Showing posts with label violence against women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violence against women. Show all posts
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Monday, December 31, 2007
Must Read: A Question of APIA Feminism: Domestic Abuse/Intimate Partner Violence
I don't have much to argue with in Jenn's post, A Question of APIA Feminism: Domestic Abuse/Intimate Partner Violence, because I've read the same studies. But I would add that from the studies I've read, the main solution to decreasing the high incidence of intimate partner violence in the APIA community is awareness, or something I talk about frequently, visible APIA feminisms. Meaning the high incidence is due to 1) women not getting the help they need and 2) the lack of discussion about intimate partner violence in the APIA community, and, 1) and 2) go hand in hand. The lack of awareness added to 3) the insensitivity of domestic violence shelters towards Asian languages and cultures and 4) immigrants' ignorance about the U.S. legal system create a crisis.
Here are the (many) highlights of Jenn's post:
**Cross-posted at my place.**
Here are the (many) highlights of Jenn's post:
Existing studies of domestic abuse have historically neglected to collect racial or ethnic data on victims of domestic violence. In those studies that do collect racial or ethnic data, studies that have focused on Asian American women have varied widely in the reported frequency of domestic violence (summarized in this factsheet from the Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Abuse), suggesting that Asian American women might underreport domestic abuse or be less educated on recognizing the warning signs. Regardless, even these rough estimates are alarming: anywhere between 20-80% of APIA women report experiencing some form of domestic abuse or violence. At least one study (conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice) estimates that roughly 52% of Asian American women are victims of rape and/or physical assault (Exhibit 4), but notes that this only represents the incidence of reporting.Read the whole thing.
Within the Asian American community, studies suggest that reporting of domestic abuse varies along ethnic lines, as well as according to age and generational status. 61% of immigrant Japanese women, for example, reported some form of intimate partner violence, while a different study found 20% of Filipina women reported experiencing some form of domestic violence. A third study reported that 8% of Chinese women experienced “severe physical violence”, but that percentage doubled with “more acculturated” women (although this may represent a higher likelihood of reporting).
One of the most comprehensive studies conducted on domestic violence within the Asian American community was authored by the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project. Project AWARE (Asian Women Advocating Respect and Empowerment) surveyed nearly 200 Asian women in the D.C. area. That study noted that roughly two-thirds of surveyed women at least “occasionally” experienced some form of controlling behaviour or psychological abuse from their intimate partners in the year prior to the study; Project AWARE displays the forms of abuse that were surveyed in the full report.
Several studies (e.g. Understanding Violence Against Women by Cromwell and Burgess) have suggested that the problem of domestic abuse or intimate partner violence within the Asian American community may stem from unique cultural influences that affect a woman’s likelihood to recognize or report abuse by her partner.
Primarily, traditional Confucian principles of familial hierarchy have been traditionally used to define gender roles wherein husbands are superior to wives and sons superior to daughters; this hierarchy is reinforced by a social expectation of obedience and piety, and results in both men and women being socialized into accepting a superior/inferior relationship between intimate partners that can leave women susceptible to intimate partner violence. Indeed, an abusive relationship may be so normalized for a woman that APIA women by not recognize abuse as it occurs. Moreoever, our tacit acceptance of hierarchal intimate partner relationships may unintentionally reward patterns of domestic violence; in “Unheard Voices”, a study on APIA domestic violence, one survey participant said:“I think its our cultures that allow it to happen. We do not hold somebody accountable for that kind of violence…you see that the batterer gets invited to parties, it’s the woman who gets isolated…”Secondly, several Asian cultures have emphasized the importance of familial or social harmony, as well as to preserve social “face” over personal interests. Dasgupta and Warrier (1996) reported that within the South Asian community, the predominant motivation for wives were a belief in the rold of a “good wife”, described as including “sacrifice of personal freedom and autonomy… they felt responsible for the reputation of their families in India, were eager not to compromise their families’ honor with a divorce, and operated under the added pressure of preserving traditions and presenting an “unblemished” image of the community to the U.S. mainstream.”
The invisibility of Asian American women in the struggle to end intimate partner violence rests also in the Model Minority Myth, which has long discouraged mainstream America from imagining that the Asian American community might suffer from concerns such as mental disease or domestic violence. This reluctance to perceive the APIA community as flawed not only jeopardizes the idealistic image of the American immigrant, but may also be perpetuated within the community by APIA men and women who are unwilling to “air out our dirty laundry” in the eyes of mainstream America. As Dasgupta and Warrier reported in their 1996 study, men and women of Asian communities may feel a pressure to maintain “face” for their cultural traditions, heritages, or race in America, and as such may perceive a woman reporting intimate partner violence or domestic abuse as an affront upon that image.
