EqualityQuilt

Hockey & Eternal Vigilance

A good case study of how the Consortium helps.   A month ago, smart hockey mom Beth from Willmar contacted us.  She had been talking with Minnesota Hockey about unequal treatment of girls in her community.  Among other concerns, the girls' team received 1 hour of ice time at the local arena while the boys' team received 1.5 hours.   When Beth's concerns were not addressed at the regional level, she spoke with the Rules Committee of the statewide organization.  They agreed to take up the matter in the form of bylaws and rules changes at a July meeting in St. Cloud.

Beth was not able to attend the St Cloud meeting. When she contacted the Consortium, we created an ad hoc email list which discussed this, including 7 Consortium member organizations and 3 individual experts like Rep. Phyllis Kahn, chief author of the state law on equal opportunity in athletics.  In the end, however, Consortium staffer Bonnie (that's me) was the only one who could be there for the MN Hockey board meeting that Sunday morning at 8:30AM... There is good news, and not-so-perfect news. 

Beefing Up with Macho Meat

    Alanna's great post on Carl's Jr has reminded me of a very interesting book I read (part of) in college titled "The Sexual Politics of Meat," by Carol Adams.  Meatiness and manliness are bizarrely closely related in our society. From fairytales in which kings are eating four and twenty blackbirds (when heroines like Snow White are dining on apples) to popular phrases such as "beef up," meaning to gain muscle, we have been indoctrinated into believing that more meat = more manly.

    And now Carl's Jr is not only reinforcing that connection (Eat our super meaty burgers. They'll make you super manly.), they're also defining manliness as objectifying and controlling women (Eat meat--> be a man--> women will be your playthings). How terrible!

    So other than awful Carl's Jr, what does this macho meat concept mean for women, and where did it come from? Well, Adams writes that "People with power have always eaten meat." When food is scarce

Carl Jr.'s Meaty Advertising

According to feministing.com it was reported that the fast food chain Carl Jr.'s or Hardee's as it was known here in Minnesota is having a contest in which the details were posted on craigslist called, "Hot Chicks Eating Burgers."  Women can submit videos of themselves eating one of their burgers and win $1000 and a trip to Vegas if it is "hot" enough for their marketing campaign.  The company has a history of showing "hot" women celebrities eating their burgers in their advertisements, these celebrities include; Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge from MTV's The Hills.  The restaurant's slogan has become "More than just a piece of meat."  Personally, I don't believe showing several half-naked women celebrities eating a Carl Jr.'s burger equals good food.  I think its sad that the company has resorted to this type of advertising to sell their food.

I also have to wonder what effect this has on young girls and women who see these advertisements.  The advertisements portray an unreal illusion, skinny nearly flawless women chowing down on a giant Carl Jr.'s burger. This gives females the messages of eating a big fattening burger while maintaining a flawless figure.  How are women supposed to react to the media when they are telling them to be skinny but at the same time eat a fattening burger?  The media is giving women an impossible standard to live up to. Also, Carl Jr.'s is reducing women to pieces of meat by telling women to be hot and compete in a chance to advertise their product while looking good.

People need to make Carl Jr.'s aware that product quality counts not just what "hot" woman you can get to do your advertising.

-Alanna Storey

The Big Feminist Picture: Houston, Beijing & Beyond

Such an interesting morning I've had preparing a Summary of the Beijing Platform (from the 1995 U.N. Conference on Women in Beijing, China) and highlighting how it differs from the Houston Plan (from the 1977 U.S. National Women's Meeting in Houston, Texas).  With every word I remember that lots of women have never heard of either of these documents - and maybe because of that, we can all argue about what is (or isn't) a "women's issue."  But wait! We have had gigantic, government-funded, democratic meetings at which we have defined women's issues in mind boggling detail.

We may need to modernize the language.  We can clarify, for example, that when we talk about women's health we are including HIV/AIDS, which was not around in 1977.  But I am here to tell you

Facebook, Twitter, E-Mailings, Oh My! The Tech Savvy Consortium

More and more young, tech-savvy feminists are popping up every day, and we here at the Consortium want to do everything we can to stay in touch with them! That said, here's an update on all the places you can talk with/hear from us over the internet.

