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 →
women’s bodies
Recent posts
Women On Fantasy Novel Covers
Fantasy author Jim Hines makes this amusing point about how women are depicted on fantasy novel covers (including one of his own, as he’s an author) in stereotypical and downright uncomfortable poses, by striking those poses himself! The post includes a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, griping about muscle cramps, and ruminating on gendered depictions of women who are narratively strong but posed as though sexiness is their main concern (which is irrationally common). Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Tampons While Traveling: Female Bonding Experiences
Some of our readers may already read Feministe, but I loved and wanted to pass on this essay, Traveling While Female. In addition to great safety advice, the author passes on the advice to always bring a tampon: you never know when you might need it, and mere discussion of said topic might lead to bonding with other women (though personally, I prefer the re-usable diva cup, pictured in the middle). My own rule is to always travel with a scarf (which is also mentioned in the post), because you never know when it might get sunny or rainy, or when you might need a cover-up. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist. Continue Reading →
Why Getting Pregnant On TV Is A Bad Idea
And yes, obviously it’s a bad idea to get pregnant if you are on TV at the moment of conception… but what I want to talk about here is how when female characters on TV shows get pregnant, things tend to go badly for them, in ways that seem influenced by misogyny and a fear of women’s bodies. I just discovered a brilliant Youtube series called Tropes Vs. Women, about how TV and movie themes depict women in very stereotypical and sexist ways. My favorite so far is about “The Mystical Pregnancy,” which is when “writers use to create drama and terror by invading, violating and exploiting women’s reproductive capabilities. Often these female characters have their ovaries harvested by aliens or serve as human incubators for demon spawn. Sometimes they are carrying the Messiah and other times Satan himself.” Continue Reading →