The question foremost on my mind is why the Asian American community at-large isn’t angry about domestic abuse/intimate partner violence within our community? APIA feminists must maintain the focus of the debate on the unheard victims of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence. The unique sexism that APIA feminists must combat is the reluctance, both within and outside the APIA community, to address or even understand the concerns of Asian American female victims of physical and psychological assault. The implicit message being sent by our apathy is that abuse against APIA women is acceptable, so long as it is unheard or willfully misunderstood.
**Cross-posted at my place.**
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Happy Winter Solstice
**Cross-posted at my place.**
It was fun blogging here.
Early on, Pizzadiavola expressed interest in intersectionality and Asian Americans. If you're a woman of color interested in intersectionality and communities of color, I just tagged 40 posts about this on my blog under intersectionality. Most feminists know about intersectionality in feminism, i.e., racism and classism in feminism, but few know about sexism in communities of color. My blog is probably one of the only places on the 'net to find commentary on this right now. I'm also proud of my women of color, violence against women, feminism and sexism tags so I hope people will check out my blog.
Happy Winter Solstice and Holidays!
Be good.
It was fun blogging here.
Early on, Pizzadiavola expressed interest in intersectionality and Asian Americans. If you're a woman of color interested in intersectionality and communities of color, I just tagged 40 posts about this on my blog under intersectionality. Most feminists know about intersectionality in feminism, i.e., racism and classism in feminism, but few know about sexism in communities of color. My blog is probably one of the only places on the 'net to find commentary on this right now. I'm also proud of my women of color, violence against women, feminism and sexism tags so I hope people will check out my blog.
Happy Winter Solstice and Holidays!
Be good.
Monday, July 23, 2007
watch it...
This was yet another WAPC event that I didn't make it out to. I thought I would post the videos from that day for you. Check it out:
Monday, July 02, 2007
Happy Canada Day - notes on Multiculturalism...
So, two days ago (oops I missed it!) was Canada Day. This blog is still primarily read by Americans... so, yes, Canada Day was on July the 1st. Which means our country celebrated 140yrs of colonial occupation nation-building on this land mass....
Long story short, I've always not really enjoyed the Canada Day Celebrations [putting aside my issues with the concepts of nationhood and states] much. Don't get me wrong, it's fun, I get to hang out with people I love, we usually manage to hang out and do lots of fun things... but...My disdain mostly arises from not being able to relate to why people like Bharat natyam and other 'traditional' folk dances so much on that day. I lived for a long time in the nation's capital and going to parliament hill to do this sort of thing got really tiring after the ..... first 20 minutes. I don't do classical indian dances, none of my relatives do either, in fact they aren't very popular in India either (from what I know) - with exception, kind of like how ballet works here.
Anyways, here is an excellent passage on the problematic nature of 'multi-culturalism' from a new book that I can't recommend highly enough "Discourses of Denial: Mediations of Race, Gender, and Violence" by Yasmin Jiwani (UBC Press - 2006). Go out and get this!!! It is a must read, it's not necessarily anything drastically new for people who are familiar with critical race studies, but Jiwani's book provides an amazing synthesis of current work and she uses contemporary examples to illustrate these ideas. Plus, she is a fabulous writer who doesn't hold back.
This passage I believe can aptly be used to describe the problematic nature of Canada day style multi-cultural festivals (she is referring more specifically to media representations and news coverage):
"Or, alternatively, their [POC] representation us used to show up the image of the dominant society as one of tolerance, meritocracy, and equality. Of course, this does not hold true for raced bodies that stereotypically appear most frequently in the music and sports sections of the newspaper. here, their success is often attributed to their innate predisposition toward these activities.
The novelty or dramatic criterion of news stories also coincides with the certain aspects of racialized minority cultures. Seen against a backdrop of White society, these groups offer colourful alternatives. Their fashion, music and cuisine become objects of attention in the coverage devoted to ethnic festivals and ceremonies. Conversely, cultural rites and rituals are given coverage when they are perceived and positioned as being antithetical to social norms. The persistent coverage of arranged marriages, circumcision rites, communal living arrangements, and different religious traditions contributes to images of racialized communities that cast them as being uncivilized, oppressive, and undesirable......these legacies are grounded in a legacy of colonialism and imperialism" (Jiwani 2006: 40)
Earlier in the book Jiwani has an amazing passage that explains why communities of colour often take-up these roles under multiculturalism and multicultural policies. I wish I could type out the two pages - but I will type up bits of it:
"Communities, then [in regards to race-based program funding by the government], become a focal point of the policies, despite the reality that these communities are, as Bannerji (2000) reminds us, not natural constructions but but social constructions mediated out of a necessity to respond to particular state policies. In turn, these communities are harnessed by these policies to better serve the status quo and thereby utilized to maintain a hierarchical racialized structure of power. Such communities are reified as embodiments of particular cultural formations even though what they may be representing is a graft of a culture, specific social classes within that cultural formation, and particular interpretations of cultural traditions. Patriarchal and economic elites maintain the boundaries of these so-called cultural communities, ensuring compliance and cohesion. However, as Bannerji remarks this is not only a top-down imposition but also a bottom-up response, based on the racism, exclusion, and hostility from the dominant society faced by these groups. Within the context of these communities, power is naturalized and rendered normal through the recuperation and reification of tradition.
