tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5065512525631085082024-03-15T04:30:34.507-04:00UpstartsThis is the online voice of Upstarts, a student-driven organization on the campus of USC Upstate dedicated to communicating in clear and energetic terms the relevance of feminism to today's college-age women and men.Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-23923217556178893122009-05-11T11:59:00.003-04:002009-05-11T12:51:54.789-04:00The New Face(s) of Upstarts: Whoo-hoo to Changes!With the same sense of both excitement and nostalgia that accompanies the end of each academic year, marked by changes, additions, and losses, Upstate Feminists has much to share at this time. The organization is experiencing a complete reconfiguration -- keeping in line with the changes it has already undergrone as a part of our Upstate Goes Guerrilla campaign. First, we will no longer be known as Upstate Feminists but as Upstarts. This name change reflects the organization's commitment to movement, progressiveness, and what we have characteristically referred to as our playful militancy. We have also elected to put in place a leadership structure modeled after feminist organizational theories. Rather than a traditional, hierarchically based leadership model, we have created new positions that reflect roles rather than titles. These four positions are Administrative Coordinator, Campus Activism and Outreach Coordinator, Community Activism and Outreach Coordinator, and Public Relations and Media Supervisor. Serving in these new positions will be, respectively, Sarah Wilson, Adrienne Jones, Victoria Boyles Escudero, and Lindsay Harris. We are very excited about the new face of the organization and I look forward to seeing what changes and campaigns will undoubtedly occur as a result.<br /><br />On a personal note, I will be leaving the organization as I graduate and begin hashing out all of the particularities of my post-Upstate life. I cannot stress enough, however, how much working with Upstate Feminists has meant to me both as a member over the past two and a half years and during my tenure as president. I feel so fortunate to have worked with such dedicated, capable, brilliant, amazing, ridiculous, and goofy women. I looked forward to each meeting, each activity, and each interaction that I've shared with you. Whether it be planning ways to enhance our image on campus, broaden the organization's involvement in the community, or deciding under what circumstances we'd most like to be arrested, I have enjoyed every minute of our time together. I feel certain that the group will flourish next year in the hands of such a strong and committed leadership. I also extend my gratitude to the two faculty members who have acted as our advisors over the course of the year, Dr. Lisa Johnson and Professor Cara Tuttle. Without your help and encouragement we would be truly lost. And though this will likely be my last official blog and announcement for the organization, I hope to have the opportunity to return as a guest author on the blog from time to time. Thanks again to everyone who made this such a memorable year!<br /><br />AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-18199494811340465362009-02-03T10:40:00.002-05:002009-02-03T10:42:14.444-05:00Semester EventsHey everyone! The Center for Women's and Gender Studies is going to be pretty busy this semester. Here is a list of the main events going on.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thursday, February 5</span><br />Finding Voice: Women in Music Therapy<br />12:15 p.m., CLC 309<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday, February 9</span><br />He Ain't Talkin' Bout Me!": Young Black Women's Perceptions of Black Femininity in Rap Music<br />7:00-8:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thursday, February 12</span><br />Reel Genders: In the Mood for Love<br />7:00 p.m., Tukey Theater<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thursday, March 19</span><br />Reel Genders: Summer Storm<br />7:00 p.m., Tukey Theater<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday, March 23</span><br />Feminism in Hard Cover<br />4:00-5:00 p.m., CASB 122<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday, March 23</span><br />Bodies of Knowledge Symposium Prelude Event: E. Lynn Harris<br />7:00 p.m., Spartanburg County Public Library<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday, March 25</span><br />Bodies of Knowledge Symposium: Main Event<br />4:00-8:30 p.m., John M. Rampey Center<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thursday, April 2</span><br />Reel Genders: Monsoon Wedding<br />7:00 p.m., Tukey Theater<br /><br />We'll be posting reminders as the events come up. Hope to see you there!<br /><br />-SarahUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-56201457569572842922009-01-29T00:30:00.007-05:002009-01-29T00:44:09.214-05:00Call. Email. Post a Letter. Vomit.<span style="font-size:130%;">I'll write more about this when I don't feel like I'm already dying, but this is worth posting and worth a response. Good ol' <span style="font-style: italic;">Greenville News</span>:</span><br /><blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bill requiring women to wait day before an abortion heads to House</span></blockquote><blockquote>The Associated Press • January 28, 2009</blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">COLUMBIA -- Women seeking an abortion in South Carolina would have to wait at least 24 hours after their ultrasound under a bill given initial approval Wednesday by a House subcommittee.<br /><br />The measure would increase the waiting time from an hour to a day.<br /><br />Proponents said it would bring South Carolina in line with other states that have waiting periods and give women time to reflect on the decision. Critics said requiring two trips creates a burden, especially for poor, rural women.<br /><br />The proposal follows nearly two years of debate on whether to require women to view an ultrasound image before getting an abortion. Under a compromise passed last year, women must be asked whether they want to look at the screen during the procedure or see a printed image -- and sign a form verifying they were given the option.<br /><br />The compromise kept in the law a 60-minute wait already required after women are handed brochures about fetal development and abortion alternatives.<br /><br />“But one hour is not enough time to think about it,” said Rep. Greg Delleney, the sponsor of last year’s law and the current proposal. “I’m trying to give the chance for a child waiting to be born to have a birthday.”<br /><br />He said he didn’t make it an issue last year because he didn’t want to further bog down the law’s passage.<br /><br />At least 25 other states require waiting times for abortions, and all but two set them at 24 hours -- Indiana, the other, sets an 18-hour minimum, said Oran Smith, president of the Palmetto Family Council.<br /><br />Several women who had abortions testified they would have changed their mind if they’d had more time to think it through.<br /><br />“I went blindly, fearfully into a clinic,” said Carla Harvey, a nurse and a volunteer at Lowcountry Crisis Pregnancy Center in Charleston. “They’re in a waiting room. They’re numb. They’re afraid. ... Time really does make a difference.”<br /><br />Advocates also noted South Carolina requires a daylong wait for a marriage license, and patients have to undergo pre-counseling or classes for many other surgeries, such as for obese patients and hip replacements.<br /><br />“A waiting period before a final decision regarding abortion is far more critical than any other waiting period,” said Holly Gatling, executive director of South Carolina Citizens for Life. “Before making such a grave and permanent decision, women deserve a 24-hour waiting period that safeguards their dignity, their health and their right to choose life.”<br /><br />The South Carolina Coalition for Healthy Families opposed the measure, calling it extreme and said it could require taking two days off of work and finding transportation. The state needs to focus instead on reducing unintended pregnancies by funding preventive health care, contraception and comprehensive education beyond abstinence only, said coalition lobbyist Brandi Parrish.