Pop Culture Feminism

Friend of the Women: Kathy Griffin

I am a huge Kathy Griffin fan.  Huge.  I used her D-List show as my way to get through grad school.  I see a lot of myself in her unapologetic ways and I strive to one day be able to stand in front of Michelle Bachmann and ask her if she was born a bigot…  Check out this link if you don’t know what I am talking about.  As such, I have been watching Ms. Griffin’s new show on Bravo and was so pleased to hear her say that Gloria Steinem is her hero and that she is concerned about the new generations of feminist women.  She asked the big question “Who are the upcoming feminists?”  I would answer that by saying “Well, you are definitely in the mix, Ms.  Griffin!  Along with Margaret Cho, Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, if we are in the actress category.  For writers, check out Jennifer Baumgardner, Amy Richards, Jessica Valenti and all the bloggers over at Jezebel.” 

I am thrilled that KG brought up this question on national TV.  I am even more thrilled at this post from her FB page today.  I am convinced that comedian’s often have a more defined finger on the pulse of social issues that most politicians or even academics.  Which is why I love that KG got a friend at the pentagon to respond to President Obama’s revelation that he is in favor of gay marriage.  Check out her post below.

***************************************************

Ok, NOW on to today’s speech. Here’s some of my correspondence from my contact at The Pentagon…

“OK KG, a couple of things.

Nothing —- and I mean nothing the Vice President of the United States does (no matter if it’s this one or the last one or the next one) or says on a major news outlet’s Sunday morning show is an accident. Nothing. The Sunday shows are the days that they use to roll out trial balloons and major policy shifts or announcements.

And that, I believe, is what VPOTUS Biden did. Biden’s view has never been in question. He’s supported equal marriage rights for years. it is the President’s view that had to “evolve.”

And, today - it did just that. The President said on ABC today that his opinion on the matter of equal marriage rights has changed. He now supports - openly, not just in certain circles - equal marriage rights for all. His words: all American’s should be treated equally. I suppose his advisers finally came to the conclusion that that bigots who pull some of the strings in the RNC will never NOT believe that he’s a Kenyan Muslim and that no amount of equivocating on the marriage issue will convince them that he’s a good guy, worthy of voting for.

Frankly, for an election year, this is a ballsy move. In terms of public opinion, it’s not really that ballsy, with near majorities supporting equal rights for all. But for this sort of a move to happen pre-election, it’s something.

To be sure, the President has done quite a bit for the GLBT community. And, supporting our full citizenship - not just this sort-of-citizen status, this 3/5ths American status that gays and lesbians currently have - will go a long way in both raising morale amongst a tired gay constituency but also might mobilize those political gays to get out the vote.”

(This part is just me talkin, not from the Pentagon at all! They are a little more eloquent than I!)… And YES haters, I get that the timing has to do with this being an election year. That’s precisely why he’s not so safe! As I always say when I’m on the road, “Remember LGBT and forward thinkers… it ain’t all Chelsea Manhattan and West Hollywood, there’s a WHOLE big country out there! Shit takes TIME, but our work continues!” XXOO, KG

Rachel Dratch is a Catch!

I have been reading Rachel Dratch’s book “Girl Walks into a Bar” and am blown away by her hilarious and poignant take on beauty and Hollywood.  Not to give much away, because seriously you need to read this book on your own, but she correctly points out in the intro that her 17+ years of training often come down to discussions of the symmetry of her face during auditions and casting process.  Forget the years at The Second City, forget her Dartmouth Degree, even ignore the seven years at SNL (where I still contend that Debbie Downer is one of the best characters of the last 15 years).  Nope.  Decisions to cast her are based on whether or not the network guys could see themselves banging her.  Her comments are so true, so touching and really mark the insane bar that is set for beauty in Hollywoodland, which then extends to normalpeopleland.  I don’t remember if it was Martin Sheen or Dustin Hoffman, but on one of their “Inside the Actor’s Studio” episodes there was a comment on the change in actors over the years.  He said something like “It used to be that good acting was judged on talent.  Now the criteria seems to be if you are physically fit.”  So true and so sad.  Good thing I have Rachel to add to my shelf next to Tina Fey, Jennifer Weiner and Susan Jane Gilman.  I can have a laugh and find some self-esteem all in one spot.  Thanks for a great read, Rachel!

Strong Female Characters

I don’t think I have yet professed my love for the character of River Song on the BBC show Doctor Who.  I love her.  She is strong, independent, fierce, tough, fearless and (like me) has curly hair.  As the season premiere of Doctor Who gets closer I will write more about her but, for now, you can read about her here and see her at work in Doctor Who here (if you are not aware, the Doctor is her husband and she has to die because… Spoilers!)

I mention her because I have been listening to a two-part series my friend Patricia Leavy has been doing on her radio show Low-Fat Love: 101 on pop culture and women.  Her guest has been Dr.  Melissa Anyiwo, an expert on vampire and representations of women of color in pop culture.  Please listen to their two-part discussion on strong female characters, body image and the expectations of women of color in tv and film, especially with Tyler Perry productions.  I have often said that it would be great if “strong” women on tv and in film was not something we had to go seek out, that is should just be there. Part One is here and Part Two is here.

Along the same lines, I am a huge fan of this speech that Joss “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Creator” Whedon gave in 2006.  In part he says that he will continue to write strong women characters until people stop asking him “Why do you write these strong female characters?” 

We need to do better when presenting girls with characters they can emulate.  Less Kardashian and more River Song.  That’s what I say.

Thoughts on Rosie…

Dear Rosie O’Donnell,

First off, let me say that I am a big fan and have been for most of my life.  I was around 12 years old when A League of Their Own came out and I remember that the image of women playing baseball, strong women with muscles and bruises from sliding, made a huge impact on me.  I think the film was the first VHS tape I ever owned.  So I have considered you a part of my life for most of my life.  Which is why I am sad that your show on OWN is going off the air and I wanted to send a little tribute your way to say thanks for continuing to be a fierce, funny feminist voice in a pop culture that often wants women to be silenced or quiet.  It seems like pop culture, right now, either has to peg us as drama queens or snarky housewives and that makes me sad.

Thanks Rosie, for being a tough broad who cannot hold back on what she thinks.  I love that in the few months you did your show for OWN you took on Penn State, Rush Limbaugh, sexual and physical abuse (LOVED the Tori Amos show), Fred Phelps, teen pregnancy and that Dance Moms show, which frankly baffles me.  You gave a lot of girls and women a chance to see your gift of connection with people. You didn’t have this opportunity, I thought, on The View where the focus seemed to be more on how many different ways you could disagree with Elisabeth. I was impressed with the Kathy Griffin interview, she is amazing and the interview really showed how much thought and work she puts into her comedy. 

Thank you for holding the forum after OWN premiered Miss Representation and talking with girls about how they feel media treats them.  That, I think is huge.  Asking girls their opinions in this stuff, in my opinion, is more eye opening than anything else we can do.  The media claims to know what girls want, but what they are forgetting is that smart girls know the difference between what they want and what they are being told to want.  We need those girls to step up more and have platforms like the one you gave them to say “This does not represent me.”

I will miss you, Rosie.  I hope you find a new home ASAP.  I think you are a funny, funny girl and I hope that your voice continues to be heard.

Yours,

Adrienne