College Feminists Connect!

Reproductive Rights are Important? REALLY?

While the constant battles over reproductive rights might bring us down, let this SNL clip brighten your day. Condoms rock. -Jen Kaltveit

 

 

Blue Waffles: Perpetuating the 'Vagina of the Patriarchy' One Breakfast at a Time

Did you know waffle is slang for vagina? Interesting. I never would have thought of a vagina while eating waffles. It's quite nonsensical as slang terms go; which is fitting because the newest "STD" on the radar is equally nonsensical. Information about "blue waffle disease" has apparently been circulating around the internet since 2010 - but I just caught wind of it this weekend by reading an article from the Women's Health Foundation.

What, might you ask, is "blue waffle disease"? I thought the best definition was on UrbanDictionary.com, but essentially it is a (FAKE) STD which can only be passed from females to males, manifests mainly through blue bruises on the vulva, and is a result of bad vaginal hygiene. It is also worth noting that most people who believe this disease is real are pre-teens or teenagers who are seeking sexual health information from illegitimate internet websites like this one or this one.

When I originally read the article I was concerned about misinformation and the pitfalls of sex education in America. I wasn't overly concerned with the misogynistic or patriarchal implications of this fabricated disease. Misogyny and patriarchy were present (one day everyone will understand vaginas are not dirty) but the ever present "dirty vagina" idea was less a concern for me than the fact that kids across the country actually believe in this STD. That was until I started my own mini-research on blue waffle disease and realized the whole STD is apparently an excuse to put women in their place sexually while simultaneously getting them to emulate what I will call the "vagina of the patriarchy".

The vagina of the patriarchy is white, hairless, perfectly symmetrical, doesn't have any discharge, and exists for the purpose of heterosexual intercourse - but not too much heterosexual intercourse. Oh, and let's not forget about the tones of slut shaming and sexual violence present in the "information" about this disease. Here are some samples (and those typos are not my own):

"The disease is typically observed in prostitutes and whores who indulge in activities of Unsafe sex, who use of sex toys and prostitution are the main cause of disease."

"Blue waffle is a vaginal abnormality caused by severe beatings at the hand of the man-stick, excessive ferocious poundings can results in grotesque flap growth resembling a waffly versatile potato waffle but also taking on a bluey-green colour. Often covered in sweaty fur as a result of the skanky mess who owns the vagina being crap at personal hygene.. mingers."

Because whoever wrote the first quote is likely an ignorant moron let's assume they are talking about street prostitution - not one of the many other types of prostitution (i.e. call girls). See, women who practice street prostitution do not indulge in unsafe sex. Usually, they are forced either economically or physically to engage in prostitution. It is not a choice or a reflection of their character but a method of survival. Oh, and fun fact: female street prostitutes are disproportionately of "lower" socioeconomic statuses. But the men who visit them typically represent every socioeconomic status. Hmmm....street prostitutes wouldn't be "indulging" if there was no one to do it with. Perhaps the problem is not with the supplier but with the demand.

Now on to the second quote, which is slightly more disturbing and problematic because of it's blatant promotion of violence against women. Apparently "severe beatings at the hand of the man-stick" and "excessive ferocious poundings" is code for sex. In reality, if your vagina is getting "beat by a man-stick" it's probably sexual assault. But in this quote, instead of offering the sexual assault survivor aid, they continue on to blame them for being a whore and allowing all those men to give them blue waffle disease. Funny how the men are inflicting the pain and disease here but the woman is getting blamed.

One purpose of these examples is to define female sexuality in negative terms: good women do not have multiple sex partners, they do not use sex toys, and they do not have hair on their vulva. The other purpose is to frighten women into behaving according to these narrow patriarchal standards. The second quote blatantly describes sexual violence and effectively blames women for its repercussions.

So, what I originally thought was just a bad case of some idiot making up a disease and misinforming a bunch of teenagers actually turns out to be a huge hurdle in regards to sexual violence and positive female sexuality. You know what a thirteen year old girl will think if she comes across this "information"? Hint: it's not going to be a complex analysis of patriarchal definitions of sexuality and incidences of sexual violence.

