Producers Didn’t Think On the Basis of Sex Would Sell Unless They Made Marty Ginsburg an Unsupportive Jerk
One of the very best parts of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex was the extraordinary relationship between Ruth and her husband Marty. Their partnership was built on equality and mutual respect. And that, apparently, was something a whole lot of Hollywood producers just couldn't wrap their minds around.
Read MoreMillennial Men Are Reportedly Craving Stay-at-Home Wives More Than Any Recent Generation, But Why?
No, really. Why?
Millennials are more engaged in gender politics than ever before. So what's with the desire for women to stop working?
Read MorePrinces with Personality: From Prince Charming to Flynn Rider
Princes aren't what they used to be, and that's a good thing.
Princesses are everywhere these days, playing a variety of social roles that bear little resemblance to those of decades past. But what about their princes? How have they changed with the times? Snow White's Prince is just there to be a prince and that's all he needs to be, while Flynn/Eugene is bursting with identity, personality, and humor. As the roles of women have changed in society, the expectations for the role of "prince" have changed as well.
Read MoreYou Can Now Read Metafilter’s Thread On Emotional Labor as an Annotated PDF
Did you ever have the chance to read that super-long Metafilter thread about emotional labor? It'll be easier now that someone has made it into an annotated PDF.
Read MoreCould Mrs. Claus Do Santa’s Job? These Kids Don’t Think So
Any kid who celebrates Christmas knows a lot about Santa Claus, what with asking curious questions about him to adults over the years. Santa Claus is a magical, immortal man who's either a symbol of the spirit of giving or a literal person, depending on the age of the person you ask. But one thing is clear to kids and adults everywhere: Santa Claus is definitely a dude.
Read MoreCan International Men’s Day Help the Feminist Cause?
It's not about #NotAllMen
I'm often the last person to hear about trends, which is probably why I was such a geek growing up. Before this week I had no idea that International Men's Day - which is celebrated on November 19th - was even a thing, let alone that it's been around since 1999. Did you? And more importantly, should it be a thing?
Read MoreCaptain Marvel Author Shannon Hale Highlights the Problems With Gendered Library Programs
Her eight year old daughter said, "No girls allowed? That's not fair. I like robots."
Author Shannon Hale took to Twitter to highlight a problem at her local library: on a poster advertising a robotics program were the words "No Girls Allowed."
Read MoreOrange Is the New Black’s Ruby Rose Explains Gender Fluidity
Also, Ninja Turtle tattoos.
I think it was somewhere in season one where Piper had to patiently explain that someone's sexuality isn't a black (orange?) and white concept, but that everyone falls somewhere on a scale. But that's only part of the story. For gender fluid people, like OITNB season 3's new cast member, Ruby Rose, their location on that scale changes continuously.
Read MoreHere’s Why Everyone Is Mad at This Four-Year-Old Axe Body Spray Ad
Other than that it's terrible, of course.
Axe Body Spray has a much-deserved reputation for buying into the worst, most toxic stereotypes about gender roles in an effort to get middle school-aged bros who don't know any better to buy their sickening scents. But this ad in particular, which emasculates men who dare to be friends with women by suggesting they have braids, has been making the rounds on the Internet this morning.
Read MoreFrozen Will Harm the Production of “Real Men” Because Fox News is Backwards Land
♫ Do you want to build a straw man? An assertion no one maaaaaaade. ♫
Wow. Frozen sent the message that boys are unnecessary in society? I mean, where do you even start with this?
Read MoreNoooo Anthony Mackie Why Did You Have To Say A Woman’s “Role” Is To “Make Daddy A Sandwich,” WHY???
W H Y
Just a few days ago I was praising Anthony Mackie's awesomeness for being such a big Marvel fanboy and an all-around awesome dude. Today, I am sorely disappointed to report that Mackie went on Wendy and told her that he thinks men and women have specific roles - and that women should "make daddy a sandwich." You can start the video at about 5:20 to have your heart broken.
Read MoreSubversive Power Armor Hardsuits for LEGO Friends to Wear Into Battle
Pulverizing gender stereotypes, one fully weaponized minifig at a time.
The LEGO Friends line of products is a black mark on LEGO's otherwise impressive recent record of gender-neutral marketing, but as the SuperFriends Project demonstrated earlier this year, just because the toys themselves might be less than awesome doesn't mean master builders can't give the minifigs a radical makeover.
Read MoreDo Students in Online Courses Give Better Ratings to Teachers They Believe Are Men?
Does a teacher's gender play a role in how students rate their educational efforts? A new study says yes—at least, when you can't see them.
Read MoreCarnegie Science Center Makes Less-Than-Optimal Programming Choice For Girl Scouts
Hey, at least it wasn't cookie making, right?
I have immense respect for the Carnegie Science Center. The Institution does a lot of admirable work, and I can only imagine the intricate decision process involved in coordinating its programs. But big organizations are bound to make mistakes sometimes, right?
Read MoreHeroine Boys and Princely Girls: How Nozaki-kun is Challenging Gender Roles in Fiction
On the funniest—and smartest—show of the summer anime season.
For those who haven’t seen Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun ("Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun") yet, it’s a comedy about a high school girl who finds out her crush is secretly a popular shoujo mangaka (comic artist). She ends up working for him as one of his assistants, and the story follows the two of them and their friends/assistants as they navigate life at school and at work.
Read MoreGender Role Reversal in Farscape: Mad Space Science and Mad Soldier Skills
Venture into the wormhole with us...
A cursory glance could dismiss John and Aeryn as the requisite science fiction heteronormative, physically attractive couple. While admittedly, neither Ben Browder nor Claudia Black are hard to look at, this could not be further from the truth. So many gender stereotypes and tropes are chewed up and spat out by Farscape’s power couple that it warrants a second and/or third glance.
Read MoreRunning Like a Girl Is The Best Thing Ever in This Always Commercial
Momma said knock you out like a girl.
As conscientious consumers of media, we all try to be really aware of when advertisements are deliberately trying to make us feel good and empowered to sell us stuff. But damn it all if we don't all get hit in the feelings when we see little girls being awesome and defying gender stereotypes because they don't know those stereotypes exist yet. Curse youuuu, Always! *fist shake*
Read MoreA Field Experiment on Gender Stereotypes and Video Game Interactions
+2 CHA, -2 STR
I have a soft spot for studies about multiplayer games. Partly, this is because games are my stomping ground, and I like to nitpick the things I love. But more importantly, such studies are often reflective of how game culture is inextricably tied to the real world. The values and beliefs we hold out here can’t help but trickle down into virtual environments as well. There’s a new study that illustrates this beautifully, with a focus on social norms and expectations. In other words, my jam.
Read MoreDear European Media: Facebook Europe’s VP Really Doesn’t Like How You’ve Been Covering Female Execs
Because ignoring their friend request wasn't cutting it.
Nicola Mendelsohn is the Vice President of Facebook in Europe, and at a speaking engagement in London the other day, she had some choice words for members of the European press concerning how they engage with and report on women in business. Mostly words like "hey, dummies, stop treating us differently then the business dudes." But we're paraphrasing.
Read MoreShailene Woodley Talked About Gender Politics & Comparisons To Jennifer Lawrence On The Tonight Show But NBC Cut It Out
Today in things that make us scream incoherently
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