The, uh, Late Sunday Linkfest

[jhameia]

>_>

Anti-Racism: What Went Wrong? (Namely, too many white people took over. Oh irony!)

Columbus, Go Home!

PhDork fisks this "feminine-ist" article

A timeline of Geocities services. Epic.

The Pornography of Non-Rejection, or, why the fuck is Twilight so goddamn popular?

Ten Webcomics You Should Read and more recommended in the comments!

In Defense of using the term "Douchebag" as an insult, because you know, women aren't allowed to choose insults we use.

John Cho goodness. John Cho totes gives my Asian brothers hotness cred <345678

What is "authentic" Americcanness?

Ian McKellen on religious bigotry, out actors, and his epitaph.

Shakers of Shakeville had varying but great conversations on the Nova Scotian forms

Cripchick warns allies about the term "professionalism".

This just in: Family Friendly Workplace Politics Enhance Competitiveness. NO REALLY?

Adorable little video on the fall of empires

Horrible advice given to a woman who got ditched by her husband after she decided to keep her baby conceived when she was raped by her boss. Because, you know, men are assholes, apparently. Hugo Schwyzer, M. LeBlanc, Amanda Hess and Amanda Marcotte weigh in.

Here's a random academic sentence generator! Still Life with Cat has a an interesting take on what it does.

How Not To Be An Asshole, by the Czech

A quote on the loss of 'membership' to a group once you start speaking out against its -isms.

Zuzka on some academic chick who excludes feminists even though feminism is what gave said woman the right to belong in academia in the first goddamn place.

Comments

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Why is Edward not allowed to gatekeep his own chastity? SURE HE CAN! Except, he's not doing JUST that, he's also gatekeeping Bella. He carries her everywhere, he stalks her, he watches over her while she sleeps. If it was just a matter of his gatekeeping his own sexuality, then why even have a relationship with Bella at all? Within the text, it's also clear that Edward does want to consummate the relationship as well, but he doesn't dare because she's human and thus fragile and crushable and, you know.

Yes, it is indeed trashy fantasy, but these fantasies don't occur within a vacuum. What, really, is wrong with reminding ourselves of this little fact? I read single-title romances and write schlocky fiction, but I still do this knowing that I'm working with a specific cultural code.

As for this: "Which kind of brings me back to my original gripe that women's fantasy gets dragged through the coals like no male fantasy ever would."

It all comes back down to current structures, wherein male fantasies are perfectly normal and thus not criticized in mainstream critiques, whereas female fantasies are aberrant (http://tigerbeatdown.com/?p=579). I also have no clue what you're reading, but Shakesville has an entire series (http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/07/apatowcalypse-now-party-like-its-1899.html) dedicated to critiquing Judd Apatow flicks. The Hathor Legacy also does regular critiques of male-centric fantasies, in both books and film. We don't do this to find fault with women or men, but to point out how all these fantasies continue to reinforce the status quo that keep the gender binary intact.

As for the "most stories are about the money" - well, they used that line of reasoning as an excuse to NOT have women-centric stories, to NOT have women leads. And Twilight has turned that on its head - if stories really are about the money, why don't we see a slew of Harlequin movies? (http://thehathorlegacy.com/why-discriminate-if-it-doesnt-profit/) (OMG clearly I just hit on a brilliant money-making enterprise.)

[katherineokelly.livejournal.com]

If it was just a matter of his gatekeeping his own sexuality, then why even have a relationship with Bella at all?
That goes back to the idea that chastity=non-valid. They can have a valid relationship without sex. Given these characters' mental maturity (and the age of the series' YA readers), that's probably a good idea. The thing that squicks me out the most about the Bella/Edward relationship is what a stalker and control freak he is. Given this extremely unhealthy romantic relationship, the last thing they should be doing is adding dysfunctional abusive sex to the dysfunctional abusive relationship. Saying "Edward treats Bella like shit. And he doesn't give her sex!" is like saying, "The food at this restaurant sucks. And the portions are so small!" We don't need more of a bad thing.

as an excuse to NOT have women-centric stories, to NOT have women leads.
I realize all this, but Twilight, shitty fantasy that it is, IS women-centric with a woman lead, so tearing it to pieces just reinforces the "female fantasies are aberrant" stereotype. If shitty female fantasies like Twilight get too much negative press, what if publishers go back to 'playing it safe' and printing only more male-serving fantasies? Cut the ladies a break.

What, really, is wrong with reminding ourselves of this little fact?

Nothing. Twilight is unhealthy and lame. But it bothers me when an overflowing bucket of male fantasies that gets overlooked while the tiny thimble of female fantasies gets obsessed over and put on trial, especially by women. The examples you cite of male fantasy criticisms are extremely few and far between compared to the outright attack of all things female-centric. It seems insidious and anti-woman when well-meaning feminists attack women-centric trash like Twilight instead of the deluge of male-centric trash that no one thinks twice about. Women need a fucking break and to be allowed a little escapism without well-meaning feminists berating them for not reading feminist literature.

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

As I've said, in the circles I read in, male fantasies are every much as criticized as this (well, moreso, because you know, there's more of it out there), as evidenced by anti-pornography writers.

I don't see many feminists attacking only Twilight, though. Not sure where you're reading, but usually, even as we enjoy the escapism, we can still critique it. I find that feminists are more willing to critique the problematic messages in the escapist fantasies they enjoy, which is much better than the rabid defensiveness that male fantasies get.

Yes, the mainstream IS going to attack the female-centric, over and over again, but again, that's patriarchy! Mainstream spaces have a special place of hatred for all things women-centric. That's no reason to not look at Twilight critically - just because it's female-centric isn't, imo, a reason to not question it.

However, I do agree that more journalists should be writing on shitty male fantasies. They would probably be out of work as a result, but that's what blogs are for.

If shitty female fantasies like Twilight get too much negative press, what if publishers go back to 'playing it safe' and printing only more male-serving fantasies?

But you just said, most stories are for the money. Twilight has made a LOT of money. AND it's gotten people talking. Besides which, there's also positive press for Twilight, and most people critiquing it aren't dissing on female fantasies so much as they are on the tropes within the literature.

Also, there's nothing "lame" about Twilight. A lot of people are lame, and that doesn't devalue them.