Shakesville

Trigger Warning

STRONG TRIGGER WARNING.

This, via a whole bunch of Shakers, though Elle was the first to send it to me late last night, is one of the most profoundly upsetting stories that's come across my desk, so to speak, in five years of blogging. I couldn't even get through reading the details of the case without sobbing.

The details are these [again, strong trigger warning]: A fifteen-year-old girl was brutally gang-raped for more than two hours by at least four assailants, each of whom committed multiple sexual assaults, while as many as 15 other young men stood and watched, and not a single one of them called police or in any way helped the victim.

The attack happened on school grounds during a high school Homecoming Dance, and as witnesses went back in, they would tell other young men, who went out to watch and/or participate. Police were called after someone overheard people who had attended the assault scene "reminiscing about the incident," and found the victim just before midnight, lying under a bench where her rapists had abandoned her, unconscious and in critical condition.

According to authorities, the victim was flown to an area hospital in critical condition. She was in stable condition Monday, police said.

"This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it," [Lt. Mark Gagan of the Richmond, CA police department] said. "It was like a horror movie after looking at the evidence. I can't believe not one person felt compelled to help her."

I really can't begin to sufficiently convey my profound compassion for the survivor of this inhuman assault, my sadness at thinking about what enormous work her recovery will be, my grief, my anguish, my terror that no one helped her, my fervent wish for justice.

There's a lot to process; I know a lot of Shakers who've read this story want a safe space in which to talk about it and what they're feeling. So I'm just going to open it up without any real commentary, because I don't know what to say.

Shocked, I Say!

I hope you're near a fainting couch and have a trusty manservant standing at the ready with a mint julep and the smelling salts in case you swoon from a case of the vapors, Lady Shakers, because this shocking news may cause delicate constitutions to be easily overwhelmed: It turns out that the "he-cession" hasn't really been good for women after all!

In fact, it turns out that even among the most economically privileged women, the recession has been bad! (GASP!) And not only that—women have actually fared worse than men!

Female chief executives earned just 58 percent of what their male counterparts did in 2008, and their compensation packages were slashed three times as much as their male peers, according to a survey released on Monday.

Get me to the fainting couch, Martha! Quick—before I succumb from the weight of my own dripping contempt!

[H/T to Shaker InfamousQBert.]

Bea: Good

All the More Proof that Bea was A List:

The estate of the late, great Bea Arthur — aka Maude, aka Dorothy Petrillo Sbornak — has donated $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center. The nation's largest organization dedicated to homeless GLBT youth, the center announced at Arthur's memorial service last month that they planned to purchase a building to house 12 youths and name it her honor.

The Ali Forney Center offers emergency shelter and transitional housing in numerous residential sites in New York City, and operates drop-in centers offering food, clothing, medical and mental health treatment, HIV testing, treatment and prevention services, and vocational and educational assistance — providing services to over 1,000 young people each year. Per a press release, Executive Director Carl Siciliano said,
"We work with hundreds of young people who are rejected by their families because of who they are. We are overwhelmed with gratitude that Bea saw that LGBT youth deserve as much love and support as any other young person, and that she placed so much value in the work we do to protect them, and to help them rebuild their lives."

The Ali Forney Center plans to name one of its transitional residences in Bea Arthur's honor, "as an expression of gratitude for Bea's extraordinary kindness and generosity to the homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth served by AFC." You can make a donation to support the Bea Arthur Residence here.

[H/T to Shaker RedEmma.]

Dear Emma...

Shaker Caitlin emails (which I am publishing with her permission):

I am a student at Exeter University in the UK. We're having Emma Thompson come to visit and I am one of the privileged few to be meeting her. I intend to use this opportunity to talk to her about the Roman Polanski petition, and find out if she knows exactly what it is she has signed.

I have set up a petition online, in the hopes that I can hand her a list of names and comments next week from the online community (and my own university, hopefully) showing our dismay at her decision to sign the Roman Polanski petition.

If you could post about the petition/let people know about it, I'd be very grateful!

Sign the petition here. [Trigger Warning: The petition includes a description of the crime.]