<br /><br />Women must make appointments to get an abortion and already spend time agonizing over the decision, she said.<br /><br />“They’re not walking in the door 10 minutes after making the phone call,” she said. “It’s not like they’re going and getting their hair done in the afternoon.”<br /><br />Opponents at the hearing included two anti-abortion activists, who want abortion outlawed.<br /><br />“It’s not God’s will to wait 24 hours and then kill the baby,” said Steve Lefemine, director of Columbia Christians for Life, who can frequently be seen at the Statehouse carrying posters of aborted fetuses.<br /><br />The measure stipulates the 24-hour waiting period applies only if an ultrasound is performed. But abortion rights advocates have testified that clinics already perform ultrasounds in nearly all cases to verify how far along the pregnancy is, since state law requires abortion doctors to tell women the likely age of their fetus.<br /><br />The bill now goes to the full House Judiciary Committee.<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">Alright -- now that I'm sufficiently perturbed, I'm going to bed. More to report in the morrow and a reminder to all that we have pamphlets from the Morning Star Foundation in the Center for Women's and Gender Studies that provide all kinds o' helpful information in terms of contacting your elected officials.<br /><br />-- Andrea</span>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-59169536433270060502009-01-22T14:49:00.002-05:002009-01-22T15:07:03.092-05:00Bodies of Knowledge SymposiumJust wanted to let everyone know that the Bodies of Knowledge Symposium is open for registration! Here's the information from the <a href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/bodiesofknowledge/">website</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The <em>Bodies of Knowledge Symposium</em> brings cutting edge theory on gender and sexuality to the upstate of South Carolina.</span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The Symposium will take place during the spring semester as part of a larger campus commitment to the principle of respecting sexual diversity demonstrated by the highly successful Safe Zone Allies program and the acknowledgement of sexual orientation as a protected category of identity in USC Upstate’s longstanding Diversity Initiative. The symposium serves to maintain and further fuel the energy of the students, faculty, and staff who are galvanized at this time to improve the campus climate for LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The <i>Bodies of Knowledge Symposium</i> is designed to raise awareness on campus about sexual diversity, to cultivate anti-homophobic attitudes among Upstate students, faculty, staff and administration, and to provide LGBTQ students with opportunities to deepen their ties to each other, to the LGBTQ community, and to their straight allies on campus, as well as in the region of the U.S. Southeast.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>All attendees must <a title="Bodies of Knowledge registration form" href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=ekfrm&ItemID=14248">register online</a> for the conference, even if you do not plan to attend every presentation</strong>.</span></p><span style="font-size:85%;">A <a title="Bodies of Knowledge - Prelude Event" href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=22842">Prelude</a> to the Bodies of Knowledge Symposium, featuring <a title="Bodies of Knowledge - Prelude Event" href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=22842">guest speaker E. Lynn Harris</a>, will be held at the Spartanburg County Library on March 23, 2009 at 7 p.m.</span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Here's a link to the registration page: <a href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/bodiesofknowledge/form.aspx?ekfrm=14248">http://www.uscupstate.edu/bodiesofknowledge/form.aspx?ekfrm=14248</a><br /><br />Remember: registration is first come, first serve!<br /><br />-Sarah<br /></span>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-65978451865673226132009-01-12T14:40:00.005-05:002009-01-12T14:57:12.694-05:00Important Reminder: AWESOME Women's and Gender Studies Courses Being Offered This Spring!!!I know we're all getting back to the grind today and finalizing schedules and all that jazz in the process. But want to remind everyone that there are several fantastic, exciting, can't-afford-to-miss-out-on-'em courses being offered this spring through The Center for Women's and Gender Studies. Some of them are cross-listed through other departments, so just want to go ahead and give you all the pertinent information:<br /><br />SWST 301: Feminist Theory and Methods<br />MW 2-3:15 Bell<br /><br />SWST 398: Queer Theory<br />TTH 10:50-12:05 Johnson<br /><br />SATH 301: Women and Art<br />W 6-8:40 Snow<br /><br />SHST 352: Women European and American Modern<br />M 6-8:40 Henderson<br /><br />SSPH 398: Communication, Gender, and Power<br />TTH 9:25-10:40 Davis<br /><br />SREL 399: Religion and Gender<br />TTH 12:15-1:30 Damrel<br /><br />SMUS 398: Women in Popular Music<br />TTH 10:50-12:05 Scarborough<br /><br />Hope you decide to take advantage of these great classes this spring! And good luck to us all as we start back!<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-30909102515780149962009-01-09T17:21:00.013-05:002009-01-09T21:34:01.662-05:00New Year's Resolutions: Gaza, the UN, Obama, and Blogging (?). . .<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg6w7ew3FxEQ-mVPmqvmXOUnn_gA6UHz6CoKcWis6U_8Jc17iIIe76wJQMqUNhZETmP7vxqSmTTQzBPwSidcxJ3TiM78AudwIz-C8JYSUVPDrRl1lzhmdMH234k5lnBMeeVtzUY8f8fF0/s1600-h/26360268.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidg6w7ew3FxEQ-mVPmqvmXOUnn_gA6UHz6CoKcWis6U_8Jc17iIIe76wJQMqUNhZETmP7vxqSmTTQzBPwSidcxJ3TiM78AudwIz-C8JYSUVPDrRl1lzhmdMH234k5lnBMeeVtzUY8f8fF0/s400/26360268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289467444075582962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This week, despite all intentions of blogging regularly again, I've found myself pretty incapable of mustering up any resolve to write about feminist theory or gender/ sexuality issues cropping up in the U.S. I've been glued to the news of what's happening in Gaza coupled with its macabre relationship to U.S. current affairs, wishing that <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.democracynow.org"><span style="font-style: italic;">Democracy Now!</span></a> was broadcast on-the-hour rather than each morning. Oh to have Amy Goodman's calm and reassuring voice offering up headlines as quickly as they can be reported, replete with insightful contributors on the matters. . . Sigh. . . But since this is more than a little impossible, I've just resorted to refreshing my internet browser in search of constant and more new information. And after reaching the conclusion that it's ok to be distracted by the crap situation in Gaza, I've also decided that it's ok to write about it too. Injustice is injustice is injustice. I've always had a particular soft spot for the Palestinian conflict and know that I could (and perhaps should) wax more critical as to why I find myself so affected by that moreso than all the other various crimes against humanity occurring daily. However, I also know that U.S. involvement plays a hefty role in my fixation. It's not just any old crime against humanity, it's one my country has practically championed.<br /><br />Last time I wrote, I discussed my misgivings about the national climate post-election. And already, I find my concerns mounting as Obama gives his cabinet announcements in a week of international outrage directed at the U.S.-backed Israeli offensives against Gaza. On a positive note, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/08/barack-obama-gaza-hamas"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Guardian</span></a> today reported that "the incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon George Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say. The move to open contacts with Hamas, which could be initiated through the US intelligence services, would represent a definitive break with the Bush presidency's ostracising of the group." Though <span style="font-style: italic;">The Guardian</span> also noted it unlikely that Obama will acknowledge Hamas as having political legitimacy, initiating what is described as "low-level diplomacy" bears the implications that the organization is being acknowledged as legitimate <span style="font-style: italic;">enough</span> to engage in talks and that its concerns are not wholly invisible or unwarranted.