Last Night I Had A Conversation with God

We drank sangria and listened to Neil Young.

We talked about mountains, mighty rivers, and diminishing aquifers.

We cried and howled for humanity.

“Is there nothing you can do?”

“No. Free will.”

Cunt. Censorship. Cornball.

A boyfriend once called me a cunt during an ordinary dispute about something inconsequential. He was driving, there was a lag in the argument, and the car was quiet. “Cunt.” I physically felt the impact of the word. My body stiffened and I suddenly felt like I was made of lead. I had never felt so powerless, so dejected, and so worthless. There was nothing equally hurtful I could say in response. I was verbally disarmed and viciously denigrated.

Words like “cunt,” “bitch,” “slut,” and “whore” are not gender neutral terms, and words like “fag” and “pussy,” most often directed at men, serve to equate men with women and thus emasculate. Being a woman is the worst insult. Because of this, the power of language and the social structure that these words sustain strips the power away from a woman. The use of these words objectifies and dehumanizes a woman, taking away her humanity and spurring a deadlock of progression. In society these insidious, destructive words are allowed to continue and infiltrate the youth culture, contributing to a perpetual cycle of vilification and the stagnation of women’s liberties.

I grew up believing, as many did, that racial slurs such as “nigger” were the most hurtful, the most serious form of verbal cruelty. Yet these words diverge from the gender divisive words mentioned above in that there lies a stigma and taboo preventing their usage. I was at a party a few weeks ago and a boy casually used the phrase “nigger bitch.” He immediately apologized to the African-American man in the room. But as the only woman present I said, “You said ‘bitch.’ Why did you not apologize to me?” He then looked at me and said, “Sorry I called you a bitch.” The meaning of my inquiry was lost and the disconnect between racist and sexist language revealed itself. The boy did not call me a bitch just as he did not call the African-American man a nigger. Experiences like this are had continuously. Teenagers laugh at their friends saying bitch or pussy but react shocked and offended at the word nigger. Racism is a faux pax but sexism is allowed to breed and fester rampantly. Our society does not view gender oppressive words in the same way as racist terms and this is why male dominance reigns unconditionally. And as a high school student, no one seems to be reacting—questioning, speaking out, ending.

There is a boy in my math class who is essentially beloved and adored by my entire grade. He is outspoken and easily riled about racism and black oppression. But I have heard him speak about women—ass, tits, sluts, whores, bitches. He also loves the YouTube hit “Unforgivable” for its rape jokes. It angers me how my classmates can so unreservedly revere him, an outright contradiction. It angers me that there can be no unity in ideology and that victims of oppression must exist separately. And it angers me that the words that so deeply oppress and prevent an entire demographic, the largest one, from being viewed humanely and equally are so loosely spoken by fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen year olds. I am afraid of what the future may hold as these behaviors continue.

Disregarding the factor of white privilege, I view the oppression of women as stretching so much farther and so much deeper than racism. It is true that racism is so extensively publicized, but this does not make it graver. Rather, the oppression of women is not publicized because it is so deeply instilled in our existence that we can not always point our finger at it. It is so slyly ingrained that we ignore it and fatalistically accept it as truth. And it continues.

And so it goes.

Misogyny and the American Dream

“Women are the only exploited group in history to have been idealized into powerlessness.” -Erica Jong

Zealously working on the new Teenedge film has done more than force me to translate my views into celluloid. It has spurred me to explore my opinions much deeper than ever. The video focuses on the use of oppressive language among teenagers and youth culture specifically aimed towards gender. Yet an important notion to consider is that youth culture is not the product of teenagers but instead adults/authority figures/role models. Adolescents look to these leaders to show how they too can participate in society and when these leaders celebrate and perpetuate oppressive and divisive views society continues cyclically.

Will misogyny always linger?

