Wednesday watch: Helen Mirren shuts down a sexist interviewer

This week’s pick goes back to a 1975 interview in which a young, inexperienced Helen Mirren deftly shuts down a sexist interviewer. As a reminder that we still have work to do, Mirren noted that when he interviewed her in 2006, he started off once again by asking about her breasts.


Weekend reading


25 famous women on body image

Why some feminists are conflicted about Hillary Clinton’s historic candidacy

A feel bad story in disguise: Two Florida hospitals won’t bill Orlando Pulse shooting victims

“How to talk to a woman who is wearing headphones”: the most wrong blog post ever? 

Purvi Patel released from prison after feticide conviction overturned

Colin Kaepernick is a patriot

Stop trying to make Anthony Weiner’s sexting a political issue

“Why didn’t she go to the police?” Rape culture runs deep in law enforcement

rape culture

Among the many things that a rape victim has to deal with is the decision whether or not to involve law enforcement. It’s a personal decision and there’s no right answer. While it’s important for perpetrators to face some kind of reckoning for their actions and to keep serial attackers away from potential victims (though what that should look like is a complicated question on its own), there are many disincentives for women to take their complaints to the police. The very people who are charged with taking sexual assault seriously and holding perpetrators accountable are far from immune from the rape culture that infects society at large.  Continue reading ““Why didn’t she go to the police?” Rape culture runs deep in law enforcement”

Wednesday watch: we cry as men

Tackling sexism and dismantling patriarchy are good for men too (no matter what overzealous “men’s rights activists” say to the contrary). Narrow definitions of masculinity are limiting and damaging. This great video from AJ+ gets to know a martial arts teacher in Detroit who is teaching men and boys to fight, but also that it’s OK to cry and show their emotions.



Weekend reading

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Igor Volsky is once again tweeting politicians’ contributions from the NRA after the tragic shooting in Orlando.

Blogger undoes racist Hollywood by reclaiming white-washed Asian roles.

U.N. panel slams Ireland’s anti-abortion laws as “cruel,” “inhuman,” “degrading,” “discriminatory.”

California voters will decide in November if thousands of inmates should be released.

Google expects different answers from men and women on a question used to predict job success.

Thank God for Selina Meyer’s unapologetic 50-something sex drive on Veep. 

Weekend reading



Even female Supreme Court justices get interrupted a lot by men.

Woman treated like a criminal for refusing to testify against her abusive boyfriend.

The severe effects of clinic closures on undocumented women.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren takes down an anti-trans witness at a congressional hearing.

Wednesday watch: men read sexist, threatening tweets


Women have been talking for a long time about what’s it’s like to be a public figure and deal with a barrage of harassment from distant, faceless internet trolls. Many people have been dismissive about the harm of a tweet here or a tweet there. This video of men reading mean tweets to women sports reporters does a great job of illustrating just how frightening and damaging these messages are. It’s obviously painful for the men to say them out loud, which should be a good indicator that it’s something no one should ever say on the internet.