<br /><br />However, even with this step that appears a break in our otherwise unwavering support of Israel, it makes me wonder. This report comes on the heels of another -- Obama's announcement of his intelligence team, which includes Retired Admiral Dennis Blair as Director of National Intelligence. Blair, serving as the commander of the U.S. naval presence in the Asia/ Pacific region during the Clinton administration, has been notoriously linked to General Wiranto of Indonesia, who militarily and financially backed the church and village massacres throughout East Timor in the Timorese Crisis of 1999. Blair has been reported to indicate his support of Wiranto and to falsely indicate U.S. backing (including promises of financial aid) despite orders to denounce Wiranto's actions, even inviting Wiranto to Hawaii as his personal guest during this time<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><sup><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/9/did_obama_aide_admiral_dennis_blair">1</a></sup>. This incident has been largely neglected in the media. Surprise, surprise. But it just seems ominous, at this time of change and international crises, that we are offered up this man whose past indicates not a departure from past U.S. approaches to foreign policy and international relations but a reaffirmation of them.<br /><br />But back to Gaza and the figures that have kept me perpetually horrified. According to the <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29502&Cr=gaza&Cr1=">United Nations</a>' website today, the Palestinian death toll has reached 798, with 3,200 Palestinians estimated injured and the total of Palestinian refugees estimated to be 750,000 as a result of this most recent conflict. The Israelis can even take credit for four of the 11 Israeli deaths (soldiers killed during "friendly fire") reported during the conflict. In their meeting yesterday, the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire, yet the Israeli offensive continues while the casualties mount. It all seems more than a little dismal to me. . .<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup>1</sup> A really great interview with journalist Allen Nairn, who broke the Blair-Wiranto story can be read at http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/9/did_obama_aide_admiral_dennis_blair<br /><br />-- Andrea<br /></span>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-19640870990399649482008-12-23T08:45:00.006-05:002008-12-23T11:37:29.344-05:00Happy Holidays! Hate Crimes and Homophobia as We Transition into 2009. . .<p>Proposition 8 passed in California. This week the Pope referred to the need for an <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE4BL2FE20081222">"ecology of man"</a> to save the world from homosexuality as tantamount to that of saving the rainforest. AND our messianic president-elect chose homophobic Christian phenom Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. Oh yeah -- and a 28 year-old San Francisco woman was brutally gang-raped and beaten because of her sexuality. That story didn't quite make the CNN headlines this morning. <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LESBIAN_RAPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-12-23-02-41-57">AP reported today</a> that after being verbally harrassed due to her lesbian identity, the woman endured what Police Lt. Mark Gagan described as "beyond fathomable" and that "the level of trauma - physical and emotional - [she] suffered is extreme." Lisa Leff reported:</p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></p><blockquote></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">The 45-minute attack began when one of the men approached the woman as she crossed the street, struck her with a blunt object, ordered her to disrobe and sexually assaulted her with the help of the other men.<br /><br />When the group saw another person approaching, they forced the victim back into her car and took her to a burned-out apartment building, where she was raped again inside and outside the vehicle. The assailants took her wallet and drove off in her car. Officers found the car abandoned two days later.</span></p></blockquote><br /> Scarcely a month ago, I waxed both optimistic and surprisingly patriotic as I watched Obama deliver his acceptance speech. And I can't say that the sentiment has entirely worn off. It hasn't. But I can't shake the icky creepy-crawliness that the overwhelming idealism circulating post-election is little more than a temporary analgesic, falsely numbing the country <em>just</em> long enough for the momentum to wear off. We are not so stoned that we are completely insensitive - empty pockets across the country attest to that; yet there is something very seductive in aggrandizing the potential for change solely because of the new administration's diverse appearance. I write this to remind myself as much as anyone: 2009 still looks better than 2008. I can't deny that. But 2009 still begins in a country that unequally distributes access to citizenship based on race, class, gender, and sexuality. As a good friend of mine says so frequently, "You can't gild a turd." Things still suck. Yet there was an undeniable sign of political movement this fall. My fear is that it will simply be a transient phenomenon. My hope is that it won't. <p>And the signs in that department aren't necessarily dismal. It's looking like Proposition 8 might be overturned as early as March and the economy is bad enough to keep people tuned in. It's hard to ignore the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">loss of nearly 300,000 jobs in November. </a>There is a personal-political component to unemployment that defies otherwise divisive categories. But in that same way, it is extremely important to remember the personal-political face of all forms of discrimination that exist across the country. Nationwide homophobia is not only reflected in measures such as Prop 8, but in the real and daily harm done to members of the LGBTQ community like that of today's story out of San Francisco. A woman was raped. Multiple times. The acknowledgment of Proposition 8's unconstitutionality does not signal the end of homophobia. Barack Obama's election does not signal the end of racism. We still have lots to do and far to go.</p><p>-- Andrea</p>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-38382785368563195012008-12-19T16:28:00.010-05:002008-12-19T18:48:25.571-05:00 Feministing Represents: CWGS Director Dr. Lisa Johnson Gets Holiday Shout-Out!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GQc9hcAAFUF5Fd7xYGRznsPqVDv2dfL5JYihpgDrK_nIQrfm-mEPwyEKHv4UqNyaoZq6cksbrVcWv8oM9mMxkq3voFIx5igYo-x5zZTNB2ngV6EJtclJGkLVfm3kSgQKrd3OtCQF0A2r/s1600-h/janebox.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GQc9hcAAFUF5Fd7xYGRznsPqVDv2dfL5JYihpgDrK_nIQrfm-mEPwyEKHv4UqNyaoZq6cksbrVcWv8oM9mMxkq3voFIx5igYo-x5zZTNB2ngV6EJtclJGkLVfm3kSgQKrd3OtCQF0A2r/s200/janebox.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281648332937889122" /></a><br /><p><a href="http://www.feministing.com/profiles/Courtney">Courtney Martin</a>, book editor for the popular online blog <em><a href="http://www.feministing.com/archives/012750.html">Feministing</a></em>,<em> </em>donned some holiday spirit with her "Not Oprah's Book Club," offering gift ideas for a feminist-friendly shopping list. Number two of her five picks? That's right -- <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Third-Wave-Feminism-Television-Contemporary/dp/1845112466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229729351&sr=8-1">Third Wave Feminism and Television: Jane Puts It in a Box</a></em><em> </em>by our very own <a href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/academics/arts_sciences/womens_studies/default.aspx?id=7662">Dr. Lisa Johnson</a>!!!!! Martin writes:</p><p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">If you know a sucker for any of the following--Six Feet Under, the Sopranos, vampires--then you may want to pick up this awesome anthology for them, published over the pond by I.B. Tauris Press. Johnson, the Director for the Center for Women's Studies at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, brings together a range of totally intriguing and theoretically rigorous essays on the intersection between popular television and new feminisms. <br /><br />She [Johnson] introduces: <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></p><blockquote></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">As riddled with stereotypes as media culture admittedly is, television can also provide rare insight into alternative ways of living in the world. The small screen paradoxically provides a broader horizon. For rural adolescents, television can be the sole window into big-city subjects like homosexuality, singlehood-by-choice, multiculturalism, and, I'm not kidding, existentialism--my philosophy minor may well have stemmed from a certain episode of <em>Family Ties</em> in which Alex's little sister, Jennifer, reads Kierkegaard at the kitchen table. