The Sticker and the Feminist

Hi there. 

 

Meet Ali. 

He owns a gas station and garage in Yonkers by the Cross County Mall.  I visited him last week as my car needed its NYS inspection done. 

While there, I noticed a white lanky guy in his  20s waiting for his car, which was being worked on in the dock.  On the back of his car was an offensive sticker (see below). 

The irony was not lost on me.  Ali, the mechanic working on both our cars, is Muslim. 

 

As a feminist, I can’t help but to notice these things on a regular basis.  The problem is I don’t  always know what to do.  Should I approach the owner of the car and ask him about his sticker?  Should I tell him I am offended?  If I did, would that offer any valuable impact or result?

I decided to make mention to Ali in private that bumper stickers are pretty interesting.  He then took a look at my “Proud to be a Feminist” sticker, and then glanced over to the other car.  His eyes locked on the anti-mosque sticker and smiled.

After a few moments, he asked the young man what was the meaning behind that sticker.  The young man turned bright red and said it was nothing.  “It’s just a joke” he added.  Ali asked the young man how he would feel about an anti-church sticker.  He asked him if that would be funny.

The young man sheepishly grinned and said, “No.”

At the register, Ali thanked me for bringing his attention to the sticker.  He had known this young man for over 14 years, “…since before 9/11.”  He told me that just after 9/11 his gas station (in Yorktown Heights) was trashed by several drunk white men screaming that they were protecting “their” country.  He added that he shared this information with this young man, when they were both much younger, and the blond white lanky boy shook his head because he couldn’t understand why people were so hateful.

As our conversation ended, I was grateful that my car passed inspection.  I paid my bill and drove off to the Bronx imagining, or hoping, that Ali and this young man will now have more conscious dialogue about the effects of racism, all because of a sticker and a feminist.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Dark Skin ≠ Looking Suspicious

Photo from A. Reyes-Evans

Tomorrow, at 9:30 AM, there will be a rally held in Mamaroneck.  Check below for info and join in the justice!

From Facebook:
"Dark Skin ≠ Looking Suspicious but Mamaroneck police seemed to think otherwise. Luis Quiros, local activist, community organizer, educator, and author, was considered "suspicious", harassedm and arrested--for sitting in his car in front of his home? Please see the above link for more details a...bout Luis's experience."

"IN RESPONSE, we will be showing up for his court date. It will be Feb. 28 9:30 at 169 Mt. Pleasant Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543."

"This will be a peaceful and nonviolent rally. We will be holding signs with messages like, "Dark Skin ≠ Looking Suspicious" and "Dissent is Patriotic" etc."

"PLEASE JOIN US & INVITE OTHERS!"

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/432178113525162/

A Shot in the Heart!

Today, I visited a friend on the upper west side of Manhattan.  We walked and talked about the various cool things NY had to offer as well as matters of the heart.

As we continued our journey, we found a great restaurant called the PeaceFood Cafe.  There, we ordered sandwiches and aweome Chic Pea Fries!  Yum!

At PeaceFood Cafe, all of the delicious foods are animal and animal secretions free!  Yup.  Everything on the menu was vegan and very good, in all aspects of the word.  So not only did the food taste great, but it was good for the heart!

My favorite person who speaks volumes on vegan issues, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau recently posted on FB a heartfelt message.  It read, "We tend to indulge in rich, decadent, animal-based foods when we dine with our beloved on Valentine’s Day. Ironically, the heart, the symbol of this romantic holiday, is the organ we stop from beating in animals, whose flesh and secretions we then then serve to loved ones, which in turn hinders the blood flowing to our own hearts. For the sake of our loved ones, our health, and the animals, choose life-giving rather than life-taking foods."

My friend and I parted after our scrumptious meal, and I headed to the subway.  There, I started to think more about the foods I eat and the reasons why I am a vegan.  I think choosing to be vegan was the best choice I ever made, however staying vegan sometimes gets difficult.  Today, it was easy. 

So when I got home, I decided to jump start the compassion in my heart by watching a few videos on youtube about veganism.  My heart skipped a beat when I found an interesting video about building muscle as a vegan starring Noel Polanco, a vegan male fitness model (see below).

In his video, he describes his typical breakfast and dinner as well as offers a sample of his workout routine.  You might want to check him out below as well as like his page on FB.

My heart is now racing, and probably beating a little healthier after a great day visiting with a friend, dining at a great restaurant and feeding my soul with the awesome choices I make to stay on the vegan path.

May joy fill your heart so that you can love more deeply.

Happy Valentine's Week!

Victoria's Secret Exposed - Just in Time for Valentine's Day!

The snow is falling in NY today and that might cut into some holiday shopping with Valentine's just a few days away.  Many people shop for various gifts during this time of year for their partners.  Many people go for the flowers, chocolate and jewlery, while other people go as far as to buy expensive underwear from high priced stores like Victoria's Secret. 



