While we're on a health kick, let's do some aerobics with Le Tigre! Or more specifically, let's do the Aerobicon.
This is LT's video for "Deceptacon," which is traditionally projected behind the band during live performances of the song.
(Or check out a higher-res version on the band's site here. Quicktime player needed.)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
We've Come A Long Way, Baby? Maybe Not.
A new report about from the Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, an advocacy group fighting tobacco use, shows that despite what Virginia Slims might say, women and girls haven't come very far at all, at least when it comes to sexism and tobacco. Among other things, the report shows that tobacco companies are experiencing a resurgence in specifically targeting women, and even more alarmingly, girls, through pink packaging, marketing tie-ins with other women's products, and advertising geared towards women and girls. What are some of the most obvious examples?
- The "purse pack", a pack of cigarettes designed to look like a purse.
- Camel No. 9, a pack designed to throw back to the perfume Chanel No. 9
- Since 1987, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women.
- Female smokers are twice as likely to have cervical cancer than non-smokers
- Female smokers have increased risk of heart disease, especially if they are also taking birth control pills
- Teenage girls who smoke have decreased lung growth, and begin to lose lung function in early adulthood
- Older women who smoke are at much greater risk of bone loss and osteoperosis
- Smoking is far more devastating on women's reproductive health than men's - it can cause fertility problems, increased complications during menopause, and even pregnant women who have quit smoking are at a greater risk for stillbirth, miscarriage, and other problems with fetal growth
- Smoking may make eating disorders more difficult to recover from
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Women on Women Music Program - Tune in every Tuesday, 8-10pm! 88.7 in Chicago, wluw.org everywhere else.
It's the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party show!
Irma Thomas - "Backwater Blues" V/A: Our New Orleans 2005 (Nonesuch)
The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control" Standing in the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
The Go! Team - "Universal Speech" Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
Prototypes - "Je Ne Te Connais Pas" S/T (Minty Fresh)
M.I.A. - "Paper Planes" Kala (Interscope)
The Chubbies - "Dirty Days, Dirty Nights" American Swagger (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Tracy Thorn - "It's All True" Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)
Anna Oxygen - "Dreams. Dreams. Dreams." This is an Exercise (Kill Rock Stars)
Ladytron - "The Last One Standing" Witching Hour (Ryko)
Yoko Ono with Le Tigre - "Sisters O Sisters" Yes, I'm a Witch (Astralwerks)
Lesbians on Ecstasy - "Sisters in the Struggle" We Know You Know (Alien8)
Chicks on Speed - "Wordy Rappinghood (w/ Tina Weymouth)" 99 Cents (Chicks on Speed Records)
Scream Club - "Don't Mess with My Babies" Don't Bite Your Sister (Retard Disco)
Concrete Blonde - "Because I Can" Mojave (Eleven Thirty)
Bang! Bang! - "Move" Do You Like It? (Heads Up Records)
The B-52's - "Private Idaho" Nude on the Moon: the B-52's Anthology (Rhino)
Quintron & Miss Pussycat - "Love is Like a Blob" Swamp Tech (Tigerbeat 6)
The 1900s - "Bring the Good Boys Home" Plume Delivery (Parasol)
Blondie - "Atomic" Eat to the Beat (Chrysalis)
Polysics - "My Sharona" Polysics or Die! Vista (Myspace)
The New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbor" Challengers (Matador)
Broken Social Scene - "Stars and Sons" You Forgot it in People (Arts and Crafts)
Siouxsie & the Banshees - "Peek-A-Boo" Best of (Polydor UK)
Deerhoof - "The Perfect Me" Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars)
Lee Dorsey - "Go-Go Girl" V/A: New Orleans Hit Story (Instant)
The Pipettes - "Really That Bad" Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me EP (Memphis Industries)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Broken Crown" Summer of '98 (Magic Marker)
The Slits - "Typical Girls" Cut (Island)
The Beautys - "Hello Floor" Thing of Beauty (Cheetah's)
