Ladyhaters of the Day: Coach House Bar

A woman was kicked out of a bar for being pregnant.  Not for being drunk, or even drunk and pregnant (she was drinking water), just pregnant.  The bouncer told her to leave, and said, "If anything happened to you here, we would be responsible."  She complied, thinking there might be some sort of law, but there's not.  The bar just took it upon themselves to misuse the whole "right to refuse service" concept.  Wonder why they didn't assume that she's capable of assessing her own risk and responsibilities?  Oh, right.

I hope she sues.

The Diamond Industry: LadyHaters of the Day

I am so glad someone took on this stalkeriffic commercial.  I hated it last year, and they've brought it BACK!  The article takes on the problems inherent in the diamond industry (basically, buy expensive rocks or your woman is worth nothing!)  But my bigger problem is how creepy the guy is. It's bad acting, for sure, but you work with the script you're given.  And hey, thunderstorms are so SCARY! Honey, put on your big girl pants and find a flashlight.

LadyHaters of the Day: Hospitals

Yet another horrific story from the world of medical care.  A new mother's child was taken from her because she tested positive for opiates after a drug test was administered without her consent, and before she was even notified of the positive result of the unauthorized test.  Women continue to be considered the place of residence of their offspring, rather than full human beings with agency.

This particular article focuses on the extraordinarily low threshold for the positive drug test result (her breakfast bagel had poppy seeds), but I'm more worried about the hospital's SOP of drug testing obstetric patients whether or not there is any social or medical indication.

DeMint DeBigot: LadyHaters of the Day

Today's LadyHater has a name, and it's Senator DeMint.  He has not only given a speech saying that gays and sexually active unmarried women are unfit to teach in American classrooms, he's not doing the surface backpedaling that most politicians do to "clarify" their comments.  A spokesperson says that DeMint was trying to make a point about the media attacking people who hold a moral opinion.  Um, okay.  I think bigoted white men should be banned from being elected Senator, that's my moral opinion.

Anyway, whatever this says about politics, or morality, or anything else, the point I want to make is that he specifically singles out females.

From Salon:

DeMint's remarks at a church rally last week were reported by the Spartanburg Herald Journal: "DeMint said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn't be teaching in the classroom and he holds the same position on an unmarried woman who's sleeping with her boyfriend -- she shouldn't be in the classroom."

What about sexually active unmarried MALE teachers?  Do they get a (hall) pass?  Or does DeMint think they don't exist?  If the latter, then he's not just bigoted, he's got a case of teh stupid.

Outright Ban: LadyHaters of the Day

At least 78 GOP candidates support outright abortion bans, INCLUDING cases of rape or incest.  Surprising to me is that some of them are women.  Not surprising to me are that some of them are already known for bringing the crazy.  Remember Michele Bachmann saying that China would make us give up the US dollar for a one-world currency?  Yep, she's on the list.

Here's the original survey from the Republican Coalition for Life.  Remember that these folks would have an interest in exaggerating the responses, but somehow I doubt we'll see any "clarification" statements from the candidates.

Kratz the DA: LadyHaters of the Day

Ken Kratz, a prosecutor in Wisconsin, admitted to sending inapproprate texts to the victim of a domestic abuse case.  While he was prosecuting her boyfriend for strangulation, he sent her 30 texts calling her a "hot nymph" and asking if "she was the kind of girl who likes secret contact with an older married elected DA." This woman was vulnerable twice over, first as a victim of abuse, and second, because the prosecutor had power over how her case was handled.  To add insult to injury, he first refused to resign his post saying that the punishment would be "too harsh."  Um, hello, abuse of power?

But he doesn't see it as abuse of power.  He sees it as sexy fun time.