If nothing else, hopefully Ms. Thompson will get to hear that there are people who are concerned and upset about her position, which will maybe get her to reconsider her commitment to the Free Polanski movement.

Radio Shakesville

Link. iTunes. List. Pop-up.

Shake It Up, Baby

Shaker Constant Comment sent me this AP article about nightclubs catering to fatties, where "people who might have some trouble getting past the velvet ropes at other night spots because of their size are made to feel like they fit right in." As with any pretty much reporting on fat issues, there are problems with this piece; I particularly enjoyed: "the very nature of such venues has led some to question whether they are encouraging people to remain fat in a society where, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of adults are already obese." Ahh, the return of the unquoted and unidentified "some" who "question" whether fatties are being encouraged to stay fat just because something exists that doesn't shame us for having wrought our monstrous selves upon the world.

I don't suppose I even need to point out how such a "concern" once again underscores that such "concerns" are not about health, but about appearance, when the suggestion is that a place in which people spend their time dancing might be bad for people accused of being unhealthy because of the DEATHFAT attributed to DEATHLAZINESS! Criminy. The hypocrisy of the "health-concerners" couldn't be any more transparent: You're fat because you don't exercise, but you shouldn't be allowed access to any sort of active fun in public because it might encourage your horrible fatty-fatness! Now go home and die on your couch out of my site, lardy!

[Insert here seven million stories from fat Shakers of being eyeballed, mocked, or yelled at while working out at a gym, walking, riding a bike, or engaging in any other activity While Fat.]

But, in good news, not only was there no headless fatty picture; this was the image accompanying the story:

This photo taken Aug. 8, 2009 shows patrons dancing at Club Bounce in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/ Philip Scott Andrews)

Wow. It's almost like they're…human! Imagine that.

Daily Kitteh

"You are getting sleepy...you want to hand over the catnip...you want to give me treats..."

Questions Answered

Remember when the Letterman story broke, and I was all "My issue with Letterman's behavior is that one of the richest, most powerful men in television making a habit of sleeping with female subordinates is not only a major ethical breach, but also raises (what ought to be) obvious questions about coercion. If there is an expectation, even an implicit or oblique expectation, that sleeping with the boss may be part of your job, whether there can be genuine and undiluted enthusiastic consent is a serious question." And all "a boss who makes a habit of sleeping with subordinates creates a workplace environment that has the potential to communicate to all female staffers that sleeping with the boss is an expectation of the job. … It's an issue of the workplace culture being created." And all:

And the women who had affairs with Letterman aren't the only consideration. Did any women feel compelled to leave their jobs because they didn't feel safe or comfortable in a workplace environment in which the boss made a habit of sleeping with female subordinates?

And did Letterman's habit tacitly condone the same behavior among senior male staff? In which case it's not just one boss who makes a habit of sleeping with female subordinates, but multiple male bosses who have the same habit. And, if that's the case, were all of them responsible partners who never overtly coerced anyone?

It's just not as simple as Letterman's individual relationships with individual women -- and pointing out how this stuff reverberates through an office environment doesn't require infantilizing the women who were sexually involved with Letterman. They could still have agency, and other women still could have felt coerced by the workplace culture.

And remember how it was just another example of my being a feminist hysteric who hates men and infantilizes women and imagines things that aren't there, just because I don't have enough to get angry about on a daily basis unless I invent shit?

Yeah, well, it turns out that a former female staffer at Late Night "remembers a hostile, sexually charged atmosphere," with pretty much exactly the culture I suggested tends to exist in workplaces where the boss makes a habit of sleeping with staffers.

There's a subset of sexual harassment called sexual favoritism that, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, can lead to a "hostile work environment," often "creating an atmosphere that is demeaning to women."

And that pretty much sums up my experience at Late Night with David Letterman.

…Without naming names or digging up decades-old dirt, let's address the pertinent questions. Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no.

Here's what I did: I walked away from my dream job.