Irma Thomas - "Backwater Blues" V/A: Our New Orleans 2005 (Nonesuch)
The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control" Standing in the Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
The Go! Team - "Universal Speech" Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
Prototypes - "Je Ne Te Connais Pas" S/T (Minty Fresh)
M.I.A. - "Paper Planes" Kala (Interscope)
The Chubbies - "Dirty Days, Dirty Nights" American Swagger (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Tracy Thorn - "It's All True" Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)
Anna Oxygen - "Dreams. Dreams. Dreams." This is an Exercise (Kill Rock Stars)
Ladytron - "The Last One Standing" Witching Hour (Ryko)
Yoko Ono with Le Tigre - "Sisters O Sisters" Yes, I'm a Witch (Astralwerks)
Lesbians on Ecstasy - "Sisters in the Struggle" We Know You Know (Alien8)
Chicks on Speed - "Wordy Rappinghood (w/ Tina Weymouth)" 99 Cents (Chicks on Speed Records)
Scream Club - "Don't Mess with My Babies" Don't Bite Your Sister (Retard Disco)
Concrete Blonde - "Because I Can" Mojave (Eleven Thirty)
Bang! Bang! - "Move" Do You Like It? (Heads Up Records)
The B-52's - "Private Idaho" Nude on the Moon: the B-52's Anthology (Rhino)
Quintron & Miss Pussycat - "Love is Like a Blob" Swamp Tech (Tigerbeat 6)
The 1900s - "Bring the Good Boys Home" Plume Delivery (Parasol)
Blondie - "Atomic" Eat to the Beat (Chrysalis)
Polysics - "My Sharona" Polysics or Die! Vista (Myspace)
The New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbor" Challengers (Matador)
Broken Social Scene - "Stars and Sons" You Forgot it in People (Arts and Crafts)
Siouxsie & the Banshees - "Peek-A-Boo" Best of (Polydor UK)
Deerhoof - "The Perfect Me" Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars)
Lee Dorsey - "Go-Go Girl" V/A: New Orleans Hit Story (Instant)
The Pipettes - "Really That Bad" Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me EP (Memphis Industries)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Broken Crown" Summer of '98 (Magic Marker)
The Slits - "Typical Girls" Cut (Island)
The Beautys - "Hello Floor" Thing of Beauty (Cheetah's)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Book Review: Getting Off
When I heard that Robert Jensen was speaking at my campus, I decided to finally read his book, Getting Off. I had heard mixed things about it, but the premise - a self-defined feminist man's take on pornography - sounded like it could have potential. Instead, Jensen has re-packaged classic anti-pornography arguments in a text that adds little to the conversation, and does many of the things he claims he is trying to prevent.
Jensen's main thesis is this: heterosexual, industrial pornography, largely in the United States, is becoming more violent in terms of the sex acts performed on women, which leads to the objectifiaction, degredation and abuse of women. This argument is essentially everything Andrea Dworkin ever said or wrote, and while he gives her some credit, the bulk of his book is comprised of her theories stated in a male voice. The idea that women in the United States are objectified, discriminated against and harmed in astonishing numbers is not radical, or something I disagree with. I don't even disagree with Jensen on the point that pornographic movies are becoming more degrading and that watching them could, potentially, desensitize men to seeing women as, you know, people. That said, I found his book to be borderline misogynist, unclear on its points and all around a bad read. Here's why:
First, Jensen believes that he has the unique ability to enlighten women about sexism. In one of the opening chapters, he discusses having female friends who stated to him that they use pornography themselves and don't find it all to be offensive. In response to this, Jensen describes one of the films he has seen, one which he claims is "tame" (but, in my assessment, is not tame by industry standards), to which his friend reponds "That wasn't fair." About this, Jensen writes "....it wasn't fair to push it...if I were a woman, I wouldn't want to know that. Life is difficult enough without knowing things like that...[that] you are something to be fucked and laughed at and left on the side of the road by men. Because you are a woman...Pornography forces women to face up to how men see them (pg. 15)."