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Gotta love that.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"></blockquote></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">As one of the readings in </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Upstate's <a href="http://registrar.sc.edu/html/Course_Listings/Upstate/200911/SWST/300/SWSTW301001.htm">Feminist Theory and Methods</a> course a few years back (<a href="http://registrar.sc.edu/html/Course_Listings/Upstate/200911/SWST200911.htm">which Professor Tuttle-Bell will be offering this spring. . . hint. . . hint. . .</a>), <em>Jane Puts It in a Box</em> remains of the most influential texts for me in my own (ongoing/ never-ending) love affair with feminist and queer media criticism. So I have to agree with Courtney Martin that the book just kicks some major ass. The essays run the gamut of television interests, covering everything from <em>The Sopranos</em></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (our own Dr. Johnson's treatment of gangster feminism!) to <em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer </em></span><span style="font-size:100%;">and</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> even </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>The Bachelor </em></span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Katherine Martin's remarkably fresh and insightful </span><span style="font-size:100%;">approach to the series from the angle of </span><span style="font-size:100%;">critical heterosexuality studies</span><span style="font-size:100%;">)</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Third-Wave-Feminism-Television-Contemporary/dp/1845112466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229729351&sr=8-1">Jane Puts It in a Box</a></em> is smart, sexy, and approachable while completely edgy in its theoretical content. A real </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>tour de force</em></span><span style="font-size:100%;">, if you will (I am really trying to refrain from inserting an emoticon right here. . . ergh. . . ack. . . oh, self-discipline!!!!). Phew -- made it sans winking, tongue-stuck-out smiley face. . . </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">But let us all just revel in some holiday joy at such exciting publicity. Take a moment. Savor it. Ahhh. . . Sigh. . . Thank you, Courtney Martin at <em><a href="http://www.feministing.com/archives/012750.html">Feministing</a></em></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and a huge congratulations to Dr. Johnson on the spotlight!!! </span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">-- Andrea</span></p>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-54746372326626757312008-12-11T13:06:00.008-05:002008-12-11T15:12:15.161-05:00Urban Outfitters, Nahhhh... THEY Wouldn't?!?!<p>Before I go any further, please note the sarcastic nature of the post's title if you haven't already. I can't get all self-righteous and say I haven't bought a shirt dress or two laden with faded-out panda bears, but I also can't say that I'm proud of myself for it neither. So as we're all (or many of us, anyhoo) strapped for cash this holiday season and counting our pretty pennies, I thought I'd go ahead and hop on the wagon by sharing just one more reason why Urban Outfitters kinda sucks and isn't worth the money we youngsters might spend there. They once again walked the fine, sometimes apparently indiscernible line that has characterized their t-shirt campaigns, which often use controversial slogans and logos that push the boundaries between hipster and hate. <em><a href="http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid68212.asp">The Advocate</a></em> reported the story earlier today:</p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></p><blockquote></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters removed "I Support Same-Sex Marriage" shirts from its stores after they had been on sale for only a week. The publicly traded clothing chain blamed the removal of the shirts on bad press, but according to <a href="http://racked.com/archives/2008/12/05/mixed_messages_urban_outfitters_wont_sell_gay_marriage_tshirt.php">Racked</a>, the negative publicity consisted of only one blog post. <br /><br />The shirts' designer, Tara Littman, told Racked, "With quite a few pro-Obama shirts in their store and even some anti-McCain products, this clearly isn't a company that has a problem being politically aligned, so why?" <br /><br />Urban Outfitters chairman Richard Hayne is known as a conservative -- he's donated thousands of dollars to right-wing causes, including the campaigns of homophobic former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. When asked in 2003 what his own views were about homosexuality, Hayne told the Philadelphia Weekly, "I have my own opinion, but I am not going to share it." (Broverman, Advocate.com)</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></blockquote></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">Interestingly enough, the article doesn't note that replacing Hayne last year was openly-gay Glen Senk. In a 2008 <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/events/realtime/miami/blog/davissenk.html">Fast Company interview</a>, Senk defined his take on branding and worldview as "A healthy respect for individuality. High touch instead of high tech. Intelligent. Honest. Passionate. Artful. Nice. A respect for technology." Verdict's still out on whether he's going to apply that perspective. But it just seems, I dunno, a little weird that after all the slogans that did receive bad press (and lots of it), that it is one providing a message of positive, political inclusion that gets pulled after a single week. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">On the flip side, however, must say that I'm not sure how surprised or saddened I am by the news. Given Urban Outfitters' tendency toward iconography and the cult-of-fashion, can't say I'm truly boo-hoo-ing over one less political fetishization. AND why not take this opportunity to actually go to the real designer? They're often plagiarized so well that no one who actually buys the UO rip-offs has a clue that there ever <em>was </em></span><span style="font-size:100%;">a real designer. So if you're interested, check out the website for <a href="http://www.supportshirts.net/">Support Shirts</a> and designer Tara Littman where you <em>can</em></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> still purchase the pulled t-shirts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">-- Andrea</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span></p>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-23565533356137574702008-11-20T12:19:00.005-05:002008-11-20T12:37:02.696-05:00Something to PonderSo I received my regular <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.adbusters.org/">Adbusters</a> email and thought that this portion of it was something worth passing along. I think the questions their suggestions are missing are "Will they rally to end asymmetrical gender relations and for sexual freedom?" and "Will they recognize that Third Wave Feminism is the ticket?" and "Will all these new feminists all work to bridge gaps between the discursive and the political?" Think about it. If you don't feel like actually sending something in, I think it at least raises both optimistic and creative questions for us to discuss as we enter this new political climate. What will/ can we do? I say, "Lots!" WhaddYOU say?