Was there implicit communication that female staffers' advancement was aided by sexual involvement with the boss? Yes. Did Letterman's habit tacitly condone the same behavior among senior male staff? Yes. Was a hostile workplace environment created for other staffers by virtue of this culture? Yes. Did any women feel compelled to leave their jobs because they didn't feel safe or comfortable in a workplace environment in which the boss made a habit of sleeping with female subordinates? Yes.

This was and is a feminist issue.

I'm not arguing, not even close, that a boss and subordinate who meet on the job and have an affair is unilaterally and without exception a bad thing. I'm also not arguing, not even close, that women who have affairs with male superiors lack agency.

The point I am making—and have been all along—is that this situation is fundamentally different from one dude having an affair with his secretary. A dude having an affair with his secretary, the mail room clerk, the marketing manager, the receptionist, the director of human resources, the payroll manager, the vice president of client services...that creates an environment wholly different from "Dick and Jane met at work." And there's nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

In fact, there's something wrong when we fail to acknowledge the difference, and what that means for all the women in that workplace.

[H/T to Shaker SamanthaB.]

Bread and Teaspoons Twelve (with something new!)

Good morning (unless it isn't where you are, in which case I wish you Good $TIME_PERIOD), and welcome to this week's installment of Shakesville's networking post, Bread and Teaspoons*. This is a weekly post, usually Tuesdays, providing a spot for Shakers to network a little with one another, see if we can help each other out some.

I'm going to start introducing a concept each week, something employment-related, and look for comments on how to use that concept to help you find work which values you and your skills appropriately.

This week's concept is Assertiveness!

So: how has being assertive made it easier for you to find work, to receive wage rises, or whatever other (employment-related, please) benefits you may have achieved from standing up for yourself - or maybe for someone else?

Bet no one can tell me why I chose that one, huh? LOL!

Also remember, if you’re running or part of a small business, you’re encouraged to drop links here for that. I’m happy to see Shakers makin’ their own way in whatever manner that is.

Here's how it works: There should be four sorts of comments here.

1) You comment here with any details of work you're seeking: where, what, that sort of thing. You give an e-mail address at which you can be reached - feel free to set up a special e-mail for it, if you don't want to post your regular one for the world to spam - and if another Shaker has a lead, they can contact you directly to pass it along.

A work-seeking comment should include:

- a short summary of the skillset you're seeking work with;

- a short summary of your experience

- where you're looking for work to happen

- your contact e-mail

Please do NOT include information such as your full name or telephone number, as this is and will remain a public post, and once posted, there's no taking it back (because it'll be spidered by a search engine, not because we don't want you to).

It is explicitly alright to comment to this each week with similar info.

For example, I might post a comment saying:

I'm a professional translator of French, German and Russian, with nearly 17 years of experience. I'm looking for basically any translation job, academic, commercial, personal, genealogical, you name it, with one exception: I do not currently have certification, so if you need a certified translator (usually for legal docs: birth certificates, divorce decrees, wills), you need someone else.

I am also available as a writer or editor, for academic, journalistic, creative, marketing-oriented or any other type of written communication. Basically, if you'll pay me, I'll write or edit it.

You can contact me for business purposes through my business address, translatey.caitie@translateycaitie.com.**

2) The second type of comment would be task offering: if you've got a job you think might suit someone here, consider posting it as a comment. Use the same guidelines as above: give general information here, and specific information when you exchange e-mails. An offered task might look something like this:

I have a doctoral thesis which needs proofing and editing by Thursday, is anyone available? You can reach me at ABDShaker@shakesville.miskatonic.edu.

3) The third kind of comment I'd love to see is success stories! We’d love to know when this works out, and people actually find some employment through our efforts. If you feel like sharing, tell us how it worked out for you. :)

**NEW CATEGORY ADDED**

4) If you’re a progressive working for or running a small business and would like to include a pointer to your business, you may do so. If you’ve never otherwise posted before here (i.e., you’re a lurker), I may check in with you to be certain you’re a Shaker and not a spammer. If it turns into a spamfest, or we start getting businesses that are of dubious progressive credentials, we may need to revisit this one, but let’s give it a try.

So, that's what we'd like to see.

