling that’s hard to shake off and I find myself wanting to diet and use new makeup to cover up “imperfections.”

Logically I know it’s ridiculous- why would I want to look like I have no pores, no freckles, no beauty marks… and why would I want to hurt my body & become weaker in order to look like the fake images in magazines? So I made a decision a while ago to stop reading these magazines. But instead of boycotting magazines, I would much rather change the content in the magazines.

There is nothing beautiful about creating unrealistic standards of beauty & encouraging low self-esteem. A change needs to be made. Join SPARKMovement.org, LoveSocial.org, IAmThatGirl.com, EndangeredBodies.org, and MissRepresentation.org, as well as individuals all over the world in encouraging magazines to “Keep It Real.”

Study finds TV can decrease self-esteem in children, except white boys

Wed, 30 May 2012 18:02:52 -0400

Study finds TV can decrease self-esteem in children, except white boys

A Letter To The President

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:40:21 -0400

A Letter To The President :

Click the title of this post to read a beautiful letter to President Obama written by Marlo Thomas and published on the Huffington blog site. She thanks the President for publicly announcing his support for gay marriage this week.

Well said, Stephen Colbert.

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:50:17 -0400

Well said, Stephen Colbert.

When Obama endorsed marriage equality...

Thu, 10 May 2012 02:59:41 -0400

whenobamaendorsed:

… Twitter & Tumblr were all:

delectablewanderlust: “This is a major turning point in the...

Thu, 10 May 2012 02:56:54 -0400

delectablewanderlust:

“This is a major turning point in the history of American civil rights. No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people – and I have no doubt that this will be no exception…freedom will triumph over fear and equality will prevail over exclusion.”
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Girls in STEM: A New Generation of Women and Science These young...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:46:00 -0400

Girls in STEM: A New Generation of Women and Science

These young girls all have done such incredible work! They are motivated hard-working young engineers & scientists who seem to really enjoy the work they are doing… that’s really inspiring!

Never before seen photos of NYC in the late 19th & early 20th century

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:27:00 -0400

Never before seen photos of NYC in the late 19th & early 20th century:

According to Fox News, women are the only thing there’s...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:31:34 -0400

According to Fox News, women are the only thing there’s not currently a war on.

Earth Day: Would you buy a $60 energy-efficient light bulb?

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:08:00 -0400

Earth Day: Would you buy a $60 energy-efficient light bulb?:

What about if it consumes less than 10 watts to produce light that is the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, saving 83% of energy in the process…. or if every household in the U.S. used the new bulbs instead of regular 60-watt bulbs, the nation could avoid 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions? Then would you consider it?

Click the title of this post to find out more about this light bulb.

Who Needs Feminism?

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:24:24 -0400

Who Needs Feminism?:

The “Who Needs Feminism?” Campaign is pretty incredible! Started by a class of Duke students because they were sick of feminism being misunderstood on their campus. In one week thousands of people have joined in on facebook, tumblr, and twitter to express why they need feminism. Click the title to check out their blog and explain why you need feminism.

I need feminism...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:23:41 -0400

whoneedsfeminism:

because when I talk about it in class all I get are eyerolls and whispered comments behind my back. I need it because people of all genders need to know we’re equal and wanting equality isn’t a bad or outdated thing.

The Sesame Street Muppet from the hit song “I Love My...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:20:54 -0400

The Sesame Street Muppet from the hit song “I Love My Hair” now sings “Change the World,” an inspirational song empowering children with the idea that they can be anything they want to be!

Learn more at www.girleffect.org and join the movement at...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:11:51 -0400

Learn more at www.girleffect.org and join the movement at www.facebook.com/girleffect. The Girl Effect is a solution to poverty. If we do our part, 600 million girls in the developing world will do the rest.

lifehighlights: Sunset in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:55:23 -0400

lifehighlights:

Sunset in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

11 Environmental Mistakes You Will Make While Spring Cleaning

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:39:00 -0400

11 Environmental Mistakes You Will Make While Spring Cleaning:

Click the title for a link to 11 environmental mistakes made while cleaning by Dosomething.org.

"When some professional politicians casually say that they’ll get rid of Planned Parenthood,..."

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:14:00 -0400

““When some professional politicians casually say that they’ll get rid of Planned Parenthood, don’t forget what they’re really talking about- eliminating the funding for preventive care that millions of women rely on and leaving them to fend for themselves.””

- - President Barak Obama