Feminist Friday: “We Asked 22 Women Why They Take Birth Control And These Are Their Answers”

As I shared with you on the Fourth of July, I am not at all happy with the recent Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision. And, as it turns out, I am not the only one who is pissed off. There have been plenty of articles, op-eds and political analysis about how five old dudes endangered the reproductive rights and freedoms of all American women. But I have found none as poignant, honest and relevant as this piece of photojournalism from BuzzFeed: “We Asked 22 Women Why They Take Birth Control And These Are Their Answers” by Lara Parker, Candace Lowry and Alison Vingiano. The three writers asked 22 of their coworkers why they went on the Pill and took photographs of the women with their written answers.

Here’s mine, just for posterity:

I really enjoy these photos because they explain this issue in a way that our politicians will not. Deciding to go on the Pill does not necessarily have anything to do with sex. And–to be quite honest–even if it does, that is no reason to treat it as taboo, risque or immoral. In any case, these women demonstrate how that heinous Supreme Court decision does not just pass judgment on the sexual lives of women. It also endangers their health and makes clear that one crazy family’s religious beliefs mean a hell of a lot more than freedom for millions of women.

Check out the piece here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/we-asked-women-why-they-take-birth-control-and-these-are 

And here are a few of my favorite answers to the journalists’ question:

                                  

And now, before I say goodbye for today, let me leave you with the wise words from the Women & Women First Bookstore ladies of Portlandia:

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

(Images 1 and 2 courtesy of yours truly; Images 3,4,5 and 6 courtesy of buzzfeed.com)

Feminist Friday: “Jennifer Lawrence and The History of Cool Girls”

As you know, we cover a lot of outcasts, rebels and lone wolves on this blog. That’s why I’ve decided that this week will be dedicated to to the anti-Outside Girl, a.k.a. the Cool Girl. Those of you who are familiar with Gillian Flynn and her impossible-to-put-down novel, Gone Girl, will already know who and what a Cool Girl is. For anyone else, let’s use Flynn’s description to get the ball rolling:

“Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl.”

This archetype is the subject of Anne Helen Petersen‘s February 28, 2014 BuzzFeed opinion piece entitled “Jennifer Lawrence and The History of Cool Girls.”  As you can see from the following image, Petersen identifies several Cool Girls from various decades including Lawrence, Clara Bow, Carole Lombard and Jane Fonda.

Petersen delves into the Cool Girl persona and how hard it is for women to maintain it. In addition to pinpointing exactly why we all love Jennifer Lawrence (besides all of this), Petersen chronicles the rise and fall of other women who fit the mold and the double standard that they fall victim too. And she asks the necessary question: Is the Cool Girl just giving people what they want to see? Check out Petersen’s essay here:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/jennifer-lawrence-and-the-history-of-cool-girls

For further context, please watch “A Chick Who Can Hang” on Inside Amy Schumer and read this recap about the episode by The A.V. Club‘s Kate Knibbs.

(Image #1 courtesy of en.wikipedia.org; #2 courtesy of my Mac’s screenshot function; #3 courtesy of cc.com)