Well, have you ever wanted to really get to know a Victoria Secret Model?  Perhaps you have been itching to know the truth behind the camera? 

Well, you are in luck! 

Cameron Russell, underwear model, answers typical questions models are asked.  She does this in a thoughtful, humble, and honest way.  Please enjoy her reveal.

Mass Media Messages Through Gaming

Happy New Year and Cheers to you and yours!

This holiday season I shifted gears and bought a television into my home. Since then, my son and I have enjoyed hours of Netflix and video games!

On Netflix, we have been watching Cheers, the 1982 sitcom that takes place in a bar in Boston.

We finished the first season yesterday and we were both very much satisfied with it. It was funny and provocative.

Within the first season, Cheers had episodes on marriage, feminism, masculinity, racism, dating, homophobia and alcoholism. Thirty years later, theses issues are still important to discuss in mainstream media.





On our PS3, we have been playing Star Wars Legos together, and we are about 70% of the way done.

When I am working on my computer, I sometimes look over at him playing Resident Evil 5, and I can't help but to wonder how race and gender play out in video games.

In Resident Evil, the main character, who is a man, appears as muscular and the second character, who is a woman, is scantily clad, and both of whom are light-skinned.

You might notice in the poster that the male character is facing forward.  This is a typical stance for men in ads.  Please also notice the female character is facing to the side, but her body is facing backwards.  And more to the point, her butt is facing forwards in an enticing (vs. menacing) stance.

In Star Wars Legos, most of the characters are male with only a few female characters sprinkled in. When the game first starts, the characters that are automatically selected for both controllers are always male and light-skinned.

You can see the cover of the video game here with 9 male characters displayed and one female character.  All of the human characters that are not masked are presumably white. The one female takes centerstage with her right eye winking, her lips kissing, and her outfit ready to entice!

These are just my observations on two games in my own home. However, I am not alone in this discovery.  Below is a video put together by Feminist Frequency: Anita Sarkeesian.  She has compiled characters from video games and made some interesting discoveries.   
 
Please watch the video to learn about how she is discovering the tropes in videogames and what you can do to support her work.

BTW, tropes = a theme.

 

 

3 Gifts/Resolutions: Presence, Clarity and Openess

I am a college professor by trade, and as the semester draws to a close, I am feeling tired and weary. Any like many people around this time of the year, I am reflecting back on what I have done and what I want to do in the near future. So although New Year's is still a few weeks away, I created a simple list of resolutions/gifts for myself.

1. Be Present

When I am interrupted by someone, sometimes I forget to be present with that person.  I am eager to multitask and divide my attention between that person and what I am currently working on.  Sometimes I think that I am a PC with Windows.  I think I can run an application in the background while working on another program in the foreground.

I am renewing my commitment to do only one thing at a time.  I may be a little less efficient, but I will be more engaged and present!

When I am interrupted by someone, I will either stop and give them my full attention or ask them to wait until I am at a stopping point in my work. 

2. Be Clear About Being UnClear

Sometimes I make decisions when I am confused or not sure what the best answer is.  In those times, I feel an internal pressure to make a decision and thus come up short.

My goal is to give myself permission to be comfortable in the unknown gray areas.  I will answer IDK in moment of uncertainty rather than force an answer. 

3. Be Open

For a long time, being organized, linear in my thinking, and in control helped me.  I was able to go to school and work full-time at the same time and keep my sanity.  Being organized helped me organize over 250 events including retreats, workshops, and parties.

Now, I am adopting a new way of living where I am less likely to be in control and be more open to going with the flow regardless of the pace.  I am committed to learning the fun in letting go and accepting what is right in front of me.  And with a few weeks off from work, that will prove to be quite a time to practice this resolution.

I hope these are commitments that I will uphold for the duration of the year and then some.  May you enjoy the holiday season and also have the opportunity to be present, clear and open as well!

 

Minnie, Smurfette and Jane

In a recent post, I shared my discovery of Mickey Mouse's whiteness.

From there, I started to wonder about the gender differences between Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

I started to think about her name, Minnie.  Calling a female character "mini" and then giving her a supporting versus a lead role to my mind is unfair and sexist.

And this inequity can be found in many other cartoons as well. Smurfs is a great example of this. Each character is named after his talent or special characteristic. For example, Brainy Smurf is very smart. However, Smurfette, the first female smurf, has a name that refers to her as less than, like Minnie. Is that her talent? Why is the first female smurf's name diminutive?

Boys and girls deserve to see more equity in their cartoons as well as in their formative years. And there is some good work being done to help create more balance in children's media.

Please check out www.seejane.com for more information.

Below, please meet Jane.