<br /><br />"Meme warriors, cultural creatives and Generation O:<br /><br />The outpouring of euphoria around the globe following Barack Obama’s victory has raised expectations. Like the president-elect, we (and you) have been calling for change for eight long years. On November 4th we got it, a genuine, bloodless revolution. The question now is: will it amount to anything?<br /><br />Obama’s campaign benefited hugely from enlisting young voters in the cause. Obama told them that the post-baby boomer era had begun. He challenged their cynicism and spoke to them through their own media: through Facebook, through Twitter. They overwhelmingly gave him their support at the polls. And they won. They won big. Maybe now Generation O will finally drop the hipster pose and become a force to change the world.<br /><br />For the next issue of Adbusters we want your thoughts and opinions on whether you think Generation O has revolutionary potential. What are the specific ways that Generation O could change the world? Will they create a green economy? Will they figure out how to deal with climate change? Will they rethink capitalism and the corporation? Send your stories, ideas and epiphanies to: editor@adbusters.org"<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-19920061731514452942008-11-17T13:54:00.003-05:002008-11-17T13:58:34.034-05:00Women's Studies classes in serious floundering territory.Some of the Women's Studies classes are in danger of being canceled because not enough people have enrolled. I'm mainly talking about SWST 301: Feminist Theory and Methods, SWST 355: U.S. Women's Movement and SWST 398: Special Topic (the topic will be Queer Theory).<br /><br />Here is a list of the Women's Studies courses being offered next Spring: <a href="http://registrar.sc.edu/html/Course_Listings/Upstate/200911/SWST200911.htm">http://registrar.sc.edu/html/Course_Listings/Upstate/200911/SWST200911.htm</a><br /><br />If you can register for these, please do. I don't want to see any of these classes canceled because they're going to be awesome.<br /><br />-SarahUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-2661205626784875552008-11-07T17:33:00.001-05:002008-11-07T17:35:17.235-05:00Need Your InputSo as we're beginning to hammer out the details of iFuk, we'd really like to have your input in even the beginning of this process? What would you like to see out of a sex-positive campaign? How would you like to see sexual diversity promoted? Comment and let us know!!!<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-13903374434124656582008-10-31T10:06:00.004-04:002008-10-31T10:09:19.604-04:00Just a reminder...For those of you who haven't heard, the Halloween installment has been canceled. However, if you're a member of PRIDE (and there is a bit of an overlap, here), you're more than welcome to wear your costume to the PRIDE meeting today! It's at 2:00 PM, in room 122 of the old nursing building.<br /><br />-SarahUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-82395270429671710172008-10-27T07:46:00.004-04:002008-10-27T07:58:58.587-04:00A busy week and lots of info.This week is going to be busy for Upstate Feminists, and it's going to be good. Today, Monday, October 27, 2008, UF is hosting a discussion for Daphne Gottlieb's book <EM>Kissing Dead Girls</EM> at the Center For Women's and Gender Studies (aka room 122 of the old nursing building).<br /><br />Tomorrow on the 28th Daphne Gottlieb will be reading selections from <EM>Kissing Dead Girls</EM> at the Hub-Bub in downtown Spartanburg. Here's a link to information about the event and the poet on Hub-Bub's website: <a href="http://www.hub-bub.com/index.php?option=com_thyme&calendar=1&category=0&d=27&m=10&y=2008&vcat=&Itemid=&event=508&instance=2008-10-28">http://www.hub-bub.com/index.php?option=com_thyme&calendar=1&category=0&d=27&m=10&y=2008&vcat=&Itemid=&event=508&instance=2008-10-28</a><br /><br />If you'd like to get a copy of <EM>Kissing Dead Girls</EM>, stop by the center; just note that if you get one, you kind of <em>have</em> to come to the reading tomorrow. For more information, call the center at 503-5926.<br /><br />Also, be on the lookout for some interesting things happening on campus this Halloween Friday....<br /><br />----------<br /><br />In other news, flyers with the list of women's studies courses being offered in the Spring are now posted in various places around campus. Keep that in mind when you sign up for classes this week!<br /><br />Have a good week, everyone!<br /><br />-SarahUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-78378644772569332682008-10-21T09:42:00.010-04:002008-12-19T19:06:20.272-05:00Like It or Not, You Just Can't Take the Sex out of (Sex)uality...There has been a bit of a buzz about the iFuk campaign. Largely a really great buzz. But some notsomuch. SO I thought that I'd go ahead and post a response to a comment to that particular blog thread in which I <span style="font-style:italic;">think</span> I cover most of the bases of concern. Also, I've noticed that the few people who have expressed that they find the sticker campaign both offensive and disturbing have eschewed calm discussion of the matter in favor of some pretty biting attacks, which I find to be interestingly demonstrative of a <span style="font-style:italic;">high </span> level of personal discomfort surrounding the topic. The fact that people react so virulently against opening the discourse surrounding sexuality I think speaks to exactly why we need to open up the discourse surrounding sexuality. And if you have any questions regarding the choices we've made to take such an in-your-face approach to this campaign, I invite you to contact me by email and I will be happy to discuss the matter further. This was not something that was decided haphazardly or without considering its implications, so I would be more than happy, I promise, to discuss that.<br /><br />-- Andrea<br /><br />p.s. May I just add in further response to this individual's post that though sex is a personal choice, it does not exist outside of the political arena. It is not "half-politicized;" it is inherently and wholly political.<br /><br /><p>Cheers, folks! And here's the comment:</p><p><blockquote></p>"Even Better..."<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> October 20, 2008 7:21 PM<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> Delete<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Blogger mediocritease said...<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> Culture jamming is really kind of dubious. What difference exactly are these stickers going to make? Sexuality is a personal choice, not some kind of half-politicized, mildly offensive, self-indulgent graffiti. Throwing something in someone's face doesn't make them want to respect you anymore than they did before. Have you thought about whether or not flaunting it really helps your cause? And just out of curiosity, do you think the free love movement did anything truly positive for human relations? Am I for gay marriage? Absolutely. Equal rights for all walks of life? Most definitely. Are there better ways to get there? Probably.<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> October 20, 2008 7:24 PM<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> Delete<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span>Blogger Upstarts said...