Fighting with a Lollipop Sword

Muscling through being a feminist in a crazy crazy world.

[lollipopsword-blog]

And more in toy news, an exciting story about another move to stop pigeonholing our kids into gender stereotypes through toys.

[lollipopsword-blog]

LEGO is making a female scientist character. Score!

[lollipopsword-blog]

Enjoyable quote from Mark Ruffalo on why as a man he his speaking up about being pro-choice.

[lollipopsword-blog]

12 Anti-Suffragette Cartoons (via mentalfloss.com)

My husband sent this to me at work the other day. He really enjoys giving me content for the blog (a.k.a. prodding me...ha). I do find it interesting to see where we have been, and where we still have to go.

[lollipopsword-blog]

A funny and creative way to bring up all the dumb things commercials seem to believe about women from the folks at Sketchy on Yahoo. Great casting and calling out the stereotypes. Plus, everyone could use a little Weird Al.

[lollipopsword-blog]

This is a VERY interesting article written by a woman at the NY Times about the hook up culture on college campuses and how college women appear to be navigating their choices. My takeaway is not necessarily that we need to be telling our students what's wrong or right about the relationships they choose, but we need to be helping them navigate and understand the potential consequences of their actions. They need to know how to respect themselves and make the choices they want to make, not the ones they feel they have to make.

You can also see a video of an interview with the author on MSNBC here (although I'm not a fan of this conversation): http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036789/ns/msnbc_tv-morning_joe/#52478110

[lollipopsword-blog]

Just because this makes me laugh.

[lollipopsword-blog]

This is a very enlightening blog post over at Destrictiod about the role of female characters in video games. It ends with why a main female character in Bioshock Infinite was placed on the back of the game cover instead of the front. Very interesting take on what the gaming industry finds customers will buy.

[lollipopsword-blog]

Images from the Make Your Move Missoula campaign to end sexual violence. Pretty good statement!

More on the campaign: https://www.facebook.com/MakeYourMoveMissoula

[lollipopsword-blog]

I work in higher education. I understand and respect the place that Greek life holds for some of our students. The one thing I strive for is every student finding his/her place on campus that provides the well-rounded, inclusive environment. This is why my heart breaks and I become so angry toward stories like this. Unfortunate instances of the Greek community not living up to their own standards and demeaning others.

"Five years ago, the Phi Sigma Kappa brothers at American University decided it would be hilarious to print rush t-shirts that said "Please don't feed the sorority girls" on the front and "Campus Beautification" on the back...."

[lollipopsword-blog]

Saw this post from Upworthy on Twitter. Click the photo out for more pictures of the delightfully progressive ads!

"Toys "R" Us officially moved up a few notches in the eyes of progressives by challenging the gender stereotypes that have lined its pages for years. The Swedish version of the toy store did at least. I definitely like the idea of letting kids choose what they want to identify with instead of having it spelled out for them. I really hope this catches on"

[lollipopsword-blog]

An interesting (and needed) article about the differences between the handling of the Te'o fake girlfriend scandal and the suicide of a young woman raped by a Notre Dame player. I look forward to a world where women and men are not afraid to stand up and be heard.

[lollipopsword-blog]

Outdated laws can often be ridiculous and sometimes disturbing. However, I would say this one takes the cake. A California court overturned the conviction of a man for raping a woman because he was only impersonating her boyfriend, not her husband. If she had been married, then it would be considered rape. Um...what? I'm pretty sure sneaking into someone's room and having sex with them while they are asleep and intoxicated is rape.

[lollipopsword-blog]

"It started as a way for an 8-year-old girl to keep up with her big brother." This is an awesome highlight video made by a young girl's father of her tearing up the football field. She is only 9 year old. I can only hope we see her on a college team in about 9 years. :)

Full article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/internet-sensation--nine-year-old-girl-shredding-defenses-to-the-tune-of-25-touchdowns.html

[lollipopsword-blog]

If this had been any other coach ever, I do not think we would be talking about it. (I'm looking at you and your visor Spurrier.) However, she gets frustrated with a ref, shows some emotion on the sidelines, and makes news. Hmm.

[keiren-smith-blog]

From Jezebel, “Eight-year-old Stella Ehrhart decides what to wear each day by looking through her book,100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century, and picking a different notable female historical figure.

Recent selections include Billie Holiday (black dress, red tissue-paper flower), Grace Kelly (pink satin lace), and Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Girl knows how to mix it up!)”

[awesomestuffwomendid]

Wow what an awesome idea! And probably a great confidence booster!

[lollipopsword-blog]

"Being a jerk is always a bad idea, but it is an especially bad idea when you clearly have no idea what you're talking about."

This is the best response to ridiculous behavior I've seen in a while. Good for her.