What we do NOT want to see:

- recommendations/references, even for other Shakers - leave those for the contact phase of your negotiation

- rates info - again, leave this for the contact phase of your negotiation; we don't want to encourage bidding wars between Shakers

- illegal employment - whatever we may think of a given law against a certain activity, we don't want to put Shakesville in any awkward spots legally

- links to job search, agency or other sites - this is meant to be Shaker-to-Shaker, here, not a spamming point for other sites; only link to sites which are yours

So there. Have at it, Shakers, for Bread and Teaspoons!

Important disclaimers: Shakesville makes no endorsement or claim as to the capabilities of anyone commenting to this post, and anyone considering hiring someone should be prepared to treat it like any other business situation: DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. We're not doing any screening of this, so you'll want to make sure you check references, use safe-payment procedures (e.g., ask for a deposit), all the things you'd do when working with any stranger on the Internet. While this is intended for Shakers in general, remember that there is no real obstacle to being able to comment here, and do the things you need to do to keep yourself safe.

* As might be evident, this is an intentional reference to Bread and Roses, a longtime slogan of the left. In this case, though, my hope is that if we achieve steady bread, we will use it to power our teaspoon use.

** Now, don't go writing to that one yet, because that's not my actual domain name (which I've not got running yet, but should soon), and I'm only using it as an example (though it happens to be true). The e-mail listed for me under Contributors works just fine for now, if you've got something for me.

The last several Bread and Teaspoons: Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven.

Microsoft Bolts on MacFarlane

[Trigger warning.]

After finding out that the content of Fox's upcoming Seth MacFarlane comedy/variety special, Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, includes "typical 'Family Guy'-style jokes, including riffs on deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest," Microsoft has pulled its sponsorship of the program.

In fact, the animated portions of "Almost Live Comedy Show" were the tamest parts of the show -- it was the live-action segments (such as one in which MacFarlane and Borstein play Latino housekeepers) that probably raised the most eyebrows.

Microsoft sent MacFarlane and Fox several notes expressing their concern over the show's content but ultimately decided just to drop out.

..."We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand," said a Microsoft spokeswoman. "We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent."

It's too bad they feel all right continuing a relationship with MacFarlane, whose properties are almost certainly responsible for more rape jokes in prime time television than any other production, which is to say nothing of the misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, disablism, fat hatred, etc.

Yeah, yeah—I know. It's ironic.

You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!

There is no way Mondo Fucko is still talking about his optimistic rug:

After nine months of being nearly invisible -- a big outing has been to a Dallas hardware store for flashlights -- George W. Bush made his debut Monday in his latest incarnation: motivational speaker.

Nearly 15,000 people heard the former president, known more for mangling the English language than for his eloquence, reminisce about his White House days. Bush, who is writing a book about the dozen toughest decisions he had to make, used much of his 28 minutes onstage to talk about lighter topics such as picking out a rug design for the Oval Office that reflected his "optimism."

Holy Maude. He really loves that fuckin' rug.

BEST RUG EVAH!!!!
And he's sticking with the "every day was joyous" shit, too:

Looking younger than his 63 years and relaxed, Bush did not appear to have an overarching theme, but strung anecdotes and jokes together and frequently mentioned his faith in God.

"I don't see how you can be president without relying on the Almighty. Now when I was 21, I wouldn't have told you that, but at age 63, I can tell you that one of the most amazing surprises of the presidency was the fact that people's prayers affected me. I can't prove it to you. But I can tell you some days were great, some days not so great. But every day was joyous."

Like, especially that day where he was hanging out and playing a fancy POTUS guitar with Mark Willis. That was some fun shit, I bet! I know something else was going on that day, but I can't remember what it was... JOYOUS!!!

Really. My odium for that fucker knows no depths.

Open Thread

Hosted by Beetlejuice.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

The Addams Family

Question of the Day

What's the worst nickname you've ever been given?

When I was really little, my dad called me "Peckerhead." I, of course, had no idea what it meant, but I do remember being probably 7 or 8 years old, and my dad calling me Peckerhead while we were rough-housing, prompting my mom to call from the kitchen, in the politest way imaginable, "Dear, do you think we could find another nickname for Lissa besides Peckerhead?" LOL.

