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The Week In Patriarchy

Mad Men returned. Jon Hamm delineated a “weird conundrum” in which American men in the 60s were gracious enough to be cordial when they treated women like trash; men today, they’re not even polite about it, which Hamm called “too bad.”

The Guardian placed a recent piece by Bidisha on casual sexism in the one online section it was likely to be well received, Life & Style’s Women section. Susan Douglas was interviewed about her latest book, Enlightened Sexism. Did the Hirter brewery portray sexualized beer or “self-confident beer drinkers?” Who knows, but the ad makes me thirsty (for more interesting beer ads).

Systematic sexist practices were alleged in the world of Australian air traffic controllers. The Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) Organization deemed separate but equal a cutting edge idea. After chastising her for cursing, Infoworld tells an inquirer that, yes, the IT world is still sexist. (The comments section disagreed.)

Some Islamic feminists were trying to get out of the penalty box. The National Organization of Women smelled sexism in President Obama’s reluctance to nominate Elizabeth Warren to run a new consumer protection agency. Investors were shown to be sexist. Women started getting plastic surgery to make their feet smaller.

Honestly, who even knows, but a Film School Rejects piece about an actress’ “cleavage holding court” at a Comic-Con event for Zack Snyder’s latest film asserts the director will lose his sexist label. (But will he lose his ethno-exoticizing fetish? Stay tuned!) A third woman has come forward to allege that Roman Polanksi raped her. Surprise!

6 Comments

  1. Smoovie wrote:

    The TED thing is quite surprising to me, because a fair few of the speakers have been feminists, talking about feminism (Eve Ensler, Cindy Gallop, probably others.)I guess they have some more reading to do on the subject?

    Btw, it’s “Technology, Entertainment, and Design.”

    Friday, July 30, 2010 at 10:12 pm | Permalink
  2. Ellie wrote:

    What pisses me off the most about the beer ad article and the traffic control article is the PUNS.

    Reporters tend not to make jokes while writing articles about soldiers in Afghanistan or about the stock market crash, but women facing “name-calling, threats and overt sexism”? That’s FUNNY.

    And puns, while they might just be clever wordplay in another situation, in this case, ARE jokes. “A protester with something to get off her chest”? HILARIOUS.

    Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 2:17 am | Permalink
  3. carey wrote:

    I went to the “casual sexism” piece, and I thought the author was very thorough and on-point. And then I read the comments. I only made it to number 2. Commenter 2, in the midst of an “I agree, but…”-type comment, left this gem:

    “when you say that women have internalised this language and also use it, I suspect you are overstating the case. Women have always dissed other women – it’s what they do.”

    I sometimes hate the world.

    Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 10:46 am | Permalink
  4. firefall wrote:

    Infoworld tells an inquirer that, yes, the IT world is still sexist.

    In other shocking revelations, the sun rises in the east.

    Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 8:07 pm | Permalink
  5. AnthroK8 wrote:

    What is UP with John Hamm buying the nostalgia trip Mad Men is selling?

    I have, as have many women I know, been smoove talked by any number of well groomed, courteous, ice-in-whisky-glass clinking sexist assholes.

    And I don’t know if he missed listening to the back catalog of much popular music written before 1970, or, you know, women’s actual experiences, but crass, discourteous, blatant, overt sexism (some perpetrated by well-groomed men courteous behind scrupulously closed doors, I do not doubt)ALSO FUCKING HAPPENED.

    Oh my god. What is your problem, John Hamm?

    Monday, August 2, 2010 at 12:14 am | Permalink
  6. bluebears wrote:

    That John Hamm quote was so irksome. I heard him on Fresh Air a while ago and he said something vaguely similar. I really think he believes that in some way things were “better” between the sexes back in the day. I mean he’s just an actor but still, I’d love for some interviewer to really challenge him to explain what he means exactly.

    Monday, August 2, 2010 at 12:24 pm | Permalink