Facebook:
The Consortium is a group on Facebook! We encourage you to join our group so we can have fun discussions about feminist issues.
We also have a Page on Facebook, which sends updates out to our fans (this includes notification when a blog is posted here).
And lastly, MN Women's Consortium is a Cause on Facebook! Become a member to show your support and/or donate to us!

Twitter:
Brand new Twitter page! Our fabulous interns (myself included) will be tweeting away about goings-on at the consortium. In 140 characters or less we'll be telling you everything you need to know. We encourage you to follow us on Twitter; we promise we'll be witty and informative. Our username is mnwomen.

E-Mailings:
We have multiple electronic communication outlets, including E-Consortium Notes, Capitol Bulletin online, Elder Economic Security Index (EESI) e-mails, and Latinas Association e-mails!

• E-Consortium Notes are free and give you a quick weekly update of key women happenings in MN.
• The Capitol Bulletin is the monthly reader's digest for Minnesota feminists; action alerts and latest issues, it has been called an "indispensable pocketbook-sized resource". You can get a free trial subscription or pay $50 for a one year subscription.

To get more info or sign up for either of these, write Erin at erin@mnwomen.org. You can also check out our other blog, which focuses on MinnEESI. So what are you waiting for? Let's get connected!

Spain's Triumph for Women

According to an article on feministing.com entitled "Spain's Socialist Government Approves EC Without Prescription."  Come August all women regardless of age or province of residence will have access to emergency contraception without a prescription.  The morning-after pill was authorized in Spain back in 2001.  It is distributed freely in some health care centers in particular regions but in others it is more difficult to obtain due to the particular ways of implementing the national norms by the regional administrators of the health care system.  Currently women pay 20 euros (around 27 U.S. dollars) with a prescription.  But Concha Martin who is the Director of the Family Planning Services of Madrid says women have to go to several doctors before finding one who will prescribe emergency contraception. 

Socialist leaders argue that the new law will help eradicate the territorial inequality regarding the access to family planning methods.  The announcement of the new law is part of a package of measures promoting "the development of the fundamental right to sexual and reproductive health for all citizens."

There is some opposition to the new policy since some consumer associations want more information to make sure people are not using the morning-after-pill as a conventional contraception method.  Other forces such as the Catholic church and the Conservative party which is the popular party feel it will increase abortions.  Socialist leaders have cited countries such as the U.S. and France stating that making the morning-after-pill over the counter has actually decreased the number of abortions significantly.

The World Health Organization also states that with the morning-after-pill if implantation has occurred it will not harm the embryo or cause abortion. It is used to prevent pregnancy not as a method of abortion.

Pharmacies have not had any opposition to the new law.

It is good to see Spain using statistics and facts to help implement laws despite what church groups and others think.  They are using facts about the morning-after-pill to show that it is not an abortion pill.

-Alanna Storey

Beyond the Burqa

Once again the burqa is stirring up controversy. New legislation has been introduced in France to completely ban the burqa, and Sarkozy has spoken strongly in favor of it, saying that "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity,". I can't help but be annoyed by this.
Previously in France (and in the US) there have been controversies about veiling in public schools. The argument there was that a veil is a religious symbol, and, like a cross necklace, should not be mixed with a public, non-religious school. This at least I can understand a little bit. But when the reasons to ban burqas, which are a very conservative type of full body covering, are some white men's assumptions about what they mean or do to a woman--that is just intolerable.

Many Muslim women choose to wear a burqa, yes, choose! Women wear burqas (and other forms of veils and body coverings) for a vast array of reasons. Some wear them to feel safer, or more comfortable, others wear them to be respected, or to be judged by their character rather than their appearance. Burqas do not inherently make women prisoners, they do not inherently cut women off from social life, and they do not inherently deny women of their identity. In fact, many women feel the core of their identity lies in their religion, which they express by donning a burqa. Just because a woman in a burqa looks different from a woman in a business suit, that does not necessarily mean she is less strong or less independent or less of a feminist. Of course, some reasons for veiling are less honorable--many Muslim women veil just to fit in with their friends. Just like everyone else. And here we are, wearing tighter and skimpier clothing every year, just to fit in with the social trends. Who is more of a prisoner: the woman pressured to wear a burqa or the woman pressured to wear a bikini?

