Young Hillary
Speaking of Amazing women, Wanda Jackson, the only rock n roller ever given the National Endowment for the Arts, she helped convince Elvis to go electric. She was also, obviously, a proto feminist.
Anyway, to get back to matters at hand, WOW, not to sound cynical or suspect but I cannot believe the NY Times Magazine devoted an entire issue to women's rights. And not just women's rights but women's rights GLOBALLY. They even declare it ON THE COVER the central issue of our modern times. My mouth fell open, literally, I am elated, speechless, disbelieving completely rendered stupid by this wonderful amazing news. It's like the world, America specifically, has been missing a giant link in consciousness, concentrating on pornography and toilets- this is ERA stuff, if you don't know what the ERA is google it- help yourself help yourself!- Anyhoo, and finally cleaned the wax out of its ears and the sleep out of its eyes and got THE memo. Women's rights are human rights and when human rights are denied it COSTS US MONEY! Of course women's rights are important because health and safety are the god given inalienable rights of all living persons, but also, globally, economically, sexism is expensive and counter productive to our global economy. That's right, every time you make a sexist joke, you help one more idiot think that paying for a child prostitute in Asia is A okay. You help MARKET objectification, from the smallest dumb joke to the most evil sinister act of putting a women in a cargo tank to be shipped overseas. That's right, its true, so think before you speak. That shit has consequences weather you see it or not. Hate is a disease that spreads like foot fungus, soon your shit needs to be amputated and if you don't have insurance you're gonna have to re mortgage your house and then the bank will default and public assistance will have to pick up the bill for your dumb fuck thoughtless act. It doesn't pay to be a bigot a misogynist or a racist. Money out of your pocket buddy. I guess what I'm saying is, its not funny. Suffering is a choice we can choose to continue or we can work to alleviate.
Best of all there's an incredible interview with Hillary Clinton in which she discusses in detail how these things connect. I am really so pleased that she has brought with her the voices and concerns of so many smart and hard working feminists to the forefront. Voices that might not have been given the platform in which to speak. She has been an incredible ambassador of women's rights and this issue is just one example of how her presence in the White house is changing how we see and discuss women. I hope hope hope we continue to take this issue seriously and finally give it the weight and respect it has been so sorely lacking.
link to the NY Times article
link to Jezebel's Hillary interview recap plus some good thoughts on what the issue means
From an interview I did with Wanda last year:
Do you consider yourself a feminist?
Well, I don't really know what the world today considers a feminist. I was a strong lady. I guess I do things my way, but not in every area of my life, if that makes sense to you. I was always open to criticism and suggestions and then my dad's voice would come to me to 'Do things your way.' You have to remember the mindset of America in the '50s. A woman's reputation was No. 1, and you had to keep that intact, and that's why my father traveled with me. My mother was able to hold down her day job and make all my stage clothes and everyday clothes and it was a family affair and it was wonderful and worked that way till I got married and moved away. I don't know what all that means now, but why put a tag on somebody or put them in a pigeonhole? I'm still myself. I would like to put a footnote, however, that I am very proud of working women and to be a woman. I have a daughter and a daughter-in-law and I think they're very strong people and I admire them.
Do you see how your presence has benefited many women?
Well, I hope it did. I'm told that it did. As a young woman I would wear cowboy boots and I was covering the things I should be covering, but I always loved glamorous things and the movie stars, and my mother being my seamstress, her and I got together and we knew that I was sort of hippy with bosoms, so we came up with pencil skirts and sweetheart necklines and rhinestone heels and so I think I sort of gave Dolly Parton liberty to be herself. If nothing else, I'm proud of that.