Here's a quote from a full article in Slate.com:

By putting himself in company with men like Tiger Woods who are seeking treatment for sexual compulsions, Kratz has attempted to elide the difference between sexual behavior that's profligate and sexual behavior that's predatory. But you can't draw a straight line from Tiger Woods to Ken Kratz. Whether or not Woods is technically a sex addict—as Slate's Hanna Rosin has pointed out, it's hard for us to know—the athlete chose lovers who apparently wanted to have sex with him. He (and self-professed sex addict David Duchovny) could beg for privacy on the grounds that mental-health issues are personal and, besides, the women they hurt most were their wives.
It's one thing to betray your wife. It's quite another to attempt to leverage your elected powers into an opportunity to get laid, as Kratz did. Kratz should not be allowed to exploit a cultural sensitivity toward mental illness to shield himself from the condemnation of the public. Why, that's almost as manipulative as coming on to the victim whose case you're prosecuting.

A Different Kind of Test: LadyHaters of the Day

The headline is wrong-they mean "Councilors mull GIRLS' virginity as criteria for enrollment"

Of course on its face this is awful, but another level of awful is that the spokesman in opposition who says it violates human rights hedges that it should be "further studied."

Mommy and Daddy Advertising: LadyHaters of the Day

So women are good for buying fabric softener, that's the LadyHater part, but the equally skrinched-nose producing thing here is the limitation these ads put on men.  I noticed this because last night I made some crack about my 8yo making his own dinner.  He replied that "moms make dinner."  I fired back that absolutely dads make dinner too.  His response was that okay, but USUALLY moms make dinner.  I explained to him that at our house, yes, I usually make dinner, but ONLY because dad gets home so late we'd be really hungry.  I think he was a bit shocked at the energy I put into this conversation, but he's a budding skeptic, so I think it's okay to encourage him to examine all claims. 

Anyway, advertising for the most part still doesn't get that there are families with one dad no mom, two dads no mom, grandma and no mom and dad, etc.  Sure, make your ads speak to your intended customer, but don't imply that others are inept.  Dads are just as competent in the kitchen and with the kids, if not more so, and women are more than the sum of "Moms' Club discounts" and cleaning up messes.

Booty Cheer: LadyHaters of the Day

A cheerleader is kicked off of her cheerleading squad because her mom complained about a cheer using the word "booty."  Here's the rub.  The cheerleader is 6.  The mom said the cheer was "dated and stereotypical."  Rather than bump the cheer, the cheerleading league booted the girl.

The cheer goes: "Our backs ache, our skirts are too tight, we shake our booties from left to right."

Way to go mom, that cheer is so....outdated!

What a loss of opportunity to critique here, and instead focus on all the wrong things. First of all, there are those, including myself, who would rather the girls be playing soccer and basketball, rather than cheering on the boys, but others consider cheer a demanding sport akin to gymnastics, so fine.

I have a bigger problem with the sexualization of "skirts too tight" for 6 year olds.  Beautifully skewered in "Little Miss Sunshine" and to a lesser degree with Sparkle Motion in "Donnie Darko," dancing children in adult costumes and makeup (and in this cheer commenting on it), is squickier than the use of the word "booty." I'm assuming that their skirts aren't too tight because they can't afford new ones?  Just a wild guess.

So I'm not sure what this mom had in mind when she and her daughter signed up for cheer in the first place, but yes, shaking booties from left to right is precisely what they do.  So how is that "outdated?"  I think the more compelling argument is to make sure the cheers are more age appropriate go-team-go than "skirts too tight."

Finally, what's with the league kicking out a 6 year old because mom complained?  That's sportsmanship, innit?   We don't know if this mom has been a problem before, or what their deliberation was like, but this poor little girl has been caught in the middle.  All she knows is that she can't be in her sport any more.

Update:  Another take on it from Ms. Blog

Bridenstein: LadyHaters of the Day

TV contest for brides to win plastic surgery. 

How about the spin off for grooms to win a trip to "Tool Academy?"  Or a graduate degree?  Or better yet, life coaching from The Situation?

Goose, gander, etc.