feminist news round-up 27.05.12
Hustler magazine photoshops penis into commentator’s mouth
“What would S.E Cupp look like with a [d**k] in her mouth?” This is the question posed by Hustler magazine in a recently published edition that features a photo of the conservative right-wing commentator with a Photoshopped penis in her mouth. The blurb alongside the image reads: ‘S.E. Cupp is a lovely young lady who read too much Ayn Rand in high school and ended up joining the dark side. Cupp, an author and media commentator who often shows up on Fox News programs, is undeniably cute. But her hotness is diminished when she espouses dumb ideas like defunding Planned Parenthood. Perhaps the method pictured here is Ms. Cupp’s suggestion for avoiding an unwanted pregnancy.’ Cupp is ‘horrified and disgusted’ by the photo, and stated that she has never seen anything ‘this disturbing and graphic.’ Three cheers for the misogynistic press. Hip hip! You can read more here.
One million moms to boycott marvel comics
This is what I learnt this week: there is a super-conservative organisation called ‘One Million Moms’ (whose members are actually nowhere near that number) in the United States who have called for the public to boycott Marvel and DC Comics because…wait for it…the latter has revealed that a major character is about to come out as gay, and the former has announced that two of its male characters will get married. To each other. And this is what I thought when I first read this: WHHHAAAAATTT?! The group said in a statement: ‘Children desire to be just like superheroes. Children mimic superhero actions and even dress up in costumes to resemble these characters as much as possible. Can you imagine little boys saying, “I want a boyfriend or husband like X-Men?”’Oh puh-lease. And this is the same group who infamously called on JCPenney to dump talk show host Ellen Degeneres as their spokesperson or risk losing customers ‘with traditional values’. If you’re interested, you can check out her (amazing!) rebuttal below.
Ricki-Lee Coulter loses job as shapewear ambassador
The rumour mill was busy a-churning this week as reports emerged that Ricki-Lee Coulter, of Australian Idol fame, has been kicked to the curb and will not have her contract with Hold Me Tight shapewear renewed. After a year-long health campaign, she has shrunk her former size 14 frame to a slight size 8 one and is apparently no longer deserving of the role of ambassador. The rumours are untrue, of course, with Coulter addressing the reports in true celebrity style via Twitter: ‘Don’t believe everything u read – Im still the face of @holdmetight 🙂 xxx’ And then: ‘I’ve got D cups, hips & a butt … I’m always going 2 have a womanly shape. (Hold Me Tight) is all about embracing and enhancing that.” A spokeswoman for the brand confirmed: ‘Ricki-Lee is the face of the brand for at least the next six months, so no real plans for us to change at this stage.’ In any case, do you think she still ‘deserves’ to be the face-and-body of the brand, despite her slightness?
Study: Sexism common, but not at work
According to the results of a survey conducted by VicHealth, Victorians are a bunch of sexists! One third of survey respondents had witnessed some form of sexism towards women in the past year at work and among family and friends. But it seems this sexist behaviour is more tolerable in social situations than it is in the workplace, which is something that the report author, Latrobe University sociology lecturer Anastasia Powell, says can be put down to equal opportunity legislation and sexual harassment policies.
Have you witnessed sexism towards women (or men!) in your workplace? Tell us your stories below!
Women told: ‘Ignore sex bias at work’
While we’re on the topic, South Australian Liberal Opposition Leader, Isobel Redmond, has come under fire this week for her advice on how to handle sex discrimination in the workplace. Ignore it, and it will ‘just disappear’, she says. Ignore it. Potentially damaging advice however you try to spin it.
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