I think someone confused “traumatizing” with “informative”

There’s a book from the 1970s that’s being called The Most Traumatizing Kids Book Ever. All of the pages are viewable online, and I read the whole thing — it’s short — and it’s just a straightforward description of sex and childbirth, with cute simple pictures.

OK, the smiling jazz-hands baby is a bit inaccurate, but that’s why it’s an un-traumatizing children’s book.

jazzhandsbaby

The real thing would have more screaming and blood and slime and bear more of a resemblance to the chest-burster scene in Alien. But otherwise, if I’d known about in the 80s and 90s when I had young kids, I’d have had it around the house for them to learn about sex, with no embarrassment at all.

Cutting off their noses to spite their faces

marriage

Nick and Sarah Jensen have announced that they will get a divorce if marriage equality is allowed in Australia, which is simply the most childish, spiteful response to the situation that I’ve heard of yet. It’s like, if stupid people were allowed to marry, I’d have to top Jensen by divorcing my intelligent wife and tearing up my Ph.D.

The logic behind their decision is inane.

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Removing sexism strengthens academia

Tim Hunt, the sexist pig, has has been retired from his honorary position at UCL.

UCL can confirm that Sir Tim Hunt FRS has today resigned from his position as Honorary Professor with the UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, following comments he made about women in science at the World Conference of Science Journalists on 9 June.

UCL was the first university in England to admit women students on equal terms to men, and the university believes that this outcome is compatible with our commitment to gender equality.

Note: this was an honorary position, he was not paid, he didn’t have any duties, but was just expected to show up for the dog-and-pony shows. This resignation represents no significant loss to scientific progress. His primary employment is at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, but he also has had appointments at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and the University of Cambridge. Don’t read too much into a resignation from one honorary position; he’s not hurting, except in his pride.

And also, this was a handy move to feed the narrative: political correctness gone mad! Tragic loss to science as Nobel prize winner is hounded into retirement!

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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.