He writes this as if being seen as an object is news to women and his graphic description of pornography is the only reality check his female friends, or women in general, will get about it. That we are in the dark about sexism and if we just ignore porn, we can ignore our frequent status as second class citizens. Because surely the cat calls from men on the street, requests from judges that female attorneys wear skirts to court, and "ladies nights" at bars didn't give us a hint at all. To summarize: according to Jensen, women cannot genuinely enjoy consuming pornography or even have an opinion on it that deviates from his. Women who do state things contrary to his beliefs are only saying such because they do not want to "face" sexism. Got it. Check.
Second, Jensen uses his status as a "feminist" to also become a psychic and to speak for all women. Getting Off is noticeably without much commentary from women involved in the industry. I can only assume that this is because the book is intended to focus on men and their involvment. When Jensen does speak of female performers (there is next to no mention of female directors or producers), every quote is bookended with a statement similar to this one "When pornography performers speak in public they typically repeat a standard script that emphasizes tha they have freely chosen this career....[a performer stated her career was chosen....as an exploration in sexuality] this framing of participation as a feminist act of women taking control of their own lives is common....whatever the reality of [their] description of [their] own life (pg.122)" and a claim that he respects what these women are saying and they have the right to their opinion.
After his disclaimer, he will launch into an anaylsis of their quote, or flim clip, or even just facial expression, always coming to the conclusion that they are not telling the truth and that if they were to be alone with a feminist like him, the real story would come out. Jensen's degrees in media and journalism have, apparently, also given him the ability to discern the real meaning behind women's statements and to attach his own interpretation to them as the Truth. It was disturbing to read in a book that is proclaiming that all women have the right to say "no" that we do not have the right to say "yes". Afraid to sound like the misgynists that he so loathes, Jensen gives lip service to women being able to have their "opinions" and then launches right back into his real meaning: women cannot think for themselves, and need an educated male to tell them what they are really experiencing and how to be an appropriate feminist. Your "yes" doesn't count in the academy just like your "no" doesn't count in the bedroom.
Finally, the book is just plain poorly written. The tone of the book is smug and self-congratulatory, with anecdotes mixed in about his "weeping" over the destruction of women and his bravery in standing up to a man he felt was inappropriate because the man's girlfriend wasn't saying anything (once again, needing to be the voice for a woman). His chapter on casual sex as another tool of the destruction of women is simplistic and heterosexist, as is his call to feminists to stop using pornography entirely. The start and finish of the book, where he depicts men at the Adult Entertainment Expo as being either a mob of rapists or pathetic fools, is histrionic and essentialist.
Men's voices are certainly needed in the feminist and anti-violence movement. Most of the perpetrators of violence against women are men, so they need to a) stop hurting us and b) tell their friends to cut it out, too. What we don't need, however, is another man telling us what we think, how we should behave or how to be a feminist.
Jensen's main thesis is this: heterosexual, industrial pornography, largely in the United States, is becoming more violent in terms of the sex acts performed on women, which leads to the objectifiaction, degredation and abuse of women. This argument is essentially everything Andrea Dworkin ever said or wrote, and while he gives her some credit, the bulk of his book is comprised of her theories stated in a male voice. The idea that women in the United States are objectified, discriminated against and harmed in astonishing numbers is not radical, or something I disagree with. I don't even disagree with Jensen on the point that pornographic movies are becoming more degrading and that watching them could, potentially, desensitize men to seeing women as, you know, people. That said, I found his book to be borderline misogynist, unclear on its points and all around a bad read. Here's why:
First, Jensen believes that he has the unique ability to enlighten women about sexism. In one of the opening chapters, he discusses having female friends who stated to him that they use pornography themselves and don't find it all to be offensive. In response to this, Jensen describes one of the films he has seen, one which he claims is "tame" (but, in my assessment, is not tame by industry standards), to which his friend reponds "That wasn't fair." About this, Jensen writes "....it wasn't fair to push it...if I were a woman, I wouldn't want to know that. Life is difficult enough without knowing things like that...[that] you are something to be fucked and laughed at and left on the side of the road by men. Because you are a woman...Pornography forces women to face up to how men see them (pg. 15)."