Bannerji calls our attention to a key element of multiculturalism, namely, the connection between race and culture. Racialized communities are minoritized and interpreted as primordial cultural entities rather than as entities formed through state measures. Further, these cultural labels are not neutral but carry Orientalist and racially inscribed connotations of Western society that represents itself as progressive, emancipatory, and democratic. Racial differences become cultural differences, and race itself is culturalized. ....emphasis on culture evacuates concepts of race and racism, so that cultural tolerance comes to replace the need for racial tolerance....to tolerate is to 'put up with'. " (Jiwani 2006: 13-14).
A final word on 'upper-class POC':
"Assimilation also offers, especially through class privilege, a greater degree of mobility. On the other hand, the deeply racialized nature of identity, both group and individual based, limits such latitude in the sense that no matter how rich or assimilated a person of colour is, where s/he can go is undoubtedly curtailed by elite structures of power....illusory promises of fitting in and belonging provided one buys into the trappings of so-called normalcy and normative behaviour - are just that - fictions - when they run headlong into the reality of race and racism...... In a hierarchy structured in dominance, the ideological labour involved is one of keeping each group "in its place." This includes racialized people of colour whose confinement at a particular level of the hierarchy ensures that those above can maintain their power and privilege." (Jiwani 2006: 28)
Cross posted at Pass the Roti.
Long story short, I've always not really enjoyed the Canada Day Celebrations [putting aside my issues with the concepts of nationhood and states] much. Don't get me wrong, it's fun, I get to hang out with people I love, we usually manage to hang out and do lots of fun things... but...My disdain mostly arises from not being able to relate to why people like Bharat natyam and other 'traditional' folk dances so much on that day. I lived for a long time in the nation's capital and going to parliament hill to do this sort of thing got really tiring after the ..... first 20 minutes. I don't do classical indian dances, none of my relatives do either, in fact they aren't very popular in India either (from what I know) - with exception, kind of like how ballet works here.
Anyways, here is an excellent passage on the problematic nature of 'multi-culturalism' from a new book that I can't recommend highly enough "Discourses of Denial: Mediations of Race, Gender, and Violence" by Yasmin Jiwani (UBC Press - 2006). Go out and get this!!! It is a must read, it's not necessarily anything drastically new for people who are familiar with critical race studies, but Jiwani's book provides an amazing synthesis of current work and she uses contemporary examples to illustrate these ideas. Plus, she is a fabulous writer who doesn't hold back.
This passage I believe can aptly be used to describe the problematic nature of Canada day style multi-cultural festivals (she is referring more specifically to media representations and news coverage):
"Or, alternatively, their [POC] representation us used to show up the image of the dominant society as one of tolerance, meritocracy, and equality. Of course, this does not hold true for raced bodies that stereotypically appear most frequently in the music and sports sections of the newspaper. here, their success is often attributed to their innate predisposition toward these activities.
The novelty or dramatic criterion of news stories also coincides with the certain aspects of racialized minority cultures. Seen against a backdrop of White society, these groups offer colourful alternatives. Their fashion, music and cuisine become objects of attention in the coverage devoted to ethnic festivals and ceremonies. Conversely, cultural rites and rituals are given coverage when they are perceived and positioned as being antithetical to social norms. The persistent coverage of arranged marriages, circumcision rites, communal living arrangements, and different religious traditions contributes to images of racialized communities that cast them as being uncivilized, oppressive, and undesirable......these legacies are grounded in a legacy of colonialism and imperialism" (Jiwani 2006: 40)
Earlier in the book Jiwani has an amazing passage that explains why communities of colour often take-up these roles under multiculturalism and multicultural policies. I wish I could type out the two pages - but I will type up bits of it:
"Communities, then [in regards to race-based program funding by the government], become a focal point of the policies, despite the reality that these communities are, as Bannerji (2000) reminds us, not natural constructions but but social constructions mediated out of a necessity to respond to particular state policies. In turn, these communities are harnessed by these policies to better serve the status quo and thereby utilized to maintain a hierarchical racialized structure of power. Such communities are reified as embodiments of particular cultural formations even though what they may be representing is a graft of a culture, specific social classes within that cultural formation, and particular interpretations of cultural traditions. Patriarchal and economic elites maintain the boundaries of these so-called cultural communities, ensuring compliance and cohesion. However, as Bannerji remarks this is not only a top-down imposition but also a bottom-up response, based on the racism, exclusion, and hostility from the dominant society faced by these groups. Within the context of these communities, power is naturalized and rendered normal through the recuperation and reification of tradition.
