New York City protest of the racist and sexist images in Miss Saigon, April 1991. The photograph of “My Sister” is of a Vietnamese National Liberation Front fighter from the Vietnam War era. Photo by Corky Lee.
Miss Saigon is a Broadway musical about the romance between an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Originally, Jonathan Pryce and Keith Burns, white actors playing Eurasian/Asian characters, wore eye prostheses and bronzing cream to make themselves look more Asian. From April 1989 to May 1990, nearly 100 shows were produced under the agreement between Equity and the League of American Theaters and Producers. 33 of the shows, with 504 roles, had no ethnic minority actors and 12 other productions had only one or two ethnic actors.
Stop assuming people are cis. Stop assuming people are straight.
But also… Stop assuming all gay men are feminine. Stop assuming all lesbians are masculine. Stop assuming bi or pansexuals will date anyone and everyone.
An odd thing I noticed, while studying aromantic allosexual stereotypes, is that aromanticism is frequently used as a device to “debase” sexuality or make it appear inferior. In both fiction and real life, the implication that someone is sexually active but aromantic is almost always intended to degrade that person’s sexuality.
The word “aromantic” itself doesn’t actually come up when this happens, because most people don’t even know what a “romantic orientation” is. But the concept of aromanticism is well-established in Western culture - it’s just that it’s almost always attached to another stereotype or stigma, or it’s treated as a character defect.
For example, most people are aware of the “predatory gay” stereotype. It’s the homophobic idea that gay people target poor hapless heterosexuals, especially heterosexual children, and molest them / emasculate them / convert them into more gay folks. The stereotype is based on the assumption that same-gender relationships are fundamentally different from heterosexual relationships, and this difference is a lack of romantic attachment or love.
On the other hand, pro-LGBT campaigns, posters and activists make a point of emphasizing the “love” aspect of same-gender relationships. They say things like “love is love,” and “the freedom to love,” while downplaying or ignoring the sexual aspect of these relationships.
You can find similar things in negative stereotypes about bisexuals, pansexuals, women with many sexual partners, and people of color. Bisexual and pansexual people are often wrongly stereotyped as being promiscuous, more likely to cheat, and less sincere in their romantic commitments. Their sexuality is acknowledged, but they are not seen as romantic, and this lack of romance is treated as a flaw that debases the rest of their sexuality. For women with many sexual partners, you need only remember “slut-shaming.” The sexuality of these women is treated negatively because it is not associated with a monogamous romantic relationship. They are perceived as sexual but not romantic, and this makes their sexuality a target of scorn. People of color are sometimes stereotyped as hypersexual*; but again, the sexuality is disconnected from any romantic associations, and this is treated as a negative quality. The presence of sexuality without romance is considered lesser or disreputable compared to sexuality withromance.
(*There are also a lot of other ways racism attacks people’s sexuality, but that’s not really the point of this essay, and I’m not qualified to discuss racism in depth anyway.)
Even if we’re not talking about stereotypes, but individual people or characters, aromanticism is treated as a pretty awful thing. In fiction, the success of an intimate relationship depends upon reciprocated romantic and sexual feelings; if one character in an intimate relationship is revealed to not be romantically attracted to the other, the non-romantic character is automatically seen as a manipulative, lying, heartless villain. (Or, if they get the sympathetic point-of-view, the relationship will be revealed to be a sham in some other way.) Meanwhile, the development of romantic feelings is given far more sympathy and depth by authors than the development of sexual but non-romantic feelings. The ideal relationship is treated as romantic and sexual, while non-romantic sexual relationships are treated as inferior and unfulfilling.
The English language itself reflects the difference in our culture’s attitudes. Compare the connotations of the words “love” and “lust.” “Falling in love with” someone is a big deal. It’s positive and special.But “lusting after” someone is almost dirty; it is treated as shallow, selfish, and relatively meaningless. When preachers warn about the dangers of “temptation” from the opposite sex*, they are always referring to sexual attraction, not romantic attraction, because sex without romance is seen as dirty, but romance without sex is celebrated as “chaste” and “waiting until marriage.” There is a dignity accorded to romantic emotions that is not granted to sexual attraction.
(*Of course, there are more than two genders, and not everyone is attracted to “the opposite sex” in the first place, but preachers tend to forget about that. And conservatism isn’t exactly kind to romantic asexuals, either.)
