The Week in Patriarchy is a weekly roundup of what’s happening in the world of feminism and sexism. If you’re not already receiving it by email, make sure to subscribe.
Trump-era media really is something else. Otherwise smart and interesting publications are working so hard to “appeal to both sides” that they’ve completely abandoned their integrity in the process.
Take the Atlantic, who announced a new roster of high-profile columnists this week, including Kevin D Williamson – a writer who compared a nine-year-old black child to a primate, and who argued that women that have abortions – along with their doctors and nurses – should be executed by hanging. (In case you were wondering, yes, this is a literal plotline in The Handmaid’s Tale. Chapter 6.)
When I asked the Atlantic for comment, a spokesperson responded that the magazine has “a large number of contributors who represent a broad spectrum of views”. She wrote that while “diverse viewpoints” are core to the magazine’s mission, they have “strict standards for how these viewpoints are expressed in our pages”.
In other words, the Atlantic doesn’t mind employing a marquee columnist who thinks women should be hanged for having abortions so long as he doesn’t say as much in the magazine.
But believing America should execute women in genocidal numbers (one in four women in this country will have an abortion) is not a “diverse viewpoint” – and the fact that one of the nation’s leading political magazines could defend it as such indicates a serious moral crisis in mainstream media.
Glass half full
The March for Our Lives is this weekend in Washington – and I, for one, cannot wait to see America’s kids in action. (Already this week they’ve guest-edited Guardian US.)
What I’m RTing
There are some colleges who both close their dining halls and charge students to stay on campus during spring break. For a poor students who can't afford to leave in the first place, this is a huge deal. Important research from @tony_jack. https://t.co/kReGtSHOJb
— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) March 18, 2018
Replies to this tweet-many saying how much they miss CR-are stark evidence of how firmly we’re set to empathize with & admire powerful men & not to feel same for the women they’re alleged to have abused, whose work & wellbeing we’re more rarely exposed to or encouraged to value. https://t.co/KnaAxSdJ4v
— Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) March 19, 2018
One lesson I wish folks would learn from this moment: Take misogynistic jokes seriously. Not every joker will go on to harass, but a culture of shrugging off jokes lets harassment flourish. https://t.co/OAHqqWXMSe
— Lauren Kelley (@lauren_kelley) March 20, 2018
We spend so much time arguing about the "politically incorrect" through the lens of Milo and Richard Spencer, and not on stuff like this: a Wisconsin school district just limited discussions of racism after a MLK program made white families uncomfortable https://t.co/wPyWPvwMnC
— Astead (@AsteadWesley) March 13, 2018
Who I’m reading
Cecile Richards in her new book, Make Trouble; the inimitable Elena Ferrante on feminism; and the New York Times in an incredible look at just how much racism black boys face.
What I’m watching
A video on why female condoms are so damn hard to get.
How outraged I am
Twitter is failing women. In a new Amnesty report, the human rights organization shows the sheer vitriol directed at women on Twitter and how the social media company does little to remedy it. (Full disclosure – the harassment I’ve faced is part of the report.) On a scale of one to 10, I’m at an eight – mostly because I’m too tired to be any more furious.
How I’m making it through this week
Friday was National Puppy Day (I LOVE these made up internet holidays) and the pictures did not disappoint.
