Recommended Reading

My weekly reading list from all over the blogs...

Lots of good (and ugly!) stuff from this past week.

Two perspectives on "Miss Bimbo" free online game. While I see the ironic potential that Jessica Wakeman at Huff-Po claims, I tend to agree with Jessica at Feministing about the creators' actual intention and its likely social affect. Perhaps to be better as social commentary, it needs a different venue. While you're at it, check out Adios, Barbie! and their "Feel the Model" interactive game.

Commentary on an article over at the F-Word on making alternative relationship configurations within marriage is possible, but damn, social expectations make it awfully hard.

A great guest post at Shakesville stemming from parents' reaction to the gender dynamics in a co-ed sports league. The point she makes...it's really great. Be sure to read it til the end.

At Salon's broadsheet, an article about how Feminism gets blamed for the stunted progress of workplace reform.

I read two really provocative posts on sexuality: from Girlistic, great commentary on OUT TV's special "Fallen from Grace: Lesbians in Love With Men," taking a look at how much complicated sexuality, gender, and identity are than our culture perceives them to be, and from 'Essen Em (over 18 only!) a great post on the incredible marginality of identifying as bisexual and also the misunderstandings arouns such and identification.

More surveys around public perception of rape and its causes continues to see rape as about sex rather than violence, and consequently persists in blaming the victim for the violence done to her. (via Menstrual Poetry and also The Curvature). On a related note, the Ohio Athens Messenger with this article stating that sexual assault is more than just rape (it's so discouraging that this is news!) and that making light of and joking about certain forms of sexual assault (i.e. cat-calls, groping) affect women's willingness to come forward about their own experiences of it. Here's a great plug for the HollaBack family of websites where you can photograph your street harasser with your cel phone and post it on their website!!! WORD!

A really important post at Shakesville about a study showing that fat women aren't getting the proper health care they need. Why? Negative attitudes and plain ole "repulsion" by doctors and nurses at fat women's bodies. This both saddens and angers me and is a clear human rights issue.

Lastly, from Pandagon, How Republicans turn all sexist on Condi Rice when she has the audacity to say that yes, America has race issues.