Sexism
Personal Essays
An Open Letter to Our Readers About That Football & Rape Piece

photo via Flickr Dear Readers (Robert in particular), Our recent post, Is Football More Important Than Rape, syndicated by us from YourTango and written by Charles J. Orlando, ignited one of the most spirited and thoughtful debates EMandLO.com has had in a long time. The first response came from Robert, a long-time reader, now (sniff) […]

News
Is Football More Important Than Rape?

by Charles J. Orlando for YourTango  |  photo via flickr It’s time to actually #blamejameis and those who enable him. Mr. Winston: I’ve been following your college football career at Florida State University as quarterback for the Seminoles. You have an incredible arm, and your insight into a defense’s secondary is enviable. You’re a Heisman […]

Pop Culture
Battle of the Sexists: “Blurred Lines” VS. “Rude”

During this, the last official week of summer, we thought we’d compare this year’s “Song of Summer” with last year’s official hit to see which would win the title of “Most Offensive.” For the sake of argument, we’re calling “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke the winner of 2013 (though it was pretty much a tie […]

TV
Why Lo Won’t Watch “Game of Thrones” Anymore

Lo wanted to pen a smart, thoughtful piece on all the serious, misogynistic, pro-rapey problems with “Game of Thrones” that have made it unwatchable for her, but after reading Bethany Jones’ piece ‘Game of Thrones,’ Sex and HBO: Where Did It Go Wrong For TV’s Sexual Pioneers? over at Indewire’s “/bent” blog last week, there was […]

Websites
Highlights from #YesAllWomen

The Twitterstorm known as #YesAllWomen that’s blown up over the past week — in response to both the misogyny-fueled killing spree at UCSB last Friday and the misguided hashtag “NotAllMen” that took off shortly thereafter — has shined a bright light on how much more work needs to be done dismantling idealogical sexism. Here’s a […]

Dear Em & Lo
Does Enjoying Anal Play Mean You’re Gay?

Something we here an awful lot around these here parts is the concern many straight men have with receiving — and, heaven forbid, enjoying — a little backdoor attention. Just this week we got another comment on the topic: My boyfriend has recently discovered he likes me lubing him up and fingering his anus, rimming […]

Pop Culture
What Kind of Feminist Are You: Miley, Beyonce, or Pharrell?

Time magazine just announced its list of the top 100 most influential people, declaring this to be “the year of pop feminism.” Their evidence? The lyrics, quotes, and attitude of Beyoncé, Pharrell (“Blurred Lines” notwithstanding)… and Miley Cyrus. “Beyoncé, Miley and Pharrell aren’t just accidental feminists,” according to Time. “They’ve actively promoted women’s empowerment through their songs, […]

Pop Culture
Losing It: How We Popped Our Cherry Over the Last 80 Years

Author Kate Monro has managed to make us jealous of her job: searching the world for first-time tales that don’t often get told. In her new book, “Losing It: How We Popped Our Cherry Over the Past 80 Years,” she picks up where Nancy Friday left off, letting a wide range of people — from a 90-year-old […]

How To
That Pesky C-Word

“The ultimate sexist put-down: the prick which lies down on the job. The ultimate weapon in the war between the sexes: the limp prick. The banner of the enemy’s encampment: the prick at half-mast. The symbol of the apocalypse: the atomic warhead prick which self-destructs. That was the basic inequity which could never be righted: […]

Research
Infographic: How Sexual Norms Have Evolved in 50 Years

Just when your blood is about to boil over all the reproductive rights rollbacks that have taken place in recent years, when you’re about to puke if you hear one more Fox pundit talk about “family values,” and when when your head is about to explode at the idea that “Dancing with the Stars” is a […]

TV
The Bachelor’s Big Reveal: Juan Pablo & the Fantasy Suite Charade

Many episodes of The Bachelor of have been touted as “the most dramatic ever!” — last night’s truly was. It has been a long-time coming: 18 seasons to be exact (and that’s not even counting all the spin-offs). But after yesterday’s fantasy suite episode of The Bachelor with Juan Pablo, the veils have finally dropped, […]

Movies
Which Disney Princess Are You? (Em & Lo Style)

Results from the Zimbio quiz “Which Disney Princess Are You?” have been popping up in our Facebook feed this week. Most of them are as saccharine and subtly sexist as the Disney movies themselves: They’re just begging for a more honest edit, with a little tough love thrown in — one that reflects the disturbing […]

News
Will Roe V. Wade See Another Anniversary?

Yesterday was the 41st anniversary of Roe V. Wade. Will there be a 42nd? Since abortion has been legal in this country for the entire lifespan of progressive women under 41 years old, they — we — have perhaps come to take Roe V. Wade for granted, to assume that this right is inalienable and […]

Pop Culture
Porn & Romance: An Odd Couple?

The following is a sub-chapter about “the age of hypersexualization” from the new book “THE NEW SOFT WAR ON WOMEN: How the Myth of Female Ascendance Is Hurting Women, Men — and Our Economy” by Caryl Rivers and Rosalind C. Barnett, Ph.D. It’s the perfect holiday gift for anyone who says we live in a […]

Music
POLL: Who’s Right About Miley – Sinead O’Conner OR Amanda Palmer?

When Miley Cyrus said her “Wrecking Ball” video (in which she cries into the camera, before getting it on with a wrecking ball and a sledgehammer) was inspired by Sinead O’Connor‘s classic and subtle “Nothing Compares 2 U” video (that title is pre-texting!), O’Conner wrote an open letter to Miley, warning her that’s she’s being […]

Pop Culture
The Best “Blurred Lines” Parody Yet!

  The Mod Carosel parody was pretty good, but a little too thin on the politics for our radical feminist tastes. Enter “Defined Lines,” the parody made by some University of Aukland law students for its Law Revue show last week. With its decent production values and pointed yet hilarious feminist message, it’s the Blurred […]