Nerd is my Gender
What's yours?
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Pepsi to Release New "Skinny Can"
[Trigger warning for tacit fat hatred and body policing.]
Pepsi to release new ‘skinny can’:Can a soda can be sassy? Pepsi thinks so.
Diet Pepsi will soon be available in a “taller, sassier new Skinny Can” that the company says is a “celebration of beautiful, confident women.”
The new can — which stands just more than six inches in height — will make its debut at New York’s Fall 2011 fashion week later this month, but it won’t hit stores until March.
“Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today’s most stylish looks,” said Jill Beraud, chief marketing officer at Pepsi (PEP, Fortune 500). “We’re excited to throw its coming-out party, during the biggest celebration of innovative design in the world.”
…For consumers who prefer their soda cans to be the traditional short and fat product — no need to worry. A Pepsi spokeswoman confirmed the old model will remain on shelves.Just LOL.
I love the way this works: Now that there’s a taller and thinner can, the traditional can becomes the “short and fat” model. FAT MATH!…
Celebration of beautiful women… right… More like celebration of phallic imagery! :P
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How to be a Gender-Inclusive Freethinker
Go to enough atheist websites and meetup events, and you’ll notice something: there sure are a lot of men! Now people are people, don’t get me wrong - atheism isn’t a “male thing” or a “female thing”. Making efforts to include other genders* shouldn’t be at the exclusion of making men feel welcome too. On the contrary, the more women we bring into the atheist community, the more people we’ll have altogether, and the stronger the community will grow. Everyone wins!
I read a very insightful list about how to encourage women in Linux. I invite you to read the original, but I’m creating a similar list for atheists. This is mostly written to a male audience, but it’s very applicable everyone. Hopefully many of you will find this helpful.*The original post was directed toward woman involvement, but genderqueer people often feel left out as well.
List not in order of importance - each point is an equal part of the whole.
Don’t tell sexist jokes. Most men I know would say they don’t do this. Some of them don’t, but some of them only think they don’t. Ask yourself: if the genders were different in this joke, would it still be funny? If so, then reverse the genders in your joke, and then tell it - it should still be funny. If not, then you probably should scratch it off your list.
Do protest sexist jokes. If you hear a joke that doesn’t pass the “gender reversal” test, call them out. Yes, people will say you’re just being sensitive or a spoil-sport. They’ll get over it.
Don’t call people bitches. People do overhear how you talk about women and other genders, and it affects their involvement in the group.
Do show some respect. The cliche advice is to treat every woman as if she were your sister/mother/daughter/grandmother. Again, women do overhear - if you treat everyone with respect, man and woman, she’ll have no cause to stay away.
Don’t take the “microphone” away. If someone is trying to find her place in the group, or is asking questions or feeling confused about something, don’t take over for her. Society already sends enough messages to women that they aren’t competent enough to do things for themselves. By avoiding this, you’ll be making a positive impact on her decision to keep getting more involved.
Do give directions and explain them clearly. This shows that se is worth your patience, and that you respect her intelligence. It will also empower her to have the tools she needs the next time around, so she’ll be less likely to need anyone’s help.
Don’t make sexual advances. Imagine if you were to walk into a house of worship while wearing an anti-religious t-shirt. You’d feel like you constantly have to defend yourself at every turn. That’s no way to relax and feel comfortable and accepted. Women often feel the same way when men make sexual advances: they suddenly have to be on the defense at a time when they’re trying to open themselves up to connecting with the community.
Do act friendly. Most men and women like to have friends of any gender. Being friendly is a great first step to validating their humanity.
Don’t whine about the lack of women in atheism. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t bring the topic up. But don’t complain about it: don’t whine, don’t lament, don’t talk about how inconvenienced you are by the gender gap. Women aren’t going to join as a personal favor to you, they need to do it for themselves. Plus, it makes the women who are already there feel like you’re expecting them to meet your personal needs somehow, or that they’re being overlooked completely.
Do encourage gender diversity in atheism. Everyone likes some support now and then. :)
Don’t stare when people who look different from you arrive. They already feel a bit out of place, this only serves to solidify that feeling.
Do treat new arrivals politely. Smile and greet them. This sends the message that not only do they not stick out, but you’ve been expecting them!