Aromanticism is used as a tool to denigrate sexuality across a wide range of people and demographics. Merely associating aromantic feelings or behavior with an active sex life is enough to make the entirety of a person’s sexuality appear negative. The only conclusion I can draw is that aromanticism is considered so horrible, that associating it with sexuality is enough to make that sexuality appear lesser, debased, disreputable or dysfunction in most people’s eyes. Allosexual aromantic people constantly receive messages that their sexual feelings are inferior or wrong, and needs to be fixed by falling in love. (The pressure is greatest for aromantic women, but applies to all genders to some degree.) And the worst part is that, even after all this, aromanticism is still not acknowledged as a phenomenon or orientation in its own right, but is merely considered a defect within another sexual orientation or sexual lifestyle.
Asexual aromantic people tend to receive a different set of toxic prejudices, which are closely linked to anti-asexual stereotypes. But anti-aromantic sentiment affects them, too. The lionization of romantic sentiment is so pervasive, and non-romantic relationships are so commonly treated as lesser, that asexual aromantic people may be inclined to see their own emotions and relationships as inferior to their culture’s romantic norm.
Amatonormativity is not just “romantic relationships are treated as more important than friendships.” There is an active, hostile stigma against aromanticism, and this stigma is distinct from anti-asexual prejudice.
People who have rare developmental disabilities are often misdiagnosed with autism. This happens in part because a lot of disabilities look similar in early childhood. When kids with undetected rare genetic conditions start ‘missing milestones’, they are often assumed to be autistic.
When people are assumed to be autistic, autism stereotypes get applied to them. They’re often assumed to be uninterested in people and communication, and they’re often put into ABA programs prescribed for autistic people. They face the same kind of degrading and damaging misunderstanding that autistic people do.
When advocacy organizations address the issue of misdiagnosis, they tend to say some form of “It’s important to distinguish between autism and Not Autism Syndrome, because demeaning autism stereotypes only accurately describe autistic people.”
“The child with RTT almost always prefers people to objects, but the opposite is seen in autism. Unlike those with autism, the RTT child often enjoys affection.”
“Unlike other disorders that can make it difficult to interact meaningfully with your child, children with Williams Syndrome are sociable, friendly and endearing. Most children with this condition have very outgoing and engaging personalities and tend to take an extreme interest in other people.”
Statements like these suggest that the problem with autism stereotypes is that they’re applied to the wrong people. The thing is, demeaning autism stereotypes *aren’t true of anyone. We all have feelings and thoughts and the capacity to care about things and relate to other people. Accurate diagnosis matters, but not as a way of sorting out who is and isn’t fully human. We’re all fully human, and no one should be treated the way autistic people are treated. We shouldn’t pass around stereotypes, we should reject them.
(It’s okay guys, I finally found my white shirt. It’s 100% definitely not my dad’s business shirt. Can I please join the minimalist club now?) Have you heard of the minimalist look, or should I say…aesthetic? Well, apparently it’s a thing now. I was recently chatting with a few friends and one of them commented that they had seen my blog but that I just didn’t look like a minimalist, and being…
I was watching the episode where Fern wrote stories for her school magazine under a pseudonym and there is a scene where Francine and Fern are in the library talking about “Agatha Shelley”’s story, and Francine mentions a part where the main character dresses up as a g*psy. YES, SHE SAID THE G WORD. ON A Y-RATED SHOW.
You wouldn’t refer to Mexicans as b**ners on a PBS show, so why are you allowed to dehumanize Romani people in the same way? Also, this “g*psy” was hiding gold coins in her tambourine. Why is Arthur reinforcing stereotypes that Romani people steal things and like tambourine music? This is deeply problematic and I can no longer watch this show, one of my childhood favorites, in good conscience, knowing that Francine and Fern are racist asswipes who casually utter derogatory slurs on children’s television.
If you’re black and you think those watermelon-eating, fat-lipped, jazz-singing stereotypes about you are actually pretty funny and laugh at how silly they are, you’re indirectly encouraging racism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you’re Chinese and you think those old buck-toothed, slanty-eyed, thick-accented caricatures of you are actually pretty funny and laugh at how silly they are, you’re indirectly encouraging racism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you’re Arab and think those money-hogging, big-nosed, terroristic stereotypes about you are no big deal and laugh at how silly they are, you’re indirectly encouraging racism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you’re Native American and don’t mind being portrayed as red-skinned, feather-wearing teepee dwellers and laugh at how silly it all is, you are indirectly encouraging racism and you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you’re Indian and think that being portrayed as a convenience store owner with dozens of children who always says “Thank you, come again!” in that horrible stilted English, YOU ARE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGING RACISM AND YOU SHOULD BE FUCKING ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.