He writes this as if being seen as an object is news to women and his graphic description of pornography is the only reality check his female friends, or women in general, will get about it. That we are in the dark about sexism and if we just ignore porn, we can ignore our frequent status as second class citizens. Because surely the cat calls from men on the street, requests from judges that female attorneys wear skirts to court, and "ladies nights" at bars didn't give us a hint at all. To summarize: according to Jensen, women cannot genuinely enjoy consuming pornography or even have an opinion on it that deviates from his. Women who do state things contrary to his beliefs are only saying such because they do not want to "face" sexism. Got it. Check.
Second, Jensen uses his status as a "feminist" to also become a psychic and to speak for all women. Getting Off is noticeably without much commentary from women involved in the industry. I can only assume that this is because the book is intended to focus on men and their involvment. When Jensen does speak of female performers (there is next to no mention of female directors or producers), every quote is bookended with a statement similar to this one "When pornography performers speak in public they typically repeat a standard script that emphasizes tha they have freely chosen this career....[a performer stated her career was chosen....as an exploration in sexuality] this framing of participation as a feminist act of women taking control of their own lives is common....whatever the reality of [their] description of [their] own life (pg.122)" and a claim that he respects what these women are saying and they have the right to their opinion.
After his disclaimer, he will launch into an anaylsis of their quote, or flim clip, or even just facial expression, always coming to the conclusion that they are not telling the truth and that if they were to be alone with a feminist like him, the real story would come out. Jensen's degrees in media and journalism have, apparently, also given him the ability to discern the real meaning behind women's statements and to attach his own interpretation to them as the Truth. It was disturbing to read in a book that is proclaiming that all women have the right to say "no" that we do not have the right to say "yes". Afraid to sound like the misgynists that he so loathes, Jensen gives lip service to women being able to have their "opinions" and then launches right back into his real meaning: women cannot think for themselves, and need an educated male to tell them what they are really experiencing and how to be an appropriate feminist. Your "yes" doesn't count in the academy just like your "no" doesn't count in the bedroom.
Finally, the book is just plain poorly written. The tone of the book is smug and self-congratulatory, with anecdotes mixed in about his "weeping" over the destruction of women and his bravery in standing up to a man he felt was inappropriate because the man's girlfriend wasn't saying anything (once again, needing to be the voice for a woman). His chapter on casual sex as another tool of the destruction of women is simplistic and heterosexist, as is his call to feminists to stop using pornography entirely. The start and finish of the book, where he depicts men at the Adult Entertainment Expo as being either a mob of rapists or pathetic fools, is histrionic and essentialist.
Men's voices are certainly needed in the feminist and anti-violence movement. Most of the perpetrators of violence against women are men, so they need to a) stop hurting us and b) tell their friends to cut it out, too. What we don't need, however, is another man telling us what we think, how we should behave or how to be a feminist.
Feminist Bruhaha
Media outlets in the United Kingdom are in a tizzy over Amanda Palmer's "Oasis" single. I won't recap the situation, but instead will encourage you to check out her blog post and the comments that follow over at Huffington Post.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Setlist 2/17/09 Women On Women Music Program on WLUW 88.7fm and wluw.org
It's the second of our two-part Valentine's Day series! This week, we're playing sad, angry, bitter breakup songs about love lost (and the best way to exact your revenge).
Donna Lynn - "I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
The 5.6.7.8's - "I Don't Need You No More" S/T (Time Bomb)
Bratmobile - "Cheap Trick Record" Ladies, Women and Girls (Lookout!)
The Peechees - "I Could Have Loved You" Do the Math (Kill Rock Stars)
Detroit Cobras - "Bad Girl" Mink Rat or Rabbit (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Nouvelle Vague - "Ever Fallen In Love?" Bande a Part (Luaka Bop)
Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys - "Any-Kind-A-Man (Would Be Better Than You)" Paradise Wobble (Coeur de Jeanette)
Belle & Sebastian - "I Don't Love Anyone" Tigermilk (Matador)
Lush - "Single Girl" Ciao! (4AD)
Nancy Sinatra - "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time"
Eleni Mandell - "Pauline" Thrill (Space Baby)
Juliana Hatfield - "Universal Heartbeat" Only Everything (Atlantic)
Annie - "Chewing Gum" Anniemal (Big Beat/Ada)
The Fabulettes - "Try the Worryin' Way" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
That Dog - "Ms. Wrong" Totally Crushed Out (DGC)
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - "My Man is a Mean Man" Naturally (Daptone)
April March - "Chick Habit" V/A: Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" (Warner)
The Magnetic Fields - "Meaningless" 69 Love Songs Vol. 3 (Merge)
The Dresden Dolls - "The Jeep Song" S/T (8 Ft.)
