You Are What You Wear

Sadly, Elle Magazine - which usually errs on the side of intelligent (well, despite its advertising revenue, but let's be real) - has crossed the line into contrived and offensive Glamour-dom.

A new feature with the magazine’s creative director, Joe Zee, features women lined up on the street accepting his critique on their clothing choices.

Thanks to Wendy at Glossed Over for her apt explanation that it is exactly this sort of media that reinforces street harassment. It also, no doubt, perpetuates the women-to-women "hating" that keeps us mired in decision-making about what we will wear walking out our doors rather than how we can help each other be more free.

And Elle, your shareholders might be telling you differently, but from those of us who actually read your magazine... Stick to the great journalism. Leave the misogyny for the others.

Nearing extinction?

This week, we heard the news: catcalls nearing extinction. While we suspect our allies in DC (sites like DBS and Stop Street Harassment!) would disagree, we appreciate this type of media coverage.

In the article, it is stated the supervisors on construction sites have been battling the stereotypes against their workers - often by taking action if women complain. Women's social capital is also credited - both women who increasingly hold construction jobs, and women in general, who have gained more rights as the years have gone by. Now, their complaints are taken seriously, have more weight.

So it seems to go. Only once we've gained "credible" social status, our legitimate complaints are taken seriously by men in power. Only when one of their own is harassed - in this case, a construction worker's wife mentioned at the end of the article - do they pay attention. How often have you told a man about being harassed to be met with incredulous stares and disbelief? We'd love to believe street harassment is on the decline, but evidence from our walks of life tells us another story.

And, always a good place to find humorous (if not particularly PC) ways to holla back, via Overheard in NYC:

Black dude following girl: Hey man, check out that ass! Look at that ass! That's some fine ass. Look at that ass.
Black chick being followed: (into her phone) Hold on. (turns to man) Nigga, go away!

We object

This week, a video about street harassment on New York cable channel news.
We'd have embedded it for you here, but their embed code is atrocious and breaks in Blogger.

Also, better late than never, we found this article about anti-rape arm bracelets.

Photo: 3arabawy/Flickr