The aim of the documentary-style film is to break down the social constructs associated with the “expected” (and thus accepted) behavior and ideas regarding gender and to allow people to reconstruct their views about what is truly appropriate, socially healthy behavior and language. Essentially, we want to encourage genuine reflection about the root of social hazards such as intolerance, bigotry, sexism, and hate. When the source of gender-biased social ills are identified they can begin to dissipate. It is easy to condemn the products of perpetuated ideology but it is more difficult to identify the root— the spritz of Aqua Net to the sexist flame.

A factor that has greatly inspired this project is this: Have you ever heard teenage boys talk about girls? They are bitches. Hos. Ass. Titties. Objectifying, dehumanizing women has become an assertion of masculinity, the art of the American Dream. Men are not successful, worthy, men unless they can show power over women. If a man can show a woman as powerless than he is truly a man. It’s a right of passage. Kind of like touching a boob. Notorious B.I.G.’s “Me and My Bitch” comes to mind— a love song of sorts.

But you was my bitch, the one who’d never snitch/Love me when I’m broke or when I’m filthy — rich/And I admit, when the time is right, the wine is right/I treat you right, you talk slick, I beat you right

I hesitate to even mention the media, the scapegoat of all social diseases. Eating disorders, school shootings, drug use, the list goes on— are all the result of MTV, so I hear. Does that mean the media has stolen free will? It is not the media alone but rather broader complacency. Chris Matthews, for example, was not forced to call male supporters of Hilary Clinton “castratos in the eunuch chorus” but rather did so because of free will. But this free will when coupled with the overwhelming ideas of what is “supposed to be said or done” by a man or woman

Note: Men are not the only ones in support of “traditional” female values. Phyllis Schlafly comes to mind.

and bred by idle acceptance of sexism encourages the oppression of women as an entire demographic. The media, of course, is what popularizes sexist behavior but the media is the product of the individual’s free will. Sexism in the media can thus be compared to the advice passed down from father to son. It is an abstinence-only “Birds and the Bees.”

Words ultimately inspire the continuance of oppression. It is the words of teenage boys that partly inspired this film not their actions. Although awkward fumbling with beer breath can be attributed to masculine social expectations these expectations are ultimately spurred by words. These words that have infiltrated our daily lives are what dehumanize women so that men understand “No” as “Maybe”; words are what eliminate the significance of women allowing perceived female powerlessness to result in abuse; words are what denigrate the opinions, ideas, and aspirations of women as valueless; and words are what society dismisses as “just words.”

What has bothered me most about making this film is not the shocking researched statistics, the often heartbreaking interviews, or the outrageous retort of “But I meant it as a joke!” but instead the relevancy of the film. At a time when women feel nearly propelled into equality with the political success of Hilary Clinton, she faces stern opposition. Whether it’s the man holding up a sign shouting “Iron my Clothes” in New Hampshire or even my Math teacher making fun of her for crying (Her voice cracked!) it is clear that when facing the threat of the ultimate assumption to a position of power (a far cry from the female “expectation” of powerlessness) misogyny must rear its ugly head.

But when I think about my future I don’t necessarily see a female president but instead I see the generations of kids who have grown up spewing sexist slurs as our policymakers. I see the boys with the roofies and the high-fives as the new leaders of the youth culture. I see the girls with the filmed fake lesbian make-out sessions as role models to the new generation of young women. But I don’t think our future must be a bleak and rigid patriarchy, because there is still time to grow up and learn tolerance, social justice, and most importantly, the capability of women.

Save the World; Stop Eating Meat

 

In a time when people are becoming more Eco-savvy we must not only limit ourselves to turning off the water when we brush our teeth and frowning on SUVs but we must also be aware of what we consume. The foods we eat have an enormous impact on the environment as well as the global community.

 

Choosing vegetarianism reduces the amount of land, water, and oil resources that are consumed as well as water and air pollution

• A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet has a greater impact in the fight against global warming than switching to a hybrid car does.