The Pipettes - "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me EP (Memphis Industries)
Cub - "It's True" Betti-Cola (Mint)
The Ronettes - "He Did It" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
Go Sailor - "Fine Day for Sailing" S/T (Lookout!)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Cut Your Hair" S/T (K Records)
Josie Cotton - "Johnny Are You Queer?" Johnny Are You Queer? 12" (Bomp!)
Sleater-Kinney - "Dig Me Out" Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars)
X - "Johny Hit and Run Paulene" Los Angeles (Slash)
The Donnas - "Too Fast For Love" Get Skintight (Lookout!)
The Au Pairs - "Dear John" Equal But Different: BBC Sessions 79-81
Edith Frost - "It's a Game" It's a Game (Drag City)
PJ Harvey - "Legs" Rid of Me (Island)
Liz Phair - "Divorce Song" Exile in Guyville (Matador)
Cathy Saint - "Big Bad World" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
Deerhoof - "Dummy Discards a Heart" Apple O (Kill Rock Stars)
Delta 5 - "You" Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)
Donna Lynn - "I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
The 5.6.7.8's - "I Don't Need You No More" S/T (Time Bomb)
Bratmobile - "Cheap Trick Record" Ladies, Women and Girls (Lookout!)
The Peechees - "I Could Have Loved You" Do the Math (Kill Rock Stars)
Detroit Cobras - "Bad Girl" Mink Rat or Rabbit (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Nouvelle Vague - "Ever Fallen In Love?" Bande a Part (Luaka Bop)
Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys - "Any-Kind-A-Man (Would Be Better Than You)" Paradise Wobble (Coeur de Jeanette)
Belle & Sebastian - "I Don't Love Anyone" Tigermilk (Matador)
Lush - "Single Girl" Ciao! (4AD)
Nancy Sinatra - "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time"
Eleni Mandell - "Pauline" Thrill (Space Baby)
Juliana Hatfield - "Universal Heartbeat" Only Everything (Atlantic)
Annie - "Chewing Gum" Anniemal (Big Beat/Ada)
The Fabulettes - "Try the Worryin' Way" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
That Dog - "Ms. Wrong" Totally Crushed Out (DGC)
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - "My Man is a Mean Man" Naturally (Daptone)
April March - "Chick Habit" V/A: Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" (Warner)
The Magnetic Fields - "Meaningless" 69 Love Songs Vol. 3 (Merge)
The Dresden Dolls - "The Jeep Song" S/T (8 Ft.)
The Pipettes - "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me EP (Memphis Industries)
Cub - "It's True" Betti-Cola (Mint)
The Ronettes - "He Did It" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
Go Sailor - "Fine Day for Sailing" S/T (Lookout!)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Cut Your Hair" S/T (K Records)
Josie Cotton - "Johnny Are You Queer?" Johnny Are You Queer? 12" (Bomp!)
Sleater-Kinney - "Dig Me Out" Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars)
X - "Johny Hit and Run Paulene" Los Angeles (Slash)
The Donnas - "Too Fast For Love" Get Skintight (Lookout!)
The Au Pairs - "Dear John" Equal But Different: BBC Sessions 79-81
Edith Frost - "It's a Game" It's a Game (Drag City)
PJ Harvey - "Legs" Rid of Me (Island)
Liz Phair - "Divorce Song" Exile in Guyville (Matador)
Cathy Saint - "Big Bad World" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
Deerhoof - "Dummy Discards a Heart" Apple O (Kill Rock Stars)
Delta 5 - "You" Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)
Monday, February 16, 2009
R.I.P. Estelle Bennett of The Ronettes
We share the sadness of fans across the generations and around the globe at the death of Estelle Bennett, one of the iconic Ronettes. Rest in peace Estelle.
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