Let women speak for themselves, and make decisions for themselves. In Iran woman have protested against being forced to veil and in Turkey they have protested against being banned from veiling. So let's just stop trying to legally control what women wear; we get enough pressure from all other aspects of our life as it is. And once the Western world can at last get past its obsession with the veil, maybe it can finally think about the many, much more difficult issues that Muslim women face, such as genital cutting and honor killings. So please, let's get beyond the burqa.

By Cecelia Watkins

Hmong Women: Princess Warriors, Community Achievers

by Cecelia

Last Thursday, June 11, I attended an event organized by Hmong Women Achieving Together. This event, titled Hmong Women's Role in the Shaping of the Hmong, was part of a Speaker Series "to highlight and promote the work, leadership, and contributions of Hmong women." I walked away from the event filled with a renewed admiration for Hmong women and their accomplishments (as well as a belly full of delicious food!). Keynote speaker Dr. MaiNa Lee honestly noted that yes, Hmong women have traditionally faced discrimination due to a patriarchal society. In a rich Laotian family where the sons were among the most educated in the country, the daughters were illiterate. However, this patriarchy is not inherent to Hmong culture but rather formed after conquest. Dr. Lee pointed out that in ancient Hmong society many practices were matrilineal and that both genders emerged at the same time in the Hmong creation story (so much for us women being some guy's rib!). Even in times of patriarchy, Hmong women always had a certain power. Dr. Lee told enthralling stories about princess warriors and powerful men who were only able to gain such power through marriage alliances. And now--flashfoward to the present. In Minnesota, the first Hmong to get elected to office was female, and 6 out of 10 Hmong students at the UofM are female. At this event I saw and met many strong and wonderful Hmong women. Before my very eyes I saw them working as negotiators, political brokers and community organizers: modern princess warriors. Hnub Tshiab Boardchair MayKao Hang put it beautifully by saying that although Hmong women have come far in terms of equity, many are still reconciling their role as pioneers with their family duties as daughters-in-law. There's still a long way to go.

Despite the cool fact that Twin Cities landscapes favor women in burial (c'mon, that's cool), it's important to remember it's not just the western influence that has allowed for Hmong women's recent success. As Dr. MaiNa Lee stated, "Hmong women's emerging power has deep roots in Hmong society, politically, economically and socially." Don't forget those princess warriors! One story specifically tells of an ancient kingdom that fell because leaders did not listen to a princess warrior. Before she was killed, she promised she would return when rocks sprout flowers. Dr. Lee clicked the powerpoint ahead. The next slide: a picture from a recent trip to Laos. A picture of a rock sprouting flowers. The princess warriors are back, and they're here to stay.

Gloria Steinem Rocks Again

  (from Bonnie)  Many thanks to womenwinning for hosting their 27th annual luncheon yesterday featuring Gloria Steinem, in addition to Senator Amy Klobuchar and a fabulous parade of elected pro-choice Minnesota women.   I especially appreciate womenwinning helping us take advantage of sponsorships so we could bring two staff members and all three of our twenty-something summer interns.  Steinem was brilliant of course.  I will leave it to others at the Consortium to add their impressions, but for now here are a couple of fun pics. First are long-time Consortium friends Sunny Hansen of Born Free and Aviva Breen of The Advocates for Human Rights.  Then all three Consortium interns Kayoua, Cece, Alanna.  Then Cece and Marie with Steinem.   Then Elder-Nomics staffer Marie with Minneapolis Mayor Rybak.  Another tribute to the dynamism and inter-connectedness of the Minnesota feminist community - go us!

Getting Back to the Definition of Feminism

          
Feminism technically means being for equal rights for women.  I think it was a sad moment when former Miss California, Carrie Prejean had to ask, "where are all the feminists?"  when she was attacked for stating her personal beliefs.  But I don't believe Prejean or the feminists are the true hypocrites of this sad story.  The real villain in my opinion is gossip columnist (I'm sorry does this guy even have a real title?) Perez Hilton.  We all understand Hilton is for same-sex marriage but even when Prejean is trying to be polite stating that in her opinion and she doesn't mean to offend anyone but marriage should be between a man and a woman Hilton attacks her.  Instead of reasoning with Prejean, Perez Hilton refers to her as a  "dumb b****" and says if she would have won Miss USA he would have knocked that crown off her head.  Perez Hilton obviously thinks the way to fight oppression is to inflict it on others.  Thanks Perez you just made a lot of people not very sympathetic to the cause of same-sex marriage.  I hope you are very pleased with your achievement, other same-sex marriage activists must be so proud (note the last two sentences drip with sarcasm).  I think its very hypocritical that Hilton wants people to put their hatred and bigotry aside for same-couples but yet its okay for him to inflict it on a young woman. 