Bannerji calls our attention to a key element of multiculturalism, namely, the connection between race and culture. Racialized communities are minoritized and interpreted as primordial cultural entities rather than as entities formed through state measures. Further, these cultural labels are not neutral but carry Orientalist and racially inscribed connotations of Western society that represents itself as progressive, emancipatory, and democratic. Racial differences become cultural differences, and race itself is culturalized. ....emphasis on culture evacuates concepts of race and racism, so that cultural tolerance comes to replace the need for racial tolerance....to tolerate is to 'put up with'. " (Jiwani 2006: 13-14).
A final word on 'upper-class POC':
"Assimilation also offers, especially through class privilege, a greater degree of mobility. On the other hand, the deeply racialized nature of identity, both group and individual based, limits such latitude in the sense that no matter how rich or assimilated a person of colour is, where s/he can go is undoubtedly curtailed by elite structures of power....illusory promises of fitting in and belonging provided one buys into the trappings of so-called normalcy and normative behaviour - are just that - fictions - when they run headlong into the reality of race and racism...... In a hierarchy structured in dominance, the ideological labour involved is one of keeping each group "in its place." This includes racialized people of colour whose confinement at a particular level of the hierarchy ensures that those above can maintain their power and privilege." (Jiwani 2006: 28)
Cross posted at Pass the Roti.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Universalized White Male Culture: A Reminder...
(Trigger alert)
"The power of whiteness lies in a set of discursive techniques, including exomination, that is the power not be named; naturalization, through which whiteness establishes itself as the norm by defining 'others' and not itself; and universalization, where whiteness alone can make sense of a problem and its understanding becomes THE understanding." (John Gabriel, Whitewash)
Seems like there's a lot of blaming lately. A lot of pointing fingers and a lot of selective memory. I don't listen to hip hop/rap/r n b ... I never have. I was certain that I was a little white-boy until I hit puberty - so as a result I still listen to a lot of angry white male alt-rock (which I've been trying to change slowly). Also growing up in small white towns most of my life - it was standard to listen to hard rock vs. 'black music'.
So when all these politicians, these media people talk about evil misogyny in 'black music' they seemingly forget the sadistic, cruel, violent misogyny in white boy music - so here's just a sample of what white male supremacist culture comes up with on the top 40 charts, again and again and again. Feel free to add your own obvious examples in the comments.
Also - Make sure to check out Sour Duck's blog and especially her archives, she genders a lot of albums, album art work and lyrics! Yay for Sour Duck!
System of a Down - Sugar:
My girl, you know, she lashes out at me sometimes,
And I just kick her, and then she's O.K. ,she's O.K.(sugar)
Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing:
I am, I am, I am
I said I wanna get next to you
I said I gonna get close to you
....I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress.....
You wouldn't want me have to hurt you too, hurt you too?
I know you want what's on my mind
I know you like what's on my mind
I know it eats you up inside
Jet - Cold Hard Bitch:
Gonna take her home cause she's over romancing
Don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans alright!
Cold hard bitch [right, cause talking is all that bad right, she isn't a bitch once she puts out! if she doesn't she's a cold hard bitch. Bitches n hoes?]
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
you let me violate you
you let me desecrate you
you let me penetrate you
you let me complicate you
[Yo byatch it's all your FAULT]
i want to fuck you like an animal
i want to feel you from the inside
Disturbed - Sickness
I dont need this shit you stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore
would you like to see how it feels mommy here it comes get ready to DIE
[the song is about abuse, but if this was Alanis singing this how many white men would be up in arms about an angry violent young woman?]
Nickelback - Figured You Out
I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
[bitches n hoes culture? No?]
And I love the way you pass the check
And I love the good times that you wreck
And I love your lack of self-respect
While you passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck
[he takes a turn in this song where it's all sweet and then gets all emotionally violent later]
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Suck My Kiss :
Give to me sweet sacred bliss
Your mouth was made to suck my kiss [what's your kiss???]