Don’t treat women stereotypically. They’re just as diverse as men are in their interests and attitudes. You won’t know what they’re really about till you get to know one. Also, avoid treating genderqueer people as if they’re men or women.
Do treat women as normal people.
Don’t criticize too much. In a world where far too often women are told that they’re less competent than men are in male-dominated fields, criticism is less likely to be appreciated at face value. This isn’t to say that you can’t ever disagree with her. Only try not to make it a challenge of your superiority verses hers.
Do compliment. Don’t invent things to compliment, but try to see the good things people are doing, and show that you notice them. If people go without validation for long enough, they’re liable to think nobody cares and simply give up.
Don’t invite only male speakers. This is a HUGE issue, one I really ought to place at the top of the list, except that it applies to only 1% of readers who organize events. When you have 9 male speakers and only 1 woman speaker (or worse, none), you’re sending out the message that “Atheism is for men.” The rest of us would do well to hammer this point to event hosts at every opportunity until we see results.
Do ask women to speak. Don’t say you can only find men - that means you’re not looking hard enough. At the very least, you could find a few people from within your local community to each give a short 10-minute presentation or story. This also shows that you care about the grassroots, not just the most popular names in atheism.
Don’t make your meeting hard to attend. Women are more likely in our society to be the primary caretaker of young children. This need must be addressed if you want women to feel included. The issue of child care cannot be ignored. If at all possible, find a way to incorporate children (what better way to influence our future generation?). Also, make sure you’re not picking too many male-dominated locations, such as sports bars.
Do make meetings easy to attend. When in doubt, ask your members what works best for most. Be sure to vary times and places if possible, so that those who work evenings and weekends will still be able to make it to the occasional morning event.
Don’t make new people feel unwelcome. They don’t know what to expect, so they’ll likely sit along the outside and talk very little. That can make them seem uninterested, but more likely it’s newness.
Do help new people get involved. Tell them about all the different ways they can find their niche, and guide them into it. Help them find a reason to get motivated, and the community will grow.
Don’t underestimate girlfriends or wives. Don’t assume that the girlfriend/wife is only coming to meetings because her man is there. She’s not an accessory.
Do treat girlfriends and wives as independent people. She’s here because she wants to be. She’s not just a Mrs. Atheist. She has her own ideas and expectations, and her own desires to fit in. Respect that she’s her own person by asking her questions even if her boyfriend/husband has already given his opinion on the same topic.
Anything you’d like to add? -
It’s funny how it’s always the Muslim woman who is “oppressed”
And when you just take Muslim headcoverings you’ll notice that they’re pretty diverse too!
Practically all cultures oppress women. Yes, all.
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What Women in Atheism Talk About on Facebook
A lot of people have responded by claiming this guy is trying to push feminism out of atheism. I in no way advocate for that happening, but I will point out that some women are going to define themselves by their families. It happens. The question is, are we willing to accept them for who they are? Women shouldn’t have to be “feminist enough” to have their needs as women in atheism taken seriously.
Anyway, here’s the short list:
- Atheist women are interested in politics.
- Atheist women are interested in their families.
- Atheist women are interested in sex.
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Dear Feminism:
I think you’re swell and I generally appreciate what you’re doing for women. However, there’s one little thing I’d like to point out, before there’s any further confusion:
TRANS WOMEN
ARE
WOMEN
Anyway, I’m sure there was just a slight misunderstanding, and I look forward to you incorporating this fact into your future endeavors.
Hugs!
(Source: hazumuchan)
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It has been my experience that when dealing with females, you need to treat them as though they have a mental disorder… especially those that are constantly seeking equality in the workplace, the military, and in the home.
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You can't make this shit up...
Yesterday Amanda Marcotte tweeted about religious employer exemptions for prodiving birth control, saying “Really, it’s no different than claiming a religious exemption from paying your employees a minimum wage.” Clever, but that’d never actually happen, right?
Right…?
The Church of Scientology in Australia has asked the Federal Government for an exemption to the Fair Work Act so they do not have to pay workers the minimum wage.
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I googled “sexist bingo” and the top results were from gaming and skepticism. Our lord and savior google does not lie.
Still with SCIENCE, but updated with suggestions from stfuconservatives.
This bingo is dedicated to all you white cis male atheists who won’t check your privilege. No really, you need to check that shit in at the door.