I also remember being maybe 12 or 13 and figuring out what Peckerhead actually meant, and being totally horrified that my dad had called me Peckerhead for years.

Diversity Dischmersity

I'm shocked—shocked, I tell you!—to hear that the entertainment industry is still riddled with bigotry or [insert some totally bullshit explanation attempting to rationalize a continued lack of diversity here]:

[Ethnic minorities], seniors and female actors have achieved few gains in recent years in the number of film and TV roles they receive, according to casting stats released by the Screen Actors Guild.

"The diverse and multicultural world we live in today is still not accurately reflected in the portrayals we see on the screen," SAG president Ken Howard said in a statement. "We will continue to work with producers, hiring executives and industry professionals in accurately portraying the American scene by ensuring equal access to employment opportunities for all of our members."

...SAG also noted that people with disabilities remain "virtually invisible" in casting even though 20% of the U.S. population has a disability.

SAG, AFTRA, Actors Equity and the WGA held the inaugural Hollywood Disabilities Forum at UCLA on Saturday.

I don't believe SAG even collects stats on out gay and/or trans actors, nor do I believe they collect stats on the number of fat actors who are cast. I'm guessing in terms of sheer disparity, fat people are the most under-represented demographic in TV and films, with women a close second: "The report noted that male actors continue to fill the majority of roles, especially in the supporting category, with about two roles for every female role."

And, of course, one of the biggest problems is that even in diverse casts, like Lost, the more privileged a character is, the more screentime zie is likely to have. There have always been at least six major characters who are white, straight, cis, able-bodied men, and then the motley crew of main and supporting characters of variously non-privileged people. That's what passes for a good attempt at diversity. Sigh.

And Lo Was the Prankster Richly Rewarded

[Trigger warning.]

The rape culture is someone who tells rape jokes being offered the highly visible hosting gig for an international awards show.

The rape culture is that invitation likely being extended not in spite of that sort of humor, but because of it.

Picture of the Day

Women are on the front lines of World War II from day one, like these firefighters trying to contain the blaze during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

I adore this one, not just because it's all women, and because they're doing what was inevitably seen as exclusively men's work when they did it, but also because they look like a group of Americans: black, Hawaiian and/or Asian, possibly a white woman.

Photo from Life magazine's online galleries; this one from "WWII Women in the Fight", which can be found here.

Know who believes in teaspoons?

Matt Damon.
I would also like to point out that Water.org, which Damon co-founded with Gary White, is currently running a campaign focused on how the water crisis much of the world faces directly affects women: "Glass ceilings aside, millions of women are prohibited from accomplishing little more than survival. Not because of a lack of ambition, or ability, but because of a lack of water."

If you have the resources and inclination, you can donate to Water.org here.

Quote of the Day

[Trigger warning.]

"Dead, brutalised women sell books, dead men don't. Nor do dead children or geriatrics."—An unnamed publisher of crime fiction, in response being questioned why the jacket of a book featured "a female corpse [though] the victim in the story was actually a man."

The quote is taken from a story about Jessica Mann, "an award-winning author who reviews crime fiction for the Literary Review," but is refusing to review new crime fiction novels because they have become "so violently and graphically anti-women."

I find it interesting, however, than Mann claims the sharp increase in "sadistic misogyny ... cannot be attributed to an anti-feminist backlash because the most inventive fiction of this kind is written by women," as though no women ever participate in the Patriarchy, especially when ("There is a general feeling that women writers are less important than male writers and what can save and propel them on to the bestseller list is if they produce at least one novel with very graphic violence in it to establish their credibility and prove they are not girly") they are richly rewarded for their collusion.

[H/T to Shaker InfamousQBert.]

Ding Ding! Caitie Wins; an Update

Further to my post of earlier, I should like to sum up the response of the bosses' to the proletariat's demands:

"We give. You win."

Huzzah! I shall paraphrase the revolutionary Danton:

Pour les vaincre, messieurs, il nous faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace et la Patrie sera sauvée!

"To defeat them, gentlemen, we will need audacity, more and forever audacity, and the Fatherland will be saved!"