Added - the worst ever lyrics IMO (I shudder whenever I hear this song):
She Wants Revenge - Tear You ApartI want to hold you close
Soft breasts, beating heart
As I whisper in your ear
I want to f*cking tear you apart
Custom - Hey Mister (Banned in the US - but a HUGE hit in Canada):
I can't lie I have to tell the truth
Man to man mister it's a total spoof
Your daughter's a freak
Your daughter's a pro
When I'm done with her
She'll do one of your bros
I hope I'll never have a daughter
Oh and lets not forget the grand old daddies of misogyny:
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
Ah brown sugar how come you taste so good
(a-ha) brown sugar, just like a black girl should
A-huh. [a-huh indeed, did you mean sexually available for your pleasure?]
Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Its down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what shes told
Down to me, the change has come
Shes under my thumb
Ah, ah, say its alright
Under my thumb
Shes the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
Or the 'genre-crossing' white male rapper Eminem (loved equally by rockers and rappers! Oooh yay):
Cleanin out my closet
maybe I was just a couple of months, my faggot father
must have had his pantie's up in a bunch, cause he split,
..........
shit I did was take them bullets out of that gun, cause id'a killed 'em, shit I would have shot
Kim and him both, it's my life, i'd like to welcome y'all to the Eminem show...
And before Eminem there was of course the 'genre-crossers' the Beastie Boys, Girls:
Girls - to do the dishes
Girls - to clean up my room
Girls - to do the laundry
Girls - and in the bathroom
Girls - that's all I really want is girls
Then there is the seemingly 'fair-and-balanced' sexist song, i.e. men and women are both derided but of course women are always given the 'worse' situation and subject to 'worse' stereotypes/harsher language - 'gold diggin hoes':
Good Charlotte - Girls and Boys:
She'll get what she wants
If she's willing to please
His type of girl
Always comes with a fee
Hey, now, there's nothing for free
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny
And these girls like these boys like these boys like these girls
The girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Offspring - Get a Job:
My friend's got a girlfriend
Man he hates that bitch
He tells me every day
He says "man I really gotta lose my chick
In the worst kind of way"
She sits on her ass
He works his hands to the bone
To give her money every payday
But she wants more dinero just to stay at home
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
To keep her bill collectors at bay
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
Cause that girl's got expensive taste
[this continues for a few more verses and then they have ONE measily paragraph devoted to a male]
My friend's got a boyfriend, man she hates that dick [and that's just as offensive as 'bitch']
She tells me every day
He wants more dinero just to stay at home
............................................
I don't care to listen to 'justifications' about or the freedom of 'lyrical interpretations' so don't waste your breath telling me I'm wrong in my 'interpretation', I won't be bothering with such comments, just so you know in advance. We all know who the universal intellegentsia is and who defines 'creativity'...so spare me.
On a related note, typing in misogyny in music - I only came across one article with a similar viewpoint. Everything else was about misogyny in rap... seems like academics should be doing a better job, tsk tsk tsk. Violence is structural - and there's plenty of that violence embedded in music by white rockers too.
ETA: This violence is not just embedded in the lyrics but in rock "culture" too. The obvious being the 'sexual exploits' of rock 'gods'.
A post by Lonergrl, re 'rock culture'.
A really, old post by Twisty. (the only two other things I could find when I typed "rock and misogyny in google).
[Lyrics used for educational purposes only]
"The power of whiteness lies in a set of discursive techniques, including exomination, that is the power not be named; naturalization, through which whiteness establishes itself as the norm by defining 'others' and not itself; and universalization, where whiteness alone can make sense of a problem and its understanding becomes THE understanding." (John Gabriel, Whitewash)
Seems like there's a lot of blaming lately. A lot of pointing fingers and a lot of selective memory. I don't listen to hip hop/rap/r n b ... I never have. I was certain that I was a little white-boy until I hit puberty - so as a result I still listen to a lot of angry white male alt-rock (which I've been trying to change slowly). Also growing up in small white towns most of my life - it was standard to listen to hard rock vs. 'black music'.
So when all these politicians, these media people talk about evil misogyny in 'black music' they seemingly forget the sadistic, cruel, violent misogyny in white boy music - so here's just a sample of what white male supremacist culture comes up with on the top 40 charts, again and again and again. Feel free to add your own obvious examples in the comments.
Also - Make sure to check out Sour Duck's blog and especially her archives, she genders a lot of albums, album art work and lyrics! Yay for Sour Duck!
System of a Down - Sugar:
My girl, you know, she lashes out at me sometimes,
And I just kick her, and then she's O.K. ,she's O.K.(sugar)
Stone Temple Pilots - Sex Type Thing:
I am, I am, I am
I said I wanna get next to you
I said I gonna get close to you
....I said ya shouldn't have worn that dress.....
You wouldn't want me have to hurt you too, hurt you too?
I know you want what's on my mind
I know you like what's on my mind
I know it eats you up inside
Jet - Cold Hard Bitch:
Gonna take her home cause she's over romancing
Don't wanna hold hands and talk about our little plans alright!
