College Feminists Connect!

Beauty over Brains

I'm a little late to notice this, but PEOPLE magazine recently released their '50 Most Beautiful People' issue. However, I was pleasantly surprised when amid the shallow pictorials depicting various women as cliched examples of physical beauty, I stumbled upon a spread about 'inner beauty'. Basically the article highlighted women in hollywood who have also gotten a degree from an ivy league school. COOL! Right? I can't find the full article online, but here is a snippet (found on PEOPLE's website):

Ellen Kemper (left) and Mindy Kaling (right), most famously known as Erin and Kelly on NBC's The Office.

"Being book smart didn't help Kemper, a Princeton grad, when it came to Beauty 101. "I have learned to moisturize," the 30-year-old star of The Office tells PEOPLE of what she's picked up from Hollywood. As for costar Kaling, the fellow Ivy Leaguer – a Dartmouth alum – is ready to embrace beauty over brains: "I identify as a comedy writer, so to get compliments on appearance, that's the nicest compliment – to be shallow!"   

Further Your Career as an Advocate!

Each year, the National Women's Law Center organizes the Progressive Leadership and Advocacy Network (PLAN) program to support emerging advocacy leaders. NWLC has a particular interest in applicants working on women's access to comprehensive, affordable, high-quality; health care, reproductive rights, child care and early education; gender equity in education, dropout prevention, and career and technical education; as well as economic issues affecting women and their families.

20 emerging policy and advocacy leaders will be selected to attend the PLAN Fall Institute. The Plan program strengthens leadership and advocacy skills with in-depth policy knowledge.

For more information on the PLAN program and registration, please read the full description here.

If you have any questions about the PLAN program, please contact progressiveleaders@nwlc.org.

Sex on the Radio

My car only gets two radio stations clearly. I can listen to 101.3 KDWB or 89.3 The Current. And honestly I get tired of both stations relatively quick so I spend a fair amount of time going back and forth. That’s enough diet indie music for now lets see what is popular amongst your average high-schooler. I don’t expect the music I hear on KDWB to be politically correct, and honestly I would be shocked if the Dave Ryan in the morning show said anything PC, but still, when I heard Katy Perry’s new song “E.T.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I already have beef with Katy Perry, her controversial use of the word ‘gay’ in her music, and the Bella-from-Twilight-esque “Teenage Dream”. (Sample lyrics include “Let you put your hands on me, in my skin tight jeans, be your teenage dream tonight”, “Let’s go all the way tonight, no regrets, just love”,  “You think I’m pretty without any makeup on, You think I’m funny when I tell the punch line wrong”). And yes, she either writes, or co-writes all of her music.

Katy Perry likes to sing about having sex. That’s fine, everybody else is doing it, that’s not my problem. My problem with Katy Perry is this, she likes to sing about passive ‘take me’ sex. Agency has no place in her lyrics. Her songs depict such a offensively cliché version of a relationship –one in which the man’s only goal is to have sex with the girl, and she lets him take her because he thinks she is cute without makeup on… and stuff. Giggle giggle. Are you starting to get my Bella from Twilight comparison? Katy Perry’s songs are all about girls’ sexual identity being dependent on a man and passing it off as a ‘love’.

In “E.T.” she sings, “You open my eyes, and I’m ready to go, lead me into the light” because again, she has no agency outside of the guy she ‘loves’. She even calls it “poison” in “E.T.” What a great message to send to young girls: When you grow up you can expect to be ‘injected with poison’, but you have to let him do it because he still laughs at you when you tell the punch line wrong.

How condescendingly sweet.

Sad News: A Loss to our Community

It is with a heavy heart that I write with sad news about a member of our community. Last night, Jessica Nathanson, Augsburg College's Director of the Women's Studies Program and Director of the Women's Resource Center, passed away due to complications caused by cancer. Jessica played a role in the early planning stages of College Feminists Connect. In addition, Jessica's passion for and knowledge of social justice and gender issues was instrumental in shaping the women's studies community on Augsburg's campus. She will be deeply missed by all.

Students, faculty, and staff from Augsburg College are invited to gather for community and support in the Women's Resource Center today from 2-4 PM; Monday, April 11 from 9-11 AM; and Thursday, April 14 from 10-11 AM. A memorial service at Augsburg College is being planned and more information will follow. Cards and notes for Jessica's family can be delivered to the Dean's Office in Memorial Hall at Augsburg College.  

Please keep Jessica's family in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.