The Pill and Relationships

Being a Women's Studies major I am very interested in women's reproductive rights.  A recent article on the website Feministing.com reveals that some pro-life groups believe that the birth control pill destroys relationships and kills women.  The pro-life groups believe the pill to be a killer of women.  It is disturbing that the destruction of relationships and the death of women have been deemed side effects of the birth control pill by these groups.  These pro-life groups have skewed the effects of hormones on women's bodies and have used this as a scare tactic to label the pill "a woman killer."

According to these groups the top three reasons the pill destroys relationships are (according to the article):
1. It opens the door for marital infidelity.
2. It especially opens the door for temptation of youth;
3. "a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and... reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection."

These reasons make no sense and don't have a lot of evidence to support them.  If a spouse has a desire to be unfaithful to his or her partner will the pill really be a deciding factor?  I've never heard a woman say that once she got her hands on the pill she suddenly became a nymphomaniac with anyone besides her husband.  Also, I'd like to point out why is infidelity placed on the woman?  Men cheat too. 

As far as opening the temptations of sex for youth last time I checked a desire for sex came from rushing hormones and puberty not contraception.  Plus, isn't the pill a way to be safe?  The pill prevents pregnancy so if a young woman decides to take it shouldn't we give her some kudos for preventing an unwanted pregnancy?  I believe this goes back to our sex education system.  Young people are taught on an abstinence base only. Sex is a taboo matter that is supposed to be a subject that is not talked about.  When did a society that is based on freedom and choice make sexual experimentation into a sin?  Also, when did this choice become a sin when young women are trying to be safe about this decision?

I have to comment on this last reason.  So if women take the pill their husbands and men will reduce women to objects for their sexual desire?  Isn't that what our patriarchal culture thrives on?  Doesn't industries like the media and pornography reduce women to parts that are to be consumed for men's sexual pleasure?  (Please note I am not man bashing but am simply asking the tough questions of our society).  I do believe men can be feminists and make great partners.  I am just wondering how the media and pornography hasn't already achieved turning women into objects.

Women can't use the pill and abortion is bad then what are women supposed to use to control reproduction?  Are we going to go back to the old days when women had no say in how many kids they had?  Are we  going to go back to the days when giving information about birth control was illegal like back in the days of Margaret  Sanger? 

Feminists have achieved many rights for women but we still have a long way to go.  Lets not let a few individuals make us regress.

-Alanna Storey

Introducing Alanna!!

Hi! My name is Alanna Storey and I am one of the Summer Interns here at the Minnesota Women's Consortium.  I will be a fourth year or senior at Hamline University in the fall.  I am a Women's Studies major and a Communications and Psychology minor.  I am very interested in Women's Issues and equality.  I became interested in women's issues back in high school when I took a women's history course.  I realized women had not fully achieved equality yet despite the claims of equality by our society since women can wear any makeup or clothes they want (but yet women can't achieve being president of our country).  When I got to college the  Women's Resource Center seemed like an important group to get involved in since it promoted equal rights and rights to birth control for women.  I took over as president after my first year of being involved and am still currently serving as president of this very important advocacy student organization at Hamline. I look forward to working with everyone at the Minnesota Women's Consortium!

Introducing Kayoua

Hi, I'm Kayoua, the new Health Care Reform intern for the summer at the MN Women's Consortium! I am so darn excited I could scream (but that's not very lady-like of me, note the sarcasm). I was originally born in a refugee camp in Thailand and then plopped into Saint Paul, MN for my next 17 years of life. I lived the typical inner-city youth experience--welfare, public schools, run-down neighborhood--and more things contributed by my identity as a woman, a Hmong, a refugee, a shamanist, a member of a family of eight, etc. I probably seen it, heard it, endured it all. Aside from the properties that form my identity, I am also an animal lover! I have a miniature poodle who is way too energetic for me, and three affectionate cats. They are the things in life that create my bubbly personality. I am also a new Macalester graduate hoping to continue on something incredibly meaningful that I obtained from my schooling years--the fight of our life for equality and equity. After this summer I will embark on a journey to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for the Master in Social Work program. Wish me luck here and at Michigan! Looking forward to productivity and progress!

