Flashback to Feisty Females in Film: Ocean Girl

Feisty Female: Neri aka Ocean Girl

Year We Got to Know Her: 1994

Best Known For: Super strength, telepathic connection to humpback whales, superhuman lung capacity mistaken for underwater breathing capabilities, and **spoiler** being an alien charged with saving Earth’s oceans (shades of Star Trek IV…)

Why She Deserves a Second Look:

Love to Lady Gaga

Okay. So.  I’ve got to admit something. I kind of like Lady Gaga. And by like I mean I frantically read all of her interviews. Big deal, you may say, lots of people like her. But rewind to last spring and I was filled with spiky distate for this lady. I hated “Just Dance” (still do) as it played 20 times a day on the radio (which my coworkers play 24/7 without my control) but that’s all I knew about her. The song was vapid and seemingly manufactured crap just like the image she appeared to be such a puppet slave to. And I’m kind of a music bitch and so I judged.

But then the reverse of what usually happens happened–sometimes I like a song, then hear an interview or hear a band live, realize they’re dumb or untalented and then dislike them. But with Gaga it was the opposite. I hated her songs on the radio, but began to love her after reading her interviews, learning more about her background, and hearing her play live. I fell for her.

In a sea of Taylor Swift and American Idol I think we need Gaga. So here’s why you should love her too. Join us!

The Girls Who Went Away: Discuss!

It’s taken me far too long to compose my thoughts about this book. Mayhem has been ever-so-patient and for this I thank her. I apologize, dear readers, I do.

The Girls Who Went Away
by Ann Fessler

This book has been on BTW’s potential-read list for quite some time (since November 23, 2008, in case you were wondering) but for some reason it kept getting passed over for something or other. This cycle we were having trouble deciding what to read so we finally thought “Why not?” And I am so glad we did.

As you know, reproductive freedom is extremely high on our inalienable human rights list and that sex education in this country needs to move from abstinence-only “education” to comprehensive education. With that mindset, The Girls Who Went Away provided a depth and nuance to my understanding of these issues, supporting and furthering their veracity and necessity in my mind. Jennifer Baumgardner, in reviewing this book for Bitch, explained: “I had always been so drawn to reproductive freedom and justice as a catalyzing issue—but had never understood or really thought about the adoption piece.” I, too, had always thought of adoption as this thrilling and positive experience for all parties involved– The Girls Who Went Away exposed me to multitudes of women for whom this was certainly not the case and forced me to confront this reality. Adoption isn’t such an open and shut case for me anymore. This book was illuminating, heartbreaking, inspiring, enraging, and brilliant in its simplicity and clarity of purpose. E v e r y o n e should read this book. Everyone.

Mayhem: speaking of heartbreaking, have you started “the girls who went away” yet? i’m halfway through and i LOVE It. each new chapter breaks my heart a bit more.
me: yes. and yes. now why couldn’t BOS have been written as well as this one?
Mayhem: MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!!!  BOS would’ve been so much better if it had been structured like the girls who went away. this book has everything i wish BOS would’ve had.

Flashback to Feisty Females in Film: A League of Their Own

Feisty Females: sisters Kit Keller and Dottie Hinson

Year we got to know them: 1992

Best known for: killer side-splits catcher skills, “I like the high ones,” and knockin’ the ball out of the park as part of the Rockford Peaches in A League of Their Own, based on the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League which ran from 1943 to 1954.

Why they deserve a second look:

Woman of the Week: Juliette Lewis

WOW: Juliette Lewis

Why Now?: I finally saw Whip It (which I recommended last week in our FFFF) and I think her performance was especially noteworthy; to me, she’s gotten the least buzz, but was one of the biggest highlights. She portrayed Iron Maven, the “bad guy,” with dignity, class, and a kick-ass attitude that was fresh and accessible–and it fully renewed my love for Ms. Lewis.
That– and she was on Ellen this week, gushing about her childhood crush on Clint Eastwood.

Why Should You Care?:

Book Club: Frankly, My Dear

The time has come–a review of Frankly, My Dear: Gone With the Wind Revisited by Molly Haskell!

I read Gone With the Wind in my middle school English class because it was, you know, 1000 pages long and so I got more bang for my buck. But I ended up enthralled and in a sobbing rage in my mother’s bedroom after I read the dreaded “frankly, my dear” on those last few pages. Naturally, I went on to watch the four hour film until I had it memorized and worshipped Scarlett as my new heroine. So the fangirl inside of me was excited to revisit Scarlett and crew from Haskell’s feminist lens.

Scarlett challenges you to read on…

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week 2009

Now before you accuse me of going all “librarian” on you, keep in mind that your freedom to read is a feminist human rights issue; challenged books limit intellectual freedom for all and impinge upon our first amendment rights.

A few stats taken from the ALA website:

Over the past eight years, American libraries were faced with 3,736 challenges.

• 1,225 challenges due to “sexually explicit” material;
• 1,008 challenges due to “offensive language”;
• 720 challenges due to material deemed “unsuited to age group”;
• 458 challenges due to “violence”
• 269 challenges due to “homosexuality”; and

Further, 103 materials were challenged because they were “anti-family,” and an additional 233 were challenged because of their “religious viewpoints.”

One of the books most often challenged in the past year is And Tango Makes Three, a picture book about the two male penguins at the Central Park zoo who were given an egg to hatch after they were seen caring for an egg-sized rock.

Flashforward to Feisty Females in Film: Whip It

Feisty Female: Bliss Cavendar

Year We Get to Know Her: 2009

She’s Hyped For: Becoming empowered through roller derby

Why She Deserves to be Fandango-ed:
Maybe I’ve got roller derby on the brain– I’m headed to the DC Rollergirls season opener in a few short hours– but I’m completely psyched for the new movie Whip It that’s coming out Friday. I have recently joined the Team Barrymore camp, I don’t know why, but I just didn’t like her for the longest time. She’s since wholeheartedly won me over, even if she is dating my future husband Justin Long on and off, and I’m excited to see what she’s capable of doing behind the scenes.

The blogosphere has been thrumming with excitement and anticipation for this movie (especially from the ladies at BUST). So I’ll throw in my 2 cents and say: Agreed: this movie looks marvelous!

Here are the Top 5 reasons that you should go see Whip It this Friday when it comes out:

Fall books to read!

Happy autumn everyone! Have the leaves started to change for anyone? The death heat of DC has finally receded; I can go outside without contemplating suicide. And I’m listening to Christmas music as I write this, so, clearly, I’m ready for the fall! Mayhem and I have come up with the next few books to read– we know we’re behind on the discussion posts for the two most recent books (completely mea culpa!) but c’est la vie– that doesn’t mean we can’t start reading new books! Pick one up (or all three!) and join us here to discuss!

Woman of the Week: Diablo Cody

WOW:  Diablo Cody

Why Now?: Her most recent film Jennifer’s Body premiered last weekend, the Cody-created United States of Tara recently won an Emmy (Toni Collette, Best Actress), and she was recently tapped to write a screen adaptation of the Sweet Valley High book series. (YES.)

Why Should You Care?: