Slog
News & ArtsThursday, April 30, 2009
1
i know the dork who made these stickers. over the top DIY nerd. as i pointed out to my girlfriend, doesn't that sticker generalize women?
i rock one of those on my bike helmet, because helmet is a slang term for pen15, and we all know that's offensive to women.
i rock one of those on my bike helmet, because helmet is a slang term for pen15, and we all know that's offensive to women.
4
when in doubt i tend to air on the side of insulting, but i am not really seeing it. maybe if i knew more? because i mean it doesn't even specify that costumes have to be gender-specific.
6
Attractive women are totally insulting to (non-attractive)women. What's up with all of the nutters posting up flyers lately? I thought the Stonewall/Police Riot/No Jails one was pretty stupid, but this is pretty good too.
7
Sounds like big bill needs to make a smaller one that says this generalizes women and start slapping them on top.
10
burning hearts burlesque is putting that event on... doesn't sound to insulting to me...
"Motor & Burning Hearts Presents....
Elvis & Marilyn....
Costume Party & Contest!!
....
Featuring: Girls, Girls, Girls! Live Music by: The Kings
The Lovely Ladies of “Burning Hearts Burlesque”
Aerial by the incredibly talented & beautiful “Goody Goody”
Girls, Girls, Girls! Elvis sandwiches & more!
....
Hosted by drag king sensation “Slick Morehead” & the host of Bad Motor Booty, the one and only “Admiral Bling”
....
Cash prizes for each category, plus additional prizes provided by local merchants and artists.
....
Celebrity judges decide the winners of each category. The judges will be some of Seattle’s most celebrated Elvis & Marilyn Impersonators.
....
We wish to welcome one and all to participate and enjoy this spectacle of undying and immortal love & respect for two amazing American icons, “Elvis Presley” the King of Rock n’ Roll, and “Marilyn Monroe”, the undisputed goddess ultra feminine sexuality.
....
This is an event for ALL fans. We are not gender biased and want everyone to have a great time expressing his or her inner Elvis or Marilyn. Come participate in the contest or just come party like a rock star!"
"Motor & Burning Hearts Presents....
Elvis & Marilyn....
Costume Party & Contest!!
....
Featuring: Girls, Girls, Girls! Live Music by: The Kings
The Lovely Ladies of “Burning Hearts Burlesque”
Aerial by the incredibly talented & beautiful “Goody Goody”
Girls, Girls, Girls! Elvis sandwiches & more!
....
Hosted by drag king sensation “Slick Morehead” & the host of Bad Motor Booty, the one and only “Admiral Bling”
....
Cash prizes for each category, plus additional prizes provided by local merchants and artists.
....
Celebrity judges decide the winners of each category. The judges will be some of Seattle’s most celebrated Elvis & Marilyn Impersonators.
....
We wish to welcome one and all to participate and enjoy this spectacle of undying and immortal love & respect for two amazing American icons, “Elvis Presley” the King of Rock n’ Roll, and “Marilyn Monroe”, the undisputed goddess ultra feminine sexuality.
....
This is an event for ALL fans. We are not gender biased and want everyone to have a great time expressing his or her inner Elvis or Marilyn. Come participate in the contest or just come party like a rock star!"
12
Well, on a metalevel, the sticker itself could be commenting on itself, rather than the thing its stuck on, i.e. that sticker offends women in its generalizations.
Find it a bit presumptuous for the person who sticks it on stuff to think he/she speaks on behalf of women and/or the fact of being a woman would give you special offense-sensitivity powers that non-women lack. Doesn't really raise my awareness of what could be construed as offensive... partly because they are preaching to the choir, but mostly because it covers up the image so that people can see for themselves, and judge for themselves, and possibly learn for themselves what might be offensive.
There's enough visual data for me to see it's a picture of Marilyn Monroe... what's the soundbite sticker saying, really? Is it MM's existence, the choices she's made in a different social environment, the creaminess of her made up face, the name change, or the photographic choices that are offensive.
Find it a bit presumptuous for the person who sticks it on stuff to think he/she speaks on behalf of women and/or the fact of being a woman would give you special offense-sensitivity powers that non-women lack. Doesn't really raise my awareness of what could be construed as offensive... partly because they are preaching to the choir, but mostly because it covers up the image so that people can see for themselves, and judge for themselves, and possibly learn for themselves what might be offensive.
There's enough visual data for me to see it's a picture of Marilyn Monroe... what's the soundbite sticker saying, really? Is it MM's existence, the choices she's made in a different social environment, the creaminess of her made up face, the name change, or the photographic choices that are offensive.
19
but the other side of course does not insult men, because men are for insulting... usually by women...
20
I think it would have been funny to put up "This insults Men" stickers all over those dirty male on male Comeback posters.
21
I just know that the woman who is posting those stickers is a hot 10. Im putting all my money on it that I have left over from my 2008 WaMu stock purchase.
22
Twice in different threads recently people have written "AIR on the side of..."
The phrase is "ERR on the side of," people.
I know that will annoy some, but I'm erring on the side of education.
You're welcome!
The phrase is "ERR on the side of," people.
I know that will annoy some, but I'm erring on the side of education.
You're welcome!