Friends of color, why do you HATE YOURSELVES to the point that you crack up over literally oppressive portrayals of your own race? That makes you JUST AS BAD, IF NOT WORSE than the evil people who reduce you to a “joke” at your expense in the first place!
WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING PEOPLE TO MAKE FUN OF YOU?
YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE OKAY WITH RACIST JOKES AND CARICATURES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE DIRECTED TOWARD YOUR OWN RACE.
YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE OKAY WITH RACIST JOKES AND CARICATURES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE DIRECTED TOWARD YOUR OWN RACE.
YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE OKAY WITH RACIST JOKES AND CARICATURES, ESPECIALLYIF THEY’RE DIRECTED TOWARD YOUR OWN RACE.
10 quotes, the corresponding information and the process and techniques to use for each of them:
1. “STOP POINTLESS JUDGEMENT’
‘we will challenge each other and the world and we will stop pointless judgement’ is the manifesto of the Happy Hippy Foundation, a charitable organisation founded by Miley Cyrus. Their mission is to ‘rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations’.
I will use a mixture of letters cut out from skin, and stamping the letters then embossing them creating a textured effect.
2. ‘BEAUTY AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS PERPETUATE FEELINGS OF SELF HATE.’
quote from Tyler Ford, agender writer, model and LGBTQ consultant. The media and society continually portray the idea that you have to look and act a specific way in order to be viewed as beautiful. These ideals are often unrealistic and unattainable, which is harmful because people are left feeling inadequate and unhappy with how they and their bodies look.
I will use one of the skin photographs as the background, embroider the words on and add glitter, embossing powder and ink, and burn into it.
3. ‘WE LIVE IN A DEEPLY MISOGYNISTIC SOCIETY’
Misogyny runs very deeply within our society, and men and boys often act towards women and girls in an extremely predatory manner. Men continually oppress women, and treat them like objects for them to own, it’s a man’s world that we live in.
I will use a blue background, then use a bold black font with the letters individually cut out, and then collage it with ink, embossing powder, glittery nail varnishes and heat it up, burning into the paper.
4. ‘YOU SUFFER TO BE BEAUTIFUL FOR A CERTAIN GAZE.’
Quote from Fanny Sosa, artist and activist. The male gaze is the idea that men are active and dominant whilst women are passive and submissive, and attempt to full fill the ideal expectations men set up for them. Feminine beauty practices show the extent that women go to, to make themselves acceptable for the male gaze, because ‘looking good is a caae of looking good for men.’ - Gender and Popular Culture
This will be on a background of a photo of skin with sewing, glitter, embossing powder and heating it up.
5. ‘RAISE BOYS AND GIRLS THE SAME’
It is important to raise children the same regardless of gender in order to break down these harmful gendered stereotypes. Children are very impressionable and breaking down these expectations of what it means to ‘be a man’ or ‘be a woman’ is an important step to achieving a more equal society.
I will make a background using inks, different embossing powders, glittery nail varnishes, and wax crayons and heat it up in different areas creating lots of texture, and then use a bright pink paper and cut all the letters out individually and lay it over the textured background.
6. ‘WE ALL HAVE INGRAINED MECHANISMS THAT ARE SEXIST AND RACIST.’
-quote from Fanny Sosa, artist and activist. The Western society is controlled by the patriarchy and white supremacists. In everything we see and do, ideal and expectations are continually forced upon us and many of these stem from sexist and racist frameworks. This is something that is important to recognise, and we must work together to fight against these ideas.
This I will also do using the skin photograph with embroidery and texture with glitter and embossing.
7. ‘THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO GENDERS.’
Gender is a social construct and it is very ignorant to say that there is nothing beyond ‘man’ and ‘woman’. Rather than viewing gender as these two distinct categories, it should be viewed as a spectrum, with a‘multidimensional array of possibilities.’ For more information visit genderspectrum.org.
8. ‘THERE IS A SPECIFIC WAY THAT SOCIETY EXPECTS YOU TO BEHAVE.’
Gendered stereotypes are continuously used in the media, for example in advertisements, often in subtle and overt ways but these fuel the idea that there is a specific way that society expects us to behave, which enforces conformity. Concepts of masculinity and femininity are social constructs and are not something that individuals should feel that they have to conform to.
This also will be a photograph of skin as the background with embroidery, glitter, embossing powder, ink and it heated up burning into it.
9. ‘COLOURS ARE NOT GENDERED.’
