Posts Tagged ‘ sexism ’

Viewer’s Guide to Super Bowl XLV

February 6, 2011
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Viewer’s Guide to Super Bowl XLV

Will you be one of the 110 million people watching the Super Bowl today? Enjoy the game, the party, the beer and the snacks. For smart commentary on what’s happening on the field, check out Sarah and ClumberKim over at DraftDaySuit. But also, be an informed viewer about the culture that surrounds the game marred by sexual assault charges. Have you heard the oft-cited statistic that incidences of domestic violence increase on Super Bowl Sunday? Not true. Domestic violence is a problem everyday and there is no proof to support a spike on game day. According to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Why is it important to set the record straight about Super Bowl Sunday? Because some have used the misinformation as a way to discredit the advocates and feminists working towards awareness, education and help for domestic violence victims. If you need help, call the Domestic Violence Hotline 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 1.800.787.3224 (TTY). Dallas officials and sex trafficking advocates are warning people that Super Bowl host cities are hot spots for sex trafficking.  Deena Graves, executive director of child advocacy group Traffick911 told [...]

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ESPN Fires Franklin

January 6, 2011
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ESPN Fires Franklin

ESPN has fired Ron Franklin the sportscaster who made derogatory comments to his coworker Jeannine Edwards. Oh, and for the record, Franklin apparently called Edwards “sweet baby”not “sweet cakes.” The sports network’s swift disciplinary action is a sharp contrast to the Navy’s reaction to offensive videos produced and aired on a navy ship in 2006 and 2007. Yes, The Navy discharged Capt. Owen Honors this week, after The Virginian Pilot broke the story of the videos. But members of Honors’ crew said they complained when the videos were first aired and Honors supposedly acknowledged complaints made not to him, but through other channels. So did the Navy fire honors for what he did or because he got caught?

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Tinseltown Turns to Teens

December 20, 2010
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Tinseltown Turns to Teens

A new report from the Parents Television Council (PTC), Tinseltown’s New Target: A study of Teen Female Sexualization on Primetime TV, shows a disturbingly high amount of sexualized image of teen girls on primetime television. The study follows PTC’s report from last November about the increase in incidences of violence against women on television. Teenage girls are becoming Hollywood’s sexualized ideal. Consider these findings from the study: “The presence of an underage female was associated with higher amounts of sexual depictions compared to the onscreen appearance of an adult female. Though an older female character is more likely to have sexual dialogue in the scene, a younger female character is more likely portrayed in sexual behaviors onscreen.” and “Only 5% of the underage female characters communicated any form of dislike for being sexualized.” The study defines sexualized as “the act or process of sexualizing,” meaning making the girl or act sexual in nature. The American Psychological Association (APA) regards a person as being sexualized if: their value comes only from their sexual appeal or sexual behavior they are sexually objectified or sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon them. PTC  identified the top 25 primetime shows for kids age 12-17, and viewed [...]

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News from Around the Web

December 15, 2010
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News from Around the Web

Yesterday we wrote about research from Catalyst Inc. that shows progress has stalled as far as women achieving the highest level and highest paid positions in U.S  businesses. Both the UK and Australia have seen similar lack of growth, and those countries are talking about instituting quotas for women on boards. Norway already does this. Would this ever happen in the U.S.? From the Financial Times, “The Quandry of Quotas” and from The Sydney Morning Herald. “Quota Quandry” Over at the Huffington Post, 24/7 Wall Street dug into the Catalyst research and identified the “21 Companies That Have Excluded Women From Leadership.” Speaking of the challenges women face at work, the gender bias lawsuit filed in 2001 against Walmart continues to keep the courts busy. Last week the US Supreme Court agreed to hear Wal-Mart’s appeal of an earlier court decision to take the case as a class-action lawsuit. If the case is allowed to go forward with class-action status, it could be one of the largest class action suits ever. From Ms. Magazine, “Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in Wal-Mart Gender Discrimination Case” And if you still don’t believe us that women face sexism and discrimination on the job, [...]

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Women’s Progress in Executive Suite Flat Fifth Year in a Row

December 14, 2010
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Women’s Progress in Executive Suite Flat Fifth Year in a Row

  Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before.   Women have made no gains in the corporate boardroom or the executive suite in the last year. Nor have women increased their presence among companies’ top earners, according to the 2010 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Board Directors and the 2010 Catalyst Census: Fortune 500 Women Executive Officers and Top Earners released yesterday. According to the report, Women held just 15.7 percent of board seats in 2010 rep resenting a mere 0.5 percentage points above 2009. Women held only 14.4 percent of executive officer positions, up from 13.5 percent in 2009. And as far as earning the big bucks, in 2010, women executive officers held only 7.6 percent of the top earner positions, up from 6.3 percent in 2009. And progress was flat as far as the number of companies with no women serving on the board of directors (more than 10 percent) and the number of companies with no women executive officers. This is the fifth year women’s progress has remained flat. This is what we are talking about when we refer to the glass ceiling. Women still face both obvious and subtle barriers on their [...]