Cold hard bitch [right, cause talking is all that bad right, she isn't a bitch once she puts out! if she doesn't she's a cold hard bitch. Bitches n hoes?]
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
you let me violate you
you let me desecrate you
you let me penetrate you
you let me complicate you
[Yo byatch it's all your FAULT]
i want to fuck you like an animal
i want to feel you from the inside
Disturbed - Sickness
I dont need this shit you stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore
would you like to see how it feels mommy here it comes get ready to DIE
[the song is about abuse, but if this was Alanis singing this how many white men would be up in arms about an angry violent young woman?]
Nickelback - Figured You Out
I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
[bitches n hoes culture? No?]
And I love the way you pass the check
And I love the good times that you wreck
And I love your lack of self-respect
While you passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck
[he takes a turn in this song where it's all sweet and then gets all emotionally violent later]
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Suck My Kiss :
Give to me sweet sacred bliss
Your mouth was made to suck my kiss [what's your kiss???]
Added - the worst ever lyrics IMO (I shudder whenever I hear this song):
She Wants Revenge - Tear You ApartI want to hold you close
Soft breasts, beating heart
As I whisper in your ear
I want to f*cking tear you apart
Custom - Hey Mister (Banned in the US - but a HUGE hit in Canada):
I can't lie I have to tell the truth
Man to man mister it's a total spoof
Your daughter's a freak
Your daughter's a pro
When I'm done with her
She'll do one of your bros
I hope I'll never have a daughter
Oh and lets not forget the grand old daddies of misogyny:
Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
Ah brown sugar how come you taste so good
(a-ha) brown sugar, just like a black girl should
A-huh. [a-huh indeed, did you mean sexually available for your pleasure?]
Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Its down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what shes told
Down to me, the change has come
Shes under my thumb
Ah, ah, say its alright
Under my thumb
Shes the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world
Or the 'genre-crossing' white male rapper Eminem (loved equally by rockers and rappers! Oooh yay):
Cleanin out my closet
maybe I was just a couple of months, my faggot father
must have had his pantie's up in a bunch, cause he split,
..........
shit I did was take them bullets out of that gun, cause id'a killed 'em, shit I would have shot
Kim and him both, it's my life, i'd like to welcome y'all to the Eminem show...
And before Eminem there was of course the 'genre-crossers' the Beastie Boys, Girls:
Girls - to do the dishes
Girls - to clean up my room
Girls - to do the laundry
Girls - and in the bathroom
Girls - that's all I really want is girls
Then there is the seemingly 'fair-and-balanced' sexist song, i.e. men and women are both derided but of course women are always given the 'worse' situation and subject to 'worse' stereotypes/harsher language - 'gold diggin hoes':
Good Charlotte - Girls and Boys:
She'll get what she wants
If she's willing to please
His type of girl
Always comes with a fee
Hey, now, there's nothing for free
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Boys will laugh at girls when they're not funny
And these girls like these boys like these boys like these girls
The girls with the bodies like boys with Ferraris
Girls don't like boys, girls like cars and money
Offspring - Get a Job:
My friend's got a girlfriend
Man he hates that bitch
He tells me every day
He says "man I really gotta lose my chick
In the worst kind of way"
She sits on her ass
He works his hands to the bone
To give her money every payday
But she wants more dinero just to stay at home
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
To keep her bill collectors at bay
I guess all his money, well it isn't enough
Cause that girl's got expensive taste
[this continues for a few more verses and then they have ONE measily paragraph devoted to a male]
My friend's got a boyfriend, man she hates that dick [and that's just as offensive as 'bitch']
She tells me every day
He wants more dinero just to stay at home
............................................
I don't care to listen to 'justifications' about or the freedom of 'lyrical interpretations' so don't waste your breath telling me I'm wrong in my 'interpretation', I won't be bothering with such comments, just so you know in advance. We all know who the universal intellegentsia is and who defines 'creativity'...so spare me.
On a related note, typing in misogyny in music - I only came across one article with a similar viewpoint. Everything else was about misogyny in rap... seems like academics should be doing a better job, tsk tsk tsk. Violence is structural - and there's plenty of that violence embedded in music by white rockers too.
ETA: This violence is not just embedded in the lyrics but in rock "culture" too. The obvious being the 'sexual exploits' of rock 'gods'.
A post by Lonergrl, re 'rock culture'.
A really, old post by Twisty. (the only two other things I could find when I typed "rock and misogyny in google).