Abortion physician Tiller killed

On Sunday, May 31, one of the few doctors in the country who performed late stage abortions was shot and killed in his church in Wichita, Kansas. George Tiller faced numerous death threats, constant prosecutions and had to walk through screaming protesters every day to get to work; not to mention getting shot previously in 1993. Security at the clinic was extreme with armed guards, video cameras, and metal detectors--perhaps this explains why suspect Scott Roeder chose to attack Tiller at church.
Tiller's death is clearly a great loss to the pro-choice community as well as all American women.  But what does this murder mean for the seemingly incessant pro-choice/pro-life abortion debate?

Tiller's murder has re-ignited deep and widespread anger against all those who criminalized him and all those who speak violently against a woman's choice to have (or not have) an abortion. Bill O'Reilly, popular and insidious media personality, has made innumerable horrible remarks about George Tiller and is now facing intense blaming and shaming, as are many pro-life organizations (specifically Operation Rescue). The fact that Tiller was killed while in church has angered Americans on both sides of the abortion debate. Some are even naming Tiller's killer and all violent anti-abortion extremists domestic terrorists. Regardless of political and moral leanings, Tiller's death has shocked all Americans, and has awakened many to the intolerable violence surrounding the debate.

Tiller once explained how he was able continue the fight for women's rights despite all who fought against him. Apparently his daughters asked him "If not now, when? If not you, who? Who is going to stand up for women?" George Tiller stood up for many women in his lifetime, and now that he is gone we must all work that much harder to fill the space left behind.  The Minnesota Choice Coalition is hosting a silent vigil in Tiller's memory tonight, Tuesday June 2, from 9-9:30 pm in Loring Park, Minneapolis.  

To get connected with Minnesota pro-choice groups visit their websites:   Midwest Health Center for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, National Council of Jewish Women-MN, NOW-Minnesota, Planned Parenthood, Pro-Choice Resources, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, womenwinning, and more!

- intern Cecelia

Staff Appreciation Day!

Written by Cecelia Watkins

    This past Friday, May 22, was the Consortium's Staff Appreciation Day! Friday morning we all piled into the car to drive up to Betty Bredemus's house. We were greeted by Betty and Lorraine, a jigsaw puzzle all ready to be put together, and Betty's impressively agile cat, Muffin. After a fabulous lunch, puzzling, and much Mamma Mia-ing we took a walk down to the lake--all while solving the problems of the world, of course. We then played a great game of Loaded Questions, and to give you greater insight into the minds of all the wonderful Consortium women, here are the answers to the question:
If you could have any symbol on a necklace, which symbol would you want?

Bonnie- swirl!

Erin- Gawan Yin

Marie- a lotus flower

Lorraine- L like Laverne

Cece- a tree

Betty- my initials

Some other great answers were "Punctuation" (Suma's answer to what is college good for), "head cheese/whipping cream/garlic" (Lorraine's answer for grossest food combination), and "Emma Goldman and The Tick" (Erin's two greatest heros). In the picture, clockwise from top left: Erin Parrish, Marie Nelson, Cecelia Watkins, Lorraine Hart, Suma Setty, and Bonnie Watkins  More beyond the fold....