The gendered stereotype that is constantly reinforced says pink is for girls and blue is for boys, which is something that clothing companies aggressively market. It is harmful to push these gendered stereotypes onto children as it enforces the false idea that there is a specific way that boys or girls must be.
This will be done creating a textured background with ink, embossing powders, glittery nails varnish and crayons and heated up, then another layer in blue with the letters all hand cut out and layered over the top.
10. EDUCATION SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO THE HISTORY OF WHITE MALES.’
Education is hugely shaped by colonialism, placing white, Eurocentric writers, thinkers and activists and artists etc. above others. Many women and people of colour’s voices and histories are silenced and erased, in the place of white, Eurocentric males. Curriculums greatly need to be diversified. For more information visit www.nus.org.uk Why Is My Curriculum White?
This will be done on a pink background, with the text in a large bold font and the letters individually cut out, then texture created around it with inks, embossing powder and glittery nail varnishes, heated up and the paper burnt into.
For the front cover I am going to use FUCK WOMEN* with their consent. This bold derogatory statement will hopefully draw in people’s attention. By using this I hope that it will make someone look at the product who would otherwise be unlikely to view something on feminism. I want it to be something that spreads a message, to people who are less educated on the subject, ignorant or who take Emily Hill’s stance that feminism is no longer needed, to teach them how this is not the case. The cover will either be like a sleeve with the letters hand cut out and a glittery background underneath, or I will make it in pink fabric and cut the letters out in felt. I will bind it like a flip book with a metal hoop so that each of the pages can potentially be unattached and taken out and displayed as individual posters. I am also going to print out an insert to go at the front.
Using one sheet of a4 i created this zine on the use of derogatory words as an example of why feminism is still needed. I hand sewed the words again using this idea of sewing as something feminine and delicate, but contrasting it with the harsh words.
I took my watercolour experiment and scanned it turning it into a two tone image using pinks and blues, the gender stereotyped colours.
I looked back on all my research and the articles I had read to decide on 10 key quotes or statements that I wanted to create as 10 typographical posters, and then to go alongside each quote I would expand on it, and explain its meaning. The colours I want to use are shades of blue and pink because of how they stereotypically connote a certain gender - but through my pieces I am attempting to question and break down these stereotypes, then I will black and white for text and also use glitter as it is stereotypically feminine, but again through the text, will be challenging and questioning stereotypes.
We all have preconceived notions of certain countries and cultures. We might even understand that these are gross generalizations but that doesn’t keep us from believing them. The French have quite a few preconceived ideas on what it means to be American. I’m going to explore where these stereotypes might come from.
*Disclaimer: This is all (slightly researched) speculation. *
1. Americans are stupid
Americans have the unfortunate stereotype of being not so bright. Many Europeans would agree. Is there some truth to this? Well according to OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the U.S ranks 26th worldwide in scholastic test scores, below other world powers such as France, Germany, and China. But this is only proof if you believe that test scores accurately define intelligence. Also, the typical French person probably doesn’t know this statistic…so why do they think we’re “idiots”?
Probably because we are generally ignorant of the world around us. Who’s the Prime Minister of the UK? What political scandal is currently going on in Brazil? What is ISIS? The reality is many Europeans could answer these questions and many Americans could not. The other day I watched this American girl try to order at a french bakery. This first thing she said was “Hola” (*face palm*) and then she very loudly asked for a sandwhich in english, as if yelling would help the cashier understand her better. This is the American traveler in a nutshell - we go overseas without any regard for common practices, norms, or courtesies. This lack of cultural curiosity is what probably makes us seem uninformed, silly, and quite frankly, stupid.
2. Americans are superficial
Outsiders believe that all we care about is our looks, status, and wealth. Materialistic is our name and consumerism is our game. But like, we can’t like, be bothered with things like “inner beauty”. I mean, duh, we have reps to protect!
It’s not hard to understand why one would come to this conclusion of us. Watch American TV for 30 minutes and you will see how we eat up ideas of popularity and wealth. I mean we are the same country that has made famous-for-nothing Kardashians a household name. We’re also the same country that lets Channing Tatum “act” and lets Taylor Swift whine on every stage. I must admit (ashamedly) that I’ve thought to myself, “Wow, french actors and singers are not attractive”. But their celebrities are actually famous for being talented. Crazy concept, right?
