“I’m Just 13, I’m Not Really Thinking About Motherhood Right Now”

...But does that mean you can’t be thinking about what you want to be when you grow-up besides being a mother? According to Columbia Childs’ father, that’s exactly what it means.

I was watching re-runs of the popular television show “Wife swap” and this particular episode was called “Battle of the Bible”. Both families are religious but had opposing views of the bible. The Childs’ family are conservative Christians who believe that women are subservient to men and whose main goal in life is to stay home and raise a family. The Beckman-Heskett family are liberal Christians and encourage their two daughters to think with open minds and to express themselves freely.

The ending was so heartbreaking because the Childs’ 13 year old daughter, Columbia "decided" that Mrs. Beckman-Heskett was brainwashing her and that she could not actually be a working mother and that she was going to focus on having a family and not becoming a doctor (All together now….NOOOOOOO!!) Oh, did I mention this was after her father angrily drove off with her in a van late at night after Mrs. Beckman-Heskett had been teaching his children about powerful women in history earlier that afternoon?

Here’s an article that accounts the entire episode and I highly recommend watching this particular episode:

http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/blog/2008/02/13/wife-swap-the-battle-of-the-bible/

LEAVE SHILOH ALONE!!!

I am an avid reader of the urban blog mediatakeout.com. I take in consideration when I am reading the blog that some of the news has been sensationalized in order provide shock value, in addition, to being a form of entertainment. However, I came across an article last week, that angered me so much I had to write a blog about it. Sources of the blog site found a picture of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh dressed in hoodie, jeans, and a short cut. They begin to criticize Angelina and Brad for “turning” her into a boy. I hate the fact that we live in a society that feels it necessary to scrutinize and comment on the specifications of a 3 year olds gender. She is a chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild for goodness sake so let her define who she is when she is ready and at an age where she can fully comprehend.

Society loves to create boxes for everyone and then label those boxes in order to feel comfortable with the status of the individual. I wish we could live in an ideal world in which everyone could just be themselves and be worry free from the harsh and hypocritical judgment of others. A world that was filled with everyone celebrating each others diversity. In addition, I wish the media focused on more pertinent issues like the war or economy instead highlighting the gender of 3 year old…because Shiloh’s decision to dress in jeans and hoodie will really impact society in a drastic way.

38 Years of Women's Center

This Sunday, April 25th, is a big day for the Women's Center. For the first time in its 38 years of existence we'll be celebrating the rich history and early-grassroots efforts of the WC and we couldn't be more excited.



On Sunday, past and present staff, alumni, and faculty will come together in retrospective of all that we have accomplished; from Lynn Farrow's forming of the unofficial Women's Center, to the first on campus feminist events, or the fight to save college funding of the Women's Center in the early 1990s. The event will include a luncheon, speakers, and a 30ft WC time line to be filled in with personal memories of patrons and staff from the beginning of WC history.

I, for one, am incredibly excited to get a living history lesson in activism and meet the people that made this center possible today. I think I speak for all the current staff when I say thank you Ramapo College and all of the innovative individuals that have created this space for us.

Manic Music Monday!

Former Disney Channel star and Cheetah Girl Kiely Williams just released her first single as a solo artist called “Spectacular” which is quite frankly anything but.

This song, which is also sadly written by Williams, documents her having a night on the town and apparently blacking out and having sex with a stranger. As if that main concept of the song isn’t horrifying enough, she goes on to say that she doesn’t even know the man’s name. Some horrifying lyrics include:

“Last I remember I was face down

Ass up, clothes off, broke off, dozed off

Even though I’m not sure of his name

He could get it again if he wanted.

Cause the sex was spectacular”

I just thinks its horrible the way that Kiely Williams is trying to make assault sexy. She was apparently at such a state of intoxication that she was losing consciousness and therefore was not able to consent. To make it worse, Kiely later states that she doesn’t know if her partner wore a condom, joking as if there are no consequences to her actions.

“Spectacular” itself is bad enough, but the fact that a star with so many young fans is putting it out makes it even worse. I understand the fact that Kiely might want to separate herself from her Disney Channel image, but doing such a provocative (and I would say disturbing) piece so quickly after being on the Disney Channel is too much too fast. I don’t think anyone should be performing this song, but especially a Disney Channel star. What do you think of Kiely Williams performing this song?

Think about it.

Day of Silence

Today being the National Day of Silence I felt it was appropriate to blog about the day. Yesterday Ramapo participated in it (partly due to the fact the campus is pretty much dead on Fridays and we wanted people to actually see us with tape covering our mouths, but also because we like to make our own special days here at Ramapo… but I digress) and it was the second time I have ever participated in the day. To say the least my second go at it was much more successful than my last.

