Carlin's blog

Every now and then we have to celebrate our victories.  Today, Oklahoma was told to step back and legally blocked from releasing ONLINE the personal information of women who've had abortions in the state. 

If you haven't been following the story, here's the breakdown.  The Oklahoma legislature has a long history of placing obstacles in the path of women seeking abortions.  In their latest attempt, legislators passed a law mandating that detailed information about patients who have abortions be published on a state Web site. 

It seems that women aren't afraid to carry condoms in their clutches.  For the first time EVER, the number of women carrying condoms is the same as the number of women taking the pill.

I remember buying the condoms for all my girlfriends and my brother.  Everyone was so scared of walking up to the Duane Reade register condoms in hand.  And they didn't know which ones to buy either (lambskins don't protect you from the nasties). 

East Germans reminisce about discovering Western sex when the Berlin wall went down (they ran to the sex shops).

Muslim extremists in Somalia have been ordering women to shake their breasts at gunpoint to see if they are wearing un-Islamic bras.  It's kind of kinky.

And Rachel Maddow confessed that the only time Fox News tried to book her was to comment on the famed Britney Madonna kiss.  She declined.

Everyone knows that light fabrics become see through when wet.  That's why only Paris Hilton runs around in white bikinis.  That's why we have wet t-shirt contests.  Then throw on top of that a very thin fabric you can see your hand through in sunlight. 

I really can't believe that the fire department official who chose the new uniforms for their female personnel didn't realize that

a. Yellow is a bad color choice when you're dealing with fire hoses and burning buildings (why not go with navy blue)

b. Once wet, this type of light, flimsy fabric would = nipplage

They really have thought of everything.  This week 2LoveMyLips debuted their anti-rape lipgloss - a new must have for the part girl on the go. 

It comes in a variety of colors and looks just like regular lip gloss.  However, your lipgloss turns blue immediately when signs of substances such as GHB or ketamine (better known as ruffies or the date rape drug) are present in your drink.  It retails for $15.00.

I was ruffied once during a business dinner with a law partner (I know).

It's shaping up to be the Week of Misogyny.  First, we had Karl Lagerfeld blame "fat mummies siting on the couch eating crisps" for Brigitte Magazine's decision to ban models from their fashion magazine.  Then we had Ralph Lauren's nauseating photoshopped campaign of a model (yes a model) reduced to half her real size.  Think concentration camp body with big breasts and a full face.  RL apologized only to release a second photoshopped image of what I'm calling "Auschwitz chic".

And now we have Christian Louboutin attacking Barbie for having cankles.

Tina Fey confessed last night on Letterman that she was a VIRGIN until she met her husband at 24. Somehow I don't believe her.

An Iowan court has upheld the sex conviction of an 18 year old who texted a picture of his penis with the inscription "I love you" to his 14 year old girlfriend (she requested the penis pic). Her mom found it and now he's a registered sex offender for life :(

I love this short film by Gillian Robespierre starring Jenny Slate of SNL f-bomb fame: 

Obvious Child from Gillian Robespierre on Vimeo.

Thank you, Amanda Hess, for letting me know I'm not alone in my disdain for look-at-me-I'm-wearing-garters Halloween costumes.  My most hated: the French Maid, The St. Pauli Girl, and Julia Allison's condom fairy costume. Here are some other worthy "Slutoween" contenders:

And the award for revealing the true misogynistic nature of the fashion industry in one nasty remark goes to Karl Lagerfeld.  If you don't know who Karl Lagerfeld is he's the "tsar" of the fashion world - the man behind Chanel who makes Rachel Zoe stammer like a school girl.

Some context: last week Brigitte magazine shocked the fashion world by revealing that they'd banned professional models from appearing in their magazine.  From now on, they'd ONLY USE REAL WOMEN.  It was a huge moment for women and, frankly, for the feminist movement.  It tore through the blogosphere and, I will admit, I was waiting to see who was going to come out all ghetto and it's so great that it was a man.

Karl Lagerfeld said the decision by Germany's most popular women's magazine was "absurd" and driven by overweight women who did not like to be reminded of their weight issues.

In the Illusion of Sex, two faces are perceived as male and female. However, both faces are actually versions of the same androgynous face. One face was created by increasing the contrast of the androgynous face, while the other face was created by decreasing the contrast. The face with more contrast is perceived as female, while the face with less contrast is perceived as male. The Illusion of Sex demonstrates that contrast is an important cue for perceiving the sex of a face, with greater contrast appearing feminine, and lesser contrast appearing masculine.

Russell, R. (2009) A sex difference in facial pigmentation and its exaggeration by cosmetics. Perception, (38)1211-1219. Third place winner of the 6th Annual Illusion of the Year Contest.

I was cruising sexbodygender.com last night and I couldn't believe that Barack Obama appointed Chai Feldblum to the EEOC (the EEOC is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  I worked on joint cases with them when I worked at the AG's office).  She's a powerhouse Harvard grad, Georgetown Law professor who is OPENLY GAY. She drafted the Americans with Disabilities Act and she's all over gay and transgender rights *sigh*

Marriage is not the only worthy form of family or relationship, and it should not be legally and economically privileged above all others.

I so want to see this movie. It's directed by Rebecca Miller and has the best female cast ever: Monica Bellucci, Robin Wright, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder and Blake Lively. And there's a whole pill-fueled bondage/fetish model storyline.

I'm so hoping that Obama is going to end Don't Ask Don't Tell because the numbers are in and women are disproportionately dismissed under this idiotic policy.  Women make up just 14% of the military yet they account for 36% of dismissals under Don't Ask Don't Tell.  And it turns out that most were dismissed from the Air Force.  Seems Top Gun women aren't interested in Tom Cruise.

Now to the why (because I have to go there).  My knee jerk reaction as a woman who chose a male-dominated profession is that these women are under the microscope.