• It takes up to 16 pounds of grain and more than 5,000 gallons of water to produce just 1 pound of meat. It’s wildly inefficient to feed grains to farm animals rather than eating the to eat it ourselves.
• In the U.S. every second animals in factory farms produce nearly 89,000 pounds of excrement, which is contaminated with the antibiotics and hormones that are pumped into these animals. Runoff from these farms pollutes our water more than all other industrial sources combined.
• In the US, 70% of all grains, 80% of all agricultural land, 50% of all water resources, and 33% of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food.

Not eating meat isn’t only ecologically beneficial but it also alleviates world hunger.

• 80% of starving children live in countries that actually have food surpluses but the children remain hungry because farmers use the surplus grain to feed animals and sell them to affluent meat-eating countries instead of feeding its people.
• Two-thirds of the grain that the US exports to other countries is used to feed farm animals instead of people.
• In Guatemala 75 % of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. Yet the nation continues to produce and export 40 million pounds of meat to the US every year.

To all you meat-eaters:
You don’t have to become a devoted vegetarian. Even reducing your meat intake makes a significant difference. But when you do eat meat please stay away from beef, a major source of methane which is major cause of global warming. But becoming a vegetarian is easy. Spinach Eggplant Lasagna is a meat-free alternative to ordinary lasagna and Meat Free Sausage tastes just like the real thing! And the protein missing from a meat diet can be compensated with legumes. Try Black Bean Hummus for a tasty and protein-y snack! Stay healthy!

Race and class are forever linked in this nation

I was reading this editorial regarding the Jena 6, and it was very discouraging to say the least. As much as we are force fed in school anti-slavery, anti-racism, and general literature about black and white relations and as much as we diverge from more mind-expanding literature because of this concentration, it is untrue to say we have become progressive. But perhaps the educational system is to blame. The more we are required to study Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., and even Alice Walker the more we become numb to hostile race relations.

The more we are exposed to such race-driven subjects the more we disassociate from them and they become less human. Because of this we are ultimately damning ourselves as this is not progress. We are encouraged to look at these moments in history as just that. We are never required to consider more insidious racism and because of this we prolong it. We do not see jokes, even those far less severe than hanging nooses, as a diversion from progress. Instead we gleefully prolong stereotypes and generalizations without even realizing it. Not only does our nation’s racist past continue to linger but we, even as the younger generation, act divisively.

I am not begging for equality or tolerance but rather I am hoping that we will all consider the latent and insidious racism and bigotry spread throughout contemporary society. And not until we become aware of this can any further progress be made.

Upcoming Events and Cheeseballs!

Upcoming (THIS weekend!) Events:

Green Power Day is this Saturday September 29th!
10 am-4pm
George Washington Carver Food Park
10th Avenue South (Lealand Ave.) and Gale Lane at the I-440 overpass.

The day begins with a special Tai Chi class and features solar power demonstrations, alternative fueled and designed vehicles, games, and music! There will also be tours of the community gardens where you can learn about composting, vermaculture, and permaculture!

Also, Saturday night at the Belcourt is “Tears of God” presented by World Relief, a play about human trafficking. One night only! The show starts at 7:30, doors open at 6!

“Perry and Dering, who both grew up in Eastern Europe, were moved to create the production after Dering worked first-hand with a victim of sex slavery here in Nashville. They hope that “Tears of God” will stir ordinary people, government leaders and celebrities to take action against sex slavery in Nashville, across the nation and abroad.” from belcourt.org

More Upcoming Events:

The Fall Garden Workshop at Warner Park Nature Center
Saturday October 13, 2007
8am-12pm
Call 352-6299 to register

Dog Day Festival
Centennial Park
Saturday October 13, 2007
10 am-4pm
Bring your pup!

For info on more events, check out the Teenedge Calendar!

Autumn and Cream Cheese:

Fall doesn’t only remind me of Green Power Day, the Dog Day Festival, and Fall Gardens. Rather, fall is also the time of dinner parties, cooking, baking, and domesticity. So, in the spirit of both environmental benefit and cooking I leave you with a recipe from both Martha Stewart and the beloved Amy Sedaris because a cheeseball can be recycled party after party. I hope you like smoked Gouda!