Critique of Disney’s Upcoming “Frozen”

A very interesting breakdown of some of the issues with Disney’s upcoming movie, “Frozen.”

I don’t want to be mad anymore

So this is an article from Jezebel (yes, another one). I’m mostly posting it because of the following quote – “But then you had to go and turn it into a feminist issue. Seriously, do you think feminists like being angry all of the time? We don’t! We like to have our friends over for Mexican food and crack fart jokes and watch Scandal! We like to do all sorts of things that aren’t feeling mad about the patriarchy, but then you go and goad us into reacting by acting like a sexist asshole and going off on tangents about how there’s always been sucky beauty standards, but — heck, ladies — why do you need to start bucking the trend now?”

I’m so sick of being pissed off all the time. I am so mad about shit all the time. I get pissed all the time at stupid people. I get so mad at people who don’t understand what feminism is and what being a feminist means. It’s not hating all men, it’s not getting pissed about every little thing. Being a feminist is about trying to make people understand the patriarchal tendencies of institutions in our society. Being a feminist is about trying to make people understand how women can be objectified and mistreated. I am constantly annoyed, frustrated, and angry about things I see and hear that objectify women. And when I respond I’m dismissed as a “feminazi.” Wanting to be treated fairly, refusing to be objectified, refusing to allow others to dictate how I should or should not express my sexuality, my thoughts, my opinions does not make me a bitch; it makes me a person. I’m tired of being angry. I’m tired. Jesus.

Hyperbole and a Half’s Depression Part Two

Hyperbole and a Half is my favorite blog of all time. Allie Brosh’s amateur art and hyper-active and intelligent takes on childhood and spiders creates a unique hilarity that I can’t get enough of. But I’m even more impressed with her two posts about depression. Depression is a very hard thing to explain to those who haven’t dealt with it personally or seen it in someone they’re very close to. And that’s not to say that those who aren’t familiar with depression can’t be sympathetic; it’s just very hard to explain what depression feels like. It’s complex and confusing even for those experiencing it. But Allie explains it very effectively, at least in my mind. Plus, she can explain it and still be funny. The fact that she can talk about her depression and find humor and make us laugh is amazing to me. I have so much respect for Allie for sharing her experience with the world and making all of us laugh while she does it. Check out the posts, they’re amazing.

Entitled Man-children

I just saw a post calling guys who say they’re “friend-zoned” “entitled man-children.” I just about died. That is such a good way to explain it. Because though there are some issues in the Best Friend – Bad Boy complex most of the complaints I see from guys being friend-zoned are from whiny, entitled, man-children. So many complaints lament that the girl is going for a guy who’s a jerk or whatever which is fine if you’re chasing Kate Winslet’s character in The Holiday but you’re probably not. The guys I know who say they’re friend-zoned often don’t make a legitimate effort for the girl’s affections. They act like a friend but never do or say anything that let’s the girl know they’re interested in more. And often, though the guy might seem like a jerk to the friend-zoned, he’s probably not that bad. Maybe he’s a little cocky or a bit of a tool or something but you’re not with the couple every second they’re together and he could treat her well. Plus a lot of the friend-zoned population’s complaints imply that girls should pick them over the jerks because they deserve the girl more, because the girl somehow owes them something. Well god forbid a girl thinks you’re just being a good friend. She’s clearly a terrible person for not choosing you because she owes you now for being nice to her because that’s not something anyone does ever with no ulterior motives. Okay sorry for the rant. I just really like the term “entitled man-children” for boys who are too whiny about not getting the girl

http://jezebel.com/my-so-called-post-feminist-life-in-arts-and-letters-472204294

An awesome article off Jezebel!

Proposed Tennessee bill would cut welfare benefits when kids fail at school

This bill and the people supporting it fall under the “sometimes I feel the need to gouge my eyes out” category. Seriously? How do people not think these things through? You’re a politician. Your job is to resolve social issues, not exasperate them.

Disney Princesses by Camus Altimarano

Fetishizing the Disney Princesses

I recently saw this collection of portraits of the Disney princesses on Imgur.  There are a lot of drawings like this where people take the Disney princesses and re-imagine them in lingerie.  And I’m just like, really? It’s bad enough real life women get turned into sex-objects but can we just leave the Disney Princesses alone? Please? Can characters from our childhood just stay innocent and be the characters they were meant to be? Does Mulan, who was one of the first Disney female characters with drive and power, have to become a sexualized object? I mean come on! Jesus fucking Christ people. Is nothing sacred? And, yes, I see the irony in that previous comment but seriously, not every female character has to be over-sexualized.  I know, I know “but they’re just fictional characters! Animations!” So what?  Encouraging or even condoning re-imagining female characters into over-sexualized objects, even if they’re fictional or animations, sets the precedent that it’s okay to do that and that assumption then spreads to real women too.  And the fact that the Disney princesses are figures that represent innocence and childhood make it extra bad and a little gross. Plus we all know that Disney is super sexist anyway with the early princesses so do you have to make it worse? Leave my childhood alone.