[Lyrics used for educational purposes only]
Thursday, January 11, 2007
On Bitches, Dog-Training and Keeping your Girlfriend in-line
UPDATE 3: I got a message in my email account today saying that someone replied to my message on the youtube thread - (about keeping your girlfriend in-line). I also posted the passage from the community guidelines. Hurrah - thanks for flagging it everyone! This is the comment that appears instead of that video now!
Yippers :)
So the first video is gone!!!
UPDATE 4: Zooey noticed the video is available---I checked and there are two more copies of that first video (the original link has been taken down). I don't want the two videos on my blog. I am taking them off - but feel free to keep commeting on the videos and also flag them. I am keeping the links on here. Thank you.
Original post:
Well.... Look no further than youtube for rampant misogyny. This is a brand new video. I didn't expect to post something so quickly, I was searching for a video for this song and this (among other misogynistic videos) came up. The song was "Yours to keep" (yes, the virgin mobile song) and instead this came up. This video has only had 100 views, but can everyone please join me in flagging this as inappropriate and or trying to get this removed. Just register with youtube, and flag it. (trigger warning).
UPDATE 2: This is from the Youtube Community Guidelines:
We encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points of view. But we don't permit hate speech which contains slurs or the malicious use of stereotypes intended to attack or demean a particular gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or nationality
The only way, from what I understand, for a video to be removed is for people to "flag the video as inappropriate" and at some point someone will 'view it for consideration'. I suggest - logging in and posting comments. Please do this if you get a chance. Youtube terms of use. I tried to post comments again today - and they aren't posting for some reason. Does anyone know why?
This is so hate-filled and vomit-inducing I can't get my head around it.
VIDEO HERE!
Okay, I was wrong - this wasn't the only video - this one is about 'how to score anal sex with your girlfriend'. This one is actually quite popular. It's basically a rape-training video.
SECOND VIDEO HERE.
Now that youtube is worth over 1.6 billion dollars, does anyone know what the regulations are for posting vids? when is something offensive?
What the hell.
I posted this comment on youtube, but I don't see it. Note, if you are posting comments on youtube - the maximum word count is 500 characters:
This video promotes misogyny. It relies on the stereotypes that 1) women are dogs 2) Should be roughed up in order to be 'trained' 3) are vacuous gold-diggers
Domestic violence, and rape statistics aren't just made out of thin air.
Men, you too need to speak out against this video:
http://www. rapeis. org/activism/prevention/menagainstrape.html
PLEASE REMOVE THIS VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE.
I posted this message on the second one, but I can't seem to post either message. It keeps on asking me to confirm my email address - and then I confirm it - but nothing is happening.
Is beating a woman into submission getting her to have anal sex with you? Or is it rape and assault? 1 woman in North America is raped every 30 seconds. 80% of rapes happen by acquaintances. PLEASE REMOVE THIS VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE. SPEAK OUT AGAINST MALE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. That means men too: http://www. rapeis. org/activism/prevention/menagainstrape.html
UPDATE: I don't know how this youtube thing works - is there any likelihood that these videos have a chance of being permanently removed from youtube? If it is pointless for me to post these videos here - then I will remove them asap.
Yippers :)
So the first video is gone!!!
UPDATE 4: Zooey noticed the video is available---I checked and there are two more copies of that first video (the original link has been taken down). I don't want the two videos on my blog. I am taking them off - but feel free to keep commeting on the videos and also flag them. I am keeping the links on here. Thank you.
Original post:
Well.... Look no further than youtube for rampant misogyny. This is a brand new video. I didn't expect to post something so quickly, I was searching for a video for this song and this (among other misogynistic videos) came up. The song was "Yours to keep" (yes, the virgin mobile song) and instead this came up. This video has only had 100 views, but can everyone please join me in flagging this as inappropriate and or trying to get this removed. Just register with youtube, and flag it. (trigger warning).
UPDATE 2: This is from the Youtube Community Guidelines:
We encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points of view. But we don't permit hate speech which contains slurs or the malicious use of stereotypes intended to attack or demean a particular gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or nationality
The only way, from what I understand, for a video to be removed is for people to "flag the video as inappropriate" and at some point someone will 'view it for consideration'. I suggest - logging in and posting comments. Please do this if you get a chance. Youtube terms of use. I tried to post comments again today - and they aren't posting for some reason. Does anyone know why?
This is so hate-filled and vomit-inducing I can't get my head around it.
VIDEO HERE!
Okay, I was wrong - this wasn't the only video - this one is about 'how to score anal sex with your girlfriend'. This one is actually quite popular. It's basically a rape-training video.
SECOND VIDEO HERE.
Now that youtube is worth over 1.6 billion dollars, does anyone know what the regulations are for posting vids? when is something offensive?
What the hell.
