Monday, July 20, 2009

So angry...

...I can't even come up with a decent title for this post.

I've just come back from a week without internet, secluded off in the wilderness writing about culture, and this is how culture greets me when I return: "Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrested, Police Accused Of Racial Profiling".

Apparently, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., one of the preeminent scholars of African American studies and race theory, Harvard professor, was arrested late last week for attempting to open the jammed door of his own house. A neighbor called the police, reporting "two black men" attempting a break-in and the police arrived to question, and eventually arrest Gates for "disorderly conduct," even after he produced identification and proved the house was his.

From HuffPo:
Some of Gates' African-American colleagues say the arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge.

Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years, said he was stopped on campus by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.

"We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white," Counter said. "It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened."

The Rev. Al Sharpton is vowing to attend Gates' arraignment.

"This arrest is indicative of at best police abuse of power or at worst the highest example of racial profiling I have seen," Sharpton said. "I have heard of driving while black and even shopping while black but now even going to your own home while black is a new low in police community affairs."

Ogletree said Gates had returned from a trip to China on Thursday with a driver, when he found his front door jammed. He went through the back door into the home – which he leases from Harvard – shut off an alarm and worked with the driver to get the door open. The driver left, and Gates was on the phone with the property's management company when police first arrived.

You can read Gates' lawyer's official statement over at The Root.

To say I am appalled would be an absolute understatement.

Update: Apparently the charges were just dropped. First smart move by Cambridge law enforcement so far.

Also, reading comments about this case has me in a tizzy. What is wrong with people? (Alas, a blog's comment section is pretty mild, but makes me fear other media outlets.)

Update #2: A few other posts on Gates' arrest:

Rebecca Walker's blog
Shakesville
NPR
Pam's House Blend
Racialicious

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Feminist Flashback #46

A.k.a. Women in Prison, part 3 of 3


Wrapping up my mini-series of Feminist Flashbacks (parts 1 and 2 here and here, respectively), I bring you a documentary you probably haven't heard of, but that's well worth a watch: the 2006 British musical documentary about women in prison, directed by Brian Hill. Yep, you read that right, it's a musical! Aptly entitled Songbirds, this unconventional doc chronicles the lives, trials and tribulations of some of the 250 women incarcerated at Downview Prison in Sutton, England.


Want a little more information? Check out this review.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Feminism as Realism

Recently, I saw the movie Fucking Amal (aka Show Me Love in the US). It was an enjoyable film, as a whole. It even includes an overt feminist moment: one of the main characters breaks up with her boyfriend - permanently - after he fails to disagree with his friend's hatred of women! But the most interesting feature of the movie was its realism. There's no trite plot, and the characters are remarkably flawed. Not in the theatrical, 'tragic hero' way, mind you - they just do things which are wrong. No more, no less. Early in the film, the main character (who we are supposed to sympathize with) says some insensitive and horrible things to a wheelchair-bound friend. Later she apologizes, but it's too late. There's no Hollywood reconcile-for-free card. She simply did something wrong, learned (or not) and moved on.

It was all rather interesting, and considering the feminist overtones, I found the movie to be a metaphor for modern feminism.

Now, the debate over what feminism is, what feminists believe, and what feminists do wrong has been raging for as long as the movement itself. Perhaps the oldest argument is about race - and as so many feminists were white privileged women, mistakes were made. Serious, important mistakes, in fact. And it continues to the present. In the world of online feminism, it sometimes threatens to overwhelm everything else. (As an example: the recent discussion, and lack thereof, about the rights of trans individuals sparked by the New Orleans Women's Health Clinic issue). It seems that whatever the merits of each individual discussion - which are many - they keep repeating themselves forever. So now, there no consensus, no agreement, and lots and lots of anger. People get alienated. It's difficult for non-feminists to see what it's all even about, so they are reluctant to join and thus do nothing.

So, I want to suggest a new, or rather and additional, definition for feminism: Feminism is realism.

Whatever the faults of this continuous debate, I think there is an explanation. Feminism, at some level, is about trying to find out what the world is really like, what really goes on. It is called 'feminism' only because what really is, is the patriarchy. And when we find out what the world is really like in more detail, we try and challenge it, try to change it. That's what makes it different from most other movements - so many *isms (think of Populism or Marxism or Religious Rightism and so on) start with an agenda, an ideal world, a goal. They try and work toward that goal at all costs. When the world changes, they either die out, or change their goals - and keep pushing, often at the cost of destroying so many other worthwhile goals, and certainly without really considering their actions.

Feminism, then, is far more based on reality, setting goals and agenda solely based on actual, observed inequalities. Hence the near-obsession with point even the littlest things out, from an obvious bias in a politician's speech, to a little detail in a car commercial. And also (for good or ill) the debate of defining feminism. Not because there's a question of what to do, but more a question of what the world is really like. Mistakes are made, to be sure. Real life is just like that.

And perhaps when we're done, even if it's not called feminism anymore, the concept will still remain: Finding out what is, realizing what is wrong with it, and challenging those wrongs.

Just a thought.

Feminist Flashback #45

A.k.a. Women in Prison, part 2 of 3


While I haven't read anything yet that confirms my suspicions, I'd be willing to bet that the BBC's hit television drama Bad Girls (1999-2006) was more than marginally based on Germany's Hinter Gittern, which I featured as the previous flashback. Obviously, Bad Girls isn't just limited to German-speakers and at least the first few seasons can be purchased in the USA (and viewed, I think, on BBC America). In any case, I can't recommend Bad Girls highly enough; it's less risque than its German cousin, which is neither here nor there, really, and it's fun, smart, thought-provoking and a little campy (but only in the best of ways).