In high school I had attempted to participate, yet with barely any sense of a LGBT community and a lack of a functioning Gay-Straight Alliance, this attempt was met with many walls. Half the student body didn’t know what the day meant and the other half that did understand did all they could to make the ten or fifteen brave, silenced souls speak. Even faculty joined in the frenzy, along with my friends. It was disheartening and frustrating at the same time for the closeted seventeen year old I used to be.

However, this year at Ramapo, I experienced a tremendous difference. While there were still those who tried to make me break my silence, like some fraternity bro, I was met with much more support. Being unable to talk for the day proved to be extremely powerful. I never participate much in class or speak abundantly but having the ability “taken” away from me was difficult to bear. I found myself frustrated sitting in class while those around me drooled every time my professor proposed a question and I knew the answer.

I felt just how moving and powerful this experience can be. I felt the intense pressure and frustration of those in my community who are not fortunate enough to be open like I am. It made me feel grateful for wonderful family and friends I have in my life, and thankful for the community I have at Ramapo College.

- Shane

Intersections

I'm sure many of you have heard about Constance McMillen and the blatant violation of her human rights on behalf of her high school. But just in case, she is the high school student who requested to take her girlfriend to prom. In response, the administration decided to cancel prom entirely. Of course this pitted the entire class against Constance, when the real anger should have been aimed at the homophobic actions of those in charge.

In a more recent update, Constance was duped into going to a fake prom while the real prom took place across town. This was orchestrated at various levels including students AND parents. This is just an awful testament the complete lack of humanity some people are capable of exhibiting, however there is a piece to this puzzle that has been overlooked. There were other invites to the fake prom, including two developmentally disabled students. What originally started off as a story focused mainly around gay issues has become a revealing intersection of ableism and heterosexism.

Constance was not welcomed to the prom because she was viewed as something laughable, deviant, and wrong. What then was the reasoning for lying to the other students? What message does this send to youth across America? The answer is simple: "Difference" will not be tolerated. If this example isn't proof that marginalized groups need to come together to fight against prejudice, I don't know what is. I now see that there is no age limit on bullying. SHAME on all those involved in this awful event and SHAME on anyone who thinks this type of behavior acceptable.

~WE NEED A FUCKING REVOLUTION~
Cross-posted at nyaf.blogspot.com

Beauty Ideals..Then and Now

I love watching old movies. If you can get past the blatant racism, sexism, and every other ism that saturates many of the films, they can be enjoyable. I was searching for an old movie on youtube, and you know how it works, you click one video, which brings you to another video, which eventually brings you to this:

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There is NO discretion used AT ALL here. I love the concept that the woman is sitting at home tailoring a dress and then stops for a coke break. If ONLY she were as thin as her mannequin again.

I think that's what is so scary about commercials now though, it's so much harder for people to blatantly see how advertising effects their body image. Because, let's face it, if an actress came right out with, "You need to be thinner. You're ugly"...people might get mad. So, we get this:



Yeah, it may not being directly telling you, that you are not pretty enough, but I'm pretty sure it just defined what pretty is. And, if you don't look like those models, well then, you're clearly just not pretty.

I think that's bullshit.

Let's Sing About Equal Marriage

LGBT activism has its history firmly planted in grass roots origins, and has been growing ever since. Today, nation and state wide organizations pulling for equal marriage (such as Equal Marriage NOW! or Garden State Equality) are just a mouse-click away, and the language of the equal marriage debate has become part of the lexicon.

But, let’s not forget or ignore the small organizations, the ones that keep the energy and zeal of the grassroots movement alive, who bite and scrape to grab the attention of their peers. Woodlands Records, a small internet-based record label is doing just that and they show no signs of slowing down; with the release of a second donation based compilation scene to benefit the fight for equal marriage they are bringing activism to the punk and hardcore community. Over 50 bands threw together unreleased, newly recorded, and old favorite tracks to benefit the cause.

The first volume of this compilation was released at the beginning of this month and the second followed shortly after. A personal friend, young punk, and label volunteer, Sam Gursky excitedly posted about the release on the labels blog, “Woodland Records is proud to announce that we will be helping with the digital portion of the “Enough Is Enough” Compilation release, dropping in March of 2010. 50 Bands agree, you should visit (and support) http://www.myspace.com/enoughisenoughcomp and make sure to check back!”

If you would like to download or donate check out the Woodland Records site here: