Death of Academic Feminism: Women's Studies Canned in UK

Beginning this summer British universities will no longer offer an undergraduate degree in women's studies.

Critics argue the reason was dwindling interest with students finding the subject of feminism and the struggle for equality, "predictable, tiresome and dreary" while others claim it was the universities fault for under promoting the studies program and students who preferred to pay tuition for courses which actually helped them obtain a degree in the job market.

"[Taking] women's studies as a separate course may not feel as relevant to women who go to university to help them enter the job market," said Jean Edelstein, an author and journalist. "As the feminist movement has become increasingly associated with extreme thoughts, women who may have previously been interested in women's studies may be deterred by these overtones."

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Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page

John Edwards' Love Child Scandal: Reille Hunter "Kept" Woman

Times have changed,
And we've often rewound the clock,
Since the Puritans got a shock,
When they landed on Plymouth Rock. If today,
Any shock they should try to stem,
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking,
But now, God knows,
Anything Goes.

Former Edwards campaign Director of Operations, Andrew Young, gives Open Marriage advocates something to cheer about.

The 41-year-old former "North Carolina Finance Director" of the Edwards campaign has stepped forward and not only claimed the "alleged" love child of John Edwards as his but has also moved his six months pregnant mistress, Reille Hunter, into the same multi-million dollar gated community as his own wife and children.

No word from Young's wife on how well she's adjusted to the new neighbor, the 'other' woman and the impending "bundle of joy."

According to the National Enquirer, the bald headed stepchild of the MSM, an unnamed source claims Young, and his 'first' family, his legally married wife and legitimate children, had dinner with his pregnant paramour in her newly acquired abode.

Young issued a statement that he was the father of the Edwards "love child."

Edwards' lawyer called The ENQUIRER and denied the well-coiffed Democratic candidate is the father of Rielle's baby, adding that Rielle would deny it as well.

A day later, in a shocking twist, the attorney for Mr. Young issued a statement that Young fathered Rielle's baby!

"Andrew Young is the father of Ms. Hunter's unborn child," declared his Washington, D.C.-based attorney.

Confusion reigned when Young, contacted by the intrepid Enquirer reporters, denied knowing the mother of his love child, Reille Hunter, even though he staunchly claims the baby is his.

He also denied knowing "any Rielle Hunter," yelling at the top of his voice: "You don't even know who I am!" But when his wife called him "Andrew," he shot her a dirty look.

An enraged Young called police, demanding our reporters be arrested for trespassing. Officers from the Chatham County (N.C.) Sheriff's Department responded, questioned everyone and made no arrests.

Feminists have yet to weigh in. One would think that in this day and age Feminists would wonder why a pregnant woman would need to rely so heavily on the 'father' of her child. That an independent, strong woman, would be able to take responsibility for her own actions especially in matters of conception. And if she chose to keep her baby she would continue to provide for herself and not count on the father or 'others' for her sole support.

Young's decision to move his 44-year-old pregnant girlfriend and her unborn child into the same swank community as his first family shows that old fashioned morality has finally fallen by the wayside replaced by a new set of standards, those of great 1934 Cole Porter musical, Anything Goes!

Source - National Enquirer
Cole Porter Lyrics, Anything Goes
Image [sondheimguide.com]

By LBG



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Multicultural Problem: What's Your Favorite Color?

Multiculturalists have plenty of signs to follow
What's a committed multiculturalist to do when you've accumulated so many aggrieved groups and have to judge among whose cause is more important?

I mean, besides hold a Democrat Party fund-raiser.

Mark Steyn reports on an interesting exchange that took place last week. It highlights the problem of 'too many colors in the multicultural rainbow'.

[Australian News reporter Pamela Bone to selective feminist, Germaine Greer, in Melbourne]:

I then asked why it was that Western feminists seemed so reluctant to speak out against things such as honour killings.

Greer: "It's very tricky. I am constantly being asked to go to Darfur to interview rape victims. I can talk to rape victims here. Why should I go to Darfur to talk to rape victims?"

Questioner (me): "Because it's so much worse there."

Greer: "Who says it is?"

Questioner: "I do, because I've been there."

Greer: "Well, it is just very tricky to try to change another culture. We let down the victims of rape here. We haven't got it right in our own courts. What good would it do for me to go over there and try to tell them what to do? I am just part of decadent Western culture and they think we're all going to hell fast and maybe we are all going to hell fast."

Steyn then remarks, "Too "tricky" to speak out against honor killings, and you can't teach an old feminist new tricks."

Multiculturalists have a problem: when all the supposedly put upon groups they champion are seeking preferred treatment--special speech rights and another cut of the government's dole--which one is first among equals?

When you don't have a favorite color, any will do. It works the same way for value systems: once you've rejected the West, any old thing can be best.

A simple solution would be the adherence to a simple creed. Other than "Expedience Rules!"

Something short and sweet and easy to remember. How about

"All men are created equal"?

Of course, this would immediately offend the feminist, lesbian and trans-gendered portion of their audience.

It's also too Western-centric, so that's out.

But clearly, "What's your favorite color?" won't do.

Germanine Greer, in the previous exchange, unknowingly suggests a new rallying cry of multicultural moral equivalence-mongers everywhere. Something to guide them when their way is unclear. How's this?

"It's tricky!"



by Mondoreb
Sources:
Australian News - Why stay mute on Islamic Sexual Apartheid?
The Corner - Feminist Fatalist

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Feminists Make Better Mates Claim New Study by Feminist

At right: Noted feminist Andrea Dworkin

Feminists are passion powerhouses?

According to a study by a Rutger's professor, if it's lovin' you're craving: date a feminist, you'll be ravin'.

Or something like that. From the City of the Big Shoulders comes the following story about a big study: "Feminists Make Better Mates" in the Chicago Tribune.

Take a feminist out to dinner.

That's the advice of a social psychologist who concludes in a new study that feminists make better partners and have stronger romantic relationships.

Laurie Rudman of Rutgers University had found in earlier research that negative stereotypes of feminists--that they're unattractive, man-hating lesbians, in a nutshell--cause young adults to distance themselves from the "F-word" and tone down their demands for equality. A majority of college-age respondents agreed with such statements as "Most men would probably not want to date a feminist" and "Romance depends, in part, on men being allowed to be in charge."

So, the stereotype that feminists are unattractive is just so much bullhockey? It may be so, but if the study group includes feminists of the radical kind, we'd say there's reason to be skeptical of the study's findings.

That's leaving aside the fact that the study's author, Dr. Rudman, was alarmed by news that feminists were perceived to be unattractive. And forget the fact that there are no facts--the data itself is largely subjective. It's like proclaiming Howard Dean the president after looking at fund-raising and polling data from 2003.

Oh wait. There were those who actually did that.

Maybe they qualified for grant money for a study, too.

Back to the notion that feminists are unattractive man-haters. We picked out some photos of who's listed in Wikipedia under "Feminists". Those are the pictures you see accompanying this story. Are these famous feminists femme fatales?

We'll leave that for the reader to judge. But as stated before, Rudman was alarmed.

This was alarming to Rudman, who is old enough to remember the heyday of the women's rights movement in the 1970s. Continued efforts to achieve gender equality could be seriously hurt, she reasoned, if women (and men) think it comes at the expense of love.

The story goes on--and on and on.

Someone is alarmed that there's a stereotype that feminists are an unappealing lot, does a study where the "measurement" involves asking people what they think, then publishes the results.

Voila! Proof that feminists are really closet Paris Hiltons. This "proof" will be little consolation to the feminists who spend next Saturday night at home with a gallon of Haagen-Dazs reading Rudman's study.

Read the Tribune's story. If you are so inclined, find the study and read it. Maybe re-read this story. Then make up your own mind. That seems to be the fairest way. Besides, this story is at its end.

Looking for pictures of attractive feminists "proved" to be exhausting work.

by Mondoreb




Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Iran Women, Thousands Jailed For "Moral Vices"

From today's BBC News comes another story of Iran's crackdown on "vice."

Iranian newspapers have printed a list of moral vices that the police are targeting, including wearing make-up and hats instead of headscarves.

The police say they will also suppress "decadent" films, drugs and alcohol.

This year has seen one of the most ferocious crackdowns on un-Islamic behaviour and improper Islamic dress by the authorities for at least a decade.

But it has now emerged the current campaign has the overt backing of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The police are warning they will deal seriously with any women who dare to wear short trousers, skimpy overcoats or skirts that are revealingly transparent or have slits in them.

Wearing boots instead of full length trousers will not be tolerated, nor will hats instead of headscarves.

Indeed, the police stipulate that small headscarves are out - the scarf must cover a woman's head and neck completely.

And what happens to these women who dare to wear such "immoral" clothing?

In the last six months, tens of thousands of women have been warned or arrested because of their clothes.

Source: BBC News: Iran launches anti-vice crackdown

What fascinates me is the assertions here in the United States that Iran is a "peaceful" country, that their push for "all things nuclear" is for "peaceful" purposes. And yet this "peaceful" country is throwing their women into jail for daring to wear such "lewd" clothing as "skimpy overcoats" or not covering their "whole neck."

My opinion of feminists continues to plummet. Feminists are supposed to speak out for all women, everywhere. Our feminists have become lazy, resting on their mother's laurels. They are more concerned with bringing down the "evil" Dick Cheney and George Bush and where to get a good Brazilian Wax than the plight of women in Iran who would like to be able to wear mascara without going to jail.

The silence of our feminists about the plight of Middle Eastern women has been highly illuminating. They claim to carry the banner for all women but in the end, just a select few. After all, they have important work to do. Whatever that work is, it doesn't include speaking out about the treatment of the women who live under the hardline rule of Islamist extremists.

By Little Baby Ginn





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