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg

While I may not have quite the clout (yet?) to call myself a television expert, I do fancy myself a bit of an amateur connoisseur of all things televisual, not to mention that I have a long-standing vested interest in the relationship between feminism and television production and the role of women in television history. So you can imagine my surprise, a distinctly pleasant surprise, when I learned about the pioneering foremother of all television personalities, star of the first real TV family sitcom, by way of Aviva Kempner's compelling, well-executed documentary, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, which opens tomorrow in New York City.



Chronicling the life and times of the eminent screenwriter/actress/producer Gertrude Berg (born Tillie Edelstein in 1898), Kempner's documentary skillfully weaves together archival footage from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s with contemporary interviews with Berg's co-stars, family, and fans, including Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and NPR correspondent Susan Stamberg. And, the best part? Kempner includes excerpts of audio from Berg's well-loved radio show, The Goldbergs, which launched her writing and acting career when it aired in 1929, as well as rare footage from the CBS television show which followed in 1949. The television version of The Goldbergs, a situation comedy about a middle class Jewish family, earned Berg the first Best Actress Emmy in history and a tremendous fan following.

But Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg isn't only an enjoyable, edifying journey, showcasing the charming personality and extraordinary work of a television legend. Masquerading beneath the pleasingly nostalgic facade of a well-paced and fun documentary, the film also performs a great public service. A rich historical tapestry is interwoven into the narrative of Berg's life, the effects of the World Wars and, most significantly, the Red Scare and House on Un-American Activities' blacklist rendered starkly against the backdrop of Berg's ostensibly-carefree family comedy. Moreover, Gertrude Berg is, or at least should be, a feminist icon to be lauded and remembered, not locked away in the vault of television gone by.

It's a terrible shame that I, a great lover of television, had never heard of Berg until now, but it's not surprising. The laws of popular culture unfortunately dictate that the new not only supersedes but often tramples on the old. Feminism, too, wave after wave, is occasionally guilty of reinventing a perfectly good wheel. Sometimes its important to be reminded of those that came before, and Gertrude Berg is nothing if not an example of an exceptional feminist, a pioneer of radio and television, a woman ahead of her time, a woman who fashioned an incredible career and whose worked touched millions. The least we can do is remember her, and Kempner's lovely documentary doesn't let us forget.


Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg opens Friday, July 10th (tomorrow!) in New York City at Lincoln Plaza Cinema (1888 Broadway) and The Quad (34 West 13th Street), followed by screenings throughout New York State. LA-area screenings begin July 24th, with a nationwide roll-out throughout the late summer and fall. For a full (and continually-updated) list of screenings, check out the official website.

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Trailer from Aviva Kempner on Vimeo.



Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Feminist Flashback #44

A.K.A. Women in Prison, part 1 of 3

In 1997, the ground-breaking German television drama Hinter Gittern: der Frauenknast [Behind Bars: The Women's Prison] first aired, and I watched it with rapt attention with my grandmother as a teenager, an interesting experience to say the least, considering German prime time is like an only moderately tamed down version of Showtime. The show ran for ten years and, while I haven't seen it since the second or third season, from what I can remember it was pretty hard-hitting, impressively executed and downright fascinating.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it'll ever come out in America, but DVDs of the show in German are available. If you're a German speaker, it's well worth a watch.



(If that's not enough of a taste, here's another trailer.)

Friday, July 3, 2009

Thursday, July 2, 2009

She Writes

Just a quick PSA to announce that Deborah Siegel (of Girl W/Pen), Kamy Wicoff, and Nancy Miller just launched a new social/professional networking site for women writers.

Check it out!

Looks awesome so far...and a fantastic idea.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

I don't get it...

Lt. Dan Choi served his country proudly in the Iraq war after graduating from West Point. He's a leader---groomed as such at the country's top military university. So after all this, why did the military administrative board of the New York National Guard recommend he be discharged? Because he stood up and proudly represented who he is---a gay man. However, as an OPENLY gay man who is active in the military, Choi violated the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and stands to lose some, if not all, of his veterans benefits.

So President Clinton thought it would be a good idea to not allow recruiters to ask if a person's sexual orientation as part of the military's admission process. Unfortunately, he also thought it was a good idea for any gay person in the military to keep it quiet, forcing them into a closet with a padlock on it. And now, it's sketchy as to whether or not Obama will repeal the act as promised when running for election.

Let's get right down to it. As a person drowning in the military culture (entire family is in and/or retired), I must stand up and applaud Lt. Choi. He stayed true to who he is AND served his country. He is to be honored, not ridiculed, for his service, leadership, and courage to fight a seemingly endless war. Thank him for having the balls to fight instead of sitting on your high horses, glad that your sons and daughters aren't over there fighting (I'm talking to you, members of Congress). And, for Pete's sake, quit trying to govern someone else's bedroom and find out what's going on in your own! (I'm talking to you, endless line of political figures that sleep with anything in a skirt EXCEPT for your wife.)

Get rid of "don't ask, don't tell" and focus on the bigger picture. Trust me, I've asked the Korean war veterans, the Vietnam war veterans, the Operation Desert Storm veterans, the Bosnia conflict veterans, AND the Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans in my family and they could care less if the girl or guy next to them is gay...as long as they have their backs and make sure everybody makes it home alive, nobody cares.