Public Service Announcement For My Own Personal Benefit:

So one of my required classes this semester is The Art of Literary Journalism. For our second piece, we have to write a 5000-6000 word article on a topic of our choosing, in a narrative nonfiction style. I’m writing about the current state of feminism in the United States: attitudes, perceptions, feelings, etc. I’ve done background research and have a couple of books waiting to be read. I’m talking to a professor in Women’s Studies at Georgetown next week, and I’m trying to set up a conference with a Young Women’s Book Club at my old high school. I also might try and talk to the only female employee at my dad’s asphalt company.

My announcement is this: if anyone has suggestions for people I should talk to who are doing cool or uncool things regarding feminism/women’s rights, please let me know, either in the comments here, on my Twitter page (@JoellynPow) or through email (get at me at joellynpowers@gmail.com).

I really did a shit job on my first article, so I want this one to be good.

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Guys, this movie is good. Really fucking good. I may have cried (a lot).

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slaughterhouse90210:

“There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.”
— Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

Girls Hate Girls, I Guess Because of Society?

I wrote about the female characters on The Walking Dead because I have lots of feelings about them (Team Carol! Team Andrea! Team Feminism!) and because a lot of people watch this show and I think it’s important to recognize how these characters are perceived in a societal way. I DON’T KNOW I’M A GRAD STUDENT WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO? The Female Gaze was nice enough to run the piece a few hours before the show aired.

Case in Point: last night my roommate had a bunch of people over to watch the mid-season premiere of the show, and I was kind of shocked at all of the bad-mouthing going on about the women on screen. There were lots of “dumb bitch” and “stupid ho” comments flying around, but I chose to sit there in silence with my beer because I hate to alienate people over my feelings in regards to fictional things (HAHA AMIRIGHT?) But really, I think there’s something to be said about the ways even fictional women are perceived, especially by other women - most of those comments came from the other women in the room.

Also, this is the wicked-awesome leather vest I mention in the essay, so if you’re NOT Team Andrea, I just can’t even.

(Source: misomeru)

"A girl from Pittsburgh was a good thing, like an anchor. Every homesick traveler should have one."

Kelly Link, “Survivor’s Ball, Or, The Donner Party”

This is the most perfect line I’ve read in a while; but then again, I’m quite biased when it comes to Pittsburgh.

I’m Still Angry About This

During Christmas with my dad’s side of the family, Hillary Clinton came up in conversation (actually, pretty sure I obnoxiously brought her up, probably by saying something like, “INTRODUCING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESSSSSSS”). Across the room, my uncle said the following:

“How dare she run for president, looking like she does.”

…

My jaw literally hit the floor. The complete and utter sexism in that statement floored me to the point that I didn’t even respond. I love my extended family dearly, but the majority of them are so severely conservative, trying to reason with them in political conversations is harder than attempting to convince a brick wall it can walk. I’m still angry about this, because I wish I would have stood up for Hillary; not only for her as a woman and a politician, but for me as a woman, as well.

Really, has anyone ever considered the way a male politician dresses or grooms himself before he runs for office? If Barack Obama or George Bush came out to meet supporters with his shirttails untucked and his face unshaven and pit stains under his arms, people would definitely remark at how unkempt he looks, but would anyone say, “How dare he run for president?” I don’t think so. Actually, I know so.

Hillary is arguably the most powerful woman in our country right now, and she is also one of the most inspirational women I can think of. I also think she looks great—and also, WHO CARES. So what if her hair sometimes looks unbrushed, or if her clothes look rumpled; she’s helping to run the goddamn country! She could wear her fucking pajamas for all I care. Actually, if she did that, I’d admire her even more.

So I would say this to my uncle, if I could go back in time and stand up for Hillary: How should a woman be? Clean and pressed and lipsticked, making you a sandwich? Do I look okay to run for office? How should a woman be, really?

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May cannot come soon enough.

(via thebluthcompany)

(Source: runbyhubble, via malysay)