Monsoon Season Diversions
I’m playing hooky from a leaking ceiling and a flooded basement, after three days of the heaviest rain in years.
I. She’s Out of My League
Of course I had to run right out and see this quirky, lovable film where the nerd gets the girl. The movie isn’t perfect, and requires a suspension of disbelief that [...]
Passion and Frustration
I need to do some housekeeping here quickly about the comment threads. (Gotcha! If I had titled this post Comment Policy, no one would have read it!) There’s been some passion and frustration in the comment threads recently, and I’d like to address it.
First, let me say that I am really thrilled with the level [...]
Scheherazade Goes to College
In the year or so that I’ve been blogging, I’ve heard a lot of stories. Many of the them have recurring themes. Even Shakespeare stole his stories from the Greeks; there just aren’t that many different variations on human behavior. A few weeks ago, though, I got an email from a reader that astounded me. [...]
Contraception Surprises
Amanda Hess writes The Sexist, a column about local sex and gender issues, for Washington D.C.’s alt-weekly, the Washington City Paper. She’s a feisty feminist, and I’m still suffering from that feminism hangover, so I won’t be getting into any intense debates with her. She’s got a good sense of humor, though.
She had a recent [...]
My Exotic Destination Theory of Relationships
Things have been a little heavy around here lately. I’ve been writing quite a bit about the reality of today’s sexual marketplace, which is important. But I’ve overindulged on the feminism angle and I’m feeling a bit hungover. So today it’s back to basics, with a letter I received last week.
Dear Susan,
I’ve gotten myself into [...]
A Flurry of Flustered Feminists, Finally
I am a post-baby boomer who has been handed a sort of Spice Girls’ version of feminism. We’re supposed to be wearing half-shirts and jumping around. And, you know, maybe that’s not panning out.
Tina Fey, Vogue, March 2010
Recently I wrote about feminist Rachel Simmons’ criticism of hookup culture, and how it produced a flurry [...]
Andy Pemberton Cannot Abide Lady Gaga’s Celibacy
Andy Pemberton, a music industry gossip columnist, has his boxer briefs in a twist in a piece at Huffington Post. He claims that Lady Gaga is telling her fans to be celibate, essentially shoving a pro-abstinence agenda down their throats. He questions how a woman who performs without pants could warn against the dangers of casual sex.
From [...]
How Feminism Got Drunk and Hooked Up With a Loser
Rachel Simmons set the under-40 femosphere back on its heels last week with a column on her blog:
Is Hooking Up Good For Girls? (click here)
Ms. Simmons is an interesting hybrid – she is the advice columnist for Teen Vogue, but she is also a scholar (Rhodes) on the subject of female aggression and has strong [...]
Talking About Sex Instead of Having It?
I don’t know whether talking a lot about sex leads to actually doing it, but I’ve got to think there’s some correlation. Yale students have really got sex on the considerable brain these days. I’ve been seeing a lot of interesting pieces at the Yale Daily News, mostly inspired no doubt by the biennial Sex [...]
On the Other Hand…
Lest my women readers think I am being unduly harsh toward our own fair sex after yesterday’s post, I do want to share something that Natalie sent along yesterday. It’s a piece written a couple of years ago for the Modern Love column in the Sunday NYX’s. I remember liking it very much then, but [...]
