The story about Amelia Earhart’s marriage negotiation letter is making the rounds on Feministing, but it was reported over five years ago on a polyamory blog, too. The basic gist is that before accepting her suitor’s marriage proposal, she let him know that her work came first, and required that they not adhere to “midaevil [sic] code of faithfulness.” Click on either of the links to see a scan of the original 1931 letter for yourself. Continue Reading →
Jeana
Jeana Jorgensen, PhD recently completed her doctoral degree in folklore and gender studies at Indiana University. She studies fairy tales and other narratives, dance, body art, feminist theory, digital humanities, and gender identity.
Recent posts
Why Firing A Sexy Employee Reflects Implicit Sexism
By now, the news that an Iowa court upheld a (male) dentist firing his (female) assistant for being too sexy has made the rounds. It doesn’t seem to matter whether the employee has been flirtatious or dressed inappropriately; the employer’s comfort level was the main factor in the decision. Other bloggers have tackled why this is a problem, pointing out, for instance, that this ruling sends a negative message by objectifying women (which is not technically illegal) – so maybe the law should change. Perhaps a new law preventing employers not just from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender, but also discrimination based on the employer’s feelings of sexual attraction (or lack thereof) would help. However, I believe that this case reflects an unconscious level of sexism that many Americans don’t even question, which is what we really need to be discussing in order to change things for the better. Continue Reading →
Gender Theorists Are The Enemy (According To The Pope)
In a recent speech, Pope Benedict XVI asserted that heterosexual marriage is a sacrament of creation, and that because gender theorists seek to disrupt marriage and similar institutions, they pose a danger to humanity. Riiiight. Here come the gender theorists, who will DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR. I would instead argue that the pope should be taken to task for giving his blessing to Ugandan legislation that institutes a death penalty for homosexuality. Who’s doling out the harm, here? Continue Reading →
Intersections Of Folklore And Sex: My Mentor, Alan Dundes
Longtime MSP readers will know that I’ve written a lot on the connections between folklore and sex, sexuality, and gender, with topics including vaccines and public health, rites of passage, sexual slang, family meal practices, storytelling and sexual health, urban legends about sex, Little Red Riding Hood and sex, breasts in the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and how the very idea of folklore connects to sex. Clearly, folklore and sex connect in a lot of ways. However, I didn’t reach this conclusion on my own: I have my mentor, Alan Dundes, to thank for it. Professor Dundes was one of the best-known scholars in the field of folklore, and he was my teacher and mentor while I did my undergraduate training at UC Berkeley. Sadly, he passed away in 2005, leaving those of us lucky enough to have studied with him to forge ahead in the field. Continue Reading →
Learn To Love Your Body At A Korean Spa
This week, while I was visiting my family in Los Angeles, some of the female family members took a trip to a Korean spa. One of my relatives had done it before, and spoke glowingly of the experience. She warned us to prepare for a bit of culture shock (we’re Jewish-American, not Korean), but it was hard to prepare for the actual experience. I’ve written in the past about nudity in Estonian saunas, and how I acted like an atypical American by being totally okay in that context. The Korean spa experience was similar and different in certain ways. Continue Reading →
Advances In Women’s Health Politics (Plus Ninjas Against Rape)
If you have the time to read it, I highly highly highly recommend checking out Echo Zen’s Feministe post “How Women’s Health and Social Media Won 2012: Retrospective.” This link-rich essay describes the political events of 2012 in relation to women’s health, the amazing role of social media, and the rise of feminist advocacy by everyday women. Zen points out that what the social media strategies of 2012 exposed is “the violent rhetoric that once came from GOP quarters about how women’s healthcare isn’t real healthcare, since only sluts and prostitutes need contraception and family planning. If the extremists have learned anything from this cycle, it’s that openly campaigning against women’s lives is no longer a winning strategy, just as relying entirely on the white Christian vote is no longer a viable tactic.” This underlines how politicized an issue women’s health has become. Continue Reading →
Challenging Rape Culture In India (Trigger Warning)
A 23-year old medical student was gang-raped on a public bus in Delhi, India, leading to nation-wide protests. Protesters point out the pervasive rape culture in India, such that rape is horrifyingly common and the legal consequences are few. Many protesters are hopeful about both cultural and legal reforms, using this latest incident as a means of opening a public dialogue about a troubling problem. I’m hopeful on their behalf, too. Continue Reading →
Sex Scenes From Paranormal Romance
Whether or not you’re a fan of reading paranormal romance like the Sookie Stackhouse books, this excerpt round-up contains hilarious quotes from sex scenes written in that genre (no pics, so it’s SFW). I think my favorite is “His man lance prepared for duty.” Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post,@foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Holiday Giving? Think Again About The Salvation Army!
Love it or hate it, the holiday season is here. That means (along with being bombarded by Christmas music every time you’re out) being forced to choose between dodging and acknowledging the people who are out asking for money in front of stores. Even if the idea of giving to charity appeals to you, think carefully about where your money might be going. One of the most prominent charities, with their distinctive red buckets and bell-ringing, is the Salvation Army. However, one of their media relations directors said outright that gays deserve death. Continue Reading →
The Human Body In Motion
Artist Shinichi Maruyama has found a way to make the human body even more interesting and beautiful: combining thousands of still photos of a nude subject dancing to create a single composite (and safe for work, because all details are blurred out) image. Check it out if you want to see something unexpectedly beautiful. Continue Reading →