Feminist Monday--Aug 8th

Good morning, y'all. Quick story. So, I was at a convention a couple of weeks ago and was on a panel wherein we were told to make three SFF recommendations to the audience. I was the only woman on a panel of about six. There were no other minority groups represented. Because I was on the end, I went first, and after making only two recommendations was told to stop so the (white) men could speak. Mind you, I like the moderator in question. He's a nice guy. He didn't do it out of malice. Hell, I don't think he noticed what he'd done. Even when he came back around for more examples (since it was clear we had time for a more lengthy discussion) again, I was shorted on the number of examples I could bring up before being told to stop. It was a classic example of a woman being perceived as talking more than she actually did. Mind you, I finally gave up and just started talking over the men. It's rude, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. That just goes to show you that even the most well-meaning men can screw it up if they aren't aware of their biases. Anyway, let's do this thing. :)

Today's video:

Literary/Entertainment: Writing (Speculative Fiction) while Black. Science Fiction publishing has a major race problem. Speculative Antiblackness. Nope. You're not imagining it. The problem with Female Protagonists explores the common mis-perception that there are too many female protagonists in YA and children's literature. Gender in Media studies care of the Geena Davis Institute. Gender + Environment in Science Fiction, a call for papers. The Great Wall director addresses the Matt Damon whitewashing controversy. It's an interesting Catch-22 situation. Chinese films don't get a larger audience because there are no 'big names' and when they attempt to employ 'big name' actors in their films they are accused of 'whitewashing.' Whitewashing is a legitimate problem, but then so is that situation. It just goes to show you that this is a more complicated problem than the general public's straight forward response is addressing. Think twice before jumping into commentary. The unsung heroine who helped shape Suicide Squad. Yeah, too bad they ditched everything she did in forwarding Feminism in comics with that lovingly executed booty shot of Harley Quinn in the trailer along with all the racial stereotypes. (I've got that on my "to be avoided" list.) Stranger Things' treatment of Barb reveals the show's greatest flaw: it's limited view of women. Let me just add that I enjoyed the hell out of that show. And while I had a sense that something was wrong, I didn't consciously pick up on this problem until it was pointed out. It just goes to show you how deep internalized misogyny can run. Mind you, I still enjoy and think highly of the series. It's okay to like problematic things. Wedding Announcement. 5 Amazing Love Scenes That Got Consent Right. Channing Tatum will star in a Splash remake as the mermaid. Oh, how I love this idea!

General: Ibtihaj Muhammad: America's Olympic Game Changer. A Muslim woman saber fencing at the Olympic level? Wearing a hijab? Oh, hells to the yes!!! AirBnB's racism is much bigger than a few racist hosts. A black woman called 911 because she was afraid of a police officer. A violent arrest followed. Thinking about Hillary, a plea for reason. I'm not a Sexist. I just don't like Hillary for a lot of Sexist reasons. Misogyny isn't caused by male horniness. Stopping Trolls is now Life and Death for Twitter. We have to defend ourselves against online threats. President Obama: This is what a Feminist looks like. History has been made. Female genital mutilation banned in Nigeria. Finding your roots. It may sound odd (because I'm not black), but I very much relate to the discussion around black women's hair. My hair is naturally curly and frizzy when it is shorter. I won't list the racist names I've been called as a child because of it. So, yes, I get  that this is very much a thing. Because it IS. (The funny thing is that a couple weeks ago, I watched a movie starring Queen Latifah (OMG, I love her) called Beauty Shop. That article explained a few things. It's a fun film, btw.) A woman photographed 500 naked men to normalize the male body. From Petty Officer to Pin-up Model. Even the thought of earning less than their wives changes how men behave. New study finds that men are often their own favorite experts on any given subject. 

Trigger Warning: Mother of two killed by boyfriend and his friend because she would not submit.