3. Americans are conservative
One day when I was babysitting, I took the kids to the park. On the side of a building was a LARGE ad for a burlesque show with a topless woman gracing center stage. I remember feeling appalled. This is a park where children come to play! I looked around and none of the moms or their kids paid it any attention, almost as if this was normal. Am I a prude? No, I’m just American.
When it comes to nudity, cursing, or anything else considered taboo, we tend to censure it. These things are typically reserved for private spaces among adults. But in France, whether its in the media or in real life, they are much less likely to censor themselves.
Theory time: Part of this may be because we are a much more religious country than France. Although we express freedom of religion within our Constitution, we cannot deny that our country was founded on Christian principles and those principles manifest themselves within our political, social, and cultural identity. Around 88% of American citizens are affiliated with a religion compared to almost 55% of French citizens. Why are LGBT and female reproductive rights hot button issues? Why is the drinking age still 21 years old? Because of persisting conservative sentiments. Perhaps we hold more modest values because of our country’s subconscious (or maybe not so subconscious) ties to religion.
4. America is dangerous and racist
To many outsiders, most of our major cities are synonymous with danger. New York. Miami. Chicago. I’ve been asked several times by wide-eyed Frenchies if I’ve ever visited these cities and if I’ve ever felt unsafe. What puzzles them most is why, oh why, can’t America solve its gun issue? Trust me, we’re asking ourselves the same thing. Mass shootings have become unnervingly commonplace and we are just as exhausted.
As for the racism thing, French people have televisions. They see our public discourse on police brutality, the physical aggression at Trump rallies and that same presidential candidate’s stance on Mexican immigrants. They know well that our country was built on the backs of slaves and immigrants and has a 400 year history of racial oppression and discrimination. But don’t be fooled, France is not at all a racial utopia. They’ve had their fare share of discriminatory laws over the years. However, due to our track record, its the U.S that usually wins the prize of most racist world power.
5. Americans are fat
This is without doubt the number one stereotype about Americans and unfortunately there’s a lot of merit to it. We are one of the unhealthiest countries in the world. In 2015, 74 million Americans, almost 2/3 of the country, were considered overweight or obese. Researchers predict that these numbers will only increase and by 2020, 75% of the nation will be overweight. Compared to the 40% of overweight French citizens, these numbers are quite egregious.
But what’s ironic is that we are by far more obsessed with exercise and healthy eating. We have a strong “work out culture” in the states and for most Americans the question is not whether you’re dieting but which diet you’re on. As a whole, French people don’t actively work out. In fact in the 9 months I’ve been here, I have seen one gym. ONE. And it was extremely empty. They don’t have to work at being healthy because they just naturally are. It’s not in their culture to eat large fast food portions or eat out for that matter. Where as in the US, we love to dine outside the home. Not only is it a great way to connect with friends but its convenient. And from drive-thrus to 24/7 restaurants, you cant deny our love affair with conveniency.
6. Americans are self-involved workaholics
“You can be anything you put your mind to” “Reach for the stars” “You could be the next president of the United States!”
From an early age we are told that everyone is special. That hard work is the key to success and to dream as big as possible. I asked a couple of my students what they wanted to be when they grew up and none of them had an answer. From an American perspective this is very strange. Every American child knows exactly what they want to be by the age of 3. Even if the answer is a Princess, we raise children to have a very clear and confident vision of who they are and where they are going in life.
Our society is characterized by individualism. What that means is that we emphasis personal achievements, we value independence, and much of what we do in life is self-enhancing. Many countries fall into this category and you can argue that there’s nothing wrong with it. But the inevitable result of individualism is that we lose sight in the importance of people around us. We are less family-oriented and instead place more value on our personal success, which typically translates to how we perform in our careers.
Everyone is chasing the “American Dream”, hoping to make something of themselves. But instead of enjoying life, we’re too busy working hard for the money. We work 30% more than Europeans, have significantly less paid vacation time, and we’re one of the only countries that doesn’t guarantee parental leave for new mothers and fathers. We don’t value leisure time for ourselves or with our family. Maybe we are not personally “self-involved workaholics”, but the way our society is set up its almost impossible not to be.
Feeling bitter? Well let’s glance at some positive stereotypes.
I wrote a piece for the BuzzFeed Community Summer Challenge and I would really appreciate the support of just clicking the link. The post is my first attempt at a movie review/sarcastic and honest criticism of Arab American stereotypes.
some creepy rando, every single fucking time: OH SO YOU LIKE TO FUCK HUH? YOU LIKE DICK AND PUSSY? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING A THREESOME? WHAT’S IT LIKE WANTING TO CHEAT ON YOUR PARTNER ALL THE TIME? IM JUST ASKING QUESTIONS, I WANT TO LEARN :) WHY ARE YOU MAD AT ME I WASNT BEING OFFENSIVE IM JUST CURIOUS
Okay but like I was literally invited to ~*Harvard*~ as a keynote speaker to talk about my book, which is about bi politics.