<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> The logo is one component of a much broader campaign. The stickers are just one element that is 1) a catchy and provocative image that plays not only on a largely unpopular word (apparently... eh hemmm...) but 2) also reappropriates a brand of consumer culture that connotes a whole other element of capitalist critique and inquiry. Controversy breeds interest and reactions (apparently again...)demonstrate discomfort. For instance, some people's skins crawl when they see the word "fuck," (eh-hemmm...) which might lead them to disavow an entire campaign because they can't stomach the implications of one of the dirtiest of words. All this before they even decide to do their homework on what the campaign entails. I would invite you, mediocritease, not only to reconsider such a reductive stance before engaging in discourse surrounding a subject, but also to do a little more research about the terms sex-positive and sex-radical, which engender a lot more than simply fucking. Sex-positive and sex-radical are not synonymous with the free love movement, either. Nor is the free love movement just about having lots of sex. I'll even provide you with the wikipedia pages to get you started:<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex-positive"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sex-positive</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_love"><span style="font-size:85%;">Free love</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> Also, there are many elements of Upstate Feminists that seek to be inclusive, take a less offensive approach to sort of placate people's discomforts. However, providing people with an innocent, feel-good sort of movement that they can feel entirely at ease with is not the aim of this campaign -- it is to draw attention to sexual stigmatizing that occurs on a constant basis in American society and the media and to bring awareness to sexual diversity (which includes but is not limited to the LGBTQ community, alternative forms of heterosexuality, and even asexuality). We want to make people uneasy. So, in-your-face is kinda the goal with this one. AND there is a body of evidence suggesting that short-term strategies such as toning down radical rhetoric to increase general interest are not always effective in the long-run, that they may even serve to compound and reinforce existing conservatism.<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> So yes, in short -- the stickers are at least (and thank you for demonstrating this) opening up discourse surrounding the subject. They also speak to the larger issues of sex in the media and consumer culture, and they reinforce in a very poignant and simple way that personal choice involved in sexuality.<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span> Thanks for askin'...<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> -- Andrea</span></p><p></blockquote></p>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-71898071293985763492008-10-20T12:11:00.005-04:002008-10-20T12:19:39.743-04:00This is just beautiful...<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s.wsj.net/media/obamastlouis_Q_20081018135311.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://s.wsj.net/media/obamastlouis_Q_20081018135311.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br><br /><br /><br />As we discuss the seeming retreat from activism in feminism, or at least its ebb and flow, I offer this photograph from an Obama rally in St. Louis on Saturday. If this doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will. I stole it from another friend's blog <a href="http://www.eyeroll.org/">EYEROLL </a>and you can read the full story on the <span style="font-style:italic;">Wall Street Journal</span>'s <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/18/obama-rally-draws-100000-in-missouri/">"Washington Wire."</a><br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-58618576134850809902008-10-20T00:01:00.005-04:002008-10-20T00:24:24.683-04:00Even Better...So we couldn't resist and had to take our new iFuk campaign to the next level with this logo:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrBySMOCFZBz4Wyt1sUOeaakZQTdv_HjvNJtJZuYCnKqWSiiPtLQxt4iY1Y1Kl9kI8LH8KAoLLuognx2Hr0_mku7XknKRvabuV3KdXiAEE1nP31U4vX3n5IMWqpyDRZ4wzIJvSQ5SUkC2/s1600-h/iFuk+with+2+cherries.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrBySMOCFZBz4Wyt1sUOeaakZQTdv_HjvNJtJZuYCnKqWSiiPtLQxt4iY1Y1Kl9kI8LH8KAoLLuognx2Hr0_mku7XknKRvabuV3KdXiAEE1nP31U4vX3n5IMWqpyDRZ4wzIJvSQ5SUkC2/s200/iFuk+with+2+cherries.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259084843653166082" /></a><br /><br /><br />iFuk is a sex-radical/ sex-positive campaign highlighting the individual choice entailed in sexuality. It is committed to raising awareness of alternative forms of sexuality, sex education, and working toward breaking through culturally imposed barriers and limitations through activism and information. Utilizing a strategy that media scholar John Fiske terms "localized tactical resistance," iFuk intends to raise consciousness in the Upstate regarding issues of sexuality through guerrilla-stye feminist marketing.<br /><br />So that means when the stickers are printed, they are going to be EVERYWHERE!!!!<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-16918833665998497062008-10-14T14:54:00.007-04:002008-10-16T16:46:58.494-04:00Heck yeah...Dig it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOQxFyur_CuusBgR2MgjoCZC_X19riLkFhHOVePPp4VT4fpImMnsE3lo6FAIEZKnByZBECqprtGh8kJruYdQ1S8-8kKeeqpVw-SCpH4tiVsI3BshPjCHohxWlafkAHR_MVVMXEP4YvRV6/s1600-h/iFuk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOQxFyur_CuusBgR2MgjoCZC_X19riLkFhHOVePPp4VT4fpImMnsE3lo6FAIEZKnByZBECqprtGh8kJruYdQ1S8-8kKeeqpVw-SCpH4tiVsI3BshPjCHohxWlafkAHR_MVVMXEP4YvRV6/s200/iFuk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257848854812436578" /></a><br /><br />New sex-positive campaign.<br /><br />Stickers to come.<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-64415154118093145212008-10-12T22:04:00.014-04:002008-10-12T23:10:44.865-04:00Un-Bee-Effing-Lievable... Well Not Really. But I Was Really Excited for a Hot Minute!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.criticsrant.com/Images/criticsrant_com/Movie_Bee%20Movie/2007_bee_movie_018.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.criticsrant.com/Images/criticsrant_com/Movie_Bee%20Movie/2007_bee_movie_018.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> So as I sat avoiding the more substantive things I should be doing with my Sunday evening, I decided to bide my time until the next episode of <span style="font-style:italic;">Californication</span> by watching Jerry Seinfeld's <span style="font-style:italic;">Bee Movie</span>... At first I got all excited. The obvious parallels to a marxist critique of American society were just too good to be true, I thought. Bee comes of age in hive, realizes he's just a cog, leaves the hive, realizes he's a cog in a much larger system. And lo and behold, the bees themselves are blind to their own real oppression. And too good to be true it was...<br /><br />After a successful and controversial lawsuit against the human exploitation of bees (the defense in full-throttle right-wing fundamentalist mode à la John Goodman), the bees renew their commitment to the system they fought against. How can there be a Rose Bowl if there aren't any pollenized roses?!?! Tragedy strikes!!!! Rather than salvaging the progressive elements to the plot and forging some Utopian society that could only work in a cartoon, the narrative exhorts a loud "no!" and our little protagonist buys into the system he worked to subvert. At the end, he is like any main male character in any ol' movie out there: savin' the human woman he loves and everybody around him as business continues as usual. Literally. Cows can talk and file complaints in the Insects at Law office, but they just couldn't take the extra step and make it really progressive... Not sure whether I want to blame Seinfeld or society, but it definitely doesn't do much in the way of dismantling any capitalist ideology for the kiddies who might be watching it, radical potential or not... <br /><br />Here I was, all excited about transgressive Pixar movies and alas, foiled again...<br /><br />I hear that if I really wanted marxist, I should have just waited to see <span style="font-style:italic;">Wall E</span>.<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-82045623832344743712008-10-09T11:33:00.007-04:002008-10-11T09:26:03.396-04:00Oh So Very Riot Grrrl (and Boy) of Us...Finally a fun feminist share moment! Whoo hoo! <br /><br />I walk into a bar in Greenville last night with two friends. We're all wearing black. They have tattoos and scars from whiskey, their BMX bikes, and who knows what else. I stand at the bar with my back to the overweight yuppie beside us who proceeds to interrupt me to alert my friend that "your girlfriend is fucking sexy" as he scans me through his thick glasses from toe to tits. Excuse me? First of all, I ain't nobody's girlfriend. And second of all, he did not just say and do that. <br /><br />As my friend proceeds to puff up a little, poised to defend me (and really, I'm sure, just itching to punch someone), I think that perhaps I can address this academically: <span style="font-style:italic;">Excuse me, asshole, but I'm actually in the process of getting a four-year degree in feminism.