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Relationship Advice for Successful Women New York Times Style

December 6, 2010
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Relationship Advice for Successful Women New York Times Style

Yes the New York Times is right. Successful women need to downplay their strengths for the sake of their relationships. I am the perfect example. I don’t want to brag but I have a good job, I run a blog and my marriage is pretty good. That’s because I work at it. I may be the boss in the office but at home I have a different role – my most iportant role in fact. I am a good wife. I never lose sight of the fact that my job puts food on the table and pays the mortgage and with that comes enormous responsibility; responsibility to make sure my man never feels threatened by my success.  How do I do it? What’s the secret to my marital harmony? Do I take the New York Times’ advice and “leave the snazzy car at home?” Nope. I flaunt my luxury vehicle purchased with my own money. Instead, I play the role of domestic disaster. You see, I “feign” incompetence in all things housework-related so that my man can feel like king of his castle. I burn the toast. I use the steel wool scrubby to wash the Caphalon pan. I mix darks and whites in the laundry and [...]

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Check Please

December 1, 2010
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Check Please

I was having lunch the other day with a new acquaintance. The check came and I gave the waiter my credit card. My acquaintance asked me what I blogged about. The waiter returned with my credit card. He handed it to my lunch partner to sign. “This is what I blog about,” I said. My lunch date hadn’t even noticed. I paid the bill but the waiter assumed it was his money. Perhpas if this happened only once, I would pass it off as a mistake. But it happens alot. Women earn money. Women are financially independent. Restaurants should inform the staff.

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Ignorant Headline of the Month

November 22, 2010
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Ignorant Headline of the Month

The ignorant headline of the month goes to the Irish Times for the headline, “PwC investigates as laddish e-mails go viral.” The emails in question were hardly “laddish.” They were sexist, offensive and damaging in a corporate setting. These emails were rankings of female workers, based on looks and complete with photographs, at consulting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC),  sent by a male worker  to his male coworkers. PwC has received a number of accolades as a great place to work  including Best Companies to Work  from Working Mother magazine.  While we know these awards say more about the award entree than the award recipient, it’s depressing to think a culture like this could be as good as it gets. While PwC vowed to take the incident “seriously”, a story in the Irish Central indicates any consequences will be lenient. The women mentioned in the emails, all trainees, reportedly just want to “get their careers off the ground.” Their reaction is understandable. Few people want to start their careers in a scandal. But seeking an appropriate response shouldn’t be their responsibility. It is PwC’s role to send a message about this kind of workplace behavior. Will the firm pay lip service to corporate policy or send [...]

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Women, We Need to Vote

November 1, 2010
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Women, We Need to Vote

Ladies, I get the complacency. I do. I am mostly uninspired by my choices on the ballot. But I will vote. And I hope you do too. Vote because your grandmothers and great grandmothers could not. Women have only been allowed to vote in this country for 90 years. So I will exercise my right in honor of Nana. Vote for hope. Brazil just elected its first woman president and someday we will too? and someday we will too. Vote because you’re not giving up. Vote because you’re tired of others defining the “woman’s vote.” You can tell them how you feel, thank you. Vote because we are not going to allow sexist campaign tactics to sway our votes. Vote because women are losing ground in Washington and we are not okay with that. We are going for critical mass. Just vote. And next time around, why not run?

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Sexist Campaign Ad in North Carolina

October 27, 2010
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Until today, I had no opinions on the Senate 19 seat in North Carolina. I don’t live there and wasn’t following the race. But then I saw this attack ad that Republican challenger Wesley Meredith aired against Democratic incumbent Margaret Dickson. If Meredith wanted to make a point about Dickson’s involvement in alleged “special deals and no-bid contracts,” then he should have done that. But what he revealed instead, were his feelings about women in politics, and perhaps women in general. Yes Mr. Meredith many women wear makeup. And many of us wear jewelry too. What’s your point? We’re false? We’re frivolous? We’re somehow unfit for office because we accessorize? Ladies, I don’t know about you, but to me this seems like a call to action. Donate to the Margaret Dickson campaign today.

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