Most importantly, we found something that shuts Hannity up

I never thought I’d take Keith Ablow’s side (he’s the pet conservative doctor on Fox News), but there you go — he gets into a shouting match with Robert Jeffers, the Duggar family defender. Jeffers goes ballistic at the criticism of the Duggar’s parenting. Ablow is dismissive of the quality of parenting when you’ve got 19 kids, finds their stories naive and unbelievable, and calls the Duggars “bizarre” for refusing to allow their kids to hold hands on dates until they are engaged. Watch Jeffers begin to lose it around the 6 minute mark.

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Gender Workshop: Age of Ultra Sexism? Edition

Gender Workshop, as ever, is brought to you by your friendly, neighborhood Crip Dyke

So I have now seen Avengers, Age of Ultron, and oh, androgyne! will this post contain spoilers!

Though I’ve only just seen the movie days ago, it’s been weeks since I became aware that there were quite a number of significant debates focussed on sexism and Age of Ultron. Any number of articles could be referenced, but I’m going to draw exclusively from io9’s Meredith Woerner and Katharine Trendacosta and Salon’s Marcotte, because they take on a particularly interesting and revealing moment in Age of Ultron, but seem to miss enough that there’s room for me to add.

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Reality, warts and all

I am glad that Caitlyn Jenner can be who she really is, but this image brings up a few important points about who else she really is.

rolemodel

One other thing about the cover photo bugged me: if we’re going to celebrate acceptance of her identity, shouldn’t we note that she’s older than I am (she’s 65), yet she gets the full fashion photoshop treatment to make her photo look half her age? Apparently there’s still something shameful about reaching a distinguished age.

I have been given permission to ogle!

ogle

By Science!

In a letter to Science Careers, a post-doc asks what she should do about an advisor who’s frequently trying to peek down her shirt. The answer is a boon to men in positions of power everywhere.

As long as your adviser does not move on to other advances, I suggest you put up with it, with good humor if you can. Just make sure that he is listening to you and your ideas, taking in the results you are presenting, and taking your science seriously. His attention on your chest may be unwelcome, but you need his attention on your science and his best advice.

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The hero was the one with the coolest name: Imperator Furiosa!

We just got back from Mad Max: Fury Road.

I was disappointed. Everyone kept telling me it was some kind of crazy feminist movie. I kept waiting for the castrations, the misandry, the “I HATE ALL MEN” shrieks, the long didactic lectures about the superiority of women, and the goddess worship, and it didn’t deliver. Instead, we got a lively action movie with non-stop pacing, and an ensemble of men and women working together as equals, and being equally human…

Oh. Hang on a sec.

I guess that makes it a radical feminist movie. It was pretty good, I recommend it. Just go in expecting what it is, a vivid rapid fire thrill ride that manages to avoid tired tropes, using women as props for men to be manly around, or being patronizing.