Weekly links round-up and open thread
by Jess McCabe // 6 June 2011, 23:51
Hello and welcome to this week's roundup of things, of links we spotted this week, thought provoking and interesting, which we didn't get around to blogging about yet.
Please feel free to add more links and chat generally in comments.
Abortion needs to be taught in our medical schools - Science Blogs
No man's land and the alice band - Sociological Images
Baby names and the storm in a tea cup - Liberal Conspiracy
Scientists sexist against spiders - Jezebel
The death of the 'transgender' umbrella - Bilerico
VS Naipaul finds no woman writer his literary match - not even Jane Austen - Guardian
Too young to wed - National Geographic
Call for submissions - mail art - love letters to feminism - Feministing
The art of male burlesque - Filament
The Haven Wolverhampton launch a Financial Abuse website
Australian politician caught 'miaowing' at female colleague - Telegraph
Women face 150 year wait for equality in local government - Politics.co.uk
Over 30 pregnant girls rescued after raid on Nigerian ‘baby farm’ - Women's Views on News
Sexism in the punk scene - Punk News
Strauss-Kahn affair prompts backlash against French sexism - Independent
Rihanna’s 'Man Down' stirs controversy - Change Happens
South Africa mourns Albertina Sisulu - BBC
Chav: the vile word at the heart of fractured Britain - CiF
The New York Times appoints woman editor - after 160 years - Guardian
Fatal error - The Nuclear Unicorn
“I’m not a virgin, because virginity isn’t even real” - Feministing
The Life Zone: a pro-life horror movie - The Frisky
Man Down: On Rihanna, rape and violence - The Crunk Feminist Collective
On Cadbury, Naomi Campbell and colourblindness - Sociological Images
Nourishment for difficult times
Iranian women's national soccer team banned from Olympic qualifying tournament - MSNBC
Malaysia slammed for cattle-branding women - Malaysia Today
"Social ills caused by disobedient wives" says Obedient Wives Club - The Star
Clothes are not for hiding flaws - Blog Her
Interview with Rebecca Watson - Suicide Girls
Bring back the F-word if you want to do more than worry about girls - Guardian
Arundhati Roy: 'They are trying to keep me destabilised. Anybody who says anything is in danger' - Guardian
A Gay Girl in Damascus arrested
To protect girls, women must have rights - CiF
Men in high heeled shoes in art - The Hairpin
Two videos to wrap up this week's roundup - the first, an obvious one as it's actually mentioned in several of the stories linked above:
And the second, from the near-past:
Photo of an oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookie by Jaymie Koroluk, shared on Flickr under a tasty Creative Commons license
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
Jennifer Drew // Posted 07 June 2011 at 13:08
Oh Rihanna how dare you sing about a woman taking revenge against the male who raped her. Don't you know that such songs are promotion of man-hating? Or perhaps reason for the hysterical protests from men and women who support male-centric views, is that this video just might give women and girls ideas that they don't have to passively accept male violence committed against them is 'okay.'
A Bangladeshi woman took swift action against a male sexual predator who like most male sexual predators knew her - by using a knife to cut off the male rapist's penis!! For once police have accepted the woman's account this male neighbour had been sexually harassing her for months and had tried innumerable times to rape her. Male sexual predator is now recovering in hospital and when he is fit (sic) he will be charged with attempted rape. Now that's justice given male legal system ensures women are always blamed for men's sexual violence committed against them.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13594762
Given there is so much hysteria concerning Rihanna's video - we must remember this video is 'fantasy' not fact - no default male human was harmed in making of video. Now compare this fact with the innumerable pornographic films/videos/images widely circulating the internet, all of which graphically record men raping and subjecting women, girls and female babies to sadistic sexual violence. Where's the hue and cry over these images? Why aren't men and women demanding an end to such graphic male sexual violence against women?
Or is it because they all believe porn is 'fantasy' and no human was harmed in making of said sexual violence because 'the definition of human is always male!'
Could pornography like Rihanna's one video incite men to commit violence against women? No it is never that simple but obviously men and women who adhere to male-centric views, believe Rihanna's video will influence innumerable women to take revenge against men who rape them. Remember too the brave Bangladeshi woman did not view Rihanna's video before taking swift self-defence action against the male neighbour who viewed her as 'sexual prey!' He won't be attacking women in a hurry will he?
shatterboxx // Posted 07 June 2011 at 13:29
A couple of things I'd like to share:
Abigail Ross-Jackson wrote a response to OBJECT's protest of the recently opened Playboy Club in London (titled "What's up with these bunny boilers?"...) I've written a response to her response, entitled "This is what's up" which you can find on my blog: http://trichquestions.wordpress.com. I'd really welcome your comments and thoughts.
And also, a nice little pic from the Body Shop, banned by Barbie Inc: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3342526114_afb201d6cd.jpg?v=0
Great round-up as ever. Regarding pro-life horror film The Life Zone... there are no words. I'm someone who tries to be as objective as I can even when faced with something I find abhorrent, but I'm also someone deeply affected by the pro-choice/pro-life debate as well as the issue of suicide. I really hope people don't see this film as further means to attack pro-choice women as well as the mentally ill... Hopefully, it'll be too over the top and gruesome to attract anymore than hardcore horror fans.
Also the discussion surrounding Rihanna's Man Down song is interesting to follow. I don't agree the video should be banned or even edited. It's promoting something very honest about the way an abused woman may react, rather than an unprovoked act of violence against men. I think we'd all do well to pay heed to it.
shatterboxx // Posted 09 June 2011 at 09:32
Could I also please ask everyone here to support the Close Hooters in Bristol Now campaign by signing the petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/close-hooters-in-bristol-now.html. Hooters recently breached the rules of their tenancy agreement (which stipulated that they would only provide wholesome, family entertainment), by holding a bikini contest among members of staff during a time when children were present on the premises, and hosting a 12-year-old's birthday party. Full details can be found on the Bristol indymedia website.