New Afghan Law and Women's Responses

by Cecelia Watkins
As an Islamic/Middle Eastern Studies major, I am especially interested in issues involving Muslim women, and in clarifying misunderstood issues. One commonly misunderstood current issue is the new law in Afghanistan which places women further under the control of men. This law forces Shia women to obtain permission from their husbands or male relatives before leaving a house and permits a husband to have sexual intercourse with his wife every fourth night, whether she is willing or not. Clearly, this isn't a good thing. In figuring out how to combat this law, we must first understand it. So let me clear up a few points:

1. Most believe President Karzai signed this law to win the favor of the Shiite clergy in the upcoming election. However, this law is not Islamic! Although official federal law in Afghanistan does follow Islamic law, Sharia, this law goes against Afghanistan's Islamic constitution. It says in Article 22 that "The citizens of Afghanistan – whether man or woman – have equal rights and duties before the law".
2. Despite fewer legal restrictions of women after the Taliban's rule, many Afghan women still experience all the subjugation that the Taliban had imposed. Many women feel that the law doesn't change anything, as many households never followed the laws giving women more rights in the first place. Schools for girls get burned down, and legal cases against women's right's violations get lost or shoved aside.
3. HOWEVER-- many Afghan women do experience much more freedom than in Taliban times and have truly benefitted from less restrictive laws. They realize this new law officially condones unjust traditional practices thus greatly impeding progress towards gender equality. Even though the law only applies to the Shia minority, it is a step in the wrong direction and could soon be extended to apply to all Afghan women. On April 15, about 300 Afghan women bravely protested this law, despite massive throngs of violent counter-protesters. Go them! Because of this protest and international pressure, Karzai has vowed to amend the law. This is nice to hear, but will he change the law enough? And even if he totally scraps the law, will the situation improve for Afghan women? As American feminists we must support Afghan women who are fighting against this law.

P.S. from Bonnie:  Also check out the recent post from U.S. Women Connect, with photo of the awesome UNIFEM Director for Afghanistan.

Minnesota Women’s Consortium: Building Coalitions through Common Goals

    The following was reflection was written by our Spring 2009 Suma Setty as a class assignment. We so appreciated her thoughtful critiques and praises that we thought it should be posted for our EqualityQuilt readers to enjoy as well.

    Through the course of my experience at the Consortium and while I have been developing a personal philosophy about advocacy and feminism, I am often reminded of Vera Miao's theories about coalition politics. The Consortium's small staff is mostly white. They have three permanent staff members, and two under contract, one of whom is an Ecuadorian immigrant trying to develop the Latina Women's Association, utilizing the Consortium's resources to start her project. Their ages range from 26 to 60. The Consortium is located in the Women's Building, and most of the people I encounter are white. But does the women's consortium fall into the dangerous trap of essentializing women's experience, “privileging...gender as the locus of experience for women" which reveals the "universal Woman of feminism as implicitly white" (Miao 1998)? On a certain level, I suppose one could critique the consortium from a theoretical standpoint upon this basis, but its mission, the range of its member groups, and its diversity of interests illustrate that it does not serve to essentialize the experiences of women. I believe the Minnesota Women's Consortium exemplifies Miao's theory that differences within coalitions are "strong forces toward a progressive politics defined by its heterogeneity" (Miao 1998).

Introducing Cece!

 My name is Cecelia Watkins and I'm happy to announce that I will be doing a volunteer internship with the Women's Consortium this summer. I am a rising junior at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, majoring in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. In the fall I will be studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, which is both scary and really exciting to think about.
As you may be able to guess from my name, I'm Bonnie's daughter, and thus I have grown up surrounded by feminism here in St Paul, MN. In college I have been exposed to many issues of social justice and injustice, and the more I learn and discuss these issues with friends, the more convinced I become that our society needs a little tweaking (to say the least). I'm especially passionate about issues surrounding the environment and the possibilities of peace--as well as issues of gender equity of course!--and how all three intertwine. This past semester I elected to take a course titled Diversity of the Muslim Woman's Experience, and this has inspired me to take action on women's issues beyond academic discussion by working here in my home community. I am excited to learn all about the issues Minnesotan women face and how all you wonderful people are working together to overcome those obstacles. Looking forward to working with all of you!

AAUW National Executive Meets MN Leaders

Minnesota AAUW co-presidents Karen Kirkwood & Mary Parcheta hosted a roundtable conversation with national AAUW executive director Linda Hallman and 13 leaders of Minnesota women's groups recently.  The American Association of University Women is over 100 years old and deeply committed to gender equity on all fronts. 