So spread the word - let's defeat "blue waffle disease" in all it's patriarchal glory. -Jen Kaltveit, Hamline University

How NOT to Combat Childhood Obesity

Georgia has started a new campaign against childhood obesity called Strong4LIfe. Commendable, yes? You would think so, because childhood obesity (obesity in general) is a serious health problem that is easily prevented by education about healthy lifestyles - less fatty foods, more exercise - it's fairly simple really. But the focus should be on health, not beauty. A healthy lifestyle (the best way to prevent obesity) does not mean just eating right and exercising. It's much more holistic than that. It's about positive body image, self-esteem, and mental health. Let's face it, our media environment is not a great breeding ground for positive body image and self-esteem. Which is precisely why society needs campaigns against childhood obesity that promote positive body image and self-esteem.

Too bad that's not what Georgia is doing. Check out some ads below.

As Feministing.com's Jos Truitt points out, these images shame children and parents about obesity. They do not address the issue constructively, but instead seem to allude that if you're fat you're gross and far outside the "norm" of society. How ridiculous. It sounds cliche, but bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Apparently nobody actually grasps that concept. These ads push for conformity because of shame - not health and acceptance of an individual's body type. If anything, these ads won't help "cure" or prevent childhood obesity; but they very well might lead to an outbreak of self-loathing and shame. -Jen Kaltveit

College Mom

For over a year now I have been addicted to MTV's Teen Mom. Every week I settle in and watch four very different women cope with all the issues of parenthood, relationships, and college. A large part of why I am drawn to Teen Mom is because I have known several teen or early twenties moms who have gone through the same issues those women face. I can relate, mostly, to their experiences.

Farrah, however, is in a very different situation than the other moms. Her daughter's father, Derek, died before Sophia was born. Throughout the entire series I have watched Farrah struggle to raise Sophia, go to school, work, and cope with the untimely death of her boyfriend. Honestly, it's been a pretty sad journey. I've cried with and for Farrah many times - I cannot even begin to imagine the emotions she feels on a regular basis.

And she tries so hard to get over Derek and be a good mom. So, when she made her decision to move away and complete her bachelors degree in another state, I thought it might be an excellent experience for her to get away from a place where she is so connected to Derek. And then the issue of Sophia arose. Who will care for her? How will Farrah pay for daycare? Is it good for Sophia to move away from her grandparents? So many questions - and then Farrah's mom came up with a plan - why not leave Sophia with her?

And this is the part where everyone freaks out. As Farrah's therapist put it, "You're asking a mother to leave her child?" Interesting how this action could be equated with sub-par parenting. As Farrah's mother explains, it would not make Farrah a bad mom if she left Sophia in the care of her grandparents. Perhaps what Farrah needs is solitary time away so she can heal, so she can accept that Derek is gone, so she can be a better mom by devoting more energy to Sophia and less to her feelings of loss. Is taking time to make you better bad parenting? I think not.

After much deliberation, and a candid discussion with Sophia, Farrah decides to move to Florida on her own. While some might think this decision is selfish or an example of bad parenting, I think Farrah made an excellent decision for herself and Sophia. Kudos to Farrah for realizing she needs her time and taking that time will make her a better person, and parent, in the long run. Not to mention the fact that getting a bachelors will provide multiple economic benefits for Farrah and Sophia. Not many young parents have the opportunity Farrah does and it's fabulous she has chosen to take advantage of it.

So, YAY FOR FARRAH. Way to be the best mom you can. -Jen Kaltveit

The Morgan Generation

It was not Harry Potter that broke Twitter records this past weekend, though it did smash box office records. It was the women from the United States and Japan that broke records at an astonishing 7,196 tweets per second. The Women’s World cup has not drawn s much attention since 1999, and the sad fact of the matter is most people remember that game because of Brandi Chastain taking off her shirt after the game-winning goal. Sunday, people around the world gathered around a TV or computer in order to watch the much-anticipated match. Even the Huffington Post published a photo of President Obama and Michelle with their daughters Sasha and Malia cheering on the U.S. in the White House. It is called the most beautiful game, and after years of playing soccer myself it truly is a perfect game.

In 1999, Twitter did not exist, and the way I watched the game was through a recorded VHS a day later. I was 11 and my room was plastered with soccer posters, I had player cards memorized, and at 11 I could name every player and position. I, like so many of my friends wanted to be a professional soccer player, I wanted to be just like Brianna Scurry; I mean I too was from Minnesota. In 1999 the U.S. women had a dream team every player made history that year, Kristine Lilly broke the record for most caps, while Mia Hamm to this day has the most goals.  Michelle Acres retired soon after the game that highlighted her career. Abby Wombach was fairly unknown in 1999, but is now the most popular female soccer player in the world.