</span> I explain with a straight face that, <span style="font-style:italic;">this guy next to me is actually my ex-husband. We're madly in love but had to get divorced because I don't believe in the institution of marriage. So I would really appreciate it if you'd take your overprivileged yuppie entitlement and fuck off.</span> It doesn't work. I tried. I did. He actually then has the audacity to explain to us that our appearances are obvious indicators of our class statuses and insignificance and that he pretty much has the right to a) say anything he wants, b) do anything he wants, and c) have anything that he wants. <br /><br />Really? That so?<br /><br />He wasn't singin' such a pretty tune when we resorted to the next logical step, which was to dump a full bottle of beer over his head. Kicking and screaming about just how fucked up it was because he can a) say anything he wants, b) do anything he wants, and c) have anything that he wants, he was escorted from the bar as we and all of our peon friends fell to the floor with laughter. Him and his starched, beer-soaked shirt could just take it back to the wife in his pretty little box in his pretty little development.<br /><br />I was proud.<br /><br />--AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-91816054245678826442008-10-08T06:55:00.011-04:002008-10-08T09:31:42.672-04:00Who's for the Increased Commodification of Healthcare? Not "That One!"I'm not even going to touch the murky yet tangible implications of Senator McCain's reference to Senator Obama as "that one" in last night's Presidential debate, but I will offer up this little gem that audience member Lindsey Trella presented regarding the commodification of healthcare:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KgbmW2lnsFg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KgbmW2lnsFg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I don't take any measures to conceal my pretty ardent disdain for the soiled bed where the American government and big business (i.e. big insurance companies) hold congress. It gives me acid stomach and I tell you all the time. This I know. But I still want to point out that this topic is as relevant to feminists (not to mention young people at large) as ever. Economic crisis = increased healthcare-as-commodity costs = disproportionate burden on those in this country already at a disadvantage (many if not most of those being women). And that's putting it mildly, with an estimated <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hinsure.htm">43 million Americans already without health insurance in 2007</a>. SO though I don't claim perfection or innocence from either camp because, let's face it -- I'm about as cynical as any defector from capitalist ideology, I think it's pretty effing obvious which of the two mattresses has the most stains. Just a thought. I'm also not so naive as to think that the debates are accurate gauges of ANY candidate's policies. However, I think they <span style="font-style:italic;">are</span> good jumping-off points into really evaluating the issues. And what better time to get informed than less than a month away from the election? Hmmm... <br /><br />So watch the clip. Maybe think about it a little bit. And then mosey on over to the place that does the homework for you: <a href="http://www.votesmart.org">votesmart.org</a><br /><br />And in case you don't feel like navigating their site to find your way to each candidate's info, I'll go ahead and give you that too:<br /><a href="http://votesmart.org/election_president_search.php?stage=3191&go.x=7&go.y=9"><br />Full List of Presidential Candidates for South Carolina Voters</a><br /><a href="http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=9490">Senator Barack Obama</a><br /><a href="http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=53270">Senator John McCain</a><br /><br />--AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-29394592443216520032008-09-28T10:20:00.010-04:002008-09-29T10:51:13.355-04:00Reproductive Apocalypse in a Post-Roe World? Hirshman in the Washington Post Today.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.observer.com/files/imagecache/article/files/072406_article_book_schiff.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.observer.com/files/imagecache/article/files/072406_article_book_schiff.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="www.gettoworkmanifesto.com">Linda Hirshman</a> paints a grim picture of a post-<span style="font-style: italic;">Roe V. Wade</span> United States in this morning's <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092602833.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Washington Post</span></a>. When we examined Linda Hirshman's <span style="font-style: italic;">Get to Work</span> last year during our <a href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/academics/arts_sciences/womens_studies/default.aspx?id=7670">Feminism in Hardcover</a> series, one of our critiques involved what was either an oversight or overt lack of sympathy for the non-professional caste of women. Hirshman vehemently argues that educated and professional women in the U.S. have a responsibility to stay in the workforce. She does not touch the issue of the implications of this on women of the working and lower middle-classes who inevitably are left to do the jobs commodified when this occurs. Her treatment of the abortion issue is a little more inclusive, outlining just how bad it could be for all women in the event of <span style="font-style: italic;">Roe</span>'s repeal. However, she still fails to acknowledge that it will be the same women she disavows in <span style="font-style: italic;">Get to Work</span> that will suffer the most from these effects. It will be these women who will not be able to afford the trips out-of-state to places like California and New York, states that will resist anti-abortion legislation. It will be these women who will be forced to resort to back-alley varieties of the procedure and suffer countless health problems and even death as a result. The women you write for, Linda, will book flights to places that still offer abortions. And even if back-alley becomes the only alley, they would be the ones able to afford the high cost of the more credible black-market D&C's. <br /><br /> So yes -- it would royally suck if <span style="font-style: italic;">Roe</span> is ever repealed. Not only would we see our reproductive rights washed down the proverbial tubes, but women's constitutional rights would be so greatly set back that we'd be operating from a position equivalent to the Dark Ages of the 21st Century. There's a lot more riding on <span style="font-style: italic;">Roe V. Wade</span> than just our option to have abortions. So I both get and appreciate Hirshman's message: as feminists we have a pronounced responsibility to prevent that from happening by making informed decisions and taking action in the face of a growing pro-life movement. And I think it's intensely positive that the <span style="font-style: italic;">Post</span> is getting feminists, even controversial and potentially conservative ones, to address these issues. Maureen Dowd can't be the only voice on Sunday mornings to offer a feminist perspective. But I also think it's important to at least open the door to the other issues buttoned up in the pro-choice discussion. Who's really going to be on the losing end of a no-<span style="font-style: italic;">Roe</span> U.S.?<br /><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-2100864645935097832008-09-23T11:11:00.003-04:002008-09-23T11:45:22.102-04:00The Guerrilla GaugeAt yesterday's Monday Night Feminism, we began hammering out the relationship between guerrilla feminism/ art and Upstate Feminists. Aside from the many covert ops we have in the works, we also thought it might be a good idea to start a working definition of guerrilla in its noun form. Many of us expressed different perspectives on some of the words involved. So we invite you, one and all, to start the discussion. Comment. We give you the definition. You give us feedback. Do you like these words? How do they feel (subversive, positive, negative, controversial, icky, yummy, etc.)