When I arrived at the Airbnb I was staying at, the owner, being polite, asked me what I was doing in Cambridge, and so I told him. His reponse: “So, is it about how everyone is actually bi, or like trying to get people to be more open minded about it?”
I mean, SRSLY, he thought Harvard University flew me in from the other side of the planet so I can talk people into having threesomes???
And then the universe folded in on itself and now I am dead.
‘Physical beauty is the sign of an interior beauty, a spiritual and moral beauty’. This quote illustrates the Beauty-is-Good stereotype, which is pervasive in human societies, and has been the focus of social psychological research for over three decades. Compared to unattractive people, attractive individuals are assumed to have better personalities and be morally good. For example, one study found that facial attractiveness was positively linked to socially desirable personality traits, such as kindness, honesty, friendliness, trustworthiness, etc. The Beauty-is-Good stereotype has been demonstrated in a variety of everyday domains, such as undergraduates’ teaching evaluations of instructors and voters’ preferences for political candidates. Attractive people are more likely to get hired and earn on average 12% more than unattractive people. Unlike the case of race, gender, ethnicity, disability and age, there is no legislation against attractiveness-related discrimination. However, the most somber social impact of the Beauty-is-Good stereotype is within the justice system, as studies of mock trials have shown that defendants who are less attractive are more likely to be found guilty and receive longer sentences.
The existence of this bias suggests that the neural mechanisms for judging facial attractiveness and moral goodness overlap. To investigate this idea, we scanned participants with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they made attractiveness judgments about faces and goodness judgments about hypothetical actions. Activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex increased as a function of both attractiveness and goodness ratings, whereas activity in the insular cortex decreased with both attractiveness and goodness ratings. Within each of these regions, the activations elicited by attractiveness and goodness judgments were strongly correlated with each other, supporting the idea of similar contributions of each region to both judgments. Moreover, activations in orbitofrontal and insular cortices were negatively correlated with each other, suggesting an opposing relationship between these regions during attractiveness and goodness judgments. These findings have implications for understanding the neural mechanisms of the Beauty-is-Good stereotype.
I ended up reading this paper because it was linked in a “change my view” Reddit thread, CMV: There is nothing wrong in having height or weight preferences. Their methodology is pretty thorough (”Given that most of our participants are Caucasian, we decided to limit the study to Caucasian participants and Caucasian faces to avoid potential differences in perceiving faces across races”). If our brain processes aesthetic and moral judgments similarly, how can we use that information to overcome the Beauty-is-Good bias?
Inside the Horror Show That Is Congress by Matt Taibbi But the drama of the legislative process is never in the broad strokes but in the bloody skirmishes and power plays that happen behind the scenes.
“Nobody knows how this place is run,“ says Rep. Bernie Sanders. "If they did, they’d go nuts.”
The House Rules Committee is perhaps the free world’s outstanding bureaucratic abomination – a tiny, airless closet deep in the labyrinth of the Capitol where some of the very meanest people on earth spend their days cleaning democracy like a fish. The official function of the committee is to decide which bills and amendments will be voted on by Congress and also to schedule the parameters of debate. If Rules votes against your amendment, your amendment dies. If you control the Rules Committee, you control Congress.
Taken all together, the whole thing is an ingenious system for inhibiting progress and the popular will. The deck is stacked just enough to make sure that nothing ever changes. But just enough is left to chance to make sure that hope never completely dies out. And who knows, maybe it evolved that way for a reason.
This article is a decade old, but the system is still as broken. I tend not to read articles on politics because they just make me mad/sad/frustrated.
I just reported facebook’s post to facebook as spam. Because August 26, 1920 was the day white women were allowed to vote. Native women were allowed to vote in 1924 (CORRECTION: Most Native Women couldn’t vote until 1964, some even as late as 1967). Asian women were allowed to vote in 1952. BLACK WOMEN were allowed to vote in 1964. This is why intersectionality matters. Because without it, we whitewash parts of our history in one fell swoop. Erasing history is erasing identities. And it is wrong.
I found it exceedingly ironic that Facebook was so superficial in their diversity as to include women of color in a celebration of something that did not include women of color. I hope Aja’s post prompted discussion within the company.
