[Discussion] Feminism and social justice, plus FAQ!

This thread is for discussing feminist issues--from the narrow meaning (a movement for social justice in terms of gender equality) to the broader meaning (a movement for social justice, period), and from the scope of issues in gaming and geek culture to kyriarchy in general.

Basic questions are allowed here for now, we will split out a Q&A thread should it become necessary.

How in the world did I miss this tidbit of ridiculousness last year?

Doritos is developing lady-friendly chips because you should never hear a woman crunch

PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi told the Freakonomics podcast on Jan. 31 that Doritos, which is owned by PepsiCo, is developing a chip for women. “As you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag, they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth because they don’t want to lose that taste of the flavor. … Women would love to do the same, but they don’t. They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public,” she said. The company’s future chip for women will be “low-crunch, the full taste profile, not have so much of the flavor stick on the fingers, and how can you put it in a purse? Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.”

I can't tell if this stupidity asked for by no one actually happened, or if it was rightfully (and very loudly) crunched before it ever got started.

Immediately looks at the date... "Please be April 1st. Please be April 1st. Please be April 1st. Damn, February 5th."

bekkilyn wrote:

I can't tell if this stupidity asked for by no one actually happened, or if it was rightfully (and very loudly) crunched before it ever got started.

It was a thing. I read about it on social media back at the time. I found so stupidly depressing that I didn't post about it here, because... well, I mean... Seriously? *sigh* The stupid is strong with that one. Stupid but unsurprising when you take into the account the amount of pressure we get on a daily basis to be more "ladylike".

So let's look at a quote from the article quoting from the CEO that states, "Women would love to do the same, but they don’t."

I look at this quote and ask, "Well why don't they?" (If it's even true) If women would love to do the same, then how is making a chip that makes it impossible for them to do the same even remotely a solution? Maybe a better strategy would be something to the effect of changing cultural expectations so that women can do the things we love to do without censure or reprimand?

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Great article from Maddy Myers on the past decade in games writing:

The Cost Of Being A Woman Who Covers Video Games

Almost all of this is old hat to folks around here, but still worth a read.

garion333 wrote:

Great article from Maddy Myers on the past decade in games writing:

The Cost Of Being A Woman Who Covers Video Games

Almost all of this is old hat to folks around here, but still worth a read.

Bravo, Maddy Myers. That is so wonderfully written and so astoundingly insightful. To recap and explain in such detail, as well as portray with such validity and panache, is truly amazing. I'd put that in textbooks for future generations to reference and learn from.

(Now I finally feel I have a foothold for where, when, whom, what games, the references, and it paints so many prior exchanges, fuelled by outrage colliding with ignorance, in a different light.)

Yes, good article. And yes, Metroid Other M sucks. Not sure why everyone couldn't see it then but I sure as hell did.

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Oooof...... a little too close to home, that one.

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Eleima wrote:

Oooof...... a little too close to home, that one.

That list didn't even touch on taking care of kids, parents, spouses, or pets.

One person being able to do it all is a damn lie.

RedJen wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Oooof...... a little too close to home, that one.

That list didn't even touch on taking care of kids, parents, spouses, or pets.

One person being able to do it all is a damn lie.

That’s a feature, not a bug.

...that explains so much of the failure that is my life.

Wink_and_the_Gun wrote:
RedJen wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Oooof...... a little too close to home, that one.

That list didn't even touch on taking care of kids, parents, spouses, or pets.

One person being able to do it all is a damn lie.

That’s a feature, not a bug.

Demosthenes wrote:

...that explains so much of the failure that is my life.

Gotta keep the peasants so busy just surviving, that they can’t join The Revolution!

Today has been an extremely demoralizing day. As I'm sure you've heard, a certain sports celebrity has died, and the news is filled with hagiographic articles about his career and legacy. Said sports celebrity also brutally raped a woman in 2003 and then successfully waged a year-long PR campaign to bully her out of testifying against him. The entire case was settled out of court, and his oh-so-sincere apology literally includes a disclaimer that it couldn't be used against him in civil court.

His victim did everything you're supposed to do. She told someone immediately. She went to a hospital. She had a forensic examination. She reported it to the police right away. And still her attacker won and won so thoroughly that even publications that should know better are mourning him as a hero.

I know there's an element to all of this of not speaking ill of the dead. The way the man died was terrifying, and there were other victims as well. I understand all that. But it's a testament to the power of systemic misogyny in our society that he wasn't a pariah years ago. The rehabilitation of his image worked and worked so well.

I feel terrible for his victim. And I'm just f*cking exhausted by it all.

Hit the nail on the head, Clocky.
Today has been grueling for me too.

Same here, Clocky. Supporting you is a different thing, but mostly I've been pretty much ignoring it while hoping this will blow over quickly.

And now this:

WaPo reporter put on ‘administrative leave’ after tweeting about Kobe Bryant’s rape case in wake of his death

When I first heard the news, I couldn't remember why his named seemed familiar. Now I remember and it's not because of basketball.

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It’s quite the adventure! I’m calling it second puberty. The heat change is weird and the mood swings are fierce.

Food for thought...

Since a few years, women to the age of 21 can get birth control pills free of charge in Belgium. During that period, the number of abortions per year declined 10% (2012 - 2017). The National Evaluation Commission of Pregnancy Termination (yes, that's a thing) advises to make the birth control pill free for everyone, that until 21 everyone should be able to get the morning after pill for free and that schools should install condom machines.

Starting April this year, the pill will become available for free until the age of 25, in Belgium.

dejanzie wrote:

Food for thought...

Since a few years, women to the age of 21 can get birth control pills free of charge in Belgium. During that period, the number of abortions per year declined 10% (2012 - 2017). The National Evaluation Commission of Pregnancy Termination (yes, that's a thing) advises to make the birth control pill free for everyone, that until 21 everyone should be able to get the morning after pill for free and that schools should install condom machines.

Starting April this year, the pill will become available for free until the age of 25, in Belgium.

I wonder if anything like this would ever happen in the U.S. on a widespread basis. So-called "pro-lifers" fight this sort of thing tooth and nail despite the actual EVIDENCE that it decreases abortions.

They did it in Colorado a decade ago to much success. Sex education and contraception are good things for everyone.

But of course the party that claims they care about reducing abortions also refuses to teach true sex education or provide contraception. So they really are about controlling women, not pro life as they claim.

*GASP* It's almost like abstinence only sex ed... DOESN'T WORK... Ugh, this is definitely one of the things that drives me right up the wall, as a public health MD. It's infuriating. But we all know, it's been said elsewhere and here... It really is all about controlling women's bodies, nothing more, nothing less. It's so frustrating.

Thought this was a good read.

KramNesnah wrote:

Thought this was a good read.

One of the reasons I was never particular interested in acting, despite loving to play "let's pretend," is that I didn't want to be any of the female roles.

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