I posted this comment on youtube, but I don't see it. Note, if you are posting comments on youtube - the maximum word count is 500 characters:
This video promotes misogyny. It relies on the stereotypes that 1) women are dogs 2) Should be roughed up in order to be 'trained' 3) are vacuous gold-diggers
Domestic violence, and rape statistics aren't just made out of thin air.
Men, you too need to speak out against this video:
http://www. rapeis. org/activism/prevention/menagainstrape.html
PLEASE REMOVE THIS VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE.
I posted this message on the second one, but I can't seem to post either message. It keeps on asking me to confirm my email address - and then I confirm it - but nothing is happening.
Is beating a woman into submission getting her to have anal sex with you? Or is it rape and assault? 1 woman in North America is raped every 30 seconds. 80% of rapes happen by acquaintances. PLEASE REMOVE THIS VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE. SPEAK OUT AGAINST MALE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. That means men too: http://www. rapeis. org/activism/prevention/menagainstrape.html
UPDATE: I don't know how this youtube thing works - is there any likelihood that these videos have a chance of being permanently removed from youtube? If it is pointless for me to post these videos here - then I will remove them asap.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
National Day of Rememberance and Action on Violence Against Women
Reading so much American news lately has totally made me forget how much goes on in Canada (and how much we still need to do in our own backyard).
Read more about this here, here and here.
Most Universities and Colleges do have vigils today in case you are planning to attend one, check in with your campus paper/women's centre or student union.
Read more about this here, here and here.
Most Universities and Colleges do have vigils today in case you are planning to attend one, check in with your campus paper/women's centre or student union.
Friday, December 01, 2006
How many dead prostitutes will it take for us to notice that this is a problem?
Because individual men are allowed access to women's bodies safeguarded in the cloak of anonymity women pay the price. It's an odd dynamic really. You commit the crime, you get to be anonymous - meanwhile women have to be the ones to expose everything about themselves; naked inside and out. It is men's individual anonymity that preys on women's collective vulnerability. You can masturbate in the privacy of your own home to a naked woman, you can go to the strip clubs and see women grinding for you and you can patrol the streets searching for a prostitute without ever having to fear being caught. You get away with accessing women's bodies because there is no responsibility, there is no accountability and no one will ever know.
This individual anonymity is granted to you and when you need to justify your behaviour you depend on 'collective' entitlement. So basically, you can get away with all the shit you want to do to a woman behind closed doors at your convenience, but if you get caught some other guy's always got your back - cause "hey, he did it, and he did it too - so it's okay. Boys will be boys". It's a nice tool really, deflect individual responsibility and then use your collective entitlement to justify your behaviour. So if everyone's doing it, at the end of the day no one's accountable really.
Anyways...it took the BC police more than a decade to remove Robert Picton's cloak, I wonder when this asshole will get what's his. There is no justice. Right now there's only four women, how many others might there be?
Body of fourth woman found in ditch near Atlantic City is identified
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Now that authorities know the identities of all four women whose bodies were found face-down in a drainage ditch behind a string of seedy motels last week, the really hard part starts: Trying to determine if their deaths were the work of a serial killer.
The body of a woman whose identity had stymied investigators for more than a week since it was found near three other corpses was identified Tuesday as a 20-year-old from western Pennsylvania.
Molly Jean Dilts was believed to have been in the ditch the longest -- up to a month. Read more here.
The names of the four murdered women:
Molly Jean Dilts, 20
Kim Raffo, 35
Tracy Ann Roberts, 23
Barbara V. Breidor, 42
This individual anonymity is granted to you and when you need to justify your behaviour you depend on 'collective' entitlement. So basically, you can get away with all the shit you want to do to a woman behind closed doors at your convenience, but if you get caught some other guy's always got your back - cause "hey, he did it, and he did it too - so it's okay. Boys will be boys". It's a nice tool really, deflect individual responsibility and then use your collective entitlement to justify your behaviour. So if everyone's doing it, at the end of the day no one's accountable really.
Anyways...it took the BC police more than a decade to remove Robert Picton's cloak, I wonder when this asshole will get what's his. There is no justice. Right now there's only four women, how many others might there be?
Body of fourth woman found in ditch near Atlantic City is identified
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Now that authorities know the identities of all four women whose bodies were found face-down in a drainage ditch behind a string of seedy motels last week, the really hard part starts: Trying to determine if their deaths were the work of a serial killer.
The body of a woman whose identity had stymied investigators for more than a week since it was found near three other corpses was identified Tuesday as a 20-year-old from western Pennsylvania.
Molly Jean Dilts was believed to have been in the ditch the longest -- up to a month. Read more here.
The names of the four murdered women:
Molly Jean Dilts, 20
Kim Raffo, 35
Tracy Ann Roberts, 23
Barbara V. Breidor, 42
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