“I need feminism because… I don’t throw like a girl”
I do.
Broad shoulders are a masculine trait directly linked to the higher levels of testosterone in men. It isn’t because the patriarchy gave men the privilege of having increased levels of testosterone compared to women, it is because of biology, evolution, and just plain old cold hard science. As a result, the average male will typically have stronger, broader shoulders and consequentially better throwing abilities than your average women. Take note of the use of the word ‘average’ because there will always be anomalies regarding the strength capabilities of either gender.
When people say you throw like a girl, they are saying that your throw is weak, directly related to the fact that the average female will have smaller, weaker shoulders than the average male. When people say you throw like a girl as an insult, they aren’t insulting your gender, they are insulting your throwing capabilities. Take it within context, don’t manipulate it with accusations of male privilege and patriarchy. It really doesn’t takes a discerning mind to be able to recognise between malicious intentions and just gender stereotypical ignorance. It isn’t that hard.
Besides, if you don’t want to throw like a girl, prove it. Train yourself until you can throw as far if not further than the average male (average male I’m talking about here, don’t go around finding the smallest, lankiest, weakest men you can think of to out-throw in an attempt to prove your point). I study with a female who is a gym junkie and is just one of the many females who is probably stronger than a large percentage of men. A few of us were out throwing a footy around during break and she was seriously showing them up with her strength. Half the guys made 'she throws like a girl’ jokes but in such a way that they translated into 'holy shit, she throws like a girl’ which was steeped in the kind of respect that you only earn when you rightfully and successfully prove yourself worthy.
For the record, I don’t particularly like the phrase 'you throw like a girl’. It isnt something that thrills me a whole lot. I’ve only been told it a few times when I have abysmally failed to throw an object far enough but having it said to me was an experience none the less. I am incredibly non-confrontational in real life but I become insanely passive aggressive and Hulk-like internally. As an example, my initial internal reaction to being told that I throw like a girl would go along the lines of:
“No shit, Sherlock. Did you go to Detective School to figure that out? Yes, I throw like a girl but I’m not going to start pumping steroids so I can grow the shoulders big enough throw this stapler far enough to reach your thick skull.”
Guess what? Responding in such a way would make me a bitch. Responding with such fury to such a trivial issue would reflect worse on myself than it does on the initial offender. Responding to ignorance or hate, with even more hate, doesnt make me a more decent human being. I am much more rational than that. Besides, it doesn’t take long, a few seconds maybe, to cool down, make a lighthearted “your mum” joke and just laugh it off.
Many of you already know the hilariously rude tradition known as “Vinegar Valentines,” ranging from the lightly snarky to the outright cruel. As it’s Valentine’s Day now, enjoy a handful of Vinegar Vals–but probably don’t send any. (Unless they deserve it.)
“My heart has turned from red to grey / And is heavy as lead on account of you; / For it’s loved you long, and it’s loved you true, / And your coldness has turned it a dismal hue.” (probably c20) [collection Alan Mays]
“…if all men, were like thee – then, / I’d sooner die than marry.” (c.1814 sent to Thomas Williams Esq., No. 41 Berkley Square) [British Postal Museum]
‘What means this shoe so very new? / Why, “23" skidoo, skidoo! / But if you’ll be my Valentine, / This shoe, my love, will not fit you.’ (Postmarked: Newark, N.J., Feb. 13, 1909. Sent to: Mr. Miles Tarbell, Groton, Tompkins County, New York.Message: Yours sincerely, Belle D.) [collection Alan Mays]
“Deceitfulness personified” (ca. late Victorian) [AbeBooks]
Bisexuals are greedy. We must want threesomes. We cannot be satisfied with only one partner, and are thus more likely to cheat.
The hypersexualisation of bi women directly contributes to violence against us. This year alone, when Amber Heard accused Johnny Depp of domestic violence, several prominent newspapers were quick to respond with headlines describing how Depp was ‘driven mad’ by the fear that his wife was cheating on him with another woman. As if that would ever justify abuse.
I came out as bisexual when I was a teenager, but the bullying and continual erasure of my identity by those around me managed to convince me that I was straight until my final year of University. I had only had boyfriends, and I wasn’t romantically attracted to women, so I couldn’t be bi, right?
Wrong. (Turns out bisexual and biromantic are different things – and you don’t have to be one to be the other! I really wish someone had been there to tell me that when I was younger, it would have saved a lot of time and confusion.)
