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New comment policy: yes, you need to read this too: You may be surprised to learn it’s stressful to write at Hathor. I’ve written publicly for decades, and never experienced stress like I do when I write articles here. It’s because you guys expect so much of us – which is at once extremely rewarding and anxiety-inducing. It’s also because you’re a much bigger audience than we used to have. Stagefright, much? We’ve decided to take a page from the Big Blogs and create a new ... READ MORE

Women going quiet amongst men: You know that enduring stereotype that women aren’t as funny as men? I think I’ve identified part of the problem. I’ve been watching QI, a comedy panel show featuring Stephen Fry as host. Every week, he has four guests who are asked the most obscure questions about all sorts of topics. They gain or lose points depending not so much on how right their answers are as how interesting. And because the four guests are usually comedy people, it’s hilarious. It’s worth ... READ MORE

Date your abuser for 6 months, win a protection order: Until very recently, being abused in Alabama was your damn problem unless you were married to your abuser, had a kid with your abuser, or the abuser was a former household member, whatever that means. The Curvature reports in a distinctly bemused tone that the law has now improved. Now people who are merely dating their abusers get to enjoy the benefits of a protection order. Well, so long as they’ve been dating the abuser six months, anyway. Huh? I am trying ... READ MORE

Cop who tased schoolteacher lands on his feet: In April, 2010, Georgia schoolteacher Janice Wells thought there was a burglar in her home, so she called 911. Then she called a friend to come wait with her until police arrived. Upon arrival, the cop proceeded to ask Wells’ friend questions – some reports say the police officer assumed he was the prowler, others say he was asking the man about himself and his relationship to Wells, on the assumption the whole 911 call was really just a domestic ... READ MORE

Politics as usual: Al Gore sexual assault allegations: Police in Portland, Oregon are reopening a case in which Al Gore is alleged to have committed “unwanted sexual contact” against a masseuse. Tellingly, we have to go to conservative-slanting Fox News to get the most details of the story: According to transcripts of the 2009 interview, the masseuse described the allegations at length. She said Gore groped, kissed and pinned her down on a bed. She told Gore he was acting like a “crazed sex poodle,” according ... READ MORE

Some musings on US Independence Day: Today is US Independence Day, and that’s a good time to share little history lesson. July 4, 1776 was the day the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, which stated that the colonies were now independent from the British Empire. This document held to be true that “all men are created equal.” We’re fond of the myth that every generation before ours was pig-ignorant and therefore never would have conceived of the lofty concepts we ... READ MORE

Who needs beauty?: I like compliments as much as the next person, but I can’t stand being reassured that I look good or am pretty. It implies that’s my looks are something I should be worrying about; if I made a list of things that make me anxious in this life, it would not include my looks. But people are conditioned to worry about a woman who lacks beauty. It comes from a long history of women being allowed to offer nothing but sex ... READ MORE

Who’s your favorite fictional feminist?: Apparently Al Franken realizes there’s a shortage of good female characters out there – specifically, feminist ones: CA: Who is your favorite fictional heroine, and who are your heroines in real life? AF: First, let me say I was shocked at how difficult it was to come up with a good fictional feminist. I’m a reader, I didn’t think this would be tricky. I asked my wife and my daughter, male and female members of my staff (which ... READ MORE

Midweek Media: Madonna’s “Bad Girl”: I’ve always wanted a discussion of this video – is it feminist? Anti-feminist? Something else? – and Midweek Media seems like a perfect opportunity. To transcribe a six minute video with the level of detail Revena devotes to commercials would take thousands of words, so I’m brush-stroking it and you can read the lyrics here. Let me preface it with a couple of general remarks: This video is gorgeous – every shot a masterpiece of lighting and thoughtful positioning of elements. Even ... READ MORE

It’s okay to be misogynistic when criticizing a bad movie about women: Maria recently linked to an excellent negative review of Sex and the City 2 which thoroughly takes apart the movie’s offensively ignorant spin on Muslim culture and accurately refers to the four stars as “mock feminists.” But as Melissa Silverstein points out, many reviews of SATC2 have engaged in misogyny to make the same (or lesser) points: But what has been so profound to me has been the release of a pent up torrent of misogyny against women and this ... READ MORE