23
Oh, come on. What a stupid idea. The images that really insult women don't need a sticker to tell us, and the ones that are borderline (and this isn't even close) aren't worth arguing over.
I mean, what's she going to do, paste these on the posters outside peeler bars? I mean, duh.
I mean, what's she going to do, paste these on the posters outside peeler bars? I mean, duh.
25
The real irony is that MM was an incredibly powerful woman. The tragedy is that she still felt powerless over her own life. That wasn't so much a result of social norms as a lack of self-confidence, which men have found to be somewhat the norm for "beautiful" women.
Perhaps instead of saying "this or that degrades women", more effort should be spent on overcoming the low self-esteem that inhibits otherwise powerful women.
And no, that does not mean eliminating or demonizing the sexual drive of hetero men. It means embracing it as an immutable fact of life and rising to the challenge.
Perhaps instead of saying "this or that degrades women", more effort should be spent on overcoming the low self-esteem that inhibits otherwise powerful women.
And no, that does not mean eliminating or demonizing the sexual drive of hetero men. It means embracing it as an immutable fact of life and rising to the challenge.
26
If I had to guess I'd say that they are being placed as a parody of "OVERLY SENSITIVE WOMENS STUDIES MAJORS" to quote 11. It just seems so silly.
Honestly, and I admit I'm biased here, I think the academic feminists* are usually the least annoying.
*Except Luce Irigaray.
Honestly, and I admit I'm biased here, I think the academic feminists* are usually the least annoying.
*Except Luce Irigaray.
27
The thing I find most annoying about people who would stoop to something this puerile is that they probably sincerely believe in the notion that women have an inherent right to use their own bodies however they choose - except of course when they do something of which this particular stick-up-her-ass womyn disapproves.
29
these stickers went around my high school in about '92. i live in ottawa canada, so i guess they've gotten around.
30
These stickers were first used by third wavers, especially out of women from Olympia. I find it heartening that there might be even a slight resurgence in this vein of thinking. The immediate response in general on these comments were either negative or pretty indifferent/dismissive, so it seems like we apparently can't even in engage in a debate on this topic...which is the purpose of this post, I think. Bummer that Charles Mudede's morning poo is more of a burning issue than women's rights to the readers of The Stranger.
32
Let's face it - there are a lot of posters that go up around town that ARE pretty insulting, though I personally wouldn't say that this one is. I've gone out and put up some of those stickers with my friends (the two women who made them and who have been doing most of the work), and sometimes I disagree with what they sticker.
There's a fine line between being sex-positive and being sexist, and I think some people cross that line. The other day I recommended that they change the stickers to ask a question: "Is this sexist?" - so instead of presuming to have some kind of definition that declares these posters as empirically oppressive, it engages people on the street in a conversation about what kinds of values are being promoted in the name of entertainment.
Sex/sexuality/body-positivity = awesome... but reinforcing objectification and male-centric sexual marketing = not awesome at all.
There's a fine line between being sex-positive and being sexist, and I think some people cross that line. The other day I recommended that they change the stickers to ask a question: "Is this sexist?" - so instead of presuming to have some kind of definition that declares these posters as empirically oppressive, it engages people on the street in a conversation about what kinds of values are being promoted in the name of entertainment.
Sex/sexuality/body-positivity = awesome... but reinforcing objectification and male-centric sexual marketing = not awesome at all.
33
@31: Sorry, no. "Error" is the noun, "err" the verb.
"The ERROR of your ways"
"To ERR is human; to forgive, divine."
"The ERROR of your ways"
"To ERR is human; to forgive, divine."
34
Hi Benji, nice to see you here.
I would argue that while the image of Marilyn Monroe might be sex-positive, the burlesque industry this poster is promoting, can be viewed as sexist (girls girls! judge!) I also agree with you about the phrasing.
I would argue that while the image of Marilyn Monroe might be sex-positive, the burlesque industry this poster is promoting, can be viewed as sexist (girls girls! judge!) I also agree with you about the phrasing.
35
normally I would be insulted by this entire conversation because the sticker is just silly but right now it's a welcome respite from all this swine flu crap.
36
unattractive men are an insult to women. (whatever . . .)
but seriously, i'm glad to see a thread like this on slog. women's issues are not talked about nearly enough on here.
but seriously, i'm glad to see a thread like this on slog. women's issues are not talked about nearly enough on here.
37
well no I don't think it is insulting to women although I'm not a woman. but I'm tired of the overly sensitive feminist types that argue about burlesque, stripping, porn, the existence of the word "slut," women who dress to look good (men dress their best all over, all the time for women/men also!!), etc. I sincerely wish they would travel outside of Seattle and go to smaller, more isolated, conservative places to vent because Seattle is already, arguably, less sexist /misogynistic than most places in the US
38
Oh God, a picture of a woman insults women? That means that we need to ban all pictures and representations of women in public for fear of offending women!
Or not.
Or not.
41
"women from Olympia"
Wow, you know what? When ever I need to stall an orgasm, that's exactly what I imagine, 'women from Olympia'. Works even better than thinking about my 94 year old grandma.
Wow, you know what? When ever I need to stall an orgasm, that's exactly what I imagine, 'women from Olympia'. Works even better than thinking about my 94 year old grandma.
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