Activism
The 99%: Republican Classism Roundup
The Republican presidential candidates deservedly get a good amount of critical coverage due to the homophobic, racist, and misogynistic rhetoric that they seem to spout at every campaign stop. This election, though, is one of the first times in my memory that the candidates’ classism and... Read more »
School's Out: Popular Media and the Gay Teen Martyr
Kids are indeed the future and so they’re also the site of great moral panic. As more kids are skipping the closet, debate rages on about what is appropriate to “expose” young people to—which also raises the question of what is appropriate to acknowledge as already existing in young people... Read more »
The 99%: Mamas with Money and Parents in Poverty
How much does it actually cost to raise children?
You might be thinking about the price of diapers, health insurance, or preschool programs when trying to work out a rough answer. But don’t forget the... Read more »
Double Rainbow: Autism vs. Asperger Syndrome
There has been disagreement among researchers and diagnosticians about whether the two diagnostic labels really represent distinct conditions since Asperger syndrome first became its own recognized and “official” diagnostic category. There are multiple sets of diagnostic criteria for Asperger... Read more »
Adventures in Feministory: Juliette Gordon Low, Founder of Girl Scouts, Disabled Activist
In honor of the recent wave of support for transgender inclusion in the Girl Scouts, let’s delve into the history of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low. You might know her for leading a life... Read more »
The 99%: "We're Not Broke"
The problem, though, is that the filmmakers seem to misdirect the anger. As upsetting as it is to see corporations (some of which were bailed out with federal funds) avoid their taxes, the problem is that what they’re doing is legal. Most corporations aren’t breaking any laws... Read more »
Double Rainbow: A Quick Look at the Savant
In popular fiction, savant skills and autism are almost synonymous. Portraying a character as a savant has become a way of driving home the fact that the character is autistic. The savant archetype is glaringly problematic because of the cultural baggage associated with idea of the “savant,”... Read more »
Bechdel Test Canon: An Angel At My Table
Jane Campion’s biopic An Angel At My Table feels far more epic in its devotion to writer Janet Frame’s small moments than courtroom scenes that turn history into playacting and battle sequences that turn soldiers into figurines. These are the films women should be making.... Read more »
Double Rainbow: Finding Autism in Popular Fiction
Of course one doesn’t have to go finding autism in popular fiction—it’s the subject of intense cultural fascination right now, so it’s just there, everywhere. In novels like Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Jodi Picoult... Read more »
Double Rainbow: A Peek at Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is an easy, easy target. And a literally huge one—it’s the largest and best-funded autism “awareness” and “advocacy” (I kind of want to just call it “autism-themed”) organization in the world. Autistic self-advocates rip into Autism Speaks every day because of the organization... Read more »
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