(Source: existentialcrisisfactory)
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I have created a new mathematic equation; I call it The Black Actress Tragedy Index. You take the number of Oscars, Emmys and Tonys that a black actress has been nominated for and you divide that by the number of years between her most recent nomination and said actress’ first appearance in a film written or directed by Tyler Perry.
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Makers: Women of America tell their stories in this groundbreaking Documentary
MAKERS.com is a dynamic digital platform produced by filmmakers Dyllan McGee, Betsy West, and Peter Kunhardt, developed by AOL, showcasing hundreds of compelling stories from women of today and tomorrow. This historic video initiative features exclusive access to trailblazing women – both known and unknown.
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Well done, Republicans!
Amanda Snarcotte* FTW:
Blunt amendment. Let’s take a tally of how that worked out for you.
1) It kept contraception on the radar, which gave the mainstream media plenty of time and opportunity to make it clear that Rick Santorum is an anti-contraception nut who, if elected, would almost surely do everything in his power to keep women from getting access to contraception.
2) It forced Mitt Romney to set the land record in flip-flopping, first defending a woman’s right to use contraception and then back-tracking and saying, no, actually, you think her employer should get a vote when it comes to how she conducts her private sex and reproductive life.
3) It revealed to the world that your party thinks it’s appropriate to exclude female voices from a discussion about women’s health care.
4) It set your most popular spokesman, Rush Limbaugh, on a multi-week rant about how 99% of American women are “sluts” and “prostitutes”.
5) It’ll probably be a factor in Scott Brown and Olympia Snowe’s seats turning blue.
6) It made those in the media who apologize for your anti-choice views realize that actually, this really was about sex all along and had nothing to do with fetuses.
7) It made you the butt of jokes from “Saturday Night Live”, “Funny or Die”, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert.
8) And then the amendment that all this effort was put behind died with a whimper on the Senate floor.
*I say with affection.
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100% of male experts agree: nobody knows more about women’s issues like birth control than late-middle-aged men and the Republican party is well aware.
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SLUT
This word is getting quite a workout in recent times. Between the Limbaughs who use it as a way to dehumanize and the Slutwalkers who use it as a way to rage against rape culture, the word “slut” is getting pulled in any and every direction with everyone trying to put it to use for their own personal agenda.
Some women are trying to grab a hold of the word “slut” and claim it as a badge of honor. It’s unfair how there isn’t a word for “women who love sex” that isn’t a horrible insult, unlike how words for “men who love sex” are all compliments. And from a certain perspective, women who love sex are the ones most entitled to use that word in any way they like.
The only problem is, conservadouchebags are the ones who continue to hold power in society. They’re also the ones who continue to decide that words like “slut” and “whore” are insults, and they’re the ones who have the power to use those words to harm women. Can women fight back and make “slut” an acceptable identity, much the way queers have with that word?
Perhaps. But as long as the word continues to cause harm, everyone needs to take a good look at why they feel the need to use it. ”Am I using this word for myself with pride? Or am I using it against someone else without their consent?” Until we succeed in our all-out takeover of society by flaming atheist liberal feminists (and why stop even then?), we can’t let our starry-eyed vision of a better tomorrow cloud our ability to see the realities of today.
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When the path of a man and woman are going to cross, it’s always the woman who’s expected to alter her path to avoid a collision. In addition, women restrict their stride as compared to men, and tend to hunch their shoulders and not initiate or maintain eye contact.
So I did this research my friends and I started messing around with this. We found that if you don’t alter your path when walking toward a man, a lot of men will almost run right into you, or bump their shoulder against yours, and then turn and give you this weird look. The weird looks you get are increased if you stand up straight with squared shoulders and take longer strides. I habitually walk this way now, and I continue to get puzzled looks by men who turn around after I pass them and watch me with an uncertain look. -
Attention Young Cis Man Coworkers:
It is not the job of your woman work-mates to mommy you. Learn to mail a letter. A fax machine is not that difficult. The part of the brain men use to work on cars did not magically evolve to help women use office equipment. And above all else, if you need assistance, do not whine and stand there helplessly with a pathetic look on your face. Somehow I doubt even your own mother finds that cute.
Genderqueer with a touch of happy humanism.