Great conversation!  I'm always impressed when any of us busy people get out of our organizational silos and connect.  Highly recommended:  connect with national AAUW and/or Minnesota AAUW to check out their awesome research & other resources.  Special thanks to Karen & Mary for delicious food, and Dave Kirkwood for greatest name tents ever and other backup.  -Bonnie

L-R:  Linda Hallman, Karen Kirkwood accepting her Consortium award.  Below: representatives of the Consortium,  National Women's Studies Association Journal,  Minnesota ACE network, Mary Parcheta (end of table), Minnesota Pay Equity Coalition and Business & Professional Women.  Obscured or not in photo:  representatives of Child Care Works and Women Candidate Development Coalition.

Date Rape in Popular Culture

A couple of (male) friends tipped me off about a scene in Seth Rogan’s latest ‘bromance’ “Observe and Report”. My friends were shocked to discover that, among the various offensive references and dialogue, the film contained a date-rape scene. This scene is meant to be far from dark or serious, but actually supposed to be humorous. It goes something like this: Seth Rogan’s character has brought Anna Faris’s character home. Anna Faris is on a bed passed out after mixing alcohol with antidepressants, when Rogan begins to have intercourse with her. The scene is supposedly awkward, but the awkward atmosphere is dispelled once he stops for a brief moment and she awakes from a drunken stupor to say, “Why are you stopping, motherf***er?” only to pass out again.

In response to this particular scene, Seth Rogan believes that this last line makes this scene ok and funny, as quoted in a Huffington Post article. Wired referred to this scene as a shocking sex scene…? A more apt term, used by the actress Anna Faris herself in an interview with A.V., is DATE RAPE. Can we please recognize the act for its criminal qualities? I think  ‘humor’ such as this is indicative the rape culture in which we live, where rape and sexual violence are normalized and part of everyday life. Big-Hollywood movies (and actors, producers, writers, etc.) have the power to validate such acts of rape, strengthening the rape culture in which we already endure. Such blatant displays of violence against women also reflect a black hole in our educational and cultural system about what constitutes rape or sexual assault. Does anyone really know what consensual sex really is? Drunk sex happens all the time, but it’s always framed as sex, and not rape, which is what it usually is. If someone who is drunk consents, is sex that occurs rape? YES, it is STILL rape because alcohol impairs judgment and therefore, one’s ability to give free and informed consent.  These are basic facts that I believe should be instilled into our children at an early age. Children especially must be taught about this, and alternative forms of expressing masculinity, femininity, or their identities in general.  I myself did not fully comprehend the meaning of rape or sexual assault until my sophomore year of college. I have always considered myself a feminist, revealing how little the general public must know about these issues.

I think it would be constructive to interrogate why movies such as these are so popular. Why do people love these movies? These movies portray an accessible form of masculinity which is so popular because they validate young males’ struggles with restrictive, traditional notions of masculinity. At least, that is why I think young men love these movies, because they can relate to barriers to ‘getting the girl’, a common one face by the socially awkward main characters in these highly popular ‘bromances’. In their struggle to become REAL MEN, however, women suffer. Many of Seth Rogan’s films focus upon “getting’ with” the really ‘hot chick’, continuing a long pattern of objectifying women by framing them as sexual conquests.  These conquests are at the center of the kind of masculinity depicted and glorified by such movies. These movies fail to challenge traditional notions of masculinity, and instead, lock this version of masculinity as the only version. But at the same time, why do women enjoy these movies? I hypothesize that it is easier for some women to laugh at these movies rather than being seen as the ‘angry feminist’. By laughing at these movies, they can feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Instead of thinking about how difficult and unbalanced sexual power dynamics are, it is easier to laugh them away. Validation of this type of humor only perpetuates and strengthens a rape culture.

"Observe and Report"’s date rape scene illustrates how casually rape is depicted and referenced in the media. In addition, rape is often thrown about in everyday, casual conversation.  I’ve heard the term in discussions about environmental destruction, in competitive sports events, and just everyday banter. Using the term rape further naturalizes it, taking away the negative stigma it MUST retain.
We can only hope that big-profile controversy around this scene in Observe and Report will force filmmakers, writers, actors, everyone, to at least think about what they are doing and what kind of message they are sending. Comedy especially is a genre that has the potential to either critique oppressive norms or strengthen them. So while creative ingenuity is great, one piece of advice: rape is never funny, so don’t even try.

Observe and Report, Written and directed by Jody Hill, starring Seth Rogan and Anna Faris