? Do you feel compelled to redefine it? Go ahead. Have your way with it:<br /><br />Main Entry:<span class="variant"><sup> 1</sup>guer·ril·la</span> <div class="entry misc"><dl><dt class="var">Variant(s):<span class="vl"> or</span> <span class="variant">gue·ril·la</span> <span class="pronchars">\gə-<span class="unicode">ˈ</span>ri-lə, ge-, g(y)i-\ </span></dt><dt class="func">Function<span style="font-style: italic;">: </span><em>noun</em><br /></dt><dt class="func">Etymology: Spanish <em>guerrilla,</em> from diminutive of <em>guerra</em> war, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German <em>werra</em> strife — more at <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war" class="lookup">war</a></dt><dt class="date">Date: 1809</dt></dl> <div class="defs"> <span class="sense_content"><strong>:</strong> a person who engages in irregular warfare especially as a member of an independent unit carrying out harassment and sabotage*<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*definition taken from <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guerrilla%5B1%5D"><span style="font-style: italic;">Merriam-Webster Online.</span></a></span><br /></span> </div> </div><br />-- AndreaUpstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-33245145618270908142008-09-22T12:52:00.005-04:002008-09-22T14:47:26.253-04:00The Reel Deal<div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sue1FtD3-tg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sue1FtD3-tg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last Thursday, September 18, 2008, was the screening of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Ma Vie en Rose </span>(<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">My Life in Pink</span>), the first film of <a href="http://www.uscupstate.edu/academics/arts_sciences/womens_studies/default.aspx?id=21084">Reel Genders International Film Series</a>, that Upstate Feminists is co-sponsoring with the Center for Women's and Gender Studies this year. Beginning at 7pm in USC Upstate's Tukey Theater, the film, introduced by Pride Upstate Vice President, Stacey Haney, only lasted about a hour and half, with a student/professor led talk-back afterward. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at the large turn-out of about 50 people, especially since it was just a handful of faculty and mostly students. The French film centered around a trans-girl, Ludovic, who was born a little girl in a boys body and takes place over the course of about a year. Because being a girl feels natural to her, while her male sex does not, she begins to talk openly her about crush on a boy, Jerome, the son of his fathers boss and says she will marry him "when [she is] a girl." It, rather light-heartedly, shows the challenges and confusions seven-year-old Ludovic faces in the heteronormative community in which she lives as well as her coping mechanism of a fantasy world--a world that consists of toy-like imagery and a doll/cartoon character whom makes it safe for her to be and feel like a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">real </span>girl. When her parents take her child therapy she cleverly develops her own theory of her a mix-up in her genes and refers to herself a girlboy. All the while the community as well as her family are slowly realizing that it isn't just a little boy playing dress-up or pretend, but Ludovic actually considers herself to be a girl. The hostility to Ludovic's actions rises when her father loses his job and the family has to move again. However, the film has a optimistic ending in when Ludovic meets a little trans-boy like him, who introduces himself as "Chris," right before his mother calls him "Christine," and Ludovic's parents finally accept her the way she is telling her to "do what feels best."<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I really enjoyed the film as well as its depiction of what it is like to grow up trans and thought the little boy, Georges Du Fresne, did a phenomenal job in his portrayal of Ludovic. Dr. Lisa Johnson and Stacey Haney led the talk-back with the audience that followed the film and the interactive discussion was a great wrap-up to the screening. The reactions from the audience were quite positive and it was obvious that the film presented a lighter and better understanding of what trans people deal with in life, particularly at an early age. Please come out and join us for the next film, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Show Me Love, </span>on October 16, when Dr. George Williams and I will facilitate the talk-back after the screening. </div><div> </div><div>--Lindsay </div>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506551252563108508.post-16300294915288559392008-09-18T11:25:00.006-04:002008-09-18T12:45:57.774-04:00The Economy and Politics of Information à la Bitch<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WpteWcREVVA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WpteWcREVVA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So our beloved feminist magazine <a href="http://bitchmagazine.org/post/bitchs-fate-is-in-your-hands"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bitch</span></a> finds itself in dire straits as the printing industry increasingly feels the effects of our less than stellar economy. The fate of the next issue is in our hands, feminists and proponents of alternative media, to help it get $40,000 by October 15. However, I'm broke. And though I write this as a reader of <span style="font-style: italic;">Bitch</span> and someone who wants more than anything to see it succeed, this is not simply meant as a fundraising post (though if you do have for any miraculous reason any extra moolah and you appreciate their contribution to feminist media, I do encourage you to help them out this month). Rather, this is just one great example of how gender will steadily become more relevant in the face of our economic shit storm. The politics of "having", as in who has what (money, power), does not level out when the availability of things to have decreases. People already at a disadvantage, fringe groups in society, will feel it most acutely.<br /><br />Of course, this seems obvious in terms of job loss and on an individual level. Who will suffer more during economic crisis than the workers who will inevitably see their jobs flying out the window? However, it is important to also remember that the effects will be far-reaching as well. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bitch</span>'s current predicament demonstrates just that: the economy continues to suck, the print industry (already a dying source of media) begins to feel the sharp pains of increased costs of materials and distribution, and then smaller publications fold. Smaller is often synonymous with being less mainstream and representative of the ideas of those outside of that culture. What we have left is mainstream media. Ick. Though I appreciate <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> and other monolithic purveyors of progressive information, I like those committed to niches in society, small and specific and political as all get-out.<br /><br />However, there is still the internet. There are still the blogs and the websites and the emails. But take notice if you're someone like me who browses the magazine section at Barnes & Noble or, better yet - the library, because you can't afford the price of subscriptions to your favorites (yet another rabbit hole, eh?). The politics of getting information out are going to be more relevant than ever as our nation's economy puts the last nails into the coffin of printed media. What <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> the implications? Is it even a bad thing necessarily? Does it mean a massive return to smaller-scale, regionally based publications? I like to think that the more subversive the ideas are, the more creative our solutions to communicating them should be and the more responsibility we have to do so. Hmmm... things to ponder.<br /><br />-- Andrea<br /></div></div>Upstartshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07448896540642759078noreply@blogger.com0