High school bullying is just one of the reasons that, as one study by The Open University found, ‘of all the larger sexual identity groups, bisexual people have the worst mental health problems’ - including higher than average rates of self-harm, depression and anxiety.
Even after beginning to use the terms bi and bisexual to describe myself once again, I still couldn’t shake this feeling that I had something to prove. That maybe I should define as heteroflexible or another identity under the bi umbrella. One that would be harder for people to dismiss. Even now, I’m still working to unpack that mentality.
With the many stereotypes aimed towards bisexual people, particularly bisexual youth, it’s no wonder why the immediate reaction to such stereotypes is often simply to dismiss them outright. ‘Not all bisexual people want threesomes!’
And of course, this is true.
But what this argument fails to acknowledge is the link between the systemic denial of bisexuality, and the pressure to live up to such stereotypes in order to ‘prove’ yourself as bi. For many, the desire to participate in a threesome is derived from the persistent erasure of our identity from those closest to us. We are perceived as straight (or possibly gay) until we possess evidence to the contrary.
This erasure is accentuated in mainstream media. In Netflix’s popular show Orange is the New Black, Piper’s bisexuality is never described as such. She is referred to as the ‘straight girl’ by her girlfriend Alex, and as an ‘ex-lesbian’ by her fiancée Larry.
Of course, nobody should feel pressured into sex. The pressure for young people to be sexually active before they feel ready is deplorable – but remains worse for young people who feel obligated to prove their sexuality to cement their own sense of self. Bi youth need more complex role models in film and television to alleviate some of this pressure.
There’s nothing wrong with bi people who do want threesomes, and there’s nothing wrong with those who don’t, or are unsure, or indifferent.
Challenging stereotypes can be an integral part of addressing biphobia. But until we begin to unpack the harmful roots and impacts of these stereotypes, and start to build a more nuanced conversation around them, we are only further alienating members of our own community.
the way people view my race in america has made it so very hard to distance myself from femininity
i could do anything to my body and still be viewed as a small, cute asian girl
really fks me up that people think it’s okay to tell others who obviously have a poor relationship w femininity that they look feminine and will always look cute no matter what
v not ok
if anything, this is proof that media / represent is effected by and then effects reality.
specific examples that happened to me:
i was preyed on by multiple kpop and anime fans to fulfill their asian fetish
kpop fan told me to my face all asians are either drop dead gorgeous or ugly
kpop fan told me multiple times on days i felt good and comfortable w presenting masculine “u look rlly feminine today”
kpop fan told me i could get tattoos all over my body and piercings all over my face and i would still look cute
i was told multiple times that it was rare for asian ppl to have lips like me or a chest like me (look like an adult???)
anime fan told me he could beat the shit out of me / could easily kill me and didn’t understand why i was uncomfortable
anime fan would mansplain me constantly the entire time i knew him about literally everything (including my own culture)
anime fan constantly talked down on me like i was always doing something wrong and incapable of doing anything right
multiple ppl laughed at the idea of me thinking of myself as hot / handsome / cool instead of cute
i don’t think u guys realize how demeaning this is and this has been a constant my entire life. even as an adult, ppl use words they use for children to describe me. ppl babytalk to me. this is why many asian ppl take offense to being called cute. it’s infantilizing, dehumanizing, and emasculating.
ex of ppl doing this to full grown celebrities:
sandra oh
marie kondo
lana condor
literally every single kpop idol and every single actor in the untamed
i’m begging u to be mindful. i am so sick of being viewed and treated this way, esp by ppl who apparently Love asian ppl.
watch how u treat asian ppl online and irl. we’re people deserving of basic respect. we’re people who are varied. we’re people who have boundaries.
watch how u consume and interact w asian media and asian fictional characters. it fully affects how u view asian ppl as a whole.
Extraverted Sensing (Se): enjoys extreme sports, such as cliff jumping and bear wrestling. there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to pump adrenalin
Introverted Sensing (Si): excellent at regurgitating facts and details, and telling Intuitive’s that they are crazy.
Extraverted Intuition (Ne): the most spontaneous and unpredictable, the ideal nutty brainstorming function.
Introverted Intuition (Ni): very abstract, probably enjoys describing the meaning behind paintings and such.
Extraverted Thinking (Te): good at bossing you around, organizing people, and overall being better than you
Introverted Thinking (Ti): really good at solving murder mysteries, almost too good
Introverted Feeling (Fi): Narcissistic, but insightful and honest. no bullshit. real talk.
Extraverted Feeling (Fe): Good at worrying about other people, but also helping them.