Sneaky Songs

 I'm not really interested in discussing just how bad rap and hip-hop lyrics of today's top tunes are... I feel that's pretty darn obvious. Rappers will inevitably continue to rap blatantly about using women, women as objects, etc. etc., same old story. People constantly tell me how astounded they are that I am such a feminist, yet will still listen and jam along to the current hip-hop and rap songs. Of course I don't agree with the sentiments behind such lyrics but they're just so incredibly blatant and outrageously crude that I consider it to be ridiculous beyond the point of getting angry about it.

What really bothers me are the songs that on first glance appear to be promoting a different view of women, a view that the artists know would appeal to their female fan base (or that they know would help them create one). I've always been of the opinion that trying to pretend you're something that you're not is far worse than being upfront about yourself, even if that's far from ideal...at least people know what they're getting their selves into and can choose to associate accordingly. This view holds true in all areas of my life, lyrics included. While driving to work today, the song 'Already Taken' by Trey off the Step Up 3D soundtrack (I am not ashamed!) started playing. The song starts off with:

     Every night up in the club
     getting money with the thugs
     thought I never fall in love
     And then there was you

     And I don't want to be a player no more

     Every night in the club tricking with different girl thought I'd never fall in love
     Then I met you
     Girl you changed my mind

So I'm jamming along, getting excited because this is a nice change of pace from the typical slow jam "all I want to do is have lots and lots and lots of sex with you, nothing else" hip-hop song. Then Trey throws a curve ball my way:

GaGa Ooh La La

Kim and I have spent a lot of time discussing Lady GaGa since day one here at the Consortium. After reading Kim's most recent post, I had to jump on the GaGa blogging bandwagon as well, and contribute my thoughts to the conversation. As Kim stated, I consistently stand my ground in any GaGa debates. Sometimes, so I'm told, to the point of pure obnoxiousness. But I can't help it; she is a genius, and I want everyone to see that. Whatever you say about GaGa, you can't deny that she provokes and inspires. And this, to me, is precisely what young feminists today not only want, but also need.

I recently found myself in yet another GaGa debate with my younger sister, a smart and sassy sixteen year old. I had just finished watching the Alejandro music video (what?? you haven't seen it!? here!) and was interested to hear what she had thought of it. We watched it together again, Erin the whole while narrating her disgust with GaGa's portrayal of herself: "She's just selling her body, her sex. I hate it. I don't see how you can look at that and tell me she's empowering herself or any other woman." She raises an interesting point, also mentioned by Kim in the post below. GaGa is, among so many other things, infamous for her frank and often blatant portrayal of her sexuality and body. I can see where Erin would get irritated with this, but in my mind, it's deliberate and controlled by GaGa herself. Her image in her later videos, particularly Bad Romance and Alejandro, presents an image of a young woman who does not conform to today's standards of beauty, but rather takes them to an incredible extreme, thus destroying along the way any potential for sexual appropriation by the industry, which keeps her in control.

College Women, Hook-up Culture, and Gaga

If you haven't read Libby Kanter's blog posts (Being Yourself, As a Women Parts 1 & 2) on EqualityQuilt I highly recommend that you do. (Part 1 and Part 2) Both posts talk about Libby's trip to the Minnesota DFL State Convention.  Part 1 talks about how she handed out "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" stickers to everyone who walked by.  Additionally she recounts a conversation she had with a political organizer from Indiana about women political candidates using their first names during campaigns instead of their last names.  While Part 1 addresses important issues in the feminist movement and is an interesting topic to discuss (I've had my share of name based arguments), it doesn't always seem that relevant to college feminists.  I find Part 2, however, to be extremely relevant to college women.  In Part 2 Libby discusses sexual freedom, society, and the state convention.  Libby summarizes what she learned in a women studies class about sexual scripts - societal norms have us think that men have sex for the pleasure while women have sex as a way to show their emotions and connection to someone.  After feeling discouraged and outraged about these norms, Libby decided that she was going to be empowered and do what made her happy - have "good, safe, and non-committal sex with a different man every week."

If you weren't aware, political conventions tend to be a hot spot for hooking up.  Libby quotes other attendants as saying "Why else do you think I came?" and "I shaved my legs especially for this weekend."  On the last night of the convention, against the boundaries she set for herself, Libby had sex with a fellow convention attendant.  Libby goes on to uncover the contradictions in American culture regarding sex.  Girls are taught to be nice and polite and that it's good to be wanted.